Expert: Ed Matos - 3/5/2010

Question
Hello there! First, thank you for just being available for people like me to ask questions! I really appreciate it! So I am trying for my first blanket. I do great with patterns and stitches if I can see them done but to read them, I have a little bit of problems but I am hoping maybe you can explain it a little better. Maybe break it down more....? Ok, it says "Ch 3, sc in next dc, work shell around stem of same dc ((To work shell it says "Insert hook from front to back to front around vertical stem of specified dc; work shell of (sc, hdc, 3dc) around stem.")) Ok, questions are do I leave the "stem" on the hook while I sc, hdc, 3dc? And after I hdc there will be two lps left on the hook right? Do I not yarn over for the first of the "3dc" and pull through?? Thanks for all your help again!!

Answer
Mary:

Thanks for the question.

You will be doing the sc, hdc and 3dc all on the steam. So you will be doing the sc as stated on the instruction, then do the hdc, then do the 3dc. There should always only be one loop left on the hook, since you are not doing any kind of clusters (clusters is where you keep back some of the loops)

I know this is a strange stitch, since we do normally work around the post of the stitch, but rather on the loop at the top. So in this case you are working: inserting the hook from the back to the front around the stem of the stitch.

I do hope this helped. Should you need any assistance, please let me know.

Happy Hooking

Ed