Following Pattern

[twinfaye]

The bottom line is you have to count and I think you always will have to. I know I do and I've crocheted for a long time and made a lot of things. So if you crochet you count simple as that. I wish you didn't have to believe me I hate counting. Good luck

[Magnolia Blossom]

I've been crocheting for a long time and still have to count and place markers. If I don't it gets larger or smaller and then I have to frog it. As Eva said, the stitch markers really help especially on each end.That seems to be where I have the most trouble.

[Pixieglitter]

Hello and welcome to CT! You'll find tons of advice in this group of really great people.

Like many of the others, I've also been crocheting a long time, and I still have to count count count. It's always easier to count than to have to pull it all out and start over. The one thing that is still easy for me to mess up on is at the end of a row when I chain and then turn. Make sure you're not putting the first stitch of your new row in the bottom of the chain. That's the one thing that always messed me up. When you're doing it, you feel like you're skipping a stitch. Just sit back and look at it first and you'll see that the chain counts as the first stitch in your new row. It might help you to see that the first chain is actually the base of your first "stitch" of that row.

Hope this helps!

Shelley

[trueblue2007]

Hi Gmamoses. If I am reading your post correctly, you are struggling with your first (foundation) chain being tighter than your subsequent rows as you go along. This can make your work seem to taper outward as your work upward. I often have the same problem, but have found one thing that seems to help. I learned how to begin a project with what is called the foundationless single or double crochet. I often use this method for beginning a project, even when the first row of the pattern doesn't call for single or double crochet. It usually doesn't seem to make that much of a difference in the project. In this method, you are crocheting your first row as you are creating your foundation chain. It's a little tricky when you are first learning how to do it, but once you have done it a few times (I recommend practicing just the first row and chain several times before you try using it in a project) it gets much easier. It has improved the consistency of the width of my projects more than I could ever have believed possible. Has anyone else found this to be true for them?

[ejatchison]

When I am crocheting a baby blanket I always crochet in the the same loop as the chain 2 (3 etc) space and the will be my 1st stitch in the new row, then count your stitches to the end. my grandmother taught my this and it is also in the many crochet pattern books to do this as well. I hope this helps. I use to have the same problem with the slanted ends until I remembered what I was taught.

[LI Roe]

Like the saying goes in real estate, it's location, location, location, the same (I think at least for me) is count, count, count. I have been crocheting forever and still count constantly. Saves a lot of time and frustration. Been there, done that.

LI Roe

[Pixieglitter]

trueblue - I've never heard about the foundationless method. I'm going to look it up. Thanks for mentioning it!

Shelley

[trueblue2007]

Shelley, you are welcome. Here is a link to a website that walks you through how to do it step-by-step. Crochet Spot » Blog Archive » How to Crochet: Foundation Single Crochet (fsc) - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News
Here is a link that has a video of how to do a foundationless single crochet.
Many sites seem to call it Foundation Single Crochet, but I learned it from a site that called it Foundationless Single Crochet, and I have seen many sites that call it Foundationless, so don't let the name screw you up. Just learn the technique and you'll have a lot more size consistency in your work. Good luck!

[trueblue2007]

Hi All. For some reason, when I did the google search that returned the links that I shared above, google changed the wording of my search from Foundationless to Foundation. I just managed to get google to give me results for Foundationless, and these sites were among the returns. LazyTcrochet: Foundationless Double Crochet or DcChain and
. Sure hope these are helpful. One thing I have found helpful in mastering this method is to pinch the last stitch between my left thumb and forefinger (I am right handed). That makes it easier to tell which stitch to go into next.

[amanda]

I agree with everyone! Counting is very important! I still get confused as it seems a lot of us do, especially at the turning chain! I'm working on a my first shawl so it was confusing trying to do the opposite, to make it go out! I did it though! GOOD LUCK! I hope everyone helped and thinks for those foundationless tutorials, I watch a lot of them when I can't figure something new out! They really help! LOVE YOUR FRIEND MANDA!