Help with my crochet - beginner!

[ilovetosleep]

I have just taught myself to crochet after knitting for years. I have started making the Attic24 raindrop pattern, started with a chain long enough to make a cushion cover and I've done about 2-3 inches of rows. Apart from the fact that I'm disappointed in my colour choice, its going ok except the edges are really slanted? I think if I go any further I will end up with a parallelogram (or a rhombus?!) rather than a square. Why is this? What can I do to fix it? I have counted the stitches and I haven't lost/gained any along the way.

thanks in advance!

Hmm. Not sure I'm patient enough for that. I need end products! I was hoping to start a ripple blanket next :(

So can you elaborate on the correct way to do first/last stitches, or point me in the direction of a really good tutorial? Also I find I never know whether I'm supposed to be stickin my hook through one bit of yarn or two (ie Half the stitch or the whole stitch.)

Knitting is waaaay simpler..,

Promising to read that ripple can be a beginners first project though!

I haven't made the raindrop, but Im sure I read somewhere (maybe Ravelry) that is does have sloppy sides as it gets bigger

Unless it says otherwise I always put my hook through both loops of the stitch below.

When working in rows always do your turning chain. This is your first stitch. Work the next stitch in the loops on top of the second stitch in. Continue working across the row until you get to the end. (Say you have 20 stitches after your foundation row and are working in trebles - make a turning chain of 3 chain. Now work 19 trebles - you should make your last treble into the last stitch of the row below. 3chain again to turn, followed by 19 trebles etc)

I found the Attic24 explanation of the ripple pattern quite clear. Practice a bit on a short length before going to full blanket size The aim is to get the two lots of 2tr at the top of the peak and the two lots of tr2 tog at the bottom of the trough.

You need to start with a yarn that's quite thick and smooth too which gives each stitch good definition. This make it easier to see exactly where you should be putting your hook for each stitch and then when you've cracked that you can move on to fluffier or thinner yarns.

Ok that might be an idea. I started with dk drops merino. It is a bit splitty.

What wld be good to start with? Style craft?

I'm not familiar with the drops yarn so I don't know how it compares but I find stylecraft DK and chunky both easy yarns to work with.

When I started to crochet I had this problem too.

I started to use stitch markers, and now my sides are straight. I was getting confused where to put the last stitch and was adding an extra each time.

Where do you put the stitch markers? In the first and last stitch? Never used markers before... sounds like a good idea

ilovetosleep I put mine in the top of the turning chain, so if it was trebles I would chain 3 put in a stitch marker, then make my first proper stitch in the second stitch of the row below iyswim. Then I know exactly where I make the last stitch of the row.

Thanks muddle.
Also good to know an experience crocheter found the pattern tricky! Maybe I'll move on to ripples and see how I do...