Foundation Single Crochet Tutorial

Have you ever started a project with a long chain, just to realize that you chained too many or not enough when working your row of single crochet? I have the solution for you… the foundation single crochet stitch!

What is foundation single crochet?

The foundation single crochet works your typical single crochet stitches in a row, without the need for a chain. This stitch can be used to essentially replace most combinations of a base chain and subsequent row of single crochet stitches worked in the base chain.

The stitch abbreviation for the foundation single crochet is FSC.

Why use the foundation single crochet?

The foundation single crochet stitch has so many benefits. The first being that the FSC can help with getting your stitch count right.

Have you ever started a blanket or larger item that starts with a large number of chains, followed by a row of single crochet? In this instance, instead of ch 101, and then single crochet 100, you can skip the chain step and instead create 100 FSC stitches!

The foundation single crochet stitch looks and acts just like a typical single crochet stitch. This is my favorite reason to use the FSC! In the example above, if you are starting with a chain, and you chain a bit too tightly, your blanket is going to be more narrow on the chain side than it is on the finishing side.

I use the foundation single crochet stitch for the frill piece of my Tanner the Triceratops and Mini Tanner the Triceratops crochet pattern. The foundation single crochet is along the bottom edge of each piece of the frill. I chose this stitch to allow for more stretch, which makes sewing the frill to the back of the head much easier!

I often get questions on how to do the FSC in my triceratops pattern, so I put together this tutorial.

How to make a Foundation Single Crochet

To make a foundation single crochet you will begin with a slip knot and chain 2. Then you will work a single crochet (SC) in second chain from the hook.

Next you will insert your hook into the same chain stitch that you just worked the SC, and draw up a loop. Yarn over and draw through the first loop on your hook, creating another chain stitch.

Yarn over and draw through both stitches on your hook, creating your second SC stitch.

You’ll then continue on by inserting your hook into the last ch stitch created, yarn over, and draw up a loop, yarn over, and draw through the first loop on your hook (creating another ch stitch). Then you will yarn over and draw through both loops on your hook, creating another SC stitch.

Below you will find a video tutorial and photo tutorial for the foundation single crochet.

Video Tutorial for Foundation Single Crochet

In this video tutorial, I will show you how to complete the foundation single crochet (FSC) stitch.

Photo Tutorial for Foundation Single Crochet

Below you will find a step by step photo tutorial for the foundation single crochet (FSC) stitch.

Begin with a slip knot.

Ch 2.

SC in second ch from your hook (first FSC stitch created).

Insert your hook into the same ch stitch that you just worked the SC, and draw up a loop.

Yarn over and draw through the first loop on your hook, creating another ch stitch.

Yarn over and draw through both stitches on your hook, creating a SC stitch (second FSC stitch created).

You’ll then continue on by inserting your hook into the last ch stitch created, yarn over, and draw up a loop, yarn over, and draw through the first loop on your hook (creating another ch stitch). Then you will yarn over and draw through both loops on your hook, creating another SC stitch.

Each ch + SC combination completes one foundation single crochet stitch. You are essentially creating a base chain with a single crochet on top of it, but instead of doing one long chain followed by several single crochets, you are doing one chain and one single crochet at a time.

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I hope you enjoyed this crochet tutorial on creating a foundation single crochet! Be sure to check out my other crochet tutorials.

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