Pattern question

[amanda2017]

I am working on my first amigurumi project, a doll. This is my 2nd crochet project ever and I am not super great at reading patterns yet. Right now I have completed the head, I am at a part now where I am to decrease to form the neck of the doll but I can't seem to get my next row to add up (stitches wise). 

Here is a section of the pattern:

 

Round 26 – 5 SC, dec – repeat –(36 SC)

Round 27 - *4 SC, dec – repeat (30 SC)
Round 28 - *3 SC, dec – repeat (24 SC)
Round 29 - *2 SC, dec – repeat (18 SC), fill up the head.
Continuing little body

Round 1 – 3 single crochet in each stitch around (18 SC) 

 

I have completed round 26, the stitches added up to 36 no problem but when I get to round 27 I can't get the stitches to line up to 30, I end up with 28 and I can't see why? I was curious if the asterisk beside "4 SC" has anything to do with it? What do you ladies think? Is the asterisk code for something? Since this is the first time I've seen it used in this pattern I am wondering if I am missing something, if I am supposed to be doing something special on this particular round?

 

Thanks! 

Here is the doll I am making:

 

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/254892674/pattern-doll-viky-crochet-pattern?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

 

[Granny Square]

Think of it this way:  

You're starting with 36 stitches

36 is 6 groups of 6 stitches

In the first group of 6 stitches, you sc across the first 4, then decrease (combine the last 2 together into 1), to get 5 stitches.

Do the same thing in the remaining groups of 6 stitches

You should now have 6 groups of 5 stitches, 6x5=30

 

Maybe before you start decreasing, put a marker in the first stitch of each group of 6?  So in stitch 1, stitch 7, stitch 13 etc.

[redrosesdz]

The asterisks means that is the start of a repeat.  You repeat the entire sequence until you reach the end, X number of times or until the pattern says to stop when you reach a certain point.  In the rounds you listed, it means until the end of the round.

 

What you're doing is the opposite of when you began the head.  In the first rounds, you had 6 sets of stitches with an increase (2 sc in the same stitch).  Most likely at round 4, you did 6 sets of 2 sc, increase.  Then 6 sets of 3 sc, increase for the next round.  Then 6 sets of 4 sc, increase.  Then 6 sets of 5 sc, increase.

 

Now you're decreasing.  When you did round 26, you did 6 sets of 5 sc, decrease (2sctog, which turns 2 sc into 1 sc).  That equals 6 stitches x 6 sets = 36 stitches.  In round 27, you're doing 6 sets of 4 sc, decrease.  That equals 5 stitches x 6 sets = 30 stitches.  (Try counting out loud 1, 2, 3, 4, decrease, 1, 2, 3, 4, decrease ...)  In round 28, you'll do 6 sets of 3 sc, decrease.  That equals 4 stitches x 6 sets = 24 stitches.

 

A lot of amigurumi consists of making things that are round.  6 sets of stitches is common.  If you think of a ball, you start small, increase to the middle, then decrease back to small.  In crochet, to make something round, you increase once per set of stitches when increasing.  So, you add 6 stitches every round.  The rounds go 6 stitches, then increase every stitch, then 1 sc, inc, then 2 sc, inc, then 3 sc, inc., etc.  As you go decrease it's the exact opposite.  You decrease once per set of stitches.  So, you subtract 6 stitches every round.  The rounds go from X sc, dec, then X-1, dec, then X-2, dec, etc.

 

Does this make sense now?

 

Here's a hint for doing round objects...

When you do an increase or decrease in the same spot on every round, the roundness isn't smooth.  You'll get points where the increases and decreases are.  It doesn't matter where in the set of stitches you do an increase or decrease as long as they are evenly spaced.  So 4 sc, inc (or dec) around is the same as 2 sc, inc (or dec), 2 sc.  If you change where you put the increases or decreases, the object will be smooth.  I like to start with the sc, then do the inc/dec.  Next start with half the sc, then the inc/dec, then the other half of the sc.  Then I go back to sc, followed by the inc/dec.

 

ETA: @ GS!  You got in while I was still typing away!  She is using a running stitch marker already for the first stitch of each round.  So, she'd just need regular stitch markers for the beginning of the rest of the sets. 

[Granny Square]

Hi Redrosesdz!    The markers every repeat were probably overkill, but I thought it might cause an aha! moment to see where the problem was (I couldn't quite figure out how she decreased by 8 instead of 6).

 

To the OP - can you 'read' your stitches, in other words, if you got distracted in the middle of this row, could you look back and spot where the plain stitches and the decreases are?  I'm just trying to think how you might diagnose what went wrong...

[amanda2017]

oh boy....  ok ladies.

My aunt told me to decrease stitches I just simply SKIP a stitch and go into the next stitch. So for example in row 26 I single crocheted 5 in the first 5 stitches, skipped a stitch then stitched 5 in a row, skipped a stitch, etc... is that not right????
I watched a youtube video on how to decrease and it's not how I have been doing it. Although why would all of my numbers be adding up up to this point then??? Im lost, lol.

Here is my project so far:

https://capturetheheartphotography.pixieset.com/amigurumi-1/?pid=1046744573&id=0&h=MjIwMjczMzg2Mg

Other then the head not being evenly stuffed yet, is it looking alright??? Am I going to have to rip out all of the rows I've done that have had decreases and do them the way you guys described? And I"m wondering why mine have gaps between the stitches and the picture of the front of the pattern doesn't. Is that just a tension issue? I've been trying to keep them really tight but I wonder if a thicker yarn would have filled the gaps in more.

Thank you for your patience with me by the way!




 

[redrosesdz]

Unfortunately, you're going to have to rip out all of the decrease rows and redo them.  I can see where the head is misshapen from not doing the 2sctogether stitches.  The link below has a tip on how to do an invisible decrease for amigurumi.  I've never tried it, but I'm definitely doing it on my next ami project.

 

Next, take out some of the stuffing.  The stuffing should be full, but not stuffed.  When you over stuff, you get gaps in the stitches.  The stuffing can pull them apart.  Under  stuffing isn't good either.  Over time under stuffed ami.s tend to deflate.

 

Check out the ami tips at Craftsy ...

https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2016/04/amigurumi-hacks/

 

Now for the good news... her face is adorable!!!

[amanda2017]

Bah.

 

       

 

Ok then. Thank you! I will rip out the decreases and start again   

Better right then wrong! 

Thanks again!

[redrosesdz]

You're welcome!

 

You are right about better to rip and redo when it's not right. For example, I'm working on an afghan that alternates a complicated row and a simple sc, chain 1 row. I just had to rip and recount a couple hundred stitches on a simple row 4 times! Since I count multiple times when the count is off, I don't even know how many times I counted the row. I even took an hour break from it. Even though it took hours, it was worth it now that it's correct.

[Granny Square]

That is one way to decrease, but it leaves a hole which might be ok for some lacy patterns, but bad for a stuffed thing.

 

It would still have the same effect over 6 stitches though - 1 decrease over each group of 6 stitches, so I'm not sure what went wrong on that last row count.

 

Hang in there. The face was cute, but I think you will be happier with a more even fabric in the end.

[redrosesdz]

GS: What went wrong was that in row 26 she needed 6 sets of 6 stitches.  She was doing 5, sk, around. In order to just skip, she'd need 6, sk, around. She most likely did 7 sets of 5 stitches and an extra one at the end of the round after the last skip.  That would be 36.  But, like you said, it's not good for doing ami, because of the stuffing.  On a side note: do you do invisible decreases?  What do you think of craftsy' instructions for them?

[Granny Square]

I don't do many toys (actually the last couple I made were knitted for grand nephew and niece...and I think the last toy I made before that (crocheted) was ~ 30 years earlier for their dad, so...

 

I know I read the Planet June hint several years ago and half remembered that it was FLO, but now re-reading it also eliminates a yarn over, so it is bound to be less bulky - pretty clever.  I've not used it, but it sounds like a great idea for something where the wrong side won't show.