Being unable to read a crochet pattern is probably one of the biggest struggles that I come across in my community. And my Ultimate Guide to Reading Crochet Patterns is one of my most downloaded free guides too!

I’m going to recommend you download the guide before anything else. The guide has everything laid out for you. Learning to read patterns is going to take some time, but the guide will help to expedite that for you.

One of the problems with learning to read patterns is that not every designer writes or formats them the same way. There are similarities, and stitch names are somewhat the same (if they remember to tell you if they’re in US or UK terms), but the differences can be enough to have you losing confidence very quickly. Another problem is that so many of us learn from videos or are taught just what we need to know to make the project that has caught out interest. This leaves us with gaps in our knowledge so while we might recognise the stitches in the pattern, it is difficult to picture how the words translate into what we’re making. And then if there is a mistake in the pattern (and no designer is immune from this), then it becomes even harder to figure out what the pattern should really be saying!

The guide works you through the foundations that you need to help you learn to read patterns properly. Once you understand the foundations it is then easier to interpret what you’re being asked to do in the written pattern.

The first step you need to do is to learn the stitches. You’ll need to be able to translate the abreviation and/or the symbol and you’ll need to remember how the stitch is then made. I’ve made it easier for you in the guide by including an easy to follow guide of the basic stitches. If you need more stitches and more instructions (with pictures) then you can always purchase my pocket guide for crochet stitches.

The second step is to learn the rules behind working in the round or working in rows. There are some basic rules to follow to make it right. Working in rows is easier to figure out. You essentially need to keep the same stitch count in every row. When you get to more complicated patterns this means keeping track of the increases, decreases and skipped stitches because they all add up. Working in the round is a little more complicated, but as a general rule you’ll be adding more stitches every single round. If you add too many it will ruffle, if you add too few it will curl up. Best thing is to follow the lead of the designer and keep these in mind when trouble shooting.

The final part is to put it into practice. This is best done when you have the written pattern for something that you already know how to make. The next best is to find a pattern that has everything you need to go with it to help you decipher it. That means a video, pictures and potentially a chart. That way it will cater to your preferred learning style and also ensure that all bases are covered. And then you just need to practice.

Besides my Ultimate Guide to Reading Patterns, I also have some other tools that will help you put it all to practice. One is my Square a Day Challenge. This has 5 granny squares in it and each square has a written pattern, pictures, video tutorial and chart, as well as direct access to me to help you. The other option, which will help you even more is my Hooked on Crochet Club. This is designed to help you navigate a wider variety of projects and at the time of writing this has five years of monthly projects and squares to navigate and teach you.

I promise that reading patterns is possible with some patience and practice! I’ve taught hundreds of women so I know that I can help you too!

Seona x