Pattern Help please

[normaprice2003]

The following instructions have me very confused and I'm not sure what exactly I am supposed to do:

 

Row 1: (WS) Work sc foundation [ch 3, yo 3 times. Insert hook in base ch of last st (2 lps below hook), yo, draw through, (yo, draw through 2 lps on hook) 3 times (3 foundation chs), yo, draw through 1 lp on hook, (creates base chain), yo, draw through 2 lps on hook (sc st) 30 times]. Turn

Row 2 (RS) Ch 1, sc, *work 3 foundation ch group below for next 3 stitches, ch 1, sk first foundation ch, with hook in front of ch 3 lp, dc in next foundation ch, ch 1, sk last foundation ch, sc in next sc, rep from * accross turn

 

My question is for Row 1: do I do a single crochet foundation or do I do the confusing stitches?

Row 2:  has totally lost me

 

Any help would be greatley appreciaated.  Otherwise I will have to find a different pattern

 

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi Norma, welcome to the Ville!  That does look really complicated!!   I think the first is making a type of loopy foundation where you chain a few then cluster into the chain.  The second looks extremely confusing!

what is the name and location of the pattern?

edit to add.....sorry, I may be completely wrong on row one.  It may be regular foundation sts but not written clearly.

[normaprice2003]

The pattern is from the book Chain-Free Crochet Made Easy and it's the Lacy Lavender Coat.  I love the look of it but man the instructions are confusing

[magiccrochetfan]

 I've checked out that book from the library before and was vastly disappointed in it.  My library no longer has it, or i would check it out and attempt to help you with it.  But the big catch to that is the fact that for me this book did almost nothing to help  me advance my knowledge of foundation stitches, so probably couldn't help you much anyway.   

so anyhow, a couple of things.  in what you posted for row 1 you have a beginning  square bracket  "["  but no closing "]"  so you may want to edit your post to add that in the right place.  When you look at your post, below what you typed, you'll see several options one of which is Edit.  Just click on that word and you can edit the post.  

googling around, I think i found that the same pattern is in another book.  https://www.amazon.com/Crochet-Edge-Annies-Attic/dp/1596351136/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1512576930&sr=8-5&keywords=crochet+on+the+edge    i think that's it on the cover, isn't it?     

Also i think your book has some stitch explanations at the back, with photos....are those any help at all with this part?  

Have you signed up on Ravelry?  it's a site that has a huge directory of patterns.  the coat from this book (edit---I mean Crochet on the Edge) is in it (to be clear, it is just a list of patterns, not the patterns themselves) and one person has a project page for it but that isn't a lot of help---though he made a really pretty coat!    the coat's designer, Belinda Carter, is or was on Ravelry and i think has a discussion group there, but i don't know that she would be able to do more than reiterate what you already have in the pattern.  Belinda has some really pretty designs, but for me personally the written directions just don't work well---I do much better with some kind of visual info.  (Back in the day I made some relatively complicated things from written-only patterns, but now I really don't have the patience; I just want a stitch symbol diagram, a photo, a line drawing, a concise video.....)  

Oh!  One last question---have you previously made any kind of foundation stitches?  If not, we should direct you to a basic tutorial for those so you can get the gist of how they work.  

and i apologize for my overly wordy post!  

[normaprice2003]

Yes you have the correct book and picture.  I will check the back of the book and see if that helps.  

I have done a single crochet foundation but if the Foundation row is to be all the stuff in brackets then I am lost

Yes I am on Ravelery!  Love that site!  I might try contacting Belinda Carter and see what I get

[magiccrochetfan]

i am gonna try to crochet this, wish me luck!  ....5 minutes later....to begin you make an fsc according to the directions at back of book.  then you ch 3, then do 3 wraps of yarn on hook, then go into the base ch of the fsc (which is not 2 loops below hook) and essentially make a double triple stitch by working off the wraps (which they choose to call 3 foundations chs, nonsensically)  then make another fsc.  then repeat that across, it makes little loops.  (there are MUCH easier ways to create such loops!)  I only made a few loops , will come back w/ a pic and add it here .  ch3s are at the top.  

 

[normaprice2003]

Thank you soooooo much

[magiccrochetfan]

the next part does not make much sense to me, i just did my best!  you have turned.  then apparently you are to work into the part at the bottom in my photo.  ch1, then go into the center of that bottom part.  mine does not look great for sure, and i am not at all sure it is right.  At first I though this was supposed to make the bottom lace and I couldn't see how that would work, but apparently the bottom lace is added last.  

I made my dc like spike sts, elongating the first loop to make it lie smoothly over the chain3, no idea if that is right or if it should be more squished.  

(in case anyone is wondering how I got this far, I found an online reference to the pattern; cannot link to it as i think it would violate copyright/site guidelines.)

Now I have to put a cool rag on my head and lie down, I think i have the vapors from all this brain work!      

[normaprice2003]

Thank You!  Maybe I can just do a FSC and start the body and add the lace after?  It sounds a whole lot easier than what the pattern calls for.

Thank you and I hope I didn't make you loose any brain cells. 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

haha, well they say that doing difficult things is good for one's brain, so i guess i should look at it as exercise...maybe it rejuvenated a few brain cells!  

I don't know about changing the beginning, if you'd be able to get the stitch pattern going correctly since row 3 refers to skipping and working into specific sts of row 2. you'd have to figure the sts to work into according to just the st count at end of row 1, and there is 1 fsc to start and then 4 sts in each repeat, so i guess you could work it out...or somebody more math-oriented than me could lol  But maybe some of those folks can see the ensuing pattern more clearly than i can.  Maybe you are essentially just repeating row 2????    if there were a PHOTO of the sts in the pattern it would help me a lot!  

if i tried to change the beginning, i'd probably just do it by chaining, since there will be so many skipped sts, I think a nice loose chain would be a better base than fsc---which for me is fiddly to do, more so than fdc for example.   or i might try a different loopy base like row 1 here  http://stitcheryprojects.com/2012/09/19/no-beginning-chain-quick-shell-afghan/  

Speaking of Ravelry, did you see the one completed project of the coat?  

[normaprice2003]

i didn't see the completed project but now after asking for help I think I am going to abandon this pattern.  It's just too vague in the instructions (or I'm too dumb)  Anyways I found another pattern which is done in the Granite/Moss stitch and is approx the same length and alot easier!

I have looked all over for pictures of the sts but nothing and I haven't heard from Belinda Carter.  Actually she doesn't even acknowledge this pattern on any sites.  The book is actually called Chain-Free Crochet Made Easy and is done in worsted weight yarn.  I'm wondering if she changed the pattern to DK yarn becaue that's what Ravelry says it's done

I really appreciate your helping me.  And hopefully I can get the next one done with no hitches.

Now I'm off the shovel snow!  YUCK!

 

Thank You Again

[magiccrochetfan]

You're welcome!  It was interesting to try the first two rows but honestly I had NO desire to go any further.  I don't blame you at all for moving on to a different pattern, I hope it works out great---post about that project here on the Ville if you wish