Crochet help needed...interpretting patterns...turning stitches...confused.

[EdwiniasRevenge]

I have recently taught myself crochet (I mastered a granny square as a teen but have done nothing since). I've picked up a hook and have been teaching myself arigurumi characters and have now seen a lace bag pattern I fancy.

I have this pattern and I was confused about turning chains. Basically are turning chains normally explicitly written down in the pattern? Or when youo start a row with a dc do you add a ch as part of the turn.

Here is an extract from my pattern......

50ch

Row1 - 1dc in 2nd chain from hook [1dc in each ch] to end. 49sts

Row2 - 1ch, 1dc in first dc, 1dc in each of next dc, [4ch, miss 3dc, 1tr in next dc, 4ch, miss 3dc , 1dc in each of next 5dc] 3 times, rep from to , 1dc in each of last 3dc.

Row 3 - 1ch, 1dc in forst dc, 1dc in next dc, [3ch, 4tr in next 4sch sp, 1ch, 4tr in foll 4ch sp, 3ch , miss 1dc, 1dc in each of nect 3dc] 3 times. rep from to , miss 1dc, 1dc in each of last 2dc.

Row 4 - 1dc in first dc, 5ch [4tr in next 3ch.......

So for row 1 I have a turning chain in the pattern because I go into 2nd chain??

For Row 2 and 3 I thought a turning chain was written into the pattern as the first stitch of the row.

But rows 4-8 all start with a dc (then 9 and 10 start with a ch)......so do I dc into the last stich of the previous row? Do I add a ch to create a turning chain before doing the dc into what was the last stitch of the last row..
so...is this pattern rubbish and putting a ch in some places and forgetting others.
Do I add a ch to a all rows before turning
Do I do exactly as the pattern says and add a chain on some rows but not others even where I am starting with a dc.

At the mo I am kind of doing 1....assuming I the turning chain is written in some places and not others.

Also When I get to the end of the row and it says....for example....2tr in 2nd chain. (Previous row started 1dc in first dc, 5c). Is that the 2nd chain if I count forwards from where the last stitch was (which I have assumed) or the 2nd chain from the start of the chain as I crocheted it at the beginning of the previous row?

many thanks...

Now i've joined ravelery will I be addicted??? Now Where do I get cheap reasonable quality wool?

Appologies for typos and random bold through useof asterix....I may have had a bottle of wine....

P.S. by adding turning chains when I think I need them I don't seem to get a straight edge....but each repeat is 10rows and I have only done 10 rows....so not sure if it would pull straight when I block it.

P.P.S {icture of the 10 rows will very shortly be on my profile....

Bump

Bump???

I have no idea [helpful]

They usually are written into a pattern, you're not meant not guess.

You're more helpful than anyone else. ...:o

Thats what I thought...but dc into the first stitch from hook doesn't feel right...

Does it mention turning chains in the blurb before the pattern? The bit where it goes on about yarn, special stitches etc?

Is it online?

No. It's from a book. I photocopied the pages with pattern on from friend. I guess I need to look at the stitch guide blurb at the back but I dont have the book..

Seems weird that there are effectively turning chains on first 3 rows but not after. Are rows 4 onward meant to start decreasing length-wise? Usually in patterns I've seen it says ch1 (does NOT count as a stitch) in order to be explicit.

Sorry I'm not much help, also a newbie!

Just noticed there are ch1s and ch5s etc all through the rows so maybe that explains it? Sounds hard!

What is the pattern for?

Its not too hard. Pick of it on my profile.

Its going to be a bag.

Comes up with a nice lace crochet. Which you then line with fabric. The example is done as black lace on top of red silk. I think I am going to do it in a biscuit colour on top of calico.

I may be wrong - I started to crochet last autumn but have been like a cottage industry since then - but I thought you had to start a new row with a chain, 1 if you are going into DC 3 if you are going to do tc