There are a lot of you who are so talented the world is waiting to see your designs, there are a lot of you who have been crocheting for a loooooong time; you make your own designs and that’s where it ends, but there are some of you who have been thinking of putting pen to paper to save your designs but for some reason you’re in limbo. I’m encouraging you today, to do it. You can and should write your own patterns.
While there’s tons of advice out there about how to write your own crochet patterns, there’s also hundreds of thousands of crocheters that could benefit from as many tips as they can find on writing their own patterns.
Pattern writing didn’t come easy to me. In fact, I was terrified. I crocheted for a year and half before taking the plunge. Here, I’m sharing the tips that helped me suck up and put pen to paper. These tips I still use whenever I feel stuck.
Note: this is directed to those who already know how to read crochet patterns.
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First, I’ll give you 3 reasons why you should write your own patterns:
– You would be adding value to the crochet community by sharing your skill. You realize there are thousands upon thousands of people who crochet? It doesn’t matter that there are already lots of patterns out there, it matters more that each pattern has a value and empowers people to create things; which in turn affects people’s lives. Think of all the items donated to charity? Someone created the design and wrote the pattern. The sky is big enough for all pattern writers
– Written patterns are a legacy. They could come in handy someday. Perhaps you may decide to sell them, start a blog or simply pass them down to younger generations (you know, like (secret) recipes).
– You could create the next big thing. Ever thought of that? And if there is no pattern, and you don’t remember the ins and outs of your creation, how are people going to create it and in turn bring you into the limelight (at least in the crochet world)? There’s more, but i’ll leave it at these 3.
Tips for Writing Your Own Patterns
1. Visualize
Of course, almost every crochet project begins with the end in mind. You must see what you want to make. This not only navigates where you start from, and the choice of stitches, it helps you keep things in perspective. It kind of lays the groundwork for what you are creating. That way, your writing can be focused.
If it helps, sketch the image on paper.
Sometimes, it can happen that what you visualize may not turn out exactly as you saw it. Nothing wrong with that. It’s a learning process you can take something from to create a better version next time.
2. Get a reference pattern.
If there is a particular crochet designer whose patterns you like to use, now would be a good time to use it to craft your own. I’m not saying copy their pattern, rather that you should use it as a guide on crafting yours.
I will assume that since you read patterns you are already familiar with crochet abbreviations; which you will be using all the time in writing. So, with a referral pattern that becomes easier.
The first pattern I ever wrote, Caramel baby slippers, I used a pattern from Moogly as a guide.
3. Start with the basics.
Start with the small stuff- no experienced crochet designer or pattern writer started out understanding all there was to designing and pattern writing. You need not overwhelm yourself trying out complex designs. Get yourself comfortable with basic designs and advance from there.
Writing a pattern for something as simple as a dishcloth may be a great place to start. Just use any stitch you like and take notes as you progress.
You should know
Pattern writing can be a pain and there will be days when you ‘frog’ (unraveling the stitches) a lot, you just want to throw the pen and paper out the window. But I guarantee you, you’ll be mighty glad to see it when it is done. Don’t give up!
The photo below shows that on the left side I got to row 18, before realizing it wasn’t right and started over.
Let’s do it!
We are making a dishcloth now. Choose your hook and yarn
- Start with your slip knot and make thirty one chains. Skip the first chain and make a Single Crochet in the next chain and in each chains all the way to the end. Now make one chain and turn the row so that the end is at your right hand. This instruction will be written thus:
Row 1: Ch 31, SC in 2nd Ch from hook, SC across. Ch 1, turn
- Make single crochet into each of the stitches across. Make one chain and turn.
Row 2: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
And that’s how you put pen to paper whipping up a dishcloth.
I really hope these tips will help you start writing your own patterns. Don’t forget to share!
Thanks for sharing. Have been wanting to write patterns for some time now.
thank you all for the above. I want to try to make my own towel topper patterns. I just have to learn to decrease properly in the stitch that I want to do it in but I will get there. There are not enough patterns out there that are easy but have a shell or bpdc/fpdc in them. I will work on trying to do a different pattern. Thank you all again for your help.Christine (Australia)
In the last year I have taken to writing my patterns for my micro crochet. I am with you on all your tips. My only addition would be that once your finished, make the item again to see if you made any mistakes along the way.
Thank you so much for adding that. It is so important to make sure the pattern is written correctly, and because pattern designers may be hard pressed for time, they often find pattern testers. Thanks again for chipping in.
Thanks for these tips and the encouragement! I have been “writing” my own patterns since I started crocheting, but never officially written one down. I just sent a pdf of my pattern out for testing. To a bunch of fellow crocheters that I don’t know! So scary and exciting!!!
Haha. yes Rochelle, it is scary and exciting but worth it when you look back and see that you documented those great designs of yours. Thank you so much for stopping by.
Awesome tips! I’m so grateful for the advice both in the article & the comments. I’ve been “combining” patterns lately with some beautiful results! Thanks for encouraging me to write them down. I’m most familiar with US abbreviations in the patterns. I’d like to learn how to read the International symbols & graphs. Pinterest & YouTube have great tutorials.
Totally awesome, Kathleen. With a little patience and practice I’m sure you’ll master this pattern writing skill. Thank you for stopping by.
I believe Michi means the crochet abbreviations that are used are sometimes confusing, especially in more intricate patterns. There are patterns where the creator understands what they mean, but it doesn’t necessarily get abbreviated clearly. It would be nice if they expanded as a side note these areas or included a small illustration and included a stitch count!
Thank you so much Kris for chipping in. I suspected that was what Michi meant, just wanted to be sure. I suppose this is an area pattern writers should improve on. Even I am constantly fine-tuning my pattern writing skills, and if there is a place in a pattern I can’t seem to put right, I’d just explain it as a tip.
I suspect traditional instructions are the ones with words and abbreviations. It is assumed you understand the symbols and the technique to use, like chain five, slip stitch to connect, chain 3, dc 11 into chain. I still get lost in these patterns. When I started to crochet using a pattern, I would rewrite the pattern so I would be able to follow each instruction.
My favorite are the international patterns. They do a picture with symbols for each stitch. It shows the connection chains and one can count the number of stitches needed and where to place them.
Use the method that works best for you. Being able to understand both traditional and standard patterns helps when you get confused. I also use “sample yarn” or remnants to learn a technique or pattern.
Thanks a lot for contributing, Dee. There’s really nothing for me to add here, you nailed it. Blessings!
I really wish the you had a choice of traditional directions or normal language directions. The traditional are horribly confusing at times.
Could you please explain what you mean by traditional? I need to understand.
thanks for sharing those tips it’s exactly what i do actualy. this ils going to be a good reference
That’s great, Nadia. I’m glad you found it useful. Thank you for stopping by.