Crochet-Along Clue 2: Spoilers and Photos

[Mist8012]

Ok I think I got it now! Thanx to everyone's help!
Yesterday I was ready to throw in the towel...but I kept at it and it looks great!

But, I have decided to change my MC into a lighter shade. I want to make this afghan for my 8 yr old daughter.
So, It'll make it more bright and fun!

Kelly

[zephyr]

Hi Everyone!!
I am having so much fun being reunited with my crochet hooks to participate in the CAL. I don't think I have crocheted anything for over a year! My clue 1 squares came out fine but I am also am having problems reaching 11 inches for my #2's. I started out with the H, tried the I and tonight had to go to the store to purchase the J hook and am still not at 11. Wondering if I should go for the K next! The J hook measurement comes to almost 10inches, still not quite enough. I don't know how much looser I can make my stitches!

resized.jpg

I ended up doing and extended double crochet for rounds 5-8. It added enough height to my stitches without making my gauge off.

eta:
An extended double crochet is a way to add height to a double crochet. It is taller than a double crochet, but not as tall as a treble crochet. You are basically adding a chain at the bottom of the dc.

This is how you do an extended double crochet (edc)

Yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 1 loop, (yarn over and draw through 2 loops) 2 times—1 edc completed.


CAL Clue #2 by mlmgates, on Flickr

[ambivalent]

For every one struggling with tension / gauge I have a whopper of a tip that I accidentally discovered while trying to figure out how to hold my yarn for knitting.
I crocheted for years always wondering why it was so tight all the time. I like to have control of my yarn. I want to feel it go through my fingers. I wrapped it around in a stair step pattern before and I really believe that was why I was always so tight. I Used to have it wrapped over the front and back of my hand, Not easy to put into words..

I then held it just looped over my pinky then up and over my pointer finger in my opposite (left for me) hand. I squeezed my ring finger gently to lock the yarn.
This was really odd for me and felt way wrong. Took making 18 of last weeks motifs before I got the hang of being looser. It felt wrong. But I measured my motifs and they were all 4.5 once I loosened up.
Pulling my stitches through felt like they would fall off the hook but I prevailed. At first I panicked all the time that I was going to be too large when done. So, one loop only and don't worry, the stitches will stay.

I have to do this too in order to get my gauge and it feels so very very wrong, but it makes it right. OR... I automatically size up a hook. Currently I'm sizing up a hook because I find that holding the yarn this way is great for going back and forth or around in granny squares, but I can't do anything more detailed than that.

I'm impressed you got the hang of it so quickly!

[stitchychic]

Clues 1 and 2 are done! Guess I've got some time to work on a gigantic granny square blanket, and/or the cross stitch design of the Titanic advertisement (which I promised my son for his 8th grade "graduation"......2 years ago!)
I have really enjoyed seeing all the colors!

[karenarp]

I'm impressed you got the hang of it so quickly!

truth be told I don't really have the hang of it, I have to keep reminding myself to hold the yarn this way, but it is feeling way less wrong than it did at first. I am afraid that all my WIP will now suffer big time. So I am going to have to get working on those and finishing them before i get way too confused

[WildKnitter]

Well, I FINALLY got the right size!

I checked the hook I'd been using, and it was a K, not a J, which meant I had to go up to an L to get the right size. I pulled out what I had down to the petal row and redid the motif, starting with that "ch5, sc, ch5, sc, etc." row. So, I guess the solution for me is going to be to do the first part using a K hook and the last part using an L hook.

[Nickersss]

I did it

Finished the first square. It's 11 inches exactly,using an I hook.

[Carolee]

After some sizing issues have finally gotten this one from 9" to just under 11".... Only slightly short now!!! Had to loosen up my stitches especially my ch. stitch

Love your colors

[sarahrtr]

1st clue 2 done. I was afraid I'd have to redo as it was under 10'', but read through the posts and decided I really needed to pin it out to see how much it really pulled. Glad I did, it didn't take much to pull to the correct size and the flower is now a little more flat. I recommend pinning you motif and see how you like it before ripping and redoing just by measuring.

[didedi]

Hi Everyone!!
I am having so much fun being reunited with my crochet hooks to participate in the CAL. I don't think I have crocheted anything for over a year! My clue 1 squares came out fine but I am also am having problems reaching 11 inches for my #2's. I started out with the H, tried the I and tonight had to go to the store to purchase the J hook and am still not at 11. Wondering if I should go for the K next! The J hook measurement comes to almost 10inches, still not quite enough. I don't know how much looser I can make my stitches!

resized.jpg

I ended up doing and extended double crochet for rounds 5-8. It added enough height to my stitches without making my gauge off.


CAL Clue #2 by mlmgates, on Flickr

I'm liking this solution to the gauge issue... really did not want to rip out the entire piece and use a different hook and hope it worked out. Would rather rip out only part if needed. Gonna try it when I get home tonight! Thanks!