Stuck on Doily Pattern

jli2 wrote

on Mar 5, 2010 8:23 AM

I found a beautiful doily that I'm trying to make, but once I got to round 3, I got stuck! 

Round 1 & 2 are no problem - it's when I start round 3 that I have a problem. Here are the instructions:

Rnd 1) Ch 3 (counts as first dc, now and throughout); 19 dc in ring; join with a slip st to first dc: 20 dc.

Rnd 2) Ch 4 (counts as first dc, plus ch 1); * dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc: 20 dc/20 spaces.

Rnd 3) Ch 3, working behind ch 3, dc in last ch 1 space, ch 1; * dc in next dc, working behind last dc, dc in last ch 1 space (counts as a cross stitch), ch 1; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc: 20 Cross sts.

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So, when I start round 3, I chain 3. Where it says "working behind ch 3, dc in last ch 1 space, ch 1", I assume this is instructing me to make a back cross stitch. Is that correct?

I watched a tutorial on how to do this and even had a gal at the local yarn shop work up a sample and I still can't figure this out. In the tutorial it makes complete sense, but there are already existing double crochets on the row. On round 3, all I have to start with is a chain 3. 

My understanding of the stitch is to yarn over, wrap behind the chain 3 then go through the chain 1 space (basically working backwards). I get that. The problem is, when I pull up my loop after going through the chain 1 space, I have 4 loops on my hook. The tutorial I watched shows that I should only have 3. Even if I complete the stitch, I wind up with a tangle of yarn and nothing that looks like a cross stitch! 

What am I doing wrong? 

I'm a very ambitious newbie!  Thanks for any help you can offer! 

wrote

on Mar 5, 2010 3:03 PM

That first cross will probably be solved at the end of the row, or even on the next row. I would at least go on and se if doesn't look right after having started rnd 4.

AnyaM wrote

on Dec 21, 2011 4:14 PM

Do you have a picture of it?

onecraftycathy wrote

on Dec 22, 2011 8:43 AM

It sounds like you know what to do.  Yes, you are working backwards by dc'ing in the last ch 1.  But I'm not sure why you're ending up wth 4 loops on your hook?!  Break it out step by step:  You've come to end of row 2, done the chain 3.  You're going to go BEHIND the chain 3 and make a dc in the ch 1 space.  You have 1 loop on your hook, you yarn over, insert your hook in the ch 1 space, yarn over and pull the thread up.  You now have 3 loops on your hook (just like a dc stitch) and you work those 3 loops as you would for a dc.  Where is your 4th loop coming from? Anyway, if you've completed that dc, you'll now ch 1 and working FORWARD you'll make a dc in the next dc.  From here, you continue with the pattern of working behind your last dc to the ch 1 space below and backwards, to work another dc and then going forward with a dc. 

I know what you are going thru as I've had the same problem with figuring out patterns too.  Sometimes it helps to actually break down the instructions stitch by stitch by writing it down on paper one stitch at a time.  I've done that and it has helped me work thru the problem area of understanding what the heck the instructions are trying to tell me!