Correcting uneven sides

[hgrobi]

How can I fix the sides of an afghan that are uneven?

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

Unfortunately this is about the most frequently asked question in the help section.  Are you a new crocheter?  It seems to be a common problem for new crocheters to err in the way they handle stitch placement at the end of rows, especially using US DC.  (if you are in the UK, US DC is UK treble).

In US DC, when you reach the end of a row, you chain 3 (this is to bring the yarn to the height of the first stitch in the next row, this is the 'turning' chain and counts as a stitch.  THEN (this is the part that new crocheters often don't know about), you turn and SKIP the last stitch you made in the prior  row, and DC into the following stitch.  Because the turning chain counts as a stitch, it acts like it is 'in' the stitch you have skipped.  If you don't skip that stitch, you will add 1 stitch to your blanket accidently.  At the end of rows, the last stitch is made into the topmost chain of the turning chain.

Do you have a way to post a photo here?  If you start a post, you will see at the bottom of the 'box' a paperclip that says 'drag files here' and which type of file that can be posted (pdf, jpg, png).  One way to tell if this is happening is to find a stitch a couple of stitches 'in' from the edge, and follow the column of stitches up.  If the original stitch you picked is 3 sts in from the edge, and then the column gets to be 4, 5, 6 and so on stitches in from the edge, you know you are adding stitches on that side by mistake.  Or, the opposite - if the column vanishes into the edge, you are losing stitches.  Is either of these things happening?

 

 

[Granny Square]

I just realized I didn't answer your question of how to 'fix' the blanket, but rather how to stop it from happening if you did the common mistake I described.

The fix is to diagnose what you did by mistake (it may be some other reason than I guessed, which is why I suggested a photo) and rip it back to fix the mistake.  Sorry, I know most new crocheters don't want to hear this.  I've been crocheting for decades and have ripped miles of fabric over many projects after discovering an error umpteen rows down.  The way to fix any crochet error is to recognize what you did wrong and to rip and make it right.  It's also a good idea to stop and admire your work every few rows so if you make a mistake, you catch it quicker.

[Lousbabci]

Oh I have ripped out many rows of an afghan to get to the line where I veered off line, especially since I am a lefty and had to teach myself.  Still rip out once in a while even after all these years.  So the short answer is there is no "fix", just rip it out.  If it is your afghan, you will always be able to see the "OOPSY" and wish you had taken care of it.  If it is a gift, you really want to give the best you can give.

[Lousbabci]

Oh, and BTW, right now I am making a shell afghan.  5DC's for each shell.  About every couple rows, I find that I only did 4DC's and so I rip it out because I will always know it is wrong and will stand out like a sore thumb to me.