Help with say goodnight grace by darski

[Dejo90]

I'm looking for someone to help me with this nightgown, I want to make the Christmas version.  I can't even get row two to end with 50 dc.  Can someone explain what the front and back section is? Best i can come up with is either 44 or 45 stitches.  I don't know where else to add, seems like I need 6 more stitches. I did add a 3 group where I thought was a front and back but apparently still need 2 more groups of 3? 

[Granny Square]

I have not made this, so I can't say if there are errors that I know about.  The Christmas version is the same as the regular one until row 12, so I'm looking at the top pattern.

Copying row 1&2 here: (I have added notes of the hdc stitch counts in each step in red, chains in blue except the initial 55 foundation.

Row 1: With deep pink. Ch 55, hdc in 2nd ch from hook and the next 7, (8)ch 4, skip 11, hdc in 16, ch 4, sk 11, hdc in 8. (32 hdc and 2-ch4). 

8+16+8=32, and there are 2 chain-4 spans, so the stitch count at the end of the row is correct at 32.  You chained 55 and skipped 1+11+11 which is 23; 23 chains plus 32 stitches is 55.  So far this adds up correctly.

Row 2: Dc in every hdc and chain but work a [3dc group] in each front section and 3 in the back section. (50 dc)

I don't see that Darski has defined a 3DC group, but I assume it is a decrease of 3 into 1, so each time it appears you lose 2 stitches.  There are a total of 5 of these, 2 in the front and 3 in the back, so you should lose 10; but 55 minus 10 is 45 not 50.  So, it does seem to have either an error in the row end stitch count.  However, if you make a more common decrease of DC 2 together, the end stitch count ends up at 50.

Do you have the doll handy to see which might make more sense fit-wise?  I'm inclined to assume that I guessed wrong above at what Darski meant by 3DC group, and that a DC2 together would be the right move.  She is not as active here as she used to be, so may not see your inquiry to weigh in.

[Dejo90]

Thanks for your help. I do have a doll to check for size.  I didn't understand front back etc.  No matter what I did could not get to 50.  In whining to my non crochet husband (lol) he said "these look like the front and this looks like the back. Still don't have enough stitches, so add another group of 3dc on the back. (I was looking at it backwards from him) so that appears to be working.  I am an instruction person, not a design person, so give me instructions and I can make anything but don't ask me to adjust, redesign, reconfigure it, you lose. Lol

[Dejo90]

Also, I took 3dc group to mean simply three dc into the same stitch.  And I only did two group on the back not three which got me to 50.  Not sure it's correct but so far it seems ok. We will see when I get to sleeves . Sorry so detailed,  Answered this way in case it helps someone else.

[Granny Square]

I also initially assumed 3dc group meant a 3 into 1 (increase of 2), but then the end stitch count went in the wrong direction, so figured it had to be a decrease.  Glad it is working out for you.