Jump to content
  • 0

Confused crocheter ??


nikimcn

Question

So I've been crocheting for many years, however I've always ONLY done basic blankets, as I cannot figure out most patterns LOL.

I'm not sure why...So last night I decided to try the ripple blanket. And I tried one other. My first question is this...When they say "skip 4 ch and dc in next ch" does that mean that you will DC on the 5th chain? That's what I did, assuming it said skip 4. Or does it mean do the DC in the 4th? Stuff like that is so confusing to me. Also, in the ripple blanket I got row 1 foundation row done just fine. When I chained 2 and turned though that's where I had the problems...It said something like "skip first dc and make 5 dc in next 5 dc". Well on the ripple afghan they have these special instructions, so there isn't just ONE dc, there is kind of like a bubble of 3 dc put together, to make the hills and valleys. :think So when they say 1 dc in the next dc do they mean make only 1 dc in that bubble's top? or separate the 3 dc in that bubble and make 3 separate dc's in each dc?

i hope I didn't confuse you . LOL. I confused myself. So I always end up quitting crochet because of this. Some instructions *even in books* are so dang confusing for me!? Is it just NOT written right? no, it's prob'ly me. LOL. Please help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

Thank you so much girls. That helped. :)

I sure wish I had someone to crochet with locally to help me out in these situations LOL.

I'd love to make other nice things, not just the same stitch throughout the blanket LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In answer to your first question, yes you skip 4 chains and DC in the 5th chain.

 

Now for the next question you have "skip first dc and make 5 dc in next 5 dc". When you do DC, the turning chains are counted as a Double. So, the mean you don't add a Double into the base of the turning chs. According to what you posted (which sounds sort of odd) they are telling you to do 5 DC in each of the next 5 DC.

 

I'm pretty sure that is wrong so the meaning to me would be to put a DC in each of the next 5 DC in the previous row.

 

Now as for your question about the bubbles. It would be a big help if you could take the time to either link to the free pattern you are using, or write out the directions exactly as they are written include all punc at the same spots as in the pattern. This is important as a change in where a comma is can make a big difference in how a pattern turns out.

 

I think you are trying to read too much into the directions. A lot of people do that when they start working from patterns. When you look at the instructions the best way to work is with your hook and yarn in hand. Read the very first thing, ch 103 for ex., do that, then read to the next punc mark, do that, and continue until done.

 

If you post the pattern we can give you more specific help. :hug

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...I think you are trying to read too much into the directions. A lot of people do that when they start working from patterns... If you post the pattern we can give you more specific help. :hug

 

i must agree - you're confusing yourself and me in the process:D - i had the same problem back when i first started crocheting, when dinasours roamed the earth... i made about 30 rectangles before i graduated to triangles (rectangle = afghan, scarf, etc.; triangle = shawl).

 

being self-taught from books i find pictures and schematics very helpful - like a logic game. if i know what configuration i'm trying to achieve then it's often easier to see if what i'm doing is going to get me there:think...

 

a ripple pattern is a great next step in following patterns because you'll know pretty quickly if you're doing it right :yes or wrong :no. if you don't start seeing an established pattern by about the fourth row then there is a misunderstanding going on somewhere:eek.

 

most patterns will say something like "turning chain counts as first stitch here and throughout" or "chain two counts as double crochet" - some indication to keep your count correct so that when they say "skip first dc, dc in next dc" they're basically telling you not to put your first stitch in the base of the turning chain which is, after all, your first dc in the row, but to go to the first 'available' stitch. if you think about this, it's logical - if you were to make the stitch into the base of the turning chain on each row you'd have a lot of extra bulk at your edges.

 

when counting stitches, you count the "V" as you look down at your row, so even though you may have 'cinched' several double crochets together in the previous row, you count the "V" that closed it all up as one stitch. if the pattern says to skip four stitches and double crochet in next stitch then you should have four unworked V's that you can still see after you make your next stitch.

 

i know it would be nice to have someone to just ask for help and perhaps there's a crochet class at your local Michael's or Joanne's. there are many on-line tutorials and learning from books can also be a great feeling of accomplishment!

 

that said, go forth and HOOK!:hook

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone has pointed you in the right direction. You might be able to make more sense of a picture than a pattern. I started reading patterns, so they don't bother me. On the other hand, the dear old nun we see a couple of times a year loves to get "picture" patterns, where the stitches are drawn out in symbols, because that's what she grew up with in Europe. Each of us can use the other kind--it's just user preference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might find it easier to work with charted diagrams. if you can get a copy of Crochet Today magazine, you can use both the diagram and the words for a pattern.

 

photocopy the word portion of the pattern and have it at hand while you look at the picture. The two together will help you to become familiar with how the words work out.

 

Regarding "5 dc in the next 5 dc"... i would read that as working 25 dc. it would more likely have been written as "dc in next 5" if they only meant to have 5 dc.

 

It would help if we could see the actual words. it is always tough when working from our fallible human memories.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have a good reference book? Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet, for example, has 6 different ripple patterns with clear close up photos and stitch diagram for each one. They might not be exactly like the pattern you are trying to use, but they would give you the basics on how to structure your crochet to achieve the effect you want. You could translate that knowledge to the chosen pattern. Or you could make your own ripple blanket using the info in the book. HArmony Guides have diagrams for each stitch pattern too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think the problem is you. The writer of the pattern could have made this much clearer. Don't give up.

 

Just look at the overall picture of what it is you want to accomplish with this pattern. Go up the hill, over the top (bubble), down the other side, through the valley. Up the hill again, over the top, etc. You can assume this will be an exact repeat all the way across. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be a ripple.

 

OK. So the 5 dc in the next 5 dc isn't possible. You'd be going in a circle. The writer didn't say this clearly enough. It actually means: place 1 dc in each of the next 5 dc. Now you have the straight line going up the hill.

 

At the top (bubble) it takes extra sts to get around this curve, just the way it would take you extra steps to walk over the top of the hill. All the extra dc's that are stated, whether it's 3 or 5 or some other number, go in the very top dc of the hill. You do this on every row, and you'll see them line up, then you'll know it's correct. So if it's 3 dc for this spot, do 3 dc all into 1 dc st that's considered the point. This gives you ease to get around the point, and start down the hill.

 

Go down the hill the same way you came up. It's always 1 dc for each st that is already there. Do the same number that you did going up the hill. It will keep this side straight.

 

Now the valley. This is done the opposite of whatever you did at the top of the hill. If the top is the 3 dc increase, then the valley is a 3 dc decrease. That's all. When you do a 3 st dec on ripple, the first st is on this side of the hill, the second is the very bottom (point) and the third is the start of going up the next hill. At the top, you were spreading the sts apart and here at the bottom you are pulling them closer together. If you do this correctly they will line up also as you do more rows. Once the valley is done, you start over with going back up the hill.

 

No matter what the specific directions say, if you know all this, you know how a ripple works, so it's much easier to interpret a pattern.

 

Joyce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think the problem is you. The writer of the pattern could have made this much clearer. Don't give up.

 

Just look at the overall picture of what it is you want to accomplish with this pattern. Go up the hill, over the top (bubble), down the other side, through the valley. Up the hill again, over the top, etc. You can assume this will be an exact repeat all the way across. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be a ripple.

 

OK. So the 5 dc in the next 5 dc isn't possible. You'd be going in a circle. The writer didn't say this clearly enough. It actually means: place 1 dc in each of the next 5 dc. Now you have the straight line going up the hill.

 

At the top (bubble) it takes extra sts to get around this curve, just the way it would take you extra steps to walk over the top of the hill. All the extra dc's that are stated, whether it's 3 or 5 or some other number, go in the very top dc of the hill. You do this on every row, and you'll see them line up, then you'll know it's correct. So if it's 3 dc for this spot, do 3 dc all into 1 dc st that's considered the point. This gives you ease to get around the point, and start down the hill.

 

Go down the hill the same way you came up. It's always 1 dc for each st that is already there. Do the same number that you did going up the hill. It will keep this side straight.

 

Now the valley. This is done the opposite of whatever you did at the top of the hill. If the top is the 3 dc increase, then the valley is a 3 dc decrease. That's all. When you do a 3 st dec on ripple, the first st is on this side of the hill, the second is the very bottom (point) and the third is the start of going up the next hill. At the top, you were spreading the sts apart and here at the bottom you are pulling them closer together. If you do this correctly they will line up also as you do more rows. Once the valley is done, you start over with going back up the hill.

 

No matter what the specific directions say, if you know all this, you know how a ripple works, so it's much easier to interpret a pattern.

 

Joyce

 

thanks joyce!:cheer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...