Foundation double crochet stitches are a useful technique that can be a real time saver because it creates a starting chain and your first row of double crochet stitches for your project at the same time.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to do the Foundation Double Crochet Stitch with written instructions and a step by step photo tutorial. I’ve also included a video tutorial for added support.
Be sure to check out the list of free crochet patterns that I’ve collected for you that you can use to start practicing this new stitch technique right away.
Ready to say good bye to creating a long chain for a large project? Let’s dive into to everything you need to kow about using this great technique.
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Terminology:
In this tutorial, I use the US crochet terminology. In the UK terminology, this stitch would be called a foundation treble crochet.
Abbreviations:
In crochet patterns, you’ll often see the foundation double crochet abbreviated as FDC. It is also sometimes called the chainless double crochet. or chainless foundation double crochet.
When Can I Use Foundation Double Crochet Stitches?
While the occasional crochet project will specifically tell you to start with a chainless foundation row you can substitute this technique in a crochet pattern that don’t specifically tell you to use it.
If you have a pattern that has a long beginning chain (or even a short chain) and the first row of stitches is a row of double crochet stitches, you can substitute this technique for the chain and first row.
How to do it:
You need to know the number of stitches needed at the end of the first row. When you are using the foundation dc, you create the chain stitches and the starting row of stitches at the same time so the number of chains indicated at the beginning of the pattern will be wrong (since there is an extra chain or two that act as a turning chain counted in there).
So if your pattern tells that you have 200 double crochet stitches at the end of your first row, just do 199 fdc stitches instead. Why 199 and not 200? Because the chains you skip when starting this technique count as your first stitch. So 199 + your skipped stitches = 200.
What About Working In Joined Rounds?
If your crochet project instructs you to join your foundation chain and then create a row of double crochet stitches, you can still use this technique.
Make sure that your beginning tail of yarn from when you create your slip knot is at least 8 inches long so you can use it to join the bottom sides of your FDC row together to mimic a slip stitch join at the bottom of the stitch.
Foundation Double Crochet Video Tutorial
Foundation Double Crochet Photo Tutorial
Step 1: With a slip knot on your crochet hook, chain 3.
Step 2: Yarn over and insert hook into the third chain from hook.
Note: Some patterns will recommend that you start with a chain of 4. If that is the case, you’ll insert your hook into the 4th chain from the hook instead of the 3rd.
Step 3: Yarn over and pull up a loop. You should have 3 loops on your hook.
Step 4: Yarn over and pull through the first loop on your hook. This creates the first chain.
Tip: You can place a removable stitch marker in this first chain to help you find it when you’re creating your next stitch. You can move it up each time you do this step to help keep track of where to work.
Step 5: Yarn over and draw through the first 2 loops on your hook. You should have 2 loops left on your hook.
Step 6: Yarn over and pull through the remaining loops on your hook. This creates your first foundation double crochet stitch.
For the next foundation stitch (and subsequent foundation stitches):
Step 7: Yarn over and insert your hook under the 2 loops of the “chain” at the base of the last stitch.
Step 8: Yarn over and pull up a loop. You should have 3 loops on your hook again.
Step 9: Yarn over and draw through 1 loop on your hook. This leaves 3 loops on your hook.
Step 10: Yarn over and draw through 2 loops on your hook. This leaves 2 loops on your hook.
Step 10: Yarn over and draw through all the remaining loops on your hook. This creates your second foundation double crochet stitch.
Repeat steps 7 to 11 until you have the number of stitches required for your project.
What about the next row?
Work subsequent rows of stitches as you normally would. Make sure to remember that when you get to the end of your second row that you work into the top of those skipped three chains as they will count as your first double crochet stitch.
That’s it! I hope that you enjoyed this foundation double crochet tutorial and are excited to get started using this new crochet stitch!
If you did enjoy it, I’d appreciate it if you took a moment to pin this post to your Pinterest boards and/share it with your friends. This is a great way to help support me so that I can keep bringing you great free crochet content like this.
Other Foundation Crochet Stitches To Try:
Want to learn other foundation stitches?
Ready to Practice This Technique in Crochet Projects? Try These Fun Free Patterns :
(Patterns Marked with a ** have tutorial videos)
- Olive Branch Blanket**
- Enid’s Snood (from the Wednesday Netflix Show!)**
- Holiday Snuggles Blanket**
- Strut Your Puff Crochet Cowl
- Shifting Posts Crochet Hat and the Shifting Posts Crochet Cowl
- Berry Good Hair Day Hair Scarf Pattern
Ready to learn some new crochet stitches techniques? Here are some other great crochet tutorials to broaden your crochet skills:
- How to do the Single Crochet Stitch and Yarn Under Single Crochet Stitch
- How to Crochet a Flat Circle
- How to Crochet in the Back Bumps of A Chain
- How to Work on both sides of a Crochet Chain
- Learn some Tunisian Crochet Stitches: Tunisian Simple Stitch, Tunisian Knit Stitch, Tunisian Extended Simple Stitch
Be sure to check out my Crochet Stitch Tutorials page to get a list of other tutorials with step by step instructions for other crochet stitches in both traditional crochet and Tunisian, tips, tricks, special stitch patterns and techniques and more. Happy Crocheting!
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