Why is my Crochet Blanket Wavy Curling & Crooked Tips to Fix

A common problem that crocheters encounter is having crooked, wavy, curling or uneven edges on their crochet blankets. There are 3 reasons why this happens and how to fix them!

• Tension
• Adding or Skipping Stitches
• Wrong Hook and Yarn Combo

Read on below about why these common mistake happens and how to fix them so your next project is perfect!

If you already have a completed blanket with crooked, wavy, curling or uneven edges read this post I wrote on how to fix your blanket once it is done!

Your Crochet Tension

Tension in crochet is how tightly or loosely you create your stitches. Your tension can change for many reasons, these include:

• How much time you have been crocheting, 5 minutes? 5 hours?
• Does the blanket pattern have color changes?
• The type of yarn, sometimes it is slippery!
• The type of crochet stitch.
• Are you using an ergonomic crochet hook?
• How are you sitting?
• The time of day.
• Did you take a break from this project?
• Your foundation chain is too tight for your stitches.
• Your turning chain is too short or too long.
• You are mixing different yarns. 

How to Fix Your Crochet Tension

1. If your tension is off because you have been crocheting for a while the best way to fix it is to take a break for a little bit and stretch your hands. Stiff hands can cause tight stitches on your crochet project.
2. Color changes can also give you wonky edges. The way you are adding a different color can cause you to tug on your yarn and make the tension in that area different. Color changes done within rows can have the same affect since you can have some added bulk when changing colors.
3. Believe it or not, yarn can be slippery causing your stitches to lose their structure. When this happens the blanket can stretch funny and give you a wavy edge or wavy sections. There isn’t much of a way to fix this other than making a larger swatch to see how the yarn responds. Take notes of yarn you have used in the past that may have had this issue on smaller items and avoid them for blankets. 
4. The type of crochet stitch can affect your blanket edges! The way you turn on rows and if you are using chains or something more structural like a Stacked Single Crochet will affect the edge. Some more textured stitches like puff stitches or cables can change the row height and width making the end of the row curve and wave. Also the stitch you star with be it a starting chain or a foundation row of stitches can make that first side of the blanket pinch.
5. The type of hook and crochet hook size can affect your tension. Uncomfortable hooks can cause hand pain and fatigue which will in turns make you form your stitches differently. Too small a hook can be hard to work with for a long period. Surprisingly, a larger hook size can also cause hand pain since holding and maneuvering the hook can be straining on your muscles. 
6. If you consistently change your position you might make your stitches differently making your finished project lose its desired shape. Are you lounging in bed, sitting at a table or at your couch? Leaning on the arm of a chair? Be mindful of how you sit when you crochet because working in different locations can give you an uneven crochet blanket!
7. Not many people realize the time of day will change your crochet tension as well. When you wake first thing and crochet versus crocheting at bed time will change your gauge because your hands may be stiff or fatigued. A good solution if you find this to be an issue is to only work on certain projects at specific times.

Adding or Skipping Stitches

Aside from tension, adding or skipping stitches is probably the most common reason for wavy crochet edges and crochet curling. The nice thing about adding and skipping stitches is that it isn’t so much of an experience issue like tension. 

Crochet tension you have to physically adjust and master. Adding and skipping is counting and knowing where to place your stitches.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you never miss a stitch so you have straight edges on your finished blanket or other crochet projects.

1. Start with a smaller stitch count. By beginning with fewer stitches you have less to count and less to fix if you have extra stitches or fewer stitches in a row. A baby blanket is great practice before a large project if you are struggling with keeping the correct stitch count.
2. Use stitch markers in your first stitch and last stitch to have beautiful final results! If you are working in larger sizes with a lot of stitches, divide it up. Maybe you have 300 stitches in a row, try placing a stitch marker every 50 stitches to help you keep count in the row. This is a great trick with basic stitches but especially with a pattern that has a complicated repeat.
3. Try a larger yarn weight. Typically, it is easier to see your stitches with larger yarn. Sometimes it is hard to see the last stitch at the end of a row, but bigger yarn will help the top of the stitch to stand out. It is easy to skip that first or last stitch when learning how to place stitches, big yarn will help you see them better!
4. Check your previous row before moving to the next. For a long time I always counted my stitches after I completed a row. After a few mishaps I would rather take the time to count than realize later that I had missed a stitch. 
5. Believe it or not but the yarn color helps too! Have you ever crocheted with tiny black yarn? Compare that to a large lighter colored yarn, I am sure you know which one you can see better! Choose a yarn color that will be easier to see and you will be less likely to skip or add stitches!

Wrong Yarn and Hook Combo

This is a problem I was guilty of many times over when I first started to crochet. I was too exctied to start a new project that I didn’t gauge swatch or have the proper combo suggested in the crochet pattern. I would just grab what looked good and start my next project. 

That next morning after staying up way too late I would wake up with my crochet blanket curving and no idea why. I’d recount to see if I have the correct number of stitches and to my surprise the count would be right…so what happened?

I’ll tell you, that hook and yarn combo was off! So, lets talks about why that happens and how to fix it!

Why does Hook and Yarn Combo Matter and How to Fix it?

If you do not pair the right hook size with the right yarn weight your crochet stitches will not form right. It doesn’t matter if you are using slip stitch, single crochet stitches, double crochet stitches, a combination of stitches, they just won’t form right. That’s why a yarn label recommends a hook size and gauge. That is your baseline for that yarn. 

If you use too small of a hook your stitches will pinch and the whole item can pucker resulting in a curved blanket or any type of projects that won’t lay flat.

If you use too large of a hook your stitches can be too loose making the whole thing fall weird. The stitches can tighten up unevenly making for a not-so-finished look on your blanket.

To make sure you have the correct yarn and hook combo it is always a good idea to do a gauge swatch. Your gauge swatch should not only measure properly BUT it should also lay flat! You don’t want to force it, it should lay flat naturally. 

I see time and time again people say that gauge isn’t important on certain projects but that is not the case, it is always important! 

Gauge not only ensures the correct sizing but also the correct yardage. If you can match gauge and all else goes well then you should end up with a blanket or project of the right size. 

Doing a gauge swatch is always your first best option to make sure you are on track to make a perfect crochet blanket with straight, even edges!

But honestly, the most important thing is to just practice and have fun. No one starts to crochet and has a perfect project the first time. It takes time to learn how you crochet best and what works well for you! So just have fun, eventually you will go from an uneven blanket to one that can lay flat! 

I hope you found these tips helpful and that your next project is perfect! If you already have a completed blanket with crooked, wavy, curling or uneven edges read this post I wrote on how to fix your blanket once it is done!