need advice on how to help a friend add stitches to width of an afghan

[nancybanta]

HELP!!

 

I have a friend who was crocheting a blanket (single crochet - bulky yarn).  She called me for help in how to fix her blanket.

 

I haven't seen it yet but she said the side(s) are bowing in - don't know if it's one edge or both edges.

 

I'm assuming she either missed stitches in the body of the afghan or she missed stitches on the ends of the rows.  Either way, she wants help fixing it so it's straight.

 

She doesn't want to rip it out.

 

So - assuming she missed the last stitches on several rows - how does one "grab" the last stitch on a row to incorporate it into making another stitch or two continuing on the row to sort of even it out with the widest part of the afghan without leaving a hole?  In other words, is there a way to add stiches to the end of a row so that it will look like it was on continuous row and not something added on?

 

I hope someone knows what I'm talking about - I tried looking it up but all I'm getting is add panels or borders to add width to an afghan and that's not what we need to do.

 

The yarn is a tweed yarn so whatever we do MIGHT get hidden within the yarn color.

[FlossiePotts]

Sometimes when a border is added it sorts itself out. If it is a big difference, she could do a border with various sizes of stitches, as in sc where the width is correct, then work up to a dc where it is narrower.

 

I have never done that, but logically it should work.

[nancybanta]

That was my first thought too and I may have to convince her that this is the way to go.  Right now she has in her mind that we can just add stitches to the width but I think it would be impossible to do and have it look right.

 

You can fudge more with a border!

 

She's such a tight crocheter too - it's next to impossible to get the hook into her stitches.

[magiccrochetfan]

For a minute i was thinking maybe you could do some finagling with foundation stitches, extended out from the too-short rows. Then i realized that would just be hanging out in the air.

 

I think she really just needs to learn the lessons we all have to learn: use markers when you have to, count stitches, and accept the fact that sometimes the best course is to start over and be more careful. Because i think any attempt to fill in the gaps is going to not look very good, unfortunately.

[RoseRed]

You can do it but with the amount of tedious work involved I certainly wouldn't.

 

Have you had her count her stitches yet?  If the stitch counts are right - it's her tension.  It sounds like she needs to work on that.

 

i've had afghans bow in when I've used a hook that was too big for the yarn and I fixed them with the border to make the edges straight.  From sc on the corners to hdc or dc in the center to even it out.

[Granny Square]

My first thought was something like Magiccrochetfan's - attach the yarn to the side and add stitches using foundation stitches.  The thing is, you'd have to make some stitches, turn, go back and attach back to the blanket - this will look goofy.  And if you increase the number of stitches in the part you're adding to match the 'waistline' of the bowed part, you'll just get a seam-looking line in a bow shape where you attached the stitches. 

 

I can't think of a solution that will look better than the bow, really.  If it was only off a stitch or 2 a border might disguise it, but if it's really that noticeable...not so much.

[Katieallen311815]

Hi ,

you probably won't like this answer, lol but if it were me, and or going out to someone with my name on it, I would probably start over, and yes, that involves frogging it,,,,,,,But others may or may not be so particular, and to that end, I say good luck, hope it all works out for you both!

[nancybanta]

I'm going to see her and the afghan on Monday.  She's telling me now that she thinks she might have loosened up on her tension a bit - but she also told me she added stitches when she saw the sides going in and she wanted to make the rest of it match what was below the dent.  She was saying that if she pulls it, she can get it straight.

 

Now I'm really curious as to what she did and with her adding stitches - the blanket is going to be wonky anyway.

 

Now I have ripped out 16 inches and upwards on a blanket that I've noticed a mistake in and she's telling me her problem is about six inches down from where she is - I almost feel like ripping it out and re-doing it for her while we have lunch but I don't think I can force myself to crochet as tightly as she does.  I honestly can't figure out how she gets her hook into stitches without breaking the hook - she works that tightly!

 

I'll let you know what her problem was and what she decides do to to fix it.

 

Thanks everyone!

[magiccrochetfan]

I can't imagine working that tight, I am sure it would make my hands ache!  

[Lousbabci]

If she is this much of a novice (and it sounds like she is very new to crochet), adding stitches will not be the solution to her problem.  It will be very difficult and I am sure it will not look "finished".  It sounds like she is dropping that last stitch in a row or adding one too many.  Usually, missed/added stitches in the middle don't affect the side shape that much.  It may look puffy or bare where a middle stitch is added or omitted, but the edges would probably stay pretty close to straight.

 

Honestly, she needs to rip it out, fix it and learn from her mistake.  If she doesn't, all future projects may end up looking just like this one.  I remember my mom making me rip out rows upon rows of stitches just to pick up one edge stitch that I dropped.  She said that if I had to rip it out enough, I would learn to recognize the error or my ways and I will quit making the same mistake over and over again. 

 

Mom was right.

 

Also, I used to crochet very tight because it seemed logical to me that the tighter, closer the stitches, the stronger the item.  It took me a long time to learn to loosen my hold on the yarn and let the hook do the work for me.