Help with pattern

[Smsdavis]

I need help.   This is my first attempt at a crochet pattern.  I've practiced stiches and understand them but this pattern has me baffled. 

Do they want me to chain 3 stitches attached to nothing when it says chain 3 on row 1 ?

On row 2 I'm extremely confused.  Dc I can do.  Ch 3 is that 3 unattached chains or 3 single crochet stitches?

Then sk ch-3 sp.  

What does that mean?  Skip 1 chain but then 3 spaces... isn't that skipping 4?  

I uploaded a photo of the pattern so I don't mistype it as well as the abbreviations for each stitch. 

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi, welcome to the Ville!  

You are creating "chain spaces".  You just completed a double crochet stitch.  Now you make three chains, then you make another dc.  The chains are like a little bridge between the two dc stitches.  

Sk ch-3 sp means to skip over the chain-3 space.

[magiccrochetfan]

Tutorial on what a chain space is https://www.crochetspot.com/what-is-a-chain-space-ch-sp/

[redrosesdz]

Welcome to Crochetville from me, too!

There's a couple of concepts that you need to know, but didn't ask. I apologize in advance, if I'm going to tell what you already know.

Chains have multiple uses. At the beginning of a row, they're used to "chain-up" to the height of a stitch. The purpose is to get you to the correct starting place. For shorter stitches, like an sc, the chain-up is ignored when counting stitches. For taller stitches, like a dc, the chain-up counts as a stitch. 

Another purpose for chains is to create a space. This is done by chaining, skipping stitches, then attaching the chain to the next stitch. The space looks like a hole. For example, ch#, sk #, dc in next stitch means that you're making a ch-# space, where # is the number of chains. Your pattern's chain number is 3. To do a ch3, sk 3, dc you do 3 chains, then you count 3 stitches, then do a dc stitch in the 4th stitch. The hole is called a ch-3 space, because it was created by 3 chains.

Chains have more uses, but those are the most common. 

Row 1: "dc in 6th ch from the hook" looks like a loop, but it has purpose. It means that you're creating a pseudo dc stitch out of 3 chains, then a ch-3 sp out of 3 chains, and then an actual dc stitch in the next chain. 

"Ch 6, turn" is actually the chain-up for row 2 and the turn to start row 2. Some people chain-up, and then turn. Other people turn, and then chain-up. It doesn't matter which order, as long as your order is always the same. The ch 6 is a pseudo dc stitch out of 3 chains, then a ch-3 sp out of 3 chains. 

"- 20 dc and 19 sps" is not an instruction. It is a stitch count. At the end of each row, count your stitches (and spaces.) Your count needs to match the counts specified after the dash. This is important! 

Row 2: "sk ch-3 sp" means to skip the chain space created in row 1. Ch-3 means that space was created by making 3 chains.

Row 3: "work 5 dc in ch-3 sp of row 1" means that you're going to be making stitches in the chain space two rows below. In the previous rows you created two ch-3 spaces on top of each other. The first was created in row 1 and the other was created in row 2. To do this, yarn over  (yo), insert your hook in row 1's ch-3 space, yo, pull through a loop, finish the dc stitch. Do 4 more dc stitches in the same space. 

By the way, it's against forum rules to post pictures of patterns due to copyright violations. 

[Smsdavis]

Thank you!  Those explanations help a lot!  

I didn't know posting the photo was a no no.  I hope that since I only posted a tiny bit of it and not an entire pattern I'm not in big trouble with the crochet police!  :-)  This learning on your own thing without a real person to show you the ropes is a little complicated.  Lots of good videos out there but no one to explain some of these terms and all the research I've done gives me little bits and pieces but that one had me stumped!  I'll give it another try today and see if I can get 2 rows done that look more like the photo of the finished item!  I have gotten pretty good at double crocheting though!  Spent all day yesterday learning that one!  Thanks again.

[redrosesdz]

You're welcome! We're pretty good at explaining when we can figure out what has someone stumped.

[Smsdavis]

Ok.  Finally got row 1 and 2 done and I think it's finally right.   Not great... But the right stiches. 

I sort of understand row 3 but need more help here.

When I do the 5 DC in ch-3 of row 1...ch-3 is the 3 chains that were in between the DCs.  So.  How does one get 5 DCs into 3 chains?  I'm not clear on that. 

Thanks for helping us newbies!

[redrosesdz]

You're not working into the chains. You're working into the space under the chains. That's the hole that's called ch-# sp. In your pattern, it's called "ch-3 sp."

Yarn over. Insert your hook in the space under the ch3 that you made in row 1. Yarn over and draw through a loop. Finish the dc stitch. Do 4 more dc the same way.