Pattern / Stitch Question

[AmyR]

My crochet pattern is a dog sweater. I've been doing crochet for about 3-4 years now but have only done basic blankets, scarf's, dish-clothes, doily's, etc... 

My question is on how the pattern is written for the 3rd row. (The first row is a chain, 2nd row is dc and FPdc).

Row 3 starts with ch 3, turn, dc in next dc, dc across to last st, 2 dc in last dc. What I'm not understanding is after the ch 3 & turn "dc in next dc" ???

Does that mean dc in the space (area between the post's) made from the previous row? OR, do I dc in the next st (on top of the previous dc, as if I'm doing rows of dc) ?    

I'm probably reading into this pattern more than I should but I don't want to crochet for hours then have to start over..

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Granny Square]

"Row 3 starts with ch 3, turn, dc in next dc, dc across to last st, 2 dc in last dc." 

The underlined may seem a little ambiguous, but it means 'stop short of the last stitch'.  Normally/commonly if a pattern wants you do DC (or whatever) for a whole row, it would say 'DC across' or 'DC to end of row'.

So for your pattern, you make 1 DC into each DC until you arrive at the last stitch, and put 2 in that last stitch.

Edited to add - the blue instruction is also a clue.  If you are making a thing that is just straight DC back and forth, meant to always be the same # of stitches, you'd ch3 at the end of a row, chain 3,  skip the first DC and DC in the rest of the DCs and DC in the topmost chain of the turning chain from the prior row -- because the chain 3 acts as a DC and counts as if it were in the first DC, and acts as the last DC (to be stitched into) at the end of the next row.  The clue is, by the pattern specifically telling you to DC in the first DC of the row (the blue highlight), that you are increasing by 1 stitch there instead of skipping it, so it is logical if the item should be shaped the same on both sides, that you'd increase by 1 at the end of the row also.

Edited December 23, 2020 by Granny Square