Moms crochet

[Christina Lannon]

Hi I have a pattern that is fairly simple 4dc2tog than five double crochet in next stitch across.Suppose to be 6.0 mm have tired beginning chain with 10.mm and first row with 4.5 mm and still to tight any suggestions?

[bgs]

So are you telling us you are having problems working your first row into your chains or are you having problems working into your first row?  Working that first row into your foundation chain is challenging.  Usually going up one hook size for your foundation chain helps.  Since you chained with a larger hook and used a much smaller hook and you are having problems you must be pulling your chains very tight.  I tend to want to pull mine tight because they look nicer as far as the chain itself but its too tight to work into.  If I am able to work into it the stitches take up more room than the chain so that end is always going to be narrower than the rest of the piece and there is no stretch to it.  I have learned to chain looser.  It takes practice. They tend to look a little sloppy as the chain itself but its ok after first row is done.  Another option is to use foundation stitches for your first row.  

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!  I agree with BGS. 

A couple of observations, and what works for me; I get that everyone is different but  for what it's worth... 

First, foundation stitches - Bgs is right, the 'con' is that they are a little tricky to get the hang of (but everything takes practice, right?), and they look a tad different than working into a chain.  The 'pro' is they match the tension of the following row.   I personally only use them when I have to 'work into the air', beyond the edge for several stitches to shape something

I prefer the look of a chain when starting a project tho, and foundation stitches don't work in every situation (sometimes lace patterns use the 'foundation row' in a different way, the chain becomes part of the lace).

Second: there are 3 ways to work into a chain, and one of them pulls the chain quite tight, the other 2 do not. 

(1) working into the back bump pulls the chain up much tighter than the other 2 versions.  I also think it is fiddly, some think it looks the best (the underside edge looks like a chain) but I don't think the other ways look 'bad' enough to outweigh the cons of stitching into the back bump.

(2) with the chain facing you, work into the top loop only.  This is how I learned, and it has worked great for every project I've made requiring a foundation chain over the past (many) decades; the underside looks like a chain with it's legs crossed. 

(3) with the chain facing you, stick the hook under the top loop and the back bump - this the bottom loop free; even tho it uses the back bump, since you are just working around it, not into it, it does not pull the chain tight.

Edited February 22, 2022 by Granny Square