Need help w/first round of a project

[DebRN]

I am having trouble with the 1st round of this project!

Rnd 1 - ch10, working in the 3rd ch from hook, sc 7, sc 4 in last ch, *hdc inc* x6, sc 4 in starting ch (26)

I cannot interpret this - other animal projects start with a magic circle, this is different. Help!!

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

I believe you are working in an oval, which is 'sort of' like starting from a 'pinpoint' and working in rounds center out, but instead of the pinpoint you are working in rounds around a chain, which will form an oval.  This is a weird transaction the first time you encounter it, we get a lot of questions about ovals in the help section so you are not alone.

Start with the chain part of the chain facing you. Do NOT use the method of working into the back bump, this pulls the chain too tight for this.  Either work under the top loop, or top loop + back bump.  

The general concept is, you work into the chain 'as usual' until you reach the last chain; put more than 1 stitch into that last chain to turn the corner, and then keeping the same side facing you, rotate the chain so the stitches you just made are underneath, and the loop or loops that you didn't use on your first pass are at the top.  You will put stitches into the loops you didn't use on the first pass, to return within a stitch to the point you started at, and usually add the same amount of stitches that you did at the other end to turn the first corner, to turn this corner, and join to the beginning stitch of this oval round.

 

 

[bgs]

This has a photo tutorial for making an oval.  Difference is on the one side you are working 2 hdc in 6 of your chains instead of 1 sc in each.  This is setting you up for shaping your animal.

[bgs]

Paging Granny Square: According to my count if you work as stated stitch count would be 27 not 26.  Wondering if last part is supposed to be 3sc in starting ch instead of 4 sc.  Its also seems sort of odd that starting out it has you sc in 3rd ch from hook instead of the 2nd ch.  

[Granny Square]

Oops, I was giving my generic 'working in an oval' speech I didn't catch the count issue, apologies to DebRN (ovals come up a lot in the help section).  This pattern varies a tiny bit from the 'generic recipe', but it comes out more or less the same in the end.  (I also didn't catch that the second pass was in HDC, so some non-symmetrical shaping is happening)

Pasting the pattern line so I don't have to scroll: Rnd 1 - ch10, working in the 3rd ch from hook (leaving 2 'extra' chains), sc 7, sc 4 in last ch, *hdc inc* x6, sc 4 in starting ch (26)  

Typically the increase at the end you started at is done into the underside of the last 'under-chain', under the first stitch of the first pass.  This pattern tells you to make a longer chain at the start, and work the last increase, the 'second corner', around the extra-long chain loop (or literally into those chains, I'm not sure if it matters) rather into the under-chain of the first stitch.  

 

 

Edited April 1 by Granny Square