Into the Foundation Chain

Into the Foundation Chain
update c2004, 2008 Sandra Petit, http://www.crochetcabana.com

You've completed your foundation chain. Now you want to know how and where to go into that chain to crochet your first row.

There are several methods of working into the foundation chain. I am going to explain three methods here. Pictures use the single crochet stitch.

Again, note that this is not actually a tutorial of the single crochet stitch, but only a demo of where to insert the hook into the chain to begin crocheting. These methods will work for any stitch but you will go into a different chain depending on what stitch you are using. As noted before, your foundation chain is the first thing you do when you start your project.

Method 1:
On your foundation chain, insert your hook under the top two loops and above the bottom loop of your chain (Fig. 2). This leaves one loop below the stitch.

Fig. 3

This picture shows one chain remaining on the foundation chain. Note the "knot" on the end, which is your beginning slip knot. You DO NOT make a stitch in the knot.

Fig. 4

Here is the completed final single crochet worked into the foundation chain.

Method 2:
On your foundation chain, go into the MIDDLE (center) loop of your chain as seen from the back (Fig. 5 and 6).

Insert your hook into the little "bump" you see at the back of your foundation chain row (fig. 5). If you hold your foundation chain so that it is facing you but you can see behind it, you will see this little "bump" or loop. This is actually the "middle" loop when seen from the front, but you are not going to go into it from the front. You are going to insert your hook from top to bottom in the hump at the back. Note that you are not turning your work to work on the wrong side, although the foundation chain will sort of fall over as you work more stitches, and will seem to "lie down" so to speak.

This will leave your first row with a neat edging just about the same as your final row. Fig. 6 shows the final stitch needed using this method. Remember, you are looking at the back of your foundation chain.

Fig. 5

This is the back of the chain, arrow pointing to the "bump"

Fig. 6

This is the last stitch in the foundation chain

Method 3 (no picture): A less common method is to insert the hook into the TOP loop of your chain, which leaves two loops below the stitch.

How do you know which method to use? Well, here is my personal criteria. If I have more than one stitch to put into my foundation chain, I use method 1. If I have only 1 stitch to put into each chain I use method 2. My personal favorite is method 2 and I use it more often than not. I rarely use method 3. It doesn't really matter, but use the same method for the entire foundation chain of one project.

Note: Each stitch requires you to insert your hook in a different chain on your foundation chain to begin working your row.

sc - insert hook into 2nd chain from hook
hdc - insert hook into 3rd chain from hook
dc - insert hook into 4th chain from hook
tr - insert hook into 5th chain from hook

Now that you have decided which method you are going to use, you need to learn some stitches to put into that foundation chain. So let's learn single crochet...