Something isn't right...

[Keiyla]

I know I crochet loosely, but am I *that* bad?

 

I am trying to do the Lion America Afghan found here: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-americanaAfghan.html

 

Now, it says that in double crochet with a K hook, the gauge should be 10 stitches and 6.5 rows = 4 inches. I can get the length right using an H hook, but my double crochets are much taller, about 5 rows for 4". If I go all the way down to a G hook, not only is the yarn VERY tight, but my length is only about 3 inches, and I can still only squeeze in 6 rows for that 4" height, not 6.5. Now, there will be a total of 78 rows in this afghan, according to the pattern. Each stripe in the pattern is 6 rows, for a total of 13 stripes.

 

I'm not very good in math. The result is supposed to be 49" high. 78 rows into 49 inches is .62, so I guess each row is supposed to be .62" high. That does figure out to 4" for every 6.5 rows, but there is just no way, no how, that my width and length are going to fit that gauge.

 

Am I doing something seriously wrong?

[AidanM]

Sometimes that happens. Unless you're making wearables, I don't think that gauge matters a great deal. So you end up with a slightly larger afghan, what's wrong with that?

[Keiyla]

Sometimes that happens. Unless you're making wearables, I don't think that gauge matters a great deal. So you end up with a slightly larger afghan, what's wrong with that?

Well, normally, nothing. But this is supposed to be a flag. Wouldn't it be a bad thing if it turned out square instead of rectangular?

[AidanM]

Crochet stitches tend to be longer than they are wide, so depending on the direction you're working...it would be really hard for you to make it square by accident.

[natalie058]

If you're really that concerned about it, just omit one row for every color change. It shouldn't change the look and I'm guessing your measurements will be close to LB's that way.