TIL Tuesday: Foundation Single Crochet

Today I learned about the foundation single crochet (FSC).  This stitch is a great alternative for the beginning of a project.

Normally when I start a pattern and I want the beginning row to have a nice finished outside what I do is chain the desired number of chains, then sc in the loop on the back side of each of the chains.

 

 

Now instead what you can do is use the foundation single crochet (FSC) and you get the same effect on the edge. The FSC is a combination of the chain and the sc all in one.

 

Chain 2

Insert your hook through the first chain made and pull up a loop

Yarn over and pull through the first loop (chain)

Yarn over and pull through both loops (sc)

Insert hook in the loop on the back of the chain made previously.  Make sure you insert the hook in the right spot or you will end up with holes.  Your hook goes between the top two loops of the chain and the loop on the back.

Yarn over and pull up a loop

Yarn over and pull through loop (chain)

Yarn over and pull through both loops (sc)

Repeat those steps to end up with a nice set of FSCs.

 

If you don't insert the hook in the right spot of the previous chains you will end up with a bunch of holes

 

If that's how your work turns out pull it out and start over making sure that you are inserting your hook in the previously made chain and not around it.

 

Hope these pictures are clear and make sense!  If I failed at any point to correctly describe this stitch please let me know!