flower dilemma

[juli]

i'm finally going to make the jessica simpson shawl and i found a very clear and awesome pattern for it

 

http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/crochet/flower_st.shtml

 

i made a sample piece and the only problem i'm having is that mine came out very dense and not as open as it should be -- it just looks like many flowers close together rather than long-petaled flowers w/ lots of space in between

 

how do i fix that

 

i tried making longer, looser stitches as well as shorter, tighter stiches, and it didn't do anything

 

any ideas???

[faithpa76]

Do you maybe need a bigger hook? Or maybe a finer yarn? What yarn & hook size are you using?

[juli]

Do you maybe need a bigger hook? Or maybe a finer yarn? What yarn & hook size are you using?

 

i'm using a fingering weight yarn, which i think is pretty much the thinnest available, and a bigger hook than suggested for it -- an I hook

 

[faithpa76]

I was looking at the pictures on one of the links she had in the directions - http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/crochet/celeb_poncho1.shtml - and they don't look as loose as the pictures of the actual celebrity ponchos - does yours look like the pictures of hers?? it looks like (to me) there's a difference between the one on the link you provided and the one where she shows samples of her stuff (the link I posted, scroll down).

 

Other than that - I have no clue. I hope you get it figured out because they're beautiful!

[juli]

I was looking at the pictures on one of the links she had in the directions - http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/crochet/celeb_poncho1.shtml - and they don't look as loose as the pictures of the actual celebrity ponchos - does yours look like the pictures of hers?? it looks like (to me) there's a difference between the one on the link you provided and the one where she shows samples of her stuff (the link I posted, scroll down).

 

Other than that - I have no clue. I hope you get it figured out because they're beautiful!

 

this picture looks more open...b/c mine hardly has any spaces at all

 

[faithpa76]

No I meant the pictures she has of finished ponchos - you have to scroll down further. Or I assume it's her - there are two, on a woman, both in dark colors.

 

I'd probably try a swatch going up another hook size or two. I crochet very very tightly and almost always have to go up at least two and sometimes more to get the right gauge - and even then sometimes I'll get the width but not the height. I haven't figured out how to get it all to even out yet.