Single Crochet vs Double Crochet: What's the Difference?

Single crochet and double crochet are the two most common stitches in crochet, and the difference comes down to height and density. Single crochet is short and tightly packed, double crochet is roughly twice as tall and produces a looser, more open fabric. Here is how to tell them apart and when to use each one.

Single Crochet: Short, Dense, and Sturdy

Single crochet (abbreviated sc) is the shortest common stitch. You insert your hook, pull up one loop, yarn over, and pull through both loops on your hook, done in a single motion. Because it is short, single crochet fabric is dense and firm, which is exactly why it is the standard stitch for amigurumi, where you need a tight fabric that holds stuffing without gaps.

Double Crochet: Taller, Looser, Faster to Cover Ground

Double crochet (abbreviated dc) starts with a yarn over before you even insert your hook, then involves two separate pull-through steps instead of one. This extra height means double crochet fabric is noticeably more open and drapier than single crochet, and because each stitch covers more height, projects made mostly in double crochet work up faster in terms of visible progress.

Side by Side Comparison

• Height: single crochet is short, double crochet is roughly twice as tall
• Density: single crochet is tight and solid, double crochet is more open with visible gaps between stitches
• Speed: double crochet covers more area per stitch, so projects grow faster
• Best for: single crochet suits amigurumi, dense blankets, and anything that needs to hold shape or stuffing; double crochet suits garments, scarves, and looser blankets where drape matters more than structure

Why Amigurumi Almost Always Uses Single Crochet

Stuffed characters need a fabric tight enough that the stuffing does not show through the gaps between stitches. Double crochet's open structure would let stuffing peek through everywhere, which is why nearly every amigurumi pattern, including every Yon Crochet lesson, is built almost entirely on single crochet.

Can You Mix the Two in One Project?

Yes, and many patterns do. A project might use single crochet for a dense, structured section and switch to double crochet for a section that needs more drape or height, like a decorative border or a looser edge. Half double crochet (a stitch height in between the two) is also common when a project needs something between the two extremes, which is one of the new techniques taught in the intermediate Rocky the Earth lesson.

Which Should You Learn First?

Single crochet, without much debate. It is the foundation stitch that almost every amigurumi pattern is built on, and it is genuinely easier to learn cleanly before adding the extra steps double crochet requires. Once single crochet feels natural, double crochet is a quick add-on rather than a whole new skill.

See Both Stitches in Action

Reading the difference is useful, but watching the hand motion side by side makes it click much faster, especially the extra yarn-over step that makes double crochet taller.

Browse Yon Crochet video lessons to see single crochet demonstrated stitch by stitch in every beginner kit.