I see a lot of questions these days about how to get circles like Rozeta* - but also squares - to lay flat and avoid the wonky look.

There are more things you can do to avoid wavy edges.

Sometimes it is enough to block the item. Sometimes it just gets worse and worse and it definitely doesn't want to lay flat on a table. There are several things to look at:

• Increases
• Tension & hook size
• Carrying yarn?

We all crochet differently and what works for one person, might not work for another one. But facing a waving problem, try these suggestions first.

Increasing

Are you increasing with the right amount of stitches at each round?

Depending on your stitch pattern, you should increase with a certain amount of stitches per round (see image). Just note, that this is just rules of thumb and when possible, you can adjust the amount of increasing, so it fits you.



If the pattern doesn't allow you to increase more (or less), then read on.

Tension & Hook Size

This is actually a matter of the size of your stitches, more than anything else. Therefore the first suggestion is to try a bigger hook which gives you a softer piece of work and minimizes the waving.

It's just not always enough or it might ruin your gauge (size).

Then you need to figure out how to adjust the height of your stitches without changing the width. I believe there is more to it than just loosening or tightening the yarn. Because how much, should you loosen up and how to do the same thing consistently - also when you return to your work the day after?

I wrote about this last year in the blog post 'How to Change and Control Your Tension'.
Check out the blog post or watch the movie below, if you prefer.

(In the video I used Tunisian crochet for the samples, but the principle is the same for all types of crochet).

Carrying Yarn

These days a lot of crocheters are working on the Scheepjes Rozeta CAL 2019. It is a beautiful multicolored project with lots of color changes and I've recently seen suggestions of using the carried yarn* to tighten up the work if the edge gets too wonky.

*The carried yarn is the yarn you crochet over, so it moves along until you need that color again.

You should take control of the carried yarn anyway. If it isn't tight enough, then some of your stitches can get looser than the rest. Mostly the stitches right before and right after a color change. So, pay attention to how tight you carry the yarn.

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I hope you can use some of these tips!
Carry on and happy crochet!



BTW: The wonky things in this blog post are waving because there is added too many stitches at every new round. In these cases, it's alright though. I know it will even out when the next rounds are added. It's for my Dahlia Washcloths pattern and they get soft and drapey in the end.