Counting Moss/Linen/Woven/Granite Stitches

[Katydid_2222]

I'm fairly new to crocheting although I have knit for decades.  I'm not unfamiliar with counting stitches in knitting but crochet is another matter.

I want to make an afghan in moss/linen/woven/granite stitch. I've made a swatch so I know how to do the stitch but I don't know how to count them. There is no pattern (I'm basing it on one in bulky and I'm using worsted) I can't just wing it (like crochet until you have reached the desired length).  I have seen pictures of the stitches but nowhere have I seen how to count.

I've asked other groups and all I'm getting is to make a swatch and you can figure out how wide. Would marking off 4 inches in my swatch and ripping out that row (or 4" portion) out and measuring get me where I want to go?

Is my question clear as mud?  I hope you can help.  I 'm so ready to start crocheting.

[Granny Square]

Welcome to crochet!  Unlike casting on in knitting and having to get the right # of stitches cast on or tink the first row all the way back and fix the cast on, with crochet you can make a chain a little longer than you think you want it to be, turn, crochet back to the knot, and stop short where you can't get another pattern repeat in, or where it looks right.  Later, you can pick out the unused chains and weave in the end--it does not unravel from the beginning/knot end, as you will find out it's a bit of a pain to pick out the chains, but it's better than ripping a whole row.

Doing a swatch isn't a bad idea to get a target number to chain, tho, so you know the neighborhood of the number of chains you should have before you throw in those few extra 'insurance' chains.  I always add chains for big things--I do count, but I also have ended up 1 chain short often enough (grrr!) that I just think it's a good idea.  

Edited February 21, 2020 by Granny Square

[Katydid_2222]

Thank you so very much.  I've been struggling with this.  I have enough yarn total (I think ... may have to revisit Joanne's) but I don't have equal amounts of the three colors so I need to do some estimating.  I have never heard of 'insurance' chains.  

My first post here and you soothed my anxiety.

[Granny Square]

Glad to help, 'insurance' is not a standard term, just the way I think of it I guess.  

I like to browse with antique patterns, I have seen a few for big lace projects that don't even tell you how many chains, they'll just say 'make a chain 4' long, work x pattern repeats across , and cut off the excess chain'.  I'm not sure if they really mean to cut it to the edge, although it does resist undoing I wouldn't trust it!  

[BPokorny]

When you look at the top of your fabric, you will see the sideways V of the stitches. The single crochet (sc) and the chain one (ch1) will look the same from the top. Chains are counted as a stitch unless otherwise noted from the designer. Here's a free baby blanket with a  video showing how to do the Linen Stitch that also shows how to change colors. Hope this helps.

https://patternprincess.com/how-to-crochet-the-linen-stitch/

 The stitch count for the Linen/Moss stitch = make a chain in any "even number" until you reach the length desired. 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by BPokorny