Hey everyone! In today’s Crochet 101 lesson, I’m going to teach you how to read a crochet pattern. Once you’ve practiced learning your basic stitches, I imagine you’re eager to learn how to read a crochet pattern. (Check out my Crochet 101 lessons here).
There are THOUSANDS of amazing crochet patterns out there, but for a beginner, they might look scary because of how they’re written. It might look like a different language. Crochet patterns are actually written using abbreviations and terms, which save space, but also makes patterns easier to read. As a beginner, the first thing you want to familiarize yourself with are the abbreviations and terms. Below is a chart of the basic stitch abbreviations and terms. Feel free to print this chart out and keep it with you for easy reference.
READING A CROCHET PATTERN
Directions in crochet may seem a little odd at first, but they do a good job of making a lot of directional statements very short and efficient. As you look at more patterns, you’ll find that a pattern that’s too wordy is hard to understand. Once you understand the chart terminology, you’ll find that the more simple the directions, the better.
For starters, crochet patterns often use a lot of parentheses, brackets, and asterisks, which can make some patterns look like an algebra problem.
While researching the best way to teach you how to read a crochet pattern, I came across this article. I think this gives the best explanation of how to read a crochet pattern and understanding the crochet language.
GETTING STARTED
Now that you have the abbreviations and terms handy, let’s look at a typical pattern. Some patterns are worked in rows, meaning you go back and forth to form a flat piece. An example of this would be a blanket. Other patterns are worked in rounds, meaning you work around and around to form a tube with no seams. An example of this would be a hat.
However the pattern starts, you always want to do the same thing, which is to make a slip knot on your hook. Does the pattern tell you this? No—it just assumes you know that! To learn how to make a slip knot, please visit this lesson.
Next, you’ll want to make the necessary chains to start your pattern. To learn how to make a chain, please visit this lesson.
Here are two ways the pattern can be written:
Row 1: Ch 15; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.
OR
Ch 15
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.
These both mean the same thing, but written a little differently. At the end of each row, the pattern will usually state how many stitches you should have in that particular row. If you started with 15 chains, skipped the first chain and went all the way down, you should have a total of 14 single crochets in your first row. It’s important to count the stitches at the end of every row, especially if you’re a beginner and are unsure of how many you have worked in each row.
You might ask why we skip over the first chain. When you single crochet, you never work in that first chain. It disappears!
Looking at your second row, here are two different ways it might be written:
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across; ch 1, turn.
Row 2: sc in each sc across.
OR
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.
Row 2: ch 1 and turn; sc in each sc across.
It doesn’t matter if you work the ch 1, turn at the end of the first row or at the beginning of the next row. Just follow along with what the pattern says to do.
When working Row 3 and all following rows in single crochet, never count the turning ch-1 as a stitch. It just disappears, like the skipped stitch when you worked the foundation chain.
CONCLUSION
That concludes my lesson on how to read a crochet pattern. I hope you found this lesson helpful. Don’t forget to read this article for extra help in understanding the crochet language.
Do you have any questions on today’s lesson? Did you find this lesson helpful? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
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