Where can I learn to read crochet patterns *Pic post 8, how am I doing"*

[3boysforme]

I am looking into learning how to crochet. I have to basic steps down, like I can make a chain and a stitch ( I cannot, however, keep my rows even :doh). So where can I go to learn some more, but that has it broken down for a very beginner?

[Earthmummy07]

I use youtube tutorials. Not much you can't find on there :yes

[NovelMama]

I really like this book (http://www.amazon.com/The-Crochet-Answer-Book-ebook/dp/B004A7YIMA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343682550&sr=8-1&keywords=crochet+answers). And I use YouTube tutorials when I really can't figure out the stitch just from reading about it. Yarn company websites often have free beginner lessons online, too. And The Happy Hooker (by the woman that wrote Stitch and B*tch) is pretty good, too, although she leaves out some important stuff for absolute beginners, but you're past that stage now so you'd be fine.

[3boysforme]

And The Happy Hooker (by the woman that wrote Stitch and B*tch) is pretty good, too, although she leaves out some important stuff for absolute beginners, but you're past that stage now so you'd be fine.


:giggle. I literally picked up the yarn and hook for the very first time ever yesterday. I think I am still an absolute beginner. :shifty

[DragonfliiMama]

Do you want to read written patterns or charted patterns? For charted patterns, there's a really good series in the This Week in Ravelry archives. For written patterns, honestly, I'd pick a (professionally written) pattern that you like that's marked for a beginner. It should have a key at the top for what each abbreviation means, and they are pretty standard. If it's in a book or magazine, the key as well as step by step instructions for each stitch should be either at the very front or the very back.

[3boysforme]

Amii, I did not even know there were different kinds of patterns :shifty


So after looking at some Youtube videos, I have realized that I was doing it wrong the other day :doh. It is not very easy at all, or I am not very good at it. :-/

[DragonfliiMama]

There's also US terms and UK terms, which use the same terms to mean different things. :doh I generally find picture tutorials to be more useful than YouTube, just because sometimes it's hard to see individual steps when they're in motion, kwim?

Here's a link to some good photo tutorials (http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet/) for the basic stitches, and she also has one on how to read patterns.

[3boysforme]

So how am I doing? Does this look ok? Can you notice anything that I am doing wrong?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/Hej415/20120801_222342.jpg

[DragonfliiMama]

It looks good! There's 2 things I'm noticing. One is it looks like you are working your stitches into only 1 loop of the stitch below it. You want to work into both loops. Working into only 1 loop creates a different texture, and some patterns will tell you to work into either the front loop or back loop for that look, to create a fold line, or so you can go back and do something different in the other loop later. Unless the pattern tells you otherwise, you want to work into both loops. The other thing is it looks like you're still having a little trouble with the turning chain, which is really common. That's one thing I think is really easier to see charted rather than written. I'll see if I can work up a pic to show you.

---------- Post added at 10:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 AM ----------

Ok, I'm going to try to just type this, hopefully it makes sense, if not, I'll go back and try to do a pic. So.

0=chain
X=single crochet

The purpose of the turning chain is to bring your hook up to the height of the next row before you start working it. How many chains you work depends on what your first stitch is - sc = 1ch, hdc=2ch, dc=3ch, etc. For taller stitches (usually dc and up) the turning chain will often count as the first stitch and you work the first dc (or whatever stitch) into the 2nd stitch of the previous row, the pattern will tell you if it does or not. For sc, the turning chain almost never counts as a real stitch and you'll work into the first stitch of the previous row. So it looks like this: (read odd rows right to left)



row 3: 10 sc + turning ch 0X X X X X X X X X X
row 2: 10 sc + turning ch X X X X X X X X X X0
row 1: 10 sc + turning ch 0X X X X X X X X X X
foundation: ch 11 = 10 ch + 1 turning ch 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00


I know that doesn't look even, but you see how all the X's are lined up? You won't see the turning chains in your work unless you look very closely.

Hope that helps!

eta: ok, I had that all spaced out so it all lined up, and it deleted my spacing when I hit post. :doh But I think you still get the idea.

[bliss]

The Happy Hooker book by...Debbie Stoller? I think her name is? Was the only book that made it make sense to me :yes.

[3boysforme]

It looks good! There's 2 things I'm noticing. One is it looks like you are working your stitches into only 1 loop of the stitch below it. You want to work into both loops. Working into only 1 loop creates a different texture, and some patterns will tell you to work into either the front loop or back loop for that look, to create a fold line, or so you can go back and do something different in the other loop later. Unless the pattern tells you otherwise, you want to work into both loops. The other thing is it looks like you're still having a little trouble with the turning chain, which is really common. That's one thing I think is really easier to see charted rather than written. I'll see if I can work up a pic to show you.

---------- Post added at 10:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 AM ----------

Ok, I'm going to try to just type this, hopefully it makes sense, if not, I'll go back and try to do a pic. So.

0=chain
X=single crochet

The purpose of the turning chain is to bring your hook up to the height of the next row before you start working it. How many chains you work depends on what your first stitch is - sc = 1ch, hdc=2ch, dc=3ch, etc. For taller stitches (usually dc and up) the turning chain will often count as the first stitch and you work the first dc (or whatever stitch) into the 2nd stitch of the previous row, the pattern will tell you if it does or not. For sc, the turning chain almost never counts as a real stitch and you'll work into the first stitch of the previous row. So it looks like this: (read odd rows right to left)



row 3: 10 sc + turning ch 0X X X X X X X X X X
row 2: 10 sc + turning ch X X X X X X X X X X0
row 1: 10 sc + turning ch 0X X X X X X X X X X
foundation: ch 11 = 10 ch + 1 turning ch 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00


I know that doesn't look even, but you see how all the X's are lined up? You won't see the turning chains in your work unless you look very closely.

Hope that helps!

eta: ok, I had that all spaced out so it all lined up, and it deleted my spacing when I hit post. :doh But I think you still get the idea.


I do not understand what you are saying about the loops. :shifty. All these terms are so confusing :blush

I also do not have much time to practice, I can't seem to do it if the boys are up. I have to really focus to keep track of the counting and still mess up when I am focusing :doh

Here is what I practiced today, I tried to follow Amii's chart, but I can see spots where it looked like I messed up.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/Hej415/20120805_211553.jpg



This is a little harder than I anticipated. I think the problem is that I am very much a kinetic learner. And it seems that this is something that is easier to learn visually :-/


ETA: It does look a little better than my pic from the other day though :think

[DragonfliiMama]

:think I'm a pretty visual learner. You might need someone who can direct you as you're doing it. I'd skype with you, but I don't have video. I think it's more online teaching that is visually oriented rather than crochet itself, kwim? Now that you mention it, I do remember all the terms being confusing when I was first learning. I had to keep a book open to remember the difference between different stitches.

The thing to remember with crochet is that there are really only a few movements:

* insert your hook
* yo = yarn over = wrap yarn around hook from back to front
* draw up a loop - pull the yarn through the stitch, creating a new loop on your hook
* draw through a loop - pull yarn through the loop(s) on the hook

Everything you do in crochet will be some combination of these steps. Where you insert your hook, how many times you yarn over, and how many loops you draw up or through - there are countless combinations and that's what makes all the different stitches.

To explain the loops - when you look at the top of a crochet stitch, it makes kind of a V shape or an oval shape where each side of the V is a separate strand of yarn-

( )

The front loop is the strand closer to you, the back loop is the one away from you. A lot of instructions will tell you to work into the back loop of the foundation chain, but after that you want to insert your hook through both loops of the stitch:

-(-)-

hth!