Having a Problem with Stitch Pattern in Book

[AmyH]

Good evening. I've been looking through an older book, Crocheting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti, specifically at her stitch patterns. I noticed a number of mistakes in there, and though I was able to figure it out, I cannot for the life of me get the herringbone to work out. First, the pattern says to use a multiple of 4 plus 9 for the foundation chain, then says to cast on just 40, not 41, which would be correct. The first row says to "ch 2, 1 dc in next 2 sts," then tells you to ch 1, sk 1, dc in next 3 chs, to end. No matter what I try, it never comes out right; the only way it does is to crochet into the first ch from the hook. I've tried using 41 and chaining 2 for the start of the row to end up with 43, I tried chaining 40 but skipping the ch 2, working the first dc into the 3rd ch from the hook, I tried with 42 sts, I tried using a selvedge edge on both sides; nothing I do is coming out right. I also don't know if she means for you to use the ch-1 sps to work dc into following Row 1 or not; it looks different each time I try, and this isn't really clear. Help, if anyone can! And thank you.

 

Amy

[Granny Square]

Hi and welcome to the 'ville!  Confession:  I am not the best at figuring out stitch multiples, I just make a chain that I know is a bit too long, turn and work back, and pick out the extra chains later - it won't unravel from the knot end.  I also do the same thing if a pattern says to chain eleventy dozen, I do count BUT have gotten distracted and miscounted often enough and found myself short a couple of chains, so I count to eleventy dozen and add a few extra.

The pattern sounds like it is going to look like this |||°|||°|||°|||°|||, correct?  Where | is a DC and ° is a chain.  Looking at |||°|||°|||°|||°|||, there are 15 DC and 4 chains in this mini-version of 19 stitches.  To make any pattern that is 1 stitch into 1 stitch* (like this one), and the first 2 stitches after the chain are DCs, you'll want to chain 2 more than the number of stitches, turn, and make the first DC in the 4th chain from the hook.  The 3 skipped chains=the first DC.  To test this, in your head:  chain 4, DC in the 4th chain from the hook.  How many DCs are there? Two, because the skipped 3 chains are the 'turning chain' and stand in for a DC--therefore 2 more DCs than the number of chains.  

So, back to this |||°|||°|||°|||°|||.  19 stitches, so chain 21 by my reasoning.  Multiple of 4, plus 5 does not work.  I get the logic of it tho, which is probably why I am bad at figuring out stitch multiples in the first place.

* the chain between DC groups doesn't go INTO a stitch, but you skip a stitch to make room for it, so the count is the same.

 

[USpolishgirl]

Granny Square you are very right about making that chain little longer. Specially when is a looong one..it is always better to have couple extras on the end than being short on one or two . When that happens to you couple times you learn what you need to do! LOL

Krys