Happy Tip Tuesday! Today, I’m going to share my trick with you for getting a lovely, even gauge when you crochet.
Grab your yarn and hook, and follow along!
Step 1: Make sure your loop is on the shaft of the hook. This is where the hook size is measured, so it’s where you’ll want to put your yarn to get the appropriately-sized stitch.
Don’t know where the shaft is? Don’t worry! Check out this crochet hook anatomy lesson! It’s basically the even cylinder above the handle. If you pull your loop tight around the throat (the skinny part near the hook), you’re going to get too-tight stitches.
Step 2: Look for the teardrop-shape. What teardrop shape? Take a look at your hook head-on. The loop should look like an upside-down teardrop that fits snugly around your hook.
Do you see it?
Why is the upside-down teardrop shape so important? Because you’ll need that point to slide the hook through while stitching!
See how my hook is sliding through? If your loop is a perfect circle (strangling the poor hook!), then your hook is probably going to get caught on your loop as you try to pull yarn through- making crocheting very frustrating!
Step 3: Check for the teardrop at every step. Look at me! I’m single crocheting!
Now, take a look at my loops… still in the teardrop shape! To get a nice, even gauge, you’ll want to check these loops to make sure they are the right shape at every step. A lot of beginning crocheters let their stitches get super huge (a non-snug teardrop) while they’re in the middle of the stitch, which leads to very loose stitches.
Follow these three steps, and you’ll get beautiful, even stitches every time! Rock on, teardrop!
Very useful tip, one we don’t normally think about. Thank you.
Perfrct timing! I just started crocheting this week and sometimes my loops are too small/big. I think it’s because I have fluffy lumps about 1″ big all around and was always conscious of the V–sometimes it was perfectly well done, which would lead to frustration for future projects. Thanks for being bookmarkable! I’m actually doing just fine with the treble stitch; I hope my first real project turns out well.
Some people are too clear, some too concise. Very few are able to help me on this worldwide Internet…usually for no more than one tutorial.
Thanks for the perfect Saturday-soak tutorial.