YANKER, LIFTER OR RIDER? THE GOLDEN LOOP EXPLAINED
I’m Nerissa, an Australian expat in the Netherlands. I grew up on a farm in South Australia, so sheep and wool are in my DNA. I was taught to knit and spin as a child, and I think I learned to crochet by osmosis. Over the years I have developed all sorts of little tricks to level up my crochet skills quickly and easily, and I cannot wait to share them with you. These tips will all help to make you a better crocheter with very little effort!
You found the perfect pattern. You absolutely must make the design. You’re so invested that you even make a gauge swatch. All this only for you to discover, no matter how many hooks you try, you just cannot match the gauge stitch height and, alas, your perfect pattern looks destined for the bin.
Well, not anymore! I have the solution for you. The problem is most likely that you are what is called a ‘yanker’ and the designer is a ‘rider’ (or vice versa).
But what does this mean? The secret is in the last loop left on your hook when you’ve pulled up a loop, aka the golden loop. The tightness of this loop determines the height of your stitch. Too tight and the stitch will be short (meaning you’re a yanker), too loose and the stitch will be taller (which means you’re a lifter) and if it’s roughly the same size as the other loops it will be just right (that means you’re a rider).
This tightness comes from how you angle your hook toward your work. Too steep an angle will make the golden loop smaller; if the hook is parallel, the loop will be larger; and if the hook has just a slight angle, the loops will all be about the same size, which is the sweet – or golden – spot.
For some insight into how these stitcher types affect your work, check out the image of three swatches together. All three have been made using the same hook and yarn, but with a different tension in the golden loop.
For more on Nerissa, follow her on Instagram at @miss__neriss and Facebook at madeby MissNeriss, find her patterns at the nerissa-muijs Ravelry store or visit www.missneriss.com
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