Crochet guide
Common crochet problems
Three things lie behind most of the problems this guide covers: the stitch count changed without your noticing, the starting chain is tighter than the stitches, or a circle has too many or too few increases. Count the stitches at the end of every row or round, and you will catch them early.
On this page 6 parts
Find your problem
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| The piece gets narrower | A stitch is lost on each row, most often the last one | Count each row. Work the last stitch of every row, even when it is hard to see. | Straight edges |
| The piece gets wider | A stitch is added on each row, most often at the start | Count each row. Check where the first stitch of the row goes. | Turning chain |
| The side edges wobble or slope | The stitch count is changing, or a turning chain was left out | Count, and make the same turning chain at the start of every row | Straight edges |
| The piece curls or bows | Tight stitches, most of all a starting chain that is tighter than the rows above it | Make the chain more loosely, or with a larger hook. Block the finished piece. | Crochet tension |
| A circle goes wavy at the edge | Too many increases | Pull back to where the waves begin and work on with fewer increases | Flat circle |
| A circle cups into a bowl | Too few increases | Count the round. It needs more increases. | Flat circle |
| The starting chain twists | The chain turns over while the first row is worked into it | Keep the same face of the chain toward you all the way along the first row | Foundation chain |
| The hook will not go into the chain | The chain is too tight | Chain more loosely, or with a larger hook | Crochet tension |
| A gap at the edge of rows of tall stitches | The turning chain stands in for the first stitch, and it is thinner than a stitch | Work the last stitch of each row into the top of the turning chain below it. A turning chain one chain shorter leaves a smaller gap. | Turning chain |
Why edges grow and shrink
The names here are United States names, with the United Kingdom name in brackets.
Edge problems usually start at the turning chain: the chain or chains you make to begin a new row. In single crochet (UK double crochet) the turning chain never counts as a stitch. In double crochet (UK treble) and treble crochet (UK double treble) it counts unless the pattern says otherwise. In half double crochet (UK half treble) patterns differ, so go by the pattern, and where the pattern is silent choose one way and keep to it.
- When the chain counts as a stitch, the first real stitch goes into the next stitch, not the one at the foot of the chain. Put it at the foot of the chain and you add a stitch. At the other end, the last stitch of the next row goes into the top of the chain. Miss it and you lose a stitch.
- When the chain does not count, the first stitch goes into the very first stitch of the row, and nothing is worked into the chain.
Small mistakes add up. One stitch lost on every row is ten stitches after ten rows.
Why a piece curls
A starting chain that is tighter than the rows above it pulls the bottom edge in, and the piece bows or curls. Make the chain loosely, or use a larger hook for the chain alone.
Blocking helps too. It means dampening the finished piece and pinning it out flat to dry, and it flattens edges that curl. Blocking shows how.
Why a circle waves or cups
A flat circle needs the right number of increases in every round. With too many, the edge has more stitches than it has room for and goes wavy. With too few, the edge is too short and pulls up into a bowl. Count the stitches at the end of each round, and compare the count with the pattern.
How to find where it went wrong
- Count the stitches in the row you have just finished. Count the Vs along the top edge.
- If the count is wrong, count the rows below, one at a time, until you find the first row with the wrong number.
- Pull the work back to that row and work it again.
Pulling work back like this is called ripping out, or frogging. Take the hook out of the loop and pull the yarn, and the stitches come undone back to the mistake; then work on from there. Frogging shows it step by step. The sooner a mistake is found, the less there is to undo, which is one more reason to count at the end of every row.
A stitch marker in the first stitch of each row shows you where the last stitch of the next row belongs.
Questions people ask
Why is my crochet getting wider? You are adding stitches. Look at the start of each row: when the turning chain counts as a stitch, the first stitch must not go into the stitch at its foot.
Why is my crochet curling? A starting chain that is too tight is the usual cause.
Why is my circle wavy? It has too many stitches for its size. Work fewer increases in each round.
Why is my blanket getting wider, narrower or curved? A blanket goes wrong in the same ways as any piece worked in rows, and over so many rows a small fault shows. An edge that moves in or out means a stitch is being added or lost at the end of a row. A bottom edge that pulls in or bows means the starting chain is tighter than the rows above it. Count at the end of every row, and on a long row put a stitch marker in the first stitch and after every 10 or 20 stitches, so that you count in short runs. Counting stitches and rows and straight edges show how, and crochet gauge covers stitches that have changed size along the way.
Why does my yarn keep splitting? Yarn splits when the hook catches only some of the strands it is made of. Two things make that more likely. One is the yarn: some yarns split more readily than others, and the fiber plays a part. The other is the hook: one that catches on the yarn splits it, and one that glides through the stitches does not. If a yarn keeps splitting, try it with another hook of the same size.
Why does my border ruffle or pull in? The first round of a border decides it. With too many stitches along an edge, the border waves and ruffles. With too few, or with stitches worked too tightly, it pulls the edge in. Lay the piece down flat as you work the round: where it ripples, take out some stitches, and where it pulls, put more in. Each corner needs extra stitches as well, or the corner curls. Finishing a blanket and turning corners show the round.
Why is my square twisting out of shape? A square worked in rounds with the same side facing you all the way can twist, because every round leans the same way. Turn the work over after each round, and the square stays straight. Joining rounds shows the turn. Blocking helps a finished square too: it is pinned out to its shape while damp.
How do I stop the gap at the start of a row? The gap is the turning chain's: a chain is thinner than the stitch it stands in for. One way round it is to begin the row with no chain at all. The loop on the hook is pulled up to the height of the stitch and worked as the first stitch, and the edge has no gap. Chainless starting double crochet shows how.
How do I crochet without holes? Choose a closed stitch. Rows of plain single crochet make a dense fabric with hardly any holes, and choosing a crochet stitch lists more closed stitches.
Why is my scarf stiff? Stitches packed too closely for the yarn make a stiff fabric. A larger hook with the same yarn makes looser stitches and a fabric with more movement. Crochet gauge has more on a fabric that feels stiff. A scarf that changes width has the same cause as any piece in rows: a stitch gained or lost at the end of a row.
Why does my yarn keep tangling? It depends on how the yarn is wound. Yarn sold as a hank, a big loop twisted on itself, has to be wound into a ball before you use it. A ball worked from the outside rolls about as you pull, and a bowl keeps it in one place. A skein pulled from its center stays where it is, though a clump of extra yarn can come out with the end.
Do I have to undo it? To put a wrong stitch count right, pull back to the row where it changed. A little curl can often be blocked flat.
Next, straight edges shows where the first and last stitches go, flat circle gives the rule for increases, and counting stitches and rows shows what to count. If your stitches are tight or uneven, see crochet tension.