Recurring problem w/width

[Kristina Miley]

For some reason, whenever I make anything, but particularly blankets, they get wider as I go along. I use a fairly specific pattern and I know I'm not adding stitches, my stitches are just getting bigger/looser. I find myself having to switch to smaller hooks at different intervals in a project to try to keep it fairly close, but  sometimes even that isn't enough. Even consciously trying to make tighter stitches does nothing.

 

Anyone else have this problem and/or tips to help me combat it?

[magiccrochetfan]

It sounds like your tension is loosening as you go along and maybe become more relaxed.  What if you started out with a bigger hook, then switch to smaller hook as needed?  

 

Also when you say you know you aren't adding stitches, have you actually counted the stitches?  Sometimes we can stay in pattern but somehow add or subtract stitches, so it still looks correct but isn't.  

[Kristina Miley]

Yep, I've counted. The "pattern" i like to use is actually just the "sultan stitch" - it's really, really hard to add just a single stitch to that, you almost have to add a whole block of three :-)

 

The only time I didn't make the width wider was when I did two rows of single stitches every 6 rows. It was like the single stitch brought things back if my previous 6 rows were getting too wide. 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

It's very pretty! So i think that it's just the nature of a shell stitch like that, it will spread out. Corraling it with some plain stitches seems like a good idea.

 

Doris Chan uses shell stitches a lot in her designs, and in one of her books she talked about how they spread out and she uses that in creating fit in garments. I think it may be in Everyday Crochet. There might be a blog entry too.

[LI Roe]

That is a beautiful afghan and personally, I like the sc rows in between the sultan stitch. Makes it pop. Think I may have to try it myself.

 

LI Roe

[lynnf2012]

That is a pretty afghan. What is the sultan stitch? Where did you get the pattern?

[Kristina Miley]

The sultan stitch is something someone told me about awhile ago and I found it again in the "crochet bible" (can't recall the exact name offhand). I'm almost embarrassed to admit it's pretty much the only thing I use because it's FAST. The picture above is the first time I modified it a little.

 

I am starting a new project this weekend, I will write down what I do but you might be able to find it with a quick Google search before I get a chance to post it. A basic idea is that row one is DC, 2ch, DC all in one stitch from the row below, skip two, repeat. The following row is three doubles in each "2 chain" of the row below. There's more to it in the sense of the first row and how many to chain, etc, but I don't have time to post that right now, my apologies.

[Granny Square]

Ah, that stitch looks nicer in your blanket than the pic in the book, I think.  Crochet Stitch Bible, by Betty Barndon, page 101 in my copy.

 

My tension sometimes changes on a big piece, when it gets to be heavy.  Or when there's a chase scene or something scary on TV

[RoseRed]

Many moons ago, I started to crochet a sc ripple with 2 strands and an N hook.  After about 8 inches I decided that I truly hate doing scs.  Not only do they make my hands hurt - they take forever.  In my infinite wisdom I decided to switch over to dc and do a matching border in sc on the opposite end.  Oops.

 

That was when I learned the difference in the width between sc and dc stitches.  The dc part is a good 6-8 inches wider than the sc beginning.  (Remember that this was 2 strands in my afghan).

 

It makes sense to me that your ghan would get a little wider as it went.  It also makes sense that the scs would tame the width growth. 

 

Do you use a hook one or two times larger to make your foundation chain to work into?  Have you considered it?  I would make a swatch - maybe a foot wide if that.  Do the first one the way you've been doing your ghan so that you can mark the increase.  Then do a second one with a larger hook to start with and see if that fixes it. 

 

I use a larger hook for all my foundation chains or else that end ends up tighter than the other side.

[Kristina Miley]

I do use a larger hook for my foundation chain, and try to make it as large as I can - it still ends up being so much tinier than the other end when I finish, it's crazy!