The Foundation Treble Crochet (shortened as FTR) is a technique that combines the foundation chain and the first row of treble crochet all in one.
So, what this means is that you do not have to first make your starting chain and then your first row.
Instead, the chain and the first row of treble stitches will grow at the same time. In other words, you’ll be making a foundation chain and its corresponding treble crochet stitch in one step!
WHY SHOULD YOU TRY THE FOUNDATION TreBLE CROCHET?
The FTR is definitely not one of those basic techniques that you need to learn otherwise you won’t be able to crochet (sorry, FTR, but it is true…).
However, you absolutely wont’t regret learning it, and it will definitely make your crochet look better.
Here are some situations in which you should really consider using the FTR:
- Use the FTR when starting a garment or any wearable or accessory. That will guarantee your item to have a stretchy and comfortable edge!
- When your crochet project starts with an atrocious amount of chains! Then, you really need to consider that counting treble stitches is way easier than counting tiny, twisty chains.
- If you got your stitch count wrong on your first row of tr, you can use the FTR to easily add a few extra stitches!
NOT ONLY TreBLE CROCHET
The FTR is only one of the foundation stitches, together with the foundation single crochet, foundation half double crochet, and foundation double crochet,!
Once you learn to crochet one of the foundation stitches, then it is very easy to learn all the others, since the same main principle applies to all them.
Pin this free tutorial on how to crochet the FTR to your favorite Pinterest board!
Note: this post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something through the links on my blog, I might earn a commission. This will not have any effect on the price you pay. For more info, please, see my Privacy Policy.
Cool, time to see how to crochet the FTR row with my step-by-step tutorial!
MATERIALS
– 5.0-mm (H/8 USA, 6 UK) Hook
– Worsted (4 Medium) Yarn. I used Paintbox Yarns 100% Wool Worsted, color Lime Green (1228)
ABBREVIATIONS (US TERMS)
Ch – Chain
St – Stitch
Tr – Treble Crochet
Yo – Yarn Over
FOUNDATION TreBLE CROCHET – STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL
STEP 1
Ch 3, yo twice, and insert your hook into the first made ch.
STEP 2
Yo, and pick up a loop.
Step 3
Yo, and draw yarn through one loop on your hook.
Notice how you created a chain at the base of your stitch!
Step 4-6
Complete your tr by (yo, pull through two) 3 times.
Step 7
Yo twice, and insert your hook into the ch at the base of your first tr.
Step 8
Yo, and pull up a loop.
Step 9
Yo, and pull through 1. Then, go on and complete your tr (repeat steps 4-6).
Repeat steps 7 to 9 to grow your Foundation Treble Crochet row.
Find more tutorials and inspiration…
If only it had been video, it would have been much easier to understand. Still, thank you very much for the narration. 🙏
Thank you for such easy to follow instructions. I used to use this method years ago, taught to me by my grandmother, but had forgotten how to get started. Thank you.
Hi Raffaella, does the initial 3 chain count as a triple in your stitch count? Or do you just count from the first triple. Many thanks, very clear.
Hi, it depends… for some patterns I consider the initial ch-3 as a tr and for others, I leave it unworked. I guess you can choose depending on what looks best for the project you’re crocheting 🙂