hdc 2 in next 3 sts

[Mimiretto]

I'm an absolute beginner here, trying to help my daughter figure this out.  I can't figure out what hdc 2 in next 3 sts means exactly.  A previous instruction was sc 2 in next st, which was defined as an increase (2 single crochets in the same stitch).  Okay, we got that - or at least I think we did.  But hdc 2 in next 3 sts confuses me a bit.  I believe we're supposed to do 2 half double crochets in the same stitch, but the next 3 sts part confuses me.  Do we do 2 hdc in the same stitch, move to the next stitch and do 2 hdc in that one, and then repeat for the 3rd stitch?  We're not supposed to do 4 hdc in the same stitch, are we?

By the way, in case it matters, the entire instruction is, "sc 3, hdc 1, hdc 2 in next 3 sts"

[Granny Square]

"sc 3, hdc 1, hdc 2 in next 3 sts"

Based on my experience of typical pattern wording I would interpret this as: 

sc 3=1 sc in each of the next 3 stitches (uses and creates 3 stitches)

hdc 1=1 hdc in the next 1 stitch (uses and creates 1 stitch)

hdc 2 in next 3 sts= 2 hdc in each of the next 3 stitches (uses 3 stitches, creates 6 stitches)

edit, normally if a pattern just says 3(something) and doesn't tell you where to put them, it means 1 each in the next 3 stitches.  If it wants you to put multiple stitches into 1 stitch, it will tell you and be specific about which stitch they go into.   If it's 1 stitch and NOT in the next stitch, it will be specific where it should go. 

If it doesn't specify where stitches go, it typically means something like the first 2 lines I broke down (don't skip any stitches, don't put multiple stitches into 1 stitch, just 1 stitch into 1 stitch).  The third line, 'hdc 2 in next 3 sts', is being specific about how many in each stitch, and where to put them.

Edited January 21, 2020 by Granny Square

[Mimiretto]

Thank you so much for clarifying!  It's been a long afternoon picking through this for the first time.