help with counting the chain while checking gauge

[luckygrrl]

Hi everyone...

 

I have a question regarding counting stitches in the chain. This is confounding me right now. I've only just started to attempt projects that require you to check your gauge at the beginning. My pattern says:

 

10 sc= 4"

 

Here's the question: do I count the chain before inserting the hook the first time as the 1st sc? i.e. by the time I'm first inserting the hook, yo, pull up loop, etc-- am I already making the second sc, according to checking my gauge?

 

The reason I ask is that the way I've always counted was that the first sc I make (insert hook, yo, pull up loop, etc) is the 1st sc I count, so I'm wondering if I've been counting wrong the entire time!! I'm one that prefers to do my stitch in every previous stitch across, as opposed to skipping the first and then doing the last stitch in the top of the turning chain, so I'm wondering if this is somehow throwing me off. Now I'm questioning everything I know about counting because of this!! Should I always be counting the turning chain as the 1st stitch? Or should I not? Or does it depend on the pattern (i.e. if it says "sc in each stitch of previous row" clearly I'm not counting the turning chain and I'm likewise not supposed to be doing a stitch in the last turning chain)? Dag nabbit, now I'm confused even more!

 

 

Gosh, I feel like I'm always asking for help around here! I hope one day I can give someone advice like I always get here. Everyone is so generous and helpful.

[natalie058]

I'm not sure that I entirely understand your dilemma but I will try to help a little... So I apologize in advance if this just screws you up worse.

 

The way I understand it, a gauge swatch is supposed to be larger than the gauge that is called for. So... for this sample, where they want 10 sc to equal 4", I might maybe make my starting chain 20 st long.

 

Then, you measure your gauge using the stitches in the middle of the swatch, so you don't have any distortion from the beginning and end of rows. Pick a row to begin on, and count exactly how many stitches you have over a 4" space on that row. Even a difference of a half a stitch can make a large difference on a big project.

 

So, the way I see it, you don't even need to figure out exactly which stitch is your first cuz you won't need to be looking at that stitch. All you'll have to know is what one complete sc looks like, so you can tell where it begins and ends and can count your stitches accurately.

 

I hope that helped.

[luckygrrl]

Aha! Okay, that did indeed help on half of it. I didn't realize/think about that your swatch should be bigger than the number of stitches you're counting. That's very helpful, thanks!! Like I said I'm just starting to need to check my gauge for some patterns I'm attempting... I've always been scared of that part of the process, silly as that sounds.

 

The other dilemma of the problem, taking that into mind, changes slightly, so that it would just apply to counting stitches in general, not gauge. What counts as the first stitch, the actual stitch you complete, or the turning chain?

[natalie058]

I think it all depends on the pattern. I, personally, don't count my turning chains as a stitch, but I feel like I might be in the minority. *I think as a general rule, the turning chains are supposed to count as the first stitch on a new row.*

 

Although, come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever made something where it made a difference.

[Julie]

I do count my turning chains as a stitch. It becomes really necessary when working doilies, they almost always use that turning chain as a stitch and so I've carried it over to all my other projects as well. A lot of patterns will state "chain 3, turn (counts as first dc now and throughout)". I assume from this that the same would hold true for ch 2 and ch 1 turning chains counting as one hdc and/or sc stitches.

[irikel]

Hi Julie ....You kinda answered my question without me having to ask...because I wanted to know is.....I have been trying to make a shrug for the past month for my grandaughter.. I have never made one ...so , you know that you start off with a rectangle...well, mine is anything but a rectangle because it either starts to get wider and wider or it gets narrower because I dont know if i should stitch in the turning chain or not. So ,I guess I will try once again and use my turning chain as a stitch.I hope I'm lucky this time cause I'm like not liking this no more and I really want to make one of those. I have the fluffy pink shrug schematics and it has helped but...that little chainy thing is what has me going Thanks!

 

 

 

http://360.yahoo.com/irikel2

[curlie]

I love crochet books, so I've read a few takes on the turning chain issue. They all seem to agree that the turning chain for single crochet stitches is never counted as the first stitch. For half-double and up, it depends upon the pattern, but if you're making something that's supposed to be square, it generally counts and you end up doing the last stitch in the turning chain. Otherwise you're offset by one stitch every row and you end up with a slight zig-zag. For single crochet, since the turning chain is only one, you don't really notice. Does that make sense?

 

There are some really good illustrations in lots of crochet books (Barnes and Noble has a good selection, Borders probably does as well) -- the Encyclopedia of Crochet is my favorite and has cleared up confusion several times for me! It also goes into crocheting in the tops of stitches vs. crocheting in between stitches, which is another thing that was initially confusing for me.

[pb&j]

I love crochet books, so I've read a few takes on the turning chain issue. They all seem to agree that the turning chain for single crochet stitches is never counted as the first stitch. For half-double and up, it depends upon the pattern, but if you're making something that's supposed to be square, it generally counts and you end up doing the last stitch in the turning chain. Otherwise you're offset by one stitch every row and you end up with a slight zig-zag. For single crochet, since the turning chain is only one, you don't really notice. Does that make sense?

 

There are some really good illustrations in lots of crochet books (Barnes and Noble has a good selection, Borders probably does as well) -- the Encyclopedia of Crochet is my favorite and has cleared up confusion several times for me! It also goes into crocheting in the tops of stitches vs. crocheting in between stitches, which is another thing that was initially confusing for me.

 

That's what I've always understood. For sc, the turning chain doesn't count. For hdc, it usually doesn't unless the pattern says so. For dc and up, the turning chains count as the first stitch so you start the row in the very next stitch and not that first one under the turning chain. That way, the patterns always end up correctly at the end of the row.

 

Hope that helps.

[irikel]

Thanks alot!..I'm gonna give it a try once again...so...since i'm doing the body in hdc..that means I don't stitch in the first stitch...but I finish in my starting chain? I hope i'm right..lol

[crochet smartcat]

I love crochet books, so I've read a few takes on the turning chain issue. They all seem to agree that the turning chain for single crochet stitches is never counted as the first stitch. For half-double and up, it depends upon the pattern, but if you're making something that's supposed to be square, it generally counts and you end up doing the last stitch in the turning chain. Otherwise you're offset by one stitch every row and you end up with a slight zig-zag. For single crochet, since the turning chain is only one, you don't really notice. Does that make sense?

 

I agree, unless the pattern says the the turning chain counts as your first stitch, you should not count it. If you are not counting it then your first stitch would generally go at the base of the turning chain and you would not stitch into the turning chain at the end.

 

If you are counting it, then you "skip" the first stitch at the base of your turning chain and then stitch into the top of the turning chain at the end of each row.

 

About the only patterns I have seen that the turning chain is not counted are sc. Occasionally crocheting in the round, will also not count the turning chain, but again that depends on the type of stitch you are doing.