The photo above shows row 3 in progress. This closeup look at the stitches can help when crocheting the pattern. Following are the row 3 directions spelled out for beginning crocheters (the abbreviated directions are on page 1 of this step-by-step).
Row 3: chain 3 (counts as the first double crochet), double crochet in the next double crochet, skip the next double crochet, (double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) all made in the next double crochet (a V-Stitch made), * skip the next 3 double crochet, (double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in the next double crochet **, repeat the directions between * and ** 2 more times, then skip the next 2 double crochet, double crochet in each of the last 2 double crochet.
Note that the last double crochet of this row is the chain-3 that started the previous row. It doesn't look exactly the same as the rest of the double crochet stitches in the row and can be easy for a beginner to miss. A common beginner mistake is to miss crocheting into the last stitch of the row, which results in accidentally decreasing by one stitch on every row, causing each row to become narrower than the last.
When crocheting into the chain-3 at the end of the row, yarn over the hook, then insert the crochet hook under the loop of the third chain of the chain-3 (at the top of the chain-3) then proceed to make a double crochet, in the usual way.
