FPdc2tog a quick tutorial

As you read through the pattern you just bought,  the tension begins to rise. This is crazy, what the heck???
Is this for real???  I can't do that.  The doubt begins to rise, and frankly, your personal defences kick in, and the designer is labeled as nuts.

But wait, there are pictures from several people here.  some of the names attached are people I chat with in a group.  I am as good as they are.  If they can figure this out, I can too.  

So you grab the yarn, and begin.   then, about the time you begin to feel confident, the idea of working stitches in unconventional places does not seem quite so difficult; you are hit with   FPdc2tog.  What the Heck????????

Has to be a typo, never heard of it.  back to calling the designer an idiot.

Well, hold your tongue, it is not a typo, and it is not hard to do. just break it down, and work the stitch.

Let's do a FPdc2tog    together

First of all, I am assuming you are familiar with the concept of decreasing.
You make the fabric smaller, by taking 2 stitches down to one stitch. 
for a quick video on that, please visit this video on Mooglyblog.com

As in any dc2tog, you begin to work the stitch on the first st indicated, keeping the last loop on the hook. then work the beginning of the stitch on the next one, also holding the last loop.
the difference in this is that you are working around the post, instead of through the top of the stitch.

So lets do that:

Yarn over, and insert the hook under the post of the indicated stitch.

Yarn over, pull through. you now have 3 loops on your hook.

yarn over, and pull through the first two. 
you  now have two loops on the hook, with the first half of a fpdc completed.

so it is time to create the first half of the second one.

the picture is a smidge blurred, but you get the idea.
Yarn over, insert the hook under the post as described in your pattern.
Trust the pattern, and your ability to read it.

After yarning over, and pulling through the first two loops, we now have 2 first halves of front post dc.
3 loops on the hook.

I'll bet by now you are ready to close this and move on.

Seriously, it is EASY!

Yup, as you expected, you yarn over, and pull through all three loops on the hook.


Just incase you are still here, let's look at a couple more details, that may play into the pattern you are working.
See how the top of the stitch lays together? All three loops stack together to form a point, similar to a dart in a fabric blouse?  seeing something here?

 When you add the next stitch to your fabric, you really begin to see how the character of the fabric differs.  

Following direction is about trust. trust in yourself, and the person creating the pattern.
It is not always perfect, as we are only human, 
If you find it does not work out right, set it down for a bit, then re-read it. did you miss something?
No? it just does not look right?  then by all means, reach out to the designer, (ME)  ask for guidance.


Be sure you cite the pattern, the row or round number, and your question.  typing out the entire instruction is a waste of time and energy.I Have the pattern, and can look it up if needed, but explaining yourself is what is needed.   A Picture of what yours looks like is worth 4 Million words.  not at an angle,  Lay your work flat on a table, or floor, center the issue in the viewfinder straight over it, and click.   Send that image with your question.
I want you to get it.  I hope to be in a place to expand your skills, as well as offer unique, wonderful patterns for you to work up.

And one more point.  If you send your question to me at 2:00PM, depending upon where you are in the world, I may not see it for a few hours.  I may be sleeping, I may be at my granddaughters school, I may be at the grocery store.  It is not my intent to ignore you, but the entire world is not in the same time zone, and I do have a life in addition to my work.  If you have not heard from me in 24 hours, Please resend the original message.  

Thanks for your time today

Becky