Foundation Row No Chain Crochet Technique

I've been using this technique for over a year now. It wasn't until I saw this in a Crochet Me email newsletter that I realized that I have never shared my favorite way to work the foundation row of a crochet project. Instead of crocheting your long chain then working your first row of stitches on that chain, with this technique you work the foundation chain and the first row's stitch in one step.

To work a foundation single crochet, begin with a slipknot on hook, chain 2 (Figure 1),

insert hook in 2nd chain from the hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, draw through 1 loop (this loop is the next "chain," Figure 2),

yarn over and draw through 2 loops (this is the single crochet)—you now have 1 sc with its own ch st (shaded) at the bottom (Figure 3)—,

*insert hook under the 2 loops of the "ch" stitch (shaded) of the last st and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 1 loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops;

repeat from * for as many foundation single crochets as you need (Figure 5).

I use this technique with any crochet stitch (such as; sc, hdc, dc, etc.) I just adjust the beginning chains (Figure 1) for the length of the stitch I'm using. If I'm doing a double crochet stitch I would chain 3, or for a triple crochet stitch I would chain 4.
I find that I so like this technique better that starting with a chain stitch. To me it looks more professional and I always have perfect tension thru out my piece.

PLEASE NOTE!

All the diagrams in this post and the directions in italics are from

my Crochetme newsletter on August 26, 2010

I could not find a link to a post on their website to send you to view

their directions.

http://www.crochetme.com/