Learn to Crochet Lesson Six: How to Read a Crochet Pattern with the Essential Crochet Potholder

Welcome back to my learn to crochet series! By now you can chain, single crochet, and half double crochet like a pro because you have spent some time with lessons one, two, three, four, and five. Today you will learn how to read a basic crochet pattern. The Essential Potholder pattern will walk you through the steps of reading a simple pattern and doing simple finishing.

Crochet patterns contain several important bits of information that you need to start your pattern. The designer includes this information to help you get a result that is as close as possible to the sample. Hook size, yarns used, amount of yarn used, terms used, other materials used, and the size of the finished object are all things that may be listed.

Side note: Most designers also list the gauge, or how many stitches are in a given space when working with their hook and yarn. We won't worry about gauge today since you are just starting out. That will follow in another lesson. Also, gauge is most important when the size of the finished item matters quite a bit, as with a garment. Since it doesn't really matter if your potholder is a little bit bigger or smaller than mine, gauge is not as important right now.

Let's see the important tidbits for the Essential Potholder.

Yarn: Lion Brand Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend
         120 yards of Gray Pearl #550
Hook: US size H8 5mm hook
Extras: yarn needle
Terms: ch = chain, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, sk = skip, rep = repeat, sl st = slip stitch

Pattern

Here is what the pattern looks like in written form. Don't worry! There will be a photo tutorial after the written pattern to explain each line.

Panel

Ch 27.

Row 1: Work 1 sc into the third ch from the hook. Work 1 hdc into the same ch. *Sk 1 ch, work [sc, hdc] into following ch*, rep from * across.

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. *Sk 1 st, work [sc, hdc] into following st*, rep from * across.

Rows 3 through 23: Rep Row 2 twenty-one times. 

You will now begin the border.

Border: Ch 1. Continuing to the left, work 1 sc into each row end (Side 1). Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each base chain nub (Side 2). Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each row end (Side 3). Ch 7 to cross the corner and to form the hang tab. Work 1 sc into each st (Side 4). Ch 1 to cross the final corner. Sl st into first st to join.

Fasten off and weave in ends of first panel. Make a second panel, but do not fasten off.

Finishing

Place one panel on top of the other so that the stitches line up. Slide the hook into the first pair of stitches and work a sc. Work 1 sc into each pair of stitches all of the way around, treating each ch 1 corner as 1 st. When you come to the hanging loops, work 7 to 8 single crochet stitches around them. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Tutorial

So...what did all of that mean!? Let's get down to details.

 

"Ch 27. Row 1: Work 1 sc into the third ch from the hook."

 Ch means 'chain'. When you see a number after it, it is telling you how many chain stitches you will need. In this case we work 27 chain stitches. Next, the pattern tells us to work 1 sc, short for single crochet, into the third chain from the hook. The arrow points to the correct chain stitch.

"Work 1 hdc into the same ch."

Next we work 1 half double crochet into the same stitch as the single crochet. Yes, that's right, the very same chain stitch has two different stitches worked into it. That is one way that designers create what is called a stitch pattern, by working different numbers and types of stitches into the same place.

*Sk 1 ch, work [sc, hdc] into following ch*, rep from * across.

When you see a set of directions surrounded by asterisks (*), this means that the directions will be repeated. Sk means 'skip', so we skip 1 chain stitch. Into the next we work 1 single crochet and 1 half double crochet as before. See the brackets ( [ ] )? They are telling you that everything inside of them will go into the same stitch. In summary, we will now repeat everything inside the asterisks until the end of the row -- We will skip 1 chain stitch, then work 1 single crochet and 1 half double crochet into the very next stitch... and then do that same thing again and again! All of the preceding sure was a lot of text for a fairly simple process. This is why crochet terms and symbols exist, to shorten directions and make them more user-friendly.

"Row 2: Ch 1, turn. *Sk 1 st,"

We know how to chain and turn! We learned that in previous lessons. Go ahead and do so. Then notice that you will be skipping the first stitch of the row. 

"Row 2: Ch 1, turn. *Sk 1 st, work [sc, hdc] into following st*, rep from * across."

These directions look familiar, don't they? They are the same as the directions from Row 1, but this time we will be working into actual stitches instead of chain stitches. Every other stitch will be skipped, and those that are worked into will have 1 single crochet and 1 half double crochet. You can see that the stitch pattern is starting to emerge. 

Here we are at the end of Row 2.

"Rows 3 through 23: Rep Row 2 twenty-one times." 

Remember, 'rep' means repeat. To continue with our panel, all we need to do is follow the directions in Row 2 over and over until we have twenty-three rows in total. Since we already had two rows by the end of Row 2, we only need to 'repeat' twenty-one times to get to twenty-three.

"You will now begin the border. Border: Ch 1. Continuing to the left,"

 This is just how it sounds. The flat part of the panel is done and now we need to work stitches around the outside to make a border. Since we work from right to left in crochet, you will be continuing to the left.

"Border: Ch 1. Continuing to the left, work 1 sc into each row end (Side 1)."

There are two types of row end. The first is made of the very last stitch of a row. This is lined in pink above. The second kind is made of turning chains. The ch 1 turning chains are line in red above. You after you ch 1, work 1 single crochet into each row end until you hit the next corner. Tip: Since there are 23 rows, you should end up with 23 single crochet stitches. 

Here are some single crochet stitches that have been worked into the row ends.

 
"Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each base chain nub (Side 2). Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each row end (Side 3)."

When you get to a corner you will need a way to continue around to the next side. By chaining 1 we are able to bridge the gaps. Then we can keep working single crochet stitches around the outside of the panel.

"Ch 7 to cross the corner and to form the hang tab. Work 1 sc into each st (Side 4). Ch 1 to cross the final corner."

This is just how it sounds. Instead of chaining 1 to cross the corner, this time we are chaining 6 extra stitches to make a little loop for hanging the potholder. Then we continue working down the final side, 1 single crochet in each stitch.

"Sl st into first st to join."

Now that we have come full circle (tee hee), we need to join the round. See where the arrow is? That is our very first single crochet stitch of the border. That is where you will insert your hook for the slip stitch.

You insert your hook.

Yarn over and pull the loop through.

Then keep on pulling the yarn until it has gone through the working loop on your hook.

"Fasten off and weave in ends of first panel. Make a second panel, but do not fasten off."

Here is our first panel in all of its glory. You can stop here if you'd like. However, If you want a thicker potholder you can go thorough all of the steps in the "Panel" section again, stopping right before you fasten off. You will want to keep the yarn attached and a working loop on the hook for finishing. The finishing section is where the designer tells you what you need to do to put the final touches on your object.

"Place one panel on top of the other so that the stitches line up."

Here are the two panels, all lined up. You can see that the stitches mirror each other and pair nicely.

 "Slide the hook into the first pair of stitches and work a sc."

Here you can see that the hook is under both loops of both stitches. This set of stitches is the very first from the border.

 "Work 1 sc into each pair of stitches all of the way around, treating each ch 1 corner as 1 st."

Just as the pattern states, continue to match up your stitches and crochet a single crochet stitch through both of them at once. You can see that this is joining the two panels together to make one, thick potholder.

 "When you come to the hanging loops, work 7 to 9 single crochet stitches around them."

Instead of working under the tight loops of the chain stitches, you will simply be working around them. This is much easier and looks nicer.

 Like so. Then you continue working into stitches as before.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

You did it! Your potholder is now complete!

As a new crocheter, patterns may be a bit frustrating at first. Don't worry, you'll eventually have a light bulb moment and things will come together. Take it slow and don't be afraid to rip out and start over. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. Happy hooking!

Crochetville's 2016 Blog Tour: How to Make Your Own Filet Swatch and Chasing Triangles Scarf Pattern

Hello, and welcome to my stop along  Crochetville's 4th Annual National Crochet Month Blog Tour! I'm so glad you've joined me. I hope that you will also check out the other featured designers and yarn stores that share this day, along with the rest of the tour. The crochet community is a cornucopia of talent -- always giving!

Today's post is made up of three parts. The first part is an introduction to filet crochet. The second part will talk you through designing your own crochet swatch and offer suggestions for how to use it. The final part is a free example of a filet pattern, the Chasing Triangles Scarf. Let's get to it!

Part One: What is filet crochet?
Filet is a style of crochet that uses grids of either double or triple crochet stitches, as well as chain stitches between them, to make pictures. The pictures can be as simple or complex as the designer wants them to be. All turning chains count as stitches in filet. Generally, one would start by chaining a multiple of 3 plus 1 for the foundation chain. Then, add 3 more chain stitches for double crochet or four more for triple crochet. Finally, you add 2 more chain stitches if the first box on the grid is empty. Here is an example of a filet grid with no picture in it.

You can see where the slip knot began. Also, the base chain began with 31 chain stitches, then had four more added to count as the first triple crochet of row 1. Finally, two more stitches were added for horizontal gain. That would make a total of 37 stitches for the base chain of a ten-box filet grid with the first box being empty (If the first box was filled, only 35 chain stitches would be needed). You can see that there is a triple crochet post worked into every third chain across, with two chain stitches worked in between each triple crochet. On subsequent rows, empty boxes are made by working more triple crochet stitches into triple crochet stitches, and more chain stitches across chain stitches.

So, how would you add a picture to this swatch? It's easy! Simply exchange the chain stitches for triple crochet stitches in each box that you want to fill. Move on to Part Two to learn more.

Part Two: How to Make Your Own Filet Swatch
Let's add a picture to our empty swatch. In general, filet charts don't show each individual stitch. Instead, they show boxes filled in with color or Xs. Here is a filet chart with a heart design that is based on the same grid as above.

Notice that many of the empty spaces on the grid are now filled in. That's all there is to creating your very own swatch; filling in boxes to make your picture. You can draw your own grid by hand, use graph paper, or even use internet tools to create your swatch. Keep in mind that your unique gauge will affect your swatch. For me, double crochet is more rectangular and triple crochet is more square. Experiment to find out what looks best to you.

If you're still a little unsure about trying filet, follow the photo tutorial below to see how the above grid would be worked up.

I started with a foundation chain of 35 since I was working in triple crochet and the first box on the grid was filled in. I worked my first triple crochet into the 6th chain stitch from the hook. This left 4 chain stitches to count as the first triple crochet, and one chain stitch to serve as the corner.

Since the whole first row of the chart was filled in, I worked 1 triple crochet into each remaining chain stitch across. Next, I chained 4 and turned to start my second row. Notice that since the chain 4 counts as a triple crochet stitch, I skipped the first stitch of the second row.

Then I came to the second box of row 2, an empty box. I chained two and skipped the corresponding stitches below. I worked a triple crochet into the next stitch. I followed the same process for the next two empty boxes on the chart.

Notice that when I moved along to create more filled-in boxes, those boxes shared the same triple crochet stitch. It is important to count accurately when working up filet. Also, since each turning chain counts as a stitch, I worked into the top of each turning chain as show in the rightmost photo above.

When I needed to fill in a box that had an empty box directly below it, I simply crocheted over the chain stitches. On the right you see the finished swatch.

Filet is very versatile. Your filet swatch can be repeated over and over, either separately or worked as one piece. In worsted weight, it could be a blanket. In DK weight, it may be a scarf. In thread, it could be a table runner or valance. Be adventurous! Also, please note that filet often benefits from heavy blocking.

Part Three: Chasing Triangles Scarf Pattern
I used a self-made filet chart to create the Chasing Triangles Scarf. It is the perfect spring scarf; lightweight, bright, and delicate.

You can leave your scarf open-ended to show off all of the filet, or you can whip stitch the ends together like I did and show off bits of triangles here and there.

For my scarf I used a US size D3 3.25mm hook. The yarn I used was Schachenmayr Tahiti in Riviera, a fingering weight yarn that is mostly cotton. I used 1 skein, about 300 yards. However, you can use any fingering weight yarn that you desire for this project. Here is the free filet chart. I worked it in double crochet, which resulted in rectangular panels that had more balanced triangles in them. I repeated the 22 rows over and over until I ran out of yarn.

I hope you've enjoyed today's post. Have something you'd like to share about your forays in the world of filet? Feel free to share with us in the comments!

Learn to Crochet Lesson Five: How to Read a Yarn Label

Welcome to the latest in a series of blog posts dedicated to teaching you to crochet! Crochet has changed my life and I know it can change yours as well, from the calmness it brings to the pride of creation. If you're just now joining us on our journey, keep in mind that you should be comfortable with Lesson One: How to Tie a Slipknot, Lesson Two: How to Work a Chain Stitch and Base Chain, Lesson Three: How to Single Crochet, and Lesson Four: How to Half Double Crochet before beginning today's lesson.

Everyone needs to start somewhere, and one of my goals for these lessons is to bring you information that I wish I had had when I was starting out. You're almost ready to begin your first complete project. Wahoo! Before you do, let's talk about yarn labels.

Yarn labels are full of information that will help you select the right yarn for each project. Some yarns are thicker or thinner than others. Some skeins have more yards of yarn and some have less. Different yarns work best with different sizes of crochet hook. Yikes, it can all be a little overwhelming can't it? Not to worry! Today I will address each part of a common yarn label and tell you why that information is useful to you. Let's get started!

Our first example is Lion Brand's Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool blend. This is the yarn I am going to be using for the project in Lesson Six, a potholder. Let's take a look at the symbols and text on the label and decode them one by one.

First we have the brand and the yarn line. The major brand here is Lion Brand and the sub-brand is Martha Stewart Crafts. Other examples of yarn brands are Berroco, Cascade, or Bernat. At the bottom we see the yarn line, in this case Extra Soft Wool Blend. Each brand makes many different lines of yarn that are different thicknesses and are made of different things. Other yarn lines by Lion Brand include Vanna's Choice, Wool-Ease, and Fisherman's Wool. Yarn lines by Berroco include Comfort, Captiva, and Marmot. The brand is the major yarn company and the yarn line is one type of yarn among many that the company produces.

Here we have the fiber content. The fiber content tells you how much of each different kind of fiber is in the yarn. This yarn is made of acrylic and wool. It's important to know what your yarn is made of because it helps you decide how to use it and how to launder it. For example, nylon gives yarn strength and gloss, so you may choose to use a yarn with nylon for a hat that will be worn all of the time. Alpaca is very soft but also a bit fragile, so you may want to use it to make a special scarf for your sister for her birthday. A 100% wool yarn shouldn't be washed in the washing machine in warm or hot water or it will change shape and size, making it a bad choice for a dog blanket that will need to be washed often. The yarn store employees can help you select a good yarn for your project as you start out, though most patterns suggest a yarn for you to use. I chose this yarn for our Lesson Six potholder because acrylic is very washable and wool is self-extinguishing in case of fire. Plus, I love the crisp finished product it creates.

The "4" symbol on this yarn is telling us the weight of the yarn. The weight refers to a yarn's thickness. This yarn is medium weight, also called worsted weight. Not all yarns fall perfectly into a weight category, but for now just know that yarn generally comes in 0/Lace weight, 1/fingering weight, 2/sport weight, 3/DK weight, 4/worsted weight, 5/bulky weight, and 6/super bulky weight. If you are following a pattern they will tell you what yarn weight to use.

Here we see the needle and hook size recommendations as well as the suggested gauge. The hook size that is recommended for this yarn is 6mm, but that doesn't mean you have to use that size. Staying close to that size is a good idea. If you are following a pattern they will tell you what hook size to use. The gauge tells us how many stitches and rows we can expect in a given area. In this case, a 4"x 4" square should be 14 stitches across and 18 rows tall when using a 6mm hook. We will talk about gauge in depth in another lesson.

Okay, so you've figured out what weight you need (4). Now you need to figure out how many skeins, balls, or hanks of yarn to buy. Pretend your pattern calls for 250 yards of medium weight yarn. Well, since this label tells us that one skein of Extra Soft Wool Blend has 164 yards, we know that we will need to buy two and that we will end up with a little extra. Some patterns list yarn requirements in ounces or grams rather than yardage, so that information is available as well. Weighing yarn on a scale by the ounce or gram is also useful if you've got some yarn leftover from an old project but you aren't sure if you have enough left to use on your new project. It would certainly be inconvenient to unwind all of the yarn, measure it by yard, and then wind it back up again! Thank you mathematical conversions <3

Here we see the color name, color number, and lot number. The color name for this yarn is gray pearl. The number assigned to that color is 550. This will make it easier to find if you need to buy more skeins online, etc. So what's a lot number? Yarn is dyed in lots, aka batches, in big vats. Some lots/batches are large and some are small. Even though the company tries to make the color look as similar as possible every time they dye a new batch, the very nature of dye means that it isn't always possible. Some lots end up just a touch different in color, maybe a bit lighter or a bit darker. It's important to buy each of your yarn skeins from the same lot whenever possible so that your project will turn out uniform and not have weird stripes of off-color. The lot number of this skein is 032.

Finally, we have the laundry recommendations for your finished project made with the yarn. Here's a reminder of laundry symbol meanings.


Wow, that was a lot of information on one piece of paper, wasn't it? Never to fear. You will be practicing your yarn label reading skills when you select your yarns for upcoming projects in this series. Before we go, let's look at a boutique yarn label and compare it to our Lion Brand example.

Our above yarn, Lion Brand Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend, would likely be found in a craft store like Joann's or Michael's. It is what is known as a craft store yarn or widely available yarn. This next type of yarn would be found in a local yarn store that caters to somewhat higher quality yarns. These types of yarns are called specialty yarns, boutique yarns, or even indie yarns. Both craft yarn and boutique yarn can be bought online and both are useful for crochet. However, their labels will often be different, with boutique yarns providing less information. Let's look at this label for Madelinetosh (that's the brand) Tosh Merino Light (that's the yarn line).

Some of the info is the same. We can see that the color is Chamomile, handwritten on the side. It is 100% wool. It is a fingering weight yarn (1), and each hank has 420 yards. It also tells you how to wash it. However, the weight in ounces isn't listed. There isn't a dye lot, which means you will have to look at each hank carefully to make sure it matches the others you are buying. The gauge and needle recommendations given are only for knitting, not crochet. What are we to do? One way to discover answers is to use the internet, particularly Ravelry. You could also ask the yarn store employee for help. Finally, you can do the math yourself.

Yay! You have learned so much today! Get ready to use everything we have learned together for Lesson Six. I can't wait! If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments.

Learn to Crochet Lesson Four: How to Half Double Crochet

Hello! Welcome to Lesson Four of my Learn to Crochet series. To prepare yourself for this lesson you should already be familiar with the material in Lesson One: How to Tie a Slip Knot, Lesson Two: How to Work a Chain Stitch and Base Chain, and Lesson Three: How to Single Crochet. Today you will learn to do the half double crochet stitch. It is very similar to the single crochet stitch but has a few extra steps in the mix. Remember, when learning something new it's easiest to work with a light color, as well as worsted weight yarn and a 5mm, 5.5mm, or 6mm hook. Let's get started!

Start with a slip knot on the hook just as you did when making a base chain for single crochet.

Chain 16 stitches. This will be the width of your swatch. Now, chain 2 more stitches. Half double crochet is taller than single crochet, so instead of simply chaining 1 extra stitch to add more height, this time we need 2 stitches. Our base chain is now 18 stitches wide.

Before we insert our hook, we will be doing a yarn over. This is different from single crochet, where you insert the hook without yarning over. We are basically adding an extra loop to our hook. Now, insert your hook into the third chain from the hook.

Why the third chain? Remember, those first two chain stitches are needed for height. They won't count as a stitch in half double crochet. Also note that I am inserting my hook into the back loops of my chain stitches on my base chain. You can insert your hook into the back loop, front loop, or both loops of the base chain. However, when you start working into actual stitches, be sure to insert the hook under both loops.

After you insert the hook, draw up a loop just like in single crochet. I now have three loops on my hook -- the original working loop, the loop we made with our yarn over, and the loop I just drew up through the chain stitch.

Yarn over again. The stitch is almost complete.

Now pull through all three of the loops on your hook. Congratulations! You have now completed your first half double crochet stitch. To the right of my stitch you can see the two chain stitches that were used for height. 

Repeat this process for every remaining chain stitch. Yarn over.

Insert the hook and then yarn over again.

Draw up a loop. You now have three.

Yarn over once more.

Finally, pull thorough all three loops.

Here I have reached the end of the first row by working into all of the remaining chain stitches. It's time to chain and turn so that I can begin the next row.

I need 2 chain stitches. This is just like those extra two chain stitches on our base chain. I need them for height. When working other, taller stitches in the future we will be counting our turning chains, or chains used for height, as stitches. However, in single and half double crochet the turning chain is not generally counted as a stitch.

Now we turn our item so that the back sides of the stitches from the previous row are facing us. This will allow us to continue working from right to left. Remember not to crochet into those two chain stitches!

Working under both loops of each stitch, work 1 half double crochet into each stitch. 

Here I have reached the end of my second row. Notice that I am not working a stitch into the chain 2 from the previous row because it doesn't count as a stitch in half double crochet.

Here I have chained 2 once more and I'm ready to turn my item and start my third row. See the height that the chain 2 adds? 

Practice your half double crochet until you feel comfortable with it. Next in our series will be a simple project that will teach you how to read a simple pattern and how to mix basic stitches. You're on your way, baby!