Sharon - Guage question

[SBaumle]

When I check my guage 4 rows should equal 2.5 inches but my 4 rows equal 2 inches. 2 repeats of the pattern should equal 6 inches but they equal almost 8 inches. My crochet hook is H 5.0 mm. What size do I need to get the correct guage. It seems like my afghan is going to be short and wide !

[Granny Square]

Hi, welcome to the 'ville!

My stitches tend to be short-ish according to most pattern gauges, and I pay more attention to hitting width gauge.  MOST of the time, you can just make more rows; I've never (so far) run into a problem doing this, but I imagine that there might be stitch repeats that are many rows tall that might be a problem to add a while repeat (especially for a wearable).  

Your 'mismatch' is the opposite of mine, in your case try to eliminate rows. 

Changing your hook will NOT change your stitch height proportion, trust me I have tried this.

 

[NCcountrygal]

23 hours ago, SBaumle said:

When I check my guage 4 rows should equal 2.5 inches but my 4 rows equal 2 inches. 2 repeats of the pattern should equal 6 inches but they equal almost 8 inches. My crochet hook is H 5.0 mm. What size do I need to get the correct guage. It seems like my afghan is going to be short and wide !

https://thecrochetfox.com/crochet-gauge/
changing the crochet hook will mainly just influence your stitch count. If you are having problems meeting the row count, you may want to adjust your tension as well (see below).

Changing the Hook Type

Fibers work differently with hooks made from different types of material. For instance, if you used a metal hook, try a bamboo hook instead.

A bamboo hook will give you more grip. In turn, this may change your tension and influence your gauge.

So, experiment with different hooks in different materials and see which one works the best for you and your project.  End quote

addl info on stitch height can be found at that url

Ive noticed my tension changes between metal hooks and wood. (Both height and width). Tightens if the yarn is splitty. 

[Granny Square]

One other thing, that I didn't bring up because I could never manage it, is to purposely control your stitch height by altering the initial loop of the stitch. 

The late, great Jean Leinhauser (designer) was a member of our group before she passed away, and would describe this 'golden loop' to control your stitch height when these questions came up.  It's also described by another designer, not so much telling you to try to change your style, but to describe recognize it.

Interesting idea on the hook material, my crochet hooks are all metal so I never noticed a difference.