How to loosen stitch tension?????

[yirishrose]

Any one out there have any suggestions for loosening the tension a person crochets in or is it with? I have tried bigger hooks to get correct guage but if I get #of stiches per inch right I cant seem to get # of rows correct as I crochet to tightly any suggestions? (By the way I usually have to go up 2 hook sizes)

[smyz64]

Relax. Crochet a swatch before starting your actual project each time. And if you do it tight, just do what you are doing, use a bigger hook. I used to crochet so tight you couldn't see daylight through my doilies!

[sparkles]

Have to admit, I sometimes crochet so tightly that I have trouble getting my hook through the loops! I do find, tho, that I automatically go looser as I go to bigger hooks. And when I get the stitches right for the gauge, then the rows are messed up! I think it also depends on the yarn, as some loops seem to almost catch themselves on the rest of the yarn when being pulled thru. (Does that make any SENSE????) And that only exaserbates the problem of the tightness.

 

I would suggest that you use whatever hook it takes to get the stitches in the right gauge. Most patterns say to go so many inches before decreasing for the arm, for instance. That you can do no matter how many rows it takes and still be "on". The stitch is harder to fudge, IMHO.

[Roli]

I agree Sparkles. If you can get the stitch number correct, then you can always add more rows to make the item the correct length. You just have to be careful when making wearables that you make sure to make the armhole and sleeve cap the right length according to the schematic. Some patterns won't give measurements, just the number of rows. In that case, I usually look at a similar pattern that has a schematic with measurements to get my lengths!

[queen_mo]

When I first started I crocheted tightly as well, but I also found the yarn grip method that they suggest (i.e. wrapping around and between your fingers) very uncomfortable. So I started just holding it under my pinky, which allows for a lot more control of the tension of the yarn. For a while, I still crocheted kind of tight, but eventually it got more comfortable and easy and now my tension is usually right on for the pattern.

[yirishrose]

Thank you for your help my only problem is that by crocheting so tightly it makes wearables awfully stiff and unflexable so there by also making them uncomfortable to wear. ie sweaters etc

[kahud48]

My 2 cents

 

When I learned I was lucky to have had an instruction book that taught loose crochet. It said that you would not have problems with tendonitis and such, and that your patterns would come out more do-able and that you would always have no trouble inserting your hook into your stitches.

 

It taught you to use the round of your hook as you chochet and it would always set the exact size----do this by sliding your stitch up over the round of the hook and use your second finger (right hand) to place on the stitch on the hook and hold while you take up your next stitch. Still be sure to keep the slack out (using left hand) at the same time. Don't know if I explained this as well as the book but I hope it helps.

 

Maybe this will show more clearly what helped me to learn loose crocheting:

CAN CLICK ON PIC AND ENLARGE

 

[viggie]

I have a knife grip, and formed the habit of bringing the yarn all the way up to my first finger on the hook. In fact, now my forefinger automatically comes up slightly off the hook and touches the yarn with each stitch. My motions are a little exaggerated bacause of this, but the stitches stay nice and even because it assues that the loop is brought to the same place on the hook and therefore opened to the same size each time you stitch.

 

I've also never wrapped the yarn around my fingers at all and let it flow freely.