How to Make a Crochet Tension Regulator

Your index finger will thank you!

I really like to crochet, and since I picked up the craft over twenty years ago, I have spent a lot of time working on and designing various projects, but it wasn’t until I began working on this granny square purse:

that I decided I needed to get a handle on an issue that had plagued me over the course of my crochet life — variable tension.

What is crochet tension?

Gauge is, generally speaking, the size of the stitches you make. Tension — again, generally speaking — is how hard you are pulling on the yarn and your hook as you form those stitches, so tension has a huge impact on your ultimate gauge.

Ideally, when you crochet pieces that are supposed to be the same size, they are exactly that — the same size. But whether or not you are consistently able to hit your target gauge has a lot to do with the yarn, the hook, and the way you feel, because the way you feel at the moment you make your stitches, directly impacts the size (or gauge) of those stitches.

If you had a difficult day and are crocheting to destress, there is a good chance you will crochet tighter stitches than you would if you were crocheting while relaxing on the beach. The personal tension you bring to a project will be reflected in…