Help keeping crochet from appearing slanted

[funkymonkey]

I am new to crochet, and I'm not sure why the stitching on this banana looks twisted. After the first couple rows, they were all 15 sc's. Why did it end up slanting? On the monkey body (which can't be seen too well in the picture) it isn't slanted at all. I know the monkey face is all wonky; I ended up putting it on sideways because the shape worked better. Mostly, I want to avoid the slanty stitch like the banana has. I did it exactly the same way as the body, so not sure what happened. Thanks!!

 

[Granny Square]

Non-Tunisian crochet stitches slant, it just the nature of the stitch.  It's because the top loops of the stitch are slightly offset from the stitch itself, so when you use those loops to make the next row, the next row is offset.

 

When you crochet in the round, without turning, the slant is more pronounced.

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When you crochet either in the round or flat, and turn, the slanted appearance is more cancelled out

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I think you turned in the monkey's face, right?  It looks like I'm seeing short row shaping.

 

PS, your toys are adorable!

[funkymonkey]

Thanks for the reply! Actually I didn't turn the face; the only part I turned was on the monkey's hood to leave the opening for the face. 

 

I guess I'm doing it correctly then if it's slanting.

 

 

This shows the difference a bit better between the monkey's "straight" body stitches and the slanted banana ones. 

 

I remembered I wasn't crocheting correctly on the monkey body, which may have ended up making it straighter? I was only hooking the top half of the stitch (like you do on the row after a chain stitch) instead of going all the way under the previous stitch. I will try making a new banana the "wrong" way and see if that straightens out my confusion! 

 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

it looks like the monkey body is more or less a sphere shape, is that right?  in a sphere you would have a lot of increases at the beginning and decreases at the end, so the number of stitches per round would change.  that would keep the stitches from stacking, like they will in a cylinder shape such as the banana, where the stitch number is constant for many rows.  

[howieann]

I don't have any advice, but they're really cute!

[funkymonkey]

Thanks! I got the pattern from LuvlyGurumi's Etsy page. 

 

Looping under just the top edge instead of the full stitch was the trick; made a second banana with no slant. Now that I know the slant is correct though, it doesn't bother me!

 

[Granny Square]

Interesting!  When you say top edge do you mean front loop?  Here's a diagram http://crochet.about.com/library/blbackfrontloop.htm

 

You are so good at making those cute little faces!

[funkymonkey]

According to that diagram in relation to the hook, I'd call it the back loop. Working in the round though, it's the outside loop. This ends up putting a horizontal stripe across the row on the inside of the toy (the extra loop you didn't catch), so you couldn't use that technique if you needed to turn the work.

 

Thanks!

[Nyteshade]

Hi, I'm very interested in getting the effect that 'funkymonkey' gets on the banana on the right in her photo but I can not understand how she got it and I can not see the diagram to which 'granny square' refers.

Would someone be so kind as to explain to me how to make that point? Is single crochet and I just have to catch the back loop? have I to yarn over or yarn under? I am very lost and very interested to know it.

Sorry for any mistakes in my english, I am spanish. Thank you!

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi Nyteshade, welcome to the ville!   Have you looked at June Gilbank's site, Planetjune?  http://www.planetjune.com/blog/tutorials/     Some of this might be addressed in her tutorials.  she talks about yarn over and yarn under here http://www.planetjune.com/blog/yarn-over-vs-yarn-under-in-crochet/

[redrosesdz]

Welcome to Crochetville!

 

I think she did SC in the back loop only.  When you look at the top of a stitch, it looks like >.  Normally, you insert your hook under both strands of yarn, yarn over, pull up a loop and finish the stitch.  The strand of yarn closest to you is the front loop.  The one farther away from you is the back loop.  To crochet in the back loop only, insert your hook under just the strand in the back, yarn over, pull up a loop and finish the stitch.  The only difference between a normal SC and a back loop only (BLO) SC is where you insert your hook.

 

Here's a video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phf7Nj0_LJg

 

Note: When you do BLO SC and turn at the end of each row/round, you get a ribbing effect.  You're not turning, so the outside of the banana will still look flat.

[Nyteshade]

Thanks for your quick reply!

I tried to make a banana in BLO and it does not have the same effect, a horizontal line is visible as in the amigurumis of planet june, but its not what I looking for...

the most similar effect I achieved to a straight stitches is 'yarn under' in the first part of the stitch and 'yarn over' in the second, but it keeps turning to the right. (Slanted)

I have seen that same effect of 'straight stitches' in the amigurumis of aradiya toys, her stitches do not turn even though she works in spiral. It's the same stitch as the right version banana, but dont knot how to achieve it (not yet

How do you think I could get an equal result??

[funkymonkey]

a horizontal line is visible

 

Hi! I had the horizontal line as well, but on the inside of the banana. Try turning yours inside out, and see if that's the effect you want? It's very possible since this post is old and I was new to crochet, that I accidentally turned mine inside-out as I worked it.

[Nyteshade]

That was! I just tried to do it as you say (turning the inside-out and doing BLO )and it works! After two day looking for a response finally I got it! ???? Thank you so much ❤❤❤

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi! I had the horizontal line as well, but on the inside of the banana. Try turning yours inside out, and see if that's the effect you want? It's very possible since this post is old and I was new to crochet, that I accidentally turned mine inside-out as I worked it.

 

It's easy to do that, when working on a tube shape.  I can't explain the mechanics of it, but we end up stitching along the inside of the tube instead of the outside.  It happens to me more often with knitting than crocheting but it can easily happen with either craft.