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Crochet guides and references
Reference material we keep because we need it ourselves: what the abbreviations mean, which hook matches which yarn, and how to read the line of a pattern that has stopped making sense. Free to use, no account needed, and written to be checked mid-project rather than read end to end.
- Beginner's guideBeginner's guide to crochetWhat you need to start crocheting, how to choose a hook and yarn, the first stitches to learn, and the mistakes that trip most people up in week one.Useful if: Anyone who has never held a hook, or who started once and stopped.
- Pattern notationCrochet pattern notation referenceWhat the brackets, asterisks, repeats and stitch counts in a crochet pattern mean, in one place you can check mid-project.Useful if: Anyone holding a pattern and unsure what a line is asking for.
- AbbreviationsCrochet abbreviations dictionaryEvery abbreviation a pattern is likely to use, what it stands for, what it asks you to do, and where US and UK terms mean different stitches.Useful if: Anyone reading a pattern who has hit letters they do not recognise.
- Hook sizesCrochet hook size guideMillimetre, US and old UK hook sizes side by side, which yarn each is usually paired with, and why the size on the pattern is a starting point.Useful if: Anyone converting a pattern's hook size to the hooks they own.
- Yarn weightsYarn weight guide for crochetThe standard yarn weight numbers from lace to jumbo, the names each goes by, the hooks they suit, and how to substitute one yarn for another.Useful if: Anyone choosing yarn for a pattern, or substituting what they have.
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Our patterns are written PDFs with stitch counts for every round, so the references above are the same language the patterns use.
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