Free The Crochet Handbook: Learn what Equipment you need to Crochet, The Basics of Crochet, How to Read Written Patterns, Graphs, Charts and Diagrams, and More by Florence Schultz Page B

and a size I/9 hook. This gave me a gauge of 13 stitches across four inches, and 15 rows to make four inches in length. If you look at the yarn weight chart you can see these numbers fall into the gauge listed for a medium weight yarn.
    The Yarn Label
    The yarn label will tell you almost all you need to know about a particular yarn. On the yarn label you will find the fiber content, weight, recommended hook size, gauge using that hook size, color, and laundry care instructions. Most yarn manufacturers use a standardized set of laundry care symbols. You can find a complete list of these symbols at the Lion Brand website.

    In this example of a Red Heart Super Saver label we see this is an acrylic yarn with a weight class of four. The recommended hook size is I/9 which should give us a gauge of 12 single crochet across four inches, and 15 rows in a length of four inches. Fabric crocheted with this yarn may be machine washed and dried at no hotter than 104 degrees, but not ironed. There is no dye lot for this yarn, but if there was you would want to purchase at least one extra skein of the same dye lot to be sure the color is consistent in your project.

Chapter Three – Crochet Stitches, Abbreviations, and Symbols
    In this chapter we will cover the basic crochet stitches used in patterns as well as their abbreviations and symbols. These abbreviations and symbols are used in written patterns, charts, graphs, and diagrams. If you already know how to crochet, then this chapter can serve as a quick refresher course. If you’re a beginner, then this chapter will teach you basic crochet stitches you can use in all patterns.
    Chain Stitch
    Abbreviation: ch
    Symbol: or
    Create a slip knot and place it on the hook. Place the yarn over the hook (a yarn over) and pull the yarn through the slip knot on the hook. This is a chain stitch. Yarn over and pull the yarn through the loop on the hook to crochet the next chain stitch.

    Slip Stitch
    Abbreviation: sl st
    Symbol:
    The slip stitch is used to join rounds of crochet and to move the yarn to the proper position in a pattern. Insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through the stitch and the loop on the hook.
    Single Crochet Stitch
    Abbreviation: sc
    Symbol:
    Insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through the stitch. Yarn over and pull through the loop on the hook. When you start out with the first row, skip the first chain stitch of the foundation chain. This skipped stitch counts as the first single crochet stitch. To begin a new row of single crochet chain one and count this as the first stitch in the row. Insert the hook into the next stitch, not into the base of the chain one to crochet the next stitch.

     

    2 Rows of Single Crochet
    Half Double Crochet Stitch
    Abbreviation: hdc
    Symbol:
    Yarn over and insert the hook into the next stitch. Yarn over and pull the yarn through the stitch. There are now three loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all three loops at once. When using a foundation chain, skip the first two chain stitches and use the third chain from the hook. To begin a new row of half double crochet chain two and insert the hook into the next stitch, not into the base of the chain two.

Double Crochet Stitch
    Abbreviation: dc
    Symbol:
    Yarn over and insert the hook into the next stitch. Yarn over and pull the yarn through the stitch. There are now three loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through the last two loops of the hook to complete the stitch. When you start with a foundation chain skip the first three chain stitches and use the fourth chain from the hook. To begin a new row of double crochet chain three, yarn over and insert the hook into the next stitch. Do not insert the hook into the base of the chain three stitches.

     

Treble Crochet Stitch
    Abbreviation: trb
    Symbol:
    Wrap yarn around the hook twice and insert the hook into the next stitch.