Tuesday’s Crochet Tip – Creating a Neater and More Elastic Edge
It’s National Crochet Month! We’re celebrating by sharing some handy crochet tips to help refine your crochet skills or get you started. This week, we’re putting a new spin on your foundation chain.
Starting your crochet project is probably almost everyone’s least favorite part. Chaining all those stitches, then fiddling your hook into that starting chain can be tedious and time consuming. For me, it never ends up looking quite right either.
Most of us were taught to start your first row by crocheting into the front of your starting chain. Instead, try inserting your hook into the bump on the back of your chain. Surprisingly, this actually creates a much neater and smoother edge.
This technique also creates a much more elastic edge and will even mirror your final row perfectly. Since crocheting into that back bump creates a mirror stitch to your last row, it makes seaming and adding a crocheting edging much easier!
- Tuesday’s Tip – Keeping Track of Alternate Increase Rounds - March 25, 2014
- Tuesday’s Crochet Tip – Finger Crochet - March 18, 2014
- Tuesday’s Crochet Tip – Turn a Doily Pattern into a Rug - March 11, 2014
March 5th, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Thank you; this is a terrific hint. This will definitely help me when I put edgings on blankets!
March 6th, 2013 at 7:09 am
Great tip. Will try it soon!
March 6th, 2013 at 9:17 am
Thanks for the tip
March 8th, 2013 at 10:54 am
Simple, yet very valuable tip!
March 8th, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Thank you! I appreciate every tip I can get. I also have a hard time finding that starting chain, and where to start the next row!
March 9th, 2013 at 7:28 pm
I actually do this and quite agree with you. It looks much nicer
January 27th, 2015 at 4:02 am
Thanks a million.. i always used to have g8 difficulty…tks for sharing..nw it is so easy nd stitches look tidy ndvpretty ..God bless u..pks do share tips like this..Happy crocheting.
January 27th, 2015 at 4:04 am
Tks Grace… though i saw ur tip only nw …it is always useful
February 4th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
This is something I have been doing for many years now and I love the neatness of using this method. Thanks for sharing this for others. It definitely makes the chain row look much nicer.
August 19th, 2015 at 9:17 am
I like this tip and intend to try it. It seems no matter how loosely I try to chain, it always ends up tighter than the rest of the piece and I think this may help with that.