I was working on the Cameo Top from Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan (the book is out of print, but here’s a scanned copy on archive.org to look at), and I had a bit of a kerfuffle in the first bit because the pattern instructions were done a little differently. Let’s take a look:
Here’s the pattern instruction that confused me:
It confused me because the actual pattern row explanations were in another spot, and there were two sets of instructions:
There was the Stitch Pattern (In Rows, For Front/Back) and the Stitch Pattern (In Rounds, For Body). Now, I knew I was working the front and back, so I realized I was supposed to work those pattern rows, but then I got a little more confused by the comment above the Pattern Row 2: “To increase at each end following an even row.” I was confused because there was nothing in the written out instructions about increases, and so I was worried that I was missing some important note about how to increase.
That was not the case. Turns out, it just meant “You increase on this row when you work it.” And as long as you work it according to what Doris says, it comes out great.
I am a creature of habit, and while I expect vintage patterns to confuse me at times, I generally don’t have problems with modern ones, especially not when they come from someone as top-notch as Doris Fucking Chan. But sometimes when the information isn’t laid out the way you expect, it makes you question if you really understand what the instructions are saying.
Hopefully, this helps anyone else who might get a little befuddled like I was. And make starting the project just a little easier.
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