# [Measure a foundation chain](https://threadcabin.com/explore/197/measure-a-foundation-chain)

> A chain alone does not establish the finished width. Work several rows into it and measure the relaxed fabric instead.

- Canonical page: https://threadcabin.com/explore/197/measure-a-foundation-chain
- Language: en
- Published: 2026-09-25T17:26:33.8369437+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-25T17:26:38.9261284+00:00
- Craft: Crochet
- Primary image: [Illustration: A relaxed crochet foundation chain beside a flexible foundation-stitch row, each laid flat without stretching.](https://threadcabin.com/images/explore/focused/crochet-foundation.jpg)

A chain alone does not establish the finished width. Work several rows into it and measure the relaxed fabric instead.

## Before you start

Confirm whether the instructions use US or UK terms. On a smooth-yarn sample, mark the first and last stitch and note whether the turning chain counts.

## How to do it

1. Make a slip knot on the hook. Catch the working yarn and draw it through the loop; that makes one chain. Repeat without tightening the chain around the narrow throat. Count the V shapes; exclude the loop on the hook.
2. For a plain US single-crochet test, chain 21 and work from the second chain: 20 stitches. Chain 1, turn and work 20 stitches each row; the turning chain does not count in this test.

## Try this example

Make a 24-chain trial using the pattern’s turning allowance. After five rows, compare the foundation edge with the middle; a tight edge needs a new trial.

## Check your result

- Count stitch tops separately from chain spaces and compare successive row or round totals. Lay the sample down without stretching it to inspect the shape.
- A symbol or familiar stitch name does not supply a complete construction. Use the project’s own counts, turning rules and joining instructions.

## Sources

- [www.craftyarncouncil.com: instructions_cr.php3](https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/instructions_cr.php3)
- [www.craftyarncouncil.com: crochet abbreviations](https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/crochet-abbreviations)
- [media.craftyarncouncil.com: CYC_CIP_Crochet_Program_2017.pdf](https://media.craftyarncouncil.com/files/CIP/CYC_CIP_Crochet_Program_2017.pdf)

[Browse editable craft templates](/crafts?craft=crochet)

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## Sources and provenance

- [Reading crochet charts: symbols, rows, rounds, and repeats](https://threadcabin.com/explore/4/reading-crochet-charts-symbols-rows-rounds-and-repeats)
- [Crochet stitch height, turning chains, and terminology](https://threadcabin.com/explore/11/crochet-stitch-height-turning-chains-and-terminology)
- [Make a representative crochet swatch](https://threadcabin.com/explore/206/make-a-representative-crochet-swatch)
- [Crochet loop placement changes texture and movement](https://threadcabin.com/explore/12/crochet-loop-placement-changes-texture-and-movement)