How to Crochet Foundation Rows

I know the majority of patterns for crochet begin with a foundation chain, which we then return back along to create the first row, or round, of real stitches.

Personally this is the part of a new crochet project I dislike the most.

All that fiddly picking up of individual chain stitches. It's really slow compared to the rest of the project and its just not fun for me.

Then I discovered that you could create a foundation row not just a chain when you begin a project. Officially my mind was blown!

This is a really simple process and it gets a new project up and running far faster and without the fiddly faffing with individual chain stitches. If you've never tried it I strongly suggest you give it a go. If you are a visual learner I recorded a video to show this technique.

What you need

A hook and some yarn

Yup it's a really simple process not markers, needles, bobbins or anything else just you, your hook and yarn. Also don't think you can only use a single size stitch in your foundation row. You can really mix it up.

Lets Get Started

This technique is one of only a few which doesn't need US vs UK term as both use a chain for the base. From then on you can work any stitch 'on top' for your foundation row, as needed by the pattern.

Double Foundation - UK / Single Foundation - US

1. Create a slipknot.

2. Chain 2.

3. Insert hook into 1st ch, yarn over, pull through.

4. You just made the first 'new' stitch on the foundation.

5. Insert hook in to the new stitch, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through both loops to complete the dc/sc on top of this new stitch.

Now repeat steps 4 & 5 as many times as needed to make your foundation row.

This process works with all other stitches:

Half Treble Foundation - UK / Half Double Foundation - US

1. Create a slipknot.

2. Chain 2.

3. Yarn Over, insert hook into 1st ch, yarn over, pull through.

4. You just made the first 'new' stitch on the foundation.

5. Yarn over, pull through all 3 loops to complete the htr/hdc on top of this new stitch.

Now repeat steps 3, 4 & 5 as many times as needed to make your foundation row.

Treble Foundation - UK / Double Foundation - US

1. Create a slipknot.

2. Chain 3.

3. Yarn Over, insert hook into 1st ch, yarn over, pull through.

4. You just made the first 'new' stitch on the foundation.

5. Yarn over, pull through, yarn over pull through both loops to complete the tr/dc on top of this new stitch.

Now repeat steps 3, 4 & 5 as many times as needed to make your foundation row.

As you can see really all you are doing is adding an extra chain to the bottom of your stitches before you then go on to make the stitch as you would normally. It's such a simple change which makes such a huge difference to how you begin a project.

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I've recorded a video showing how to use this method with all the above stitches.