Does this look right?

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

I can not thank all of you enough for the help you've given me :cheer

I am teaching myself to crochet, just started two days ago :lol and so far I'm proud of myself! After many MANY restarts, I've gotten about 6 inches of my first "project" done!! I'm pretty proud of myself!

It started out crooked (as you may have seen in another thread I posted) but I've got it going straight now!! But I'm nervous that my stitches don't look right... I really want to be doing this right! I'm doing a "Single Stitch" according crochetcabana's tutorial...

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/JacqueKorell/5f77b0dc.jpg

[donnalynn2]

I'm not sure, but it looks like perhaps you've got more stitches in some rows than others. Have you tried counting stitches to be sure you're doing the same amount of stitches in each row?

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

No, I know that's the problem I had originally!! I had way more in the first few rows...

my problem now is if the stitches look right, or if I'm not doing something write with the switching of rows

[donnalynn2]

Well, it's easy enough to mess up if not counting stitches. If I were you, I would make sure that you count as you work each row. Are you doing Single Crochets? Then more than likely you would CH 1 then turn and Single Crochet in the first stitch and across. The CH 1 would not count as the first stitch. Does this make sense or did I confuse you more?

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

Oh, I've got counting figured out :) I'm just curious if the stitches look right, as in does it flow together right...

[funkyreporter]

Ah, the cursed beginner's trapezoid! your stitches look nice and even and it appears you're getting them in the right space... just those edges are giving you the problem... you're either picking up or dropping a stitch each time you turn... very easy to do with single crochet... i sitll run into that if I'm not careful...

there was some good advice above; the counting, etc., and just don't give up:cheer we're cheering you on!

[AidanM]

The stitches themselves look just fine, my dear. And just remember that even if you don't like how they look now, the more you do it the better you'll get and the more even your sitches will become.

[Aggie May]

:think If you have a good look at the backgroung of this message board, you will see how SCs should look if you are doing them right.
When you get to the end of each row, work CH1, turn, then work the first SC into the very stitch that the CH sits on, then work right to the end, work CH1 then turn and do the same again. (The CH 1 just stops the sides from pulling but is not counted as a stitch.)
Makes a nice straight edge.
Always work through both loops of the stitch, on the previous row, unless the pattern says to work through only one.
When you get to DCs is when you need to remember NOT to work into the stitch the CH sits on.
It is all quite confusing to start with but as you get more adept at crochet, it all becomes clear.
Hope this helps.
Have fun.:hug
Colleen:hug

[liz31]

The stitches themselves look right. Good for you :cheer

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

I've figured out my problem with the trapezoid/triangle whatever :lol: I never learned how to CH1 ... :lol: So if anyone has a web link that shows this well, I'd love it!!

I can not thank you all enough for your help!

Also, which is the easiest stitch to make look decent? (As well as to actually make :lol )

[Yarnmistress]

www.stitchguide.com

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

www.stitchguide.com

I've been looking on stitchguide, but I can't find it... is there an exact url? (What does CH1 actually mean?)

Sorry if I sound like an idiot...

[Aggie May]

:cheer Never a silly question.:cheer

CH1 is just Chain 1.

CH = Chain.
ST = Stitch.
SS = Slip Stitch.
SP = Space.
SC = Single Crochet.
DC = Double Crochet.
TR = Treble.
TOG = Together.
YOH = Yarn over hook.

There are probably more but these are some of the abbreviations you need to know to start with.
You just need to learn how to do all of these things, but it will come with time.

Remember that Rome was not built in a day so dont beat yourself up because you do not know everything in the first few things you try.

I have been crocheting for many years and I still learn something new or just a new way to do an old stitch.
Never too young to start and never too old to learn.
Have fun.:hug
Colleen.

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

Aggie May,
Thank you so much for all of that :)

[Twinnish]

I'm nosy! I'd love to know what resources you have been using to teach yourself?

I learned many many years ago, then stopped after not very long, probably a few weeks. Being a teenager, I had other things on my mind. Somehow, my brain remembered a lot of it, over 20 years later. But I had to use some resources to kick start my brain.

I went to the library and got out every crochet book they had. I compared instructions from two or more books when I found confusing directions. For example, if I was trying to learn a half double crochet, I compared the directions from one book with the directions in another. One author would include a little detail about making the stitch that the other didn't.

I found that Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet to be very helpful. The illustrations helped me figure out where to put the hook and how the stitches are supposed to look. Also, www.stitchguide.com (http://www.stitchguide.com) was very helpful with it's action shots of stitches.

You have much enthusiasm and that's great! That will help you stay motivated! Keep it up and next thing you know you'll be making hats and afghans and socks and afghans and we'll be oohing and aahing over them. :hook

[MarriedtoaTrucker]

I have been using stitchguide.com & CrochetCabana.com (I hope it's ok that I post those!)

My first projects aren't turning out the greatest, and I've only mastered one stitch so far (Single Crochet) but I'm working at it... and I am persistant and I will succeed :) And my goal is to have a Blanket for my new nephew at the end of April and another for my *hopefully* niece in July...

[Chatty]

You're just learning so your projects won't look the greatest yet.

Keep practicing and soon all of your projects will look great :hook

[crochet.sandie]

It started out crooked (as you may have seen in another thread I posted) but I've got it going straight now!! But I'm nervous that my stitches don't look right... I really want to be doing this right! I'm doing a "Single Stitch" according crochetcabana's tutorial...

From what I can tell, they look okay, but it's hard to tell with the angle of the picture. White is also hard to do in pictures. I always have trouble getting it to come out so I can see the stitches. If you take a picture from above with your work lying flat, it might help. I sometimes will take pictures without flash when I'm doing a light color, and then fix it in Paint Shop Pro.

If your edges are straight, I'd say you're doing great! Practice makes perfect!

[eurolyons]

Although the edges may be off, the stitches look good...very proud of you...