trouble with "hatosaurus" pattern

[dsb2012]

I just finished round 9. I don't understand what it means by "cont as established, inc 8 sc every alt rnd until there are 56." 

On 3rd and alt rounds it wants me to do 1 sc around and join with sl st to first sc. So after round 8 I did 1sc around ( a total of 40 sc). Then I repeated the 8th round pattern (chain 1, 1 sc in each of next 3 sc. 2 sc in next sc & repeat around.) After I get to the end the amount of sc has gone from 40 to 50 but it says it should increase by 8. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

I have attached the pattern I am using, hopefully someone can help me. Thank you!

hatosaurus crochet.pdf

[Granny Square]

Hi and welcome to the 'ville!

In rnd 1, you had 8 stitches.  In round 2, you increased by 8 to get 16, right?

Now, the odd number rnds starting with #3 are just straight SC, so no increases.

Rnd 4: *1 sc in first (1) sc. 2 sc in next 1 sc  you should have 16 + 8= 24

Rnd 6 *1 sc in each of next 2 scs. 2 sc in next sc.  you should have 24 + 8= 32

Rnd 8 *1 sc in each of next 3 sc. 2 sc in next sc.  you should have 32 + 8=40

see the pattern developing?  Each subsequent even round will have 1 more 'plain stitch' between the point where you make the increases, and each will increase by the same number (8) if you do this. 

It's a good idea to put a stitch marker into the first sc of each round - when you work in a circle like this, there's a little 'optical illusion stitch' that is really the slip stitch when you join rounds, and it looks like you should be stitching into it but if you  do, you will have an unintentional increase.   Here is a little example I made of that 'not stitch' a when a similar question came up a while back, it's DC but the same principle applies: the 'illusion stitch' is marked with a red arrow.

 

[dsb2012]

Does cont as established mean I repeat the 8th round? thats what i dont understand. I tried that and it increases by 10.

[Granny Square]

"As established" can mean different things in different patterns, it can be a 1 round repeat or a set of any number of rows, all different.

In this case, your established pattern is a 2 round repeat, but no even numbered round will have the same number of stitches as another even numbered round, and same with the odd numbered rounds.  

Your established pattern is a 2 row repeat, but the even round increase rounds are an 'established pattern' of increasing adding 1 plain stitch between increases above the number of plain stitches in the prior even round.  The odd rows are all 'sc around', but the stitch count is 8 more than the prior odd row (and be the same number of stitches as the increase round before them, 1 stitch into 1 stitch).

Let me expand my row-by-row example, to get you from the beginning to the 56 stitches in your original question.  If you are counting correctly, and not accidentally using the 'illusion stitch' by mistake, you should never end up with a round with 50 stitches.  Don't feel bad about that 'illusion stitch', I still use a stitch marker to mark the first real stitch after decades of crocheting because sometimes, in more complex patterns in the round, I'll overlook it and end up with too many stitches.

In rnd 1, you made 8 stitches. 

In round 2, you made 2 stitches into each stitch to end with 16 stitches

Round 3 - no increases, 16 stitches total

Rnd 4: *1 sc in first (1) sc. 2 sc in next 1 sc, repeat  you should have 16 + 8= 24

Rnd 5: no increases, 24 total

Rnd 6 *1 sc in each of next 2 scs. 2 sc in next sc, repeat.  you should have 24 + 8= 32

Rnd 7: 1 sc in each stitch, 32 total

Rnd 8 *1 sc in each of next 3 sc. 2 sc in next sc, repeat.  you should have 32 + 8=40

Rnd 9: no increases, 40 total

Rnd 10: *1 sc in each of next 4 sc. 2 sc in next sc, repeat.  you should have 40 + 8=48

Rnd 11: no increases, 48 total

Rnd 12: *1 sc in each of next 5 sc. 2 sc in next sc, repeat.  you should have 48 + 8=56

Rnd 13: no increases, 56 total

I hope this helps.

[dsb2012]

Thank you! Yes, that makes sense.