The lingo in patterns always confuses me! what did you find hard at the beginning?

[Samster]

Theres quite a few little things that really confuse me in patterns, not so much what its asking me to do, but the way its put, like "ending with 1 sc in the last 3 stitches"

 

it always sounds to me like it shouls be like decreaseing the three stitches to one, by doing them all together.

 

that got me thinking,

 

what were the things that first confused you? or messed you up? or found diffictult to get your head around?

[Miss Crochet]

Much the same as you.

I think it's like starting a new job or learning any new skill: you just have to learn the terminology, and you get better with practice. But it certainly does help me if there's a picture or a diagram - I have to admit that I won't even try a pattern unless there's a picture because I really need to have some visual marker.

 

Be prepared to frog - but every time you do, you learn something new!

[kookaloo_starr]

What confused me as a beginner was where to actually put the stitch! Patterns weren't as much of a problem because I'd been knitting for years.

[magiccrochetfan]

I completely agree with what Miss Crochet said! I find a lot of written patterns to be confusing, and it's worse with un-edited patterns on the internet. there are pattern-writing standards but not everyone follows them and some things are just hard for many of us to grasp without visuals. Stitch diagrams can be really helpful, such as you will find in Crochet Today! you can see some free patterns here http://www.crochettoday.com/taxonomy/term/4

 

I learned to crochet from my mom, and 40 years later I still find written patterns confusing, so it's not just you!

[Samster]

i know what you mean with needing a picture, i thought that might just be becuase im new to this, but i think its like drawing a picture, for me, i need to have seen what it is that im trying to draw, it seems almost empty otherwise.

 

and ive knitted for 2 years almost, but ive always kept with basic stitches, and made my own patterns so i havent ever really followed a patternen

[kazily]

I've been using patterns for years but still find sometimes, the way something is worded--can be interpreted more than one way. I guess that's what I find the hardest part of written patterns. If they aren't really clear, it's trial & error until you get what was intended. Stitch counts are great at the end of each row to help keep you on track. At least 2 or 3 photos are a plus especially if it's of an instruction of something different to the pattern--for example folding a certain way or putting stitches somewhere other than the next stitch etc

[magiccrochetfan]

i know what you mean with needing a picture, i thought that might just be becuase im new to this, but i think its like drawing a picture, for me, i need to have seen what it is that im trying to draw, it seems almost empty otherwise.

 

and ive knitted for 2 years almost, but ive always kept with basic stitches, and made my own patterns so i havent ever really followed a patternen

 

If you are a visual thinker, you may really like the stitch diagrams which are like a blueprint of the pattern http://grannys-garret.com/symbol_crochet/symbol_crochet.html

[crochet123]

I had a huge problem with abbreviations in patterns. So I had to write them out. I couldnt really read a pattern until last year. But show me a picture and I could eventually figure it out.

[jennawing]

What confuses me are repeats. Something like: "[Dc in the next 3 stitches, (3dc, ch2, 3dc) 4times, Dc in the next 4st, (***dc, skip1, 2dc in next, skip 1, dc) 3 times] 4 times, ch1, cluster, ch1, Repeat from * to ** twice more then from *** to end.

 

Of course, I just totally made that up, but you get the idea. It's confusing and I usually have to work it several times in order to get it to make sense between what I am reading and what I am seeing in my work. By then, I usually know what's supposed to look like and don't have to keep reading it, but getting there can take FOREVER!

 

And the there are shells. Some patterns (and I see this in magazines a lot- they tend to over-explain things) there are beg shells and shells and beg large shells and large shells- if they already told you the ch3=dc then why explain a beg. shell? Unnecessary information, IMO.

[Amyjk]

What confuses me are repeats. Something like: "[Dc in the next 3 stitches, (3dc, ch2, 3dc) 4times, Dc in the next 4st, (***dc, skip1, 2dc in next, skip 1, dc) 3 times] 4 times, ch1, cluster, ch1, Repeat from * to ** twice more then from *** to end.

 

Of course, I just totally made that up, but you get the idea. It's confusing and I usually have to work it several times in order to get it to make sense between what I am reading and what I am seeing in my work. By then, I usually know what's supposed to look like and don't have to keep reading it, but getting there can take FOREVER!

 

And the there are shells. Some patterns (and I see this in magazines a lot- they tend to over-explain things) there are beg shells and shells and beg large shells and large shells- if they already told you the ch3=dc then why explain a beg. shell? Unnecessary information, IMO.

 

I'll have that same problem if I try to read it too quickly. It's then that I take a breath and just read it one step at a time. The written out instructions are always more confusing then actually doing them, then you go "OH!!! DUH!" LOL

[Granny Square]

What confuses me are repeats. Something like: "[Dc in the next 3 stitches, (3dc, ch2, 3dc) 4times, Dc in the next 4st, (***dc, skip1, 2dc in next, skip 1, dc) 3 times] 4 times, ch1, cluster, ch1, Repeat from * to ** twice more then from *** to end.

 

I make a lot of dolilies, and believe me the above sort of pattern is fairly common, in fact rather brief I'm a visual person more than a written-word person; sometimes I just end up diagramming the eye-crossing parts, or making pencil marks to separate them into manageable bits like

 

"[Dc in the next 3 stitches,

(3dc, ch2, 3dc) 4times,

Dc in the next 4st,

(***dc, skip1, 2dc in next, skip 1, dc) 3 times] 4 times,

ch1, cluster, ch1, Repeat from * to ** twice more then from *** to end

[CrochetinMama]

What confuses me are repeats. Something like: "[Dc in the next 3 stitches, (3dc, ch2, 3dc) 4times, Dc in the next 4st, (***dc, skip1, 2dc in next, skip 1, dc) 3 times] 4 times, ch1, cluster, ch1, Repeat from * to ** twice more then from *** to end.

 

Of course, I just totally made that up, but you get the idea. It's confusing and I usually have to work it several times in order to get it to make sense between what I am reading and what I am seeing in my work. By then, I usually know what's supposed to look like and don't have to keep reading it, but getting there can take FOREVER!

 

And the there are shells. Some patterns (and I see this in magazines a lot- they tend to over-explain things) there are beg shells and shells and beg large shells and large shells- if they already told you the ch3=dc then why explain a beg. shell? Unnecessary information, IMO.

 

That gets me too..UGH..But Samster you'll be reading patterns in no time..That was hard for me...I still can't make a picot to save my life..Well not a nice one..lol...

[Flia]

I make a lot of dolilies, and believe me the above sort of pattern is fairly common, in fact rather brief I'm a visual person more than a written-word person; sometimes I just end up diagramming the eye-crossing parts, or making pencil marks to separate them into manageable bits like

 

"[Dc in the next 3 stitches,

(3dc, ch2, 3dc) 4times,

Dc in the next 4st,

(***dc, skip1, 2dc in next, skip 1, dc) 3 times] 4 times,

ch1, cluster, ch1, Repeat from * to ** twice more then from *** to end

 

Exactly what I do too. I usually rewrite it, omitting the things that are obvious to mee (like the beginning 3 ch).

 

But I do have that problem when I'm designing. Do I always write the beginning 3 ch? Shells have different names in different countries, how do I explain it?

It's one thing coming up with new things to crochet, it's another thing entirely to try and write down what I just did.

[crocheting turtle]

I agree with kookaloo. I often increased because I put my first in the same stitche as the turning ch-3.

[Samster]

I agree with kookaloo. I often increased because I put my first in the same stitche as the turning ch-3.

 

 

Im at the stage at the beggining, where i cant keep track of how many stitches i should have!

 

i start with 10, get to the wnd and have 14, then get to the end of the second row and will be back down to 8!

 

i think im getting past it now though, im just trying to slow everything down, and take it one stich at a time.

 

another thing that i mess up alot on, is where it says reapeat, like

*1sc in next 2, then 2sc in next one* repeat from *to* untill the end of the row,

 

ill look at something else during me doing it, look back and have forgotten where i am, so have to un ravel it, untill i can pick the pattern back up

 

Frustrating!

[magiccrochetfan]

Im at the stage at the beggining, where i cant keep track of how many stitches i should have!

 

i start with 10, get to the wnd and have 14, then get to the end of the second row and will be back down to 8!

 

i think im getting past it now though, im just trying to slow everything down, and take it one stich at a time.

 

another thing that i mess up alot on, is where it says reapeat, like

*1sc in next 2, then 2sc in next one* repeat from *to* untill the end of the row,

 

ill look at something else during me doing it, look back and have forgotten where i am, so have to un ravel it, untill i can pick the pattern back up

 

Frustrating!

 

when your stitch count is off, you are either skipping stitches in the previous row, or doing multiple stitches in a stitch of the previous row. Sometimes you will intentionally do both those things, but check at the end of each row to be sure you haven't done it unintentionally.

 

for the repeats, like everybody said,, sometimes you have to write the whole thing out (or make yourself a diagram) and then you can cross out the individual sections as you do them. that seems like a lot of steps but for a complicated sequence, it's worth it.

[flyinghigh]

Sometimes the wording of a pattern would confuse me, but I don't really remember having a lot of trouble with that.... unless the pattern is weird or wrong.

 

Crocheting in a round or making hats is something I've always struggled with. As well as gauge, which I'm finally starting to do now.

[Samster]

ive not even looked at guage yet, with the sort of thing ive been making, and aim to make, both with knitting and chrochet, didnt really matter, as they never had a set size, and everything was in proportion to each other. i guess ill have to cross that hurdle when i get to it!

[Shellie_wnj]

For me, it was things like "Finish off and weave in ends." No where does it ever teach you HOW to do that, and I didn't have anyone to show me. I had quite a few finished projects finished before I found out about youtube and watched a few videos of how to do it right! I was knotting my ends and using the hook to "hide" the ends. Also when it says "insert zipper" or lining, or whatever... HOW???!!! LOL

The other thing was when I first started, I could not crochet in the round. I couldn't figure out where to join and some patterns say to turn and others don't and I didn't know that sometimes you DO turn and sometimes you don't!

[flyinghigh]

The other thing was when I first started, I could not crochet in the round. I couldn't figure out where to join and some patterns say to turn and others don't and I didn't know that sometimes you DO turn and sometimes you don't!

 

Isn't that frustrating? I've taken to making up my own spot to join the rounds... I tend to lose stitches when I do it the way I think you're supposed to.

 

I understand the turning. With some projects- if you don't turn, you get this crazy diagonal seam line. It doesn't look good.

[jennawing]

I understand the turning. With some projects- if you don't turn, you get this crazy diagonal seam line. It doesn't look good.

 

In most cases, you can avoid the diagonal seam thing by not counting your ch as a stitch and sort of hide it behind there.