Crochet is not a lost art, but it seems more people like computers than crafting. That’s why I like to break from looking at screens and do a craft project, and I just finished one. It’s going to be a Christmas present. So don’t tell anybody you read this.
The original pattern, which I’ve worked on for years, specified that it should measure 50 inches by 45 inches when completed, but the pattern makers disclaim any responsibility for their or your own errors when making a project. This means that human error is your own problem to fix, either by adjusting your stitch size or your crochet hook size until you figure it out.
I was already using a size Q hook, which is one away from OMG size, so I tried moving up to a size S. Bad idea. I wound up with what looked like a fish net. Going down a size to P made the piece even smaller.
So I’ve gone for quite a while unable to get my work to match the pattern’s specifications, and feeling like a second rate crocheter. My work always came out to about 35 instead of 50 despite my best efforts. My stitches weren’t too tight or loose, and my finished projects (about 15 of them to date) all were lovely. Still, something didn’t measure up. Logic dictated that 60 loops of yarn do not necessarily mean they would measure 50 inches. I came to the conclusion that the pattern had to be mistaken. The gauge, or stitch measurement, was wrong. Had to be. What to do? Use more yarn and more stitches.
My most recent project took eight skeins instead of the required six, and I ended up doing 20 more stitches to reach the desired width. It worked. I have a completed piece just the right size, and I don’t think the yarn police are going to arrest me.
I have two more projects to do, and obviously they won’t be Christmas presents, but somebody will have a great birthday gift soon.
Something tells me to buy stock in a yarn company.
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