How to… Chainless Foundation

Today we’re learning how to make a double crochet chainless foundation.  Once you learn it you’ll be hard pressed to go back to ye old “chain 82, turn and dc into third ch from hook” etc.  Have you found that the first row always ends up being tighter and more puckered than the rest?  So lame.  The chainless foundation 1) gets rid of that tighter first row, and 2) creates the first row of stitches as you go along.  This is also particularly awesome because if you get to the end and decide meh, too short or dang, too long, you just add or rip out a few stitches.  Instead of ripping. out. all. the. way. back. to. the. beginning.  You get the point.

Step 1: ch3.  My dcs are 2 ch high.  If yours are 3ch high, ch4.

Step 2: yo, insert hook into first two loops of the first ch.  This seems a little weird at first, but I promise you it’s correct.

Step 3: Bring hook through loops.  3 loops on hook.

Step 4: Yo, draw hook through the first loop.  You’ll still have 3 loops on hook.

Step 5: Yo, draw hook through two loops.  2 loops remaining on hook.

Step 6: Yo, draw hook through remaining two loops.  Completed first dc.

It can be a smidge confusing seeing all this in one color, so just for demonstration purposes I’m switching to a different color to show how you continue the chainless foundation:

Step 1: Yo, insert hook into bottom two loops of the stitch before.  This creates the look of a ch foundation on the bottom.

Step 2: Yo…

…and draw the hook through.  Again, you’ll have 3 loops on your hook.

Step 4: Yo, draw hook through first loop.  3 loops on hook.

Step 5: Yo, draw hook through two loops.  2 loops remaining on hook.

Step 6: Yo, draw hook through remaining loops.  Completed chainless dc.

A quick tip!!  When drawing the first loop through, I like to stretch it out quite a bit.  Otherwise, the first time I tried it, my bottom row ended up being quite tight and I still got that dreaded ch row pucker…

Pucker.  No good.

Looser bottom.  Very good.  You’ll notice your stitches are a bit slanted as you first start – just tug on them a little as you go and they’ll straighten right out.

Congratulations!  You’ve mastered the chainless foundation.  Your crocheting will never be the same again!