Want to Read Crochet Patterns? Here’s How!
We all have struggles with our favorite hobby whether it’s new or old. The master’s struggled much at the beginning of the career but still struggle well into it. Michelangelo didn’t paint the Sistine Chapel as his first work, but struggled none the less because he didn’t really want to do it. I can’t blame him, that’s for sure. It was a daunting task for anyone. Often I compare that feeling to how it felt when I first learned to read written crochet patterns and again with charts. It was daunting. I wanted to make the pretty things, but not learn to read the patterns nearly as much. I persevered though and learned to read written patterns. All I did for two years was hats because I had also learned to work in the round. Still, in that two years I made many mistakes, but also made some cool things. Enough about me though, you’re here to learn to read crochet patterns or new tips to incorporate.
Common stitch terms you may see
First things first. The language of crochet patterns can make you not want to learn how to read patterns. Looking at a pattern and the first round is as follows “Magic ring, CH 1, 12 DC in ring.” is kinda like uh what, what is this language? Below is some of the most common terms I have come across in my 14 years of crochet. You’re not alone in thinking it’s all gibberish at first.
Common terms (and their abbreviations):
CH- chain, this is usually the foundation of something that’s not worked in the round, say a sweater or even a hat in some cases.
SC- single crochet, the most basic of stitches. It’s short and sweet and pretty easy to make.
HDC- half double crochet. It’s a mix of single crochet and double crochet stitches. It has a lot of cool things you can do with it. Not much height to it, but it’s more than a single crochet.
DC- double crochet. Taller than both a single and half double crochet, and again lots of cool ways to use it.
SL ST/SLST- slip stitch. Honestly this is typically how you end a round if you’re working on a hat or something round. Sometimes designers use this as a design element but I don’t see it often.
ST- stitch. That’s really all there is to this one.
Other Common Terms
Magic Ring- this is a way of starting hats or round blankets or maybe barefoot sandals. Essentially it’s just a “ring” that you can work in, but it can be tricky. Usually you can substitute it for a ring made of 4 chains that are slip stitched together to form the ring.
Gauge- the number of stitches and rows in a specific measurement. Gauge is important with clothing patterns especially. This is one of the most skipped things in crochet because it can be tedious. Gauge swatches will save you so much time down the road. A pattern will usually say the gauge is __ stitches x __ rows in ____ stitch equals 2 in x 2in or 4 in x 4 in. It’s best to do a gauge swatch that is bigger than the measurement stated. I’ll have a separate post about gauge at another time.
Yarn weight- another biggie. There are many different weights of yarn, grab the wrong one without checking gauge and you could have what is supposed to be an adult hat turn out to fit an infant. WW/4 weight is a worsted weight or a 4 weight yarn. This is the most common and easiest to find in the United States and many patterns will use this weight of yarn. Then there is lace, fingering/sock/1 weight, sport/2 weight, dk/light worsted/3 weight, worsted weight/4 weight, bulky/5 weight, and it could actually go on.
Repeats- there are many different ways designers may do this but it varies. Some may do (parenthesizes) around repeats, others may do * asterisks, * some may do something else entirely.
Frog/frogging- if you’re in any crochet groups you see this a lot. Frog or frogging just means to rip it or pull it out.
My tips
- Learn the abbreviations- this is the most daunting part of learning to read patterns. Often patterns even for a beginner will read as follows “CH 1, DC in next 5 ST, HDC in next 4 ST, SLST to first DC” or “CH 1, DC in next ST, *CH 1, DC in next ST* repeat from * to * across (50 ST)
- Write or type it out even though it may be long. I’ll use one of the above examples. “Chain 1, double crochet in the next 5 stitches, half double crochet in the next 4 stitches, slip stitch to the first double crochet.” While long, it may be easier to read and it helps you recognize the abbreviations for what they are in the future. Eventually you won’t have to do this.
- Pre-read the pattern. Paging all the skills we learned in English and reading classes. Pre-read the pattern. It’ll help you know what stitches you’re using (if a glossary isn’t provided), what repeats look like, and if you’re working flat or in the round. Cut out surprises.
- Take it slow. It can be exciting to start a new pattern. You may have all the abbreviations down and you may have a general idea of how it’ll work up, but take it slow. I cannot recommend this enough. Even now, I tend to mess up when working too fast and then I have to rip it out and restart.
- Don’t be afraid to buy patterns. Honestly I struggled with this in the beginning. I wanted all free patterns, but more often than not I ran into a lot of issues with free patterns (that did not have a PDF counter part) and I would have to figure out something myself. Paid patterns are typically written better and tested by others.
*** just a note here: not all free patterns are bad and not all paid patterns are great. As usual read comments from others, skim the pattern if it’s free, if you don’t understand something as the designer for help or ask in a group (without sharing the pattern) for help.
I hope this helps any who are struggling with how to read crochet patterns. Any questions, feel free to leave a comment! If you’re just beginning to crochet, I suggest you check out my post title The Beginner’s Guide to Crochet. If you’re looking for some patterns check out my Ravelry page. I have a couple free ones posted! Check out my Youtube page for video tutorials for stitches!
