Help with a pattern please

[CrochetFan89]

Hello,

please can I have some help with this pattern?

Foundation: Ch 4, sl st to first ch to join.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc here and throughout), 2 dc in ring, ch 1, [3 dc in ring, ch 1] 5 times, sl st to 3rd ch from beginning of round to join. (3 dc per side)

I’m confused because the foundation chain is only Ch 4..

please can someone explain this pattern to me?

thanks in advance,

katie

[Granny Square]

You are working in the round; you joined the foundation chain into a circle.  You will not be working INTO the chain stitches of that circle, you will be forming stitches AROUND them. 

After joining to make the circle, chain 3 (this is the 'turning chain' [or 'brings the yarn up to the height of the next stitch' chain] and counts as a US DC), you make the following DC stitches by yarning over, sticking your hook under the chain [think of the chain as the top 2 loops of a stitch that you normally stick your hook under), yarn over and pull thru around the chain, and the rest of the steps to finish the DC.  You can cram a lot more stitches around a chain than the 4 chains you made; I think I'm counting 18 DCs into the ring, plenty of room. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Granny Square

[CrochetFan89]

Thank you so much. I’m used to amigurumi and working into the chain stitches! 

[Granny Square]

? most amigurumi start in a similar way, or with an adjustable ring - if you are used to the latter, this is the same concept just not adjustable, and a little bulkier--you are forming stitches around a chain not a strand of yarn.  You could use the adjustable ring here if you'd rather.

[CrochetFan89]

Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong all this time! 😂

[Granny Square]

I learned to crochet in 1970 and never heard of an adjustable ring back then, but for DC patterns usually said to make a small joined circle of chains and work over the chain, cramming a lot more stitches around (over) the chain than there were chains.  Or sometimes for SC, chain 2 and cram 6 stitches into the first chain, which would work for amigurumi.  But the point is, working in a circle with a closed center, the first row (in my experience) isn't worked into as many chains as you made, as the OP was expecting.

[Bailey4]

There are 2 different starting styles for amigurumi's.  I have a bunch of older patterns and even a few new ones that create more of an oval by crocheting down and then around the starting chain to create the oval shape.  It doesn't quite create a circle with this method.  It is always slightly oval.

The more common method you see is a circle ami this can be made with the magic circle/adjustable circle or with the method Granny Square described of chaining 2 and then putting 6 stitches into the first stitch to get your "circle."  I was never good at cramming so was thrilled when I mastered the adjustable ring for the circle ami's.

If you made the oval shaped ones crocheting around the whole chain to make your base it is understandable you might not recognize the different method of making a circle.  After making a bunch of circle ones and coming across an oval one I have to stop and read the directions twice because my first instinct is magic circle but if its designed as what I've called an oval it is best to follow the designer.

In this case it sounds like you may have been making ovals and now are moving to circles.

[bgs]

On 10/3/2021 at 10:47 AM, CrochetFan89 said:

Hello,

please can I have some help with this pattern?

Foundation: Ch 4, sl st to first ch to join.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc here and throughout), 2 dc in ring, ch 1, [3 dc in ring, ch 1] 5 times, sl st to 3rd ch from beginning of round to join. (3 dc per side)

I’m confused because the foundation chain is only Ch 4..

please can someone explain this pattern to me?

thanks in advance,

katie

Sounds like you are making a "granny" hexagon?