Adding Stitches, Step Up pattern by Laurinda Reddig

[ammorgan]

I have been having problems doing the multi color chains to start with, and so I was thinking about just starting with my edging color, doing 2 rows, and adding an extra 2 stitches to both left and right, and then adding 2 rows at the top to finish it off.

 

Instructions are as follows

 

With D, ch 9, attach C, ch 9, attach B, ch 9, attach A, ch 11-38 ch.

Row 1: DC in 3rd ch from hook and next 8 ch, change to B, dc in next 9 ch, change to C, dc in next 9 ch, change to D, dc across, turn, 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D (36 dc)

 

So I was thinking to add 2 stitches of edging on each side, I should chain a total of 42 stitches correct?

[redrosesdz]

Are you going to do the sc edging at the end of the pattern?  If yes, then the majority of your starting chain will not show.  Instead of going through all of the hassle of extra rows and stitches, you can do your starting chain in the same color as your sc edge. By the time you do your first row with the multiple colors and finish it with the sc edge, that chain with the single color will disappear.

 

As I said in your other thread about this topic, you can also start with foundation stitches, instead of a foundation chain.  That way you can do your color changes at the top of the stitch, instead of in the chain.  If you're not familiar with foundation stitches, there are lots of youtube videos out there that show how to do it.  I'm just not sure which ones are good.  I learned by taking Marty Miller's "Mastering Foundation Crochet" class at craftsy.com.

 

In my opinion, either method would be easier than trying to add to Laurinda's designs.  For example, in the step up design, the blocks on the edges are going to be wider than the blocks in the middle.  Plus when you get past the straight line designs, adding stitches to the sides is going to get very complicated.  That and stitches are not the same width and height, especially when doing the DC designs, so adding 2 stitches to each edge is not the same as adding 2 rows to the top and bottom.

[ammorgan]

Thank you.  I started trying to do the edging on one of my completed squares last night and it just didn't seem right.  I think one of the stitches ended up in the super stretchy part between rows and I wasn't sure where to put the 34 evenly spaced stitches.

[redrosesdz]

Yeah, that's easy to do when you're edging the side of rows.  I made mine into dishcloths, so I didn't have to count stitches along the sides.  One thing you can do is mark the middle, so that you only have to count 17 evenly spaced stitches in each section.  You can also mark in between, so that you'll have 8, mark, 8, 8, mark, 8 evenly spaced sections.