Whether you are just learning to crochet or you are a veteran, everyone likes to have easy crochet patterns that they can complete very quickly. When a beginner uses an easy pattern and does not have any problems completing a project, this provides incentive to do more and more projects and to graduate to more difficult ones with intricate stitching details. One of the easiest patterns to crochet is that of an afghan made of Granny Squares. There are two basic stitches in this pattern and you can make it as large or as small as you wish.
You need to use weight worsted wool and a Size G crochet hook. You can have all the same color or you can use contrasting colors so that you have all different colored squares in the afghan. Many people who do a lot of crocheting use this type of project to use up all the extra pieces of wool that they have lying around.
To get started making a Granny Square, you make a loop with an end of the wool. Insert the needle through the loop to pull the wool through. This makes a chain stitch and you need to make eight of these stitches. Then you join the loop that you have on the needle to the beginning loop to make a circle. To do this, simply insert the needle through the knot at the end and wrap the wool over the needle pulling it through. From now on you work within the circle that you just made.
You will need to use the double crochet stitch and the chain stitch for the rest of the pattern. Start off the second round by chaining three stitches. This is equivalent to one double crochet and it is how you will begin every round. After you chain the three stitches, wrap the wool around the needle and insert it into the circle, pulling the wool through the circle. Then wrap the wool around the needle again to draw it through two loops on the hook. Repeat this again so that you have one loop left. This is a double crochet stitch. For the rest of this round, make one more double crochet stitch and chain three. Make three double crochets and chain three stitches, three more times, ending with a chain three. Join to the top of the chain three with which you started the round.
The next round allows you to make your corners so that you have the shape of a square. You start off in the same way as you started the previous round. In each chain three space, you make two sets of three double crochets and three chains. These will be the corners of the square. When you start the third round, you always do the two sets in the corners, but now you will have chain three spaces along the sides. You only do one set of three double crochets in these spaces.
You can end the square at any point once you complete a round and you think the square is large enough. Now you can start another square of the same color or use a different color. As you complete the squares you sew them together to make an afghan.
Crochet patterns can look confusing at first. However, once you understand how a pattern works, and become familiar with the more common crochet stitches, you'll find reading crochet patterns one of the easiest aspects of crochet. Learning to read a crochet pattern will help you feel more confident when learning the basics of crochet.
Patterns can be written in several different ways. Crochet instructions can be written out in abbreviations, presented as symbols, or can be a combination of both. While it may take a while to learn the symbols, they can save space, and after awhile, many experienced crocheters find them easier to read. Another good thing about crochet symbols is that they are international, so no matter where the pattern comes from, the symbols will usually be the same.
If you are trying to read and understand a crochet pattern, the best way is to have both the written instructions and the symbols handy. You can purchase a variety of crochet books that will have many different patterns in them, this is a good way to work your way up from simple, to more complex patterns.
If a series of stitches doesn't making sense by following the written instructions, often the symbols can clarify what is actually meant. Crochet charts and symbols can help clarify written instructions. Some crocheting, such as lace, is actually much easier to follow using a chart, than reading written instructions.
Here are some of the common abbreviations used in crocheting:
sc single crochet ch st chain stitch hdc half-double crochet dc double crochet sl st slip stitch trc triple crochet yo yarn over tr treble crochet sp space sk skip pat st pattern stitch
When reading crochet instructions, brackets and parentheses are used to convey related stitches. For example, if you came across this- "(sk 3 ch, 4 trc in next chain) across the row", it would first mean you leave three chains unworked, referring to the sk, which stands for skip. In the fourth chain, you would then do four treble crochet stitches. You would then repeat the whole process across the entire row.
When you purchase a crochet book, or patterns, you'll find the abbreviations and symbols will be explained at the beginning. Once you've worked with a few patterns, you'll find yourself much more familiar with the instructions, and you won't need to refer to the book any longer. The crochet symbols will become second nature. Similar, but easier than learning a foreign language, after a bit of study, crochet abbreviations and symbols will make perfect sense!
Both Warren Wong & Amy Wells are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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