Gauge problem, shifting from DC to V-stitch

[Lynn in MN]

I'm making a top-down tank top. I've got several rows of DC in the bodice, and when I shift to v-stitch, the top is widening. Is there a rule of thumb for decreasing stitches to prevent that widening when going from small stitches to bigger stitches? I have the same problem with tote bags, etc.: for example, after several rows of SC, a shift to DC rows causes the bag to widen. I'm not really using a pattern other than for getting the project started. Thank you!

[Granny Square]

Before I got to the end of your post, just reading the title and the first few words and knew you weren't following a pattern.

There are all sorts of V stitches, the biggest chapter in my stitch dictionary is comprised of V stitches.  They are mostly some variation of tall stitches + chains + tall stitches.

I'm going to assume your V stitch is DC, chain 1, DC for demo purposes.  That is 3 stitches, right?  If you put 3 stitches into 1, and don't skip any stitches, you have just make a 2-stitch increase.  The rule is, if you make a stitch like a V stitch that is many-into-1, you have to skip stitches on each side of the V, to "use up" the all but 1 of the stitches in the V.  I hope that makes sense.

So, for a dc-ch-dc, you have 3 into 1, so you would want to skip 1 stitch on either side.  But if the whole ROW is V stitches, it will look like you are skipping 2 between (1 will "belong" to the left V, the other will belong to the right V.  

Like this  _ \-/_ _ \-/_ _ \-/_

Edited to add, it looks like there's a big space/hole between the Vs because I'm typing letters that take up space, but in the actual crochet fabric the tops of the Vs will be touching.  Also, if your V is a different form, like 2DC, CH1, 2DC, it would look like this 

_ _ \-/_ _ _ _ \-/_ _ _ _ \-/_ _

Edited June 22, 2020 by Granny Square

[Lynn in MN]

I didn't know what to call my stitch, actually. What I'm doing is not really a V stitch, I'm just doing 2 DCs in same stitch (no chain 1), skip one, 2 DCs in same stitch, skip one, etc. It appears that the [2 DCs in same stitch and skip one] ends up wider than two standard DCs. I'm working in the round so maybe I'm somehow adding a stitch in the join process. 

 

[Granny Square]

Hmmm.  If one works flat, the normal way to treat a transition from 1 row to the next is chain 3, skip the first stitch in the row below, and DC in the following stitch. (because the chain is functionally in that first stitch, even tho it actually sits outside of it).

Working in the round is different, because you'd slip stitch into the first stitch and chain up, so the first 'DC' is IN the first stitch already, so no skipping needed.