Please help with ‘working in the round with straight chain’ instructions

[peddidle]

I’m new to crochet and made an attempt at making a ‘phone carrier.’ Near the end of the pattern I realized my stitches were not matching up—the number of stitches and rows matched the pattern, but a chain space that was supposed to be in the middle was way over to the side. I decided to restart with new yarn (so I could compare the two results) and found that I didn’t even really understand where to make some of the stiches in the first rows. The pattern tells me to chain 11–okay, no problem there. Then I’m to work 3 sc in the 2nd chain—no problem there. Then I’m to sc in the next 8 sts—okay, no problem there. Then I’m to work 3 sts in the last st of that side of the chain—mostly okay, though I’m not sure how to place the stitches: all to the one side of the knot or more evenly? It’s the next set that I don’t understand. Out of the 11 ch sts on one side and the 11 ch sts on the other side of the round, I have used 1 for nothing (skipped to start round with 2nd stitch), 1 for the first 3 sc, 8 for the next sc sts, 1 for the last 3 sc = 11. Good, one side. But the next instruction is “working on the opposite side...sc in each of the next 8 ch to complete the round, do not join.” That means on a side that has 11 ch sts, I only use 8. What am I not undrstanding? Does my next rnd start before all ch sts are used?

[Granny Square]

You are working in an oval - this question gets asked a lot here, since they are a little mind bending the first time.

You know how to work across a chain the normal way - You skip 1 or more chains depending on the stitch, stick your hook under 1 or 2 loops of the chain, yarn over, make a stitch, and then more stitches until you run out of chains.

So, the " stick your hook under 1 or 2 loops" part -- whichever way, will leave 1 or 2 loops unused, because a chain has 3 loops (with chain facing, top loop, bottom loop; and the 'back bump' when you turn the chain over. 

For ovals I recommend making the first pass using the top loop of the chain with the chain facing, IMO it's easier and doesn't pull the chain tight.  If you start with the back bump, it pulls  tight and makes things more difficult.

Recipe for an oval: make a chain.  Crochet across the ch the usual way, but make increases in the last stitch (will will turn the corner while keeping it flat).  With the same side still facing you, rotate the chain 180°, and crochet back toward the beginning, using the loop or loops you didn't use on the first pass.  Make increases in the last chain, which is also where you started, to turn that corner.

So you working in the round, and the rounds are the same except you increase the number of stitches increased at each end to turn the corner, and keep it flat.

There are a lot of videos on how to crochet an oval, details might vary a little (mostly whether the increases at the starting end happen at the start, or the end--it works the same either way) but it might help you visualize this better.