Crochet Help & Fixes
Why is my crochet curling, shrinking or wavy? Clear answers to the most common crochet problems, with the cause, a quick check and the fix.
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Why Is My Crochet Curling? 5 Causes and How to Fix Each One
Why Is My Crochet Getting Smaller (or Wider)? The Turning Chain Problem
How to Count Crochet Stitches (and Rows) Without Losing Track
How to Block Crochet: Wet, Spray and Steam Blocking for Every Yarn
Newest crochet help & fixes patterns
Why Is My Crochet Curling? 5 Causes and How to Fix Each One
Crochet curls when one edge is tighter than the rest — usually the foundation chain — or when your tension is tight overall. Find your cause in a minute and flatten the piece without starting over.
Why Is My Crochet Blanket Curving or Slanting? (And How to Straighten It)
A blanket that bends like a banana, leans to one side or turns into a trapezoid has one of three problems: a tight starting chain, stitches lost or gained at one edge, or a twist from how you turn. Here is how to tell which, and fix it.
Why Is My Crochet Circle Not Flat? Ruffling, Cupping and Hexagons Fixed
A crochet circle ruffles when it has too many stitches, cups when it has too few, and turns into a hexagon when the increases stack. The exact increase formula for single, half double and double crochet circles, and how to fix each shape.
Why Is My Crochet Getting Smaller (or Wider)? The Turning Chain Problem
A piece that narrows is losing a stitch at the ends of rows; one that widens is gaining one. Nine times in ten it's the turning chain: working into it when it doesn't count, or missing the last stitch hidden under it.
Why Is My Crochet Chain Twisting? How to Keep It Flat
A foundation chain twists because each chain is a tiny spiral — it's normal, and worse when the chain is tight. How to keep it flat while you work the first row, and how to join a round without a twist.
Why Is My Crochet So Tight? How to Loosen Your Tension
If you can barely get the hook into your stitches, your loops are forming on the narrow throat of the hook or you're gripping the yarn too hard. Five ways to loosen your tension, from how you hold the yarn to choosing a hook.
Why Is My Crochet Stiff? How to Make Crochet Softer
Stiff crochet comes from a hook too small for the yarn, dense stitches, or a harsh yarn. How to make your next project drape, and how to soften one you've already finished with washing, conditioner and steam.
Why Is My Granny Square Wavy, Curled or Not Square?
A granny square ruffles when its corners have too many chains, cups when it has too few, twists when you never turn, and goes lopsided when a corner is skipped. How to spot each, plus the exact corner counts.
Why Won't My Magic Ring Close? How to Make It Pull Tight
A magic ring won't close when you pull the wrong strand, work the stitches over only one strand of the loop, or use fuzzy yarn that grips. The right way to make and close it, plus the double magic ring that never loosens.
Why Does My Crochet Have Holes and Gaps? (Rows, Rounds and Amigurumi)
Gaps at the start of rows come from a turning chain that's too tall; gaps in amigurumi from loose tension or decreases; gaps beside increases from working two stitches in a loose stitch. Each fix, explained.
How to Crochet Straight Edges (No More Wavy, Wonky Sides)
Straight edges come down to two stitches: the first and the last of every row. Where to put them for single, half double and double crochet, how to mark them, and how to tidy a wonky edge afterwards with a border.
How to Count Crochet Stitches (and Rows) Without Losing Track
Count the V's along the top of the row — one V is one stitch. How to count single, half double and double crochet, chains and rows, when the turning chain counts, and simple tricks so you never lose count.
About crochet help & fixes
Something gone wrong? Curling edges, a blanket that leans, a circle that ruffles, stitches too tight to work into: almost every crochet problem comes down to three things — stitch count, tension and hook size. Each guide here names the exact cause of one problem, shows how to check for it in a minute, and gives the fix, so you can save the project instead of starting over.
Common questions
What is the most common crochet mistake?
Losing or adding a stitch at the end of a row — usually by missing the last stitch or working into the turning chain. It makes the piece shrink or grow. Count your stitches every few rows and mark the first and last stitch.
How do I fix crochet without starting over?
Pull the hook out and gently unravel ("frog") back to the row with the mistake, put the live loop back on the hook and carry on. Most problems are only a few rows back.
Why does my crochet look different from the pattern?
Your tension differs from the designer’s. Make a gauge swatch and change hook size until your stitches per inch match the pattern.