Why is it rippling?

[CindysSweetThings]

I'm making a square baby blanket, without a pattern, just making stuff up as I go. I've been really careful not to add stitches except 3dc-3ch-3dc in each corner. I'm using the same yarn throughout. So why are the edges rippling? The corners are becoming less square and more "pointy" also.

[redrosesdz]

When you switched from a granny pattern (3dc in one stitch + ch) to 4dc stitches, you added 2 stitches.

[CindysSweetThings]

When you switched from a granny pattern (3dc in one stitch + ch) to 4dc stitches, you added 2 stitches.

Where? In the corners?

[magiccrochetfan]

I can't explain the math of it, but I think you need to do a much smaller increase.  I would rip back and just do 5 dc in each corner.  after the first round of that, place all 5 sts in the center st of the previous set of 5 sts.   

 

also on the sides, you might only need to stitch in the dcs, and skip the 1ch that I assume you have in between the 3dc groups.  

 

the granny stitch is set up like bricks in a wall, the 3dc groups are offset from row to row, but now you are stitching into each stitch and so the geometry of it is different. 

[CindysSweetThings]

Duh! Only 5 stitches in the corners! I feel so silly. I'll give that a shot.

[magiccrochetfan]

Don't feel silly!  It wasn't obvious to me either...I figured out the 5 stitch corner by doing a lot of trying and ripping.  Oh, almost forgot, you may want to try a triple for the center st of the 5, it makes a crisper corner I found.  

[CindysSweetThings]

It's still rippling a little. Not add much add before though. I did 2dc-ch-2dc in each corner. I'm going to do 3 more rounds of what I'm doing now, then do another set of 3 rounds of grannies. Do you think the next set of grannies will work out the ripples, or make them worse?

 

I thought about skipping the chain spaces in the white round but I liked how the long DC in the green round matched up with the spaces. I don't think I can do that if I skip the spaces in the white round. Ideas?

[magiccrochetfan]

It's just barely rippling now , as far as I can see in the photo.  Assuming it is a washable/dryable acrylic, i would wash it and dry it til it is almost completely dry, then lay it out flat to finish drying...see if the slight ripples are still there after it dries.  "Blocking" it this way may solve the ripple.  

 

I don't know if a section of granny stitch will be able to straightenn it all out or not.  

[CindysSweetThings]

I went back and skipped the ch 1 spaces. The blanket is perfectly squared now. Whew! I changed the periodicity of the long dc from every 4 sts to every 6 sts and centered them over every other 3dc of the granny row. It is looking great so far. Thanks!

[magiccrochetfan]

That's great!

I like the term periodicity. It's fun figuring that out, isn't it?