Crochet decrease

[Jerrilyn]

When the pattern says 2 double increase and 2 dec does that mean to do it twice ?

[bgs]

It might mean that but then again it might not.  There are many patterns out there that you have to guess or puzzle your way thru by looking at other parts of the pattern.  Sometimes you have to work it the way you think it is telling you and if it doesnt look right, if it gave you stitch counts and yours does not match, or if following row does not come out right you have to pull it out and try again.  Based on the limited info you gave I would first guess it means do it twice.  Does it give give you stitch counts for each row or round?  If so if you proceed doing these twice will the count for the row match the given number of stitches.

[Granny Square]

I agree with Bgs's advice to do some sleuthing if you can, by the stitch count you are supposed to come up with -- this pattern is poorly written UNLESS  somewhere there is a stitch definition area (usually at the beginning of a pattern, sometimes at the end) that defines what a 'double increase' means.  I have 3 guesses of what it might mean, all with different stitch count outcomes.

 

 

[Bailey4]

A couple of suggestions, read the stitch count if they include one.  This has more than once translated something I clearly didn't understand the way the designer intended.  Another thing I did just yesterday is to do what sounds outrageous and realize no that can't be what the designer intended and then by eliminating what the figurative directions said to do and looking at the pictured outcome of the stitch I then determined what the designer intended to communicate.