Toddler blanket shrinking!?!

[Ashley Cilina Neville]

Newish to crochet.

Usually do hats.

Started a blanket with counting the first 3 rows then they repeat, thought it would be easy to just go and would be the same.

I'm turning my work wrong I would assume, where i switch colours it is staying straight but where I turn with the the colours (each colour has two rows) it's shrinking....can anyone share some insight?

Thanks in advanced!

[magiccrochetfan]

Welcome to the Ville!

 

It sounds like you are making fewer stitches than you started with. Have you counted the stitches in the most recent row?

[Ashley Cilina Neville]

Pic1

[Ashley Cilina Neville]

Trying to post pics. I measured from 46 1/2" to 42" recent row

[magiccrochetfan]

Count the number of stitches in the last row you made. How does it compare with the number of stitches in the first row?

[Ashley Cilina Neville]

It's 160 stitches for the first 3 rows...I will count the stitches at a later time, this has me bummed and not wanting to burn my mental energy on counting. I know it's less stitches but why. I was trying to post pics but the site won't let me upload

[magiccrochetfan]

You are probably missing the end stitch before and/or after you turn on that side. I understand about being bummed, but truly this kind of thing happens to all of us. In order to fix it, you will need to rip out the rows with wrong number of stitches, until you get back to where you have 160. Then continue on from there. And to make it easier to count, you can place a marker every twenty or so stitches as you count a row.

 

To prevent it happening again, you can put a marker in first and last stitch of row to be sure you stitch into them. And take the time to count, maybe not every row, but every few rows to be certain you are maintaining the stitch count.

[Real Deal]

It is true that many of us have been through this! We know how frustrating it is. When it happened to me, I started putting a stitch marker at each end and that took care of the problem.

 

The end stitches are almost always where you are losing stitches. It's sometimes difficult to be absolutely sure you are working into the first and last stitches, so markers take the guesswork out of it.

 

I've been crocheting over 30 years, and I still use markers for a lot of projects - on very long rows, very tight work, puffier yarn, and spiraling rounds. I also use 3 markers in the center of 3 rows to show which side is the front of a piece.

[redrosesdz]

Welcome to Crochetville!

 

I agree that the only way to fix missing stitches is to rip it back to where the stitch count was correct.  Also, using stitch markers at the ends of the rows is very helpful.  Besides buying stitch markers, bobby pins (kirby, if you're British), safety pins and small pieces of yarn in a different color all make cheap stitch markers.

 

When it comes to row ends, there are rules that most crochet follows.  The list of rules helped me a lot when trying to make each row the same count.  I don't know if you're used to US or UK/Australia crochet terms.  The following is in US terms.

 

SC: ch 1 for the turning chain, the turning chain does not count as a stitch, the first stitch is in the first >, the last stitch is in the last >.

 

HDC: ch 1 or 2 for the turning chain, sometimes the chain counts as a stitch and sometimes it doesn't (the pattern tells you which), use the SC rules if it doesn't count as a stitch and the DC rules if it does.

 

DC: ch 2 or 3 for the turning chain, the turning chain counts as a stitch, the first stitch is in the second >, the last stitch is in the top of the previous row's turning chain.

 

TR: ch 3 or 4 for the turning chain, the turning chain counts as a stitch, use the DC rules for first and last stitch.

 

Also, here's how to post a picture in this forum:

• Scroll down to the Attach Files, under the message area.  (If it's a reply, click "More Reply Options first.)
• Click Browse to get a pop-up.
• Find your picture, select it and click Open.
• Click on "Attach This File."
• Click in the message area where you want the picture.
• Click on "Add to Post."