Beginner Throw blanket....Could use some help please!

[JessicaW]

So I started crocheting a few months ago...made a few scarves, nothing too crazy just a bunch of sc and dc. Now I have decided I should work my way up to throws/afghans. I found this beautiful pattern on redheart that is labeled as beginner...it doesn't seem very beginner friendly but I do not want to back down from the challenge. Can anyone help me understand the directions in plainer English? Would really appreciate it. Also, I've been attempting the crossed dc...and I think I may be doing the wrong, so an tips would be fantastic!

 

Link to pattern: http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/WR2049.pdf

 

Thanks in advance for all the help!

- Jess

[ReniC]

You might check out some of the great tutorial videos on YouTube.

This is just one of many for the

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[ddc]

Be sure not to do the dc's too tightly. Stitches at an angle have to be slightly longer than the usual upright form, so you will need to pull out the yarn a tad longer when you insert the hook through the stitch and pull it up, prior to crocheting off the first set of loops on your hook - if that made sense. It may take a bit to get the feel for it, but they should lie naturally and not look tight or stretched.

[wheat]

One of the best things about crochet is its portablitiy.  With that in mind, you may want to consider an equally portable reference.  Leisure Arts recently released a new title for its "pocket references" a series of books that are about 5.5 in wide x 8.5 in tall. 

 

The Complete Guide to Symbol Crochet by Rita Weiss & Susan Lowman.

 

Don't let the title throw you.  (and besides, having a basic symbol reference is invaluable as you go forward) 

 

The book contains about 45-50 basic stitches and commonly used stitch combinations with the symbol, and excellent step outs to form each stitch along with the "written/verbal" instructions. 

 

It has some basic patterns to help you learn to "read" symbols but I feel its greatest value is to have the stitch, symbol, written and pictorial guidance anywhere you want to work.

 

It is great to watch a tutorial to see the flow, but having a reference like this to "remind" you later is, to me at least, an invaluable reference. 

 

And yes, we will be selling this book, along with Kim Guzman's Tunisian Stitch Guide, but only because I think it is so valuable to both the new and those who need a reminder from time to time.   I only wish Leisure Arts had followed Kim's example and included Symbol Charts in the other books in the series.

[waysouth]

Hope the advice given here will be useful, meanwhile, I've saved the pattern, it's lovely

[Amy]

Jess, so our members do not get into any trouble related to copyright infringement, our guidelines do not allow members to upload patterns to which they do not own the copyright.

 

I've edited your first post to remove the pdf of the pattern and replace it with a link to the pattern.