Pattern Help

[Clarabee]

I'm making a bear and I was wondering in the pattern what x6 means.

For example it says:

Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)

Edited August 3, 2021 by Clarabee

[bgs]

It means work what is in the (  ) 6 times.

[Granny Square]

To add to what BGS said, the (18) is just a total for all the stitches you should have at the end of the row.

Sometimes ( ) are used in place of an asterisk, a more traditional way to have written this would have been " *sc, inc; repeat from * 5 more times."

[Clarabee]

On 8/3/2021 at 1:08 PM, Granny Square said:

To add to what BGS said, the (18) is just a total for all the stitches you should have at the end of the row.

Sometimes ( ) are used in place of an asterisk, a more traditional way to have written this would have been " *sc, inc; repeat from * 5 more times."

So, for this round (round 3) when it says, (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts), I should have 18 stitches total at the end? I'm confused because if I am repeating (sc, inc) six times wouldn't I have more than 18 stitches at the end?

[Granny Square]

Your instruction: Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)

sc means 1 sc into 1 stitch   

inc means 2 sc into 1 stitch (increase - this is a standard pattern abbreviation for making 2 stitches into 1)

I'm going to type a 'stitch diagram' of your row that is just numbers spaced apart.  Each number is the number of stitches that go into 1 stitch of the row before. : 1  2  1  2  1  2  1  2  1  2  1  2     There are twelve numbers there, which means that there were 12 stitches from the prior row or round for you to work into.  If you add up all the ones and twos, it adds up to 18.  I hope that helps to clarify?

Another way to look at your question, "if I am repeating (sc, inc) six times wouldn't I have more than 18 stitches at the end?" Look at what you said.  SC means 1 SC into 1 stitch.  INC means 2 SC [in this case] into 1 stitch.  So to re-word part of what you asked, with number of stitches added in bold to what the words are telling you to do : repeating (sc1, inc2) six times  -- 1 +2 =3, and 3 times 6=18.  

I'm giving you a lot of math detail to help you understand this pattern line PLUS to help you analyze how to 'math' your way out of a confusing instruction in future patterns.  Stuff like this will come up again but fortunately the math is just always simple arithmetic (but I keep a calculator in my tool bag just in case).

[Clarabee]

On 8/5/2021 at 12:38 PM, Granny Square said:

Your instruction: Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)

sc means 1 sc into 1 stitch   

inc means 2 sc into 1 stitch (increase - this is a standard pattern abbreviation for making 2 stitches into 1)

I'm going to type a 'stitch diagram' of your row that is just numbers spaced apart.  Each number is the number of stitches that go into 1 stitch of the row before. : 1  2  1  2  1  2  1  2  1  2  1  2     There are twelve numbers there, which means that there were 12 stitches from the prior row or round for you to work into.  If you add up all the ones and twos, it adds up to 18.  I hope that helps to clarify?

Another way to look at your question, "if I am repeating (sc, inc) six times wouldn't I have more than 18 stitches at the end?" Look at what you said.  SC means 1 SC into 1 stitch.  INC means 2 SC [in this case] into 1 stitch.  So to re-word part of what you asked, with number of stitches added in bold to what the words are telling you to do : repeating (sc1, inc2) six times  -- 1 +2 =3, and 3 times 6=18.  

I'm giving you a lot of math detail to help you understand this pattern line PLUS to help you analyze how to 'math' your way out of a confusing instruction in future patterns.  Stuff like this will come up again but fortunately the math is just always simple arithmetic (but I keep a calculator in my tool bag just in case).

Okay, thank you, yes that does make a bit more since, so basically I'm just doing (sc, inc) for 6 rows?

[Granny Square]

Not quite - (sc, inc) across that ONE row.  At the end of that one row you have 18 stitches in that row.  

If it had wanted you to repeat that row, it would have explicitly said so. One way to test that, is there an instruction for row 4? Also, if you did repeat (sc, inc) in row 4 you would not end up with 18 stitches.

Never assume a pattern means more than the words are literally telling you.  Always follow it literally first.  I have been crocheting for decades, and I always do this, even if at a first reading I think it has to be horribly wrong.  Most of the time the pattern is right and I either misread (or mis-imagined the outcome).  If it is wrong, usually I can figure out what it meant by looking at the pattern photo.

Another good idea is to read through the pattern first to make sure you understand "where it is going" before you pick up the hook.  I am going to bet that round 4 says " Round 4: (2sc, inc) x 6 (24 sts) ", and round 1 ended with 6 stitches and round 2 ended with 12 stitches (which I proved with my math above).  This is the normal way to start a flat circle, which is how a lot of toy patterns start (at the top of the head) before you begin shaping it.

 

[Clarabee]

3 hours ago, Granny Square said:

Not quite - (sc, inc) across that ONE row.  At the end of that one row you have 18 stitches in that row.  

If it had wanted you to repeat that row, it would have explicitly said so. One way to test that, is there an instruction for row 4? Also, if you did repeat (sc, inc) in row 4 you would not end up with 18 stitches.

Never assume a pattern means more than the words are literally telling you.  Always follow it literally first.  I have been crocheting for decades, and I always do this, even if at a first reading I think it has to be horribly wrong.  Most of the time the pattern is right and I either misread (or mis-imagined the outcome).  If it is wrong, usually I can figure out what it meant by looking at the pattern photo.

Another good idea is to read through the pattern first to make sure you understand "where it is going" before you pick up the hook.  I am going to bet that round 4 says " Round 4: (2sc, inc) x 6 (24 sts) ", and round 1 ended with 6 stitches and round 2 ended with 12 stitches (which I proved with my math above).  This is the normal way to start a flat circle, which is how a lot of toy patterns start (at the top of the head) before you begin shaping it.

 

Oh wow! It clicked, this makes since! Thank you so much for taking your time with me and helping me figure it out, it's really appreciated! ☺️ And your completely right, that is how the pattern goes!

Edited August 8, 2021 by Clarabee

[Granny Square]

Happy to help, good luck with your pattern!  I try to explain my thought process of how I arrived at the answer, rather than just saying 'just do x' to (hopefully) help people play detective on their own in the future