Ok, so I'm teaching my friend how to crochet, and she's working on a hat. However, as she works on it, the hat gets crimped and wavy. Any ideas why that happens and how to prevent it?
Crimped and wavy? Like a ruffle wannabe? My guess is she has too many stitches. Either the hat pattern is a hopeless mess or, more likely, she's relaxing as she gets more familiar with crochet, and her stitches are getting looser and larger. If so, she should make a new swatch, you did teach her to make a swatch of course, and try to get gauge with a smaller hook.
Lazy way that may not work as well - measure her gauge on the wavy hat to see if it's changing from the first rounds.
Either way, she'll need to frog* and start over with a smaller hook (least confusing) or fewer stitches (may cause a mess if there's a fancy stitch pattern).
When you make a hat you increase stitches on various rounds. It may be the pattern. I have made several varities of hats and some are wavy at the top and others are flatter on the top. One of the biggest struggles for beginners is knowing the crochet language. Instructions are misunderstood. There are many variables.
I'm a high school student with a kick-butt show choir.. check us out on YouTube, with the Eau Claire Old Abes Show Choir I'm a choirling with a passion for yarn, particularly mohair. I'm somehow really outgoing and shy all at the same time. Don't understand it at all...
Crimped and wavy? Like a ruffle wannabe? My guess is she has too many stitches. Either the hat pattern is a hopeless mess or, more likely, she's relaxing as she gets more familiar with crochet, and her stitches are getting looser and larger. If so, she should make a new swatch, you did teach her to make a swatch of course, and try to get gauge with a smaller hook.
Lazy way that may not work as well - measure her gauge on the wavy hat to see if it's changing from the first rounds.
Either way, she'll need to frog* and start over with a smaller hook (least confusing) or fewer stitches (may cause a mess if there's a fancy stitch pattern).
.
.
*Rip it, rip it, rip it
When you make a hat you increase stitches on various rounds. It may be the pattern. I have made several varities of hats and some are wavy at the top and others are flatter on the top. One of the biggest struggles for beginners is knowing the crochet language. Instructions are misunderstood. There are many variables.
Teresa
http://www.youtube.com/tjw1963