A curvey shawl

[Bugeroo]

Hello, this is my first ever post! I am looking for help with the project I am working on. It's a very simple shawl all in DC and increases by 6 stitches in each row per the instructions. I counted my last three rows and they are indeed increasing by 6 each time as instructed, but the top part is curving. Instead of a triangle like the example piece, it is like a fat boomerang.

 

Of course I'm making it with a 4 ply yarn that isn't chain spun or anything so undoing it is going to kill. 

 

What am I doing wrong? 

Is there anyway to salvage the project now without frogging it all the way back (I'm about 6 rows in)?

Thanks in advance 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Bugeroo

[Granny Square]

Hi, welcome to the 'ville!

Have you ever heard of a Faeroese style shawl? That is pretty much exactly what you made, and if this happened to me I'd consider it a (very!) happy accident, and would keep it that way.  There are knit and crochet patterns out there that form variations of this shape on purpose.

This more-than-a-half-circle shape keeps the shawl on your shoulders more efficiently.  I don't wear shawls now, but I made a couple when I learned to crochet around 1970 and they were more 'in', but they were straight edged and sort of annoying to try to keep on.  I can totally see how that shape would work a lot better.

I think the reason this is happening to you probably is due to the way you make your stitches, versus the designer of the shawl.  I make a lot of in the round, center-out doilies, and I make short-ish stitches, and my doilies often ruffle a little (I can usually block it out).  Your shawl is basically a segment of a center-out circle, similar to my doilies (edited for clarity - the reason round doilies ruffle is that there is too much circumference--you can see the similar concept, if you moved the 2 top halves into a straight line, the rest would ruffle).  Some crocheters make tall stitches, and some like me and maybe you make short ones - Doris Chan (well known crochet designer) wrote a blog about that.  (the shawls that I made in 1970 was made in a not-center-spine way so didn't behave like yours) 

Seriously, it looks great, keep going and brag to people about your exotic Faeroese shawl!

Edited May 16, 2022 by Granny Square
fixed weird wording

[bgs]

Actually there are many shawl patterns out there that look like this.  They actually fit over your shoulders better.  I cant tell but looks like there might be a  problem developing with the center.  Its starting to look off.  Its the part that most likely says 2 dc, ch 2, 2dc in a ch sp.  

[ReniC]

I've made about a dozen shawls and on my first 2 shawls this exact thing happened to me. I was advised by a popular, professional fiber artist that my first row had too much tension and to crochet very loosely or use a hook 1-2 sizes larger than what the pattern/yarn calls for, but just for the first row. After trying this, the rest of the shawls were straight across.

[bgs]

Reni, Granny Square would you take a good look at the center spaces?  It looks to me like some werent made quite right and starting to wander off center.  It might just be me.  I am looking at it on my phone.

Edited May 16, 2022 by bgs

[Granny Square]

Bgs, the main thing that I'm spotting is some inconsistent 'center spine hole' sizes.  If the arrangement of every stitch around the 'spine hole', and the spine hole itself, is supposed to be the same--that is not happening consistently.  The very last row looks like it is missing its 'spine hole', and the 'spine holes' are drifting off to the left a little the last 4 or so rows before that.  

Bugeroo, Bgs and I aren't being picky to be mean.  It's just a whole lot less painful to rip back a little, than a lot, to fix an error. For items I've encountered with 'spines' for increasing like this, the increases have been made in an identical way all the way down the spine.  Granny squares for example--4 spines, but same concept.

I think this quote came from a noted knitting book author (but it works for crochet) :  "always stop and admire your work often".  Because that is how you are likely to spot an error (if there is one) before you've gone too far past it.  

 

[Bugeroo]

Wow! I really appreciate all of the insights you have all given me!!

I am looking at the peice now and trying to figure out what exactly is off with the spine holes. They are supposed to be identical like you indicated. I can see now that they are going a little to the left in those last four rows and I'm not sure why. I checked the stitch count and it works but there must be a reason. Up close I am noticing that the last four rows look tighter than the previous rows, but I'm not sure if that would cause it to be off to the left or not? 

I also see that the holes aren't consistent sizes so sometimes I must have had a looser or tighter chain 2. 

I never would have guessed the issue was with the center, but I'm not far along enough yet where I understand how all of the ripple effects of something work in crochet. Hence why I came for help! 

What I'm getting from this is that I need to go back over the last four or so rows and figure out why it is going to the left and hopefully once I fix that it'll be straighter on the top part? Just want to make sure I understand, haha.

And I didn't think you were picking apart at all! That's the only way to solve a problem! I appreciate it!

[Bugeroo]

Update! I started frogging back and counted as I did. Before I was just counting total but as I frogged I counted how many stitches before the chain and after the chain and there was always one more on one side than the other. I continued going back until the counts matched, and then went back another row counting to make sure it was even as well. So I ended up with this and the counts are even on both sides! 

Could that possibly be why it was curving? It still looks a little curved, but nothing like before.

 

Edit for update: I started back on it and it is still very curved. All i can think is maybe the first and last stitches are either too tight or too loose? I cant figure out which.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Bugeroo

[Granny Square]

That looks much better!  

What kind of fiber is your yarn (acrylic, wool, cotton...)  If it's a natural fiber, you might be able to just damp block it, get it wet and pin it out with waterproof pins (the latter is very important, regular pins will rust amazingly quickly (I know from personal experience  ; I either got mine at Walmart or Michaels).  Or you may be able to 'lay flat to dry' and poke it into shape with your fingers (worth a try).

The reason said 'may' is I still think this is due to your stitch height versus the designers', only because this happens to me all the time.  Think about it - a round doily, where ruffling edges make it 'not a flat circle' because there is extra fabric at the edges - if you folded it exactly down the center it  would look exactly like your shawl.  I think your stitch count mistakes just made little bits look 'not symmetrical', which we were able to spot.  I think -- no, I'm certain -- if you get as many rows done as you did before, the outline will be the exactly the same. 

I should have thought to suggest yesterday the 'mitigations' I do to mitigate the ruffle in my doilies -- the one that I think would work best with your consistent stitch pattern is subbing taller stitches, like use Triples or Extended DCs instead of DCs. 

 

[bgs]

Its looking good now.  The curving didnt bother me but I hated for you to continue with the center being off.  Scroll down in this article and see the difference in stitch heights depending on if you are a "yanker, rider, or lifter" when making your stitches.

https://itsallinanutshell.com/2020/06/29/crochet-gauge-tension-and-the-golden-loop/#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From %1%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fitsallinanutshell.com%2F2020%2F06%2F29%2Fcrochet-gauge-tension-and-the-golden-loop%2F

[Bugeroo]

Hello all! I wanted to let everyone how helped me know how things are going. It's been a crazy week so I apologize for the delay in my update. I went ahead with the advice to do the extended double crochet and it really has straightened out the project significantly! I'll attach a picture when I get a chance, but for right now I am headed in to work. So thanks to everyone who helped me out, you are all amazing and very appreciated!!

[Granny Square]