first row jitters

[shelly_bean]

for some reason I can never get thru the first row without frogging it at least once. Case in point my current project I have frogged 3x now. i just can't make it through that first row perfectly. anyone else?

[YarnFeather]

I do the same thing.

[Pear-Kitten]

I did that with both arms and one of the feet for the bunny I'm working on. I tend to do it when I'm not concentrating enough on that first row.

[craftygal24]

I thought I was alone on this. LOL It's nice to know someone else does it also!

[Real Deal]

The first row is always the hardest. Once I was able to make a more consistent chain, that helped.

 

Then when I'm putting in the first row, I hold the chain with both hands as I work along it, and that helps some too. In my hand with the hook, I'm actually holding the chain sort of clutched between my 2 smallest fingers curled against my palm. This way, the chain is held straighter and my stitches going into it come out more uniform.

 

Every 3 or 4 stitches of the first row, I stop and tug on them slightly to straighten the stitches and chain, then continue.

 

It's slow going, but when I get to the end, I don't have to do it over.

[Cherokee2]

Yeah, I've had to do that a few times. Once in a while I find I've got one too many, or few, chains, even though I have done the pattern stitch to the letter, it just comes out wrong somehow. Once I get that first row done, it's usually pretty simple. And then sometimes I have to frog and go to a smaller or larger hook, to get the gauge right. Also, some pattern repeats are a little complicated, and I lose something somewhere, especially when it has [...] and (...) over and over, or (..) within a [..]... that's really easy to get confused on.

[shelly_bean]

Yeah, I've had to do that a few times. Once in a while I find I've got one too many, or few, chains, even though I have done the pattern stitch to the letter, it just comes out wrong somehow. Once I get that first row done, it's usually pretty simple. And then sometimes I have to frog and go to a smaller or larger hook, to get the gauge right. Also, some pattern repeats are a little complicated, and I lose something somewhere, especially when it has [...] and (...) over and over, or (..) within a [..]... that's really easy to get confused on.

yup that is what happens to me, I just wind up not getting the count right the first few times, even though I can swear i didn't mess up. but then i will count back and be off.

[debbysewing7]

Isn't it great to come to the Ville and find out that a lot of other people have the same problem? I've found that I do it most if I'm tired. If I have to frog the beginning of something 3 times I've learned to put it aside till the next day and guess what? No problem at all. It is sooo irritating cause I could be so much farther along in the project.

~ Debby

[Kaylana]

I always have a hard time figuring out where to put the hook on that first row. If you just do one loop then it leaves odd looking little gaps at the bottom edge. I saw one website where she put the hook through the loop on the bottom instead and while it takes forever it does turn out looking really nice and it's convenient if it's an edge you're going to be crocheting together later.

 

But yeah, I frog things all the time. It's even worse when I get a few rows into a pattern and realize that my count is horribly off.