How to crochet a foundation chain

Learn how to get your crochet project off to a quicker start while you create a stretchy starting chain with the chainless foundation crochet technique! Foundation Single Crochet (US FSc UK – FDc) combines making a chain and working the 1st row of stitches into the chain, saving you so much time!

How to Foundation Single Crochet (FSc) | Free Crochet Stitch Tutorial

At first glance, foundation single crochet may seem complicated and when you’re learning the technique it may even seem slower, but like all crochet techniques, once you’ve practiced, it becomes much quicker!

This tutorial will show you how to make a foundation single crochet, but the same chainless foundation can be made with all the basic crochet stitches.

Here are my main reasons I love working a Foundation Single Crochet:

Prevent your 1st row of of single crochet curling and twisting
no need to undo all your stitches if you miscount your starting chain, simply add an extra FSc

It saves your time! Row one done at the same time as your chain!

Where you can use FSC

You will see some crochet patterns instructing you to start your crochet pattern with a chainless foundation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use a foundation chain to start other crochet patterns.

Remember: check your gauge when starting a pattern where foundation chain isn’t instructed when making your tension swatch.

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For this tutorial I used the following materials:

6mm Furls Streamline crochet hook

LoveCrafts Simply Chunky in shade Blush Pink

You can use any yarn with the hook size as recommended on the yarn band.

How to FSc Stitch Tutorial (UK – FDc)

US Term: Foundation Single Crochet

US Abbreviation: FSc

UK Term: Foundation Double Crochet

UK Abbreviation: FDc

FSc – Step 1:

Make a slip knot
Chain 2

If you were making a foundation chain using another stitch, you would make a longer starting chain which would be the same as the turning chain.

FSc – Step 2:

Insert your hook into the 1st chain made

Yarn over and draw up a loop (2 loops on hook)

This makes the chain part of the foundation single crochet

FSc – Step 3:

Yarn over
Draw a loop through the 1st loop on your hook (2 loops remaining on hook)

FSc – Step 4:

Yarn over and pull through both loops

This completes the single crochet element.

How to Make the 2nd Single Crochet

FSc – Step 5:

Tilt the top side of the chain towards you
Locate the twisted V underneath the loops of the stitch worked

Insert hook under both loops

FSc – Step 6:

Yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook)

Yarn over and pull through 1st loop on hook – Chain made (2 loops on hook)
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook to make the single crochet

Keep Practicing!

Keep repeating steps 5 & 6 to make your foundation chain longer:

Insert hook into V
Yarn over draw up a loop
Yarn over and pull through 1st loop on hook

Yarn over and pull through 2 loops

Repeat these steps until you have the required number of foundation Single Crochet.

You can now continue with the rest of your crochet pattern. Don’t forget, by making a chainless foundation, you’ve also crocheted the 1st row of your pattern.

If the crochet pattern you are following didn’t require you to make a FSc, move on to row 2.

If you’d like to use this technique in a crochet pattern, click the button below to make a coffee up cozy which uses the foundation single crochet to start the pattern.More Stitch Tutorials