Marker and shift stitch.

Marker and shift stitch.

I use a contrast thread as a marker while crocheting the toys and dools to follow the beginning of a row.

The beginning of a row shifts t the right while crocheting in the spiral rows. Photo number one as an example. You need to align the marker so that the proportions of a toy remain symmetrical, decreases and increases remain in their places. To do this every 2-3 rows (depending on the yarn and gauge) we crochet 1 more sc at the end of a row. Place note, we do not crochet additional increases, we only move the marker  so that it goes straight. It turns out that the first stitch of the next row becomes the last in the crocheted row. And the second stitch of the next row becomes the first for this row.

Shift stitch is not included in the total count of stitches.

In the photo number 2 the dotted lines indicate where the beginning of a row would be and where the marker would pass if we did not crochet shift stitches in the course of crocheting.