Why is my scarf curling?

[hapahaolegirl]

Hi,

 

I'm making this scarf:

 

http://crochet.about.com/library/blbegscarf.htm

 

I'm using LB worsted wool-ease and a J hook. All the corners of my scarf are curling in. What can I do to prevent this? I'm assuming I have to start all over again? Is there another pattern that may be easier to prevent the scarf from curling? Should I use a bigger hook?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

 

Kristen

[firemanshunny]

If its curling at the corners it might be cause you are crocheting to tight. Try relaxing your hands and see if that helps or you can switch to a larger hook than what the pattern calls for.

[Stacey]

Is it just the two corners where you did the chain and first row, or are you finished and all four corners are curling? If it's just the two corners at the beginning, your chain could be too tight. I tend to do that a lot, and I usually do the chain with one size bigger hook than the rest of the project since when I try to chain loosely on purpose I make a mess

[threeolivemartini]

maybe its a simple matter of blocking when you finish it

[hapahaolegirl]

All four corners are curling on me It just took me half an hour to undo the scarf. I will try with a hook larger for teh first chain. I'll also try crochetting a little looser. I really don't feel I'm crochetting very tight at all but I really have no way to gauge this. I'm still learning so I'm still trying to figure out all the skills needed to crochet.

 

Thanks for everyone's help! If you have any other advice please let me know!

I'll have to try this again in the morning.

 

Kristen

[natalie058]

You might just be using a stitch pattern that tends to curl (tunisian often does) and, as Elizabeth said, all you'd have to then is block it...

[ZingyZoid]

I get that same curling effect when I make something using single crochets. I do think it's from crocheting tightly. I try to pay extra attention to my first few and last few rows and make sure I'm pulling the loops up a little more than I normally would.

[klouised]

Sometimes, mine would do that when I did all scs. My tension was fine, so it wasn't that. I found a "cure" for it. When you get to the end of a row turn your work in one direction to start on the next row. When you get to the end of that row turn your work in the opposite direction to begin the next row. I know it doesn't sound like it makes sense, but it's pretty simple. I don't know why that works, but it has always done the trick for me. I hope it works for you.

[Aggie May]

This may sound odd but try turnung your work in the opposite direction at the end of the row. That means, if you turn clockwise, turn it the other way. It really does make a difference.

May not help your problem but then I do not see my ends curling as a problem, especially on a scarf.

You will notice that each side curls in the opposite direction, much as your hair does when you try to turn both sides under. One side always wants to curl up.

One way you could cope with the ends would be to fold your scarf in half across the end and stitch. turn through and put the seam to the centre of the scarf. This will form a point to which you can add a tassell. Catch along the top of the open end with a small stitch to keep it in place.

Or just put a row of loops at each end and attach a short fringe. Covers all sorts.

Or you could just start with 3 stitches and increase until you have the number you want, then work straight to almost the length you need, then decrease back to 3 sts.

I can give you proper directions on how to do theis if you e-mail direct to me. My e-mail is in my profile.

You will find out eventually that curling is just not a real problem. its just what SCs do.

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

PS I obviously did not read all of the posts and after I posted this, I read the previous one.

If we both think it will work then maybe it will. We must have great minds because they say that great minds think alike.

[vhanna26]

It seems that the curling is natural and you just need to block the scarf after it's done.

 

I made a single crochet scarf for a class, and it curled on the sides quite a bit. Once I was done, I just risned the scarf in warn water, rolled in gently in a towel to squeeze out the excess water without wringing oout the scarf. Then I pinned down the scarf with rust proof pins to shape and let it dry completely, and it was fine.

 

The scarf I had was 100% wool, and I think Wool Ease is about 25% wool, but give it a try.

 

You could also pin it into shape and mist the scar heavily with a spray bottle of water too.

[hapahaolegirl]

So I tried using a K hook in my first chain and then went to a J hook and I tried to crochet looser. The problem is that I started going back to my normal tightness of crochet and my scarf was wider at the bottom and getting shorter as I went along.

This will be my last attempt because it i a PITA to undo my work with the type of yarn I'm using, I have to keep untangling the little "hairs" that knot up as I'm undoing it.

I'm going to use the K hook for my first chain again but then I'm just going to crochet with the J hook with my usual tightness. However I'm going to try the turning trick and maybe that will help? Otherwise I'm just going to have a scarf that curls. It's for my sister so hopefully she'll like it.

 

Thanks for all the help!

 

Kristen

[threeolivemartini]

hon when you finish and if it curls BLOCK it... that usually takes care of the problem

[crochet smartcat]

Something else that may help is to do a row of sc along the edges with 4 sc in the corners. I find that this stabilizes the edges, gives it a more finished look overall and tends to help keep the corners from curling usually, it is not always fail-proof, but helps on alot of things.

[mimi_mia]

maybe its a simple matter of blocking when you finish it

 

Will a blocked scarf curl again if worn out in the snow or rain and it gets wet?? I hope I don't sound dumb......just wanted to know? I don't block anything and wondered if I should start

[beachlady]

Sorry you are having some trouble. First being that you are new to crochet, why not practice this with good old red heart yarn. Sc (single crocheting a full scarf) is not difficult but for a new person, quite easy for you to miss stitches, as they are so small and close. Most common error is on the turn, you must ch 1 prior to turn, then you must crochet in the first crochet ( most will skip that very frist one) if youmiss it, it will pucker, if you do on one row and not the next, it will pucker. Count count count, if you need to, being only a few stitches per row, this is not a problem, but a very important step. Just recently I taught a lady to crochet and she kept doing this, and she just flat refused to count, well, she continued to miss stitches and make a mess.

 

Also if you insist on using this yarn, make a foundation ch then dc (double crochet) the rest of the scarf, so much easier to see stitches. Good luck. And do not give up, you can do, just practice. You will be so proud.

[threeolivemartini]

Will a blocked scarf curl again if worn out in the snow or rain and it gets wet??

I have found blocking helps yarn behave better.. knitters block mmore than crocheters do .. and until recently I wasnt a big fan of it because it does take some time .. but in the end the result is really worth it to me.. it helps the item look better and lay better..

I really dont know the answer to your question but if I had to hedge a bet .. I would say if the item got totally saturated with water.. you would need to lay it out to dry agaiin any way .. just put it some where that you can lightly block it again if it needs it after getting wet