MellowMe CastOn / MM Cast On - my favourite foundation row; how to

MellowMe Cast On (MM Cast On) is my personal nickname for this crochet method of starting the foundation row in lieu of the standard chain cast on. The MM Cast On also makes a great crochet cord!

MellowMe CastOn - my favourite foundation row; how to

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I call this method as MM Cast On because this method of starting a crochet piece was created by Melissa of MellowMe Creations and she wrote that she had copyrighted it with the US Copyright Office.

According to MellowMe there were 2 real names for the this method, depending on the function you intend to use it for. They were:

• Crochet Long Tail Foundation Base Chain (CLTFBC) or
• Perfect Crochet I-Cord (PCIC).
Too much of a mouth full even when acronymed don’t you think? So whenever I refer to this method, I just refer to it as MM CastOn.

Sidenote (added Jul 20201): Since my writing of this, “MellowMe Creations” seems to have changed its name on YouTube to “Mandaloria”. But I will stick with the MM CastOn nickname for simplicity.

Sidenote (added 30 Aug, 2025): When I first came across this method many years ago, it was claimed to be copyrighted. However since then, I have seen this method used and taught by many people. I haven't seen a single standard name for it and so I will continue to call it the MM Cast on."

Here is her youTube video. (added Apr, 2024: I just discovered that apparently she has disabled to view this video other than on YouTube.)

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My Short Video Tutorial on MM Cast On

(Added 30 Aug, 2025)

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Main Benefits of MM CastOn:

• much prettier and more solid than the Chain Cast On
• less restrictive and stretchier than the chain on cast on
• easier than the Chainless Foundation CastOn (my former favourite)
• much faster than Chainless Foundation CastOn

I use this method everywhere I can, be it for long or short pieces of work.

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Important Tip:
You need to have a “tail” to start the MM foundation row. That is usually about 3.5 – 4 times the length of the final length you want.

The thicker the yarn, the longer the tail (apprx 4 times the the desired length); the thinner the yarn, the shorter the tail (apprx 3 times the desired final length).

Good idea to estimate a longer tail because that can be used to weave in & neaten the starting edges later on.
(See How to join MM Caston into a Round to see what I mean.)

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calcstitches

Example: How to Calculate Number of Stitches Required

Situation
There will be many a time when you know what length/width you want for your work, but you are uncertain how many stitches you will need to commence your work.

Lets say you have already determined what yarns you are going to use and therefore, the hook size you will be using.

And you know that you will need 60cm. The question then is, how many stitches do I need to 'caston', using the MM Caston?

1. Determine tail length:
   for 60cm desired final width, you will need between 180 - 240 cm (i.e. 3 to 4 times the desired final lenght)
2. MM Cast on:
   With a relaxed hand, MM cast on the stitches till you are almost to the end.
   Measure what you have, then add/minus the number of stitches to get your approximate desired length.

In most cases, that should give you the correct number of stitches to produce the width you desired. (You may need to adjust a bit if you are working with a stitch pattern that requires a specific multiple number of stitches.) Remember though that this is but an estimate - depending on your yarn, tension, etc. It is always a little bit of trial and error but this is a good, workable first step.

Keep in mind, when first estimating the tail yarn you will need to begin the MM Cast on, you might want to have the tail yarn even longer so that you have some leftover tail to use to neaten and weave in at the end of your work. This is especially useful when working in the rounds.

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