Japanese Crochet Pattern Help

[KnitterMa]

   Hi all!  I got a great japanese crochet book, and I'm loving it.  The patterns are beautiful.  I started making the pocket tissue holder, but I'm unsure if I've done it correctly and with the correct yarn.  It seems too large to me (I used WW) ... but I'm not sure if that's because it's just made for a bigger pocket tissue thing than I'm used to, or because I can't read Japanese and therefore may be using the wrong yarn weight.  Pics are in my blog of parts of the pattern ... both the part where I think it discusses weight as well as part of the diagram.  I chained 27+1 for the end of the row, and then started to sc up.  It really just looks too large. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[IamSusie]

Try a smaller hook?

[KnitterMa]

You're right.  I think I need a smaller hook and smaller yarn ... anybody know where I might find a conversion chart for Japanese hook sizes (in the 6/0, 5/0, 4/0 format)? 

[IamSusie]

I don't know how to convert the Japanese patterns.  I usually just take my chances and wing it.  I haven't made anything yet that needs to have a particular guage. 

Good luck!

[tigerita]

this is probably completely unhelpful, but on the first scan, where it discusses which yarn to use, it says richimoapasento, then the colour... the richimoaposento is in the alphabet used for foreign words, so i would guess it's a yarn in english called rich something scent...

also, the vertical rectangle with two horizontal lines normally means eye, but in the context of crochet, it means stitch... you see it all the time when they tell you how many stitches you should have in each row.

[LadyTwilyte]

Here's the hook conversion:

2/0 - 2.0mm
3/0 - 2.3mm
4/0 - 2.5mm
5/0 - 3.0mm
6/0 - 3.5mm (F)
7/0 - 4.0mm (G)
7.5/0 - 4.5mm
8/0 - 5.0mm (H)
9/0 - 5.5mm (I)
10/0 - 6.0mm (J)

[TopazSlug]

The yarn is called "Richmore Percent."  I tried Googling it, but I can't find what weight it is...

Sometimes pattern books list more info about the materials used in the back of the book. 

Good luck!

[TopazSlug]

Sorry to post twice, but I went back to reread your pics and found some more stuff.

First, I think there's a typo in the finished size: 13.5 CM by 8.5cm, probably not 13.5m.

For help on the charted portion, refer to this:
http://www.hassdesign.com/StitchLegend/
The big empty blocks are labelled "single crochet; chart abbreviated."

On the first page:
(1) talks about the main body of the tissue case.  (use 6/0 hook)
In row 12, slip stitches through the BACK loop.  In row 33, slip stitches through the FRONT loop.
(2) talks about finishing the body.
(3) talks about the strawberry motifs.  See page 5 for instructions and make 3.  Arrange and attach to body.  (use 5/0 hook)

The schema on the first pic (Figure B) says that the slip stitches in row 33 form the fold. 

I think you use the 4/0 hook to seam up the sides.  The chart says to pick up 21 stitches, then crochet a row using "back" single crochet (I'm not sure what that is).

The little box at the bottom left of the second pic talks about color changes.  It's cut off, but what I can read goes like this:
row 44--white
rows 42-43--dark brown

Let me know if you'd like more details about the different steps.

[itscribe]

Seems like that project wouldn't be all that hard to wing it...

Here's how I would attack it.

I would take the chocolate and crochet a chain and using a full tissue thing, measure as follows, lay the tissue on the table, starting at the left long side and against the table drape/pull the chain across to the edge of the top right side (don't go around the corner down to the table). If you don't make your stitches too tight this should allow enough give to put the tissues in and out, just make sure you pull the chain till it's flat and not stretched when you measure.

You're going to make enough brown rows to cover half of the front side and all of the back (you might have to use a bit of trial and error here).  In some ways it is like you are making it up-side down.

When you get to about where the baige starts and here's where I'm guessing a bit, make 3 or 4 rows of the baige (hopefully the pattern is more clear how many are there.) End it off and weave in the ends.

Make two rows of white, then 2 rows of chocolate and then 2 rows more of the chocolate.

It kinda looks like the scallops are where the opening is? They look fairly straightforward - 1 single crochet in the first stitch of the last brown row, 1 double crochet in the second stitch of the last brown row, and in the third stich of the brown do 4 treble crochet and 1 double crochet, then in the 7th stitch of the brown do a single crochet. With the second scallop it kinda looks like the first stitch if the double crochet (meaning there wouldn't be an initial single crochet like with the first scallop). Repeat across the row. You might have to fiddle with it a bit to get the scallops to be even - just make sure you do each the same.

Sew on the candles - I'm thinking that fuzzy stuff isn't going to last long for the candles - maybe applique something instead?

Then take the chocolate and single crochet the two short sides closed.

If I were doing it I would attack it through trial and error like that and hopefully how I would try it makes sense.

[KnitterMa]

You guys totally rock.  Thank you so much for the help!