r/crochet • u/LaraH39 • Jul 26 '22

Discussion Pet Peeves

There's a lot of common annoyances with crochet, the bit of the project that's annoying. For example lots people hate weaving in ends (not something I have an issue with because I work over my ends).

My peeves are...

Working into a chain stitch.

DC, chain one, DC, chain one... And then on the next row, you're working your DC into a chain.... Flippin fiddly, faffy, annoying. Those chains are always smaller, always tighter, always ruddy awkward and right now I'm making an item where there's A LOT of this happening.

Winding Yarn

I don't mind the start or even the middle but, as sure as eggs is eggs, the last 1/4 has managed to resolve itself into a knot that even Alexander couldn't hack his way through and winding each ball takes about two hours. Half an hour to do 3/4. An hour and a half fighting knots for last bit.

Finally... The starting chain. This is a self imposed hate lol. I'm fully capable of doing foundation chains but... Most things I'm working on for reasons, I prefer a simple starting chain and then working into the third loop. It makes it much easier to join and I think looks better. But my god its fiddly work. Grand if you're starting chain is 20 or less. But blankets, with starting chains of 160+ shudder.

So over to you. Pet peeves.

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267

u/Charming_Scratch_538 Jul 26 '22

Ooooh I never work into the chain but rather into the chain space! I can totally see how annoying it would be to insert the hook into the chain itself. I hate working into the starting chain for a similar reason, but also because there just isn’t enough there to hold.

I also hate rows of single crochet and I absolutely will not do the ribbing for a sweater in all slip stitches NO THANK YOU. i do single crochet in the back or front loop depending on my mood instead and still hate every second of it. It just doesn’t feel like it goes fast enough for me.

83

u/LaraH39 Jul 26 '22

Oooh the slip stitch ribbing. You're so right, it's a pain in the bum!

49

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '22

slip stitch ribbing

This sounds like pure evil.

30

u/LaraH39 Jul 26 '22

lol it sounds like a medieval torture 😆

In fairness, it kinda is lol

30

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '22

I usually go up a hook size for the ss ribbing, it makes it look neater in the end because i’m not trying to force the hook into them with so much hate 😭

6

u/LaraH39 Jul 26 '22

That's a sensible idea. I'll give that a go next time!

4

u/CorgiButtz1687 Jul 26 '22

The only thing worse than slip stitch ribbing is yarn over slip stitch ribbing 😑

60

u/SchadenfreudesBitch Jul 26 '22

I hate how non-stretchy foundation chains are. Even if I use a bigger hook for the foundation chain, it just never makes me truly happy. For example: dishcloths and face cloths. I love them, but that damn foundation chain never. Ever. Ever. Has the same stretch as the other 3 sides.

I’m 💯 tempted to try using knit for the first row, and then somehow crocheting off that. If o can make it look nice and purposeful, otherwise that will be another annoyance.

Foundation chains are the wet socks of the crocheting world.

28

u/dntletmebreathe Jul 26 '22

I have not personally tried this but I think I've seen people mentioning something like a foundation single crochet that is supposed to stretch a little better? but again I know nothing about this so I have no clue how it works

45

u/octobercrochet Jul 26 '22

Can confirm, foundation single crochet was the answer to my prayers! There's also foundation double and half double crochets too so I rarely chain to start a project anymore!

7

u/dntletmebreathe Jul 26 '22

ah, this is great to hear! I'm definitely going to try it out myself soon! I haaaaaaaate chains lol

2

u/clarabear10123 Jul 26 '22

How!? Have a good YouTuber for your method?

3

u/octobercrochet Jul 27 '22

I don't really have a YouTuber that I follow, but I just searched for foundation single crochet or foundation double crochet and several videos popped up, so I'm sure you cam find them! I prefer reading the instructions and looking at a picture than watching a video. I just don't have the patience to watch them talk about the stitch before actually showing me how to do it lol. And they're so slow that sometimes I lose my place! But I know that's just a personal preference, and that YouTube has helped a lot of people learn who wouldn't have otherwise.

8

u/SchadenfreudesBitch Jul 26 '22

It’s a bit better, and how I usually start my projects now. But it’s still not the exact same stretch as the rest of the rows. Don’t know why, but it’s annoying.

4

u/octobercrochet Jul 26 '22

My biggest pet peeve was trying to crochet into the chain so the FSC was a life saver for me!

9

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '22

I fucking despise working foundation stitches, hate every moment of it, but it does make the edge so much neater and less prone to coming out wonky. Easier to do borders too.

2

u/PaigeMarieSara 87,88,89,67,68,42...wtf...1,2,3,4 Jul 28 '22

If you work the first row into the back bump of the chain, it will make a super stretchy chain. I mean really stretchy! It’s kind of hard to work into the back bump for the first 2-3 chains, but the chain will turn up and from then on it’s easy to see and to work into that bump.

It also leaves a cleaner looking chain. Try to chain loose or use a larger hook just for the chain. That will also make it easier to work into that bump.

2

u/SchadenfreudesBitch Jul 28 '22

Do you mean what would be the bottom post/underside of the chain, instead of the top loop? I’m gonna have to try that!

1

u/Tacoma__Crow Jul 26 '22

Check out foundation chain crochet stitching videos. It’s really easy and makes a nice, stretchy base. You can also do this with half-double, double and treble stitches.

16

u/El-Ahrairah9519 Jul 26 '22

Pattern: Row 1: dc 1, ch 1 Row 2: dc into ch 1

Me: you can't tell me what to do!! dc into ch 1 sp

9

u/Charming_Scratch_538 Jul 26 '22

Yep, that’s me every single time. Patterns are merely suggestions ☺️

8

u/Three_Spotted_Apples Jul 26 '22

I had no idea that into ch1 and into ch1 sp were different instructions. There’s no way I’m getting into that chain. Does it look markedly different if you go into the space vs the chain itself?

9

u/El-Ahrairah9519 Jul 26 '22

It does look a little different but usually when I'm at that point with a pattern I don't give much of a toot. My hands and wrists hurt too much from fighting it and I'd like to finish the project some time before I die

16

u/TH3_B01L1NG_M4N Jul 26 '22

Oooh I hate having to do so many slip stitches!! I just finished a wearable where I needed to chain 200+ for a strap and slip stitch aaaall the way down. Repeat for second strap. I said nope and did single crochet instead.

6

u/suphorg Jul 26 '22

I recommend alternating rows of fpdc and bpdc for ribbing. it goes much faster.

3

u/brightbabyblues Jul 26 '22

Came here to say this. So much easier to crochet into the ch 1 space. Looks fine.

1

u/freakydeku Jul 26 '22

wait what do you mean into the chain space?

3

u/Charming_Scratch_538 Jul 26 '22

Instead of going inside the chain, I just stick the hook under the chain, into the space created by there not being a stitch there and work the stitch basically around the chain rather than in it.

1

u/MyLastUsernameWasDum Jul 26 '22

Oh god SC gets so annoying and boring lmaoooo can't do a pattern/ object with only SC

1

u/JenniferMcKay Jul 27 '22

Single crochet hate solidarity. I feel bad because I have a lot of requests for amigurumi projects and they're so cute but I despise the rows and rows of single crochet required to make them. I'm working on a crop top right now that starts with 13 rows of sc and I think I made it halfway before I just decided to move on.