I hate the way this pattern is written. It’s probably the worst written pattern I’ve ever read. I do, however, like the way it looks.

I omitted the picots around the edge mainly because I simply forgot to do them.

Row 2--
CH3 (to start, counts as DC), DC in each of the next three stitches, (CH2, skip 2 stitches, DC in the next stitch) across until you are left with three stitches; DC in each of those.

This is row 4 -- CH3 (to start, counts as first DC), DC in the next three stitches, CH2, skip ch2 space, DC in the next four DCs, (CH5, skip 5 DC, DC in the next 7 DCs) three times, CH5, skip 5 DC, DC in the next 4 DC, (ch5, skip 5 DC, DC in the next 7 DCs) three times, CH5, skip 5 DC, DC in the next 4 DC, CH2, skip ch2 space, DC in the last 4 DC.

This is row 5 -- CH3 (to start, counts as first DC), DC in the next three stitches, CH2, skip ch2 space, DC in the next four DCs, (ch3, sc in the middle of ch5 space, ch3, DC in each of the next 7 DCs) three times, ch3, sc in the middle of ch5 space, ch3, DC in each of the next 4 DC, (ch3, sc in the middle of ch5 space, ch3, DC in each of the next 7 DC) three times, ch3, sc in the middle of ch5 space, ch3, DC in the next four DC, CH2, skip ch2 space, DC in the last four DC.

This is row 6 -- CH3 (to start, counts as first DC), DC in the next three DC, CH2, skip ch2 space, DC in the next four DC, (ch5, DC in the next DC, ch5, skip 5 DC, DC in the next DC) three times, ch5, DC in the next four DC, (ch5, DC in the next DC, ch5, skip 5 DC, DC in the next DC) three times, ch5, DC in the next four DC, Ch2, skip ch2 space, DC in the last four DC.

For this row 6, your DCs are spaced evenly apart, most of them being in the first and last DC on each 7DC-set.