Help with crochet rag rug needed

[OceanMomma]

I can do one crochet stitch which I think is called a double or half double(?) I can make hats & bags or basically anything round no problem. I am now branching out & am trying to crochet dd a rag rug for her bedroom floor. The how to crochet book that looks like it tells me all is still on order at the library

I can knit & if I was knitting it would do it all stocking stitch as each row is a different colour so I need to knit the ends in. With my crochet tho' there is no equivalent of a purl stitch so I am having to do a row. Go back to the start of the row & do the next colour & so on. It seems to be starting to go on a bit of an angle instead of straight. Any ideas ? I'd much rahter work it in one piece. I just wanted a long rectangular rug instead of a big circular one as it fits the space better.

[anythingelse]

It sounds like maybe you are casting an extra stitch on one side before turning it, can you count a couple rows one at bottom and then the last one you did to double check?
Mary

[OceanMomma]

I'm not actually turning it as such. The only stitch I can do looks really funny on the wrong side so what I am doing is doing a row & tyeing off the yarn ( strip of fabric ) then, with the right side facing still, going back to the start of the row with a new strip of fabric & crocheting another row. Does this make sense ?

[anythingelse]

Maybe it is the fabric scraps- if some are knit and give, they may cause that- it ends up looking like you used a different gauge hook KWIM Can you try to block it a bit by dampening it and clothespin the sections to something rectangular?

[OceanMomma]

Sounds like a good plan I was stretching it around a bit today so I'll give it a whirl. Thanx heaps