Help with the Octopus Crochet Pattern

Hi, I’m still a beginner at crocheting, and I’m having some trouble with my crochet octopus right now. I’m working on the head, and I’ve already crocheted 37 rounds (40 stitches in the last round). I’m having trouble understanding the next step:
“R1 (WS) 18 sc, turn;
R2 (RS) 1 chain stitch (never counts as a stitch), sc in the stitch before the 1st sc, 17 sc, turn. Continue over the next 18 sc.
R3 1 chain stitch, sc in the stitch before the 1st sc, 21 sc, turn (20 sts)
... "In the next rounds, the number of stitches increases by 2 each time."
What exactly does "sc in the stitch before the 1st sc" mean? Skip a stitch? Or make a stitch in the 'lower' row—that is, before the chain stitch—and then 'jump up' to the new row and continue crocheting there? And am I understanding this correctly: that in Row 2, I turn after 17 stitches and then crochet back without a chain stitch?
The crochet chart shows what the result should look like, but somehow the stitch count doesn’t add up for me—I always get tripped up by the “sc in the stitch before the 1st sc.”
Thank you so much for your help!

Hi Vanessa,
It’s best to contact the author of the pattern directly via the messaging feature. She’ll definitely be able to help you the most.
At least from the description above, I can’t figure out how the increases are worked either.
But you can surely clear this up by talking to the author directly.
Best wishes, and keep enjoying your crocheting! :)

It sounds like you’re supposed to work a single crochet right at the beginning of the row, into the stitch where the chain stitch was made. Normally, you wouldn’t work a stitch there because the chain stitch replaces the first stitch.

Previously, we were crocheting rounds, and now we’re working in rows. I assume you insert the hook into the stitches from the previous round. If you do that at the beginning and end of each row, the number of stitches per row increases by 2.
But I think the author is best suited to clarify this.

Thanks to all of you—the pattern is from a newspaper, and I’ve figured it out now ;)

The single crochet needs to be worked into the stitch below it from Round 37.
This front part of the head is worked in short rows, with the last complete round (Round 37) continuing to be worked into.

Hi, I have the same problem with the crochet pattern.
Your advice helped me a lot, but unfortunately I don’t understand
why, if I have one more stitch from round 37 in each row, I’m suddenly supposed to have
2 more stitches in the following row. And how I’m supposed to get from row 10 (34 sts) to 40 stitches in row 11??????

Could you maybe give me another tip?

Many thanks