What does this par mean?

[Erikatobe]

Hello! I’m following an old pattern for a baby dress. I already did the skirt part. Now starting the “Bodice”. It starts with 100 ch, dc in each chain amd then comes this part that I can’t figure out how to proceed:

”… 1 dc into each chain to end, turn with one chain. Work 1/2 inch dc.

Divide for armholes: 

Next row: Work 23 dc turn.”

I can’t figure out what this means, after i do the 1/2 inch dc do i create chains for the 23 dc?

thank you

 

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!  

I assume the bodice is made in 2 pieces, front and back, rather than a 'tube'.  One of the hardest pieces of making a wearable or shaped piece is orienting the construction in you head so you 'know where you are', it helps you understand why you are doing something.  Below is what I think is probably going on.

You have chained 100 for the bodice, and made however many rows = half an inch across the 100 chains.  Then you turn, and work across the row for only 23 inches and stop, with 77 unused stitches in front of you.  I assume the next instruction will be 'chain 1, turn, work across 23 stitches', or possibly fewer than 23 stitches.  Notice that 23 stitches is very close to one fourth of 100 chains.  You are making a 'strap' (sort of, not quite the right word, one upper quarter of your garment), probably the back half if it fastens in back, that goes from the armhole to the center back.  If my guess is right, you will be working across these 23 stitches that at one edge may change to form a neckline in a similar way, in that you'll be turning at the armhole side and may be working fewer stitches toward the center back, depending if the neckline is shaped or not.

Below is a sketch I made for a top (for another person's question a long time ago but armhole shaping questions come up a lot) that I hope will help rather than confuse. This is a top, not a bodice, but I believe what you are making either the red or yellow "strap" piece (let's say the yellow one) plus the corresponding pink half below it .  (the blue would be the skirt in your example) The right side is the armhole, the left side is the neckline - in your case, the neckline might be straight across to the center of the garment (no neckline dip), and may have no indent on the right (armhole, pink area) side.  

So, when you have reached the shoulder, the pattern (if my shape assumption is right) will tell you to fasten off and re-attach to make the other piece.  And my guess is the front will be in 1 piece (no center split), and look more like the sketch below. 

If you read ahead in your pattern, does it seem like the above makes sense?