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The foundation chain is the very first row of every crochet project. Before single crochet, before granny squares, before anything else, you make a chain. The chain isn't visually impressive but the tension control you build while making it is the foundation of every stitch you'll learn afterward.
This walkthrough from Britney at Just Be Crafty breaks the chain into seven clear steps. The hardest part of crochet for beginners is getting comfortable holding the yarn and hook - she covers exactly that before any actual stitching begins. Practice the chain for 10-15 minutes at a time and the rhythm will click within a session or two.
Step 1 here assumes you already have a slip knot on the hook. If that part is new, see how to make a slip knot first - it is the loop every crochet project starts from.
Even chains come from the yarn hand, not the hook hand. Wrap the working yarn around your pinky, run it over your pointer finger, and let that finger feed yarn toward the hook. The hook only scoops and pulls.
If every chain comes out a different size, watch your pointer finger. It is probably bobbing up and down. Keep it still and let the yarn slide over it.
Each chain is a small V lying on its side. Count the Vs starting from the one nearest the hook and work back toward the tail. Two things never count: the slip knot at the start and the loop sitting on your hook. A pattern that says "chain 20" means 20 Vs between those two.
For long chains, clip a stitch marker in every 10 or 20 chains. Recounting 150 chains from scratch is how a blanket starts one stitch short.
The front of the chain shows a neat row of Vs. Flip it over and the back has a line of bumps down the middle, called back bumps. Most patterns let you work into the top loop of each V, which is the easiest target. Working into the back bumps instead leaves the Vs intact along the bottom, so the starting edge looks finished and matches the top of your last row. That is worth the extra fiddle on a scarf or dishcloth where the edge shows.
A tight chain pulls the bottom of the fabric in like a drawstring. The usual fix: make the chain with a hook one or two sizes larger, then switch back to the pattern hook for row one. Nobody can tell.
Foundation single crochet (fsc) builds the chain and the first row of stitches at the same time. It is slower to learn, but the edge stretches as much as the rest of the fabric, which helps on hat brims and necklines. Get comfortable with the plain chain and single crochet first.
Once the chain feels steady, learn the magic ring for working in rounds. And if a finished piece still pulls in at the bottom, blocking your crochet evens it out.
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Crochet a foundation chain in 7 steps. Hook hold, yarn-hand setup, yarn over, pull through. The prerequisite for every other crochet stitch. An easy project: about 20 minutes. You need 3 things, including Worsted weight yarn, Crochet hook and Scissors. The 7 steps: start With a Slip Knot on the Hook, pick a Hook Hold, set Up Your Yarn-Hand Tension, anchor the Slipknot, yarn Over the Hook, pull Through to Make a Chain and repeat to Build the Chain.
7 steps, about 7 minutes. Tap a picture to jump to that step. Your progress saves automatically.
Tick each step off as you go.
Make a slipknot at the end of your yarn and slide the loop onto the crochet hook. The slipknot is your anchor - it tightens when you pull but doesn't unravel as you work.
If you don't know how to make a slipknot: cross the yarn into a loop, twist it once, and pull a section of the working yarn through the loop. Slide it onto the hook and gently tighten so it grips the hook without choking it.
Two main hook holds: KNIFE hold (grip like a kitchen knife with the hook hand) or PENCIL hold (grip like a pen). Beginners usually find knife hold easier on the wrist over long sessions.
Whichever you pick, hold the hook lightly. Death-gripping causes hand cramps fast and forces tight inflexible stitches. The hook is heavy enough to do most of the work itself - your job is just steering.
Trap the working yarn between your pinky and ring finger of your non-hook hand. Flip the hand so the back faces up. Run your pointer finger UNDER the yarn that feeds toward the hook.
The pointer finger feeds yarn forward; the pinky controls tension. This grip looks awkward at first but it's how every crocheter holds yarn. Practice getting in and out of position 10 times so it's automatic.
Press the pointer finger of your yarn hand against the slipknot to keep it from spinning on the hook. Give the yarn a couple gentle tugs to feel where the tension lives in your hand.
The hold should feel comfortably firm - not loose enough that the yarn flops around, not so tight your fingertips turn white. This is the position you'll work from for every stitch.
Yarn over (abbreviated YO in patterns) - wrap the working yarn around the hook from BACK to FRONT. The yarn passes over the top of the hook and comes back to the front, leaving a fresh loop sitting above the slipknot.
Your hook should now have two yarn loops on it: the slipknot below and the new yarn-over loop above.
Tilt the hook slightly downward to catch the yarn-over loop, then pull it THROUGH the existing slipknot loop. The slipknot drops off; the new loop becomes the active loop on the hook.
That's one chain stitch (abbreviated 'ch' in patterns). The chain is the small bump now sitting between the hook and the rest of the yarn.
Yarn over, pull through. Yarn over, pull through. Each repetition adds one more chain. Aim for chains all the same size - roughly the same diameter as the neck of your hook.
Set a 10-minute timer and just chain. Don't worry about a project. The first chain is never beautiful; the 50th will be way better. Foundation skill development happens through reps, not through perfection.
If your chains come out tight and hard to insert a hook into next time, you're holding the working yarn too tight. If they come out loose and floppy, your tension is too loose. The right tension feels like you're guiding the yarn, not yanking it.
Keep going
How to Single Crochet: 7 Step Beginner Tutorial
7 steps · about 7 minutes
More on this topic, picked for this foundation chain.
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How to Crochet a Foundation Chain: 7 Step Beginner Tutorial
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Clover Locking Stitch Markers (20-pack)
Lock onto stitches so they never slip while you mark rounds, increases, and repeats. A dollar-store fix that actually holds.
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Question 1 of 5
What goes on the hook first to start a foundation chain?
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5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.What goes on the hook first to start a foundation chain?
Answer: A slip knot
The slip knot anchors the yarn and tightens without unraveling.
2.In a pattern, what does the abbreviation "ch" mean?
Answer: Chain
"ch" is shorthand for a chain stitch.
3.Which hook hold is usually easier on the wrist for beginners?
Answer: The knife hold
Gripping like a kitchen knife is gentler over long sessions.
4.Which finger mainly controls the yarn tension?
Answer: The pinky
The pinky sets tension while the pointer just feeds the yarn forward.
5.How big should each chain stitch be?
Answer: About the diameter of the hook's neck
Sizing chains to the hook neck keeps them even and easy to work into.
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