Horizontal Surface Chain

To work a horizontal surface crochet chain, Mary Beth begins with a slip knot on her crochet hook. She is using a hook that is slightly smaller than the hook that was used to make the swatch. By using a hook that is one to two sizes smaller, it allows for the hook to be inserted into the fabric more easily. With the slip knot on the hook, Mary Beth brings the working yarn to the back (or Wrong Side) of the piece. The working yarn will remain on the Wrong Side of the piece as the chain is created.

For the horizontal surface chain, the stitches are worked across the top of the stitches on a row, making it relatively easy to see where to work the next stitch. Mary Beth inserts the crochet hook into the stitch and works a yarn over onto the hook from back to front on the Wrong Side of the fabric. She pulls this loop through the fabric and through the slip knot on her hook to create a slip stitch and attach the yarn to the crocheted fabric.

Mary Beth continues working the horizontal chain by bringing the crochet hook down through the next stitch. The yarn over is worked once again on the Wrong Side and then it’s brought up through the fabric and through the loop on the hook to create another slip stitch. This process is repeated several more times and Mary Beth discusses the importance of not pulling the yarn too tight while working, as this can cause the fabric to pucker.

Once the crochet embellishment is complete, Mary Beth trims the yarn, leaving a four-to-six-inch tail to weave in at a later time. She pulls the yarn tail through the last stitch to secure the chain and then brings the tail through the same spot where the last stitch was worked. This brings the tail to the Wrong Side to be woven in.