WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!

[allymccoll]

So I'm new to crocheting, im self taught, and I'm doing something wrong I just don't know what. When I started my chain, I did 21. As I go on I've somehow gone down to ten??

[magiccrochetfan]

Welcome to the ville!

 

You are probably skipping the first and/or last stitches of the row. Count the stitches in each row as you go alng to be sure the number is right. It is a good idea to mark the first and last stitch before you start the next row. You can use a short length of yarn or a bobbie pin to mark.

[2manythreads]

HaHAhah this was me first time crocheting. I was making a scarf, and I thought wow I sure am making time on this I am half way done. I picked it up, and it got narrower and narrower as it went along! I felt so stupid how did this happen! Ha Ha. Turns out, I was skipping a stitch!

 

This Happens When You Do Not Use Proper Number Of STitches. You know how the pattern will say "Use Multiples of Seven" or "use any number divisible by two"?? That's important, turns out. I had skipped one stitch in begining by accident, then along the lines when I was putting one stitch in each stitch, it got smaller and smaller because I mistakenly turned it into an Odd Number of stitches!

 

That is how that happens. Make SURE you counted your stitches when first going first few rows. And count make sure it is exactly as pattern says, "any number that multiples of 2" or whatever number they say! Because if you switch from odd to even, or even- odd, you will end up having to "increase" or "decrease" all along your rows and it will come out all uneven and amateur looking.

[Bailey4]

Counting the stitches in the row is so important.  I've been working on a pattern with reductions at the beginning of the row and increases at the end of the row.  Each time I stupidly "assume"  I have it down and stop counting I have to pull out because I've made a mistake.  I need to count each time to make sure or I'm always off.

[Avon Lady]

Also, remember where to put the first stitch.  If doing sc, the first st goes in the first stitch of the previous row.  If doing dc, the first st goes in the second stitch from the hook.  When you get to the end of the row, make sure you put the last stitch IN the last stitch of the previous row.   It's difficult sometimes to tell where that stitch is, so you need to look at the stitches in the last row you made.  I've been crocheting for over 50 years, and sometimes I still mess up!  Just keep on keepin' on!!

[2manythreads]

Also, remember where to put the first stitch.  If doing sc, the first st goes in the first stitch of the previous row.  If doing dc, the first st goes in the second stitch from the hook.  When you get to the end of the row, make sure you put the last stitch IN the last stitch of the previous row.   It's difficult sometimes to tell where that stitch is, so you need to look at the stitches in the last row you made.  I've been crocheting for over 50 years, and sometimes I still mess up!  Just keep on keepin' on!!

 

 

<<<< THIS! Avon Lady is spot on. I also envy her on her 50 yrs experience. She is right. It is too easy to skip that first stitch in the row, and that is probably exactly what you did (wrong). Ms Avon Lady I myself am a beginner. I do all the mistakes and am at that period in my hobby where mistakes are made often, and noted

Unfortunately I did not pick up the hobby til maybe less than one year ago!

[Granny Square]

To build on the excellent advice above:I think a contributor to inconsistent stitch count is the turning chain.  A lot of beginners either lose stitches, or gain them, because they aren't dealing with the turning chain correctly (mostly with DC).  I don't know where the OP is, but I'm using US terms.

 

A single crochet has a turning chain of 1.  The turning chain does not count as a stitch, it just sort of hangs off the side..  So if you want a piece to be 10 stitches wide, you would chain 11, skip the first chain (which becomes the turning chain), sc in the rest of the chains. Count to make sure you have 10 SC. Turn, chain 1, sc in the first sc, and all the rest of the stitches across, including the last sc but not the turning chain from the row below.

 

A double crochet has a turning chain of 3.  The turning chain DOES count as a stitch.  If you want a piece to be 10 stitches wide, you would chain 12 (stay with me here, not 13 as you might think).  After chaining, place your first real DC into the 4th chain from the hook, and look to see what you have:  a real DC, and a Ch-3 which counts as a DC.  So, using 4 chains, you have 2 stitches - this is why you chain 2 more than the final number of DCs that you want in a row.  Moving on:  DC in all the remaining chains.  Ch-3 and turn -- here is where it gets sticky  -- that Ch-3 is hanging off to the side, but it counts as a stitch.  Therefore, you need to skip the first DC, and place your first real DC into the second DC of the row below (if you place it in the first DC, you will increase by 1 stitch).  Then, DC in each stitch to the end --  the end is tricky, too, because remember, the chain-3 counted as a stitch (but doesn't look quite like the other 'real stitches').  The last stitch needs to be made in the top of the hard to spot chain 3.  If you miss the chain-3, you will lose a stitch in each row.

 

There are other ways to deal with the turning chain in DC, but I don't want to confuse you as a beginner.  Most patterns are written with the chain-3, turn, skip the first stitch method.  It's always a good idea to stop and check your work every so often, counting stitches and so on, so there is less to rip out if you make a mistake.  And don't be afraid to rip back to fix something, even the most seasoned of us do it.  If I could 'deposit' all the stitches I've had to rip out into a stitch bank, I could probably 'withdraw' several afghans worth.

 

Here is a site with some excellent tutorials, both written and video.  Check out the basic stitch area of the menu.

http://www.crochetcabana.com/html/tutorials.html

[2manythreads]

To build on the excellent advice above:I think a contributor to inconsistent stitch count is the turning chain.  A lot of beginners either lose stitches, or gain them, because they aren't dealing with the turning chain correctly (mostly with DC).  I don't know where the OP is, but I'm using US terms.

 

A single crochet has a turning chain of 1.  The turning chain does not count as a stitch, it just sort of hangs off the side..  So if you want a piece to be 10 stitches wide, you would chain 11, skip the first chain (which becomes the turning chain), sc in the rest of the chains. Count to make sure you have 10 SC. Turn, chain 1, sc in the first sc, and all the rest of the stitches across, including the last sc but not the turning chain from the row below.

 

A double crochet has a turning chain of 3.  The turning chain DOES count as a stitch.  If you want a piece to be 10 stitches wide, you would chain 12 (stay with me here, not 13 as you might think).  After chaining, place your first real DC into the 4th chain from the hook, and look to see what you have:  a real DC, and a Ch-3 which counts as a DC.  So, using 4 chains, you have 2 stitches - this is why you chain 2 more than the final number of DCs that you want in a row.  Moving on:  DC in all the remaining chains.  Ch-3 and turn -- here is where it gets sticky  -- that Ch-3 is hanging off to the side, but it counts as a stitch.  Therefore, you need to skip the first DC, and place your first real DC into the second DC of the row below (if you place it in the first DC, you will increase by 1 stitch).  Then, DC in each stitch to the end --  the end is tricky, too, because remember, the chain-3 counted as a stitch (but doesn't look quite like the other 'real stitches').  The last stitch needs to be made in the top of the hard to spot chain 3.  If you miss the chain-3, you will lose a stitch in each row.

 

There are other ways to deal with the turning chain in DC, but I don't want to confuse you as a beginner.  Most patterns are written with the chain-3, turn, skip the first stitch method.  It's always a good idea to stop and check your work every so often, counting stitches and so on, so there is less to rip out if you make a mistake.  And don't be afraid to rip back to fix something, even the most seasoned of us do it.  If I could 'deposit' all the stitches I've had to rip out into a stitch bank, I could probably 'withdraw' several afghans worth.

 

Here is a site with some excellent tutorials, both written and video.  Check out the basic stitch area of the menu.

http://www.crochetcabana.com/html/tutorials.html

I like to browse around the help forums to learn things for myself for future or past problems- and Wow this little stitch help post is immensely helpful. Granny Square you should write a book or at least a pamphlet for beginner crocheters. This is the smartest, most helpful and easiest to understand stitching help Ive read, really. What a little gem. This is one to save.

[Granny Square]

Aw shucks, thanks!  I've just 'been there, got stuck on that' before and try to explain things in a way that would have made sense to my beginner self long ago.