Why Your Crochet Keeps Getting Smaller (Losing Stitches Fix)

You started with a nice, even rectangle. A few rows later, it is narrower than when you began. Keep going and it starts looking suspiciously like a triangle. If this is happening to you, take heart – this is one of the most common beginner problems in all of crochet, and it has a very specific, very fixable cause: you are losing stitches at the ends of your rows without realizing it.

Let’s break down exactly why this happens and how to stop it for good. Quick abbreviation reminder before we dive in: sc means single crochet, dc means double crochet, ch means chain, and st means stitch – these are the standard US terms we will use throughout.

The Classic Symptom

Here is what it usually looks like: you cast on (well, chain on) a certain number of stitches, and your first few rows are the width you expect. Then, row by row, the piece gets a little narrower. By the time you have worked twenty or thirty rows, what should be a rectangle has turned into a triangle or a trapezoid, tapering in from one or both sides.

This is not bad luck, and it is not a sign you need better hands. It means that, somewhere in each row, you are ending up with one fewer stitch than you started with – and that missing stitch is almost always happening at one of the two ends of the row.

Cause 1: Missing the Last Stitch of the Row

This is the single most common culprit. At the end of a row, many crocheters are focused on turning and starting the next row, and it is very easy to skip right past the final stitch without working into it.

There is an extra wrinkle here involving the turning chain – the small chain (usually 1 chain for single crochet, 3 chains for double crochet) you make at the start of a row to bring your hook up to the right height. On the *previous* row, the top of that turning chain sits at the very end of the row, and depending on the stitch pattern, it may or may not count as an actual stitch you need to work into.

If you are not working into the top of that turning chain when your pattern expects you to, you are effectively skipping the last stitch of every single row – and your piece will shrink by one stitch, every row, like clockwork.

Cause 2: Missing the First Stitch After the Turning Chain

The flip side of the same problem happens at the *start* of a row. After you make your turning chain and turn your work, it is easy to accidentally work your first stitch into the second stitch of the row instead of the first one – essentially skipping the base of the row entirely.

This usually happens because the first stitch can be hard to see clearly, tucked right next to the turning chain, and it is tempting to just insert the hook into the next “obvious-looking” stitch.

Cause 3: Does the Turning Chain Count as a Stitch?

This is the part that trips up almost every beginner, so let’s slow down and get it really clear. Whether the turning chain “counts” as a stitch depends on the stitch you are using and sometimes on the specific pattern, so always check the pattern’s instructions – but here are the two conventions you will run into:

When the turning chain counts as a stitch

If the turning chain counts as a stitch (common with double crochet, using a 3-chain turning chain): the top of that chain stands in for the first stitch of the row. That means when you turn and start working, you skip the first actual stitch and begin your first real stitch in the second stitch instead. Then, at the end of the row, you work your final stitch into the top chain of the previous row’s turning chain, treating it like a normal stitch.

When the turning chain does not count as a stitch

If the turning chain does NOT count as a stitch (common with single crochet, using a 1-chain turning chain): the chain is just there to get your hook to the right height, with no stitch value of its own. That means you do work into the first actual stitch of the row (do not skip it), and at the end of the row, you do not work into the turning chain – you simply stop after the last real stitch.

Mixing these two conventions up – skipping a stitch you should have worked, or working into a chain you should have skipped – is exactly how rows quietly lose a stitch. The fix is simple once you know it: check what your pattern says for the stitch you are using, and apply that same rule every single row, without exception.

Cause 4: Accidental Missed Stitches Mid-Row

Sometimes the missing stitch is not at the ends at all – it happens somewhere in the middle of the row. This can happen when:

• Two stitches sit close together and you accidentally treat them as one, inserting your hook into what you think is a single stitch but is actually catching two strands from two different stitches.
• You lose your place while counting and simply skip past a stitch.
• The stitches are tight and hard to see into, so you insert the hook into the wrong spot without noticing.

This kind of mid-row mistake is trickier to catch because the edges can still look okay for a row or two – but it adds up the same way.

The Fix: Count Your Stitches Every Row

The single best habit you can build is this: count your stitches at the end of every row, before you turn to start the next one. If your pattern says you should have 20 stitches, actually count them – do not just eyeball it.

This takes maybe ten extra seconds per row, and it turns a mystery you might not notice for twenty rows into a problem you catch immediately, while it is still a one-row fix instead of a rip-it-all-out fix.

If your count comes up short, look at both ends of the row you just finished. Did you skip the last stitch? Did you skip the first stitch after your turning chain? Retrace your row from the start of your work and recount from there until you find where the number changes.

Use Stitch Markers on the First and Last Stitch

A stitch marker is a small clip or ring (a bobby pin or a scrap of contrasting yarn works fine too) that you place into a stitch to mark it. For this specific problem, place one marker in the very first stitch of your row and another in the very last stitch.

This does two helpful things: it makes both end stitches easy to spot at a glance, so you are much less likely to work past them by accident, and it gives you a visual anchor for counting – you can see exactly where your row starts and ends without guessing.

Move the markers up to the new first and last stitch each time you complete a row. It feels like an extra step at first, but it becomes automatic within a few rows, and it is one of the most effective habits for keeping edges straight.

The Opposite Problem: Getting Wider

It is worth mentioning briefly, because it is the mirror image of everything above: sometimes crochet grows wider instead of narrower. This usually means you are adding a stitch somewhere instead of losing one.

The most common cause is working two stitches into the turning chain by accident – for example, working a stitch into the top of the chain and then also working into what you think is the next stitch, when really you already used up that space. It can also happen from accidentally working two stitches into the same single stitch mid-row.

The same fixes apply: count your stitches every row, use end markers, and apply the same turning-chain rule (counts as a stitch, or does not) consistently.

A Simple Routine to Keep Edges Straight

Here is a short routine to build into every row until it becomes second nature:

1. Before you turn, count your stitches and compare to what the pattern expects.
2. Check your turning chain rule for the stitch you are using – does it count as a stitch this time, or not – and apply it the same way every row.
3. Place your marker in the new first stitch as soon as you start the row.
4. Place your marker in the last stitch as soon as you finish it.
5. If the count is ever off, fix it that same row, while it is still fresh, rather than continuing on and hoping it evens out.

You Have Got This

A shrinking or growing rectangle feels frustrating in the moment, but it comes down to one very learnable thing: knowing exactly what happens at the two ends of every row, and checking in on your stitch count often enough to catch a slip before it becomes ten slips. Give yourself stitch markers, a quick count at the end of each row, and a little patience – straight edges are absolutely within reach, and most crocheters look back on this exact struggle as the moment their stitches really started to click.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my crochet get narrower as I work?

It almost always means you are losing one stitch somewhere in the row, most commonly by skipping the last stitch of the row, skipping the first stitch after the turning chain, or mixing up whether your turning chain counts as a stitch.

Does the turning chain count as a stitch?

It depends on the stitch and the pattern. With double crochet and a 3-chain turning chain, it commonly counts as a stitch, so you skip the first actual stitch and work into the top of the previous row’s turning chain at the end. With single crochet and a 1-chain turning chain, it commonly does not count, so you work into the first actual stitch and skip the turning chain entirely.

How can I stop losing stitches at the edges?

Count your stitches at the end of every row before turning, and place a stitch marker in the very first and very last stitch of the row so both ends are easy to spot and you are less likely to work past them by accident.

What does it mean if my crochet is getting wider instead of narrower?

It means you are adding a stitch somewhere instead of losing one, most often by working two stitches into the turning chain by accident or working two stitches into the same stitch mid-row. The same fixes – counting every row, using end markers, and applying the turning-chain rule consistently – address it.

— NoraEvery pattern hand-tested