Stupid crochet question

[iceandsliceplease]

(UK crochet terminology)
I've been crocheting a skirt that has three horizontal panels to it - the first in double crochet, the second in treble crochet and the third in a chain/treble crochet shell pattern. It's all in one piece, in the round.

I HATE the middle treble crochet panel. The combination of the yarn and the hook size looks really, really messy and wrong compared with the neatness of the other two panels. I just can't face frogging the skirt back up to the double crochet section (the shell section is so beautiful ) to start again.

Is there any way I can snip out the hated, despised and just plain wrong section without risking unravelling the other two parts? And somehow attach the shell part to the double crochet part?

hmmmmm...i think you could, but the chances of the bottom fitting the top are slim if there has been shaping.

does the centre section not "tighten" up once the skirt is on...the weight of the shell trim pulling it down?

In think you'd have to crochet a replacement middle section.

Depends on the shaping. However, it is perfectly possible to cut out a section of crochet as long as you know how your stitches work.

You need a nice long end so that you can secure each section that you want to remain whole. Cut one strand of yarn about 10 sts from where you want the end to be. Depending on which end it is will dictate how hard the unpicking bit is! The end that flows with your work will be easy, watch you don't undo too many stitches. The end where you work against the flow of sts needs to be eased out, I use either a smaller hook or a darning needle to unpick don't tell Knotty how many times I've had to fix a blanket

Then, once you've undone those few sts each end, secure the ends really well - sl st then sew in the ends.

It should be possible to join either the unravelled wool, a different colour, or more of the same so that you can have more dc/shells and get the skirt back to the right length, will try and describe (although it might have to wait till tomorrow now!)

Wow! Thank you all for leaping to my aid

There's no shaping to the skirt, it sits on my hips, so that's not an issue I have to address! It does 'tighten up/drop' when I stand up, but lack of full length mirror means that I'm really not sure how it looks...
I've used this stuff >> www.thelittleknittingcompany.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_86&products_id=829 which is amazing to work with, especially for 'special' stitches as it's not at all fluffy, it's more like a thick cotton thread. This is also why the treble section looks messy, I think.

purplewerepidj, I am encouraged. Although I think I may just have to stand with the skirt in one hand and scissors in the other for a few days yet.

I'm going to line the skirt, so maybe if I make the lining tomorrow and see how that looks, then I might realise that it's not as ghastly as I think.

Try blocking it? Spray with water, sandwich between two tea towels, and press lightly It'll shrink the fibres slightly and will neaten things up!

Respect for tackling a whole skirt, that's what my sewing machine's for

That sounds like a much easier way of tackling it (scissors still in one hand, blank expression on face). I have spray starch too, which may make it 'hold' the shape better.

I only learnt to crochet so I could one day attempt to make a crocheted skirt I saw many many years ago. It was so beautiful it haunts me still...long, lacy, delicate...oh long lost skirt of dreams!

There is no way I could do anything with a sewing machine - I have a complete inability to do anything in a straight line, to the point that I refuse to iron anything, ever.

DP does the (minimal amount of) ironing in this house. He's had enough years of getting a decent crease into a shirt that he's quite an expert!