Need help with this crochet pattern please. What does this mean? *Pictures posted*

[Kimmiepie]

I'm working on a sweater for the baby, but I've never done anything this big before. I'm fairly new so I tend to do hats, booties, scarves, play food etc.

The pattern is vintage, so maybe that's why I'm not understanding the instructions as well. However, I can't link to it because it was emailed to me as an attachment.

I just made the top part of the sweater (collar I guess) and now it says do not fasten off and move on to body.
But this is the part I am having trouble with:

Body, Row 1: Ch 3, work across next 8 shells and v sts (for armhole ch1, skip next 8 shells and V sts). Work pattern across next 17 shells and V sts. Reapeat between ( ). Work pattern across to last st, dc in top of ch 3 (17 shells, 16 V sts)

I am SO lost here. What does work across mean and what am I working? I don't understand the armhole part either.

Can someone please enlighten me?

Thanks!!

[KJoslyn78]

This is actually like the baby sweater pattern i have to make an arm hole.

Ok - what it means is that you will follow the pattern for the first 8 shells and V, then you will be the ( ) part of the pattern. When you get there, chain 1, and skip the number shells and Vs indicated on the pattern (in this case, 8), and then you continue on with the pattern on the 9th shell or V (not sure which will come up first). This part will be the back (the 17 shells and Vs), and then you will do another armhole space just like the first one. Then after the 2nd armhole space you'll just finish to the end of this row.

You see - the Chain 1 space is the arm hole space.

[Kimmiepie]

Originally Posted by KJoslyn78

This is actually like the baby sweater pattern i have to make an arm hole.

Ok - what it means is that you will follow the pattern for the first 8 shells and V, then you will be the ( ) part of the pattern. When you get there, chain 1, and skip the number shells and Vs indicated on the pattern (in this case, 8), and then you continue on with the pattern on the 9th shell or V (not sure which will come up first). This part will be the back (the 17 shells and Vs), and then you will do another armhole space just like the first one. Then after the 2nd armhole space you'll just finish to the end of this row.

You see - the Chain 1 space is the arm hole space.

Thanks! Well I tried it last night before any responses and something is not right.

By "follow the pattern" does it mean keep doing the same thing that was done on the row before? Because that is what I did...then when I got to the arm hole part it made a big gap and went together kind of like a circle. Then I went down the 17 stitches but before I got to 17 there was no pattern left. I would have to go "around again" which would have made the arm holes right next to each other.

I'm so confused.

I may have to take a picture later or something.

ETA: I've never made anything with arm or leg holes etc so maybe I'm not getting that part??

[KJoslyn78]

Yes... following the pattern would have been to keep doing what you had been doing

a picture might (or i know for me, would) help

ETA - just a thought - tell me the name of your pattern... i just looked at my baby sweater i always make and what you posted was word for word what mine is - and while that may mean nothing - if i have the same pattern - then i'll know where you can from and where you are going

[Kimmiepie]

I will take a picture later when I'm working on it again.

The name of the pattern is "Old Fashioned Baby Sweater Set" (Designs by Pam Hamshaw) from Crochet Newsletter Magazine 1997.

[Kimmiepie]

Okay, hopefully this won't be too confusing.

Here are the instructions for the last row you see. This part is the yoke and I am supposed to be moving onto the body.

Ch 3, for pattern, shell in ch sp of each shell and V st in each ch sp of V st; work pattern across with dc in top of ch 3, turn. At end of last row, do not fasten off.

Now come the instructions that I posted earlier (in post 1). BUT I took pictures of where I've left off (^) and I will show you why I'm thinking it doesn't make sense.

Please excuse the fact that the pattern is backwards in the photos. lol I'm not left handed just took pictures with it turned the wrong way.

(imagine them flipped for right handed)

Okay here is just a picture of what I have so far.
http://pic60.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../336432411.jpg

Here is a pic of where the ch 1 would be, making the first armhole?
http://pic60.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../336432569.jpg

And here is a pic of where it tells me to start crocheting again.
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20645328

And here is where I would end up putting the next ch1 (armhole) per the instructions (post 1). I'd have to go all the way around (like in a circle) to get to the number they said I needed to and it winds up in the same place as the last armhole!! http://pic60.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../336432524.jpg

I don't understand...am I supposed to go back the other direction one I get to the end? Am I supposed to be folding this or something....it just doesn't count up right. Like I said I've never made anything with arm/leg holes before so maybe I'm not getting how it's supposed to go.

Do these pics help at all?? I'm so discouraged.

[Kimmiepie]

Any advice? I haven't done anything new yet because I can't figure it out.

[TortelliniMama]

Without seeing the whole pattern, it's hard to say, but how are you counting the "8 shells and V stitches" and the "17 shells and V stitches"? Are you counting like this?

Work a shell: 1
Work a V stitch: 2
Work a shell: 3
Work a V stitch: 4
etc.

Because the only thing that comes to mind right away is that maybe you've been counting like this:

Work a shell and a V stitch: 1
Work a shell and a V stitch: 2
Work a shell and a V stitch: 3
etc.

which would take up twice as many stitches as the other way.

In terms of how it goes together to make the armholes, would it help if I said that the part you have done is more a yoke than a collar? When you skip the stitches, you're pinching together the arm opening. I'm guessing you'll come back after finishing the body and work into those skipped stitches to make the sleeves.

Hope some of this helps!

ETA: Oops! Now I see that you mentioned that the part you're working on is the yoke. So I guess my saying that isn't likely to turn on any lightbulbs, huh?

[Kimmiepie]

Thanks for the help.

I decided to start all over. I am just now getting to that point again, but I *think* I understand it better. I watched someone make armholes and that really helped me to understand what it was supposed to look like.

I'll update when I've gotten a little further.