Crocheting clusters in round? - HELP!

#1

I am an avid knitter but fairly new to crochet. I am trying to crochet the Vanna 8-color afghan found at www.lionbrand.com. The pattern says that it is easy, but I am incredibly confused (and in danger of pulling all of my hair out) as to how to make cluster stitches in the round.

I’ve been watching some videos online and think that I have basically figured out how to do a cluster stitch on the straight. I have no idea how to do one in the round, though.

First of all, when I do the four ch stitches to begin the cluster row, do I do these ch stitches in the loop I just made with the joining sl stitch?

Now when I’m doing the cluster, do I skip the four chain stitches and do all of the triple stitches in the 5th stitch (aka the first stitch in my original chain) or do I do one in each of the stitches in my new chain? The videos seem somewhat confusing to me.

Then when I finish the cluster stitch, how do I advance around the circle?

As you can see, this is one confused kitten. Any help would be appreciated.

#2

You mean the Rnd1 Beg CL row, right?

Your CH4 comes off the loop on your hook after making the slip. It’s like turning in the flat, you just don’t turn. Pull through to complete the stitch, chain to raise up for the next row.

According to their directions you count the CH4 as a stitch. (Sometimes counting the CH gives me a wimpy stitch so I chain 1 less and don’t count it.)
So that first CL is your row of CH4 and the partial TRs until you have 4 loops on the hook (because that CH 4 isn’t really a partial TR it’s only contributing a single loop).

You’re going into the center of the ring you made when you joined the CH8. I like to form that ring around a large hook or pencil to keep the center open and then push the pencil out when I’m making that first stitch.
All TRs of those 6 clusters will go into that center hole.
They force themselves around the circle because there’s no room.

I’ll see if I can mess with it and get some pictures. But I’m having a migraine so no guarantees.

#3

Thanks, Mike!

I got it now. That is what I thought regarding the first chain stitches.

Also, I didn’t understand that when it said go through the loop, it mean the large loop in the center. I thought it was having me go through one of the chain stitches somewhere. So much easier now. In fact, I finished the whole square. Go figure. :slight_smile:

#4

In case anyone else can’t figure it out. (Don’t want to waste all that play with the new camera :wink: )

It looks to me like there are some problems beyond what they state.
It tells you “Beg cluster”, then repeat - 6 times, that gives you 7 petals, the picture shows 8. Repeat - 7 times or repeat - 6 more times. (I think this is a difference between how the sexes give directions, I’m always running into problems interpreting directions into male :slight_smile: )

  1. Chain 4 coming off the joined ch8.
  2. Wrap twice, go into the center of the ch8 ring.
  3. Ch4 spacer between two clusters.
    4-5) If space on the ch8 ring gets tight pull on the ch8 and snug the petals closer to each other.
  4. Rnd 1 finished.

If you’ve never worked in the round before, it will save you loads of weaving time if you work that original tail in as you go along. Hold it along the ch as you go through the ring and YO.
I always work my tails in as I go if it’s practical. Sometimes it’s not to work both ends in for a skane change in the middle of a row or either for a color change at the end of a row, but it’s always practical when making that donut in squares/rounds.