Expert: Patricia - 5/24/2010

Question
QUESTION: Patricia, I have taken a couple of pictures - hope they help
I'm sending 3 pics - chain, 1 row s, 2 rows s
Linda

ANSWER: Hi Linda,
I only received one picture.  Crochet is written under it and it looks like it might be 2 rows.  Do you have a picture of it spread out so I can see the ends?
-Patricia

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

QUESTION: That is it spread out!!! That's what it does, curls.  I had a devil of a time just getting it spread out that much!  I'll try and send more pics.

Answer
Hi Linda,
I'm still only getting that one picture and it's a little blurry.
I'm sorry to say that I don't know what the problem is.

Sometimes the first few rows are curled that way, but then it flattens out as you crochet, say about 6" or so. Have you had other work that still curls after after after 6" or so?  Also, I always wet and block my crochet when I'm done.

Tell me your pattern exactly as you're doing and I'll recreate it myself and see what happens.
It looks like you're using regular #4 yarn.

-Patricia

Tuesday morning:
Hi Linda,
Last night I worked 4 or 5 rows of singles to see if I could duplicate your problem.  I have one more shot in the dark.  When you make your initial chain, do you chain it loosely? If that chain is too tight, then it wants to pull the rows.

I remember when I was teaching my daughter to crochet, she did the chain the same tightness as I had been teaching her.  However, her piece curled.  I had her redo the chain loosely.  Since she wasn't skilled enough yet to make the chains all the same size, I had her do it in a hook 2 sizes larger.  Then she switched to the size she used for rows 2, 3, etc.

Try that and let me know if that works.  

-Patricia