Sue says,
"I recently bought a crochet book where the patterns are done using a different technique. This technique allows you to make the foundation chain and the stitches of the first row at the same time. This is confusing me and I am wondering if I can just do it the old-fashioned way and forget this new technique???
It isn't that I can't figure out the technique....I think I understand it okay, but the problem is that the pattern calls for a row of alternating dc, then sc, then dc, etc. When I do a strip of these, I can't tell the difference between the dc and the sc, so I can't count the stitches! It all looks the same!
Any help you can give me would be appreciated. Thank you."
Sue, what a great question!
For those of you who have no idea what Sue is talking about, check out this Youtube video, which explains the foundation row for crochet.
For those of you who are familiar with the foundation row, I invite you to comment and share your opinion about it. Do you like it? love it? hate it? Can't live without it? Barely ever use it? Do you think Sue should just forget it, or should she keep trying? Thanks in advance for all your comments.
Comments
I like the foundation row. It doesn’t twist the way a chain does.
Thanks for the comment, Juli, and good point.
I have just used the foundation row for the first time – and I like it! It is more “flexible” than a chain with single crochet row, more “stretchy” with the body of the piece.
I ALWAYS use the foundation stitch when beginning crochet projects. Compared to the chain and single (double, treble) crochet for the next row, the result is definitely better and produces a stretchy material from the beginning. For afghans or other projects that use a border, crocheting in the beginning row is a breeze.
I definitely recommend it.
Aleta & Gene, thanks for the comments. I appreciate the insights!
If you have trouble keeping your initial chain from twisting, then by all means it’s great to use the foundation for either a dc or sc. What I’m saying here is use what you are comfortable with. The results, either way, look the same.
I personally find that when I’m doing fine work, like maybe socks, it great to be able to implement the foundation, but to be able to do both is really the way to go, then you have a choice and can’t get frustrated.
Bobbie
I like to use the foundation when I find it necessary to make the beginning and the end of a project look pretty much the same (think scarf). If it doesn’t matter, I use chains because this is a much quicker method for me, but I am always careful to make very relaxed opening chain stitches to accommodate its decreased flexibility.
I have tried to do the foundation row and personally, I find it quicker to chain and then do my first row. And I have been crocheting for a number of years. It is all a matter of personal preference.
LI Roe
I like the foundation row. To the crocheter who cannot count the stitches it might be helpful to place a small marker every 10 or 20 stitches as she makes this row. Another suggestion would be to complete the row with single crochet and then make the second row sc and dc as the pattern specifies.
I use the foundation stitching every chance I get! In fact, when I use a pattern that calls for chains and then a row of one type of stitch, I automatically convert it to the foundation stitch (either foundation sc, dc, etc.) For me, it’s a life-saver because I can’t keep my chain row from twisting.
I am just learning this procedure and think I am gonna like it very much. I hate the first sc row after a chain is made. Once I get used to this procedure i think it will be great and much more streachy.
I have read that using a foundation row for edges that need extra strength or that take a lot of wear is a good idea. I like the fact that it doesn’t twist like a normal starting chain. I also like the way it looks.
I never really understood the foundation row. I do now. What a great video. Thanks for the help.
M
One of the things I really like about using the foundation row is that it doesn’t draw in like the beginning chain. Also, I find it easier to work the stitches through both loops of the chain when using the foundation row, which leaves a very nice edge.
I think it is much easier to count the foundation row than just plain chains especially when you have an afghan or scarf made from side-to-side and you have to chain 100, 200 or more. Makes it easier to just add or subtract stitches to get to the number required. And I find it much easier to count than chains. I learned to do the foundation when adding stitches to a rose-shaped thread doily 40+ years ago.
I find the foundation row is great with practice (you can use all sc, mixed dc & sc or all dc) because I don’t have to worry about an accurate stitch count until the end of the row and the tension is even on all the rows. Otherwise, if I chain the first row, I have to use a hook one size larger than that I use on the remaining rows to avoid having too tight a first row. However, you cannot just slip stitch the last stitch to the first if you want to make a circle (because it is really two rows); I find myself having to leave a long enough thread at the beginning to enable me to sew together the first & last stitches.
I have been using the foundation row method on my latest afghan project. I use a hook one size smaller for the foundation & then switch to the size the pattern shows. (Mine was too large using the same size hook.) I agree with Gene that the foundation row is very easy to work off if you’re putting on a border, the stitch appear just like the top of the rows. This is especially good if you’re working without a pattern & just know how wide you want the project to be. I would recommend learning the technique & then using it when you feel it works best for you.
Great question! I’ve been crocheting for about 30 years now but still consider myself an “intermediate”. I recently made a sweater and used the old standby of chain plus first row of stitches. After trying on my “masterpiece” I was disappointed that the bottom of it — the beginning chain — was so inflexible. “If only it could be as flexible as the rest of the yarn, the fit would be so much nicer,” I thought.
It was about 2 weeks later that I learned how to do the foundation row and I will never, ever go back. Makes for a superior finished piece, in my opinion. I’ve never tried doing the alternating single crochet, double crochet foundation row but, if you’re having trouble distinguishing between the two stitches, would it be possible to do the foundation row in single crochet only then start the pattern with the alternating stitches?
Good luck and happy crocheting. : )
I’ve been crochetng for almost 50 years- started when I was in 2nd grade- and this is the first time I’ve seen this- I’m going to try it on my next project and see how it works. Thanks, it looks interesting.
This is a neat stitch if you totally hate making the chain foundation…but if you don’t mind it and this one is more difficult, then stay with what you like and are comfortable with. I’ve tried both ways and sometimes I do the regular chain and sometimes, I do the foundation. Totally personal!
I did this method in a skirt I was making. I hated it and went back to the regular chain. I usually start my projects by working a row of sc into the back of the chain. This gives me a row that resembles this foundation chain, but is way easier for me.
I usually use the foundation sc (hdc, dc, etc) for so many of the reasons others have already brought out. Most of the time, when the pattern calls for a foundation chain, you can simply work the first row of the pattern with fsc, fhdc, fdc or whatever combination. However, I’ve found I can’t do so automatically. If I don’t look thru the pattern and see how it finishes or if I may need to work in it later, and what that entails, I may get myself in trouble. So I prefer working with this, but the individual project and what it needs is more important.
Hi Sue,
I’ve been crocheting for 40 yrs. off and on. I only heard of the foundation row a few months ago. It caused me alot of grief trying to learn it, but… as I was crocheting a delicate shawl I just did the chain and then one row of sc. It worked just fine.
Christine
When I teach my students how to do foundation stitches, they tell me that I changed their life! In addition to all the advantages mentioned above (elasticity of the stitch, much easier to make the exact number of stitches, etc.) it’s a great technique to substitute for working into a chain made from boucle or fuzzy yarn where you can’t see your individual chains. When I write my patterns for publication, I usually write them using both techniques – the regular foundation chain, and the foundation stitches, so people can choose which one they want to use. I teach classes on foundation stitches at the Chain Link conferences of the Crochet Guild of America, and show how to do foundation stitches in various stitch patterns, so you don’t have to add a row of sc, hdc, dc, or tr. You can just start with the stitch pattern.
I have been crocheting for more than 40 years, I have tryed the foundation row. I WAS going to figure it out one way or another, but I will not go out of my way to use again. I will use a chain then pattern row.
I Love foundation row. I have been crocheting for years and never heard of it. I just learned it early in the year and I am hooked.
It depends on my project whether I use a foundation row or not. It can be used for both small and large projects. Here is what I do when using a chain to start a project. With a chain there are 3 loop edges – 2 on the top and 1 on the bottom. I always crochet my first row into the bottom loop. This makes both the beginning row and the ending row of a project look the same. Also when doing this I use a larger hook to start. That ensures that the beginning and the end of the project are the same width.
Even with a foundation row I prefer to use a larger hook to start.
It is like any other new or old stitch we learn. It is good for some things, and does not work out for others. In general though, I really like it as you find it has more stretch and does not pucker that first row (especially on afghans and sweaters), so they lie flatter. I enjoy learning new things and found that the crochet dude is a good one to learn from, he has some really great and useful ideas; and I have been crocheting for over 50 years.
I’ve never tried it BUT I love the way it looks! Much more regular and even than chain. I’ll be using it for my next batch of potholders.
I just love this technique for the foundation row!!! It allows the finished fabric (garment or afghan) to drape better, it has a better stretch – I often worry about the thread/yarn breaking when it does get stretched – AND because I’m always interested in learning new things, it was a challenge to learn, but once I got the hang of it, it was as easy as any other new technique I’ve learned over the years….
To Sue… don’t give up…we humans didn’t learn to walk in a day, so keep on keeping on…you can do it!!!!
Foundation row instead of a chain??? Never heard of it. Can you include directions?
I always use a foundations row. It gives the rest of the piece something stable on the bottom. If your guage is off, this is where you will see it. A size 2 piece could wind up a 6 without a good foundation row.
I just watched the video for the foundation row and wish I had heard about this a long time ago. I’ve been crocheting for years and with all the patterns I have, this is the first time I’ve seen this. It will definately become my starting row. Thanks for posting this question.
I am all for the foundation row. it makes it easier to keep count when constantly distracted by kids, hubby, animals, etc. 43 years of crochet behind me….
I love the foundation row for some items- and think it is awfully time consuming for others- I try to weight the impact it will have on the finished item… For a washcloth or afghan, probably not so much; but for a sweater, poncho, and with all jewelry projects- I think it makes a cleaner, more professional look, as well as, it is not loose and adds to the correct hang of the project.
Thanks for listening!
Val Poling, Mommy Tyme Gifts
I don’t always use the foundation row. It depends on what I’m making – for example: I wouldn’t use it on a raglan sweater that is crocheted from the neck down. First, it’s too bulky, and second, when it calls for adding one or two sts. for the next several rows, it doesn’t ‘blend in’. I’ve been knitting, crocheting, and tatting for over 70 years and currently am teaching three different classes, and have developed many techniques not found in any books.
I always do the Foundation Row, in some patterns it’s essential as it sets the pattern for the following rows or rounds, and in others its easier to do pattern row after a foundation row has been completed rather that the chain. Hope this helps
Never used it, but somehow I don’t think it would be easy to see using a single strand of embroidery cotton, or even Venne 34/2. Sooo I will stick to the tried and tested.
I’m a new convert. I used to chain stitch the foundation and do the 1st row, but just last week tried a scarf pattern that uses the chainless foundation. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. I don’t think I’ll ever go back. It seems very easy to convert an old pattern to the new chainless foundation method. I bought a book on learning the method and I found it very easy. I taught myself to crochet over 30 years ago. I have made many afghans that could have benefited from using the foundation stitch as the chain stitch I used puckered. Water under the bridge now…but never again!
I was taught to crochet when I was around 8 by my grandmother, who passed on a few years later. She always said, ” start out with the single crochet (chain stitch if that’s easier to remember Vickie), then come back and do your 1st row.
Therefore I never learned the “foundation” row. While it looks easy enough, in memory of her, I do as she taught me. I have never learnd to make anything other then simple afghans. I still have to look up the patterns from time to time to remind myself of how to start.
Good luck, and as Grandma Jo use to say, ” the best stitch, is the one you feel best with”.
I have never been taought the “foundation” row stitch. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was around 8. She always said to “start out with the chain stitch, sometimes referd to as the single crochet stitch. Then come around and start your 1st row.”
I have been doing as she taught me for many years and have never learned to make anything but afghans. So in memory of the few times I spent with her, (my father was in the Navy), I have always done so. From time to time I still have to look up how to start 2nd row (1st row after the chain) for some patterns that I didn’t master before she passed. But, I will never forget her words of wisdom when it came to any pattern. “Vickie, always remember, the best stitch is the one you feel most comfortable doing”.
So with that in mind my suggestion would be, if it feels good, do it.
If this comes up twice, I am sorry. This is the 1st time I left a comment and I didn’t see a post or send. Sorry
I think a starting row is the best and looks more professional. I tried the other way and don’t like it at all.
After 50 years plus, I’ll keep it that way.
S
I started using this method several months ago … & do I ever love it! It is stretchier. It really helps; especially for those of us who tend to chain to tightly to start, then get looser stitches as we go. I no longer have afghans that are narrower at the beginning & wider at the ends!!! I HIGHLY recommend it.