........enough to make you tense!

I have been a knitter for  more years than I care to admit to, and in all those years I have never ever had an issue with tension. If a pattern says use 4mm needles and DK yarn, my tension is spot on. If a pattern says use 6mm needles and a chunky yarn my tension is spot on. Cables, rib, bobbles...you guessed it, spot on. 

So last year I taught myself to crochet Granny Squares and never even thought to check tension as my knitting has never given me any issues - I have crocheted several lovely blankets and have been as pleased as punch with them. However, I have now hit a problem.....deciding I wanted to learn more crochet, I went to a Crochet a hat workshop where we were learning to crochet a beanie hat using chunky yarn and 7mm hooks. After a few rounds of crochet, my piece of work was literally half the size of everyone elses and to rectify this I had to change up to a 9mm hook as I realised I was a 'tight' crocheter....
 
Today, I decided to try to follow a pattern and crochet some baby booties. I stuck to the 4mm hook and DK yarn, and merrily followed the pattern, getting more and more pleased with myself that I could actually read and follow a crochet pattern......until I finished and realised that I had made a GIANT bootie .......

The pink bootie is crocheted in DK yarn with a 4mm hook. The green booties are knitted in DK yarn with 4mm needles. I am confused as to what the heck is going on with my tension?!?! With chunky I was crocheting sooo tight I had to go up 2 sizes, now with DK I am going to have to go down to a 3.5mm or even a 3mm hook to get it right! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!

What I think I am most cheesed off about is that I have found that I LOVE crochet and want to do more, but that I will, after many years of never needing to do a tension check, I now am going to have to start checking it with every crochet project I do......or, just continue make randomly sized garments that is decided on on the day by my very loose or very tight crochet hands!!

Anyway, if anyone as a baby girl with a very large right foot there's just the bootie waiting here for her.....

Chat to you soon

Tina xx