Why is my chain so tight?
Relax and make your crochet looser…
One of the biggest challenges in crochet is getting your tension right, so if your chain stitches look odd then it’s probably a tension issue. Some crocheters encounter problems because they’re not relaxed enough and this results in a tension that’s too tight.
Step 1 If your tension is too tight then your active loops will grip too close to the hook, as shown here. This will make the loops really stiff and difficult to move off the hook.
Step 2 The resulting chains will be really small, which will make it quite difficult for you when you try to pull the next loop through this loop. It will also give you problems when you start working stitches into the chains, because it will be difficult to insert the hook into them.
Step 3 To solve this problem, try unwrapping the working yarn from some of the fingers on your non-hook hand – this is your left hand if you’re holding the hook in your right hand. This should create less tension on the yarn and you’ll be able to loosen the active loops so that they sit further away from the hook, but with a little bit of a gap, as shown here.
Step 4 Another common problem that results in tight chains is if you hold your active loops at the neck of the hook. To solve this problem, you need make sure you make the loops at the wider shank of the hook.
Step 5 If you still have trouble with a tight chain, you could try another solution. Try switching to a hook that’s a bit bigger than the one you’d usually use for your yarn. For example, we’ve been using a DK yarn and a 4mm hook for this workshop. Switch to a 5mm hook and you’ll see that even with a tight tension, you will create larger chains.
Step 6 If you’re not sure whether the chains you’ve made are the right size, try doing a little test. Let go of the larger 5mm hook and try inserting your 4mm hook into the chains you’ve made. The hook should fit into the chains fairly easily yet each chain should also be reasonably snug around the hook.