Similar story for me, 10 NM on the bolts, and I did use blue Loctite. I cannot remember if I used an alternating pattern or not, but I don't believe one was specified. I personally went around a couple of times and tightened them up little by little, and then once the torque wrench clicked I went around and did them all again.
What really helped me was I went to Lowe's and got 3 longer bolts that matched the sump bolts and got the heads cut off using the machine that cuts links of chain. Then I threaded these (now studs) into the the sump and used them as a guide to make sure that I was sliding the cover on correctly. This helped me make sure that I didn't smear the sealant all over...
