One of the great mysteries that surrounds the art of crocheting is reading patterns. Upon first glance, you may even think that you are looking at a foreign language or some top secret spy code. Trust me, it's really not as difficult as you may think it is, and you'll find that a lot of patterns are just common sense abbreviations.
Why learn to read patterns?
Why learn to read patterns?
As a beginner, you can get by fine without knowing how to read a pattern, and just focus on learning the stitches. However, just knowing the stitches will soon not be enough, and you will be looking at patterns and dreaming of making those items, so don't limit your abilities. In fact, learning to read the patterns and abbreviations while learning to crochet can be beneficial since you aren't already set in your ways about crocheting.
Once you have learned the basic stitches, I would highly recommend learning how to read patterns. Pattern reading will help you enhance your skills, develop new skills, and learn even more stitches. Plus, there are TONS of free patterns online, and some really great magazines for crocheters, too!
The main reason I wanted to learn to read a pattern at just 10 years old was because I wanted to crochet a teddy bear I had seen in a book. It was a pretty advanced project, and I couldn't wrap my brain around the concept of making my rows bend and curve to the contours of a bear's body as a beginner. We all have to start somewhere, and for me, I started with pattern reading. Perhaps, for you, it's not a teddy bear that you desire to create, but a nice sweater for yourself or a newborn baby? After reading patterns for some time, and working with various different items, you will get to the point where you will actually be re-writing some of them, too, or maybe just writing your own patterns when you can't find exactly what you're looking for.
The Language of Crochet
Once you have learned the basic stitches, I would highly recommend learning how to read patterns. Pattern reading will help you enhance your skills, develop new skills, and learn even more stitches. Plus, there are TONS of free patterns online, and some really great magazines for crocheters, too!
The main reason I wanted to learn to read a pattern at just 10 years old was because I wanted to crochet a teddy bear I had seen in a book. It was a pretty advanced project, and I couldn't wrap my brain around the concept of making my rows bend and curve to the contours of a bear's body as a beginner. We all have to start somewhere, and for me, I started with pattern reading. Perhaps, for you, it's not a teddy bear that you desire to create, but a nice sweater for yourself or a newborn baby? After reading patterns for some time, and working with various different items, you will get to the point where you will actually be re-writing some of them, too, or maybe just writing your own patterns when you can't find exactly what you're looking for.
The Language of Crochet
There are a few different types of crochet patterns, but for right now, I want to focus on the most common type: written instructions. There are also graphs and charts, which I'll go over in another blog. A written pattern is nothing but a series of abbreviations, broken up row by row (side to side) or round by round. See? Looks better already, doesn't it? Now, lets take a closer look at some of the different abbreviations you will be using in pattern reading. The most commonly used abbreviations are bold to make it easier to locate them.
Abbreviations and meanings
| abbr. | meaning | abbr. | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
alt | alternate | htr | half triple crochet |
approx | approximately | in | inch |
BP | back post | inc | increase |
BLO | back loop only | incl | including |
BPdc | back post | inst | instructions |
beg | beginning | lp(s) | loop(s) |
CC | contrasting color | lt | light |
ch | chain | MC | main color |
cl | cluster | med | medium |
cont | continue | mm | millimeter |
dbl | double | no. | number |
dtr or dbl tr | double tripple | oz(s) | ounce(s) |
dc | double crochet | pat st | pattern stitch |
dec | decrease | pc st | popcorn stitch |
dir | directions | prev | previous |
dk | dark | rem | remaining |
dnt | do not turn | rep | repeat |
ea | each | rnd | round |
ex sc | extended single crochet | RS | right side |
fig | figure 1(picture of stitch) | sc | single crochet |
FLO | front loop only | sk | skip |
FP | front post | sl st | slip stitch |
FPdc | front post double crochet | sp | space |
fo | finish off | st(s) | stitch(es) |
foll | following | tch | turning chain |
fsc | foundation single crochet | tog | together |
g or gm | gram | tr or trc | tripple (treble) |
gr | group | "x" times | (as in repeat "x" times) |
hdc | half double crochet | WS | wrong side |
hk | hook | yo | yarn over |
In addition to these abbreviations, there are also some symbols used in crocheting:
( ) - brackets: Used when making clothing for alternate sizes.
* - asterisk (star): Used to note the beginning of a repeat pattern
( ) - brackets: Used when making clothing for alternate sizes.
* - asterisk (star): Used to note the beginning of a repeat pattern
That's really all there is to reading a pattern! If you break it down row by row, stitch by stitch, it's suddenly a manageable and controllable thing to do. Don't let the fancy looking symbols and equations get you down, it's just abbr words and simplified instructions. If you don't yet know how to work the stitches that are listed above, don't worry! We'll get to that, too. However, if you're anything like me and you want more and you want it NOW, then check out some of the how-to links below.
Before I leave you and let you go running through the book store to the very back corner (which is where most book stores have their craft section), let me leave you with a few helpful hints on pattern reading:
Before I leave you and let you go running through the book store to the very back corner (which is where most book stores have their craft section), let me leave you with a few helpful hints on pattern reading:
- Don't get intimidated! They're just letters on a page!
- It's a great idea to print a chart similar to the one above on card stock, laminate it, and carry it around with your patterns.
- If necessary, write out some of the hard stuff in the margins. Don't be afraid to mark up your patterns, though you may want to photo copy them first, or the next time you want to use that same pattern again, you may not be able to read it!
- Practice, practice, practice!
Practice pattern reading NOW!
I'm not going to tell you what this makes, so you will have to get out your hook and yarn, and get to stitchin'! At the end, please answer the poll question and see if you got the same thing others did.
CH 17
Rnd 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 6 ch, sk next 2 ch, sc in next 6 ch, 3 sc in next ch; turn to work in unused lps of beg chs, sc in next 6 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) all in ch-2 space (2 sk ch from top), sc in last 6 ch – 32 sts. DNT.
Rnd 2: [2 sc in next st] 3 times; sc in next 5 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 5 sts, [2 sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 7 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) all in ch-2 space, sc in last 7 sts – 38 sts.
Rnd 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 4 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 5 sts, [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times; sc in next 7 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) all in ch-2 space, sc in last 8 sts – 44 sts.
Rnd 4: Sc in next st, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] 3 times; sc in next 2 sts, sk next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] 3 times; sc in next 8 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) all in ch-2 space, sc in last 9 sts – 50 sts.
Rnd 5: Sc in next 2 sts, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts] 3 times; sk next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts] 3 times; sc in next 9 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) all in ch-2 space, sc in last 10 sts – 56 sts. FO. Weave in ends.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have read your first pattern! Now... What did you make?
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