A little help on if my stitches are too tight

[JessieRay26]

I recently started my first big project (well, it's big to me)! I have a small kit of the beginner things that you need to start crocheting and it came with a small book of starter patters. I started on one that is a bag to hold your crocheting stuff in. I was working on the pattern when I started to think that I might be stitching to tight together. I don't have much trouble inserting the hook into the stitches, but when I'm holding my chains, they tend to get wavy and crumple up on me.

 

The pattern calls for using two strands of yarn at the same time so I'm not ure if that's just the way it will feel because of the double strand or not. I am using a size H hook, and both strands of my yarn are 4's (medium, I'm not sure of the correct terminology). I'm using the hook that matches what my yarn says that I should use.

[magiccrochetfan]

What is the pattern?  if it is online and free, give us a link to it; if in a book or mag tell us the pattern name and publication title.

 

did it give you a stitch count?  Did you have the right number of stitches? 

[magiccrochetfan]

I love granny squares because they are simple but very pretty!

[JessieRay26]

That did help a lot! Thank you so much.

 

I put away the project that was hard. I finished my scarf, which was rather simple. I started on my first granny square, which was also very simple. It's very pretty too!

[RoseRed]

Not all patterns are created equal.

 

I've already had carpel tunnel surgery in both hands.  I wouldn't even attempt to crochet 2 strands of 4plyww with an H hook.  My one friend made a 7 x 9 foot afghan with 2 strands and a K hook and gave herself tendinitis getting it finished.

 

Crochet should not be that difficult.  (to me at least)

 

But some patterns require that dense of a fabric. 

[magiccrochetfan]

This one does have pics http://www.knitsimplemag.com/node/30

 

See if those help in understanding gauge and let us know if you need more info.

[magiccrochetfan]

Here is one good article on gauge http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-crochet-a-gauge-swatch.seriesId-108964.html

No pics i'm afraid.

 

Will post some others later if i can.

[JessieRay26]

I would certainly be willing to have loads of tutorials thrown at me! I just have issues where I need something that's very expalainatory. I need the step by step instructions. I'm very visual.

 

I was starting to think that it was getting very hard to work with the strands. It was telling me that I needed that type of yarn and that hook but it wasn't working well.

[magiccrochetfan]

I have trouble with the guage. That might be because I'm a beginner, but I really can't get the idea down. It was size 4 yarn with an H hook. It was too difficult to use two strands of yarn with that size of hook. I kind of gave up on that for the time being. I started working on something that was slightly easier, an infinity scarf!

 

Nothing wrong with putting a project aside and coming back to it later.  Or even ripping it out and reusing the yarn for something else.  

If the pattern calls for 2 strands of sz 4 yarn w/ an H hook, that would be impossible for me to work with, I think.  But everybody is different and in future it may work fine for you.

 

Would you be interested in any tutorials or references on gauge?  it is an important concept in crocheting and knitting.  

[RoseRed]

Were you supposed to be using 4 ply ww yarn?

[JessieRay26]

I have trouble with the guage. That might be because I'm a beginner, but I really can't get the idea down. It was size 4 yarn with an H hook. It was too difficult to use two strands of yarn with that size of hook. I kind of gave up on that for the time being. I started working on something that was slightly easier, an infinity scarf!

[magiccrochetfan]

Ok, good that your stitch count was correct :-)

 

What specific yarn and hook size did the pattern recommend?

 

Did it give a gauge: a certain number of stitches and rows per inch or per four inches?

[JessieRay26]

It's a small booklet. The pattern is called "Pretty Crochet Bag" and the name of the booklet is "Boye: I taught myself to crochet"

 

 

It did give me a stitch count and I did those correct but the end result was very, very wrong. Length and width was off.

[JessieRay26]

Even though I thought I followed the pattern the correct way, the finished product did not turn out how I thought it would. It was too short and too wide. Originally it was supposed to be 12" by 9" and it turned out wayyyy off. I'm really not sure what I did wrong.

[RoseRed]

I'm glad it's working better for you.

[Avon Lady]

Welcome to the 'Ville, JessieRay!  It sounds like you're picking up crocheting very quickly!  Your work looks very good!  Keep us in the loop on how your purse is going!

[magiccrochetfan]

Well, if it is working, and your stitches are not a struggle to work into, it's all good!  As I mentioned, for a bag you probably do want fairly dense fabric.  every crochet has different tension so we all have to experiment to get the fabric we want.  Every yarn is a bit different too so agian experimenting is necessary.  

[JessieRay26]

I ended up switching to an "I" hook (5.50MM)! It works much better and is a lot smoother when it comes to grabbing the yarn.

[magiccrochetfan]

Your stitches look good to me!  What size hook are you using now?  

[JessieRay26]

This is what it looks like now. I was a little frustrated and took the whole thing apart to practice which way I want to hold the yarn when I'm working. I have a damaged pinky (I still have it though, just very scarred and not fully functional) that was making holding the yarn the traditional way a little uncomfortable. Rows 1-12 are all single stich.

 

I'm not sure if I can link the pattern because the one I have is in a booklet. It's the Boye, "I taught myself to crochet" booklet.

 

The pattern itself tells me that I should use an H hook, but I couldn't do very well with that, it seemed to be difficult to grab the strands without accidently losing one. It doesn't tell me what sice to use really, just that I need one skein each of a certain color yarn (which I didn't abide by, I just chose my own colors)

[RoseRed]

An H hook is for one strand of yarn.  The head is simply not big enough for 2 strands of 4 ply ww.  I use anything from a K (super rarely) to an N (usually) for 2 strands.

 

What size yarn does the pattern call for to use an H hook with?  Can you link to the pattern that you're using?

[magiccrochetfan]

Ha, I like the idea of having patience in the tool bag!  

 

Jessie, welcome to the ville

 

if you can post a photo of what your work looks like it would help.  I can't envision what your chains are doing, but in general if you don't have trouble putting the hook into the stitch, you are not too tight for something like a bag.  If you were making a garment which needs to have some flow, there would be other considerations.  

[Katieallen311815]

Two strands held together, might call for a slighly larger hook, least that is how I do it, when using two strands together of medium 4 ply yarn.  (Trying an I or a J might help)  Also it takes some experimenting sometimes, to acheive the look you are after, all Crocheters carry a "tool bag" and patience is indeed a tool included in that bag , so don't be afriad to experiment a bit with hook sizes, and such. Tension is always a tough thing to master, but everything will fall into place, all it takes is practice....good luck

[greyhoundgrandma]

Tension is one of those things that comes with practice. What hook does the pattern suggest? Usually with two strands you would be using a larger size that usual. Chains tend to be a little floppy but if you are having trouble inserting the hook that indicates it's too tight. Depending on what kind of bag you are making the idea may be for it to be fairly tightly woven so things don't fall through the stitches.