Learn · Reading Patterns
Decode any crochet pattern: abbreviations, stitch counts, repeats, brackets, rows vs rounds, symbol charts, and grid/pixel charts, with real examples.
A crochet pattern looks like code the first time you see one: “Rnd 3: sl st to ch-2 sp, ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp.” But patterns use a small, consistent grammar. Learn how to read crochet patterns once, including written instructions, symbol charts, and grid diagrams, and you can follow almost any design, in any language.
This lesson walks through a pattern the way you’d actually read it: top to bottom.
Before any stitches, a good pattern tells you five things. Read them all before you buy yarn.
Gauge is how many stitches and rows fit in 10 cm with your hands, yarn, and hook. Crochet a square slightly bigger than 10 cm in the pattern’s stitch, then count.
For tops, cardigans, and hats, matching gauge is the difference between a perfect fit and a gift for someone else.
Patterns shorten every stitch and action. The core ones are chch = chainUK: chainYarn over and pull through the loop on your hook. The foundation of almost every project., sl stsl st = slip stitchUK: slip stitch (ss)Insert hook, yarn over, pull straight through the stitch and the loop on your hook. Used to join rounds and travel invisibly., scsc = single crochetUK: double crochet (dc)Insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops), yarn over, pull through both. The shortest, densest basic stitch., hdchdc = half double crochetUK: half treble (htr)Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over, pull through all three., dcdc = double crochetUK: treble (tr)Yarn over, insert, pull up a loop (3 loops), then [yarn over, pull through 2] twice. About twice as tall as sc., and trtr = treble crochetUK: double treble (dtr)Yarn over twice, insert, pull up a loop (4 loops), then [yarn over, pull through 2] three times., plus instructions like sksk = skipUK: missSkip the next stitch (or stitches) and work into the one after. (skip), spsp = spaceUK: spaceThe gap under a chain or between stitches. "Ch-sp" means work into the space under a chain, not into the chain itself. (space), st(s)st(s) = stitch(es)UK: stitch(es)Any single stitch. Stitch counts at the end of a row are written in parentheses, e.g. (12 sts). (stitch), RSRS = right sideUK: right sideThe side of the work that will face outward on the finished piece. and WSWS = wrong sideUK: wrong sideThe side of the work that will face inward or down on the finished piece. (right and wrong side). Hover over any of them on this site for a quick definition, or keep our full US and UK abbreviations chart open in another tab.
The number in parentheses at the end of a row is the stitch count: “(20 sc)” means you should have exactly 20 stitches when the row is done.
Count, especially in the first few rows. A missed stitch in Row 2 becomes a lopsided project by Row 20.
Rounds come in two flavors. Joined rounds end with a slip stitch into the first stitch, and the next round starts with a chain. Spiral rounds never join. You just keep going and move a stitch marker to track where each round begins. Amigurumi is almost always worked in spirals because it leaves no seam.
This is the grammar that looks scariest and is actually the simplest.
Here’s how to read a real line from our granny square pattern:
Rnd 2: Sl st in next 2 dc and into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, ch 1, [(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1] 3 times; join with sl st to top of beg ch-3.
Translated: slip stitch over to the corner space so you start in the right place. The chain 3 counts as your first double crochet. Work a full corner into that space, then chain 1. Repeat “corner plus chain 1” three more times for the other corners, then join.
A crochet chart (or diagram) draws each stitch as a symbol, placed where it sits in the work. They’re universal. A chart from a Japanese pattern book reads exactly the same as an English one.
Charts worked in the round start in the center and read counter-clockwise (for right-handers). Charts worked in rows read right to left on right-side rows and left to right on wrong-side rows, with row numbers printed on the side you start from.
Grid charts, sometimes called graph or pixel crochet patterns, are the other big chart type. They don’t show stitch symbols. Instead, each square is one stitch in a certain color. They’re used for tapestry crochet, mosaic crochet, pixel blankets, and C2C (corner-to-corner) designs.
Read them like a symbol chart worked in rows: bottom row first, right to left, then left to right on the way back, changing colors where the squares change.
If a pattern uses anything beyond the basics, like a puffpuff = puff stitchUK: puff stitchSeveral yarn-over loops pulled up in one stitch and closed together, for a soft, pillowy bump. or a FPdcFPdc = front post double crochetUK: front post treble (FPtr)Work a dc around the post of the stitch from the front instead of into its top. Makes raised ribbing and cables., it’s defined in a “special stitches” section near the top. The “notes” section says things like whether turning chains count as stitches. Read both before you start. They answer most mid-project questions in advance.
Put it into practice with a pattern that uses everything in this lesson: the classic granny square has brackets, parentheses, joined rounds, and stitch counts, all in four short rounds. Or pick a quick project from our easy crochet ideas.
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For anything that has to fit, like tops, cardigans, and hats, yes. For flowers, keychains, coasters, and blankets where a few centimeters don't matter, you can skip it. A swatch takes ten minutes and saves you from a sweater that fits a giant.
Crochet Top Ideas & How to Size Them →Written patterns are easier to start with because they spell out every step. Charts are faster once you know the symbols and are language-independent, so you can follow a Japanese or Spanish chart without translating it. Most crocheters end up using both.
Repeat the instructions that come after the asterisk as many times as you can until you reach the end of the row. If there are stitches left over that don't fit a full repeat, the pattern will tell you what to do with them.
Each square is one stitch and each row of squares is one row. Read right-side rows from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right (reversed if you crochet left-handed), changing yarn color whenever the square color changes.
Tapestry Crochet for Beginners →Good patterns say so near the top. If not, look for 'single crochet' or 'sc': it only exists in US terms. A pattern that uses 'double crochet' but never 'single crochet' is almost certainly UK.
US vs UK Crochet Abbreviations Chart →
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Tapestry & MosaicBlankets & Home
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