Expert: Ed Matos - 2/13/2011

Question
QUESTION: Ed your help is appreciated.  I desperately want to make this scarf, but after many tries I cannot figure out how to begin the clovers.   In the diagram they are floating and not attached to anything.  Can you tell me specifically how I begin the clover from the preceding chains in the diagram.  Where do I begin the first dc and then add the three chains?  I am not sure my question is clear, but if you have time to look at the diagram maybe you will see why i do not know where to begin a clover in any of the rows.       Thanks for the consideration.

ANSWER: Suzanne:

Thanks for the question:

First part, you know this is a pattern written in british English, so the stitches are different. There is also the measuring is in metric.

My suggestion is to make a copy of the pattern and then convert the stitches to English, so its easier to do.

If that is not the issue, please let me know. I found the pattern online so just let me know what row(s) are giving you the problems.

Hope that helped. Should you need any assistance, please let me know.

Happy Hooking

Ed

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

QUESTION: Ed, Thanks for your quick response.          I do not understand how to transition a row to a clover.  The base clover is dc 3 chains dc until I have 4 dc's and 9 chains, but how do I start the clover from a chain?   Which row do I start the first clover:   the base chain row or the second row and do I do the embellishment in the chains right after I make the base for the clover?

My only solution has been to use 6 chains for the first dc and top 3 chains and then use the beginning chain that I used to counted as a substitute for a dc to begin as my base for the rest of the clover.   Did you notice that on the diagram there is a chain symbol at the end of each clover?  Not sure what that is suppose to mean.?
Am I wrong--you can't work a dc with one chain?  
Ed, I'm thinking I should stick with repetitious projects.  The British and American English isn't a problem.  Oh what does it mean to mean to crochet the clover pattern IN the same dc and crochet in middle tr from previous clover leaf?   When you look at the diagram it doesn't  look like you would be using the previous clover to build on the next clover, but maybe that is where I am getting confused.

Ed, I think this project may be beyond my skills, but I thank you for your patience.
Suzanne

I never realized how difficult it is to try to explain what I don't understand.  This reminds me of math problems,  I wish the problems were also in the written language.  For example I want them to write out  "chain five and then begin the first dc of the clover in the 3rd chain or count three chains as your first dc."  I find it interesting that they tell me to chain 34 and 5 chains for turning, but the photograph they furnished obviously has more than 34 chains.

Answer
Suzanne:

I have found if you follow the diagram its better. Just remember to convert the stitches.

Yes the first clover is done on the last chain (after the last dc, you should have 4 chains left) there is where you do the first part of the clover, then you do the round part on the sequential row.

you do 3 clovers from the middle of the previous one (the dc on the middle clover)

The written instructions are a bit confusing, but the diagram is much better.

I hope this helps, once you get the first 3 rows done, it will be much easier since its the same pattern repeated over and over.

Should you need any assistance, please let me know.

Happy Hooking

Ed