Beanie pattern

[lees.mca@gmail.com]

I am very new to crocheting and am struggling to read a pattern for making a beanie. The pattern states:

Ch2, *hdc in next stitch, 2 hdc in each st* around, sl st in top of first hdc. 24

 

Do I begin with 2 chain stitches that are not attached to the previous row?

What does sl st in top of first hdc. 24 mean? Do I do 24 slip stitches or one slip stitch in the 24th hdc?

 

thankyou

[greyhoundgrandma]

The 2 ch stitches are not part of the previous row, but are what gives you the height for the stiches in the row you are starting. Depending on what the pattern says, sometimes these chains count as the first stitch of the new row, but occasionally they do not.

 

It sounds like you are working in the round rather than rows and so when you get to the end of the round you slip stitch into the first stitch of that round to connect it. You just slip stitch into that one stitch.

 

The 24 at the end tells you how many stitches you should have in the row or round.

[greyhoundgrandma]

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/tip_crochet.html

http://www.anniescatalog.com/crochet/learntoread.html

Here are a couple of articles about reading patterns that might be helpful.

[FrLopLady]

the ch 2 may be how the hat is started rather than a ch3 or magic circle.  If that is the beginning of the hat the hdc would go into the first ch of the ch 2