How to read a crochet pattern for amigurumi

One of the questions I get (fairly often) from beginners is “I’ve just started to learn to crochet but I don’t know how to read a pattern, please could you help me?”

I get it! Crochet patterns look like an entirely different language to begin with and it’s made even more complicated by these two things:

Firstly, crochet (even when written in the English language) has two languages – US standard terms and UK standard terms. Ideally, patterns should tell you up front which they are written in, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case!

Secondly, there are a lot of different ways of writing things and people use different methods to convey it (some more successfully than others!) Crochet doesn’t have a ‘standard’ way of writing patterns and this can make it tricky (especially when you’re first starting out!)

Pretty much all crochet patterns use abbreviations (my patterns do!) and again, patterns should include a list of the abbreviations used so that you know what to do… but that doesn’t always work out!

So, here’s my handy tips about how to read a crochet pattern!

Terminology:
Let’s start by looking at the terminology used. This won’t be an exhaustive list, but includes most of the basic stitches you may come across. The table below shows US terminology since that is what the majority of amigurumi patterns use:

Fasten off	F.O or FO
Magic ring	MR
Stitch	st
Chain	ch
Slip stitch	sl st
Single crochet	sc
Half double crochet	hdc
Double crochet	dc
Treble crochet	trc
Increase (2sc into the same st)	inc
Decrease (sc 2st together) or Invisible decrease (sc 2st together using only the front loops)	dec or invdec
Double crochet increase (2dc into the same st)	dc-inc
Front loops only	FLO
Back loops only	BLO

 

Skills:
• Magic ring = starter ring created by making a loop with the yarn around a finger leaving a few cm long tail; insert hook into the ring; yarn over and pull a loop through the ring, then yarn over and pull through the loop (this doesn’t count as a stitch); then sc into the ring for the amount indicated on the pattern; when finished, pull the tail to close the ring.
• Chain = yarn over and pull through the single loop on hook.
• Slip stitch = insert hook into the next stitch (i.e. both top loops of the next stitch), yarn over and pull through, and continue to pull through the single loop on hook.
• Single crochet = insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop through the stitch, yarn over and pull through both loops on hook.
• Invisible decrease = insert hook under the front loop of the next two stitches, yarn over and pull through the two loops, yarn over, pull through the remaining two loops on hook.
• Changing colour (during sc stitching) = during the final stitch in your first colour: insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through; drop first colour and yarn over with new colour, pull through both loops on hook; continue with new colour (you can cut off the old colour, or keep it attached and pick it up when changing back to that colour).
• Double crochet = yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through remaining two loops.
• Half double crochet = yarn over, insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop through the stitch, yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook.
• (    ) xn = repeat the instructions inside the brackets n times

Before you get started:
• Firstly, check first to see if the pattern specified which terminology it is written in (US or UK). Hopefully it will say, but if not, you can skim through the pattern to see if you can spot anything which might say ‘single crochet’ or ‘sc’. If you do see that the pattern uses single crochets, then it is written in US terminology, since UK terminology does not include single crochets!
• Next, check to see if you will be working in a continuous spiral or whether each round will be joined with a slip stitch.
• Finally, make sure you’ve got the right size hook for your yarn choice! Don’t just follow what the pattern says (the pattern will make a suggestion which may be suitable for you, but make sure to use what is right for you and your yarn!)

Getting started:
Ok, so let’s take a look at the first few rounds of a pattern and the different ways they could be written!

Rnd 1: 6sc into magic ring (6)
1) Mr, sc 6 [6]
R1: 6 sc in a MR (6)

Each of these instructions show that for the first round you need to make a magic ring and then put 6 single crochets into that magic ring. The brackets at the end show that you should have 6 stitches at the end of that round.

Rnd 2: 6inc (12)
2) inc x6 [12]
R2: (inc) x6 (12)

Each of these instructions show that for the second round you need to make 6 increases (1 increase in each stitch from the first round). By the end of round 2 you should then end up with 12 stitches.

Rnd 3: (1inc, 1sc) x6 (18)
3) (inc, sc) x6 [18]
R3: (sc, inc) x6 (18)

Each of these instructions show that for the third round you need to alternate doing single crochets and increases the whole way around until you have repeated that pattern 6 times and have ended the round with 18 stitches.

Essentially that means: 1 increase, 1 single crochet, 1 increase, 1 single crochet, 1 increase, 1 single crochet, 1 increase, 1 single crochet, 1 increase, 1 single crochet, 1 increase, 1 single crochet.

You can see that without abbreviations, patterns would get very wordy and hard to follow!!

Sometimes the pattern will ask for the first stitch of the round to be an increase, whilst others will have you starting with a single crochet. Make sure to follow it carefully as it can alter the shape of the piece if you have the increases in the wrong place!

Rnd 4: 1sc, 1inc, (2sc, 1inc) x5, 1sc (24)
4) (sc, inc, sc) x6 [24]
R4: (2sc, 1inc) x6 (24)

Each of these instructions show that for the fourth round you need to alternate doing 2 single crochets and 1 increase the whole way around.

The top option is the most complex to look at and can be broken down by doing 1 single crochet, 1 increase and then repeating the instructions inside the brackets 5 times (so 5 lots of 2 single crochets followed by 1 increase), and then finishing the round with 1 single crochet.

The reason this one is written like this is to spread out the increases so they don’t end up stacking on top of each other round after round as this can cause spheres to have a more hexagonal shape.

Rnd 15: 3sc, 1invdec (6sc, 1invdec) x5 ,3sc (42)
15) (sc 3, dec, sc 3) x6 [42]
R1: (6 sc, dec) x6 (42)

Each of these instructions show that for the fifteenth round you will alternate doing 6 single crochets and 1 decrease/ invisible decrease the whole way around to give you a total of 42 stitches at the end of the round.

Again, the top option is asking you to spread out the decreases to help keep the spherical shape nice and even.

You’ll start the round with 3 single crochets, 1 invisible decrease and then you’ll repeat the instructions inside the brackets 5 times (so 5 lots of 6 single crochets followed by 1 invisible decrease), and then you’ll finish the round with 3 single crochets.

Hopefully this has given you a little insight into how crochet patterns work but if you're still struggling, pop the pattern designer an email to ask for help!