If you are new to crochet and maybe even if you’re not, you might find yourself in need of some crochet troubleshooting, especially with the crochet tension. In this post I will be discussing what to do when your crochet projects seem to be getting bigger or small as you go when it should be staying the same. There are two main reason that could be the culprit. They are adding/dropping stitches and crochet tension.
Adding/Dropping Stitches
Dropping stitches
It’s really easy to drop stitches. If you’re prone to dropping stitches, don’t work with super fuzzy or fluffy yarn as it’s really hard to find the stitches. It’s also common to accidentally drop the last stitch because it blends into your chain or a slip stitch. To avoid dropping stitches you should count after ever round or row, even if it’s just a single stitch in each round all the way.
Adding stitches
Adding stitches happens in much the same way. Make sure you are not doing a stitch over a chain if you’re not supposed to. Make sure you are skipping any stitches that are meant to be skipped. Again, the best way to avoid adding stitches is to use a tighter yarn and to count the stitches after every row.
Tension
Maintaining proper tension on a large crochet project is difficult. There are a few things you can do to make it a little easier. First, make sure you’re holding the yarn correctly so you have tension on your yarn while you’re creating your stitches. You need to have the yarn over your pointer finger, but not looped around it (if you loop the yarn its hard to keep the tension even because it gets too tight around your finger) make sure the yarn is also going between your ring and pinky finger. Keep your yarn taught in your hand, but don’t pull it too tight. The most important part is to make sure it’s the same tightness at all times.
Another thing to consider is the size of your crochet hook. Most of us have a certain amount of tension that we find easier to maintain. If you are prone to making your stitches very tight, consider using a larger crochet hook. If you have loose crochet tension, try a smaller crochet hook. Now this doesn’t always work for certain projects, like stuffed crochet. If you have loose stitches, you may have issues with stuffing sticking out or bulging. Other things to try are to: try holding your crochet yarn a bit tighter, pulling your yarn tight every time you yarn over or pull a stitch through, checking your project every round/row or two, and last but not least: practice.
Once you’ve mastered your crochet tension, try out this fun crochet project!
