crochetHow to read a crochet pattern
Find the stitch language, follow repeats and check your count before a small misunderstanding becomes a whole row.
In this guide
Read the project before the first chainIdentify US or UK stitch namesTranslate the instructions one action at a timeRead an original two-size practice sampleRead the chart from the starting pointUse multiples without losing the edge stitchesRead the project before the first chain
Find the finished measurements, size choices, yarn fiber and weight, total yarn length, hook diameter, gauge, extra tools and finishing instructions. A hook size alone cannot tell you the finished size. Check whether measurements are before or after washing and whether the pattern needs a particular amount of ease around a body.
Highlight one size throughout, including stitch counts, shaping rows and yarn amounts. In a list such as 20 (24, 28), the middle size uses 24 every time that list represents sizes. Parentheses can also group stitches, so read the sentence and the pattern notes before treating every number in brackets as a size.
Save the exact yarn label and compare its length, fiber and care with the pattern yarn. A pattern requiring 300 m needs length information, not just “two balls.” Allow extra yarn for the swatch, tails and any finishing the pattern has not already included.
Resolve a hook letter or number in millimeters →
Identify US or UK stitch names
This guide and all our exercises use US terms. US single crochet (sc) is UK double crochet (dc); US half double crochet (hdc) is UK half treble (htr); US double crochet (dc) is UK treble (tr). Chain and slip stitch use the same basic actions in both systems.
Look for an explicit terminology note. “dc” on its own is ambiguous. A US dc has a yarn over before insertion and two successive pull-throughs; a UK dc uses the action taught here as sc. If the system is missing, check the designer’s key or instructions before continuing.
Translate the instructions one action at a time
Ch means chain; st/sts means stitch/stitches; sl st means slip stitch; yo means yarn over; sk means skip; sp means space; rep means repeat; rnd means round. RS and WS name the right and wrong sides of the fabric, not your right and left hands. A reversible piece may have a nominated RS simply to locate a seam or decoration.
An inc usually puts more than one stitch in a single insertion point; the pattern defines which increase. Sc2tog combines two stitches into one single crochet. A special stitch, cluster or shell needs its own definition. Do not substitute a familiar cluster because its abbreviation looks similar.
A number at the end of a row often gives the resulting stitch count. It is a checkpoint, not another instruction. Check whether it includes beginning chains, chain spaces or only worked stitches. Mark the first and last counted stitch before turning.
Read an original two-size practice sample
Sizes: narrow (wide). Foundation: ch 7 (9). Row 1: sc in the second ch from the hook and each ch to the end. [6 (8) sc]. Row 2: ch 1, turn; *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; repeat from * to the end. [9 (12) sc]. The ch 1 never counts in this sample.
Choose the wide size: ch 9 leaves eight places for Row 1 after the skipped chain. In Row 2 each repeat uses two old stitches and makes three new ones. Eight ÷ two = four repeats; four × three = 12 sc. For the narrow size, three repeats make nine sc. This sample deliberately gets wider; it is a shaping exercise, not the start of the washcloth.
“Work [the unit] three times” gives three executions in total. If you have already worked a unit and the instruction says “repeat three more times,” add three, making four in total. A bare “repeat three times” can depend on the publisher’s convention and whether the unit was already worked; use the pattern notes and final stitch count to resolve it. Parentheses such as (sc, ch 1, sc) in next st group actions in one place. An asterisk marks where a repeat starts. Square brackets can group a repeated unit or show a final total, depending on the pattern. Its instructions decide.
Hook in your right hand; guide the working yarn with your left hand. The loop counts stay the same.
Row 2: 9 sc in 3 repeats. Each bracket covers 1 sc, then 2 sc in the same stitch.
Row 1: 6 sc. Skip the circled foundation chain. The chain 1 at the side turns the row and does not count.
Hook in your left hand; guide the working yarn with your right hand. The loop counts stay the same.
Row 2: 9 sc in 3 repeats. Each bracket covers 1 sc, then 2 sc in the same stitch.
Row 1: 6 sc. Skip the circled foundation chain. The chain 1 at the side turns the row and does not count.
Read the chart from the starting point
The chart above shows the narrow sample only. The seven foundation ovals are chains. Start Row 1 in the second chain from the hook; the six crosses are sc. Row 2 alternates one sc and two sc sharing one base stitch. The three brackets each cover one repeat. Count nine crosses in Row 2, not six insertion points.
For rows, start at the row number and follow the arrow. A right-handed flat-row chart normally reads right to left on the first worked row, then left to right after turning. The left-handed view reverses that geometry without changing any count. In a round chart, follow the round number, beginning chain and direction rather than reading across like a sentence.
A small oval commonly means ch, a dot sl st, a cross or plus sc, and a T with one slash US dc. The chart key always wins: symbols and special stitches can differ. Read the written instructions alongside the chart until you can locate the same stitches in both.
Use multiples without losing the edge stitches
“Multiple of 4 plus 1” describes a count of 4n + 1, such as 17 or 21. Check whether it refers to foundation chains or counted stitches. The extra chain might be an edge allowance or a turning chain; you cannot decide from the arithmetic alone.
Before changing a width, identify the repeat, any fixed edge stitches and the turning-chain rule. Do one repeat on paper, then count the actual row. If a shape or size has a separate instruction, keep its row placement as well as its final count.
Plan width with whole stitch repeats →