Rico cable blanket

[Racquel]

• Help, I'm fairly new ro crochet, I'm trying to mnit a blanket from a Rico pattern 790 and I'm stuck at row 4, I just can't get my head round it, I've tried 2 ways and it ends up twisted and wirh gaps. I don't understand the tr into 4th st then 5, then jumping to 3rd, 1st and 2nd, its probably really easy buy I'm.just not getting it 😳.
• 1tr into each of next 2tr, *1fpdtr into 4th st of previous row, 1 fpdtr into 5th st of prev row, 1tr into 3rd st of previous row, 1fpdtr into 1st st of previous row, 1fpdtr into 2nd st of previous row, rep from * to end

[bgs]

Many times I find I need to break a long set of confusing instructions down into smaller segments and focus on actually doing one step at a time exactly as it says and not over think it.  You are working your current row for a few stitches and then you are going to drop down and work post stitches around stitches in your previous row.  Are you comfortable with making post stitches?  It is going to twist and you are going to have to pull it back in shape and really be mindful of stitch placement especially as you get started.

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

You are making a cable, or braid shape that sits on top of the fabric, and 2 unusual things are going on; (1) post stitches are a little 'different' than ordinary stitches because you are not working into the tops of stitches as usual (2) you are making stitches out of order.

First, do you know how to make a front post dtr?  I'm frowning at the pattern's use of the word 'into', as in "1 fpdtr into 4th st of previous row".  Technically it isn't wrong, but it is not describing how the stitch is made.  Instead of working into the top of a stitch in the previous row, you are working around the body of that indicated stitch; for a front post stitch, you insert the hook thru the fabric on the right side of the stich you are working around, across the back of that stitch (the 'post'), and return to the front of the fabric on the left side of that stitch's 'post', then yarn over and complete the stitch.  This makes the st you just made, and the one you worked around, sit a bit on top of the front of the fabric.  

As far as after making a stitch 'as usual' into the first 2 stitches of a row, then skipping stitches to work around around stitch 4, 5, 3, 1 and 2 -- that is how the twisted look of the cable is made, trust the pattern and follow it.  It will be really awkward, and confusing at first but it will make more sense and get a little easier after you've repeated it a few times.  

Oops, Bgs has just posted--good point to break up your pattern line / into chunks that make sense / when it is complicated like this.  I usually work with printouts not from a tablet or phone, and make a lot of lace items with very wordy instructions for each line, and do this quite a bit.

[Racquel]

4 minutes ago, bgs said:

Many times I find I need to break a long set of confusing instructions down into smaller segments and focus on actually doing one step at a time exactly as it says and not over think it.  You are working your current row for a few stitches and then you are going to drop down and work post stitches around stitches in your previous row.  Are you comfortable with making post stitches?  It is going to twist and you are going to have to pull it back in shape and really be mindful of stitch placement especially as you get started.

I have done the post stitches leading up to this riw, its just this row I am struggling with 

[Granny Square]

Your cables are not slanting correctly, look at the pink pattern fabric, it I assume the top of the fabric is at the right of the photo--the top crossovers are all slanting this way \\ and  the underside crossovers, which you cant really entirely see, are slanting //.  

Your fabric has one set of top crossovers slanting \\ where the hook is, and the top crossovers facing // near the edge.  So you are doing it sort of right in that they are post stitches and crossing, but you need to pay attention to which pair of crosses are on  top, and which are underneath as they appear on the right side.

Hang in there, after a few more rows the fabric will 'tell you what to do', but it's still not an 'autopilot' stitch pattern.

[Granny Square]

In case what I was saying about the cable crossing direction on the right side versus under side wasn't clear--Your fabric and the pattern have 2 stitches that slant  \\ and 2 stitches that slant // (one at the surface of the fabric, one underneath that you can't see entirely) , but the pattern photo's surface crosses are all \\.  Your rightmost set is correct, but the leftmost set have (what should be) the underside crossing on top.

And it is only just now that I looked at the pattern, and realized the pattern is really at fault, not you - normally a pattern for a cable will tell not only tell you which order to put the stitches into around, which yours does, but also whether a set of stitches stitches goes on top or beneath the set you just made--your pattern does not say this, or I'm missing it, and this is an important distinction.

 

 

[NCcountrygal]

The pattern is messed up.

(Thundering and had to let my doggie back in, she was jumping on the door)

I worked a swatch enough for 2 repeats.  Row 4 makes no sense.

Edited April 7, 2022 by NCcountrygal
add info

[Racquel]

48 minutes ago, Granny Square said:

In case what I was saying about the cable crossing direction on the right side versus under side wasn't clear--Your fabric and the pattern have 2 stitches that slant  \\ and 2 stitches that slant // (one at the surface of the fabric, one underneath that you can't see entirely) , but the pattern photo's surface crosses are all \\.  Your rightmost set is correct, but the leftmost set have (what should be) the underside crossing on top.

And it is only just now that I looked at the pattern, and realized the pattern is really at fault, not you - normally a pattern for a cable will tell not only tell you which order to put the stitches into around, which yours does, but also whether a set of stitches stitches goes on top or beneath the set you just made--your pattern does not say this, or I'm missing it, and this is an important distinction.

 

 

I've already pulled out this part, I've left it all at work so I will look at it in the morning and bring home to try attack it again , I've been 

[Racquel]

Just now, Racquel said:

I've already pulled out this part, I've left it all at work so I will look at it in the morning and bring home to try attack it again , I've been 

Sorry, wasn't finished typing 🤣

So I've been knitting since I was 8 and only started crocheting a couple of years ago, this pattern was given to me by a colleague who bought it thinking it was a knit pattern.

I'm.makimg this for my baby due end of July, if I can't fathom it out I can just do a more basic crochet 😊

[NCcountrygal]

You might like this one.

PDF for purchase (Sirin's Etsy shop)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/901139046/crochet-easy-beginner-cable-blanket
or available free here and video:
https://sirinscrochet.com/crochet-easy-beginner-cable-blanket-tutorial-with-written-pattern/

Congratulations!

[Granny Square]

NCcountrygal, that blanket is absolutely gorgeous.

Racquel, I knit too (learned first as a kid, then crochet not long after ).  I think knit cables are easier in concept, because you are physically re-arranging the stitches before stitching them in a new order; crochet ones aren't difficult, but probably a tiny bit harder to get the hang of initially, because you are making the stitches out of order and have to get the 'which part of the cable is on the top and bottom' right.

FYI, if you goof and post too soon, you can go back and edit your post (next time)--see those 3 dots at the top right? Click it, and one of the choices is to edit.