Expert: Marilyn Jane Rimmer - 10/13/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have completed a Tunisian crochet baby afghan pattern. I like it so much that I am trying to figure out how to enlarge the pattern. I don't want to double the size but enlarge it half that much. The pattern calls for chaining 192 to start. So I thought if I divided 192 by 2 and added that number to 192 equaling 288 that would be ok. I believed as long as the number was divisible by 8 it would work. (I read this in a Tunisian crochet book I have). So I chained 288 and as I got to row 9 where the pattern really begins I was short chains. How do I accurately figure out how many beginning chain stitches are needed? Thank you so much

ANSWER: It may depend on the stitch pattern.  Are you doing the entire afghan in Tunisian simple stitch (aka TSS, afghan stitch, and Basic Afghan Stitch)?  Or are you doing a stitch pattern that has a shell in it?  Why would the number need to be divisible by 8?

I'd need more information to answer this question.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for answering my question. Here is more information. The afghan is a combination of knit, purl and afghan stitches to make rows of raised diamonds. In the pattern,from row 9 through row 32, creates the actual diamond. The instructions ask that you continue doing row 9 through row 32 until you reach the length specified in the pattern. So that isn't the problem it's figuring out how to make it wider.

The book I got that information from(about the multiples of 8) mentioned how to create your own pattern with tunisian stitches. It said not only divisible by 8 but it gave a series like 4 or 6 or 8. I can't remember what the book is called but I can follow up in another email on that as I am at work writing this email. I may have not understood it, too.

Does that help?
I appreciate your help.
Sherrie

Answer
Hi Sherri,
Let's see if we can figure out more information.
On the row that has the widest part of your diamond, is there a portion of the instructions inside asterisks?
If so, you count how many stitches you need inside the asterisks, this will be your pattern multiple.
Then if there are stitches before the first asterisk, and after the second asterisk; you count all those stitches and add them to your multiple.  An example: a stitch pattern might come out to be a multiple of 4 plus 3.  So you can multiply 4 by any number you want, then add 3 to that product.
If this is still not enough information, you may need to copy a row or two of the pattern, so that I can calculate.