Curved sampler runner should be straight

[Kayla Jackson]

I’m making my mom a table runner for Mother’s Day, and it’s in a stitch sampler style, using granny rows, the v stitch, herringbone double crochet, and odd forked cluster stitches. However, it’s curving dramatically, and I’m not sure if it’s because I have so many different stitches, if I am adding stitches, starting with the wrong number of stitches, or if my starting chain was too tight. Or maybe something else entirely. I’m not a beginner, and usually my work doesn’t go all rainbow on me... but I’m not sure what I should do. Did I maybe do the math wrong at the beginning?

If I am not using compatible stitches, could you suggest which ones to use? 

[Granny Square]

The usual suspects...

Some yarns even the same brands can be a little heavier than others, which could cause this (if the green was thicker than the yellow for example).

Initial row or chain was too tight (not uncommon).

Inadvertently gaining stitches at the ends (but I'm not seeing this).

What I suspect - the mix of stitch patterns may not be compatible, and you are gaining stitches that way.  You can do patterns where they don't relate count-wise, but you have to 'do the math' and compensate - example make fewer repeats of a non-compatible stitch pattern and throw in one or more plain stitches at each end to keep the stitch count even with the other stitch patterns.  

Have you counted the number of stitches you have at the last row, versus the number in the first?  I think it might have been a good idea to do a stitch diagram (showing each stitch) beforehand; it looks like you planned for 66 stitches, so maybe diagram a subset of 66 that works for the stitch repeat number you are going for, plus however you are treating each end.  Example, I'm looking at the Granny rows; it looks like you made 3 DC into 1, skip 3, repeat.  If you had no chains between the Grannys, you should have skipped 2 stitches between Grannys; with 1 chain, skipping 3 works.  3 DC + 1 chain = 4 stitches which equals 1 used stitch and 3 skipped ones.  If you made 2 chains between...you'd have added stitches.  Do the same math with the V stitches, did you make more stitches than chains (plus turning chains)?

 

[Kayla Jackson]

Okay, the granny rows were 3 dc, skip 2, 3dc.

Multiple of odd forked cluster stitch: any number, +2 for base chain (brown, just started)

Multiple of herringbone double crochet: again, any number, +2 for base chain. (Yellow)

Multiple of offset v stitch: 3 sts, +1 (add 3 for base chain) (burgundy)

(regular dc v stitch is multiple of 2)

Multiple of granny stripe: 3 sts, +2 (green)

The table runner should be 84” long and 16” wide.

What do you think the math should be? Obviously, I did it wrong- I’m not a crochet beginner, but apparently I am appallingly bad at the math for making my own pattern! 🙄🤯

oh, and 66 was just a number I calculated based on the multiples but we know my math was off so feel free to substitute whatever number works best with the stitches and size of the project.

Or should I just find two more “any number” stitches in my book and do those instead of the v and granny? Or how about using the same stitch all through and just changing colors?

What’s your opinion?

[Granny Square]

I'm sure the math on this isn't horribly advanced but the idea of figuring it out math-wise is making my head hurt. 

I assume that the number of stitches has grown between the beginning and the end, and it's not 'foundation chain too tight, yarn thickness issue' at play, right?

I wasn't kidding about the stitch diagram--this is how I'd solve it (in pencil, and a big eraser undoubtedly)--one that shows each and every DC, chain, whatever--example, 3 stitches into 1 would span 3 grids, like \ | /.  And. although you'd normally not use graph paper for a stitch diagram, I would, as insurance that if I started with x stitches, every row has x stitches.  You would probably want to plot 2 rows of each stitch pattern, since (example) 2 rows of the granny stitches won't be the same. 

 

 

[Granny Square]

Here is a free pattern for a runner using LOTS of different stitches, so you could pick and choose which to use, but the designer has already done the math for compatibility  http://www.sewrella.com/bettys-20-stitch-table-runner-summer/

I have a lot of respect for designers, I know it takes a lot of trial and error and plain old hard work to design and write up a pattern, get the kinks out of pattern repeats like this etc.

[Avon Lady]

On 4/21/2018 at 9:23 PM, Kayla Jackson said:

Okay, the granny rows were 3 dc, skip 2, 3dc.

Multiple of odd forked cluster stitch: any number, +2 for base chain (brown, just started)

Multiple of herringbone double crochet: again, any number, +2 for base chain. (Yellow)

Multiple of offset v stitch: 3 sts, +1 (add 3 for base chain) (burgundy)

(regular dc v stitch is multiple of 2)

Multiple of granny stripe: 3 sts, +2 (green)

The table runner should be 84” long and 16” wide.

What do you think the math should be? Obviously, I did it wrong- I’m not a crochet beginner, but apparently I am appallingly bad at the math for making my own pattern! 🙄🤯

oh, and 66 was just a number I calculated based on the multiples but we know my math was off so feel free to substitute whatever number works best with the stitches and size of the project.

Or should I just find two more “any number” stitches in my book and do those instead of the v and granny? Or how about using the same stitch all through and just changing colors?

What’s your opinion?

Were you, by any chance, including the stitches that are supposed to be added for the base chain in each pattern?

[Granny Square]

I wondered that too, but if you were accounting for too many stitches beyond the first stitch pattern...wouldn't you find yourself ending somewhere short of the end of the first row of the new stitch pattern      The extra stitches added for a turning chain at the foundation may or may not exactly match another stitch pattern repeat...unless an extra repeat was added over too few stitches at the end, which would cause the curve.

I was thinking about this a little bit since yesterday...I am one that's not afraid of experimenting and ripping it out if it doesn't work, but I know some hate to rip.  I also don't mind stitch diagramming, but I know not everyone does, or has used stitch diagrams.  The OP never said whether her first row stitch count was the same throughout, but I assume not.  If the OP doesn't want to do the diagram and doesn't mind possibly ripping/redoing at every stitch pattern change, she could (1) count the stitches in the first 2 rows of a new stitch pattern stripe; if it's right for 2 repeats it's probably going to 'hold steady' for the rest of the rows, but additional counting never hurts (2) if the first row of a new stitch pattern doesn't work evenly to the end, count the stitches you made to that point shy of the end, the number of unused stitches in the row below to the end, and decide what sort of end treatment to apply to each end (add a plain stitch at each end, skip/omit a stitch, make partial granny shells at each end, whatever), rip out and do over, count again.  Staggered stitch patterns like grannys and Vs will need a different end solution for odd and even rows.