How to crochet the magic ring/magic loop. This makes for a nice, neat start to your project in the round

The slip stitch is most often worked to join pieces together. To work a slip stitch:

Insert hook, yarn over, draw yarn through.

US single crochet/UK double crochet. (I learned to crochet the American way, so that's the terminology I use!) 

A US single crochet is equivalent to a UK double crochet. This stitch can be worked quite firmly, and is good for creating amigurumi. For clarity, a single crochet (sc) is made in the following way:

Insert hook, yarn over, pull yarn through stitch (two loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through both loops.

US double crochet/UK treble crochet. (I learned to crochet the American way, so that's the terminology I use!) 

A US double crochet is equivalent to a UK treble crochet. You are probably quite familiar with this stitch, as it's the basis of everyone's favourite motif, the granny square! Here's how you make it:

Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and draw yarn through (three loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops, then yarn over a final time and pull through the remaining two loops.

US treble crochet/UK double crochet. (I learned to crochet the American way, so that's the terminology I use!) 

A US treble crochet is equivalent to a UK double treble crochet.

Yarn over twice, insert hook, yarn over and draw yarn through (four loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops (three loops remaining on hook),Yarn over and pull through two loops (two loops remaining on hook) then yarn over a final time and pull through the remaining two loops.

How to seam granny squares invisibly. This is the crochet version of mattress stitch which is worked in knitting.

• Written instructions for Judy's Magic Cast On
• Video tutorial for Judy's Magic Cast On

Provisional cast on. Use this cast on when you plan to graft two ends of the work together.

Picking up stitches. Lots of patterns will have you "pick up stitches". Here's what that means.

Any time you see instructions *inside asterisks*, repeat them as many times as instructed. Imagine if knitting patterns said:

knit one yarn over knit one yarn over knit one yarn over knit one yarn over knit one yarn over

You'd have to print out the pattern and hunch over it with a pencil, crossing out each knit one yarn over as you went, and getting muddled for sure. It may not seem like it, but *K1 YO* is much easier.

This is a simple right-leaning decrease. Just knit the next two stitches together as if they were one. You have decreased one stitch. 

SSK is Slip, Slip Knit. Just slip the next two stitches from your left to right needle as if to knit, then knit them together. This is a left leaning decrease. 

Three needle bind off. This bind off neatly grafts two rows of live stitches together, leaving a firm, decorative seam.

This website gives helpful tips on typical head sizes.

Provisional cast on. Use this cast on when you plan to graft two ends of the work together.