How to chain and keep loops on hook?

[SuzieBonney]

The directions say this:

Wind yarn around finger to form a ring.

Round 1 (RS) 5ch, leaving last loop of each st on hook, work 2dtr in ring, you and pull through 3 loops on hook, 7ch, [3dtrtog in ring, 7ch] 5 times, as in 5th ch.

My question is that I don't know how to leave loops on the hook when doing a chain.

This comes from Melody Griffiths book "Crochet in No Time".

[magiccrochetfan]

the directions aren't written as clearly as they could be, if you transcribed the punctuation exactly.  Leaving last loop on hook refers to the 2 dtr, not to the chains.  You are right i don't think it is possible to keep a loop on the hook when chaining.  

what you are to do is make a decrease of the 2 dir.  it is the same thing as the 3 dtrtog in the brackets, but in the first case you have to do the 5 ch first to sub for a dtr. 

tutorial on the dtr tog https://lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/yarn/crochet/crochet-tutorials/crochet-double-treble-cluster-dtr3tog/

[SuzieBonney]

Thanks much!  I really appreciate it because I wanted to make this thing but could not figure it out.  I'm thinking that it might be better to use a magic circle so that it could be tightened.  

[magiccrochetfan]

I think it does start with a magic ring:  wind yarn around finger, then ch5, then do 2 dtr in ring.  

personally it works best for me by using the version where you wind around finger twice.  

Edited June 4, 2020 by magiccrochetfan

[Granny Square]

I agree this is confusing as written, I'd have been doing a double take and tilting my head for a moment.  It makes a lot more sense with different punctuation:   

Round 1 (RS) 5ch; leaving last loop of each st on hook, work 2dtr in ring,...

...or Round 1 (RS) 5ch. Leaving last loop of each st on hook, work 2dtr in ring