Measuring Chain Length with Stretching?

[laneecolarossi]

Hi - I'm newer to crocheting without a pattern, and am running into some issues for my current project. 

I am trying to make this sweater (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/789255903461158593/). However, when I have been trying to crochet the bodice, my yarn always stretches too much so that when I measure it against myself, it's too wide and I end up having to unravel everything and start over with a shorter chain. I'm trying not to pull the yarn tight when I crochet, but I've restarted twice now and am on the verge of just rotating the direction so that I can just add as many rows as I need for it to fit well, rather than trying to find the perfect chain length once the yarn starts to stretch. 

However, if there's a better way to do this or tips and tricks that would be helpful when trying to measure chains to include stretching, I would love to know! 

 

[Granny Square]

The length of a naked chain won't quite be the same as a chain with stiches in it.  However, in general, you can make a chain longer than you think you need it, turn and make stitches across it, and later pick out the excess chains (it won't unravel).  I do this all the time when a pattern says to make a long chain, I throw in a few extra in case I miscounted, I'd rather pick out a few than start over if I undercounted.

What you should have done is make a gauge swatch before starting -- but since you have made an immense gauge swatch by accident by making a piece of fabric that unfortunately doesn't fit, figure out how many stitches of that WOULD work, rip and start over.  I wouldn't attempt to keep what you have and make it work in the other direction.

However, having said all that stuff above, I am also pretty sure that this is knit sideways (and looks like 1x1 ribbing), and is not crochet at all (or a stitch I don't recognize, or the person posting the pattern was not a native English speaker--in some languages the word for knit and crochet is the same, maybe the poster used both English words to cover all the bases); a row of stitches travel from armpit to waist, not bust down or hem up.  Knit is a lot stretchier than most crochet fabric, and ribbing even more so. (I think the 'knot' in the garment name should have been 'knit').  

If you want something that looks similar, in crochet, aside from the shaping needed it's probably going to need to button or tie closed.  I think you are better off finding a crochet pattern for something similar looking, where the designer has already figured all this out for you.

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Granny Square