soft and sweet layette

[Neesy4841]

Hello, everybody. My name is Denise, and I hope somebody can assist me with this. I am crocheting a layette called Soft and Sweet by Leisure Arts. The blanket has me pulling my hair out! Its 128 loose chains. I cannot get the rows to stay even. I've restarted the project four times and the same thing happens. Around row 20, the pattern starts making a pyramid pattern until instead of the blanket being 128 chains long, its about 70 chains long. Nothing I have tried works. The 2nd and 3rd rows are to be repeated 53 times each for a total of 109 rows. Row2 is CH 1 turn, skip first sc, (sc, ch2, hdc) in same sc. Repeat from (), sc in last sc.

Row 3 says CH 1, turn. Working behind CH 2 spaces, 2 sc in each sc across.

I have never had this much problem with a blanket before. Any advice?

[redrosesdz]

Welcome to Crochetville!

 

Assuming I'm counting right, you should have 63 sc, ch2, hdc shells in every even row.  Count yours to see if that's what you get.

 

The pattern is poorly written, because the skip an sc should be in the repeat.  Here's the breakdown of the counts...

 

Foundation & row 1: 128 chains = 127 sc stitches + 1 chain for your turning height.

 

Row 2: Your pattern repeats for every 2 sc stitches + 1 sc stitch at the end.  So, 127 - the ending sc = 126 patterns.  126 patterns / 2 = 63 shells.  So after your turning chain (ch1), do a sc,ch2,hdc shell in the first sc, skip the next sc. Keep doing that for every 2 sc stitches, until you have 1 left.  Make an sc in that last sc stitch.

 

Row 3: Set up your sc row again.  Do 2 sc in every ch-2 space.  When you get to the end, do 1 sc in the last sc.

 

Pattern row, sc row, pattern row, sc row, etc.

 

At the end of every pattern row, count your shells to make sure you have 63.  If you don't, rip it back to where you goofed.

 

I hope this helps!

[ReniC]

I made this layette several years ago and oddly, my booklet starts out with ch 123; 122 sc total. (pub- 2001)

as printed:

Row 2: Ch 1, turn; skip 1st sc, (sc, ch 2, hdc) in next sc,

*skip next sc, (sc, ch 2, hdc) in next sc;

repeat from * across to last 2 sc,

skip next sc, sc in last sc. (=61 sc, 60 ch-2 sp)

 

When having a problem with a repetitive pattern, I always find it helpful to count each row when completed. It may be exasperating to have to count so much, but worth it in the end.

[Neesy4841]

Thank you ReniC! Thank you, RedRose. After trying everything, the only thing I could think of is the pattern was poorly written. For awhile therevI thought it was me! Thank you both. The pattern says chain 123? I thought that might be wrong!

Denise

[ReniC]

Neesy4841, on 17 Sept 2016 - 5:37 PM, said:

Thank you ReniC! Thank you, RedRose. After trying everything, the only thing I could think of is the pattern was poorly written. For awhile therevI thought it was me! Thank you both. The pattern says chain 123? I thought that might be wrong!

Denise

You're welcome and I do hope you get this resolved since it's such a pretty set.

No- it says ch 123 with a total of 122 sc at end of Row 1. This does happen once in awhile, especially if corrections have been made to the original printing.

[Neesy4841]

I restarted it, and it looks great. The booty is also giving me problems. I have more cuff that Instep. End 5 of sides; CH 3, DC in next sc and in each sc around to instep, DC in same st as last sc in Row 1 of Instep; working in ends of rows, DC in next 2 rows, DC in seam and in next 2 rows, DC in same st as Instep, joining and in each sc around.

It says this is round 1, but the instructions mention rows, which is confusing. Am I working around, or working on rows?

[ReniC]

Neesy4841, on 18 Sept 2016 - 7:05 PM, said:Neesy4841, on 18 Sept 2016 - 7:05 PM, said:

I restarted it, and it looks great. The booty is also giving me problems. I have more cuff that Instep. End 5 of sides; CH 3, DC in next sc and in each sc around to instep, DC in same st as last sc in Row 1 of Instep; working in ends of rows, DC in next 2 rows, DC in seam and in next 2 rows, DC in same st as Instep, joining and in each sc around.

It says this is round 1, but the instructions mention rows, which is confusing. Am I working around, or working on rows?

Hi Denise; Rnd 5 of Sides refers to the sides before the instep is added and yes you are working in rounds. It's late right now so, maybe in the morning after I do morning chores, I can sit down and crochet some steps to show you in pics. Not sure what time tho. Don't give up.

 

ETA 09/19: Sorry I didn't post the photo-a-long. My brand new laptop is acting up and cannot stay on for very long at a time. Back to the store it goes!

[Neesy4841]

Now I'm really confused! Do I skip the instep part and do the cuff work, and then go back to the Instep? Or do I follow the instructions and crochet the Instep and then crochet the cuff?

[Ddeborah63]

Hi, I am glad I found this, I have been pulling my hair out trying to do this pattern, it looks better already using all your advice, just a quick question, when you do 2sc in the 2ch gap , how do you do them from the back of the work, or do you just do them normal? 

Thanks x

[Granny Square]

Hi, welcome to the 'ville!  I don't have the book this pattern is in, but I'm guessing you're working in rows (turning)?  You'd just make the stitches around the chains, typically, although you could make them into the chains if you want.  You'd do this the same way whether back or front was facing you.

[Ddeborah63]

Yes the blanket is done in rows, this is row 3, the right side, just confusing me when it says working behind , thought I had to single crochet from the back instead of the front? Very confusing . X

[Granny Square]

Ah. You had said SC in the ch-2 gap, which typically means to work around the chain loop that forms the gap.  That's not what's happening here.

It sounds like the chain gap, or loop, is going to form a decorative element,.  The  chain loop is going to end up lying in front of the SC stitches.  In this case, do row 3 just as it says-- you aren't working "from the back", you are working as usual, sticking the hook into the SC in the normal way from the front of the fabric but: put the tip of the hook BEHIND the chain loop (so the loop is now between you and the hook) and complete the SC.  It's like the chain loop will be 'in the way' of your working the SC as usual, so you just have to reach behind it.

[Ddeborah63]

Thank you so much , I've got it now, I'm a bit new to crochet, I taught myself about 18 months ago via Utube.  It looks brilliant now xx

[Granny Square]

  Crochet is fun, there's all sorts of ways to jazz it up.  I've been doing it for decades and am still learning new things.