Why Is My Crochet Blanket Getting Wider? 5 Causes and Fixes

A blanket that gets wider as it grows (or narrower, or both) almost always comes down to one of two things: stitches are being added or lost, or your tension is changing. The fix depends on which, so start with a quick diagnosis.

1. 1.Count your stitches on the current row and on Row 1 (or your foundation row). Most patterns repeat the same count every row.
2. 2.If the counts differ, stitches are being added or lost somewhere. Causes 1 to 3 below are your culprits.
3. 3.If the counts are the same but the blanket is still wider at the top, your tension or foundation is the issue. See causes 4 and 5.

This is the most common cause by far.

At the start of a row you make a turning chain. In single crochet, and in many modern patterns for other stitches, that chain does not count as a stitch. If you also work a stitch into it at the end of the next row, you add one stitch per row. Over 100 rows, that's 100 extra stitches.

The fix:

• Check your pattern's note on turning chains. If it says the chain doesn't count, work your first stitch into the first stitch of the row and don't work into the turning chain at the end.
• Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of every row as you work it. When you reach the end of the next row, you'll know exactly where the last stitch belongs.

The opposite situation happens with double crochet and taller stitches. There, the turning chain (often ch 3) usually counts as the first stitch. If you then also work a stitch into the first stitch of the row, you've doubled up and added one.

The fix: when the turning chain counts, skip the first stitch and work your first real stitch into the second stitch. At the end of the row, work the last stitch into the top of the turning chain from the previous row.

If your blanket is getting narrower instead, you may be making the reverse mistake: skipping the top of the turning chain at the end of the row. Our double crochet lesson covers this in detail.

Sometimes an extra stitch sneaks in mid-row:

• Two stitches worked into one stitch, often when you lose your place after a break.
• A stitch worked into a gap between stitches, which looks like a real stitch top on textured fabric.
• In granny or V-stitch patterns, a cluster worked into a stitch instead of the space between, or the reverse.

The fix: count your stitches every few rows. On long rows, place a marker every 10 or 20 stitches so you can count in chunks. If the count is off, look along the row for a spot where the stitches look crowded or slanted.

For stitch patterns with repeats, count repeats instead of single stitches, for example "12 V-stitches."

If your stitch count is steady but the blanket still widens, your stitches are getting bigger. This is extremely common:

• You relax as you go. The first rows of a project are often tighter while you're learning the stitch pattern.
• Your mood changes. Crocheting while stressed tends to tighten stitches; crocheting while relaxed loosens them.
• The blanket gets heavy. Its weight pulls on the working loop and stretches stitches.
• You switched hooks to one of a different material or brand.

The fix:

• Measure your width every few inches so you catch drift early.
• Support the weight of the blanket on your lap or a table.
• Use the same hook for the whole project.
• If the top is already much looser than the bottom, consider going down half a millimeter in hook size for the remaining rows, and check that the width matches.

Sometimes the blanket isn't getting wider at all. The bottom is too narrow. Chains are often worked more tightly than the stitches above them, so the first row pulls in and the blanket looks like it flares out above it.

The fix:

• Make your foundation chain with a hook one or two sizes larger, then switch back to your main hook for Row 1.
• Or skip the chain entirely with a foundation stitch row, which makes the chain and the first row together and is as stretchy as the rest of the fabric. See foundation single crochet.

If you've already finished and the bottom edge pulls in slightly, a border and blocking can often even it out.

It depends how far off it is.

• A few stitches wider over many rows: blocking and a good border can often hide it. Work the border evenly and pin the blanket to a true rectangle when blocking. Our blocking lesson explains how.
• Noticeably wider, but the error is recent: rip back to the row where the count was last correct ("frogging") and re-crochet. It's painful but quick compared with finishing a crooked blanket.
• Very wide and many rows in: you can decrease the extra stitches gradually over a few rows, spreading the decreases out so they don't show. Our decrease calculator spaces them evenly.

Then use stitch markers and regular counting for the rest of the project, so it doesn't happen again.

• Read your pattern's note on turning chains before you start.
• Mark the first stitch of each row with a stitch marker.
• Count stitches at the end of every row for the first ten rows, then every few rows.
• Measure the width every few inches.
• Make the foundation chain with a larger hook, or use a foundation stitch.
• Use the same hook throughout.
• Support the blanket's weight as it grows.

Our stitch count calculator is handy for working out the exact number of stitches you need for your width and stitch repeat in the first place.