Why Are My Crochet Edges Uneven? How to Keep Rows Straight

Uneven crochet edges come from gaining or losing stitches at the ends of rows. Missing the last stitch makes rows narrower, and working into a turning chain that does not count makes them wider. Count each row, put markers in the first and last stitch, and frog back to the last correct row.

By the Knit&Note team

If your crochet starts as a neat rectangle and slowly turns into a trapezoid, you are in good company. Edges that drift wider or narrower are almost always about the first and last stitch of each row. Those two stitches are the hardest to see.

Here is how to find where stitches are being gained or lost, and how to keep your edges straight from now on.

Narrower rows: missing the last stitch

The last stitch of a row likes to hide. It sits right next to the turning chain from the row below, it is often a little smaller than the others, and it can roll toward the back. If you skip it, you lose one stitch per row and the piece gets narrower.

Before you finish a row, look for the top of the last stitch, the two loops that look like a little sideways V. Turn the work slightly toward you if you cannot find it. Working into that stitch every time keeps the count steady.

Wider rows: the turning chain

At the start of each row you make a turning chain to bring the yarn up to the height of the next stitches. Whether that chain counts as a stitch depends on the stitch and the pattern, and mixing this up is the most common reason rows grow.

In single crochet, the chain 1 at the start of a row usually does not count as a stitch. Work your first single crochet into the first stitch, and do not work into the turning chain at the end of the next row.
In double crochet, the chain 3 often does count as the first stitch. Then you skip the first stitch at the base and work into the next one, and at the end of the row you work the last stitch into the top of the turning chain from the row below.

If you work into the turning chain when it does not count, you add a stitch. If you skip the turning chain when it does count, you lose one. Your pattern should say which method it uses. Read that line once and follow it the same way on every row.

Count your stitches

It is not glamorous, but counting is the most reliable fix there is. Count at the end of every row for the first few rows of a project, and every few rows after that once you have a rhythm. If the count is off, you know right away and only one row needs fixing.

Counting is easier on a smooth, light colored yarn. If you are working with something fuzzy or dark, take your time and count in groups of five or ten.

Use stitch markers in the first and last stitch

This trick makes the problem nearly disappear. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch and the last stitch of the row. When you come back on the next row, the marker shows you exactly where the final stitch is, so you cannot miss it. Move the markers up as you work each row.

Locking stitch markers are easiest, but a safety pin or a short piece of contrasting yarn works fine. Once your hands learn what the edge stitches look like, you may not need the markers at all.

How to fix it by frogging back

When you find a wrong count, you do not have to start over. Crochet has only one live loop, which makes undoing simple.

Find the last correct row. Count backwards row by row until the stitch count matches the pattern.
Take the hook out and pull the yarn. The stitches unravel easily. Crocheters call this frogging, because you rip it, rip it.
Stop at the end of the good row and put the live loop back on your hook.
Count once more, then carry on, with markers in the first and last stitch this time.

If the edge is only one stitch off over a scarf or blanket and you are happy with how it looks, you can also fix the count on the next row by working two stitches together or two stitches into one stitch. For anything that needs to fit, like a garment piece, frogging back is the better choice.

In the Knit&Note app

In the Knit&Note app the row counter remembers the row you are on, and you can mark your place and leave notes on the pattern, like whether the turning chain counts as a stitch. Tap any abbreviation to see what it means without leaving the pattern.

FAQ

Why is my crochet getting wider?

You are adding stitches, most often by working into the turning chain when it does not count as a stitch, or by working two stitches into the first stitch. Count each row and check how your pattern treats the turning chain.

Why is my crochet getting narrower?

Usually the last stitch of the row is being missed. It is small and easy to overlook. A stitch marker in the last stitch makes it easy to find on the next row.