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Foundation single crochet stitch tutorial

Want to learn how to make a foundation single crochet stitch? Here you can find my quick tutorial! The foundation crochet stitches, also called ‘chainless crochet stitches‘, are better alternatives for the normal chains you start a project with. The foundation single crochet stitch is a combination of chains and single crochet stitches at the same time.

foundation single crochet free crochet pattern tutorial

Save time and yarn

Normally if you start a project by making a row of chains and then single crochet stitches on the way back, you’ll notice it’s very stiff and totally not elastic. By using the foundation double crochet stitch, you will save time and yarn because you need less stitches to start with. For example, when I designed my Leafly Autumn Hat, I started with chains and double crochet stitches. I needed 54 stitches. When I restarted with the foundation double crochet stitch, I only needed 48 stitches.

You can use this foundation technique with any pattern, even if the pattern asks for normal chains. However, as this technique is so much better, you’ll notice many new patterns ask you to start with foundation crochet stitches anyway. Including some of my patterns, like my simple double brim hat.

Advantages of the foundation single crochet stitch

– Foundation crochet stitches are more stretchy than traditional chains which is great for projects such as garments.
– Because it’s more stretchy, you’ll often need less stitches to start a project with compared to using chains, which saves you yarn!
– Traditional chains often have different tension than the rest of the project. Foundation crochet stitches have better tension than traditional starting chains.
– If you don’t exactly know how many stitches you should start a project with, you don’t have to worry about pulling out all the work if it ended up the wrong amount of stitches.

How to make the foundation single crochet stitch

Watch the video of the foundation single crochet stitch here. Written instructions follow right under the video.

1. Start with a slip knot and chain 2.
2. Insert your hook in the first chain. Yarn over and pull up a loop. You now have 2 loops on your hook.

Let’s make the first chain
3. Yarn over and pull through one loop. You still have 2 loops on your hook.

And now the single crochet stitch
4. Yarn over, pull through two loops

We just finished the first foundation single crochet stitch. First we made a chain (row 3) and then we made a normal single crochet stitch (row 4). Let’s continue with the next stitches.

5. Insert your hook in the chain we just made in row 3 (should be two loops) and pull up a loop. You have 2 loops on your hook now.
6. Yarn over, pull through one loop. You still have 2 loops on your hook.
7. Yarn over, pull through two loops

We just made the second foundation single crochet stitch. Repeat rows 5-7 until you get the desired length.

Questions?

If you have any questions, feel free to join my Facebook Group. I created this group for you to share pictures/ progress, ask questions and to help each other out.


My free crochet patterns

9 Comments

  1. Thank you for your post but I think that the written instructions are incorrect. At least, they don’t follow what we can watch in the video. On the second step, you don’t wrap the yarn over your hook before inserting it in the first chain so you will finish with two loops on your hook instead of three. If you follow written instructions, the first loop always remains on the hook.

  2. Wow that was awesome. I would like to connect with you and learn more patterns in cardigans donkeys etc. I am dr Mrs Karishma bhagtani from India. Ty dear.

  3. Good afternoon, in Oklahoma United States of America. I live in the south central region. I’ve grown up crocheting too. I seem to have made a foundation kinda like this before. I would love to have more of your patterns. Thank you. Beverly Miller.

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