Help with keeping sides straight

[Tevia5]

Do you have any advise to help me from constantly having to pull my work out because the sides are never straight?   What are the rules for the first and the last stitches?   Maybe different rules with different stitches?  Also, does it make a huge difference if now and again you miss or add a stitch?   I find it very hard to see very clearly when the yarn is dark.  

[magiccrochetfan]

It is hard to see dark yarn, that's why I usually use lighter yarns.  

One or two missed sts in some patterns won't make much difference but in some it makes a huge unworkable difference.  

Rule: Put a marker in the first and last st as soon as you make them, that way you can't miss them on the next row.  

Rule: Stop often to look at the piece so you catch mistakes quickly.

Rule: Count the sts in each row until you gat a good feel for the pattern, then count at least after making several rows.  Again this is to catch mistakes asap.  

If you want specific input on your piece, post a clear photo showing the area you're concerned about.  Also tell us the name and location of the pattern.  

[Granny Square]

^ What she said.  

Re: different rules for different stitches, YES there are!

When you are working in rows, you need to make a  turning chain  to bring the yarn 'up' to the stitch height of the next row. 

For SC, the turning chain is 1, and it does not count as a stitch.  At the end of the row the last stitch you make is into the first stitch of the row below.

For DC, the turning chain is typically 3, and it does count as a stitch.  Normally you ch 3, turn, and skip the first stitch of the next row - reason, the chain 3 counts as the stitch, and is functionally in the first stitch, but if you ch3 and also put a stitch into the first stitch, you've accidentally increased by 1.  At the end of the row, you make the last DC into the topmost chain of the turning chain at the beginning of the prior row. *

Turning chains for taller stitches are along the line of DC, for trebles it's 4 chains and you skip the first chain, etc.

From questions I've seen in the Help section here,  the biggest reason for beginners increasing or decreasing at the end of rows is not  treating the turning chains correctly, especially for DC, and either accidentally increasing at the beginning by using that first stitch that needs to be skipped, or skipping the turning chain that is supposed to be used for the last stitch of the row, and accidentally decreasing.

* an easy trick for DC, if you don't like the look of the skipped stitch gap - instead of ch3 & skip the first stitch, ch1, sc in the first stitch, and chain 2.   At the end of the next row, you do need to remember to make the last stitch into the top chain after that beginning sc, however.  There are other ways to 'put a stitch into the skipped stitch', but I don't want to throw too much at you at once.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Granny Square

[Tevia5]

Are you saying I should put the markers on at. each new row?

[magiccrochetfan]

10 minutes ago, Tevia5 said:

Are you saying I should put the markers on at. each new row?

Yes.  Once you've stitched into the marked stitches, you can move the marker up to the new first stitch and new last stitch.  You don't need to leave the markers in once they've served their purpose.  Then after a lot more practice and you can find those stitches without marking them you don't always have to use them--- I do though often, as it just saves time because i don't have to hunt for the stitch.  

and don't forget---at least for right now, count every row.  you can use markers to help with that too, place in every 20th stitch or so.  once counted you can remove them if you like.  

[Tevia5]

For SC do you skip the first stitch at the beginning of the row or not?

[Granny Square]

No, you don't skip the first stitch for SC because the turning chain for SC does not count as a stitch.  You only skip the first stitch for a row when the turning chain counts as a stitch (because, remember, that's the reason for the skipping).  This rule is assumed--patterns usually will not spell this out.

You might find a pattern say, chain 3, DC in the first DC....that means they are intentionally telling you to increase in that 1 spot.

I forgot to mention HDC earlier, that stitch is sort of an oddball.  Sometimes the turning chain is 1, sometimes 2, and some patterns count the turning chain as a stitch, some don't (but should tell you).

[Tevia5]

Thanks for all the responses