Do you come to the end of your crochet project only to find that it is smaller than you had planned? Does your project feel extra stiff and not as soft and stretchy as you were hoping or needing? Do you find that your fingers and wrists are tired after only a short time working on your project?
Your crochet stitches are too tight because you have the wrong hook size, you have stress or poor posture while crocheting, you are a “yanker,” or you are holding your yarn tension too tight. All of these can be contributing factors to tight stitches.
It can be stressful and discouraging to have to pull out your project because your stitches are just too tight. You may also notice that there is no natural drape or give or your fabric is overly stiff. Learn the reasons why this could be happening and some minor adjustments you can make to help solve some of these issues.
Factors that lead to tight crochet stitches
Hook Size:
Most yarns are labeled with a “suggested” hook size. However, designers do not always use these suggestions. Designers use gauge swatches so that our tension and size of stitches will more closely line up with theirs. They also give you the hook size that they used, which may or may not work for you.
Tension:
There really is not a wrong tension, you crochet how you crochet, right? But knowing how to adjust your tension can be very helpful. For beginners this is something that with time and experience will improve, so practice, practice.
Tension is created in a few different ways, however, how tight you hold your working yarn is a main factor.
Crochet Style- Lifter, Rider, or Yanker:
Knowing your crochet style can help you adjust your stitch width as well as height. Knowing if you hold your tension tight and whether you lift, ride, or yank your yarn will allow you to better understand how your tension and style are affecting your stitch work.
Posture:
Much can be said about proper posture. To alleviate stress and tension in your fingers, arms, wrists, shoulders, neck and even lower back, practice proper body mechanics, especially if spending a significant time with a hook in hand. Stress in these muscles can translate into extra tight stitches.
Also, take breaks every 30 minutes or so by standing and stretching or readjusting your posture and refocusing your eyes to help alleviate repetitive motion injuries.
How To Loosen Crochet Stitches
How to hold your yarn and hook:
There are many ways to hold your yarn and hook while you crochet and what works best for me may not work for you at all.
A good method would be to pinch the yarn between your pinky and ring finger, coming up over your ring finger then back down under your middle finger and then up and over your pointer finger.
Some loop the yarn once around the pinky finger for better tension control. The pressure placed between the pinky and ring finger is what will determine your tension. Practice holding your yarn with different pressures to tighten and loosen your stitches.
Here are some videos demonstrating yarn and hook hold:
Improving Your Crochet Tension
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBTO8pvfkxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYRfZDeMZx4
How to know if you are a lifter, rider, or yanker:
These factors control your stitch height, so knowing your crochet style can help you vary your stitch size.
The loop that you create after you pull through a stitch; the stitch right before you complete your final pull through to complete the stitch is the loop that will determine stitch height. For example, with a single crochet you insert the hook into the desired stitch, yarn over and then pull back through the stitch. If I vary the height of that loop before finishing the stitch, this will adjust the stitch height.
A good tip would be to evaluate the angle of your crochet hook. If you are a yanker, your crochet hook tip may be pointing more downward and your loop will appear to be tight and have quite a bit of tension. If you are a rider, in other words your stitches are relatively level and there is not a lot of tension, your crochet hook will be horizontal to your stitches. And, if you are a lifter, you will see your stitch is pulled up away from the level of your work and your crochet hook tip may be pointing slightly upward. These stitches appear to have somewhat more slack and feel more loose.
CONCLUSION:
Why does my crochet feel so stiff?
Your crochet feels stiff because your stitches are too tight. You may have the wrong size crochet hook for the yarn you are using. You may also be holding your working yarn too tightly and/or you are a yanker and are pulling too tightly when completing your stitches.