Fdc/sc 140 to start.

My god, this pattern is a nightmare. Both the written and the chart confuse me equally and quite often I’m uncertain which chain space I’m supposed to be working into. And yet I’m determined to keep going even though every second row flips me out.

Okay, forced myself to make sense of the chart and that’s made it a lot easier and faster, thank goodness. That shows you exactly where to place the stitches into ch spaces. Can’t believe it took me three days to do 16 rows of a small cowl.

The persistence paid off, I’m so glad I didn’t give up in that initial confusion. Once I forced my brain to read the black in the chart as white and distinguish each row and match each stitch — which is usually so easy I never have to think about it — then everything fell into place. Made about four mistakes just in that first section but they’re not discernible so it’s fine.

The second last white row in the final section did give me some pause because I nearly did the white post stitches over the blue but stopped just in time and had a look at the pattern pic and worked out I had to do the white stitch so the top of the blue was still visible. Prolly did that a little wrong as in sort of a back post instead of a front but it still worked out, especially on the next white row when I had to grab those hidden stitches to make up the right numbers.

Decided to forego any border cos I liked the starkness of the look as is. So glad I had the right colours in my stash, that never happens!

Eager to try another brioche crochet pattern to see if it’s easier or if they’re all such a challenge.