A crochet pattern may be worked in rows or in the round.

Before you start working, the pattern, make a slip knot on your hook. Most patterns assume that you know to do this and don’t include it in the instructions. With the slip knot on your hook, you will make a specified length chain, which the pattern will state. The number of chains you need may be noted before the first row or in the first row, depending on the pattern writer. Here are two examples:

Row 1: Ch 29; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across

or

Ch 29

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across

These mean the same thing: Make a slip knot on your hook, then make 29 chain stitches. Now you have 29 chains, and the pattern says to “sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across”. That means that you look at your chain, count the first chain away from the hook, which you will skip, then work a single crochet in the 2nd chain away from the hook. Then, work the single crochet in each of the remaining 27 chains.

You have now completed Row 1. Count your stitches; you should have 28 single crochet stitches.

TIP: Count the stitches at the end of every row.

Most patterns tell you how many stitches you should have at the end of each row.

Row1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (28)

This is to show the number of stitches you should have. Don’t confuse it with an instruction to do something.

Now you have completed Row 1. Look at your pattern: at the end of the row, it may say ch 1, turn. That means it is time to turn the work so you can make the next row of stitches. The chain 1 makes the yarn high enough to begin the next row. Some patterns don’t tell you to ch 1, turn, at the end of the row. They put that in the instructions for the next row; the pattern could be written in two different ways:

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each rem ch; ch 1, turn

Row 2: Sc in each sc across

or

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each rem ch

Row 2: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across

It doesn’t matter whether you work the ch 1, turn, at the end of the first row, or the beginning of the next row. Just do it the way the pattern instructions state.

Parentheses, Asterisks, and Brackets

In addition to using abbreviations, crochet patterns use several symbols to tell you what to do. Crochet patterns often have a series of steps that are repeated several times across a row. Instead of writing these out time after time, asterisks (*) are used to indicate the repeats. A pattern might read like this:

Row 3: sc in next 2 sts; *ch 1, skip next st, sc in next st; rep from * across row (or to end)

That means that the steps following the asterisk are to be repeated, in order, until you reach the end of the row. Or the pattern might say:

Row 3: sc in next 2 sts; *ch 1, skip next st, sc in next st*, rep from * to * across row (or repeat between *’s)

That is just another way of saying the same thing, and you work the steps given between the two asterisks, in order, across the row. To make things more complicated — sometimes you will repeat steps several times within a row, and then end up doing something else! That can mean you will find ** within the *.

A pattern might read:

Row 3: dc in next 4 sts; *ch 1, skip next st, dc in next st,** work a shell in next st; rep from * across row, ending last rep at **

First, ignore that ** until the pattern tells you to do something with it. So you will first work the steps following the asterisk across the row, and the last time you will end at the **, meaning you will not work the shell the last time.

Brackets [ ] also are used to tell you how many times to work a specific step. The number immediately following the brackets tells you how many times to do the step. For example:

Row 4: dc in next 4 dc, ch 1, [sk next dc, shell in next dc] 4 times, ch 1, dc in next 4 dc

That means you will work the [sk next dc, shell in next dc] 4 times before working the ch 1, dc in next 4 dc.

Parentheses are sometimes used in the same way. Parentheses are used to indicate a group of stitches that are to be worked together into a stitch, such as: in next dc work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc). That means you will work all of those stitches in one dc, which makes a shell.

Working in Spaces

One instruction that can get confusing for beginners is “ work a shell in next ch sp.” A chain space occurs when you work a chain stitch, then skip a stitch, then work into the next stitch. The space underneath the chain, where you skipped a stitch, is where you will work the shell.

Working in the Round

Many crochet projects include working in rounds – such as a granny square.

Instructions may read: ch 4, join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

To do this, you will make a slip knot on the hook, as usual, then chain 4, then insert the hook into the first chain made, hook the yarn and draw it through the first chain and the loop on the hook. Now you have a small circle or ring into which you will work stitches. To start, you will need to raise the yarn to the correct height with chains, just as you would start a row. Then you will work stitches into the ring. Your pattern will tell you what to work into the ring.