Crochet Sloth Pattern Help

[CrochetItAintSo]

Hi, I was hoping I could get some help understanding what this pattern wants me to do.

I am relatively new to crochet but have picked up how to read the patterns from a few quick google searches and successfully completed some other projects but this one has really stumped me. It's for the sloth's face that I'll stitch to his head and then add the eyes to and is meant to look like rounded with a dip at the top like you'd get if you googled a picture of a cartoon sloth.

It says:

R1: with 8 times chain, then begin crochet from last but one increase, 5sc, 1 time back crochet 4sc, anotherside 5sc, increase, total 18 times

I'm assuming it wants me to work in rounds because the rest of the patterns have been worked in rounds but I just cannot understand that first round at all, any help at all would be much appreciated!

[Granny Square]

Welcome!  I love your user name.

I'm going to assume English is not the designer's first language, it's a.

I'm also going to guess that it's telling you to work in an oval, which is in rounds, but made around a long chain instead of a pinpoint center.

First - there's 3 ways to work into chains.  You can either work into the back bump, which I don't recommend in this case it will be MUCH fiddlier.  Or, with chain facing you, you can work into the top loop only, leaving 2 loops free.  Or, chain facing you, work into the top loop and the back loop, leaving the bottom loop free.

Generic oval: chain x, sc across like you would if working back and forth EXCEPT in the last chain make 5 SC instead of 1.  Now look at the chain.  When you worked across the chain you left 1 or 2 loops free.  The 5 SC at the end 'turned a corner'.  Now you will  be working into the underside of the chain, using the 1 or 2 leftover loops from the first pass.  You'll end the row back at the beginning end (yarn tail end), and make 4 sc into the last 'underchain', which with the very first sc at the beginning = 5 stitches to turn the corner, so the ends match count-wise.  In subsequent rounds (looks like 18 total), you'll make the 5 turning stitches into the middle stitch of the group of 5 at each end - it would be a good idea to put a stitch marker into these middle stitches.

This can be a little disorienting at first; it might help to look for a video (there are bunches on youtube) on how to crochet an oval to help you visualize what you are doing.

 

[Dizzyem]

I have been asked to make this sloth for a friend. I'm trying to interpret the pattern. I'm pretty experienced at crochet but this pattern makes no sense at all! I'm having to work it out from what I know. Its a nightmare! Good luck

[Mazcrochet]

If these happen to be from Aldi’s so crafty collection, I had terrible trouble! I ended up getting 2 kits after I’d been bought one at Christmas. The gift kit ( a lion ) I had no problems with even though I’ve just started crochet. So I bought a shark and a mermaid kit! Massive mistake!!! Half the instructions were missing! I had to email ALDI who put me in touch with someone in the company who emailed the full instructions. These were only marginally better!!! I ended up rewriting most of the shark and I’ve got half way through the mermaid and am totally stuck!!!