Crochet guide
Turning chains explained: when they count as a stitch
Updated by Khokhar Sab
A turning chain lifts your hook to the height of the next row: 1 chain for single crochet, 2 for half double, 3 for double and 4 for treble. By the usual convention, the single and half double turning chains don't count as a stitch, while the double and treble ones do. Your pattern can say otherwise, and its notes win.
What a turning chain does
When you crochet in rows, you finish one row, turn the work and start back the other way. The first stitch of the new row has to stand as tall as the stitches around it. A few chains at the start of the row bring the yarn up to that height. Those chains are the turning chain.
Taller stitches need more chains. A single crochet is short, so one chain is enough. A treble is about four chains tall, so it needs four.
Turning chain lengths for each stitch
These are the standard lengths, the same ones the foundation chain calculator uses. The last two columns show what they mean when you start a row on a foundation chain.
| Stitch | Turning chain | Counts as a stitch? | Extra chains in the foundation | First stitch goes in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single crochet (sc) | ch 1 | Usually no | 1 | 2nd chain from hook |
| Half double crochet (hdc) | ch 2 | Usually no | 2 | 3rd chain from hook |
| Double crochet (dc) | ch 3 | Usually yes | 2 | 4th chain from hook |
| Treble crochet (tr) | ch 4 | Usually yes | 3 | 5th chain from hook |
The "extra chains" column is the number you add to your stitch count to get the length of the foundation chain. When the turning chain counts, one of its chains stands in for a stitch, so you add one less.
Slip stitch and double treble
The table stops at treble, but the rule carries on both ways. Crochet en Inglés lists no turning chain at all for rows of slip stitch. Treasurie, Cherry Heart and Pattern Princess all give 5 chains for a double treble.
UK crochet terms
UK patterns name each stitch one step taller than US patterns, so the same turning chain goes with a different name. Cherry Heart lists both sets side by side:
| US name | UK name | Turning chain |
|---|---|---|
| Single crochet (sc) | Double crochet (dc) | ch 1 |
| Half double crochet (hdc) | Half treble (htr) | ch 2 |
| Double crochet (dc) | Treble (tr) | ch 3 |
| Treble crochet (tr) | Double treble (dtr) | ch 4 |
A UK pattern that says "ch 3, 1 tr in next st" is a US double crochet row. Check which terms a pattern uses before you count chains.
When the turning chain counts as a stitch
A turning chain of three or four chains is about as tall as a double or treble crochet. It fills the space where the first stitch would go. So the usual rule is that it counts as the first stitch of the row.
A single crochet turning chain is one thin chain. It doesn't fill a stitch's space, so it doesn't count. You work your first single crochet into the very first stitch of the row. The half double chain of two usually works the same way.
This is a convention, and designers differ. Some patterns say "ch 2 (does not count as a stitch)" for double crochet, or "ch 1 (counts as sc)". Read the pattern notes and the first row before you start. If the pattern says nothing, the table above is the safe guess.
Where the sources disagree
- Itchin' for Some Stitchin' says that traditionally the turning chain does not count, though many patterns count it.
- Treasurie says single crochet chains usually don't count and double crochet chains usually do, the same split as the table.
- Cherry Heart treats every turning chain except the single crochet one as a stitch, including the half double chain of 2.
- Crochet en Inglés says a half double chain of 2 can count with no visible gap. For double crochet rows, it says designers often chain 2 and work the first stitch into the first stitch, because the counted chain-3 leaves a gap. For treble rows it chains 3 instead of 4.
So the half double chain is where these sources split. When a pattern doesn't say, count your stitches at the end of the first two rows. The count tells you which rule the designer used.
How counting changes where you work
Whether the chain counts changes two things in every row: where the first stitch goes and where the last one goes.
- If it counts: chain, then skip the first stitch of the row, because the chain already sits on top of it. Work your next stitch into the second stitch. At the end of the row, work the last stitch into the top of the turning chain from the row below.
- If it doesn't count: chain, then work into the first stitch of the row. At the end, stop at the last real stitch and leave the old turning chain alone.
Mix the two and your stitch count drifts. Work into the first stitch when the chain counts, and you gain one stitch every row. Skip the top of the turning chain at the end, and you lose one. After ten rows that is ten stitches, and the edges slope in or out.
A worked example with real numbers
Say you want a blanket 40 inches wide in double crochet, and your swatch has 14 stitches in 4 inches. That is 3.5 stitches per inch, so 40 × 3.5 = 140 stitches across.
The turning chain for double crochet is 3 chains, and it counts as the first stitch. Chain 140 + 3 − 1 = 142 chains. Work the first double crochet into the 4th chain from the hook. The 3 chains you skipped act as the first stitch, and the row has 140 stitches.
Now say the pattern tells you the turning chain does not count. You need all 140 stitches worked into chains, plus 3 chains to lift the hook. Chain 140 + 3 = 143. You still start in the 4th chain from the hook, but this time you don't count the skipped chains when you count the row.
The same width in single crochet at that gauge would also be 140 stitches. Its turning chain is 1 and doesn't count, so chain 140 + 1 = 141 and start in the 2nd chain from the hook.
In practice, single and double crochet rarely give exactly the same gauge in the same yarn. Make a swatch in the stitch you'll use, then put your own gauge into the calculator. The gauge guide explains how to measure it.
Patterns with a stitch multiple
Many stitch patterns work over a repeat, written as "a multiple of 4 plus 1" or "chain a multiple of 3 plus 2". Check which one the pattern means. A multiple of stitches tells you the stitch count. A multiple of chains already includes the turning chain, so you don't add it again.
If you add a turning chain to a chain multiple, the repeat ends one or more stitches off, and the last repeat won't fit. The foundation chain calculator has a setting for each case and rounds your count to the nearest repeat.
Here is the difference with numbers. Take the 40 inch double crochet blanket above, 140 stitches before rounding, and a pattern written over a multiple of 4 plus 1. If that means stitches, the nearest fit is 141 stitches, so you chain 141 + 3 − 1 = 143. If it means chains, the chain itself must fit the repeat. The nearest fit is 141 chains, which leaves 139 stitches across. Same pattern, same width, and the foundation differs by 2 chains.
Chain then turn, or turn then chain?
Itchin' for Some Stitchin' notes that most patterns say to turn the work and then chain. That designer does it the other way round, making the chain first and then turning, because turning first twists their stitches. The order doesn't change the stitch count, so use whichever keeps your chain neat. What matters is the right number of chains on every row.
Turning chains in rounds
Joined rounds start with the same chains, even though you don't turn. Pattern Princess gives a clue for reading round patterns. "Join with a slip stitch to the top of the chain" means the chain counts as a stitch. "Join to the first stitch" means it does not. The guide to crocheting in the round covers joined and spiral rounds.
Fixing gaps and wavy edges
A turning chain that counts can leave a small gap at the edge, because a chain is thinner than a real stitch. If the edge looks holey, try one chain fewer than the pattern says, and check that the edge still lies flat. Some people also work the chain more tightly than their other stitches.
Tension matters too. Itchin' for Some Stitchin' says a turning chain worked too tight can pucker the edge, and one worked too loose can leave gaps or a wavy edge. Aim for chains the same size as your other stitches.
Treasurie also describes stacked single crochet as an alternative. You work single crochet stitches on top of each other until they reach the height of the taller stitch, which gives a straighter edge with fewer gaps.
If the edge grows or shrinks, count the stitches in the last row. A higher count usually means a stitch went into the first stitch when the chain counted. A lower count usually means the top of the turning chain got skipped. Put a stitch marker in the top chain of each turning chain, and you'll see where the last stitch belongs.
Sources
Sigoni Macaroni's guide to whether the turning chain counts as a stitch gives the same chain lengths and the same convention. It also says to follow the pattern notes when a designer does it differently.
Also used: Treasurie's turning chain guide (double treble, troubleshooting, stacked single crochet) and Cherry Heart on turning chains (US and UK names). The page also draws on Crochet en Inglés on turning chains (slip stitch, designer exceptions) and Itchin' for Some Stitchin's turning chain tutorial (tension, chain then turn). For turning chains in rounds, it uses Pattern Princess on round circles.
Video tutorial
"How to Crochet: All About Turning Chains" by Tamara Kelly - Moogly, on YouTube. The video loads only when you press play.