Made-up Carriage Cover with Flowers

20 years ago

Hi! My first post on this forum. I see lots of helpful hints already. I've done a fair amount of crocheting and knitting, and, though I don't have a problem with keeping the tension and stitch size even, I have the biggest problem keeping the work's edges straight when I crochet - I seem to lose or pick up stitches pretty easily. I'd swear I was following the directions perfectly, and even then . . . (Actually, I have found that just because they are in print, the directions are not necessarily accurate, and I have adjusted them with somewhat better results.) But, the first time I made something without a pattern of any kind, I still had the same problem, so I couldn't blame it on faulty instructions. Anyone have any suggestions for keeping the stitch count accurate other than counting stitches every row :-]? I'm posting a couple of pictures of a carriage cover I finished recently - the one with no instructions and a made-up pattern. Don't know if you can see that it tapers inward toward the top - I pretended I made it that way on purpose!

Here is a link that might be useful: tapering carriage cover - crochet

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Comments (4)

Glitter53
20 years ago
What beautiful work you do, Suse!! It's gorgeous!
Sorry I can't help with stitch counts (I usually just do a count every few rows if I'm thinkin' that I'm gaining or losing a few stiches, lol)...just wanted to compliment you on your cover! ;-D

OH! It occurs to me that someone on here posted something about placing a marker evenly every so-many stitches to keep track of things...would that work for you? Like, a marker (I like those wee hair elastics for kids) every 10-20 stitches, depending on how many you have on your needles?
minnie_tx
20 years ago
Yes, you do beautiful work.
I find that when I start a row that after a few stitches I go back and put a safety pin in that first chain or stitch and then put another one in the last one on the row.
I've tried counting too.
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suse17
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks, Glitter and Minni -

I'll try using markers of some kind. Maybe that will help. It's very frustrating to have to re-do, and I'm really trying to avoid it.

Glad you liked the cover. The new mother I made it for actually hung it on the baby's wall instead of using it in the carriage, trapezoidal shape and all!
ell_in_or
20 years ago
I was a volunteer at the fair this year, and I was admiring one of the pieces and asked the judge why it had been scored slightly lower than another piece. The judge showed me an uneven edge (that I hadn't even noticed) and said that variability in tension caused the edges to be uneven, even when the stitch count was right on the money. This was on a thread crochet piece, and once she pointed it out to me, I could see kindof a wavy edge. Perhaps your taper is due to some stitch count inconsistencies and also variable tension? Anyway, it is a beautiful little carriage cover regardless, and I love the flowers. I'd hang it on the wall too. :-)