Blanket Buddy help needed!

[hapahaolegirl]

I'm expecting in March and after seeing someone post this completed project I just had to make it.

 

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/50722-2.html

 

I went out yesterday to buy the yarn and now I'm stuck on Row 1. I don't even consider myself a beginner and I can't figure out these instructions. Can someone please help me?

 

Here's the start of the instructions:

 

Ch 3. Turn. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Ch 2. Turn.

Row 1 Working in back loop only, sc in first st (inc made), 2 sc in top of turning ch. Turn.

Row 2 Ch 2, working in back loop only, sc in same st, sc in next st, 2 sc in top of turning ch – 5 sts. Turn.

Row 3 Ch 2, working in back loop only, sc in same st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st, 2 sc in top of turning ch – 6 sts + 1 ch space. Turn.

 

So maybe if I can just figure out what the first row means I can figure out the rest, hopefully. When it says sc in first st does this mean the the second chain in Ch 2 (i.e. the last st I made)? If so that makes no sense to me. I always thought we don't crochet in the same stich we just made? I also don't know what (inc made) means. Then it says 2 sc in top of turning ch. Wouldn't the top of the turning ch be the second stitch in the Ch 2 above? Which would make me think I'm really just doing three sc in the second stitch of Ch 2 above?

And just to clarify when I Turn my work I'm just flipping it so the back side shows right?

I can't believe I'm stuck on this already!

Please help me out! I really want to make this for my new baby.

Thanks so much!

Kristen

 

 

[lizc]

kristen, i wish i could explain to you. i;m pretty sure i could do it, but i know i cant explain it.

 

congratulations on your pregnancy

[Lady_of_Roses]

I could be mistaken, but it looks like it's done diagnally, where you have to increase at both ends of each row.

 

So instead of ignoring the stitch that your turning chain in on top of and usually counts for, you stitch into it, then at the other end of the row you do 2 stitches into the turning chain from the prior row.

 

I have no idea if I'm correct or if I even make sense, but it does look to be a pattern done diaganally, so that would make sense to me.

[smg55039]

I feel your pain. Pattern reading is HARD.

 

Row 1 Working in back loop only, sc in first st (inc made), 2 sc in top of turning ch. Turn.

 

single crochet (SC) in first stitch (ST). Increase made (inc made).

 

Basically, as you flip it around, take a look at the very top (not the flat side - the TOP), you'll see the top of a loop. It'll look a bit like a v. Single crochet into it. Now, remember how you chained 2 in the last row? well you'll have sort of a deformed v on the top. Do 2 single crochets into that. Flip your piece and then chain a couple (this is called "chaining up" or "turning chain" or any of a number of exotic things).

 

Row 2 Ch 2, working in back loop only, sc in same st, sc in next st, 2 sc in top of turning ch – 5 sts. Turn.

 

single crochet in the v right under your chains. There is a school of crochet that doesn't count this v as a real stitch. Why, I haven't figured out yet. But there you go. So your rows start with the v right under (or beside as the case may be) your chain-up stitches. So you work three stitches, one per v until your last v (which was your chain up st in the row before). Work 2 sc in that chain.

 

Fair warning, I have no idea what the whole "back loop only" means and I'm not registered with lion brand so I can't see what you are making (lion brand has this thing about not showing you pictures if you aren't registered). But it looks as though you are increasing on one side - every other row will start with an increase and every other row will end with an increase.

[smg55039]

on further examination I think Lady_of_Roses has it correct. You are increasing on both sides.

 

I never learned to crochet properly, so reading patterns is difficult.

[hapahaolegirl]

I can't for the life of me figure this out The yarn is starting to look tattered since I've frogged this so much. I just don't get it.

[Krystal16]

Jeez, I'm at a loss. Pulled out my yarn here, tried it and NO GOOD!

 

So sorry! (And I don't consider myself a beginner, either!)

[Krystal16]

OH OH OH!!!

 

I've GOT it!

 

OK, when you TURN and then it says "Same Stitch", it means the SC that your ch-2 just came OUT of. (so you have your hook on a loop, the next chain, then the "SAME STITCH")

 

When it says to sc in top of CH, that means the top chain from the PREVIOUS row's chain 2, so WAY at the end of your previous row.

 

Now, what originally messed me up was the ch-3 at the beginning, then sc in the 2nd chain from hook - I was putting it in the middle chain, not the very LAST chain away from the hook. In the beginning, your chain3 is (STITCH, CH to next row, CH to next row) and it IS working on the diagonal.

 

HTH

[hapahaolegirl]

 

Now, what originally messed me up was the ch-3 at the beginning, then sc in the 2nd chain from hook - I was putting it in the middle chain, not the very LAST chain away from the hook. In the beginning, your chain3 is (STITCH, CH to next row, CH to next row) and it IS working on the diagonal.

 

HTH

 

Yes, this is the part that is getting me! I have this extra chain (the first chain in the ch-3) that's just sitting there alone and making nothing look right. I will have to try this again in the morning. I'm too tired and burnt out from trying this all day to work on this now. I am determined to get this done though, especially since everyone is helping me with this!

 

So from what I understand so far, the instructions should read more like:

 

Ch 3. Turn. Sc in 3rd ch from hook. Ch 2. Turn.

Row 1 Working in back loop only, sc in the sc that was just made in the 3rd ch from hook, 2 sc in top of previous ch 2. Turn.

 

Am I understanding this correctly? I will try this out with yarn tomorrow with a fresh start and new hope!

 

Thanks so much Krystal!

 

Kristen

[nightowl]

Hi Kristen!

 

Krystal's right! I was working on it at the same time and I think I have it. . . at least, I managed to make a sample of the first 10 rows However, I tried it as the instructions said and I had the same little stubby tail sticking out at the bottom that looked weird. . . so I made a little change that I think looks better.

 

Also, if you follow the pattern as written, at the end of Row 1 you have 3 sts, plus the turning chain at the beginning. On row 2 you're told to ch 2, then work an sc into the same st (#3 from the previous row), the next stitch (#2) -- then 2 sts into the turning chain. What happened to stitch #1? So I changed Row 1 to end with 3 sts including the turning chain at the beginning, which always counts as a stitch.

 

Here's my take on the beginning of the pattern; LB instructions in black, my comments in blue. :

 

Ch 3. Turn. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Ch 2. Turn.

Ch 3, sc in 3rd ch from hook. Turn.

 

Row 1 Working in back loop only, sc in first st (inc made), 2 sc in top of turning ch. Turn.

 

Row 1: Ch 2 (counts as a st); working in back loop only, sc in sc (increase made), sc in turning ch [this is the 2nd of the 2 spare sts from the starting chain] (increase made). Turn -- (3 sts)

 

From now on unless otherwise stated, all sc's are made in the back loop only. All turning chains -- both at the beginning and end of a row -- count as a stitch.

 

With these changes to the beginning I found the pattern as written was working for me (I haven't checked beyond Row 16, though) When working across a ch-1 space from the previous row, I worked into the chain itself rather than the space so the new stitch was also "through back loop only",

Row 2 Ch 2, working in back loop only, sc in same st, sc in next st, 2 sc in top of turning ch – 5 sts. Turn.

 

Row 3 Ch 2, working in back loop only, sc in same st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st, 2 sc in top of turning ch – 6 sts + 1 ch space. Turn.

 

And so forth

 

Good luck with it!

[hapahaolegirl]

Thank you so much nightowl! I was able to figure out everything up to Row 21 or so. I end up with one arm that's fatter then the other and then in Row 21 it says to Ch3 then go on so on one side I have this little piece that just sticks out because I don't Ch 3 on the other side.

I ended up frogging the whole thing because I was just so upset that after all this work the pattern is still wonky. I can't understand how someone seriously has been able to follow this pattern to a T and get a successful outcome.

I am now on the search for something similiar so I can use up this yarn and make something cute for our new baby. I love how soft the yarn is, it's like minky!

 

Kristen

[nightowl]

Hi Kristen

 

I think you were probably right to abandon the pattern. . . have you ever seen so many corrections on one page, and even now it's not right?

 

How's about one of these for the new little one? They are so cute!

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/Jeanaries/Teddyghans.html

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/Jeanaries/Teddyghan-N-Friends.html

 

Smiles,