Fixing common mistakes

The piece is getting narrower

Cause: skipping the first stitch after the turning chain, or missing the last stitch of the row (often the one that goes into the top of the previous turning chain). Fix: count the row. If it is one short, pull back to the start of the row and work it again, making sure the first stitch goes into the first stitch and the last into the last. For the future, put a marker in the first and last stitch of each row until the habit is fixed.

The piece is getting wider

Cause: working an extra stitch into the turning chain when it does not count, or putting two stitches in the first stitch. Fix: same as above, in reverse. Check the first page of the pattern for the turning chain rule and stick to it.

Holes where there should not be

• A gap at the start of every row: the turning chain is taller than the stitch. Use a shorter turning chain or a stacked single crochet instead of a chain 3 for double crochet rows.
• Random holes in single crochet: a skipped stitch, or the hook is too large for the yarn. Go down a size for toys and baskets.
• Holes at the center of a circle: the magic ring was not pulled tight, or the tail was trimmed without weaving. Pull the tail from the wrong side and weave it in a circle.
• A ladder of loose stitches in a row: tension changed, often after a break. Keep the working loop relaxed but the pull-through firm.

The circle is cupping or ruffling

Cupping (curling up like a bowl) means too few increases or a tight tension; add an increase round or go up a hook size. Ruffling (wavy edges that will not lie flat) means too many increases; take one increase round out. If the pattern's counts are right and it still cups, your tension is tighter than the designer's and the bowl will be a hat instead of a coaster; a larger hook fixes it. Amigurumi heads are meant to cup slightly; a flat circle that cups a little at 30 stitches is normal for a toy.

The foundation chain is twisted

Cause: the chain rotated before the first row was joined or worked. Fix: if it is the first row, pull it out and work it again, laying the chain flat on the table as you go. If it is a joined round and the twist is found on round two, pull back to the join; there is no way to untwist a joined chain later. For very long chains, use a foundation single crochet row instead, which cannot twist.

Ripping back

The stitches look uneven

Almost every beginner's first project is uneven, and almost all of it disappears with blocking. What does not disappear is a change in hook size mid project or a tension change after a long break. Keep the hook with the project so you do not switch without noticing, and when you pick a piece up after weeks, work a few rows and compare them with earlier ones before going far.

The finished piece is the wrong size

Cause: gauge. There is no other cause, and no fix after the fact except blocking within a few percent. Read gauge and the swatch before the next one. If the piece is nearly right, a firm block can pull a sweater 2 to 3 cm either way; a shawl can go much further.

Ran out of yarn

If the same dye lot is gone, buy the closest lot and alternate rows between the two balls for the rest of the piece, starting several rows before the old ball runs out, so the change blends. For stripes, change the stripe sequence rather than the color. For a garment, shorten the sleeves or hem slightly before adding a new color. And keep the gauge swatch: it is a few meters of the right lot.

When something is wrong and none of this explains it, count the previous row, check you are reading your size, and check the turning chain rule. Then open a support ticket with a photo; we like a puzzle.