Understanding a pattern

[shannan41]

Hey everyone!! I’m hoping you all maybe able to help me on a pattern I’m trying to do. I’m working on a amigurumi pattern and on RND 25 the instructions are 3 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) X 5, 3 sc (48). If I’m reading this right I’m supposed to repeat the parentheses 5 time, and the overall stitch count at the end should be 48. But when I followed this I only had 42 overall end stitch count. Where did I go wrong?

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!  Pasting so I don't have to scroll: 3 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) X 5, 3 sc (48)

An increase, unless it specifies something else, is 2 stitches into 1.  If a pattern just says, for example, "3 sc" and doesn't say where to put them, it means 1 sc in each of the  following 3 stitches.

3 sc = 3 sts created, uses 3

inc = 2 stitches created, uses 1

(6 sc, inc) x 5 means 1 sc in each of the next 6 sts, inc means make 2 sc into 1.  One repeat uses 7 stitches but creates 8., so 5 iterations creates 40 and uses 35.

3 sc =creates 3 and uses 3

Adding up the used stitches 3+1+35+3=42, so this should be the # that you had at the end of the prior round 24.  If you didn't start with the right number, you won't end up with the right number.  Adding up the created stitches, 3+2+40+3=48, which agrees with the pattern.

Note, round 23 was supposed to end in 36, which is 6x6, and adding 1 stitch every 6th stitch adds 6 stitches, right?  So that checks out too.

When you are working in a spiral as you are, it is a good idea to use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round, and move the stitch marker to the new first stitch every round, because there is no other way to 'get your bearings' of where you are in a pattern.  I use bobby pins for markers because they are cheap, they stay in pretty well, but if I lose one they are much less $ to replace the purchased stitch markers are.

Also, it's a good idea to count your stitches in each round on something like this, because as you can see, if you err it will affect future rounds.  

The easy but not necessarily best thing to do, would be to assume you just finished the prior row since the stitch count matches (42), then re-do round 25 carefully and put a stitch marker in the first stitch of round 25.   ( a couple of inches of contrasting yarn put loosely into the first stitch of a round works as a marker too, if you don't have any bobby pins or safety pins for markers.)