Gauge help
I crochet tight. I always have, a problem that the lady who first tried to teach me to crochet when I was like ten tried to beat out of me. (you laugh but I'm not joking (well sort of)). It put me off it so much that it was nearly another decade before I took up a hook again and learned to enjoy crochet.
The problem is my guage is never right. I always have to go up in hook size (no big deal) to get the desired length in the gauge, but it never matches the right height. I always fall short of the rows=4# by several rows. I've tried crocheting looser only to end up with a miss match of crochet stitches - some tight some loose - some, well you get the picture.
I've learned to adjust to this problem (re-writing every pattern to my new gauge) but that takes forever and some patterns can't be done that way and don't come out looking right.
In the last few years I've made more things than I can count, but every one has been a challenge due to the gauge. Any suggests on how to fix the problem?
I crochet 'short,' too, but loose horizontally. Usually, I just add rows, if that's appropriate.
Sometimes I go up to a taller stitch, like substituting a treble (US) for a double crochet (US).
Not tried - you could make an extended stitch by drawing up a loop at the base/beginning of the stitch, yo and draw thru the loop, then complete the stitch as usual. Google extended single crochet. I'm sure it is explained on-line. Then use the concept for extended doubles or extended trebles.
I've actually tried the taller stitch idea, but then again it sometimes just doesn't look right. Thanks for the idea about the extended stitch though, I will definately give it a try.
I remembered another thing I do. On a stitch like dc or tc, where you wrap yarn around the hook before pulling a loop through the stitch below, I'll pull the loop up nearly as tall as the previous stitch. It makes my stitches taller.
They say great minds think a like. I've tried that to but found it too just doesn't always add up. Or worse yet doesn't look right at all. For example I never can get that to work when trying to shape sweaters, or if the pattern is of a more complicated stitch nature. Thanks for the suggestions though I really appreciate any help I can get.