The Icelandic Turtleneck starts with a row of Foundation Double Crochet. I had no idea what they were the first time I read the pattern, and it almost made me not want to make it. Then I read about them in a crochet book by Doris Chan. She seemed really excited about them. Then I saw an article about them in the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Crochet.
And now that I finally figured them out, I'm totally a convert!
Up to now, I've always made a starting chain for my projects. Then I would go back along the chain to make the first row of stitches. Well, when you use foundation crochet stitches (single, double, treble ...) you are making the starting chain and the first row of stitches all at the same time.
Why would you want to do that, you ask? I can think of three reasons:
1.
Foundation stitches are closer to the right gauge than a beginning chain. You might have noticed that sometimes your beginning chain might be super tight compared to the rest of your crocheted item *or* that it's a big loopy mess. With foundation stitches, you have a clean beginning row that's not too tight and not too loose. It's perfect.
2.
You don't have to count your starting chain over and over and over and over. I totally stress about the beginning chain and I almost go blind trying to count and recount them to make sure it's the right length. There is nothing worse than getting through the first row to find you have one less or one more chain than you need. Argh! You'll still need to count your foundation stitches, but since they are meatier than a chain, it's easier.
3.
You have an accurate row length with your very first row. The baby blankets I'm making for charity are supposed to be a certain width. I had to start them over several times because I couldn't accurately measure the width of the finished blanket based on the chain row. Using foundation stitches I will be able to just keep making them until I've got the right length and be fairly sure the gauge will stay the same.
The step-by-step instructions and how-to images for foundation single crochet were awesome in the Spring 2007 Interweave Crochet. Their images for foundation double crochet skipped a couple of steps (grrr) so it took me three tries before I got it right. But it was totally worth the effort.
See how the top and the bottom of the foundation row are neat and look like, well, the top? That will make it much easier to add edgings or join pieces later. There really isn't anything not to love about foundation stitches ... or, in English, you've got to love everything about foundation stitches. :)
Related stitches, called extended stitches, are when you do the same thing, but in the middle of your work and not as a foundation stitch. I couldn't find any instructions online that I could link to, but I did find several other crocheters,
Amy at The Hook and I,
Stitch Whisper and
Pauline3 at Crochet Me, who are on the foundation stitch bandwagon. If you have a chance to learn it, I totally think you should.