How to Read a Crochet Pattern: A Beginner's Guide
Welcome to Learn to Crochet!
This lesson is part of my Learn to Crochet email course, where I walk you through the fundamentals of crochet step by step while you make your own market bag.
If you're following along with the email course, this is Week 8. If you found this lesson on your own, welcome! You can work through the lessons at your own pace or join the free email course to have each lesson delivered to your inbox.
Let's get started!
If you've never looked at a crochet pattern before, it can feel like you're reading another language. You'll see abbreviations, numbers, punctuation, and instructions that seem confusing at first.
But crochet patterns aren't a secret code.
They're just shortened instructions that tell you what to make, where to make it, and how many times to do it.
This is important to understand: you don't need to memorize crochet patterns. You need to understand how they're structured.
First, Know What You're Looking At
Before you start crocheting a pattern, take a minute to look through the entire pattern.
You don't need to understand every instruction yet. You're just looking for the information that tells you what you'll need and how the pattern is organized.
Most patterns will include:
Diffuculty/Level
Finished Measurements
Yarn information (yarn weight, fiber content, and amounts)
Hook size and other materials (stuffing, safety eyes, stitch markers, etc.)
Gauge
Abbreviations
Special stitches or techniques
Pattern Notes (Read ALL of the patterns notes! This is where you will find important information like if turning chains count as a stitch)
Row or round instructions
You don't necessarily need every section for every project, but knowing where to find this information makes patterns much easier to navigate.
Start With the Materials and Yarn
The materials and yarn sections tell you what you'll need to make the project.
This usually includes:
Yarn
Crochet hook
Yarn needle
Stitch markers
Scissors
Any additional materials required for the project
Pay attention to the yarn weight and fiber, not just the color.
The yarn a designer uses affects how the finished crochet looks, feels, and behaves.
→ Need a refresher? See Yarn Weights Explained and Understanding Yarn Fibers.
Your pattern will also tell you which crochet hook size the designer used.
The hook size affects the size and tension of your stitches, which can affect the finished size of your project.
→ Need a refresher? See Crochet Hook Sizes Explained.
What Is Gauge?
Gauge tells you how many stitches and rows fit into a specific measurement.
For example, a pattern might say:
18 stitches × 20 rows = 10 cm (4'“)
That means the designer's fabric has 18 stitches and 20 rows within a 10 centimeter or 4-inch measurement.
Gauge matters because your hook size, yarn, and tension all affect the size of your stitches.
If your stitches are much larger or smaller than the designer's, your finished project may not come out the same size.
You don't need to fully understand gauge before reading a pattern. We'll cover it in more detail in the next lesson.
→ See: Crochet Gauge Explained
Crochet Abbreviations
Crochet patterns use abbreviations to keep instructions short.
You've already learned most of these:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
tr - treble crochet
sl st - slip stitch
st(s) - stitch(es)
A well-written pattern will always include an abbreviations section that tells you what the abbreviations used in that particular pattern mean.
These are not arbitrary abbreviations, they are standards set by the Craft Yarn Council and you can find their list of standard abbreviations by clicking this link.
You don't need to memorize every crochet abbreviation before you start, just keep the pattern's abbreviation list nearby and refer back to it when you need to.
How to Read a Crochet Pattern Line by Line
This is where patterns start to make sense. Let's look at a simple example:
Row 1: Ch 41, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (40 sts)
Don't try to understand that entire sentence at once.
Break it into pieces.
Ch 41
Make 41 chains.
Sc in 2nd ch from hook
Skip the first chain next to your hook and work your first single crochet into the second chain.
And across
Continue working one single crochet into each remaining chain across the foundation chain.
(40 sts)
When you're finished, you should have 40 stitches.
That's it.
The pattern is simply giving you a series of instructions.
Make this. Then this. Then this. And you should end up with this many stitches.
Stitch Counts Are Your Checkpoint
You'll often see a stitch count at the end of a row:
{41 sts}
That means you should have 41 stitches when you've completed that row.
This isn't just extra information.
It's a checkpoint.
If you count 41, you're on track.
If you count 40 or 42, stop before continuing and figure out what happened.
You may have:
Skipped a stitch
Worked twice into the same stitch
Missed the first or last stitch
Miscounted your turning chain
Worked into the wrong place
→ See: Fixing Common Crochet Mistakes
It's much easier to fix a problem when you notice it immediately than several rows later.
How to Know Where to Put Your Hook
A pattern usually tells you both what stitch to make and where to make it.
For example:
sc in next st
means:
Make a single crochet in the next stitch.
The sc tells you what stitch to make.
The next st tells you where to put your hook.
You may also see instructions such as:
sc in next 3 sts
dc in each st across
sl st in next st
2 dc in next st
dc in ch-2 space
These are all telling you where the stitch belongs.
If you're ever unsure where the hook goes, stop and look carefully at the wording before making the stitch.
→ Need help identifying stitches? See Fixing Common Crochet Mistakes.
Turning Chains: Do They Count as a Stitch?
A turning chain brings your yarn up to the working height of the next row, but there's an important detail to pay attention to:
Does the turning chain count as a stitch?
A well-written crochet pattern will tell you this in the pattern notes. You shouldn't have to guess.
If the turning chain counts as a stitch, it is included in your stitch count and you'll usually work into the top of the turning chain at the end of the next row.
If the turning chain does not count as a stitch, it is not included in your stitch count and you won't work into it as a stitch.
For example, your pattern might say:
Ch 3 at the beginning of a row counts as a double crochet stitch.
How Repeats Work
Patterns use symbols and shorthand to avoid writing the same instruction over and over.
The most common is an asterisk.
Asterisks
Everything between the asterisks is repeated.
For example:
*sc, dc* rep across
means:
Single crochet
Double crochet
Single crochet
Double crochet
Continue that sequence across the row
You may also see:
*sc in next st, 2 dc in next st* repeat 5 times
That means you complete everything between the asterisks five times.
Parentheses ( )
Parentheses can be used in several ways depending on the pattern.
You may see them used for a stitch count:
(24 sts)
Or to group instructions:
(dc, ch 1, dc) in next st
That means all three of those instructions are worked into the same stitch.
Always check the pattern's instructions and abbreviations if you're unsure how its punctuation is being used.
How to Read Your Market Bag Pattern
Now let's look at a section of the market bag pattern you've already used.
You may have seen:
Rows 2–29: sc in each st across, ch 1, turn {40 sts}
Let's break down what each part is telling you.
Rows 2–29
This tells you which rows these instructions apply to.
Instead of repeating the same instruction for every row, the pattern tells you to work it from Row 2 through Row 29.
That's 28 rows total.
sc in each st across
sc means single crochet.
st means stitch.
So this tells you to work one single crochet into every stitch across the row.
When you reach the end, you should have 40 single crochet stitches.
ch 1, turn
Once you've completed the row, chain 1 and turn your work so you're ready to work the next row.
The chain 1 is your turning chain. In this pattern, it does not count as a stitch, so it isn't included in your stitch count and you don't work into it as a stitch.
{40 sts}
This is your stitch count.
At the end of each row, you should have 40 stitches.
This is an important checkpoint. If you count 40 stitches, you know you're on track. If you have 39 or 41, stop and figure out what happened before continuing.
Once you learn to break a pattern into these individual instructions, even a pattern that looks complicated at first becomes much easier to follow.
Read the Pattern Before You Start
You don't need to memorize the pattern, but I recommend reading through it once before you begin.
Look for anything that might affect how you work:
Does the turning chain count as a stitch?
What hook size do you need?
What yarn weight is required?
Is there a special stitch?
Are there repeats?
Are there specific measurements?
Is there a construction instruction you need to know before starting?
Then start working one instruction at a time.
You don't need to understand Row 10 before you've made Row 1.
Just focus on the next instruction in front of you.
What If the Pattern Doesn't Make Sense?
This happens to experienced crocheters, too.
If an instruction doesn't make sense, don't immediately assume you've done something wrong.
Try this:
Read the instruction again slowly.
Break it into smaller pieces.
Look at the abbreviations.
Check the pattern notes.
Look at the stitch count for clues.
Look for a tutorial or additional explanation from the designer.
And sometimes, the pattern itself may be unclear.
Not every pattern is written or tested to the same standard, especially with crocheting exploding as a hobby.
If you're a beginner, choosing patterns from designers who clearly explain their instructions and provide support can make the learning process much easier.
What If My Crochet Doesn't Look Like the Pattern?
This is an important one.
You can follow a pattern correctly and still have crochet that looks somewhat different from the designer's sample.
That's because the pattern isn't the only thing affecting your finished fabric:
Yarn weight
Yarn fiber
Yarn construction
Hook size
Tension
Gauge
Stitch height
all affect how your crochet looks and behaves.
That's why learning crochet is about more than memorizing where to put your hook.
Understanding your yarn weights, yarn fibers, hook sizes, and gauge helps you understand why your finished crochet looks the way it does.
You Don't Need to Memorize Crochet Patterns
The goal isn't to look at a pattern and immediately understand every abbreviation and symbol.
The goal is to know how to break it down.
Look for:
What am I making?
Where am I putting it?
How many times do I do it?
How many stitches should I have when I'm finished?
Once you start seeing patterns this way, they become much less intimidating.
And you already have the hardest part done: You know how to crochet the stitches.
Now you're learning how to read the instructions that tell you when and where to use them.
Continue Learning
If you're learning crochet on your own, continue with the next lesson in the Learn to Crochet series: Understanding Crochet Gauge.
Taking the email course? Your next lesson and practice assignment will be in your next email.