Square…uh, Trapezoid…One
January 28th, 2007 | View Comments
I was perfectly happy not being a crocheter. I was a happy not-hooker, if you will. Until recently. Somewhere, somehow, in my meanderings across the web, I stumbled across a site featuring crochet models of hyperbolic space. And I was hooked.
Obviously, I am a nerd of the highest order. College math majors and lovers of spreadsheets, unite!
Were my extreme nerdiness not enough to get me to actually attempt a crochet model of hyperbolic space, this sentence clinched it:
The structural integrity is achieved by using coarse, cheap synthetic yarn. Wool is nicer to work with (and gentler on the hands) but it does not produce the satisfying stiffness of synthetics.
Do I sense a use for the grandma stash? Yes, yes I do!
Maybe I should try to master Euclidean space first. This was supposed to be a rectangle.
I’m going to have to consult the vintage book of every needlecraft under the sun that I stole borrowed indefinitely from my mother to figure out how to not lose stitches at the end of each row.
Though I’m a bit afraid that the powerful 1970′s aura that will result when acrylic meets book is going to suddenly compel me to take up macrame next.
CogKnition posted this on January 28th, 2007 @ 11:08pm in Crochet | Permalink to "Square…uh, Trapezoid…One"
cogknition
You need to add one extra stitch on the end. Well Actually you add however many stitches you are doing for the stitch type on the end so if it is double crochet then chain two stitches if it is single chain one. I don’t know much but I know that you have to add more on the end to make up the height of the stitch. I did the same exact thing as you when I was learning (many years ago). Sorry I am not more of a help.
Macrame can actually be pretty satisfying, but I’m not talking big scary owls… if you’re game, try it in jewelry. It had me occupied for over two years exclusively, before I started knitting. Try out http://www.micromacrame.com for some inspiration (they’re slow to update, but if you dig around there are some gorgeous examples).
Are you working a stitch into the “turning chain”? The turning chain is what StacyZ is talking about, and in order for your piece to be square you have to stitch into that chain. I can’t at the moment think of a good online tutorial/pictorial demonstrating this. If I do, I’ll pass it along. Good luck!
I feel your pain. I do this every time I try to make a nice plains square of crochet. I short one end and over shoot the other end and then I have parellelograms. I now only do patterned crochet, that way I know how many repeats of the pattern I will need and I’m sure at the end of each row that all is well.