Having extreme difficulty with something that seems easy . . .

Hi, Cherie! Are you using the front loop, the back loop, or through both? Noreen

Maybe it isn't your fault. Single crochet _won't_ line up perfectly. If the designer thought it did, they're wrong. Each stitch is done in the middle of the previous row's stitch, so inevitably they must be off by half a stitch per row. Now, three sc's could center over the original two, and maybe there is a typo in the pattern. (An editor who was more used to knitting might have made that mistake.)

Things I've read that seem to be very important for multi-color crochet designs:

When you do the last loop to pull through the last stitch of one color, use the color that you will need for the _next_ stitch. That last loop leans over and becomes part of the next stitch, so it has to match.

Carry whichever color you aren't using along inside the stitches - that is, lay it along the top of the stitch you are about to stitch through, so your new stitch holds it in place. That way, it moves along with you and you always have both to choose from for any stitch in the row.

HTH

=Tamar

Cherie

Have you read through the instructions at the beginning? It sounds like you are using tapestry crochet technique (similar to knitting's fair isle only you crochet over the yarn not in use rather than carry it across the back), which makes your gauge change due to croching over the yarns.

If you use intarsia technique, which I've seen most color crochet instructions call for, you do not carry the yarns across. You drop the yarn colors not in use, and when you get to where you need the next color, you insert hook into last sc of the old color and draw up the sc loop. Then, you drop the old color and use the new color to complete the last sc of the old color, and now you have the new color on the hook. You do the # of sts you need in that color, and use a new ball of the first color if it's only 2 colors you're using, always changing them as described above, to make the image reversible and not distort the gauge.

They might also call for you to do something different, like where you place your hook, around the body of the stitch for a raised effect (like waffle stitch) rather than into either one or the other or both top loops which would effect how the stitch lines up.

Some color patterns call for you to cross stitch the image onto plain crochet after the body of the item is done, or they may tell you to take your yarn and embroider around an image to even it up after the crocheting is done.

Finally, it could just be an error in the pattern. I've found tons of errors in many patterns over the years.

HTH!

Leah

Hi,

Thank you for your replies. I am using both loops. I am not following a pattern with instructions; just a graph that had the design I wanted to place on the afghan.

I am getting close to the point where I will cross-stitch the pattern on the finished sc area! The problem with that is I have a much larger project to tackle that uses a charted design and I wanted to learn the process with this project. I have seen so many beautiful afghans done by following a graph and changing colors with single crochet. I especially like the fact that it is reversible. There must be a way!!!

Thanks to everyone for their replies! It means so much especially when stressed out over something that seemed simple!

Cherie

Hi,

Thank you for your replies. I am using both loops. I am not following a pattern with instructions; just a graph that had the design I wanted to place on the afghan.

I am getting close to the point where I will cross-stitch the pattern on the finished sc area! The problem with that is I have a much larger project to tackle that uses a charted design and I wanted to learn the process with this project. I have seen so many beautiful afghans done by following a graph and changing colors with single crochet. I especially like the fact that it is reversible. There must be a way!!!

Thanks to everyone for their replies! It means so much especially when stressed out over something that seemed simple!

Cherie

I was tempted to try that kind of pattern when I saw one of those amazing picture afghans, but I never got around to it.

Does the other pattern give directions for the technique, or just a graph? Does that graph show stitches directly above each other? Does it say something like 'put the hook through the stem of the stitch'? (That's the only way I can think of that would let a single crochet stitch be made directly above one in a previous row, and it doesn't sound right either.)

Is crochet graph paper set up to in a brick-work pattern?

=Tamar

I was away when this was first posted, so maybe my response is too late to do any good.

When you're doing a charted design in single crochet, you have to do the final loop of the old color with the yarn for the new color. In other words, when doing a single crochet (double in British terminology) in red and blue, on the stitch before the color change, begin using red and then do the final yarn over and pull through with the blue yarn. This is very important. If you don't do this, the yarn will indeed be in the wrong place when you need to pick it up.