Whether you are new to crocheting or have years of experience it is common to make some mistakes. Even though you have the best crochet hooks and yarn and follow every step mentioned in the pattern, the finished project does not look the way you wanted. Making mistakes and learning from them is how you become a pro crocheter. Most mistakes can be fixed, but even if they cannot, you still learn by unraveling the work and beginning again.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the most common crochet mistakes and how to fix them.
Not reading the pattern
Maybe you get too excited about the project that you skip reading the pattern properly, then realize, too late, that you missed a step or don’t have enough yarn on hand. Before starting with a project, take a moment to familiarize yourself with all the instructions, and you’ll be much better prepared for whatever surprises the pattern has in store.
Not Understanding Gauge
Gauge is a measure of your stitches. If you are following a pattern or even if you are not, the first step of any crochet project is making a gauge swatch and getting the measurements. You crochet a small square with the wooden crochet hooks and yarn that you’ll be using in a project. You make the same stitches mentioned in the pattern. After you have a square of 6 inches bind off, wash, and block. When it’s dry, with a measuring tape, mark an inch on the swatch and count the stitches horizontally for the stitch gauge and vertically for the row gauge. If you get more stitches than mentioned in your pattern change the hook size to a bigger one and if you have fewer stitches then go down a hook size.
Mistaking U.S. and U.K. terminology
Crochet has its own language of terms and abbreviations. An important factor to keep in mind is that UK terminology and US are different. Most patterns will specify the terms or abbreviation, or put the alternative name for a stitch in brackets. But just in case, here’s a really useful conversion chart to help you understand the different basic crochet stitches.
| USA /Canada | UK/ Europe |
| slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (ss) |
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble/triple (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
| double treble/double triple (dtr) | triple treble (trtr) |
| Gauge | Tension |
| skip (sk) | miss |
| yarn over (yo) | yarn over hook (yoh) |
Not Counting The Starting Chain Correctly
The backbone of most crochet projects is the starting chain. Learning to make chain stitches is one of the first things you will learn when crocheting. A very common mistake is not understanding the structure of the chain and not placing your first stitch in the right chain. This will result in too many or not enough stitches, and if you aren’t counting those stitches, then your project is doomed from the start. The best way to avoid or fix this problem is to practice making chains of the same size and see the loops of each chain to understand where you place the crochet hook. You also need to understand the turning chains and if the slip knot is counted or not.
Crocheting too tightly
Making too tight stitches is a common mistake in crochet. This happens when we hold the yarn too rigidly and wrap it around the hook too tightly. This can be due to the different nature of the yarn or if you are using the wrong hook size. And, also many beginners make this mistake more often but as you become more experienced, you and your crochet stitches will relax, and the tension of your early projects will become a thing of the past.
Losing or gaining stitches
This easily happens with scarves or blankets where any mistakes in counting rows or stitches really leap out. You are working smoothly but you notice that the project is getting lopsided due to the reason of either losing or gaining stitches. There are many reasons for this. You may be missing the turning chain (necessary when you reverse the work to start another row). Another cause is while you crochet, the yarn may be splitting due to a sharp hook and then working the stitch twice. The easiest way to correct this is to unravel the row. You can keep a note of your rows as you work them to make sure the work is even.
All crocheters make mistakes, but all improve, too. Be focused on the craft, and choose smooth crochet hooks that feel good to work with. With the successful completion of projects, you’ll feel the pride of your handmade labor. To avoid mistakes and have the best crochet experience, always invest in quality products. Experiment with crochet hooks in terms of materials and sizes before settling upon one for your project.
