Dear SweaterBabe,

Duck toy says....... HEAD: With WS of work facing, join MC with ss to first st. i am totally lost!!! i have the bottom part of the duck crocheted. i don't know if i'm supposed to be connecting the head or start separate and connect later or if i connect, where? where i got the pattern from is....http://www.bernat.com/data/pattern/image_183.jpg SO CONFUSED!!! would really appreciate the help!

-- shannon

Dear Shannon,

When I first read "Duck toy says...," I thought I was getting some strange spam email... but no, just a crochet question!

Let me try to explain:

"HEAD: With WS of work facing":
Make sure the WRONG side of the work is facing you.  I guess that means the inside of the body (the inside is where the stuffing will go).

"join MC with ss to first st.":
Join the Main Color with a slip stitch to the first stitch.

I'm guessing that if the instruction did not say to fasten off or cut the yarn just before this, then you are changing color because the bottom of the duck and the head (or base of the head) are different colors?  Unfortunately, your link to the pattern isn't working for me.

If this guess is correct, then joining the Main Color with a slip stitch to the first stitch sounds like the same join you do when you complete a round and are "joining in the round".  The reason you do so with the Main Color is that it will make the color transition look better than if you join with the Contrast Color and then change to the Main Color.

It the bottom and head are the same color, then I can give you a different interpretation of your instructions.

Crochet on!

-- SweaterBabe