Crochet back & forth

[Sharah]

At the moment, I am puzzling over a pattern that is so lacy and pretty and reminds me a bit of Irish Crochet. There are little flowers with a kind of lattice work surrounding them. While they go in an orderly pattern which is like a checkerboard, the instructions are so difficult for me to understand. The book I found where the pattern is located is now out of print but here is a link to the picture so you can see what I am talking about. Perhaps someone out there can e mail me and help me understand this pattern. The little flowers are done in a multiple of two rows with two of the petals being completed on the first row and the other two petals on the return trip back across.

 

http://www.royalyarns.com/pbks/Gedif...51_Florida.jpg

 

Without revealing too much concerning the pattern rights, it calls for rows but then at the end of the first row it says "Do Not Turn". Subsequent rows end with "Turn" It's confusing to me and going back and forth is hard to follow the pattern even with the graph style of pattern that is also printed in the book. Same thing happens to me with following a knitting pattern design for a sweater and that is why I always knit in rounds so the design is always facing me. I'm not very good at working in reverse. Although it is easy with knitting because you know you have to do purl for the most part on the reverse side. With crochet, it just does not look the same to me and when it comes to where to insert the hook in one of the previous chains from the previous row, I get lost.

 

I am determined to master this so I can create the top for my daughter. I bought the book that has the pattern and I keep trying to do it and just end up ripping it out again. Can someone please help me?

[Lady_of_Roses]

I'm sorry to say that I haven't the slightest idea as to the solution for you.

 

It's an absolutely beautiful top though!

[rddugan]

Sharah,

 

Is it possible that instead of turning, (which involves turning the piece and going back along the stitches you just did), you go around the end and continue to crochet (as if you are crocheting along the bottom of the row you just did. It looks as if this piece is done diagonally - is that right?

[Sharah]

I am not sure if it is supposed to be diagonal. I did row one and then row two across the top of row one. I did turn even though it said not to do so. I didn't see any other way to complete the last two petals on each flower. The diagonal look comes from having a flower opposite a opening created by chains in each row. Like a checkerboard effect.

 

Here are the directions for the first two rows:

 

ROW 1: (RS) With MC, ch 7;* make ring, ch 3, (in ring make 2 dc, ch 3, sl st, ch 3 and 2 dc);** ch 10; rep from * 19 times more; end last rep at ** - first half of 20 Base Flower Units made. Do not turn. HERE IS WHERE I HAVE TROUBLE

ROW 2: Working along underside of Base Flower Units, * ch 3, sl st into ring at center of first flower, ch 3, [ in same ring work (2 dc, ch3 and sl st - Top Petal Made), ch 3 and 2 dc] **. Working along connecting ch, sk 2 ch, sl st in next ch, ch 7, sl st in last ch of connecting ch; rep from * across ending last rep at **; sk 2 ch, sl st in last ch; turn - One complete row of Flower Units made.

It speaks of working along the underside of the "Base Flower Unit" That just means to me that each one is only half done in the first row and the second row completes all of them across.

I am trying to follow the written instructions as well as a chart. It's reading the chart backwards that is confounding me.

[Aggie May]

rddugan is right, you make the row of half flowers, the go along the other side of the same lot by working over the end and along the other side.

I got out my hook and yarn to give this pattern a try, to see if I could help but, I would not even think about doing a pattern with such vague directions.

I have been crocheting for 50 squillion years and I dont ever use a pattern that I cant get going after about 5 or 6 tries, unless I really have to.

There must be an easier pattern for you, other than this one.

I once did a lovely flowery pattern where you did the petals that pointed down on the first row, the petals that pointed side-ways on the next and the petals that pointed up on the next. It was very pretty so I will see if I can find it for you.

I may be able to work it out for you, if my memory can dig it out of my old brain.

Hang in there.

Colleen.

[Sharah]

Awww thank you Colleen. If you can find it that would be great. And thank you too Rddugan. I truly appreciate the extra effort you make to try to help me.

 

I saw a top in a magazine that you had to purchase that had flowers apparently sewn on around the top places that some of us would want to keep covered. The background was the fishnet style of crochet that shows up in this pattern. While the storebought top contained random flower placements instead of the rows of flowers in my pattern, I was trying my best to recreate that look. The only other pattern I could find that even resembled it was in Irish Crochet.

 

Don't you just love a challenge?