Straight Sides

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Straight Sides

I had a reader ask me the other day what is going on -- the sides of the blanket that she is crocheting are getting wider! Chances are she is inadvertently adding a stitch or two at the end of each row. When you start a project, you need to decide how you're going to count the stitches at the beginning and end of each row and then follow that method consistently throughout. There are two basic ways to start a row: 1) let the chains at the beginning of the row count as a stitch; that means that at the end of the row, you have to put a stitch into the top of the chains from the previous row, or 2) the chains at the beginning of the row don't count as a stitch and you put a stitch into the same stitch and each stitch across and, at the end of the row, you do not put a stitch into the chains from the row below. For example, let's say you are doing your rows in double crochet. At the beginning of a row, you can either 1) chain 3, count that ch-3 as your first stitch of the row, and start double crocheting into the next stitch and each stitch across until you get to the end of the row and then do a double crochet stitch into the top of the chain-3 from the row below (which was the first stitch of that row), or 2) chain 2 and do a double crochet stitch into the same stitch as the chain-2, which then counts as your first stitch of the row, then double crochet across the row and do not double crochet into the chain-2 of the row below. Of course, you should also take the time to count the stitches in the row you've just finished crocheting before going on to the next row until you feel comfortable that you are performing the same number of stitches in each row.

   

Comments

3/27/2012 10:18:33 AM
nafisa said:

thanks for the advice.
now i only have to remember which one of the two i am following!

response: you're welcome, and, yes, consistency is the key!


9/23/2013 12:53:15 PM
Rachel said:

Thank you for this explanation! After DAYS of researching this, I haven't found anything on this question, and you've clearly stated it - it's all about being consistent. Thank you! answer: you're welcome, glad to have been of help!




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