Learn to chain, single crochet, and turn your work

Yarn over, as you did when making a chain:

And pull that loop through the back loop of the chain (you’ll now have 2 loops on your hook – the one that was already there before you started your stitch, and the loop you just pulled through) (side note: when pulling your yarn through a loop, it’s easiest to turn your hook so it’s facing down–since I’ve already pulled it through in this photo, my hook is facing up again, but scroll down to the next picture to see how I hold the hook when pulling yarn through a loop. As you crochet, your hook will constantly be rotating up to yarn over, and down to pull them through; you’ll get the hang of it with practice!):

Yarn over again:

And pull it through both of the loops on your hook:
 
That’s a single crochet!

Here’s another video from Lion Brand Yarn demonstrating the single crochet, and another from Crochet Geek–it will probably make more sense as you watch someone do it, versus just looking at the picture, so hop over and watch the videos while you try it yourself!

Now keep going–work a single crochet into the back loop of the next chain (the one marked with the needle):

And keep single crocheting down the row. When you reach the end of the row, you should have 10 single crochets:

Turning Your Work
Maybe you noticed that we started with 11 chains but only ended up with 10 single crochet stitches (you’re so astute!). Since our rows of crochet build up on top of each other, we have to use chains at the end of each row as a sort of ladder to get up high enough to work on top of the previous row. When you reach the end of a row, you’ll turn your crochet work so you can go across from right to left again, but you’ll be starting at the base of your previous row. So you’ll need to create a turning chain to bring you up to the height of the stitches you’ll be making. That one extra chain when you began became a little mini-ladder to make you tall enough to work into the stitches for your single crochets.

So, at the end of your row of 10 single crochets, make one chain:

And turn your work (here’s a handy little illustration showing you how to turn)–just rotate it around, so you’ll now have your ten stitches on the left, and your little chain on the right. The chain gives you some height so you can work your first single crochet into the first stitch of this row. You’ll insert your hook into this first space here, marked by the arrow:

If it makes more sense to look at it from this direction, here’s the view looking down at the top of your work. The teensy little V on the right is the chain, and you’ll insert your hook under both loops of the first stitch, marked by the needle (again, unless a pattern specifically tells you to just work in the front or back loop, and unless you’re working into the chain, you’ll insert your hook beneath both loops):

 Here’s what my piece looked like after working my first single crochet in the second row:
 
 Keep on going–single crochet in each stitch across the top of the row, and count as you go–you’ll have ten stitches again. Make one chain at the end, turn your work, and continue into the next row. After a few rows of practice, you’ll have a little rectangle or square made of single crochet stitches!

Don’t worry if they don’t look all neat and perfect–that’s why we’re practicing.

Once you have the single crochet down pat, learning the other stitches will be so much easier–all your basic stitches are just a variation on the single crochet, so keep practicing it and the others will come easily!