Avoid the gap on new rows
I have never liked the appearance of beginning a row by chaining 2, 3, 4 etc. as it tends to leave a gap and the stitch does not blend well with the others in the row. Many years ago (I won't say how many! *eek*)I came up with the following.
If the beginning of a row calls for a ch 3 to represent a dc, instead of doing a ch 3 I sc in the first stitch, sc in the sc then continue on. If the patten calls for a ch 4 to represent a tr, I 'stack' 3 sc's. This blends in much better with the pattern stitches and also allows for much easier and uniform stitching when sewing pieces together or doing an edging.
Note: If for example a pattern calls for a ch 5 at the beginning of a row to be counted as a dc + ch 2 you would sc in the first stitch, sc in sc then ch2.
I don't like the gap either. I'll have to try your stacked sc method, thanks.
Lily Chin recommends loosening the turning chain(s)to get the height you need and then not using them as a stitch. Dc into the first st instead, for example. I need to try this, too.
This is great! I'll have to try it sometime. I hate that gap. xD
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