It is believed to have originated in Persia and India, where it is worked with the aid of a fine hook known as an 'ari'. In the west this tool which looks like a crochet hook, is known as a 'tambour' hook. The embroidery produced using this method is known as tambour embroidery. To distinguish between chain stitch worked by hand from that worked with a hook you need to examine the back of the embroidery. Work that is done with a hook has a continuous thread without any joins where as, chain stitch done with a needle, will display seperate stitches.
Chain stitch is simple to work.
Bring the needle up through the fabric and hold the thread with the left thumb. Insert the needle back into where it first came out. Take the needle through the fabric bringing the point of the needle out a short space along the line to be stitched. With the thread wrapped under the needle point pull the needle through the fabric. A large variety of threads can be used from the finest silk to ribbon, the size of the stitch will depend on the weight of the thread used.