What is this pattern missing?

[Nmsw]

Hi all! 

Signed up bc I am stumped on what reads as a very easy pattern but clearly isn’t bc I’ve restarted it now 10 times. 

Ive attaches a photo of the pattern. It’s from a 1960s pattern for a matching shell and skirt. 

Thr part I get stuck on is the 2nd row. I end up with 47 puffs and I cannot understand how they expect you to get only 24 across a 96 sc stitch row. The puff shell according to the directions only takes up 2 stitches (if you count the sc, ch 1to close).  

Am I missing something - not sure what that could be since it’s dead simple- or is the pattern missing something?

thank you!!

[Granny Square]

96 divided by 24 puffs is 4 stitches.  96 divided by 24 is 4, so you have a puff every 4 stitches (ignoring the turning chain, so you really have 95 stitches available. 

Row 1 is a 2 stitch repeat of sc, chain 1, skip 1, plus 1 sc to end the row.  OK.  So 47 x 2 = 94, plus the last sc is 95.  Check.

Row 2:  I am reading this as you will be putting a puff in every OTHER chain space.  I think the "fault" of the pattern, to our modern pattern-reading sensibilities,  is it doesn't outright tell you to skip every other chain space; if you read it carefully, and do exactly what it says, it works out.

After a puff (which is made in 1 chain space), you chain 1, skip over the next chain space, sc in next sc, then a puff in the following chain space.  If you make a puff, ch1, and sc in next sc, you can't help but skip the chain space before the sc, right?  That should work out to 24 puffs.

(Don't feel bad, I learned to crochet about the time this pattern was written, but was using patterns from a generation or more earlier, which were even skimpier in detail.  And no internet.  You get used to solving pattern mysteries  

[Nmsw]

Thank you! I’d worked out the 96/24=4 but didn’t figure out the skip every other. I’ll probably be back for more help but in the meantime you’ve made my night!

[Granny Square]

Yay! Glad to help.

[Nmsw]

Aaaand I'm back!

So I'm getting close to the end of this pattern and am a bit stumped. Again I've attached a photo.

So I'm good up to the underlined part. Here is my question:

When it says repeat last 8 rows, is it talking about the four work even rows I did, PLUS the previous rows starting at NEXT ROW: START HIP SHAPING ?

The reason I'm confused, is the sentence immediately following the underlined part seems to imply that I won't be doing any hip shaping until after I've repeated the last 8 rows. 

Am I just overthinking this, and it wants me to do the four hip shaping rows, four work even rows five times, PLUS repeating the first 4 rows of hip shaping again 5 times?

Thank you!!

[Nmsw]

Oops realized my underline wasn't showing up. I've attached a photo of the pattern with the underline.

[Granny Square]

it's annoying that is stops counting rows after the 10th row, that doesn't help you double check where you are supposed to be.

It helps a little that the beginning words of each row are bolded, even if they aren't numbered  Counting back from the red underline, I agree with your assessment that the first of the last 8 is the row that says 'start 'hip shaping', then there are 3 that say 'next row' (so that's 4), then the next bold starts with 'next 4 rows' - so that's the 8 rows to repeat.  THEN you sort of do another partial repeat of the sets you just did, starting with the 4 rows beginning with 'hip shaping' then instead of 4 rows plain as you did before, just 2 rows plain.

I find it's better to not read a spot that says X in a pattern and assume Y, and go ahead and do Y--I usually first carefully follow what the pattern says (I make a lot of doilies and you run into a lot of odd things, especially in vintage patterns).  Sometimes I was right in the first place and it could only have meant Y, sometimes by doing what it said helps me figure out that it really meant Z, not X or Y at all.  Occasionally it teaches me a weird new way to do achieve a decorative effect I never would have thought of.  Looking at that spot in the pattern can often answer XYZ quandaries, too.

So you've already done those 8 rows once - you need to do them 5 more times, so for a total of 6 before you move on to the next instruction.  I suggest, as a sanity check (especially as this repeat covers a lot of rows), is put stitch markers in spots that will help you keep track of the repeats, in spots that make sense to you; maybe at the beginning of the first row of each repeat.  Sometimes I pencil a note on the pattern what the stitch marker means if there's a chance I'll have to stop in the middle and forget what the marks meant by the time I come back to it...did I mark the beginning or the end of the repeat or row?  Did that include the first set that came before 'repeat 5 times', or not?  ...(Why yes, that's happened to me, why do you ask   )

Edited April 23, 2019 by Granny Square

[Nmsw]

19 hours ago, Granny Square said:

it's annoying that is stops counting rows after the 10th row, that doesn't help you double check where you are supposed to be.

It helps a little that the beginning words of each row are bolded, even if they aren't numbered  Counting back from the red underline, I agree with your assessment that the first of the last 8 is the row that says 'start 'hip shaping', then there are 3 that say 'next row' (so that's 4), then the next bold starts with 'next 4 rows' - so that's the 8 rows to repeat.  THEN you sort of do another partial repeat of the sets you just did, starting with the 4 rows beginning with 'hip shaping' then instead of 4 rows plain as you did before, just 2 rows plain.

I find it's better to not read a spot that says X in a pattern and assume Y, and go ahead and do Y--I usually first carefully follow what the pattern says (I make a lot of doilies and you run into a lot of odd things, especially in vintage patterns).  Sometimes I was right in the first place and it could only have meant Y, sometimes by doing what it said helps me figure out that it really meant Z, not X or Y at all.  Occasionally it teaches me a weird new way to do achieve a decorative effect I never would have thought of.  Looking at that spot in the pattern can often answer XYZ quandaries, too.

So you've already done those 8 rows once - you need to do them 5 more times, so for a total of 6 before you move on to the next instruction.  I suggest, as a sanity check (especially as this repeat covers a lot of rows), is put stitch markers in spots that will help you keep track of the repeats, in spots that make sense to you; maybe at the beginning of the first row of each repeat.  Sometimes I pencil a note on the pattern what the stitch marker means if there's a chance I'll have to stop in the middle and forget what the marks meant by the time I come back to it...did I mark the beginning or the end of the repeat or row?  Did that include the first set that came before 'repeat 5 times', or not?  ...(Why yes, that's happened to me, why do you ask   )

Ah! So I was overthinking it. Something I have a tendency to do unfortunately. And YES stitch markers are definitely a must here. This pattern has taken a lot of trial and error as far as fit. I just had to rip out 30 rows from the skirt as it would have stretched waaay beyond 34" finished if I followed the directions for number of puff shell rows in addition to the hip shaping to waist part. Thankfully, I love crochet no matter how frustrating it can be. Thank you again for all of your help! You're a gem

[Granny Square]

Aw shucks, you are welcome! 

I just noticed I left out some words in 1 sentence, I meant to say 'Looking at that spot you are questioning in the pattern photo can often answer XYZ quandaries, too."

[Nmsw]

Do you mean the photo included with the written pattern? Unfortunately, the photos provided are completely unhelpful :*( 

I  mean the photo of it was enough to impel me to make it, but because it was scanned from a book from the 1960s the resolution is such that I can't make out any details.

No pattern diagrams either! I didn't even know the dress had sequins and beads until I read it too! Nonetheless, I've managed with your previous help, and trial and error, and LOADS of frogging, to be turning out something I'm quite happy with. I'm actually planning to wear it for my sister's wedding. You could say I'm a bit overly ambitious -haha!

[Nmsw]

Here's a screenshot of the two images provided- so helpful no? hehe

[Granny Square]

Oh dear, I see what you mean, not exactly closeups.  I think I started to crochet a year to 2 after that dress was en vogue....lemme guess, is this from 1968 plus or minus a year?  The hair is too casual for earlier I think.

[Nmsw]

I wish I had the book! I just purchased this pattern from someone who scanned it from the book. From what I can find it was published at least after 1963