How to Read Crochet Patterns

There are literally thousands--maybe millions--of free crochet pattern websites on the internet. Also, many yarn and craft stores offer free pattern sheets. The public library also has many books full of excellent crochet patterns. But how do you take advantage of these generous offers if you don't understand crochet patterns? Here's a tutorial for the crocheter who doesn't know what "Ch4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 3ch, 3dc, 2ch in ring formed, (4dc, 2ch)3X, join to 3rd ch with sl st" means.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A skein or ball of yarn, any color
• Another skein of yarn, in an attractively contrasting color (optional)
• A crochet hook (aluminum is best for this project)
• Scissors or snips
• Index cards
• Pen or Pencil

1. This looks insane, but it's just shorthand. Just about every crochet book or pattern has a key that explains how to interpret the pattern. Crochet patterns look like demented algebra, but really, they're just shorthand for words you already know. Try not to be intimidated by the look of the whole pattern together.
2. Also easy to use, but you need to learn the symbols before it makes sense. Also, there is a kind of crochet pattern that looks like the project you want to make, only with odd little figures instead of pictures of stitches or words. These are International Crochet Symbols, and they are astonishingly simple to use, once you master the symbology. This kind of pattern draws a picture with the symbols of the finished piece, using the correct symbol for each stitch.
3. A simple granny square pattern, which uses a lot of these abbreviations. TRADITIONAL CROCHET PATTERNS:
   
   Let's begin with the pattern made up of the words in shorthand. They all make sense, but put together into a pattern, they can seem pretty confusing at first. However, there are a few elements common to all of this type of pattern. The shorthand: sl stands for "slip stitch," ch stands for "chain stitch," sc stands for "single crochet," dc stands for "double crochet," tr stands for "triple crochet," and dtr stands for, you guessed it, "double triple crochet." Simple so far, right? If you know how to do these stitches, we're already more than halfway there.
4. There are antique as well as contemporary crochet books, if you look for them. Annoyingly, this kind of crochet pattern also, in the interest of brevity, abbreviates regular words, as well as the crochet-specific ones. For instance, instead of "beginning," they will say, "beg." "Approximately" is "approx" and there is a whole slew of other words similarly truncated. Between is shortened to "bet" and "continue" becomes simply "cont." Go to a bookstore, yarn shop or your public library and look in any crochet book, pattern or magazine for a listing of the abbreviations they're using. Trust me, they'll have a list somewhere.
5. You can get different sizes and colors of index cards for different kinds of projects. When you've found a pattern key at one of the places listed above, make a copy or buy or borrow it. You may find it easy to hold the whole thing in your head while trying to crochet, and that's superb. But if it becomes more snarled and confusing as time goes by, take your index cards and pen or pencil, and write out a translation for each step on a card. For instance, here are the first steps in making a Granny Square, as featured in the images above:
   
   "Ch 5, join with a sl st to form ring.
   
   Rnd 1: Ch 3, 2 dc in ring (ch 1, 3 dc in ring) 3 times, end ch 1, join with a sl st in 3rd ch of turning ch. Fasten off first color.
   
   Rnd 2: Join 2nd color in any ch-1 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, *3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * 2 times more, ending 3 dc, ch 1 in starting ch-1 space. Fasten off 2nd color. "
   
   The translation for this would be:
   
   " Make 5 Chain stitches and join with a slip stitch to form a ring.
   
   Round 1: Make 3 chain stitches (these chain stitches substitute for a double crochet) and two double crochet stitches in the ring. Make a group of one chain, then three double crochets, in the ring, three times. Then end with one chain stitch, and join with a slip stitch in the third chain stitch of the original turning chain. Cut the yarn.
   
   Round 2: Join the second color of yarn in any space made by one chain stitch, chain three, and make 3 double crochet stitches all in the same space. Make three double crochet stitches, one chain, and three more doouble crochet stitches, all in the next space made by one chain stitch. Repeat this group two more times, ending with three double crochets and one chain stitch in the starting one-chain space. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the first chain-three. Cut the yarn again."
   
   It goes on in much the same way until you have a granny square of the size you want. Write a translation for each "Round" or "Row" of the pattern on its own index card. Keep them in order so you don't get too confused. If you get stuck while using the regular pattern, you can always refer to the translation index cards until you've learned to read "crochet-speak" as easily as regular English.
6. Here's what a Granny Square pattern looks like in International Symbols. INTERNATIONAL CROCHET SYMBOL PATTERNS:
   
   Alternatively, look for a pattern with International Crochet Symbols. They are becoming more and more prevalent, and many people find them easier and more pleasant to use than the traditional verbal patterns. Simply use the key, which every symbol pattern includes, to decipher what you're supposed to do. Yes, it's like learning to read Japanese, but you only have to learn a very tiny handful of symbols, which won't take long, as most of them look almost exactly like what they represent. Don't let yourself be intimidated by this kind of pattern. It opens up a whole new world of patterns to you, and it's easy to sketch out your own ideas, and to exchange patterns with people whose language you don't speak.
7. Same as an afghan, just different materials, and just as simple to learn to do. Above all, congratulate yourself on being a practitioner of this ancient craft. It is fading away as fewer people have the time or the patience to master it. Take the time and (minimal) effort involved in learning to read patterns; whether you want to write down your own patterns to share with others, or simply use patterns to make your own crocheted items, learning how to read patterns is an essential skill if you want to progress.

Tips & Warnings

• If index cards are too hard to keep in order, consider using cheap school notepads or a loose-leaf binder and translating one or two rows or rounds per page. Give yourself room to jot notes.
• Make yourself a chart with the abbreviations and keep it with your patterns, in a format that is easy for you to see at a glance what you're looking for. Consider having it laminated.
• When making Granny Squares, or any other project that uses more than one color, use the same thickness of yarn. If you use skeins of the same brand name, it's easy to determine if they are the same size. If you are using anonymous scraps, hold them together and judge visually if they are the same size.
• Likewise for content: if you use both wool and acrylic yarns together, the resulting project may not hold together well, and will be difficult to wash and dry.
• When giving a handmade crocheted or knitted article as a gift, include washing and drying instructions. You can make a cute little card and safety-pin it right to the article; use a decorative diaper pin, if the article is intended for a baby.
• Be careful where you leave your yarn; small children and cats have been known to choke on yarn left carelessly in reach.
• Don't leave scissors lying around untended for the same reason.