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Recently a friend asked me, “what most frustrates you about crochet?” Immediately, I answered that counting chains drives me bonkers! If you can relate, this quick and easy crochet chain counting tip is for you. Use this simple yarn hack and you’ll never have to count to eleventy jillion chains again!
Pin this tutorial for later!
Materials Pictured
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All you’ll really need to complete this tutorial is your yarn, your crochet hook, and a small scrap of contrasting yarn. This tip works for any size yarn, and any hook size called for in your pattern.
If you’re like me, though, it’s fun to see where someone else got their tools! Or maybe I’m just nosy… In any case, here’s what’s pictured:
Loops and Threads Woolike yarn, purple, and a scrap of teal.
Furls Streamline Crochet Hook, size F/3.75mm.
Knit Picks Two Tone Yarn Bowl, Rosewood and Mango Wood
The BEST Crochet Chain Counting Tip
First, gather your supplies up! Then make a slip knot.
You’ll begin with a chain 9 stitches long.
Next, hold the contrasting thread around your hook to mark the 10th chain.
Yarn over, pull through, and Ta-da! Your tenth chain is neatly marked.
Continue to swing up your thread before you work every 10th chain. You can easily mark ten, twenty, thirty, and forty chains. Even if you prefer chainless foundation rows, you can still use this technique!
You can work as many as you’ll need for your crochet sweater project, or even a crochet afghan.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments if this tip helped you feel less frustrated starting a big crochet project. I will certainly be using it for my future projects!
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Rebecca says
Great Idea! I often lose count and have to recount endless times it seems! What I discovered that helped me was using a closing stitch marker every 25 or 50 sts, which works for me because I can’t accidentally pull them out.
Thanks for sharing tips!
Katie says
Ooh yep a stitch marker would be great for that, too! I am never motivated enough to get up off my comfy chair to find them though, LOL! I should start keeping them in my yarn bag, huh.
Katie
Gramz says
Love it!! I have three grandchildren from ages 10-21 who are in out often during the day and asking Grandma 20 million questions at a time. This is a great way not to lose my place.
Thank you for this wonderful hint.
Gramz
Katie says
Ooh man, I can relate! The only difference is hearing MOM instead of Grandma lol! Glad it could help you too! And happy crocheting!
Katie
Amy Messick says
I actually use locking stitch markers in two colors. I count to 25, then place a marker. I continue that way until I get to 100, then place the second color marker. I repeat in this pattern until I have the number of stitches needed.
Katie says
YES I love it. Such a great idea! This has to live in the comments so someone else can find it, but I always lose my stitch markers LOL.
Thanks for leaving the comment! Super helpful!
Katie
Myla says
Yes! This is what I do, too! 😊
Barbara Schikore says
Best tip EVER! Thanks!
Katie says
So glad you love it! <3 It's one of my favorites, because we crocheters ALWAYS have yarn handy.
Happy hooking,
Katie!
Teresa says
Very cool
Kerrie Kean says
Hi Katie
Great tip!!
Thanks for the tips you have been sending via email in the recent times.
They are most helpful and very much appreciated.
Katie says
Hi Kerrie!
So glad the tips are helpful for you! <3 I love being able to share little things that make crocheting easier and more FUN for folks like you! Thank you for the lovely comment.
Katie
Stitchin Cindi says
Thanks for the pics showing how to do the piece of yarn for marking the stitches.
I’ve always used small safety pins for every 25 stitches, then a big one for every 100. I move the small 3 up to the next 25, etc., but add a new big pin for every 100.
Katie says
Ooh I love the idea of different sized (or colored!) pins! I think that would be really helpful for some people… but I never can find where I last put my safety pins, LOL.
Thanks for commenting! Hopefully this helps someone else too!
Katie
Rachel says
If I have a long chain project, I will use stitch markers every 20 stitches. This Idea of yours is a great help too. Thank you.
Katie says
Hi Rachel! That’s’ another great way, but I always lose my stitch markers! LOL. But I always have yarn handy when I sit down to crochet!
Happy hooking,
Katie
Gail Tedesco says
Yay! This is an awesome tip!! I’m going to start doing this today – so simple but so effective. Thank you so much for sharing!
Katie says
So glad it’s helpful to you, Gail! <3 Love sharing tips like this so crochet can be just a teeny bit easier and more fun. 😀
Katie
Julie G says
Such a simple, easy & sensible way of counting, thank you for sharing, you’ve saved my hair from being pulled out ..again! Lol xx
Sally says
I use large safety pins at a count of 25 stitches. Seems to help me.
Dianne says
Your idea is a good one, but too much yarn to tangle or make a mess. I simply use stitch markers. Easy, quick, you can remove them when you are ready to stitch and if you use different colored markers, it’s easy to know exactly what number they are marking. This is my method and has been since I learned how to crochet (about 55yrs. ago) Hope it helps.
Gloria A says
Katie,
This sounds like a good way to use in chain counting. I am going to try this. Thank you so much!
Katie says
So glad it’s helping, Gloria! <3 Katie
Sharon says
Great idea! I’ve been using plastic clips but this is much better. The clips get in the way as I crochet.
Katie says
Hi Sharon!
Glad you like it! I agree, the stitch markers are great if you’re going to leave them in for a while, but I get SO aggravated if I have to stop working to remove them. It throws off the groove and makes the first row feel even slower than usual!
Katie
DD says
Great tip! Thanks
Katie says
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it, too.
Katie
Frances Gould says
I use stitch markers to mark every 25th stitch in long chains. I don’t have to worry about a stray strand of yarn getting in my way and confusing things.
Katie says
Totally! Stitch markers can be better for some people because they can lock in place and you won’t accidentally let your marker slip out… but honestly I prefer this method because I am FOREVER losing all my stitch markers. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Katie
Wendy says
Your email came at right time today. Attempting to make a scrapghan and already pulled out and decided on anaother pattern, no brainer one can watch movies and still work on crocheting, I have plenty of thin yarn too to mark the beginning chain count. I am going to put your ‘HINT’ to work today. 🙂
Katie says
So glad it’s helpful for you! Your blanket sounds like it’s going to be so fun! I absolutely love scrappy projects!
Katie
Barbara says
Katie
Your idea is really good except that I have a cat that insists on playing with my yarn while I am crocheting or knitting and it seems without fail he will grab the yarn used to mark the stitches. So I to have gone to marking my stitches with stitch markers. I actually keep quite a few in with my hooks and needles as I use them for marking almost everything that I need to keep track of (using different colors of course) It sometimes seems like a lot of work but the alternative would be loosing track.
Barbara
Katie says
Hi Barbara!
That’s such a good point! I had forgotten, since the last time I had a cat was in my teens before I ever learned to crochet! Stitch markers are much better at staying put for sure, if you’ve got a playful kitty around.
<3 Katie