Beginner help - dc into chain

[Emma Tyrrell]

Hi everyone,

I have only been crocheting for a few weeks and am really enjoying it and am now looking at patterns. I thought I had found a relatively easy one but it keeps losing its shape, and I am trying to understand if I am doing the chain and turn correctly.

Everything in my books tells me to start in 4th chain for dc (US) but this pattern is telling me to start in 3rd - is this correct? 

If so any tips for beginner left handers would be appreciated and I will keep practicing to get there  

An extract of the start of the of pattern is below - thank you for any help you can give! 

 

 

This pattern is worked from the bottom up. The turning chains at the beginning of each row DOES NOT count as a stitch.

1. PATTERN
Ch. 23

Row 1 Starting in 3rd ch from hook dc in each st across, ch1, turn (21)
Row 2 sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 3 dc in first 9 sts, bo, dc, bo, dc in remaining 9 sts, ch1, turn (21) See photo A

 

 

 

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville and to crochet!

The norm or convention is, as you said, make x foundation chains and if the first stitch is a DC, DC to the 4th ch from the hook.  This leaves 3 chains that 'stand in for' a DC--conventionally.  Also conventionally, at the end of a row of DC made into DCs you make the last stitch into the top of the turning chain.  Then you chain 3, skip the first stitch, and DC into the next stitch. (the reason that you skip the first stitch as the turning ch-3 is functionally 'in' the first stitch, even tho it isn't literally in it).

However, before the pattern starts the designer has decided to be Unconventional and NOT treat the DC as a stitch, instead she is treating it more like a SC where the turning chain does not count as a stitch - and using 2 as a turning chain, which is tall enough for turning purposes, and for not needing to DC into the turning chain later purposes. 

The designer possibly did this to avoid the little gap that usually happens when you chain 3, turn and skip the first stitch, and also to avoid stitching into the chain of the turning chain which some find annoying/difficult.  Actually, I think this is pretty clever, I'm going to have to swatch this...

But...did the pattern define what 'bo' is?  Just curious, the only thing I can think of is 'bind off' since I also knit, but I can't think of what it means for crochet.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Granny Square

[Granny Square]

I just swatched this, see below.  And I'd missed the part where you said your piece was losing it's shape.

My swatch did what I suspected it might, there's a very slight jog/bump where the ch2 is, but it is subtle and if it was part of a garment that was seamed, or a blanket or other item that you'd later add a border around, you'd never notice - and I think the jog looks better than the usual gap. 

Is the little jog what you mean by 'losing it's shape'?  

 

[Emma Tyrrell]

Wow thank you so much for your answers

I suspect then that I was going wrong as mine was definitely growing in size.

BO is for bobble stitch, here is the rest of the pattern below and a picture of what I hope mine will eventually look like! My bobbles were not central but I am going to give it another practice now. 
 

To create the bobble stitch you will yarn over and insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on the hook, 2 loops will remain on hook, yarn over insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook, you will now have 3 loops on your hook. Repeat this same step until you have 6 loops on your hook (pictured), then you will yarn over and pull through all 6 loops on the hook.

Row 4: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 5: dc in first 9 sts, bo, dc, bo, dc in remaining 9 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 6: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 7: dc in first 3 sts, (bo, dc, 8 times) dc in remaining 2 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 8: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 9: dc in first 4 sts, (bo, dc, 7 times) dc in remaining 3 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 10: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 11: dc in first 5 sts, (bo, dc, 6 times) dc in remaining 4 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 12: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 13: dc in first 6 sts, (bo, dc, 5 times) dc in remaining 5 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 14: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 15: dc in first 7 sts, (bo, dc, 4 times) dc in remaining 6 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 16: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 17: dc in first 8 sts, (bo, dc, 3 times) dc in remaining 7 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 18: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 19: dc in first 9 sts, (bo, dc, 2 times) dc in remaining 8 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 20: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 21: dc in first 10 sts, bo, dc, dc in remaining 9 sts, ch1, turn (21)
Row 22: sc in each st across, ch2, turn (21)
Row 23: dc in each st across, ch1, turn (21)
Row 24: Grab your wooden dowel and sc around the dowel (21)

[Emma Tyrrell]

And yes I was trying to get ready for Christmas a little early 🤪

[Granny Square]

Hey, better to get your holiday crafting out of the way now, then you can put your feet up and enjoy your eggnog later!  Of course, bo=bobble makes total sense, duh.

These rows are short, only 21 sts; I guess just do a quick count of 21 sts across after every bobble row?  Some stitch  patterns, you've just gotta keep counting...