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Tutorial: Chainless Foundation (No More Chains!)

January 18, 2014

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links which help me cover the cost of publishing my blog. Should you choose to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you, I will be given a small percentage of the sale. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Raise your hand if you hate sewing into chains.

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Is there anyone who doesn’t completely dread that first row of a scarf, and having to sew into all of those pesky, tight little knots?

What I’m about to show you will change your life. (At least your crochet life.) With the Chainless Foundation Stitch, you NO LONGER have to chain a million and then go back and sew into them one by one. Trust me, when you master this simple concept, you’ll be whipping out scarves and cowls like nobody’s business. (And you’ll wonder why this wasn’t, like, the first thing you ever learned.)

Once you’ve got the technique down, check out these fun, FREE scarf patterns to practice on!

  • Double Wrap Infinity Scarf
  • Chunky Ribbed Cowl
  • Triple Loop Skinny Scarf

For this tutorial, we’ll use the Double Crochet (DC), although this can be modified for single, half, etc (we’ll cover that toward the end).

Double Crochet Chainless Foundation Stitch

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
First DC:
Chain 3. Yarn over and insert hook into third chain from hook.
(Okay, okay, I know I said no more sewing into chains. This is the only one, I promise.)

Draw up a loop (you will have 3 loops on your hook, as in Figure 1 below); then yarn over and pull through only the first loop. (<—This is the magic step that makes it work!) You will still have 3 loops on your hook. (It should look like Figure 2, below.)

figures1and2

For the lefties:

Now, complete the DC as normal (yarn over, draw through first two loops; yarn over again and draw through remaining two loops).

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 
Next DC (repeat the following steps for as many DCs as you need):
Yarn over and insert hook into the loops of the last DC. It’s a little hard to see at first but you’ll get the hang of it once you get going. Here’s a photo to help you… I’ve highlighted the loops you need to insert hook into:

topviewsideview

For the lefties:

Draw up a loop (3 loops on hook now), then yarn over and pull through only the first loop. (<—-Look, it’s the magic step again!)

Yarn over, draw through the first two loops. Yarn over again and draw through remaining two loops.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 
To connect for crochet in the round:

Bring your ends together as in the photo, being careful not to twist the row. (This is so much easier to do now, isn’t it?)

Insert hook into top of first DC, draw through, and slip stitch through the loop on your hook. Ch 3 and begin next row of normal DCs (or whatever stitch you are going to do next). When you’re done with the scarf (or whatever), you can use the starting tail to sew that gap together.

CrochetInTheRound

How awesome is that?!? If it seems labor-intensive now, just practice. Seriously, it won’t take long before you are knocking out that first row in record time. And notice how NICE that bottom edge is – no more little bumps! Just a beautiful row of loops!

And in case you’re wondering… YES. You can do this with other stitches, such as the Half Double Crochet and the Single Crochet:

Half Double Crochet Chainless Foundation Stitch

First HDC:

  • Chain 2. Yarn over and insert hook into second chain from hook.
  • Draw up a loop (you will have 3 loops on your hook), then draw through only the first loop on hook. You will still have 3 loops on your hook.
  • Complete HDC as normal (yarn over and draw through all 3 loops).

Next HDC (repeat the following steps for as many HDCs as you need):

  • Yarn over and insert hook into the loops of the last HDC.
  • Draw up a loop and pull through first loop on hook.
  • Yarn over, and draw through all three loops on hook.

Single Crochet Chainless Foundation Stitch

 First SC:

  • Ch 2. Insert hook into second chain from hook.
  • Draw up a loop (you will have 2 loops on your hook), then draw through only the first loop on hook. You will still have 2 loops on your hook.
  • Complete SC as normal (draw through both loops).

Next SC (repeat the following steps for as many SCs as you need):

  • Insert hook into the loops of the last SC.
  • Draw up a loop and pull through first loop on hook.
  • Draw through both loops on hook.

Enjoy!

by yarnandchai 
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All pattern text and photos are ©Rebecca Langford and may not be copied for purposes of redistribution online or in print. If you wish to share a pattern, please provide recipient with a link to the pattern instead. If you wish to use one or more of my patterns in a round-up on your own blog, you may use one (1) photo per pattern. You may sell your finished products made from Yarn + Chai patterns; a link to https://yarnandchai.com in your online listings is appreciated. For all other uses, please contact me directly. Your adherence to these guidelines is appreciated and ensures that I can continue providing quality patterns for free.
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Comments

  1. Darlene says: October 26, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    I’m just learning about foundation less starts to patterns. The pattern i want to make starts with a chain in multiples of 3 for the Blanket Stitch. The second row is to make 2 dc in 3rd chain from hook then skip 2ch, sc in next ch and make 2 dc in the same ch stitch. Is there a way to do that with a chain less foundation?

    Reply
  2. Nytowl223 says: February 27, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    I am so glad I have this bookmarked! It seems like every time I need to do this, I can never remember the very first steps. That’s SO frustrating. But with this bookmarked, it only takes me a few seconds to get a base started, a few stitches in, and then muscle memory kicks in. 😊

    Reply
    • Carole Schroeder says: April 20, 2022 at 10:01 pm

      AWESOME…thanks for great information. No more chains!

      Reply
  3. Daniela says: September 4, 2021 at 2:57 am

    Awesome! Is there a way to use it for zigzag patterns also where you have to skip chains in the bottom?

    Reply
  4. Chris says: January 12, 2021 at 12:08 am

    I love this! Thank you! I’m coming back to crochet after a 15 year hiatus and Wow do I love this.

    Reply
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I'm so glad you're here! I'm Rebecca, the designer behind Yarn + Chai, and I can teach you how to find the right combination of pattern, yarn and color to produce modern, wearable crochet.

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