BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Crochet Crochet Doll, help me understand lingo & stitches

I'm crocheting a doll (in the round), and I have sc 6 into the magic ring like it asked. But in the next rows, it's confusing on what I do:

Row1: sc6 in magic ring, slst to close {6}
Row2: ch1, sc1 in same, [inc] around, slst to close {12}
Row3: ch1, sc1 in same, inc, inc, sc3, [inc] 3 times, sc3. slst to close {17}

I realize what most of this says, but what's the difference when it says [inc] and inc? And what does 'sc1 in same' mean?

And how do I increase and decrease exactly?

Hello - I'd read 'sc1 in same' as making a single crochet into the chain stitch that you've just made. I'm not certain about the difference between [inc] and inc - I wonder if anyone else can help?

To increase you'd generally just make another stitch - for instance crochet two single crochets into a single stitch.

Hope this helps

Without having the actual pattern in front of me, this is just a guess

Row2: ch1, sc1 in same, [inc] around, slst to close {12}
Rows 2 is basically just an increase row, you have 6 sc and you are going to put 2 sc in each one = 12 sc
Row3: ch1, sc1 in same, inc, inc, sc3, [inc] 3 times, sc3. slst to close {17}Row 3 is ch 1, sc in 1st sc, 2 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, one sc in next 3 sc, the inc in brackets means to do it 3 times so it would be 2 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc.

This pattern may have been translated from another language and often times when this happens it loses a little bit of "normalcy" or this could be the way that the designer writes his/her patterns.

Hope this helps to clear some of it up. Happy crocheting.