“Crochet Evenly Around”

I used to see these words and cringe but now…

I would think “Ahh, crochet evenly around, what does that even mean?” I just spent a week making a scarf, it was looking perfect, and then it would say to “crochet evenly around”. Every time I would try to crochet evenly around, my edges would pucker and my perfect scarf  wasn’t so perfect anymore. There is a reason for crocheting evenly around; it definitely adds a finished look (when you do it correctly) to the differences in rows caused by beginning chains and turned rows, and it gives a nice edging. So how do you crochet evenly around like an expert?

The general idea is that you single crochet all the way around the piece. It is easy to see where to place your hook when you are working the top and the bottom, it will go in the top stitches and on the bottom in the beginning chain. The hard part is figuring out where to place stitches along the sides. Those stitches will all be worked in the sides of the stitch or the turning chain which can get a little tricky. And what about those pesky corners? Let’s even up this piece!

Follow these rules:

1. In corners: 3 sc or (sc, ch 1 or 2, sc)

2. In dc end rows: place 2 sc

3. In hdc end rows: place 3 sc over 2 rows

4. In sc end rows: place 1 sc

5. In tr end rows: place 3 sc

If you remain consistent with the number of stitches placed in each end row, the 2nd side will magically look identical!

It can get a little trickier in some patterns where there  is shaping, for example, an armhole of a sweater, but if this is the case, the pattern should come with a specific stitch count or exact directions and won’t have simply “crochet evenly around”

Perfect!

If you really want to take it up a notch, check out this tutorial from Felted Button. She adds an extra step that really makes your project look great from the front AND the back!

http://goo.gl/4st2lB

How To Improve Your Crochet

2 Comments

1. 

   Liz

   April 24, 2016 at 8:06 am

   Thanks Emily, that’s very clear & easy to follow. I never really knew what to do with the corners! Mine came out too bulky.

   Reply
2. 

   Judy

   November 17, 2016 at 4:04 am

   Worked perfectly! Thanks.

   Reply