Pattern Instruction Help :/

[Kizzymet]

I am working on making this platypus:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/perry-platypus-vogelbekdier

 

I am working on the arms/legs but have hit a snag.  When I reached this section I got very confuzzled.

 

 

Flippers

Continue with the orange you left in the 3rd row, and start at the front loops of this row. If necessary,

move to the right position in comparison with the knees.

1. 1 ch, (2 sc in 1 st) 3x, 1 ch, turn

2. from 2nd st 2 sc, (2 sc in 1 st) 2x, 2 sc

Fasten off.

Stuff the legs very lightly, in order to keep the shape of the knees right. Place the legs just above row 5

of the body, at both sides of the body, a little to the front. Or put them right in front, to enable the platypus to sit.

 

Without being told a specific yarn/guage, I am using some basic Red Heart and an I/9 5.5mm hook.  My "knees" are not as well defined as they seem to be in the patterns photo.  This doesn't really bother me other than to show that its even more difficult determining placement of the leg as a whole and the flippers specifically.

 

I don't really understand which "row" its talking about.  However, even without the placement issue, I'm not certain what is meant by the rest. On line 1, after the 1 chain, does it mean 2 st in the newly created 1 stitch chain? or does it mean 2 sc in the 1st stitch of the "row" on the foot?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! =)

 

[Granny Square]

I'm sure that RHSS will be fine, and whatever hook that will give you a nice dense fabric so the stuffing doesn't show.  

 

Orienting myself to this pattern...Steek=stitch in Dutch.  It looks like the bend in the knee is made by decreasing at the back of the knee and increasing at the front, over the same # of stitches.

 

The leg is made from the ankle up, starting with 3 rounds of orange then switching to the blue for the leg.  The LAST round of orange was made into the back loop of the stitch, making the front loop "free", forming a line of loops between rounds 2 and 3.  For the flipper, it's telling you to go back to the orange, and work into the free front loops that were made in round 3 (the loops are the free loops from round 2).  If you look closely at the pattern photo, it looks like the toy is wearing orange socks with orange flipper shoes that sit a little higher than the socks, this is caused by the flipper worked into the free front loop.

 

It's a bit unusual, maybe it was done that way for shaping/stability?

[magiccrochetfan]

On line 1, after the 1 chain, does it mean 2 st in the newly created 1 stitch chain? or does it mean 2 sc in the 1st stitch of the "row" on the foot?

 

this should mean to stitch into the first st of the row.  the chain is your turning chain to start the new row and it is pretty hard if not impossible to stitch into the first chain from the hook.  

[Granny Square]

^ Agree.  

 

"Continue with the orange you left in the 3rd row, and start at the front loops of this row.....

1. 1 ch, (2 sc in 1 st) 3x, 1 ch, turn"

 

To start the flipper, put the orange yarn on your hook with a slip knot, then make a chain into the first free loop created by working round 3 in the back loop of round 2, and proceed from there.  You are working into the single front loops just as you would work into the top 2 loops of a 'normal' stitch, not working into chains.

[redrosesdz]

I agree, too.  I'm just throwing my 2 cents in for what it's worth. 

 

Do you see the little piece of the foot that sticks up and is in orange?  You're getting ready to create this little piece.  You'll be doing it in short rows, which means that you're working in just a few stitches, instead of the entire row/round.

 

1. You should have 3 front loops available.  Do a ch-1, then do 2sc in each of the front loops (6 stitches).  Do your turning ch-1 and turn.

2. You now have 6 stitches.  sc, sc, 2sc, 2sc, sc, sc (8 stitches).

Fasten off.  Foot made.

[Kizzymet]

Thank you all for answering! I apologize for taking so long to get back here.  My peaceful day of crochet went boom yesterday:/

 

I *think* I may understand it a little better now.  Going to zip off and try it *crosses fingers*  but I may wander back in just a bit with more questions:/

[magiccrochetfan]

do ask whatever you need to, we are happy to try to help

 

and welcome to the ville!