Start to Read Crochet Patterns with 15 Beginner Video Lessons

Reading crochet patterns is vital for crocheters who want to expand their skills and take on different projects. However, for newbie crocheters, where exactly do you need to start, and what are some of the obstacles involved?

The lessons will take about 40 minutes in total to work through. Start now, and you can come back later to keep on learning where you left off.

START HERE: Lesson 1 - Know How You Learn

Learning to read patterns is like learning to read as a child; the only difference is that you use abbreviations to follow the instructions instead of the 'full words' themselves. As you will learn in this lesson, the fluff in the pattern instructions is removed by replacing terms with abbreviations.

Though you are reading the abbreviations, your brain says the full word as you read it.

With practice, your brain will substitute the abbreviation for the real long-form name.

I found that, in the year it took me to truly understand reading the instructions, it's one thing to read the instructions, but a completely different thing to read the instructions and physically do what is asked.

Let's begin the lesson below.

#2 - The Abbreviation Keys

Abbreviations are usually provided on the pattern the designer is using within the pattern itself. There are literally 100's of abbreviations used in crochet. You can find a comprehensive list in our Abbreviations Guide. Our guide has nearly every abbreviation linked to a tutorial on how to do the stitch.

If the abbreviation is not in the key, it's not used in the pattern. That's the general designer rule. Let's begin this lesson together.

#3 - Substituting the Abbreviations for Real Words

A real lesson using what is written versus what you say in your mind or when you read it aloud.

Sometimes the best lesson is to read the instructions aloud so you can hear them for better comprehension until your mind is doing the same thing.

The change to the abbreviations makes the patterns much shorter and much less intimidating to follow. Let's go through this lesson together.

#4 - Abbreviation Punctuation and Plurals

Crochet instructions, even in abbreviation format, should be written as if they were a real sentence. If the abbreviation is the start of a new sentence, the first letter should be capitalized.

Some things you will see, especially on corners, for instructions are like (2 dc. Ch 2. 2 dc) in the corner sp. Each instruction is standing alone with what to do. It's technically incorrect to write it as (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner space.

Some designers do not follow punctuation rules and capitalize certain instructions; it drives me mad, as I am used to the correct terminology and writing conventions of crochet pattern writing.

An example would be. CH 1. 1 DC in the CH-1 space. The designer sometimes capitalizes all or part of an abbreviation, even when it's used in a sentence. It doesn't change the meaning, but it makes it harder for crocheters to bounce between patterns when they don't follow a standard. The standard for North America is determined by the Craft Yarn Council.

I follow the Craft Yarn Council's guidelines when writing patterns. I do so because it's easier for you and me to jump between publications and instructions in the crochet world of crafts.

Let's go through this lesson together.

#5 - Abbreviation Contractions

Abbreviations can be used together. When contractions are used, one usually indicates the stitch to be used, and the other indicates where the hook will go. Without the contraction, it's assumed you are using the regular stitches on the top of the rows or rounds.

Some designers put them out of sequence compared to the standard, but it means the same thing.

Correct form is scfp. This is short for Single Crochet Front Post. The type of stitch is suggested, and where to place the hook is the secondary information. Some designers will do fpsc. It's the same thing. Others may write it as scFP or FPsc. Again, it means the same thing. Consistency is key.

Let's go through the lesson and discover more.

#6 - Abbreviations Defined In the Written Instructions

In some designs, the step of the abbreviation is defined in the instructions itself the first time it's being used. This type of concept is allowed, but I do find it confusing. When it's in the pattern, you will see how it is defined.

If you run into this, it's normal, but it's not used as often anymore. Let's go through this more carefully below.

#7 - Colour Coding in Instructions

The colors used in the pattern are ordered not alphabetically, but by the order in which they are physically used in the pattern. The first color may be called the following names:

• MC = Main Color
• Contrast A
• A = First Color

In short, MC or A = the color assignment. It is the first color ever used in a project.

The next colors will be lined up in the order they appear in the pattern. B will be the next color used, and so on. They are not alphabetical by the colors' real names, nor are they in the order of the rainbow.

Let's go through this lesson now.

#8 - Multiple Sizes Suggested in One Pattern

To save paper and the designer's work, a pattern may use multiple sizes. The sizes are ALWAYS in a certain order from smallest to largest.

With sizing differences, you may not be using all the instructions provided, but you may be jumping to where it tells you to go next. This sizing difference can make a pattern less work than it appears.

Instructions, including measurements, are also in the same order. In Yarnspirations' case, most of their patterns have sizing differences coded by color to make them easier to follow. This isn't true for most other designers or publications; it's unique to them.

Let's point out things you need to know.

#9 - Repeating Instructions

Repeating instructions are represented by either brackets or asterisks. The asterisk marks where you will begin reading the instructions.

Rounded brackets mean the stitches share the same space or stitch. They are grouped together.

Square brackets are multiples of instructions and are used in things like a granny square or octagons, hexagons, or circles.

There are ways to write instructions when rows or rounds match a previously written instruction.

You can also repeat several rnds or rows a certain number of times. Let's go through this lesson in more detail.

#10 - Key Tips to Reading a Pattern

Glance at the entire pattern first and see what you are going to get into. Everything you need, yarn and hook size, is provided. It's the glance that dictates whether I will do the pattern or keep surfing.

#11 - What is Gauge?

Crochet is a manual hobby, and our own lives dictate how we hold the hook and the tension we apply to the yarn. In a stitch group, many people do it differently, but a common approach is to adjust the size by changing your crochet hook to match the designer's or the yarn ball label. If working with a pattern, follow the pattern. If you are free-flowing on your own, try to match it to the ball band.

We have a comprehensive workshop for gauge. This is a 9-Step Free Workshop that will demystify it and show you why it is important.

Reputable designers will provide a gauge so you can match exactly where the item is supposed to finish, size-wise. For wearables or anything intended to fit something, running a gauge check is critical. I wouldn't do a sweater or hat without checking the gauge first. Most of the complaints we get are about items that don't fit. Most often, the crocheter hasn't gauged or doesn't know how to check the gauge. I can help you with that.

Let's understand this further.

#12 - A Real Pattern

Let's decipher a pattern together. I will share what it says, but I'll give you the long way of saying it, as if you were right beside me while you crochet.

#13 - Do the Instruction or Refer To The Instruction

New crocheters can get hung up on a very simple issue, and it has everything to do with a hyphen in an instruction.

Ch 2 VS Ch-2 are not the same thing.

Ch 2 without the hyphen means you are physically chaining 2 with your hook to form the chain itself.

Ch-2 means the location where the stitch is going, not to physically chain 2 with your hook. It's a locator.

#14 Fasten Off Versus Break

This means two different things. I used to think the designer wanted you to physically break apart the yarn with your hands, but it means something completely different.

When the term 'break' is used, it means we are pausing the pattern to change the color. The motif, panel, etc. is not done all the way through. Use scissors to cut the yarn, weave in your ends, and carry on to the next instruction.

When the term is fastening off or fasten off, it means you are at the end of the motif, panel, or project, and all the steps for what you just made are complete.

#15 - Designer Tips

As designers, we use the best writing techniques so that crocheters can follow. Manufacturers, publishers, and designers participate. Symbols used, such as yarn ball weights, washing instructions, and much more, are consistent with each other.

As much as manufacturers will compete in the same space, there is a valid reason to cooperate so that consumers can easily switch between products and access the same information. It makes it easier for the crocheter to switch brands, pick up a book, or read/download a pattern online.

#16 - AI Designers Making Fake Patterns

This is a big freaking problem in 2026, where people are relying on AI to design and/or write patterns. I'm unsure at this time how it will be solved, but I know it's a huge issue that crocheters are being lured into the trap.

From fake crochet diagrams to instructions that are neither tested nor made, I'm unsure of the solution. Most designers have a designer presence on social media that you can double-check to see if they have content you can physically see. Look at how they are writing; see if others are using the patterns in the reviews people leave. You can generally see in reviews when people realize afterward they were duped by an AI design. This is primarily, but not limited to, Etsy. The Crochet Crowd doesn't use ETSY to distribute or sell patterns.

If something feels wrong, trust your instinct.

The Crochet Crowd, Aka Mikey or Yarnspriations, are not AI Designers or relying on AI to design. We all have knowledge, based on decades of experience, of how patterns are written, deciphered, and presented.