Diagonal Shell Stich - RD Ultimate Source.

[jess315]

My square is coming out slanted:

 

Diagonal Shell Stich, p. 228 - Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet - Reader's Digest

 

 

Could someone else please give it a try?

 

I am using Caron's SS in Heather Gray and a J hook (Boye aluminum).

 

thank you, crochet detectives

[granny sunshine]

Looks like somehow you have increased, or your tension got very relaxed. Recount foundation row stitches and compare to last row worked. Make sure you haven't increased at your turning post stitch.

 

I have had this happen, and I had somehow increased at the very start of the afghan, making it be slated.

 

Hope this helps. If not maybe someone else has an idea.

 

This is beuatiful stitch project and I love the color you have chosen.

 

Granny Sunshine

[alibra]

It looks like you have increased by at least one shell...count as you go it helps to keep you on target with the stitches. Not a bad thing frogging can be good for the soul..and the project..lol

[jess315]

thanks gang. I recounted. I have 10 shells on the first row, and 10 shells on current row. I have messed up some tricky diagonal shell patterns before and know what you're talking about. My tension usually remains pretty even. I'd rate my experience as upper-intermediate.

 

I say it's the pattern and that is why I'd like someone else to give it a try. I will frog this and start over, with K hook for the chain and reduce to an "I" hook for the pattern, but i think it will be the same. I'll report back here.

[magiccrochetfan]

This is probably not much help, but it looks to me like you are actually increasing on one end and decreasing on the other . That causes both edges to slant and your stitch count will stay correct, even though your whole structure is slanting. I don't have the RD book. Does it give a good description of how to end and begin rows? I think that is where the problem is.

[jess315]

hi, thanks. the beginning and ending of repeating rows 2 & 3 are pretty clear (there is one typo that has a parenthesis instead of a comma).

 

I happened to stop by the bookstore at lunch and caught a tip from the "The Crochet Answer Book" - about fabric patterns that have a bias. the tip was to relax the stich you're stitching into to try and eliminate the bias.

 

since i'm already using a J, i guess i can try sticking with that and making the connecting chains and sc's that the shell goes into looser.

[Selune]

I gave it a try, and am having no problem lining up my shells, so it's not the pattern. Sorry. It looks like you may be putting your first shell on the 3rd row into the wrong stitch. Are you putting it into the stitch directly under your hook after you turn? It looks like you are either:

1. skipping that first stitch and ch-3 and doing the first shell into the second sc of the previous row, or

2. possibly putting your shell into the top of the previous rows 2dctog instead of the sc, or

3. on row 3, putting a shell in the last stitch instead of just a sc in the last stitch.

 

Let me know if any of that makes sense. I'll post a picture shortly.

[Selune]

 

Higher resolution images:

 

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m67/Selune13/IMG_2047.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m67/Selune13/IMG_2049.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m67/Selune13/IMG_2050.jpg

[jess315]

THANK YOU! lol @ cat hair on stuff mine has doggie hairs in it.

 

so, no to 1 & 2... 3...probably not but i'll check it. I'm looking at yours...

 

at end of row 2, are you putting the last sc into the top of the turning chain, or into the top of the last dc?

 

(btw i retried mine last night with tighters and loosers here and there and it is still slanting. argh)

[Selune]

Top of the turning chain, I believe. I'll have to double check. That in itself shouldn't be throwing you off that much, though.

[Selune]

Oh, yeah, and I constantly crochet with cat hair. I'm thinking of pulling it all together and using it as yarn.

 

Sophie, my oldest, has the finest little hair that it just floats through the air. It's insane. You should see my thread crochet, every little cat hair just stands out so much.

[jess315]

ok, i give in, i guess. there is a lean in my work and it's probably just the way i'm crocheting. Selune, what size hook and what yarn did you use?

 

Here's my final results:

 

compensated for fabric lean by crocheting into the stich before the top of turning ch, except for last sc of row 3 which follows instructions:

 

i thought maybe the lean just wasn't showing up in Selune's smaller swatch, so I tried one when I was finished. heh. i still gots tha gangsta lean:

 

completed and attached. slightly tugged into upright position. will fit into a 20 square sampler. slight difference in size acceptable:

 

thank you guys for your suggestions. i must just have some thing goofy going on in my basic stich. usually doesn't cause any problems?

[Selune]

I used worsted weight and J hook. When I look at the swatch you did according to the directions, it looks like all the stitches are in the same place as mine, so I think you're getting the pattern down perfectly. Looks quite good tugged into place. Maybe that's just what you have to do with that stitch. It's possible that I just tend to tug and self-correct as I go? Who knows? Looks good anyway.

[jess315]

ok blanket's done: http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55609

[jess315]

alright i have a confession to make here. thank goodness i realized what i was doing! the basic YO or yarn over....wouldn't you know it, i was YU or yarning UNDER but only on the single crochet stitch.

 

So, finally realizing that and with Selune's help, i know this pattern will come out upright if with a slightly tighter gauge and doing the YO correctly.

 

i have noooo idea how, why, or when i started yarning under on my single crochet but DOH ARGH woops!