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Count stitches and spaces separately

A chain space is the opening beneath a chain, not another stitch top. Instructions may place several stitches into one space.

Related lessons and tools
  1. Reading crochet charts: symbols, rows, rounds, and repeats
  2. Read repeated crochet instructions
  3. Crochet loop placement changes texture and movement

A chain space is the opening beneath a chain, not another stitch top. Instructions may place several stitches into one space.

Before you start

Confirm whether the instructions use US or UK terms. On a smooth-yarn sample, mark the first and last stitch and note whether the turning chain counts.

Try this example

Five groups of three double crochets separated by four chain spaces contain 15 double crochets and four spaces. Record both, then check the next row’s insertion points.

Check your result

  • Count stitch tops separately from chain spaces and compare successive row or round totals. Lay the sample down without stretching it to inspect the shape.
  • A symbol or familiar stitch name does not supply a complete construction. Use the project’s own counts, turning rules and joining instructions.

Sources

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Illustration: Close view of the edge of a crochet row, with a turning chain, the adjacent true stitch and an open chain space visually distinct.

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