Crochet Patterns – Help and Tips

Getting to know different crochet patterns.

Finding a crochet pattern for something you really want to make can be great fun. There are so many crochet patterns to choose from and so many places to go to make your choice.
Sometimes I enjoy this part as much as actually crocheting the item 😀

But not all crochet patterns are the same.
You may find a pattern for something you love, but really struggle with the instructions.
Sadly, at this point some beginner crocheters will give up, thinking they are just not ready.
But please don’t.

The following tips can help you understand the pattern you are working with and you can still produce a crochet item you feel proud of.

First of all:

Read the introduction to the pattern.

Often you will have to download the pattern to do this, but some patterns will have a separate introductory post which may tell you a great deal.
for instance, they will tell you about…

Recommended Yarn:

Is the design made in a particular yarn?
Do you have access to that yarn, or will you be able to use another yarn to make the design?

Here, yarn weight is particularly important.
In the US, the most popular weight of yarn is Worsted, which is very similar to Aran weight (10 ply) in the UK.
But the most popular and most available yarn weight in the UK is DK (double knit) (8ply).
A pattern designed for worsted weight yarn will make up smaller if made in dk yarn (for instance, a 12 inch crochet square made with worsted yarn will make up to around 9.75 inches).

This doesn’t have to be a problem if the size of the item you are making doesn’t matter. You could always add some extra rows to a granny square made with dk yarn, for example, to bring it to the required 12 inches.
But it will matter with a garment, or with a blanket you wish to fit on a particular sized bed.
Problems here are not unsurmountable, but they do add extra planning and researching time to find out the best way to make the pattern fit your yarn!

Crochet Terminology:

Check this very carefully.
The pattern may be written in English, but when it comes to crochet terms, is this UK or US English?
I learned to crochet with UK crochet terms, but nowadays I usually use US, because there are many more crochet patterns out there in US terms.
But even if you know how to crochet with both, you still need to know which terminology will be used in the pattern.

You can Google US to UK terms, or vica versa.
But basically, US stitch terms begin with sc (single crochet).
But UK terms begin with dc (which is what in US terms is single crochet!)
So, UK terms nearly always seem to be one ahead of their US counterpart (if that makes sense? ….)

Here’s a few to compare:

• US: sc (single crochet) = UK: dc (double crochet)
• US: dc (double crochet) = UK: tr (treble crochet)
• US: tr (treble crochet) = UK: dtr (double treble)
• And so on….

If you happen to pick up a UK written crochet pattern and then use it thinking it has been written in US terms, your crochet item will be much larger!
For example, I have seen crochet string bags made using a UK terms pattern but made, by mistake, in US terms. Those bags often touch the floor!

But once you have worked out whether the pattern is in US or UK terminology, you are not finished with the actual….

Stitches Used:

Does the pattern have a list of stitches used (and explanations of the more ornate stitches)?

Some pattern designers will explain each stitch used and tell you how to make them (some will even provide accompanying pictures to demonstrate each part of the stitch and YouTube videos for each part of the pattern).
But those patterns are usually paid patterns with many pages. And the designer will expect a reasonable payment because of all the hard work that providing a pattern like this entails.

On the other hand, most crochet designers (of both free and paid patterns) will expect you to know basic stitches, and will say so on the opening page. But they may give pictures of different parts of the crochet process and links to YouTube or other online websites to help you.

And some of the more basic, free patterns found on blogs in particular, will be self-designed by the poster and often untested.
Many of these are excellent and quite unique, but they may well have mistakes in the design, or be written in non-crochet terminology to explain the stitches (My first pattern designs were like this – I’ve changed them now though 😳 )

Stitch Count:

Knowing the stitch count of each row will really help you keep your crochet project on track.
Some crocheters never bother to count their stitches and will be okay, but most will, at some time, make a mistake and end up with a lop-sided item (or an ever-widening scarf or blanket 🙂 ).
For me, stitch count and knowing what the stitch count of each row should be is really important.

First of all, if using a pattern, clarify how all stitches are counted in each row (for example, is a chain 3 counted as a dc in the row’s stitch count?).
Hopefully there will be an explanation of stitches used and how they are counted on the pattern.
If not, find out if others have used this pattern.

And this goes for all crochet patterns…

If you are struggling with a pattern, look it up online:

If the pattern you are using has an online post with comments, have a look in the comments to see if others have issues. The designer will probably reply to the comments and this should help.
Or post a question yourself. You may have to wait until the designer responds, but it’s certainly worth asking.

If the pattern is on Ravelry, look at the projects for this pattern to see what other crocheters say.
You can bet that if anyone is having trouble with pattern instructions or stitch count they will post it on their project page (hopefully with a solution).

The same with Facebook – many designers have a facebook group or page, or post to well-known crochet groups.
Search for the designer and the pattern and read the comments and tips there.
They are often very helpful.

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And that’s a start on getting to know different crochet patterns (and their limitations).

I think that’s enough to think about for now. There’s much more that can be said on the subject. But I’ll save that for other posts.

But in the meantime, I hope that these Help and Tips for Working with Crochet Patterns have been useful for you in your craft endeavours 🧶

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