saggy, warped granny squares

[emptysky]

I've made several "lapghans" lately that are one big granny square. I'm putting 3 DC in each shell, then chain 1, then another shell, ch 3 at the corners between 2 shells.

 

It seems that the 4 sides sag downward in the middle from each corner, and there's a ripple radiating out from the center of each side too. At first I thought this was tension, because I might work on something for 10 minutes, then back again an hour the next day at a completely different time of day, in a different mood, etc. But on this one I made a particular effort to correct that and it still looks the same as the others.

 

In these pictures I arranged the square so the pucker on the middle stood up enough to be viewed, though it's hard to see because of the variegated yarn.

 

(well I give up, there are supposed to be pictures here but I don't know how to post them...)

 

Is this normal for a granny square and all the pretty flat blankets I see on ravelry have already been blocked, or is there something I can do to fix this? I find mine are still a bit oddly shaped even after blocking, although I'm probably not the world's best at blocking either. I was hoping these wouldn't turn out so warped because I don't know what I'm going to do with 2 lbs of camouflage yarn, the blankets will already be pretty funky looking so they need all the help they can get.

 

Thanks for any advice!

[emptysky]

OK I tried to attach pictures to this post. Hope this works.

[nicolep]

If you fasten off every few rows and re-attach (even when using the same yarn), this won't happen. As granny squares get larger, they warp. Crochet stitches naturally lean so rounds will start to spiral ever so slightly. As it gets bigger, it gets more noticeable.

[judianne]

Try eliminating the ch 1 between the shells...it might be that your tension is very loose....sometimes we have to toss the pattern and do what works for how we crochet.

 

I'll be popping in to see how you do...don't give up...it'll work out.:hook

[emptysky]

If you fasten off every few rows and re-attach (even when using the same yarn), this won't happen. As granny squares get larger, they warp. Crochet stitches naturally lean so rounds will start to spiral ever so slightly. As it gets bigger, it gets more noticeable.

I started doing this with my current blanket because I feel like the spot where I'm joining and chaining up makes an uneven area (partly because my technique is sloppy), so I am very pleased to know I was not wasting my time stopping and starting.

 

For some of my other blankets, I changed colors every row and they were still saggy but not nearly as much as the single color ones. Thanks!

[katyallen815]

Hi, I am with judianne, I always skip the ch 1, when I get up there a few rows, seems to tighten things up quite a bit, it's hard to get used to at first, but to me, it's like second nature! Some would also suggest turning, and going the other way around, personally, I don't care for the look some call it reversible, but I like a definate right side and wrong side, lol traditionalist, that's me! Try the skipping the ch 1, works for me, stops it from going askew too, half way through!

[emptysky]

Try eliminating the ch 1 between the shells...it might be that your tension is very loose....sometimes we have to toss the pattern and do what works for how we crochet.

 

I'll be popping in to see how you do...don't give up...it'll work out.:hook

I'm going to try some other things out... I looked at some other patterns recently and noticed that some granny squares call for 2 ch between shells instead of 1, so there's more than one way to do it. I tried this for a few rows and it looks like my shells are better-defined and not looking so crammed-in. I guess somehow I thought this way was the only way to make a granny square.

 

Something that's bugged me about my granny squares since I finally got the hang of them (took me forever) is that when I look at other people's, I see rows of shells. When I look at mine, I see lots and lots of holes with some yarn in between. I don't know why the holes are so prominent, but it's like swiss-cheese yarn.

 

Thanks for your help!

[katyallen815]

Im thinking more ch's might make the problem worse, but hey, if it works out for you, so be it! what hook are you using?? oh, and you can always go to one or possibly 2 chs in the corners, between the shells, as 3 seems too many for me, but I don't know if that has anything to do with your "ripple " problem or not, ha ha. Someone will be able to nail it for you, and give you a solution, the people on the ville, are so dang talented!!

[judianne]

I'm going to try some other things out... I looked at some other patterns recently and noticed that some granny squares call for 2 ch between shells instead of 1, so there's more than one way to do it. I tried this for a few rows and it looks like my shells are better-defined and not looking so crammed-in. I guess somehow I thought this way was the only way to make a granny square.

 

Something that's bugged me about my granny squares since I finally got the hang of them (took me forever) is that when I look at other people's, I see rows of shells. When I look at mine, I see lots and lots of holes with some yarn in between. I don't know why the holes are so prominent, but it's like swiss-cheese yarn.

 

Thanks for your help!

It could be your tension is loose...and if that's the case, going down a hook size or 2 works for other ladies I know who crochet loosely.

In this, anything that works...or fudging, as I call it...is correct!

[RoseRed]

There's as many ways to do a granny square as there are crocheters.

 

The standard version is (3dc in ch sp, ch1) with (3dc, ch2, 3dc) in the corners.

 

I turn my squares every single row. A lot of people don't but when you don't turn them they tilt to the left. It's just kinda wonky but then again - I'm one of those people that straighten out picture frames and center things so - that's just me.

 

If you're doing the correct amount of stitches it shouldn't ripple or pucker. Blocking doesn't work with acrylic yarn so it's just the way that the stitch lays.

 

Can you try redoing it with a solid yarn. If you take a picture from right above it we'll be able to help you better.

 

The other thing you can do is to try a different granny square pattern. The one you're using maybe written weird.

[emptysky]

The version I was using is (3dc in ch sp, ch1) with (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in the corners. Ch3 in the corners does seem like too much to me, ch2 is plenty so I am going to stop doing ch3.

 

I don't think my tension is too loose, it used to be very tight until I started concentrating on it. My chains would be so tight I couldn't get the hook through to put a stitch in them. So I think right now I am in the middle of the road, tension-wise.

 

I tried skipping the ch1 on another lapghan and it looks good, haven't done enough of it to see if it will help with the ripple, but it's slower going figuring out how many stitches to put in without the gaps there to remind me.

 

I'm not sure if I have any solid, plain yarn at the moment to use. I have a mile of boucle but that is probably as hard to see. I will dig through my stash this afternoon and see what I have to experiment with. Thanks!

[CrochettingMama]

I think the ch3 is excessive. I have only ever chained 2 on the corners.

[gdenesse]

I just finished a giant granny square. I changed colors every two rows, so I don't know if that kept it from being wonky. But I did no chains between shells, and only 2 chains in the corners. No chains makes a nice full fit.

[judianne]

I just finished a giant granny square. I changed colors every two rows, so I don't know if that kept it from being wonky. But I did no chains between shells, and only 2 chains in the corners. No chains makes a nice full fit.

love it!

[emptysky]

Just popping back by to say you guys were right... I did this blanket with no chains between shells and 2 chains in the corner, and it was perfectly square! No sags, weird pointy ends curving out, etc. I don't know why I got stuck on that one pattern and decided it was the be-all, end-all of granny squares, but this way of doing it works better for me. Thank you so much!

[emptysky]

also I turned it every round which I had never tried before and changed my starting point every 3 rows, but I figured since this was camouflage you'd barely be able to see the stitch definition anyway so I could experiment a little, and I liked as much this way as not turned.