Pattern Help!

[merryknitter]

I've just been crocheting for about 2 months...so I have much to learn!

I'm starting the Noah's Ark Blanket out of Crochet? May 2008 and I don't understand the pattern!

Row 1 ch 115, 2 dc in 4th ch from hook(first 3 chs count as first dc), *dc in each of next 3 chs, I understand up to this point.
[dc dec in next 3 chs] twice, dc in each of next 3 chs**, 3dc in each of next 2 chs, rep from * across, ending last rep at **, 3 dc in last ch, turn.

I don't understand the part in bold...I've watched the nexstitch videos and youtube videos on the dc dec, but it seems like it only involves 2 stitches...what am I missing?

Can someone walk me through this row? I know the problem is on my end!
Thanks,
Merry

[KnittinMitchie]

DC DEC is a double crochet decrease meaning you do a double crochet which will be 2 stitches but instead of a single crochet you will do a double crochet.

[PamJ]

Merry, Does the pattern give instructions for the dc decrease somewhere at the beginning?

This is the one I use over 3 stitches in my favorite ripple pattern:

*yo, insert hook through next stitch, yo and pull loop through stitch, yo and pull through first 2 loops on hook; repeat from * twice. YO and pull through remaining 4 loops on hook.

[merryknitter]

This is what it says in the stitch guide.
(YO, insert hook, yo, draw loop through, draw through 2 lps on hook) in each of the sts indicated, yo, draw through all lps on hook.

[PamJ]

So that's the same decrease as in my ripple pattern--just put a little differently. Does it make sense? Let me know if it would help to expand a bit more on it.

[MGM]

I would be happy to do a video on this exact thing, if you think that would be helpful. I'll put it on my list, but will do it in the next day or two if you would like to see it soon.

MGM

[PamJ]

Merry, it looks like you do this decrease twice. So those 6 chains will be 2 dc when you finish. Right, MGM?

[merryknitter]

Thanks Mary and Pam...that's the youtube video that I watched, Pam. I am not having trouble actually doing the dec...my confusion is when it says in next 3 chs twice!

I seem to be only using 2 stitches per dec...does that make sense?

Would you agree with me that the Youtube video is only doing the dec in 2 stitches...that's what is not making sense to me on the above instructions.

Unless I do what Pam said to do and yo, insert my hook in the 3rd stitch...then would I do all that twice still?
Thanks,
Merry

[PamJ]

Yes, that's how I read the instructions your pattern gave--you do the decrease over 3 stitches. So you would continue doing what the woman does on You Tube with one more stitch. That will give you one more loop on your hook to pull through at the end of the decrease. You will have 4 loops on your hook, while she only has 3. At that point you have gone from 3 stitches down to 1. My afghan pattern does a 3 stitch decrease exactly like this. It just depends on how many stitches need to be decreased.

And it does appear that you do this decrease twice, side by side. You are doing a ripple--notice that you also do 3 dc in 2 chains, so you should end up with the same number of stitches at the end of the row. You are increasing at the top of your ripple--2 stitches become 6--and decreasing at the bottom--6 stitches become 2. You continue to do this across the row.

After you finish this first row, it will become much easier to see. The foundation row is always the hardest!

Keep us posted!

[OffJumpsJack]

The twice refers to what is between the brackets. The instructions "[dc dec in next 3 chs] twice," can be written as... "[dc 3tog] twice."

But it looks like everyone else has managed to respond before me with very helpful explanations.
(for me)
(for you)

Looks like 112 stitches when you finish the row.

It sounds like a very dramatic wave pattern. The name is also intriguing; I'll have to search the web to see if I can find it.

-- Jack