Pattern Confusion

[keecrochet]

Hello! I hope I'm doing this correctly, but I've been trying to wrap my head around this pattern for two weeks now and I never seem to be able to get it right.

 

I know how to do crocheting in a circle, and double crochet and things like that, but this pattern is just way too hard for me.

 

I was hoping maybe someone could help me break it down step by step? I can crochet in a certain space okay, but I don't know where to go after that's done. It doesn't say to fasten off after you finish in the -3 ch so I don't know where to go with the yarn at all and I'm just so fed up and confused and I already made 60 of the damn squares so I don't wanna just throw it all out.

 

I've italicized the part that I'm having trouble with, with the initial part being there for helpful context.

 

"

Ch 4, join with slip st to form ring. 

Rnd1 Ch3, 4 dc in ring, (ch3 ,5dc in ring)3 times, ch 3, join with slip st to top of beg ch-3. 

Rnd 2 Ch 2, (yo, insert hook in next dc, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) 4 times, yo and pull through all 5 loops on hook (dec made), ch 4, slip st in next ch-3 space, ch 4, *(yo, insert hook in next dc, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) 5 times, yo and pull through all 6 loops on hook (dec made), ch 4, slip st in next ch3-space, ch 4. Repeat from * twice more; join with slip st to top of first decrease. Fasten off. 

Rnd 3 Working over slip st of Rnd 2, join next color yarn with slip st in any ch-3 space of Rnd 1. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in same space, slip st in top of next dc dec, *working over slip st of Rnd 2, work (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in next ch-3 space of Rnd 1, slip st in top of next dc dec. Repeat from * twice more; join with slip st to top of beg ch-3. Fasten off. 
"

 

Another thing about this is that this is the messiest most complicated pattern writing I've ever seen. It hurts my head.

 

If I need to word this better or you need clarification please ask, I'm just really kind of fed up with the whole thing right now and wanted to reach out to folks who know what they're doing.

 

Sorry..

[magiccrochetfan]

well, wait, don't be too hasty...i could be wrong!!  when you look at round 2, is it the case that all those stitches are based in one stitch?  you might have to kind of spread apart the stitches to be sure.  

[sarisue]

I just looked at the Red Heart one and I like that one and that's bascially what I did the first time. It wouldn't be as bulky and would probably take less yarn.

[sarisue]

I couldn't sleep much so I tried it again and this time it worked or maybe I'm dreaming but seems a little bulky. I don't think I would like to make that many for a sweater though. I guess persistence pays off sometimes.LOL

[sarisue]

looks good, I hope it works for you. See it pays not to give up.  I didn't like the way mine looked with that many stitches though so I did it with less and it worked out. Now I am going to try again by the pattern..

[magiccrochetfan]

looks good!  that really is a lot of sts in one spot on round 3!!

[keecrochet]

yay!

I think I did round 3 right..Now I'll try round 4 as a proof of concept type thing..I think.

 

And, thank you! I will be sure to look at that!

 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

definitely show us the finished product!  we want to see it ;-)

 

how to read crochet diagrams good tutorial here http://www.craftyminx.com/2011/11/crochet-school-lesson-21-reading-crochet-charts.html

[keecrochet]

Ah! So you can reach over without making it all weird?

 

Okay! I will do my best!

 

Can I show you when it's all done, is that okay?

[sarisue]

Ok, I finished one square. I didn't do all those stitches in rnd 3 as that didn't look right. I just did a 3 dc shell with ch 2 between for a corner, ch 1 sl st in dc dec. ch one, a 3 dc shell with ch 2 between in corner continue around and the next rnd after that. 

Thanks Kathy for the kind words and your right I was stumpted by this one at first too. I will rest on it for now untill tomorrow.

 

Edited to say I did it again by the pattern and it worked but seemed so bulky while doing it.

[magiccrochetfan]

lol I will step away from the computer screen and the devilish pattern as needed to avoid a headache ;-)

 

do I just slip stitch all the way around this thing until I get to the next -3ch and start another .. fwoopy thing?

 

no, there is only one slip stitch there.  just reach over to the next chain3 space and do the fwoopy thing aka (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc).  

[keecrochet]

Okay! So I did round 2 as instructed (correctly this time, with any luck!)

 

And I tried to do one of the parts of round 3..so do I just slip stitch all the way around this thing until I get to the next -3ch and start another .. fwoopy thing?

 

 

 

And!

 

I uh..don't have any personal crochet library to speak of ^^; And my friend only taught my how to crochet last year when she was visiting for  weekend..

 

And uh, I mostly do those amigurithingies plushie things..I wanted to try sweaters though but I've never done one correctly. Ahahahaaa..

 

o3o I've never heard of a diagrammed pattern! What does that mean? 

 

Also, please don't give yourself a headache! ;a;

 

Also also, thank you sarisue! We can do it!

[magiccrochetfan]

No no no no!  you are not an idiot!  Crochet patterns are written in a particular way that is not at all intuitive to use....at least not for many/most crocheters.   it is completely understandable that you interpreted it that way. For one thing there is no picture to speak of, to refer to...if there were it is likely you would have been able to see that your center did not look like the picture.    And bear in mind that Sarisue had problems with round 3 and she is an experienced crocheter who can troubleshoot most any pattern.  And i personally can barely look at this pattern with its dense text w/o getting a migraine!  

 

now I don't know how long you have been crocheting, what other patterns you have used, what reference books you have in your personal library/access to check out of the public library....but I and others would be happy to make suggestions for different patterns you might like and reference books to help with pattern reading, if you would like.

 

Have you ever worked with diagrammed patterns, like those in Crochet Today magazine, or the book Blueprint Crochet?  to me these are sooooooo much easier to use than wordy written patterns w/o pictures.  

[sarisue]

No your not an idipot it's easy to miss read this pattern. I have those two rows done and can get a shell in the ch 3 sp but it doesn't seem to me it should have all those stitches there. Don't give up yet maybe we can figure it out .

[keecrochet]

Nah, they're all in one stitch, like you said.

 

when i read : 

Ch 2, (yo, insert hook in next dc, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) 4 times, yo and pull through all 5 loops on hook (dec made)"

 

I read it as "4 times, in same space." So I'm just an idiot.

[keecrochet]

....ah really?

 

Guess that means I have to throw out the rest of the 60 parts I made just like that.

 

oh well. Nevermind then. I'll just give up on this pattern.

[magiccrochetfan]

in your photo, what are the pink circles on round 1?  

 

I think your round 2 is not correct.  it looks like  your dc5tog are done into one stitch.  they should be spread over the 5 dc of row one.  here http://www.nexstitch.com/v_double_crochet_dec.html is a tutorial on dc2tog.  for this pattern, you would do this over 5 stitches of previous row, not just 2 as in the tutorial.  the short movie shows clearly how to do it.  

 

I am fighting off a headache but i will try to do this pattern myself and see if i can offer more help...it may take me a while to get it done.  Patterns like this give a person a headache at the best of times and i don't need any more headache today than i already have! lol

Curses on Lion brand for not at least having a better picture!!!!!   

 

Oddly enough, this Coats pattern http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/WR2002.pdf is identical up to a point, maybe it could be adapted to substitute for the problematic part of the Lion pattern.  

[keecrochet]

Ahh, thank you for trying though, sarisue! >;3 We'll figure it out for sure!

[sarisue]

As you did a slp st in the ch 3 sp in rnd 2 you will be working over that sl st to work in the ch 3 of rnd one. I am trying it and to me it's hard to get as many stitches in the ch 3 as it says, and it's hard to see the picture but I'll keep trying.

[keecrochet]

I..don't think I can accurately convey what I'm having trouble with.

 

I'll come back after I attempt to do the round I'm having an issue with and take a photo of the thing.

 

When I tried to do it before, I didn't think it looked correct at all. c:

[magiccrochetfan]

No, continue on with the rest of what it says. Do the part in parentheses in the same space.

[keecrochet]

but then do I cut off the new colour after that? That'd leave uh..3 -3ch spaces with nothing in them, wouldn't it?

[acraftylady]

Oh boy that pattern would not work for my brain written like that.  I agree the working over slip stitch should not be there, why bother to put it.  Join your next color yarn with a slip stitch in any ch3 space of round 1 is all you are doing.  So pick a ch3 space from round 1 and do you join with the new color.  Mary

[keecrochet]

I understand that, but what about say..

 

 Working over slip st of Rnd 2, join next color yarn with slip st in any ch-3 space of Rnd 1. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in same space, slip st in top of next dc dec, *working over slip st of Rnd 2, work (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in next ch-3 space of Rnd 1, slip st in top of next dc dec

 

From there, to the end of this instruction? How do you get the yarn from the "sl st at top of next dc dec" to "working over sl st of rnd 2" ? were you supposed to cut off the yarn after "sl st at top of next dc dec" even though they never said that?

[Becky Morgan]

The last line of Round 2 is "fasten off", so you need to cut the yarn and pull it through the loop on the hook to end the round. The new color starts with Round 3.

[keecrochet]

Okay. I've taken a picture of what I have so far, with a small diagram explanation attempt of what I'm having trouble with. Mostly it's "Where do I go after the first step?", it doesn't tell me if I'm supposed to cut the yarn off at this point..or anything, really. I don't get it.

 

 

And yes microcrochetfan, that's exactly the pattern! At this point I think if I've screwed up rounds 1 and 2 of what I have already I'll just throw out all the squares I have so far and give up. This pattern is awful. Maybe it's just me not understanding and it's me that's awful. Gah. I thought I understood how to do this stuff. It's very discouraging.

 

 

And, Flia, I think that did confuse me even more, I'm sorry! ^^;