Expert: Bea Harrell - 11/20/2008

Question
QUESTION: I am crocheting a chevron pattern afghan and the edges are curling in.  What am I doing wrong?  I have made several afghans and have never had this problem before.

ANSWER: Hey, Cindy!  If you're using the afghan stitch, this article may help!
Most chevron patterns are also front heavy!

I took Robbie's question directly to a Tunisian (afghan-stitch) crochet expert, well-known designer Kim Guzman, and here are her suggestions:

"Tunisian crochet, like knitting, tends to have more fabric on the back side than the right side. For this reason, most projects will curl. It is just the nature of Tunisian crochet. However, there are ways to combat the curling and, in some cases, eliminate it altogether.

"The most common way to decrease the curling is to use a larger hook. With Tunisian crochet, I will usually recommend a hook that is two or three sizes larger than the recommended crochet hook size for the yarn. For instance, if the yarn band recommends a size I hook, I will usually use a K or L in order to achieve the best results. It doesn't mean the curling will be eliminated, but it will produce projects with less curling.

"My favorite means to prevent the curling, though, is by combining stitches which put more fabric in the front, counteracting the curl. My favorite is the Tunisian Reverse Stitch. Working a few rows of Tunisian Reverse Stitch at the bottom, sides and top of your projects will counteract the curling, much like applying garter stitch around the edges does in knitting."
Thanks, Kim, for sharing your expertise with our readers! For those who are not familiar with the Tunisian Reverse Stitch, here is a great online video tutorial that shows how to work it.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Actually I am using just a single crochet, and rather that going in back loop only I am sc through both loops.  At end of row I am skipping second to last sc and sc ch 1 and turn.  After turn I sc in first sc then skip one then continue sc in next 14 sc.  The edges are curling which I have never had haoolen before.  Do I need to start over?

Answer
Hey, Cindy! Something is not right, somewhere. When you do sc's the work tends to be a bit tight, but it shouldn't cause the ends to curl. Since you've done afghans before, I need not tell you how important the stitch count is, especially with sc, but there are several things you can try. Start over, just to be sure of your stitch count and to undo the curling. I would also recommend that you use a size bigger hook, sometimes that's all it takes to straighten things up! You can also try crocheting just a little more loosely. You can try these thing all together, or choose one at a time.  It's a little tedious, but if you find something that works, it's worth it! Let me know if this helps!

Best,  Bea