Know Your Crochet...How to start Crocheting, Part 7-Fixing a Mistake
- Rebekah Bowen
- Jul 24, 2023
- 6 min read
In need of a good DYI project or want to brush up on you crochet knowledge, well my dears, you have come to the right place.
Welcome to the "pulling out your hair" section
Crochet is an enjoyable, fulfilling, and lovely craft to master, but as with any valuable skill, there can be some frustrating moments, such as making errors. Everyone makes mistakes, don't they? While beginners might experience this more often, even intermediate and advanced crafters occasionally make mistakes.
It can be challenging to determine how to correct your mistakes, but hold on... keep your beautiful hair intact, because we can repair them!
I'll guide you through the process of fixing various common errors, including correcting uneven edges, addressing sizing problems, and more. It will serve as a recap of everything we've learned so far, so let's simplify mistake fixing for you today!
No 1...Alice, one side will make you smaller, the other side will make you grow
YOUR PROJECT IS GETTING BIGGER/SHRINKING Is your project making you wonder if it ate the wrong side of the mushroom, like Alice, and is growing or shrinking when it shouldn't be?
How to fix:
Mark your first and last stitches. After you crochet your first row, place a stitch marker in the first and last stitch. Now as you continue to crochet you will know exactly where to place your first and last stitches for each row.
Count your stitches. Always count your stitches even when it gets repetitive and boring, especially when your project has 100-200 stitches. There are a few tricks to help ease the burden of counting. (1) Count in 2’s, 4’s, 5’s, or 10's (2) Use a stitch marker to mark your counts in intervals (ex: mark every 20th stitch), and (3) there are great little devices that can keep track of your count called stitch counters.
They work by placing it on your finger, most commonly the pointer finger, and then keeping track by following the motion of your hand when you make a stitch.
No. 2...To the jagged cliffs of insanity
YOUR EDGES ARE JAGGED INSTEAD OF STRAIGHT. Having edges that don't look right, can drive you to insanity! Sometimes our projects bulge out on one side, and then stick out on the other, instead of having a nice, clean edge. Not the look we're going for.
How to fix:
Decrease the number in your turning chain. When you reach the end of the row you usually make a turning chain and you chain a certain number according to the stitch you're using. This can be some of the cause for a bulging edge. Use this little trick to help reduce it. When using a half double stitch - chain 1, instead of 2; a double stitch – chain 2, instead of 3; and for a treble stitch – chain 3, instead of 4.
Use "Standing Stitches" instead. You may not find the "Standing Stitch" in a written pattern, it is easy to substitute and helps to keep your edges looking nice and neat. When you reach the end of your row, instead of making a turning chain, you simply turn your crochet piece to the other side and draw up a loop big enough for the stitch you are using.
No. 3...A fairly common mistake
GETTING THE RIGHT YARN WEIGHT. Designers know there is no wrong yarn weight or type since they are the masters of their designs, however, if you are following a pattern, using the right weight and type of yarn will make all the difference in the world.
We have talked about yarn weight a couple of times and how to choose correctly especially when following a pattern. Here are the links to the two other blogs that mention yarn weight:
How to fix:
Become familiar with the yarn labels. The pattern will tell you the size of yarn they used so you can match it with your yarn when you purchase it.
Manually measure your yarn by "wraps per inch" or "WPI".
If you recently purchased yarn, it probably still has its label. However, if you received yarn as a donation from a friend or neighbor, or if it's older yarn you already had, it might not have a label. If there's no label and you're not familiar with identifying yarn weight by sight and touch, what can you do?
There's a handy tool you can use, like the one shown in the picture below:
Begin by placing your yarn at the left side of the cutout and wrap it side by side until you reach the other end. After wrapping, count how many times you wrapped the yarn and refer to the WPI key to find your number.
You can also create your own tool in a few ways. One method involves using cardboard or cardstock, cutting it into a rectangle or square, and making a one-inch-wide incision at the top. Alternatively, you can use a pen or pencil along with a ruler. Measure a one-inch section in the middle of the utensil with the ruler, and use tape to mark this section.
Here is a pdf file of a WPI key you can print and use with your homemade tool:
No. 4...On the wrong side of the tracks
CROCHETING IN THE WRONG PART OF THE STITCH.
This might be clear to an experienced crafter, but if you're a beginner, it's a common mistake. Beginners often insert their hook through just one loop instead of both, and recognizing the stitches can significantly impact your work. Each crochet stitch has multiple components, and working in one part and not the other can entirely alter the texture of your project.
How to fix:
Learn the anatomy of a stitch. Each stitch has a front loop (one closest to you) and a back loop (one farthest from you). Unless your pattern calls for working in the front or back loop only, you work into both loops. Working into both loops is the default stitch placement if none is listed.
The common abbreviation for back loop only is (blo)
The common abbreviation for front loop only is (flo).
No. 5...What a mix-up!
USING THE WRONG CROCHET TERMS FOR YOUR PATTERN. As you familiarize yourself with the stitch names and read your crochet patterns, remember to consider the language in which they are written. What!?... you might exclaim... the pattern already seemed like it was crafted by ancient aliens... but don't worry.
How to fix:
Learn the lingo or move to Britain. This occurs more frequently now than in the past due to the Internet, which offers access to crochet patterns globally. Grasping how the two styles of pattern writing align can help prevent future complications.
While chain stitch, is a chain stitch and a slip stitch, is a slip stitch, these are the terms that differ:
No. 6...Bobbing and Weaving
NOT SECURELY WEAVING IN YOUR TAILS. You finish a project, weave in all the tails left behind at the beginning, middle, and end, and throw it in the wash...but, unimaginable tragedy strikes!
A tail came out and now there is a giant hole!! All those hours you worked on your project feels lost, but all is not lost. As my husband is fond of saying, "Knowledge gained is worth the money and work." Now that we know, we can prevent it from happening again.
How to fix:
Get a sharp (not blunt) darning needle with a large eye.
Leave at least 6 – 7” tails for weaving in.
Weave in first through the baseline of the stitches (where your tail ends) and up through the middle of the stitchs, then pull your needle through a stitch in the row below, and back down the middle of the stitches in the opposite direction (kind of a 'U' shape). No matter how you zig and zag, just avoid weaving in a straight line.
No. 7...Reading enhances your life
NOT READING YOUR PATTERN ALL THE WAY THROUGH FIRST.
We've chosen our pattern, gathered all the materials, and are eager to begin! Most patterns will provide the gauge, stitch guide, pattern notes, and abbreviations, though these can vary between patterns. Pattern writing isn't bound by strict rules, even with the best intentions. Therefore, it's crucial to read the designer's notes. It's possible they altered a standard stitch or counted the turning chain as a stitch.
How to fix:
Read the pattern of course!
If you take a moment to read it, you can also research any information or questions you might have online or consult someone knowledgeable about crochet in advance.
You Made It...Literally and Figuratively
You are now filled to the hooks, and even possibly the gills with crochet know-how and raring to go! There are so many possibilities to have fun with!
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