Project doesn't lay flat

[bggoktas]

Hi,

I got involved with crocheting recently. I'm mainly interested in creating straw looking summer bags. For this I'm using raffia yarns and following youtube videos.

The problem I'm facing is that no matter what I do, I cannot get my crochet nicely lay flat. It constantly either curls or twists.

I've attached few pictures of the project I'm working on at the moment. According to the instructions, I'm supposed to use needles with 3.5 size. I've tried 2.75, 3.25 and 3.75 and couldn't get it lay flat with neither. When I use small needles, my work starts twisting from two opposite corners. When I use bigger needles, it gets full on wavy. Tried to stretch it horizontally and vertically but couldn't get it to work.

The row that I've done las as half is with 2.75 needle and the one before that is 3.25. As after doing 3.25 for few rows, it started to extremely curly and I was hoping that 2.75 would tighten things up. But, as you can imagine this is getting more and more frustrating...

Please help me! What am I doing wrong?..

(Also, pattern was able to reach the required dimensions with 8 rounds. I'm on 12th round and still not there... I think I should use larger needle for that, bit large needle results in worse waves than this).

Edited December 5, 2019 by bggoktas
added more information

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

I have to say I've never used raffia.  But, I'm a fan of making doilies, and I totally get ruffling.  And cupping.  And I've gained a lot of experience fixing both problems.

The bad news:  one weapon in my arsenal is blocking, which you've already tried and I'm not surprised doesn't work.  The good news:  Your example is pretty mild, in fact I can't tell if it is ruffling or cupping, I suspect the latter.

Even tho this is a rectangle, you are working in the round, and elements of circle geometry apply: pi x diameter = circumference for a circle, or a rectangle made in the round.  Your stitch gauge, loose/tight tall/short, can affect this, and everybody's gauge is different, including designers, so in my experience perfectly flat items in the round are the exception (without tweaking), not the norm IMO.

If the diameter is too great for the circumference, it is going to cup.  Solution: decrease the diameter (shorter stitches, add stitches)

If the diameter is too short for the circumference, it's going to ruffle.  Solution: increase the diameter (taller stitches, omit stitches, maybe add a row without increasing if you can get away with it design-wise.

I don't think changing the hook size isn't going to affect the geometry ratio, unless it causes you to make stitches a different % larger in 1 direction than the other, which I suppose is possible.  

Your example is so mild that if this is the bottom of the bag and you stop making corners at this point and just work around, I wouldn't give it another thought--I don't think the slight cupping or ruffling is going to be apparent.