So tonight a friend of my mom came over and showed us both how to crochet a simple toque (beanie?). The problem is, she had to go home eventually so now I'm off on my own doing what I think is right but am starting to doubt. As I spiral around, my circle of crocheted yarn is starting to bunch quite a bit. I have 6 spirals now (how do I explain that? 6 rows I guess?) and it's a good circle but it's folding as I keep going. I've looked online but unfortunately my google is down and yahoo isn't quite giving me what I need...how should it look at this point? I know this may be a confusing post but if anyone can tell me if this is okay I would SO greatly appreciate the advice!!
i'm not sure how to explain this either, but is it seeming to go UP and stay small instead of OUT and get wider? one thing that you have to pay attention to when making hats is to increase every row (or in your words "spiral"). you can do this by crocheting 2 stitches (two single crochets, two double crochets, etc. depending on what you're using) in one stitch, instead of 1 stitch in each stitch. patterns usually have you do it this way: first row - chain 4 (the first 3 stitches count as your first double crochet). double crochet 11 more times in the first chain (which is the 4th chain from the hook.) connect the last double crochet stitch to the first one with a slip stitch. you should have 12 double crochet stitches in a circle. second row- chain 3 (this counts as the first double crochet). double crochet again in the same stitch. Then, make 2 double crochet stitches in each stitch around, so that you have 24 double crochet stitches. third row - chain 3 (this counts as the first double crochet). double crochet again in the same stitch. make 1 double crochet stitch in the next stitch, and 2 double crochets in the next stitch. continue this around (1, 2, 1, 2). you will have 36 stitches. then for the next row you would do 2 double crochet stitches in the first one, and then 1 double crochet stitch in the next 2, and so on, so it would go (2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1) then the next one would be (2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1) that sort of thing. it's kind of hard to explain and i'm sorry if i just confused you more- basically you increase like that, until the hat is wide enough, and then just do 1 double crochet (or whatever stitch you're using) in each stitch around, until the hat is finished. let me know if this is totally confusing... i can find some patterns for you if you want.
Thank you for the quick reply and all the advice! I really appreciate having it written out in a way that makes sense The problem is actually that it does get bigger, but it seems like there's no room for the extra stitches in each row so they don't know where to go and just fold over. Like a flower almost... I've come to the conclusion that this is beyond fixable, which makes me really sad because I spent hours last night on it and now it looks like I'm ending up with nothing for it, but can you or anyone identify what I did wrong? I was doing double stitches so I don't know what I could have been doing?
yeah... that's probably what's going on. you have to find a happy medium. when a circle looks like that it means you have added TOO many extra stitches, lol. here is a great pattern for a basic beanie: http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2008/01/beanie.html do you know how to read crochet patterns? this one's pretty easy, and it has youtube videos. once you make 1 hat the technique becomes more familiar. groovy yarn by the way
Damn, the girl who showed me how to do it said that after the first row, double stitch every time until the hat is wide enough to go around your head, then drop a stitch every time. I must have interpreted her wrong...I'm not quite good at reading patterns yet as I just started, but should I just do like 2 normal stitches and then a double, then 2 normal and a double, or more, or less? It seems pretty basic but I think I have the basics wrong
haha yeah just do it like a pattern. first, double crochet 12 stitches in a ring, and connect the ring with a slip stitch. chain 3, and do 1 stitch in that same stitch so it looks like 2 stitches. do doubles in all the other stitches, so you should have 24 stitches by the time you get to the end of the row. connect the last one to the first one with a slip stitch. chain 3, and do 1 stitch in the same stitch so it looks like 2. do 1 normal stitch, then a double, then a normal stitch, then a double, all the way around so you have 36 stitches at the end. connect the last to the first one with a slip stitch. chain 3, do 1 stitch in the same stitch so it looks like 2. do 2 normal stitches, then a double, then 2 normal stitches, then a double, all the way around and you will have 48 stitches. do you see the pattern? juts keep going like that until the circle you make is wide enough, and then for each row just do 1 stitch in each stitch until it is long enough. i think that's as basic as i can get without showing you physically what yarn/hook are you using? when i do beanies i usually use medium weight yarn and a J hook.
