Eliminate Tightness in Your Crochet Chain Rows

crochetclasswithvictoria

In each class it seems all of us fight that first chain row and stitch row. It is tighter than the other stitch rows and creates narrowing and tightness at the bottom. We also would like the bottom to visually match the final row in appearance.

There are several ways to mitigate this tight starting chain row.

  • Always chain loosely!!!!
  • Use a larger hook to crochet the initial chain row
  • Finish the final row with a “tight” slip stitch to match the tension and appearance of the beginning chain row
  • Crochet into the back rib of the chain (this makes the final row look the same as the starting row)
  • Crochet the chain stitch and the crochet stitch together for a foundation row

The technique of crocheting the chain and the stitch together for the foundation row can be a little tricky to learn initially, so it takes some practice. But once you get this technique down, you may never go back to the traditional chain row. This technique gives lots of stretch to your beginning row and more closely matches the remaining rows. It also saves time because your chain and first row are stitched together at the same time. The stitch of the first row determines which foundation row you will use (and yes, you can change stitches after the first row as before).

Each stitch is slightly different so there is a separate video for each:

The one thing these stitches all have in common is that you will do the number of stitches indicated in the first row; there’s no adding extra chains for stitches in the chain row since they are crocheted together.

Give this a try for the next project where you need a nice, loose, stretchy beginning row.

Unknown's avatar

Published by crochetclasswithvictoria

I am a crochet instructor and designer.

Leave a Reply