The FDC.

[gemlovesjasper]

The FDC (Foundation Double Crochet) to me is a trendy way for people to economize their efforts with crochet. I have heard what a great time saver it is...blah blah. I am not impressed. How stretchy the resulting chain is.. I never had or have a problem with my foundation chain being too tight. The patterns now come out with only this way of starting their projects. I don't think its right to do this. If you have trouble with your foundation row being too tight ...than this may be your solution. But what I want to know is how to start projects without this method.  I have tried to work it, but I just end up with a hot mess on my hands and tears in my eyes cause its just one more thing I cant do in crochet. I don't need anymore problems. 

[bgs]

I am just now learning foundation single crochet and getting the hang of it.  I do see where it would be useful in garments because it will stretch more than if I made a chain and then a row of single crochet.

A designer can write their pattern up however they want and choose the techniques they feel works best.  You never have to follow patterns as they are written.  Use what you have learned works best for you.  When a pattern has you start with foundation double crochet just sub in your foundation chain and a row of double crochet.  

[Granny Square]

I 100% ignore instructions to do foundation stitches when a pattern starts with them, and just use a chain instead; I've been doing that for decades and it works fine, and unless it's my technique, I don't think the appearance of foundation stitches is an improvement and I don't 'need 'stretchy' that often (I mostly knit garments, and crochet other things).  But it's nice to have different ways to do something, different strokes and all that.

However, foundation stitches are the bee's knees when it comes to 'working into the air', meaning you come to the end of a row and you need to add stitches. I've encountered this in T-shirt type tops (in 2 T shaped pieces, front and back without cutting the yarn to add the sleeves), and shaped filet doilies mostly.

 

[gemlovesjasper]

12 hours ago, bgs said:

I am just now learning foundation single crochet and getting the hang of it.  I do see where it would be useful in garments because it will stretch more than if I made a chain and then a row of single crochet.

A designer can write their pattern up however they want and choose the techniques they feel works best.  You never have to follow patterns as they are written.  Use what you have learned works best for you.  When a pattern has you start with foundation double crochet just sub in your foundation chain and a row of double crochet.  

Doesn't it matter how many chains you use when you ch and then go back and do a dc row? Like, if the instructions say to fdc 90....if I am going to chain and then go back and do a row of dc instead of the fdc would I need to chain 92 so that it is basically equal to the fdc? Or doesn't it matter?  I know it sounds ridiculously petty. But I don't want to screw up any project because I didn't use the fdc in the beginning. Thank you for answering this silly dilemma of mine. 

[bgs]

Yes you would need the extra chains to compensate but even when a pattern tells me to crochet a number of chains I usually make a few extra chains just in case.  Then I make my row of stitches making sure that number is right or the length I was wanting. Those extra chains can be pulled apart.  

[Granny Square]

It is always safe to sub a chain if a project says to start with a foundation (whatever) stitch - as BGS said 'and throw in extra chains to be safe'.

However it is not always safe to sub a foundation stitch for a foundation chain.  It is only 100% safe to do so if the pattern's first row is entirely solid stitches; there can't be any skipped stitches.  Some lacy patterns' first row needs to have a chain to work into, because part of the chain gets pulled up to become part of a compound stitch.