Crochet guide
Crochet tension
Tension is how tightly or loosely you make your stitches. Three things set it: the size of the hook, how firmly your hand holds the yarn, and how far you pull up each loop. Tight stitches are hard to work into and loose ones come out large and untidy, and both can be changed.
On this page 9 parts
What tension is
Tension is how tight or how loose your stitches are. Everyone's is a little different: some people work tightly and some loosely.
Patterns from the United Kingdom also use the word tension for what United States patterns call gauge: the number of stitches and rows in a measured square. Crochet gauge and how to measure it covers that. This page is about the stitches themselves.
What sets the size of a stitch
- The hook. A larger hook makes larger stitches.
- Your hold on the yarn. The yarn runs through the fingers of the hand that is not holding the hook. The more fingers it winds round, the more it is held back, and the tighter the stitches.
- The loop you pull up. Each stitch begins with a loop drawn up through the work. How far you draw it up sets most of the height of the stitch.
- Where the loop sits on the hook. A loop made on the full width of the shaft is the size the hook is meant to give. A loop made on the narrow part near the head is smaller.
If your stitches are too tight
You can tell because the loops are tight around the hook, and it is a struggle to get the hook back into the stitches on the next row.
- Loosen your hold on the yarn. Relax your hands, and wind the yarn round fewer fingers.
- Slide each loop up onto the shaft before you finish the stitch.
- Use a larger hook if the stitches are still tight.
A tight starting chain is a common case, and it matters because the first row has to be worked into it. Make the chain more loosely than the stitches, or make it with a larger hook and change back for row 1.
If your stitches are too loose
You can tell because the stitches come out large and untidy.
- Hold the yarn back a little more. Wind it round one more finger.
- Use a smaller hook if the stitches are still loose.
If your stitches are uneven
Uneven stitches are normal when you are learning. Keeping every stitch the same size comes with practice, as your hands settle into one movement.
One thing helps: keep to one hook for the whole piece. Another hook of the same size can still give stitches of a different size.
If your rows are too tall or too short
When the stitch count is right but the rows are not the height a pattern asks for, change the loop you pull up. Draw it up a little farther for taller rows, and keep it closer to the work for shorter rows.
At a glance
| What you see | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| The hook will not go into the stitches | Yarn held too firmly, or loops made on the narrow part of the hook | Loosen your hold, slide loops up the shaft, or use a larger hook |
| The starting chain is too tight to work into | The chain is tighter than the stitches | Chain more loosely, or with a larger hook |
| Large, untidy stitches | Too little hold on the yarn | Wind the yarn round one more finger, or use a smaller hook |
| Rows too tall or too short | The first loop of each stitch is drawn up too far, or not far enough | Change how far you draw it up |
Does it matter?
It matters most for things that have to fit, such as a hat or a sweater: tight work comes out smaller than the pattern and loose work comes out bigger. To match a pattern, crochet the way you normally do and change the hook, as the gauge guide explains.
Questions people ask
Is tension the same thing as gauge? In a United Kingdom pattern, yes: tension there is the count of stitches and rows that United States patterns call gauge. In everyday talk, tension also means how tightly you work.
Should I crochet tightly to make my work neat? No. Keep a steady hold on the yarn, but do not pull it tight. Stitches pulled tight are so small that the hook will hardly go back into them. For a firmer fabric, use a smaller hook.
Will my tension get more even? Yes, with practice.
Next, how to hold a crochet hook and yarn describes the ways of winding the yarn through your fingers, and common crochet problems covers what else can go wrong.