Read Crochet Patterns Basics: The Photo

How to Read Crochet Patterns: First, Check The Photo

When you are a beginner at crochet or at reading crochet patterns, it might be difficult to figure out what the photo that accompanies the instructions is telling you.

The first thing to do is to learn to recognize what the basic stitches look like when they are used to create the crocheted fabric.

Here are some key photos:

Single Crochet worked back and forth in rows

This is probably the first stitch that you learned.

And here is a closeup:

Single Crochet worked in rounds

Notice that the stitches seem to slant up and to the right with each round.

Half Double Crochet worked back and forth in rows

This fabric can seem similar to Single Crochet. But the stitches are just a bit larger.

This photo shows a comparison between Single Crochet and Half Double Crochet: the lower portion is Single Crochet, and the upper is Half Double Crochet:

Double Crochet worked back and forth in rows

With Double Crochet, you can see the posts of the stitches quite clearly. In this photo, the lower portion is Single Crochet, and the upper portion is Double Crochet:

Treble or Triple Crochet worked back and forth in rows

With Triple Crochet, the posts are much longer. The scarf in this photo is made with a 4-row repeat of Triple Crochet, Half Double Crochet, Triple Crochet again, and Double Crochet. Try to identify the 3 types of stitches in the photo:

Read Crochet Patterns: Examples of Photos

Crochet Patterns based on Single Crochet

Here is the photo from a pattern made from Single Crochet worked in rounds:

Here is a photo from a pattern made from a variation of Single Crochet (long stitches):

And here's the project that I made from this pattern:

Crochet Patterns based on Half Double Crochet

Here are a couple of photos from patterns using Half Double Crochet.

The main body of this vest uses Half Double Crochet.

The main body of this baby hoodie is also made from Half Double Crochet.

This is the sweater that I made from this pattern:

Crochet Patterns based on Double Crochet

The most common pattern using Double Crochet is the Granny Square. It also uses chain stitches, and is worked in rounds.

Here is a Baby Afghan pattern that uses a lot of Double Crochet and Chain stitches. It is worked in rows.

Here is a closeup of the Baby Afghan that I made from this pattern:

The next two photos are closeups of sections of a hat that is primarily worked in Double Crochet, but with some variations:

More Complex Patterns

There are so many interesting crochet textures. This scarf is just one example of what you might see. Can you figure out what kinds of stitches are in it?

Conclusion

Once you recognize the basic stitches, you can make an educated guess as to whether a particular project pattern is appropriate for your skill level.