Don’t understand this pattern.... please help!

[Annebananne]

Hi, 

i do not understand what the following means in this Christmas stocking crochet pattern; he goes; 

From previous rows, (starting with a Magic ring) 

R3: I now have (30)  stitches 

Here is where I don’t understand;

R4: Ch1, *(2hdc, inc)* repeat from *to* around, se to join (40)

I often have seen “inc” in patterns and I am usually able to figure it out. Bu5 not in this one! From what I understand, is that, in the same stitch, I do 2 hdc +1 hdc to increase for a total of 3 hdc I the same stitch. However, its not ok, because I’m suppose to have a total of 40 stitches in that row, and  if I do 3 Hdc per stitch, I would have a total of 90 stitches for that row, when I’m suppose to have 40. Then I thought, ok, it’s 2hdc, and the inc is the the following stitch, but that don’t work either because of how many total stitch count I’m suppose to have. Even if only do the 2 hdc per stitch, it still wrong because I would finish with 60 stitches.

 

heeeeeelp!!! I’m going crazy, racking my brain again and again, trying to figure it out! 🤪😋

maybe it’s a error in the pattern?  How can I be at 40 stitches for this row?

Thank you in advance !
 

Anne 

[bgs]

You make 1 hdc in first stitch of round 3.  Then you make 1 hdc into second stitch of round 3.  Make 2 hdc into third stitch of round 3. Continue this sequence around.

You are making an increase every third stitch you make so you are adding 10 stitches to the 30 you had in round 3 which equals 40.

[Granny Square]

^ What she said.  The crochet pattern writing convention is If a crochet pattern says, as your example, 2 HDC, and doesn't tell you where to put them, it means 1 stitch into each of the next 2 stitches.  "Inc" conventionally means 2 stitches into 1--there can be a greater number of stitches than 2 into one, but the pattern would have to define how many.  Some patterns have a 'special stitches' section before the pattern itself starts.

Here is a link to a lot of helpful info - this page I linked is 'how to read a crochet pattern' but there are also pages about yarn & hook sizes, other good stuff - see menu on the right side.

[Annebananne]

Thank you sooooooo much for your answers!!! I never encountered this in a pattern, I would have never figured it out by myself, because I always thought that everything between the * has to be in one stitch ! Thank you again !

Edited May 2, 2021 by Annebananne