Foundation row

[ooh-lalah]

I don't recall the thread that talked about making the foundation row. I went to the video tutorial and did my best to follow the instructions. My result looked really funky. Then I went to a written tutorial and still didn't get it. First I told myself to forget it...I just couldn't do it. It was still on my mind and I finally watched a video tutorial in which I actually got it! LOL...love it! Something about learning -- the instructions might all say the same thing, but the way they're expressed makes such a difference. I was inserting my hook into the sc, not the chain.

Here's a link.foundation chain single crochet tutorial - Bing Videos

[Maryjane]

Hi Joyce! And thanks for the post!

[billiebob]

Okay, I may be very dense but why would you use this?

[ooh-lalah]

A regular chain foundation isn't that flexible. The foundation row makes the bottom of the sweater stretchy, providing more give in the hip area. I made my friend a sweater for her birthday using the regular chain. It was tight around the bottom, so I took it home and steam stretched it about another inch. With a foundation row, that wouldn't have been necessary.

Also, a foundation row gives a uniform look, so the bottom row looks the same as the top row.

[Mixpixlix]

One thing I've learned is that if one set of online instructions is confusing there's one (or more) that isn't. I must have looked at 4 separate set of instructions before I understood how to make a granny square.

It's important not to give up. Just keep looking for instructions that make sense to you.

[angie22]

Thanks for that! because I am having trouble with straight edges. and in the single crochet one says do not put a stitch in the turning chain at the end of the row.and another says to do it like a double crochet stitch. which you are suspose to put a stitch in the top of the turning chain. oh it is so confusing. I will just keep looking at tutorials or just have strange looking edges.

[Maryjane]

Hi Angie! The only way to know for sure whether to work in the turning chain is to follow the pattern! And keep practicing! Your edges will get straighter! And don't give up! When you get frustrated you can always vent here! We've all been there!

[ooh-lalah]

Hi Angie -- I have a lot of thoughts about straight edges & whether or not to chain before the first single crochet. Thought 1 is that while it isn't necessary to do a chain 1, when you come back to it on the next row, it's easier to insert the hook into the sc if you have a ch 1 with it.
On a scarf, a scalloped edging looks pretty good. I'm talking about the natural scallop that develops if you do 2 dc in the 2nd to last stitch and ignore the turning chain.

When in dc, I ch 2 instead of 3 to eliminate some of the gap.

Hope this makes sense.

[Carolyn1953]

Angie, check out Maggie's Crochet. Just last week she had a video how to make your edges look nicer. I haven't tried it yet. It looks much neater, doesn't bulge out like a chain 3 does. Hope this helps.

[Carolyn1953]

I haven't gotten the hang of foundation stitch, even though I"ve seen a couple of videos. Not their fault. Sometimes it takes me a while to master new stuff. I'm hoping this tutorial will work. I'll let you know. I sometimes avoid a pattern no matter how pretty, if I have to crochet 245 chains.