Reading Your First Crochet Pattern, Line by Line

Most pattern trouble starts in the first paragraph, not in Row 1. Before you make a single chain, read the whole thing top to bottom once, the way you would read a recipe before cooking.

Look for these things first:

• Terminology. Is it written in US or UK terms? A UK "double crochet" is a US "single crochet," so this one detail changes every stitch. Most patterns say which they use near the top. Our US vs UK terms guide has the full conversion.
• Materials. Yarn weight, how much yarn, hook size, and extras like stitch markers.
• Gauge. How many stitches and rows fit in a set width, usually 4 inches (10 cm). For a washcloth it barely matters. For a sweater it decides whether the thing fits.
• Special notes. Designers put the rules here: whether the turning chain counts as a stitch, how to work a special stitch, which side is the right side.

Here is a short pattern we wrote for this lesson. It uses only chains, single crochet and double crochet, and it is written the way most modern patterns are, in US terms.

Simple Washcloth (US terms)

• Yarn: one ball of worsted-weight cotton
• Hook: 5 mm (US H-8)
• Gauge: not important for this project

Ch 23.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (22 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st across, turn. (22 sc)

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), *sk next st, 2 dc in next st; rep from * to last st, dc in last st, turn. (22 dc)

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across, working last sc in top of turning ch, turn. (22 sc)

Rows 5–20: Rep Rows 3–4 eight times.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Now let's read it slowly.

"Ch 23" means make 23 chain stitches. Your slip knot does not count as one of them. Count the little V shapes on the front of the chain, not the loop on your hook.

"Sc in 2nd ch from hook" tells you where the first stitch goes. The chain right next to your hook is the 1st; skip it and work into the 2nd. That skipped chain acts as a small turning chain for this first row.

"And in each ch across" means one single crochet in every remaining chain until you reach the end.

"Turn" means flip the work over so the back faces you, ready for the next row. Right-handed crocheters always work from right to left, so turning brings the end of the row back to the start.

"(22 sc)" is the stitch count. You started with 23 chains, skipped one, and worked into the other 22, so you should have 22 single crochets. Count them now. Fixing a miscount in Row 1 takes a minute; finding it in Row 15 means pulling out half your work.

At the start of most rows you make a few chains to bring your yarn up to the height of the new row. That is the turning chain. Taller stitches need taller turning chains:

Row 2 says "Ch 1 (does not count as a st)." So after the ch 1, you put your first single crochet into the very first stitch of the row.

Row 3 says "Ch 3 (counts as first dc)." Now the chain is your first stitch, sitting on top of the first stitch below. So the next instruction starts in the second stitch, not the first.

This also explains Row 4's note: "working last sc in top of turning ch." Because the ch 3 counted as a stitch, it has a top you need to work into, or you will lose a stitch at the end of every other row. Lost stitches at the row ends are the classic reason a beginner's washcloth slowly turns into a trapezoid.

Row 3 is where the shorthand really shows up:

*sk next st, 2 dc in next st; rep from * to last st

• The asterisk (*) marks the start of a sequence you will repeat.
• "sk next st" means skip the next stitch; don't work into it.
• "2 dc in next st" means two double crochets in the same stitch.
• The semicolon ends the sequence. rep from * sends you back to the asterisk.
• "to last st" tells you when to stop repeating: when only one stitch is left.

Let's check the math. The ch 3 used stitch 1. Stitches 2 to 21 are 20 stitches, and each repeat uses 2 of them, so you repeat 10 times and make 20 double crochets. Then "dc in last st" goes into stitch 22. That's 1 + 20 + 1 = 22 stitches, matching the count in parentheses.

You will also meet brackets, often with a number: [2 dc, ch 1] 3 times means do everything inside the brackets three times. Parentheses usually group stitches that all go into the same spot, like (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp for a granny-square corner. Some patterns also use parentheses for different sizes, such as "ch 20 (24, 28)." Then you follow the number for your size all the way through.

"Rows 5–20: Rep Rows 3–4 eight times" means work Row 3, then Row 4, and do that pair eight times. Rows 5 to 20 are 16 rows, and 8 pairs of 2 rows is 16 rows, so the numbers agree. Patterns are full of little checks like this, and doing them catches mistakes early.

A tally on paper or a row counter helps. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of Row 3 too; it makes your rows easier to count later.

"Fasten off" means cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 6 inches (15 cm), and pull it all the way through the last loop to lock it.

"Weave in ends" means thread each tail onto a yarn needle and run it through the backs of several stitches, changing direction at least once so it can't work loose in the wash.

That's a whole pattern. Every pattern you read from here on is built from the same handful of ideas: stitches, counts, turning chains and repeats.

It happens to everyone, even experienced makers.

1. 1.Re-read the pattern notes at the top. Special stitches and turning-chain rules live there.
2. 2.Check the stitch count at the end of the row and work backward. If your count doesn't match, the mistake is usually in how the row started or ended.
3. 3.Look up the abbreviation. Our crochet abbreviations cheat sheet covers the standard list.
4. 4.Check whether the designer has published corrections, often called errata, on their website or pattern page.
5. 5.Work a few repeats on a small practice swatch before trying it on the real project.

When you are ready for more detail, including charts, sizing and how designers write shaping, read our complete guide to reading crochet patterns.