Slip knot and chain stitch

All photo's are taken by myself using an older smart phone; so I apologise if they are not very good quality. I will be taking some more using a friend and a real camera and will swap the photo's once they're sorted.

There are two ways in which we work crochet.

1) In the round; where the end of the row is joined to the beginning of the row with a slip stitch; or we work the rows in a continuous round. (the use of stitch marks are a must for this type of work.)

2) In rows; where we turn our work at the end of the row.

Here I will show you how to create a slip knot and and a chain of stitches.

I will also show you one method of hold the wool correctly.

A slip knot or slip stitch (sl st)

please view the slides below for pictures with explanations.

Holding the end of the wool between your left thumb and middle finger; use your right hand to wind it around your left fore finger and middle finger once, then around your little finger.
Insert your hook through the loop of wool between your fingers,catch the wool (that is connected to your little finger).
pull the hook back through your fingers; drawing a loop.
removed your left fingers
tighten the knot by pulling at the end.
HAPPY DAYS! your first slip knot is complete. :)

How to hold your wool

Unfortunately; I've been an idiot and only uploaded one of the photo's for this, and my cable has broken so until pay-day, you'll have to put up with only one photo and my written description. Sorry!

Holding the end of the wool (the bit attached to your hook), wrap the wool around your little finger.
under your middle finger and ring finger,
over your fore finger, so that the wool flows through your fingers and to your hook.

This is only one method, there are a few out there but this is my most preferred when working with wool.

When I'm working with crochet thread, I tend to wrap the cotton around my little finger, then over my ring finger, under my middle and back over my fore-finger. This give a better hold for smaller threads.

Your work is always held using your left thumb and middle finger.

chain stitch (ch)

Make a slip knot
Holding the bottom of the stitch with your left thumb and middle finger; catch the wool with your hook and pull it through the stitch (st) on your hook.
You've created your first chain stitch.

Remember to never count the stitch on your hook as part of your chain. So if your chaining 10 stitches, make a slip knot, then chain 10, you should have 10 stitch and a loop on your hook.