The art of reading a crochet diagram is a method I prefer over reading written words. It's like teaching yourself hieroglyphics but for crochet. The symbols mean something and are a language all to itself. For myself, my first crochet book, when I was fourteen, had written words and diagrams for each pattern.
Standard Crochet Diagram Symbols Downloadable
You can download this worksheet to accompany your crochet patterns. A good pattern usually includes a stitch key that explains each symbol.
Crochet Diagram Collection of Designs
Our Pinterest page has an entire collection of computer-generated crochet diagrams. Many more were drawn with pencils and left out of the collection. There are over 150 crochet diagrams on file.
Reading isn't my strong suit, and it's still not today. Look at my grammar, and you can see I am not kidding.
I learned to crochet through reading the diagrams as I understood what the symbols meant. Using a stitch key, I taught myself pretty quickly.
TIP: Give yourself time to develop the skill to read the diagrams. Once you get it, patterns across the globe will open up to you without ever having to know the language the designer is speaking.
The video below is a comprehensive look at reading crochet diagrams. I start back at the very beginning and work towards getting more complicated. Everything from how to read them, symbols, and so much more. The video has 15 segments. I provide the minute marker near the beginning of the tutorial so you can fast forward if you want to see particular elements and learn specific information.
Video Tutorial
Learning crochet is not a race, enjoy the journey.
This is How Mikey Makes The Diagrams
andie m says
thank you for what you do making this art form reachable and understandable for so many.
OLIVIA NARVAEZ says
Do you have a recommendation for a software to create a crochet diagram?
Mikey says
Yes, Adobe Illustrator.
Isabel Evans says
Loving your website all it's lovely patterns to browse. I learnt how to use the crochet diagrams some years ago but I would love to be able to download your instructions as a pdf. Do you have it in this format or is it only as a video?
Marina King says
most patterns are downloadable, you will see a blue button on ones that are. We had a glitch in the system and are currently in the process of adding the buttons back.
Isabel Evans says
Thank you Marina I have found these but was wondering if there is a pdf for use of crochet diagrams? Not patterns but the diagrams which show the stitches as loops for chain, lines crossed according to the stitch being double, triple, etc.?
Marina King says
Gotcha, no not all patterns have the diagrams. But you could try what I do, if I find I am struggling with a pattern I diagram line by line as I go (read what it gives for instructions then draw the diagram for what you just read), it also helps me keep track of what row I'm on.