HOW TO CHOOSE A CROCHET PATTERN

In the world of crochet there are two basic forms of crochet pattern instructions. One is chart based …… and the other verbiage base — lots and lots of verbiage as you can see from the page below.

If given a choice, I will always lean towards a chart based pattern. One quick glance at the chart and my fingers can keep moving. With the verbiage based pattern, I have to stop find my place among the words and READ.

Learning the symbols for single, double, triple and chain stitches isn’t difficult. In Magic Crochet, for instance, an “o” on a chart is a chain — an “x” is a single crochet.

Once you learn these very easy symbols, crocheting will not only become much faster for you, a whole new world opens in terms of pattern availability simply because the symbols are more or less international.

The pretty little doily pattern is in the October 1993 edition of Magic Crochet — which, unfortunately, has ceased publication. If you’re resourceful, you can still occasionally find back issues at flea markets, garage sales and eBay. BUT, most hookers who have them are loathe to give them up. I’ve have issues from the 80’s that will leave my home only upon my death! Good hunting to you!!!

Another great magazine is Anna Again, if you keep your eyes peel, you will run across these from time to time.

You’ll find more than crochet in Anna Burda. Knitting, cross stitch, hardanger — they’ve got a little of everything. This particular page of lace also includes a picturial … a demo on how to turn a corner when crocheting lace.
You can see that this issue is written in German. Low and below, — here’s the pattern pull out chart — the symbols are very, very similar. The only difference that I can think of off the top of my head is that Anna uses a dot instead of an “o” to symbolize a single crochet.

A crocheter who doesn’t read German, BUT can read crochet symbols CAN make these beautiful lace crochet patterns.
Here’s a random chart key I pulled of the net. I think this is Italian … or maybe Spanish, but look at their symbols! THEY ARE THE SAME!

The + is a single crochet, the T a half-double crochet, the T with one slash is a double crochet … and so on. Exactly the same as the English symbols.
Anna, by the way, began publishing in English, too. Check out Amazon for a subscription.

So, pick up a chart based magazine and LEARN the symbols. You will be so very glad you did as you find your projects going much much faster. You will be postively giddy when you stumble upon a beautiful pattern book published in a foreign language — AND can easily work out the pattern for yourself.

HAPPY HOOKING!

PS: Anyone who reads my knitting blog knows, MY challenge is to learn how to read KNITTING charts — LOL.

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