Help with pattern

[kittysue79]

Please help, I was given a pattern book for Christmas of zigzag afgans. I am fairly new to crocheting and don't understand patterns really well yet  I figured out one ok and have gotten most of the way through it but there is one i tried for a week straight and everytime I was unable to figure out the pattern. Don't know if i am allowed to post what the pattern is is or name of book and such so any advice is welcome.

[kittysue79]

I tried that, tried everything, tried a different seemingly more difficult pattern in the book and that one works fine, its this one pattern I can figure out.

[kittysue79]

Its been awhile since i tried the pattern, that MAY be where i was going wrong. retrying the pattern right now as I type to see if i can figure it out again.

[redrosesdz]

"double, chain 1 x2 in same stitch" is poorly written.  Make sure that you're not doing an extra chain after the increase.  That could throw off your count.  It has to be just 3 stitches ... DC, CH, DC.

[kittysue79]

yes, uses 3 stitches

[redrosesdz]

Both the increase (peak) and decrease (valley) need to be the same number of stitches.  If your increase is DC, CH, DC, that is 3 stitches.  Is the decrease DC3tog?

[Granny Square]

That's an interesting increase, but it might help to keep it flatter/turn more sharply.

 

I don't know what else to suggest, I know for me I really do have to count all.the.time on ripples, not just check every few rows.

 

I suspect that ripples with gaps in them might be easier to 'eyeball' the counts (like the pink one, or blue/pink/yellow/green/white one in your book), but haven't tested that theory. 

[kittysue79]

its a double crochet, using 3 different decrease, one at the start of the row one for the ripples and one at the end. then a double, chain 1 x2 in same stitch, if that makes any sense

[redrosesdz]

I agree with GS in that counting is critical.  When I'm doing a ripple, I count the sides as 1-up, 2-up, 3up, etc. and 1-down, 2-down, 3-down, etc.  I say that out loud.  At the end of EVERY row, I recount the stitches to make sure that every side has the correct count and that the peaks and valleys are lined up.  It's a pain, but well worth it in the end.

[Granny Square]

Is something other than a basic DC going on for the stitch pattern?

[Granny Square]

Oops, thanks for catching me Redrosesdz....and now Kittysue and you are posting as I'm typing LOL.

 

erase erase

 

I was going to suggest marking your stitches at every center hilltop and valley.  Seriously, you really have to count each and every section.  It's not a factor of being new to crochet-- I've been crocheting for decades, have made a couple of  ripples and messed up and ripped both of them back a few rows here and there as I got lazy counting.  

[kittysue79]

no the problem comes out that by the 3 or 5th row approx. my stitch count is way off, for some reason. i count very carefully and even mark my stitches to be certain but some how i lose the count after a few rows and my ripples become wrong, like if i need 9 stitches from decrease to increase i have 7 stitches there.

[redrosesdz]

The cream colored one looks like a standard ripple, except it's done in back loops.  Is crocheting into back loops where you are stuck?  If yes, normally you insert your hook under the top of a stitch, which is 2 loops.  For back loops, you insert your hook under just the loop that is farthest from you.  Does this help?

[kittysue79]

Its the 4th pattern in the book, a cream colored one

[redrosesdz]

I found the book.  There are 10 pictures.  Which picture is it?

 

(GS has a typo, which is very unusual!!  She meant to say "There's a valley, where you decrease by y stitches")

[kittysue79]

Thanks! The book is Learn to Crochet Ripple Afghans, the pattern is Really Ripples Lap-Ghan. I have no idea which line I am having issues with, cause no matter what i try or do by the 3-5 row its wrong. I've tried everything for days and I can't figure it out

[Granny Square]

Sure, tell us the book and pattern name and we can probably find a picture of the afghan at least, to give us an idea of what is going on.  Welcome to the 'ville, by the way!

 

If there is a row that is confusing to you, it's OK to type it out here (just not OK to share the whole pattern).

 

I'm going to guess that it might be a ripple afghan, along the lines of this one? 

http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/knit-or-crochet-ripple-baby-blanket.html?id=196344

 

The above is in SC, but the ripple concept works for DC and other variations

There's 2 hillsides, each hillside is x stitches

There's a hill top, where you increase by y stitches

There's a valley, where you increase by y stitches

 

The pattern doesn't show itself well until you have several rows done, at first it looks like a string with elbows.

 

The hard part about ripples is to remember to keep count.  There are a lot of help threads regarding ripples where people lose count and it gets skewed, unfortunately the only way to fix that is to rip back to before the error and restart from there.

 

Hi Magic, I'm typing slowly again!  

[magiccrochetfan]

Welcome to the Ville!

 

Please do tell us the name of the pattern and the book title. Someone may have the book to refer to and help you.

 

Also it is ok to type out one or two rows in a post, to get help.