Step 2: Place this needle in left hand. Hold other needle in right hand to control the yarn. Insert point of right needle, from front to back, into the slip knot and under the left needle.

Step 3: Hold left needle still in left hand, and move left fingers over to brace right needle.

Step 4: With right index finger, pick up the yarn from the ball.

Step 5: Release right hand’s grip on the needle, and use index finger to bring yarn under and over the point of right needle.

Step 6: Return right fingers to right needle, and draw yarn through stitch with point of right needle.

Step 7: Slide point of left needle into back of new stitch, then remove right needle.

Step 8: Pull ball yarn gently to make the stitch fit snuggly on needle. You have now made one stitch (called casting on), and there are two stitches on left needle (slip knot is counted as a stitch).

Step 9: Insert point of right needle, from front to back, into stitch just made, and under left needle. Repeat Steps 5 through 9, 26 more times, until you have 28 stitches on the left needle. This completes the cast-on row, which is the way all knitting is begun.

Step 3: Draw yarn through stitch with right needle point.

Step 4: This step now differs from casting on: Slip loop on left needle off, so new stitch is entirely on right needle.

When the width is correct, begin next knit row as follows: turn right needle and hold it now in left hand. With free needle in right hand, work Steps 1 through 4 of First Knit Row in each stitch. Again take needle with stitches in left hand, and work another row of knit stitches. Work rows of knit stitches until block measures 9″ long.

To complete the block, now bind off all the stitches.

One stitch is now bound off.

Step 2: Knit one more stitch, insert left needle into first stitch on right needle, and pull it over the new stitch and completely off the needle. Another stitch is bound off; don’t work too tightly.

Repeat Step 2 until one stitch remains; now cut yarn from skein, leaving a 6″ end. With needle draw end up and through last stitch to secure it. Thread yarn end into yarn needle and weave end into several stitches to secure it.

Step 2: Bring yarn over hook from back to front and grab it with hook.

Step 5: Insert hook into center of next chain stitch. Draw yarn through the chain stitch and up onto the hook. There are now 2 loops on hook.

Step 6: Bring yarn over hook from back to front, and draw it through both loops on hook. One loop remains on the hook, and you have just made one single crochet stitch.

Repeat Steps 5 and 6 in each of the remaining 27 chains–be sure to work in the very last chain. You have now completed one row of single crochet. Measure your work; it should be about 7″ wide. If it is too wide, try again with fewer beginning chains. If it is too narrow, try again with more beginning chains.

Step 7: At the end of the row, make one chain stitch, then turn the work counter-clockwise, leaving the hook in the chain.

Now you can begin another row, working into the stitches of the previous row.

Step 8: Make one single crochet stitch in first stitch and in each remaining stitch of the previous row. Be sure to work into the last stitch. Chain 1, turn.

Repeat Step 8 until the block measures 9″ long.

Finishing: Cut the yarn from the skein, leaving a 6″ end. Draw the hook straight up, bringing the yarn through the remaining loop on the hook.

Thread yarn into yarn needle and weave back and forth through stitches to secure.