Stuck on Kerchief Cowl

[annierannie]

Hello, still trying to muddle through pattern reading. I have searched for answers and tried to puzzle it out myself to no avail.

This pattern is a Kerchief Cowl. This is the very beginning of the Instructions:

Ch 2. 

"Row 1: 7sc in first second ch from hook. Pm in fourth dc. Turn- 7 ch."

I am stuck at "in first second ch from hook."

Also, it looks like I will need to put a place marker in 4th double chain. Where would that be if I haven't made a dc yet?

Thank you for any help.

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

In crochet, there is always a loop on the hook until you 'finish off' your project.  So, don't count that hook loop as a chain.

If you chain 2, the first chain you made is 'one chain from the hook', the second chain you made is 'two chains from the hook'.  So the first chain away from the hook is chain #1, the second chain away from the hook is chain #2-- you count away from the chain.  The 'first' in 'first second chain' is a typo, because it is meaningless.  Normally when you make a foundation chain, and the first stitch is SC, you skip the first chain and SC into the second chain.

Re: the stitch marker--the 'chain in '4th double chain' is also meaningless, or a typo.  I think I'd find another pattern, this one isn't starting out well.  

There are a lot of self published patterns on blogs or even for sale, many are accurate and clearly written, but the ones we hear about in the help section are the ones with mistakes or unclear or plain impossible to execute.  The skills for crocheting a cute item, and writing the pattern down clearly, are 2 completely different skills, the second of which many pattern writers don't have. Also, some don't have English as a first language, I can't fault them for trying but some can be hard to decipher.  I recommend looking at patterns that have been tech edited, like patterns from yarn companies (yarnspirations.com is the site for the conglomerate that owns most of the US yarn companies, or lionbrand.com, universalyarn.com are others, that have lots of free patterns.  Or craft companies, Annies Attic, Leisure Arts, Herrschners, Mary Maxim--not free, but tech edited.

Is your pattern online?  Maybe we can find a similar pattern that is written more clearly for you?

 

 

[annierannie]

Thank you so much for the information.  Very clear.  I did actually think a couple of those things.

It is online, on the Herrschners site.  https://www.herrschners.com/lucca-kerchief-cowl-crochet-pattern-free-download/ 

I wanted a slip over the head kerchief instead of a tie one. Thank you again. I'd love it if anyone has a similar pattern.

[Granny Square]

Well that is disappointing that the Herrschners pattern is messed up.  Have to admit I've done their kits for Christmas decorations and a  couple of latch hook items but have not done any of their crochet kits.

Another point I'm disappointed at, is that a pattern for a wearable often orients you to what part of the thing you are making, example are you starting from the bottom tip and working up, or starting with the collar, etc.  The only SC I am seeing is at the long bottom edge of the V shape, and the top pink edge--I think.

Seeing the pattern I'm changing my above guess on row 1, and assume it was all meant to be SC and the marker into 4th DC was the typo.

Row 1: 7SC in first second ch from hook. Pm in fourth dc SC. Turn- 7 SC"  note the end word in the PATTERN was SC, but you typed chain above in your first post. 

Comment, in row 2 it mentions 'm' - look at the abbreviations section on the right side, m=marker.  Also, for row 2, it mentions working into SC, which makes me guess that row 1 was meant to have all been SC stitches no DCs.

 

[annierannie]

Oh yes you are right, I did put that incorrectly.

Do marker and place marker mean the same thing?

Ok, that makes sense.  Thank you for interpreting that.  I will try with that.

[Granny Square]

You are welcome, hope it works out.  A marker is a thing - I like to use bobby pins (they are cheaper than purchased markers and stay put fairly well, and are slick not grabby like a paper clip or safety pin, but those work too).  You could use a short scrap piece of contrast color yarn to put in a stitch, and move, as well.  Placing is telling you what stitch to put the marker into; abbreviations in patterns re: markers are usually PM for place marker, MM for move marker (to a stitch it tells you to move it to).