Need Help with Granny Square Pattern!
Hi - I'm brand new at crocheting, and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong, as done the following steps below 6 different times in a row, and I keep getting 9 spaces instead of the 8 spaces...here it is; please let me know if it's me or the pattern (I'm guessing it's me!)
Motif: Starting at center with Navy, ch 2.
1st Round: Make 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Join with sl st to first sc (so far, so good)
2nd Round: Ch 4 *dc in next sc, ch 1. Repeat from * around. Join with sl st to 3rd ch of ch-4 -- 8 sps.
And that's as far as I get...so, I follow the above and I always end up with 9 spaces instead of 8. If you make the ch 4 at the beginning, that plus doing a dc in each sc would make 9 spaces, wouldn't it?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
I'm guessing that in the first round of single crochets, you finished with a slip stitch into the initial chain two instead of the first single crochet.
Or maybe you made your first double crochet into the base of the chain three. That chain three in place of the first double crochet isn't a very satisfactory substitute because it leaves a gap between it and the next stitch, especially at its base. It doesn't look like it 'uses up' the single crochet stitch below. It looks like the location for the next stitch, but you have to ignore it and move on to the next single crochet.
Good luck,
Pauline
Like Pauline said, I figure it's that you did a double crochet in the same single crochet that you slip stitched into. In order to keep count, this second round should have 7 dcs and one chain of 3 pretending to be a dc. And for any further rows, those first three chains are a dc.
I can't say that I figured out what you did wrong,but I followed your instructions and got 8 treble [dc's to you]and 8 spaces. On reading the above comments though, I think you didn't cound the first 4 chains as a treble [dc]and chain, after which you just do 7 more and join with a slip stitch. I have never started granny squares this way,I will write up my much easier version for you and post tomorrow [it's 1a.m. here in the UK!] Hope it goes well.
Hi Pauline, After I posted I tried to think of 'my much easier way' to post for you and ended up having to do it, it is so automatic that I couldn't think for a minute!I have written it for the English/European,but as I guess you are North American, I have put dc to make it clearer [I hope]
I start with a chain,[just one after the initial start loop]I make it fairly loose so that I can go onto the next step more easily.
Then;- [1] 3 ch for first treble [dc]
[2]make eleven [yes 11] more trebles [dc's] into the same loop, join the last treble [dc] to the top of the first 3 chains that stood for the first treble [dc].You now have a circle of twelve trebles [doubles].
NEXT ROUND [the corners to make the round into a square] Into the first space between the trebles crochet 3 chain [1st treble][dc]2 trebles [dc's]x 1 chain x 3 trebles[dc's]:: Skip three trebles [dcs]and into the next space crochet 3 tr's [dc's] x 1 ch x 3 tr's [dc's]
DO THIS TWICE MORE UNTIL YOU HAVE ALL FOUR CORNERS MADE join with a slip stich into the top of the first 3 chains of the round.
IN EACH SUCCEEDING ROUND YOU WILL STEP UP WITH 3 CHAINS AND MAKE 3 TREBLES [DC'S] INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN THE OTHER GROUPS - KEEPING THE CORNERS AS ON THE FIRST ROUND.
Hope this helps, if not let me know. I find this very quick and easy - of course you can change the colour every round, but you would start off the same way. I tend to make afghans in granny squares all of the same colour so that it looks more like patchwork, - try it.
Thanks much to everyone for their help; I was able to do it correctly following your advice! (And thanks, Moseley, for the detailed help!) This is a pattern from the early 1970's, so the instructions are probably a little outmoded.