Clarry

[clarry]

I was doing a pattern but I don't understand what St means it's says stitches but what does stitches mean is it a chain the pattern is 

1. Row: MR, ch 4 (=1 tc), 1 dc, 1 tc (3 st)

Edited April 8, 2023 by clarry
Added pattern

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!  the (3st) at the very end of the pattern row is not an action on your part to make more stitches. Some patterns helpfully give you a total stitch count in parentheses at the end of each row, in your case it is only 3 stitches but it's more useful if you should have ended up with (example) 100 stitches, and counted  99 or 101, you know you made a mistake somewhere.  In your case it is also telling you that the initial chain 4 counts as a stitch right at the beginning, and counts it in the stitch tally at the end of the row.

[clarry]

Thank you for this also does ch 4 (=1 tc) mean that I should do a TC??

[Granny Square]

A turning chain is a chain that you make when transitioning from 1 row to the next, it is made for the purpose of raising the yarn up to the height of the next row of stitches.

For a US SC, the turning chain is 1 chain and does not count as a stitch.  HDC turning chain is 1 or 2 chains and may or may not count as a stitch (the pattern should tell you).  For US DC, the turning chain is 3, and counts as a stitch.  For US treble as in your pattern, the turning chain is 4 chains, and counts as a stitch -- this is what your pattern is confirming, the 4 chains are the turning chains and are to be counted as 1 treble stitch.  This is what I was trying to explain in the last sentence my previous post.

https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/how-to-read-crochet-pattern

The above link might be helpful to you, it explains how turning chains work among a lot of other useful tips for deciphering crochet patterns.  It does not cover US treble stitches, but the concept for how turning chains work is the same for US trebles as for US DC stitches, except the turning chain for DC is 3 chains and for trebles is 4 chains.

Just checking, you know what "MR" means, right?  Because that is not a traditional / standard term but undoubtedly means 'make ring' or 'magic ring' (same thing in crochet, although I tend to avoid the term 'magic ring' here because term has been around a lot longer as a knitting term that means something entirely different).

 

[bgs]

The odd thing is counting both turning chains in row 1.  Generally the turning chain is counted as the first stitch in a row or round.

[Granny Square]

1. Row: MR, ch 4 (=1 tc), 1 dc, 1 tc (3 st)

Bgs, my reading of tc was treble crochet, not turning chain, because chain 4 is what you'd use for a turning chain for a treble crochet, in other words the turning chain counts as a treble.  It would have been a clearer if it had abbreviated treble crochet it as it more commonly is as TR (or maybe TRC) not TC.

Edited April 9, 2023 by Granny Square

[bgs]

5 hours ago, Granny Square said:

1. Row: MR, ch 4 (=1 tc), 1 dc, 1 tc (3 st)

Bgs, my reading of tc was treble crochet, not turning chain, because chain 4 is what you'd use for a turning chain for a treble crochet, in other words the turning chain counts as a treble.  It would have been a clearer if it had abbreviated treble crochet it as it more commonly is as TR (or maybe TRC) not TC.

Oh yeah you are right.  I got confused.  Had tc on the brain from another problem pattern.  Glad you are here to keep me straight.  And did I tell you how much I missed you when you couldnt get on here awhile back?  I really really did.

[Granny Square]

Aw shucks, I think we keep each other straight, we're a good team!