Graphghan

[Nyteski Masen]

Hello Everyone:

 

I am having trouble completing a pattern I completed using a crochet graph creator (I have attached this pattern). My problem comes in with actually crocheting the design. As I am going along (I am using a hdc [us terms]), I am noticing that even though my stitches match up with my graph, they don't seem to be lining up correctly [or what I would expect to be correctly]. For example. As I am completing the black around the edge of my elephant, from one row to the next the black stitches don't seem to be directly above one another (for those that are supposed to be). Can anyone suggest an idea on this.

 

Additionally, since I am using a hdc I was wondering how to go about completing this graphghan if I wanted to do a tunisan stitch as I am not familiar with changing colors when doing this particular stitch.

 

I am willing to take as much help and suggestions as are given.

 

Thank You

 

 

 

[redrosesdz]

Crochet stitches don't sit exactly on top of each other.  They slant to the right (if you're right-handed.)  When you turn, the slant gets canceled out.

 

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HDC is a wider stitch, so the offset is even more pronounced than in SC or DC.  One way to help this is to crochet between the stitches, instead of in the tops.  I had a pattern that did this and the result was beautiful and denser than crocheting in the tops.  Give it a try.

 

If you decide to do it in TSS, there are several videos and blogs.  I googled "tunisian graphghan tutorial."  Here's one of the youtube videos ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp3ftP4Q9-s

[Granny Square]

A couple of observations:

 

Unless my screen is skewing my view, the grids appear to be proportioned for a knitting pattern, not crochet.  A knit stitch is not square, it's about 2/3 or 3/4 as tall as it is wide depending on the knitter.  Single crochet stitches and TSS are closer to being square, HDC is typically a little taller than square (all this depends on your tension).  Most crochet graphghan patterns are done using SC, or in TSS and then cross-stitch embroidered over (although you can change colors as you go, I haven't tried it).

 

If you use a knitting graph for crochet, the picture will be out of proportion.  Your elephant will be tall and skinny (compared to what I'm seeing on my screen) because the stitches are proportionally taller than the grids (and if you are using HDC, the proportion will be even further off).  The opposite happens when you use a square graph for knitting, it comes out short and fat.

 

As said above, 'normal' crochet stitches don't sit on top of each other, so when you work in the round they spiral off to the left, or when you work flat they jig left and jig right and 'sort of' sit in a vertical line, but not quite.  If you make a stitch, look at the top of it - it sits a little off to the left of the actual stitch 'body'.  Tunisian stitches, however, DO sit on top of each other (like knitting does).

 

I have seen the advice of using surface slip stitch crochet over the afghan when it's done, to mask the jagged edges you're seeing.