to troubleshooting patterns!

Standard Abbreviations
beg:beginning rep:repeat
ch:chain rnd(s):round(s)
dc:doublecrochet sc:singlecrochet
dec:decrease sc2tog:sc2sts together
hdc:halfdoublecrochet sl st:slipstitch
inc:increase st(s):stitch(es)
rem:remaining
A Note about Increases
Patternsusedifferentphrasingtotalk
aboutworkingincreases.
Bepreparedtoseeanyofthefollowing:
Increaseinnextst
Sctwiceinnextst
2scinnextst
Decreasesarecanbewrittenaseither
decreaseorsc2tog.
Repeats (aka: what is that funny * symbol?)
Acrochetpatternmaytellyoutorepeatacertaininstructionanumberoftimes.Repeatscan
bewrittenin2differentways:
*Incinnextst,scinnextst.Repeatfrom*2times.
or
[Incinnextst,scinnextst]3times.
Noticethatwhenalinecontainsan(*),youshouldcompletetheinstructiononce,andthen
repeatthespecifiednumberoftimes.Intheexampleabove,thismeansyoushouldIncinnext
st,scinnextstforatotalofthreetimes.
Reading Stitch Counts
Patternsoftencontainstitchcountstohelpyououtbutthey
canbeconfusingifyouarentprepared!Hereisatypicalline
fromapattern:
Round2:Sctwiceineachst.(12)
Whatdoesthat12mean?Thatnumberinparenthesesisyour
stitchcount:thenumberofstitchesyoushouldhaveattheend
ofyourround/row.
Feeling
confused?
Tryreadingthepattern
aloud!Hearingthe
patterninwordsoften
helps!
Gauge: need it?
Q:Doyoureallyneed
tocheckgauge?
A:Depends.Doyou
wantyourfinisheditem
tobetherightsize?
Ifyouremaking
clothing,thengaugeis
crucial.Fortoysand
washcloths,maybenot.
Itsuptoyou!
Gauge: how to measure
Example:
24stitchesand18rows=4inches
1. Grabyourruler
2. Crochetaswatchthatincludes
thespecifiednumberof
stitches
3. Measureyourswatch
Gauge: now what?
Doyour24sts measure4?
Ifso,thenyourerighton!
Ifnot,thenyoullneedto
changeyourhooksize.
Ifyourswatchissmallerthan
4,goupahooksize.Ifits
bigger,thenuseasmaller
hook.
2012StaceyTrock www.freshstitches.com