Lots of crochet patterns start out with a foundation chain followed by the instructions to make a single crochet into each chain. The problems are manifold: we lose count of our chain stitches, we recount, we rip out, we start over; we end up with an ungainly edge of chains that were too loosely constructed, or we discover a taut, unforgiving edge from chains that were too tightly constructed! It’s very hard to get right!

Enter the Foundation Single Crochet, an ingenious way to simultaneously create the foundation row and the first row of single crochets in one easy foundation row. Isn’t that amazing? Yes, it is!

Here’s how to do it…

Make a slip knot and chain 2.

Insert the hook from right to left under the top strands of the first chain. The pink here indicates the “top strands”…

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

And this is what inserting the hook under them looks like…

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

Yarn over and pull a stitch through. There are now two loops on the hook.

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

*Yarn over and loosely pull a stitch through the just the first loop. There are now two loops on the hook.

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

It may be a good idea to mark the chain you just made with a removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn since you’ll be coming back to it.

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

Yarn over and pull through both loops. There is now one loop on the hook.

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

Mark the stitch you just made with a removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn. It is your first single crochet!

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

Now locate the first stitch you marked. Remove the stitch marker and put the hook into the middle of that stitch, splitting the top strands and making sure the back strand of the stitch is on the left side of the hook. There should be two strands on the left of the hook and one strand on the right. Here’s where the hook will go…

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

And here is the hook in that place… Notice that there are two strands and one loop on the hook.

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

Yarn over and pull through the two strands. There are now two loops on the hook.

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

Repeat from * (eliminating the step where you mark the first single crochet) until you have as many single crochets as you need! Here’s a start:

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) | Purl Soho

The Foundation Single Crochet might be a little tricky the first time, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll be your new best friend!