Ultimate Guide How to Fix your Uneven Crochet Blanket Edges

There are a few ways how to fix uneven crochet blankets to get a proper shape. To fix uneven crochet blanket edges you can add a border, block your piece, make a design element, or even cut your crochet fabric.

Blankets are common and popular crochet projects for beginner crocheters and seasoned crocheters alike. They are great handmade gifts, hierloom, and statement pieces in homes making them timeless and heartfelt projects.

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Encountering uneven edges is a common problem we see when making crochet blankets. and lets be honest, wonky edges are not what we want to be seeing after spending hours on a large scale project.

This post will not only teach you how to fix uneven crochet blanket edges, but help you understand why your crochet blanket has uneven edges, what you can do to prevent uneven crochet rows from happening in the first place, and what you can do to fix an uneven blanket.

Looking for more crochet tips and guides?

Check out these posts (left to right): 4 Ways How to Block your Crochet Projects and Choosing the Perfect One,How to Cut Crochet to Fix Crochet Projects Without Starting Over, Why You Need a Pattern Gauge and How to Make One

Common Crochet Blankets:

A couple months ago I was asked if I can fix a crocheted blanket that my friend’s daughter with ASD had since she was a baby. The child was very much obsessed with the blanket and when they tried to replace it, she could tell and rejected any replacement. Because of the wear and tear of it over the years, this blanket had several holes and loose rows. Our goal was to make it into a smaller blanket and reinforce the edges so it could last a few more years.

After looking at the blanket I realized it was a C2C blanket. By knowing the nature of how C2C blankets are made, I was able to shorten and mend the blanket successfully. This is why knowing what kind of blanket you are dealing with and what your goal for it is so important. Knowing what kind of blanket you are dealing with helps troubleshoot how you should make alterations once you figure out that you have uneven edges.

There are a few different types of crochet blankets:

Square Blanket – square blankets are usually made on a smaller scale and for baby blankets and sometimes lapghans for those in wheelchairs to avoid the blankets from draping over too much.

Rectangle Blanket – typical blanket shape. Rectangle blankets are made in all different sizes. Check out our Complete Guide to Blanket Sizes to compare the sizes.

Granny Squares Blanket – these blankets are made by seaming crochet squares or motifs together to make a complete blanket.

C2C Blanket – type of crochet method that stands for Corner to Crochet crochet. This method begins in one corner of a blanket and works diagonally to the opposite corner. Evelyn and Peter has some great crochet patterns using this method!

Common Stitches Used in Crochet Blankets (US crochet terms):

Understanding what kind of stitch your are working with will help you understand how to fix uneven crochet blanket edges.

Single Crochet Stitches – single crochet stitches are often used for crochet blanket borders, joining granny squares and motifs, as a design element to add texture, or as a part of an involved crochet stitch pattern. Unless you are using extra bulky yarn, it is not common to see an entire blanket made using single crochet stitches. If you happen to have one, this is worth A LOT of money (wink wink).

Double Crochet Stitches – double crochet stitches are the most common stitches used in crocheting blankets because it provides a taller row height, good drape, but not big spaces like a triple crochet stitch would. Double crochet stitches are also used in C2C blankets and common in granny squares and motifs.

Reasons why you have uneven crochet blanket edges:

Understanding why your edges are uneven can help you choose the right way to fix those edges. It can also help you prevent them from happening again. So let’s dive into the common reasons below:

You are adding stitches at the beginning of your rows

Problems in your stitch placement at beginning and end of the row is the most common reason for uneven edges. I see this happening a lot! It is honestly one of the things I used to struggle with understanding when I started crocheting. Knowing exactly how to begin and end each row is crucial in keeping your edges in order. Most patterns will indicate if the turning chain is counted as a stitch in the final stitch count per row. In my patterns, you would usually see in my notes that I do count the turning ch as a stitch.

If your turning ch is counted as a stitch, be careful not to add another stitch in the same place. Rather, move on to the next stitch space. Unless I am working on a slip stitch pattern, I always count the turning chain as a stitch. This means I am crocheting a slst into the last stitches of the succeeding row after my turning ch 1.

Analyzing and understanding the anatomy of a crochet row helps to make sure stitches line up with subsequent rows. That simple reminder has helped me keep my edges straight and also how to shape my crochet fabric.

Tension in your foundation chain and throughout the project

In the case where you are lining up your stitches correctly but still ending up with a wonky edge of a crocheted blanket, your tension is most likely the culprit here.

Tension plays a very important row in maintaining proper shape in your crocheted blanket. It is important that you try your very best to keep the same tension throughout the whole blanket.

If your tension is too tight or too loose in your foundation chain, you will end up with a slightly curves edge as you continue to work on. Likewise, by changing your tension in the middle of the project will also result in wavy crocheted blanket edges.

Changing your crochet hook through your project

I get it! Crochet blankets are large scale projects and usually take much longer time periods to finish. We are bound to lose our hook in the couch, car, that shag rug that you swore to get rid of “soon”. Even more likely, we set the project aside for a couple of days and forget what hook we started with when we are ready to pick it back up.

Life happens, I get it!

Using the proper hook size throughout the blanket is ideal for achieving straight edges. Even with consistent tension and making sure you have the right number of stitches, crochet hook size you are bound to notice a difference forming on the side of the blanket. If you change to a smaller hook, you will notice the fabric cinching inwards. If you change to a larger hook, the fabric will protrude outwards.

Changing the yarn

You need to be mindful with which yarn weight you choose. Changing to a different yarn weight will change the size of your project. Even if you are still following the stitches properly, you might observe that you would need fewer stitches, or more stitches. In this case, you want to make a gauge again to determine the ratio of stitches to continue making an even edge.

Color changes are very common in blankets. The easiest thing to do to prevent uneven edges is to make sure you are using the same yarn weight for the new color.

The type of yarn matters a lot too! If it is a design element and you need to use different yarns for texture, you can experiment using a larger hook for thinner yarns, or a smaller hook for thicker yarns.

How to fix uneven crochet blanket edges

Alright, now for the fixes. You know why your blanket has an uneven edge, let’s get into fixing. Make sure to read on after this portion for tips to prevent uneven blanket edges

Add a border

If your edges are just a little off, adding a border can help make things look nice and polished.

I usually like to finish off all edges with a simple single crochet border just to make nice and clean edges.

If you have really distinct uneven crochet blanket edges, a lacy border might just be your best bet. Lace is very fluid and has great drape, making it almost unnoticeable that your edges are uneven. I love referring to this book when I need to add a laced border to my projects.

Block your piece to the desired shape

Blocking is the simplest method to correct uneven crochet blanket edges without needing to make big changes. Blocking helps redistribute stitches ultimately helping to fix issues with tension like tight stitches.

You can read more about blocking and the different blocking techniques in this post.

Make it a design element

In the case that your entire project is slanting diagonally (I have experienced this!) turning this into a design element may just be your best bet. Add on sections like long triangles on each side to make the piece even out and look more like a rectangular project. Adding on sections to make it work can leave you with a unique and creative blanket.

Cut off the problem area

This method is best to be tried by more experienced crocheter. It requires a good understanding of how stitches work. Like I mentioned above, in order to fix crochet mistakes, you need to understand the anatomy of your crochet stitches.

Cutting crochet can save you hours of work. If you have a problem area and just need to cut out that portion, reconnect, and continue. Cutting your crochet fabric could be a convenient fix because blankets are rather large projects. You can read more about how to cut crochet in this post .

How to prevent uneven crochet blanket edges

So now you know why your blanket edges are uneven and how to fix them, now let’s talk a little bit about what you can do to prevent this from happening again.

Always start with a gauge

as boring as gauge swatching is, it trains our hands to get used to a certain tension. When you are working with muscle memory, you are more likely to resist starting with a foundation chain that is too loose or too tight, allowing you to achieve straight edges throughout the crochet blanket. Your very first row is important in setting the stage for the rest of the blanket so be sure to make this row right.

Make notes before you start a project and attach it to the fabric

As mentioned above, using a different sized hook will drastically change the size of your project making uneven edges. A best way to prevent this is to make a note of what hook you are using at the beginning of the project and use a safety pin to keep the label on the fabric.

Count your stitches often and use a stitch marker to save time

When working on a large project it can be easy to lose track of your stitch count and rows count. Stitch markers are so useful in this case and helps save so much time counting and recounting stitches and rows in between.

I love using these stitch markers from CocoKnits! They come in a wide variety and I use them for both crochet and knitting projects.

Research what’s the best yarn substitute

If you are anticipating on changing colors or playing a game of yarn chicken, make sure to research what a similar type of yarn is just incase you need to add another type of yarn. This is the best way to prevent drastic changes in shape after changing yarn.

Rule of thumb is to always make sure you have more than enough yarn from the same lot number if you are working with a solid color. Even if you get the same hue of yarn down the road, if it comes from another lot, the color might have a subtle change.

Now you know how to fix uneven crochet blanket edges!

Looking for more patterns? Make sure to check out all of my crocheted blanket patterns here where you can find patterns to free blankets, wraps, and oversized scarves.

Want to see the best crochet blanket patterns?

That’s all for now my maker friend! Remember, never miss a stitch by subscribing to my newsletter. See you next time!

xoxo

Abigail