Heidi hippo hexi need help

[Dayna Brown]

hi I've bought the Heidi hippo design and it says I have to do hexagons and pentagons and more but I've tried and mine look round and there curling in on the selfs I've tried different size hooks and still the same out come I don't no what to do I don't want to give up x in the design Heidi's hexis look flat mine ain't plz can someone help I'm new to crochet I don't want to quit my hobbie because of this x

[magiccrochetfan]

I would try a larger hook, maybe a 3mm, because i think your stitches are too tight.  

 

it is hard to tell how much your centers are curling---if you could take a pic of one from the side it would show that better.  

if the centers are really cupped, blocking won't solve that.  but it could help bring out the corners on the outer ring.  blocking can be as simple as getting your piece thoroughly wet, squeezing out the excess water, and laying it flat to dry.  you could use pins to shape the corners.  you can also use stream to block.

 

what is the fiber content of your yarn?  the label should tell you that.  also what is the name of the yarn?  

[Dayna Brown]

Adde as a friend sopo xx

[sopo]

Dayna, when I started making the pentagons, they curl a bit but if you just give a good stretch from each of the apex of the petals, they lay down fine then... try that. I'm using RHSS with an F. If I don't stretch them some, they do curl though but afterwards, lay flat like coasters. 

 

Sarisue is right as well. Just take a break and then come back. I tried this flower years ago (before Heidi's tutorial) and it frustrated me then.

 

If you want to pm me your address, I could send you a completed one so you could have one in hand to look at. Not sure if that would help but it might.

[sarisue]

Maybe your trying to hard and thinking it's hard which sometimes makes it harder than it is.  Sometimes it's good to take a break and make something else, maybe  find something else you would like and try that for awhile then come back to it later. But I'm thinking you can do it after relaxing a bit.

[Dayna Brown]

I can't I ripped it apart I was mad why can other people do it and I can't and why can I catch on to other stitches and projects and not this one I don't think its that difficult but I just can't do for some reason maybe if someone showed me face to face instead of Internet then maybe I might get it I'm so upset my father in law bought the pattern fore and he wanted my make the first one for him my dad died two years ago and my father in law has done a lot for me since then and I just wanted to make this beautifull hippo for him and I can't xx see I'm ranting now sorry xx

[sarisue]

I think I'm going to have to give up I still can't get it to look right used different hooks and yarn but no just no good x

Can you post a picture of your lastest one maybe we can tell what you are doing.?

[Dayna Brown]

I think I'm going to have to give up I still can't get it to look right used different hooks and yarn but no just no good x

[sopo]

I just learned this pattern myself. It took a few attempts to get the stitches placed in the exact positions.  

[Dayna Brown]

Still working on it I still can't get shape right x

[Melindak]

Have you managed to get this right yet?

[Dayna Brown]

Thank you everybody who answered my call for help I will try all your ideas thank you c

[sarisue]

For a brginner the squares aren't too bad I just think you have missed a few stitches. I don't know how many you've done but sometimes it takes a few to get the pattern figured out. You should try one going slow and after each rnd check it against the picture and if you see something off don't be afraid to undo it to get it right.

I have trouble with guage myself in squares for size. Here I have some smaller than others and I have to keep checking to get them the same size. The top are the five sides and the bottom the six.

According to the pattern page it is in our English directions.

 

[Granny Square]

Does the center cup before the grey outline ring is added?  If they are flat, or flatter before the last ring, it is probably because you don't have enough stitches in the grey ring.  Do you have the right amount of stitches in each round, including chain stitches etc? I agree with Kathy that it looks like you missed the chains between each DC (US term) in the grey round.

 

Cupping happens when you have too few stitches in a round, or if the stitches are too tall. I think the pattern writer is in South Africa, and may be using UK crochet terms--this could make a difference if you are in the US and assuming US terms, but your stitches don't look different from those in the pattern photo.

 

I have found that blocking doesn't help for cupping, but it can help to some extent if a piece is ruffling because stretching it out reduces the ruffling.  You'd have to do the opposite of stretching to reduce cupping, which is impossible.

 

If you use a different yarn than is called for (for all the colors, you can't mix weights for this sort of pattern without difficulty), it shouldn't matter as long as you use a hook that is compatible with the yarn.

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/happypotamus-the-happy-hippo-crochet-pattern

[Dayna Brown]

I don't think I'm useing the right wool it said to use sock wool or fingering yarn for it and I Tryed a 2.00mm and upwards and they all turn out bad Heidi used sock yarn and a 2.00mm hook for her and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to block it as well before I put together could u tell me what blocking is and would it help x

[magiccrochetfan]

On the outer ring, the gray round, did you correctly do the dc/ch1/ dc? That is what makes the corners and makes it a hexagon instead of a circle.

 

Overall your stitches look pretty tight to me. What yarn and hook size are you using?

[Dayna Brown]

It doesn't look the same x

[Dayna Brown]

This a pic of what I did

[Dayna Brown]

This is pic of what I did

[nancybanta]

When you click on reply there is a box to the bottom right "more reply options" - click on that box and then it'll bring up the paper clip with the box "attach files" - that's where you'd upload your JPEG file of the picture of your square.

[Dayna Brown]

Hi how do I post a pic

[Granny Square]

Are they REALLY curled up or just a little?  Sometimes motifs are a little 'not flat' by themselves but behave better when they are sewn together.  It would help if you have a way to post a picture, we could hopefully give you better advice.

[sarisue]

hi I've bought the Heidi hippo design and it says I have to do hexagons and pentagons and more but I've tried and mine look round and there curling in on the selfs I've tried different size hooks and still the same out come I don't no what to do I don't want to give up x in the design Heidi's hexis look flat mine ain't plz can someone help I'm new to crochet I don't want to quit my hobbie because of this x

I don't know what the pattern has but have you seen her website as she has all the information there? Can you take a picture ? I am making them but it will be a long time before I put any together.

African flower

[nancybanta]

If you are new to crochet, you are probably just missing instructions = leaving out stitches - that would make your hexagons round and curl into itself.

 

Is this your first project?

 

Unfortunately some people see something that they like and jump in with both feet when they haven't mastered the basic stitches.  Perhaps you  should just practice some small squares doing single crochets and double crochets until you can get them looking square and THEN go on to making stuffed toys.

 

As Tampa Doll has said - perhaps craftylady1956 can help you as she might have the pattern, but my gut is just telling me that you're trying to do too much too soon.

[Tampa Doll]

If it is the pattern I am thinking of, you might want to pm craftylady1956.  She has made several teddy bears with that pattern.