Use the Chainless Starting Stitches to Give Your Crochet a Perfectly Straight Edge!

January 11, 2019

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Are the edges of your crochet wavy? Are there gaps from turning chains along the sides? Fix that problem NOW with a Chainless Starting Stitch!

When working back and forth in rows, have you ever had one of these annoying little predicaments?

If you do not count the turning chain as a stitch, the edges of your piece are wavy. The turning chains “bubble” out at the beginning of every other row. OR…
If you do count the turning chain as a stitch, the edges of your piece have little gaps at the beginning of every other row. This happens because a turning chain is not the same shape or thickness as a regular stitch.

While these things aren’t as noticeable with shorter stitches, they can be quite obvious when using taller stitches and longer turning chains.

Well, both of these issues can be avoided.

You see, these little ugly things happen because of the turning chains themselves. The purpose of the turning chain is to get your hook up to the correct height to begin the row you’re about to work. The problem is that a turning chain is not the same shape as a regular stitch. Because the rest of the stitches are straighter and thicker than a turning chain, that turning chain will not blend in with the rest of the work. It will often bend outward and appear thinner than the other stitches.

So to correct those problems, we eliminate the turning chains altogether.

But how do you get your hook up to the correct height to begin the row? Well, this is where the Chainless Starting Stitches come in. A Chainless Starting Stitch is a special stitch that replaces the turning chain, gets your hook up the the correct height, and looks just like a regular stitch. It’s truly chain-less!

So how do these Chainless Starting Stitches work? Luckily, they aren’t much harder to work than a regular stitch. Watch the video below for a full, step-by-step tutorial, where I’ll show you how to work the Chainless Starting Double Crochet, the Chainless Starting Half-Double Crochet, and the Chainless Starting Single Crochet.

So, let’s say you want to use a Chainless Starting Stitch in a pattern, instead of the turning chain the pattern calls for. You’ll likely be in one of two scenarios:

The pattern does not count the turning chain as a stitch. Pattern tells you to work the first stitch of the row in the same stitch the chain is coming from. In this case, you’ll need to eliminate the turning chain completely. Then, replace the first stitch of the row with the Chainless Starting Stitch.
The pattern does count the turning chain as a stitch. Pattern tells you to work the first stitch of the row in the next stitch after the one the chain is coming from. In this case, you’ll just replace the turning chain with the Chainless Starting Stitch.

Have you tried the Chainless Starting Stitches yet?

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Yay for Yarn

Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Knitting and crochet are my passion, and I love helping others create beautiful things from yarn. If you enjoyed this post, why not check out some of my other free patterns, tips, and tutorials? Happy Yarning!

28 Comments

Stacey Meyer

May 17, 2020 at 4:22 PM Reply

I just used your trick for the first time and I cannot believe the difference it made! This is amazing and has changed my crocheting forever. Thank you so much for posting this. I am so thrilled with how much better my work looks now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
COLLEEN ROTH-HORNUNG

May 11, 2020 at 3:12 PM Reply

THANK YOU!!!
gloria wood

May 5, 2020 at 11:23 PM Reply

nice eager to try
Liza Riley

November 25, 2019 at 1:39 PM Reply

GENIUS!
Thank you so much for this super-simple technique that makes so much sense. Sorted out all my queries on starting and ending rows, and now it all looks so neat, and makes all the difference!
Thanks again.
Liza
- DeeDee Amberman
  
  April 21, 2020 at 4:08 PM Reply
  
  Love to crochet. I make a lot of things and give them away. I do have a totem of baby things I keep for showers and parties.
- patrice mcneill
  
  April 30, 2020 at 8:00 PM Reply
  
  I am a beginner crocheter
Jeanne

November 24, 2019 at 1:32 PM Reply

Thank you so very much for this brilliant idea and the very clear and easy to understand video. This will make for such a more beautiful and tailored project. Can’t wait to try it.
Sannie

July 9, 2019 at 4:22 AM Reply

Well, well, well!! You surely made my day! I love neat work and I wished I knew how to do straight edges.
Thanks a million for your lovely tutorial….God bless!!
- Yay for Yarn
  
  July 9, 2019 at 9:50 AM Reply
  
  You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Barbara Heintze

June 23, 2019 at 1:05 AM Reply

I have been using the wavy edge method but yours looks much neater! I will try this!
- Ruth
  
  October 17, 2019 at 5:28 AM Reply
  
  This is so useful thank you so much for sharing, I’ve just tried this technique now on a baby cardigan and it looks great, so much better than the gappy turning chain! Love it!
  - Nancy Mc Fadden
    
    December 1, 2019 at 8:21 AM Reply
    
    Wow, this is awesome. I’ve always counting the turning chain as a stitch to have the right number of stitches, this is going to make my work clean and unnoticeable. I’m making 2 Afghan gifts this technique will be so helpful
tamarque

May 1, 2019 at 10:44 AM Reply

Very interesting but how much extra time does it take to use this technique? Seems like a lot of extra fiddling.
- Yay for Yarn
  
  May 1, 2019 at 11:57 AM Reply
  
  Hi! It may take a little practice to learn to make the chainless starting stitches quickly and smoothly. However, once you are comfortable with the stitches, it doesn’t really take any extra time to work the chainless stitches instead of a turning chain (like maybe one extra second). Hope this helps!
  - Tracy Daniel
    
    June 14, 2019 at 1:27 PM Reply
    
    Love the help!!
Judy

April 19, 2019 at 1:51 PM Reply

I have crocheted for over 50 years and have never seen anything like this! You are a genius! Can’t wait to try it!
Annette Funseth

March 21, 2019 at 11:55 AM Reply

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you for sharing.
- Yay for Yarn
  
  March 21, 2019 at 3:35 PM Reply
  
  You’re welcome, Annette! I’m glad you found it helpful!
Suzanne Eder

March 17, 2019 at 9:57 AM Reply

Thank you!
- Yay for Yarn
  
  March 18, 2019 at 9:49 AM Reply
  
  You’re welcome, Suzanne!
Jacquie

February 16, 2019 at 11:49 AM Reply

Those uneven and messy edges have always bothered me. Thanks for the tutorial.
- Yay for Yarn
  
  February 16, 2019 at 12:24 PM Reply
  
  You’re welcome, Jacquie! I’m so glad it was helpful to you!
  - Teresa Johnson
    
    March 18, 2019 at 9:27 PM Reply
    
    Please signed me up for your email and send me your cheat sheet
    - Yay for Yarn
      
      March 19, 2019 at 9:37 AM Reply
      
      Hi Teresa! Just click here and enter your name and email address on that page, and the cheat sheet will be sent to you automatically. Hope this helps!
Donya

February 15, 2019 at 5:26 PM Reply

I love it , can’t wait to try it!!!!
- Yay for Yarn
  
  February 16, 2019 at 9:29 AM Reply
  
  I’m so glad you liked it!
DIANE

January 11, 2019 at 10:13 PM Reply

need to get the written tutorial. Thank you.
- Yay for Yarn
  
  January 11, 2019 at 11:28 PM Reply
  
  Hi Diane! You can get the free printable written tutorial by clicking on the photo of the printable. That will take you to the page where you can enter your email address to sign up for the email list. You’ll then receive a confirmation email with a button that says “yes, subscribe me to this list”. Click that button to confirm your subscription. You’ll receive the email with instructions to download your free printable shortly after. Hope this helps! Thanks!