practicing sc, dc, hdc stitches

[Aineepooh1]

I have noticed ( I am practicing my stitches sc, dc, hdc) that my swatch is trapezoid in shape ( it was a square) I don't know what I am doing wrong unless I am increasing or decreasing somehow. Is that possilby what I could be doing wrong?

[natalie058]

More than likely, you're accidentally increasing at the ends of your rows, where you make your turning chains.

 

It can be tedious, but the best thing to do is to keep count of your stitches. If every row seems like too often, count every other row - then you won't have to frog back too far if you find a mistake.

 

If you count your stitches and find the count is same in each row, but you're still ending up with a trapezoid shape, then maybe it's a tension thing?

[Aineepooh1]

Thanks for replying

[Aggie May]

You dont need to count if you take notice of where you put your stitches at each end of the row.

You can have the correct number of stitches and still have the trapezoid shape.

At the start of a SC row, you work into the stitch the CH1 sits on and the CH does not count as a stitch.

At the start of a DC row, you just need to make sure you do NOT work into the stitch directly below the CH3, then at the end of the row you work into the top of the turning CH on the row below.

If you turn your work in an anti-clockwise direction after making the turning CH, you always have the front of the stitch wot work into when you get back to it on the next row. Makes a nice neat edge.

The HDC is a little different and if I were you, I would not even bother with it while learning because it can be a confusing stitch. Lots of people love it and use it a lot but it also causes more problems than any other stitch.

When you are practicing a stitch, you are wise to use only about 10 stitches because that gives you more chance to practice getting the beginnings and ends of rows going right.

Hope this helps.

Have un.

Colleen.