Elongated-looking amigurumi parts

mazurk1987

Well... I've been always struggling with kind of a problem when crocheting amigurumi. They tend to appear elongated compared to how they should look like. One could tend to think that the cause could be a lack of tension when crocheting, but the thing is I do crochet with lots of tension... sometimes there's so much tension that I actually have to struggle with the stitches to pull the hook through them! Another thing to rule out the lack of tension is the fact that, though they look elongated, they are actually much smaller than they should do. As an example: yesterday I finished an amigurumi bullterrier which, crocheted with a 2 mm hook, reached a height of 12 cm... I crocheted it with a 3,5 mm hook and it is actually 12 cm tall!

All of this has made me think that my amigurumi aren't exactly elongated, but rather narrowed. I mean, what gives them an elongated look is not the fact that they are too long, but that they are too narrow = because of the tension they don't reach the required width. Has someone come across something like this?

((Note: I actually can get decent results with my crocheting... 'cause I keep adjusting all the patterns so that they have the look I desire, but sometimes it's quite frustrating))

ChrisPBacon

Your issue may be compounded by your tension as many have mentioned above, but it may also include other factors. One issue may be due to the angle you hold your hook in relation to the stitches (sometimes referred to as "scooping", and determined by whether you are a  "yanker" "puller" or "lifter" type of crocheter).

Consider going up a hook size
consider yarning under instead of over
consider adjusting the angle your hook is in when you are pulling up stitches.

There is a informative blog page that might help you by Peppergoose. Just google: peppergoose stitch-anatomy-part-1-how-hooking-action-affects-gauge


Also thecrochetproject has some information on different types of crocheters (yanker puller lifter). Google: thecrochetproject how-the-angle-of-your-crochet-hook-affects-your-row-height

Doradoes also has a nice bit of info on "the golden loop" in crochet, which is the loop that affects your stitch heights. Google: doradoes how-to-adjust-row-height-to-meet-gauge-using-the-golden-loop

Please let us know how it goes

Frelldor

I think, on the contrary, your tension is excessive. If the hook passes through the loop with difficulty, this is wrong. You are deforming the product. You should not have holes between the loops, but the hook should still move more or less freely. Try to find the middle ground. But to be honest, in half of the patterns I knit, I also adjust. I knit a few rows less, sometimes more. The problem is that many patterns have errors. In addition, unscrupulous designers often save money and do not want to hire testers. As a result, they sell a pattern that is suitable only for one knitting style or one type of yarn. Therefore, you have to make your own adjustments.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon is very common, even in patterns that cost a lot of money.

mazurk1987

Yeah, that's it. I have an excessive tension. At the beginning I thought that the elongation could only be a consequence of lack of it, but it seems that an excessive tension can cause the same problem. As I said, fortunately I can adjust the patterns so they suit my way of crocheting

NUSA2

Daca stiti ca crosetati prea strans atunci folositi o croseta cu 0,5 sau 1 numar mai mare si asa se rezolva problema . ?

Everia

Hello, sorry to hear that. If you notice you are having difficulties when inserting the hook, I believe you are working with too much tension, or with a yarn too big for your hook size (or hook too little ahah) and the stitches are too crowded together :) It's a good idea to adapt your pattern, but try, for the sake of your wrists and hands to work a tiny bit looser... the nice thing about crocheting is that it won't unravel as easily, so try and do stitches without pulling as much or increase even more your hook size, so that it will force a bigger stitch :) Obviously if you're satisfied with your adjustments, keep it up! There's no wrong way to craft :)

Hollyhobby

Tension is one of the difficulties in crocheting or knitting. But differences in form makes your product unique in it's own way!

mazurk1987

Thanks for your answers... well, after watching the video I may be a lifter when it comes to single crochets... but I actually I made a swatch with double crochets and in that case I'm actually a rider!

I didn't mention that, but my adjustments have usually to do with 2 things:
1. I sometimes need to skip entire rounds to achieve the actual shape I am supposed to do (or the one that looks good to me on my project).
2. I have to rearrange rounds because my crocheting tends to lean to the right more than other people... so if I followed the pattern as it is, "shaping" rounds would look strange on my project.

Fortunately I know how to do that, but sometimes it's frustrating to start a project I know I'm capable of, but without knowing if you'll have to struggle with "design issues". It's like: I'm advanced in the intelectual part of crochet, but kind of a beginner/intermediate in the technical aspect.