I need your guys help. New pattern I need help on

[Minka Pinka]

Hello everyone. First I want to thank you for stopping by this post. I bought a new crochet book called Edward's Menagerie. I'm crocheting the donkey for my nephew. I'm having some trouble understanding how to do the ears. Okay here is the pattern

 

Ears

Working in dark, ch20 and sl st to join into circle.

 

Rnd 1: (Dc8, dc2tog) twice. (18)

Rnd 2: Dc (18)

Rnd 3: (Dc7, dc2tog) twice (16)

Rnd 4: Dc. (4 rnds) (16)

 

Can't you let me know what y'all think is what I need to do.

[magiccrochetfan]

did you try writing it out in complete words?  for example, the rnd 1 would be:  in each of the next 8 stitches, make 1 double crochet.  in the next stitch, make a double crochet 2 together (which is a decrease).  In each of the next 8 stitches, make 1 double crochet.  In the next stitch, make a double crochet 2 together.  at the end of the round, the stitch count is 18.  

[Real Deal]

OK - you are starting at the bottom of the ear and decreasing up toward the point.

 

To start, using the dark yarn, ch 20, then slip stitch the last ch to the first ch. This makes a big circle.

 

Rnd 1:  Now work into the chains around the circle:  1 dc in each of the next 8 chains. After that, dc the next 2 sts together, which is a decrease. You are now half way around the circle. Repeat what you just did for the second half of the circle, so 8 dc, dec again. St count is 18

 

Rnd 2:  1 dc in each st around. 18

 

Rnd 3:  1 dc in each of the next 7 sts, dec.  Repeat for second half of circle.  16

 

The next instructions would be better written as:

Rnds 4 to 7:  1 dc in each st around. 16

 

The minimalist way your book's instructions are written are not really so hard to figure out. Just read every word. Actually saying it out loud helps too.

[Real Deal]

I forgot to say, that those of us who have been crocheting a long time can glance at your instructions and know immediately what to do, but it wasn't always that way for us either. I remember being new and not having a clue what to do unless my mother was there to help me.

 

Figuring out how to turn at the end of a row. How many chains? What! How to get around a corner. Huh? It's not the same as the end of a row? Almost. Sort of.

 

Ohhh, those were the days!