Learning to read patterns

[Karen's Crafty Cards]

I'm so confused... please someone help!!! It's times like these that I miss my grandma so much.. but, enough of that before I cry...

 

Problem:

Row 2: ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 3, dc dec (see Stitch Guide) in next 2 ch-3 sps, ch 3**, sc in center dc of next dc group, rep from* across, ending last rep at **, 2 dc in last st, turn.

 

The first row had me dc multiple times in one stitch, and I am pretty sure I have that figured out... it resembles the picture, lol, but I'm stumped on row 2, I think it means: chain 1, then single chain into first stitch, then chain 3, and stitch guide gives 2 definitions for dc dec, one is two phrases, double crochet, and decrease,  the other acts like dc dec is one phrase, double crochet 2 or more stitches together, as the pattern states???? Then 3 spaces???? Then chain 3, then single chain into the center of the double crochet group from row 1, repeat until the end and do 2 double crochet in the last stitch, turn.... I'm horribly confused by dc dec, and the spaces... please help

[Granny Square]

 

37 minutes ago, Karen's Crafty Cards said:

stitch guide gives 2 definitions for dc dec, one is two phrases, double crochet, and decrease,  the other acts like dc dec is one phrase, double crochet 2 or more stitches together, as the pattern states

Well. the answer is, it's both.  If you have 2 stitches (of any type) in the prior row, over which you now need to have 1 DC stitch in the current row without having a gap, you DC2tog, Double Crochet 2 stitches together, which is a decrease. 

To do this, you make a partial DC into the first stitch, and a partial DC into the  second stitch, and the last step is joining them together at the top.  This creates 1 stitch 'top' out of 2 stitch 'bottoms' if you want to look at it that way.  

But Notice in my first paragraph I say dc dec= DC2tog, is to turn 2 stitches into 1 - this is a true statement.  BUT, if you do exactly the same thing (partial DC, partial DC, join in the last step) into 1 stitch, it's a 2 DC cluster, not a decrease.  In your pattern, you are doing this over a 3-chain space, so it's really a cluster, but we're splitting hairs since it's exactly the same stitch formation except where the stitches GO--over one chain (regardless of length  versus into 2 stitches.

Now..in order to have two chain-3 spaces, you need at least 1 stitch before, 1 stitch between, and 1 stitch after the spaces.   So you are making a SC into the first stitch, chaining 3, making a cluster into (around, really) a chain space, chaining 3, making a cluster around a chain space, and chaining 3 again.  This is going to make a sort of eyelet lace, the chains will help you 'reach' over the chain spaces of the prior round.  It will look like offset windows, or how you lay bricks, row 2 is offset by half a brick from row 1.

Does that make sense?

 

[Karen's Crafty Cards]

I had to read it a couple of times, which is how I have to read patterns anyhow, and I think I get it... I am going to give this a try and post my progress! Thank you so very much!!!!