Crochet for Beginners Part 3

Welcome to Part 3 of my Crochet for Beginners

Today we're going to cover changing colours in straight crochet and how to follow a basic pattern. For now, we'll stick with text-based patterns as they are the most common ones crocheters use. There are diagram based patterns as well but they are a bit more challenging for beginners to use, so we'll cover them at a later date.

Changing Colours

Changing colours is quite straightforward when crocheting on a straight line. Once you reach the end of the row before the colour change, before you make the chains to start the next row, cut off the yarn you've been using, leaving around a 10cm (4") tail. Then use the new colour to make your chains to start the next row, again leaving a 10cm tail on the new yarn. I find it helps to hold the two tails while making the chain and first stitches to ensure you don't accidentally unravel your work. Once you've done the first couple of stitches, you should be good to keep going. When you've finished the row with the new colour, I advise pulling carefully on the tails to tighten them down and ensure the work sits as it should. Here's a video tutorial from my YouTube channel to demonstrate it for you.

Following a Written Pattern

So how do you follow a pattern? What are the components of a pattern. Any written pattern you get, whether you find it in a magazine, online, or purchase from a designer, they tend to have a fairly similar layout. You will have a list of what you will need for the pattern, covering yarn types, amounts and number of colours. The size of hook you require, and any other items such as safety eyes, buttons or stuffing. Most patterns will also include a list of abbreviations used in the pattern and what they mean, especially if there are any unusual stitches or anything particularly tricky.

There may also be some notes or tips that the pattern creator has felt important to include to help you complete the pattern. It should also state somewhere whether the pattern uses UK or US terminology, as there are some differences in the terminology such as double crochet (UK) and single crochet (US) meaning the same thing. 

After that will be the written instructions you need to follow to make the item. If there are several parts, these will be clearly marked with subheadings. My patterns generally will then list the instructions by each row or round. I number each row and at the end of each row I put the number of stitches you should have in brackets. This helps to make sure you've done it correctly and I strongly advise counting and checking this regularly.

So, for an example, here's a pattern for a striped square, where the stripes are uneven in width to give an interesting pattern with the colour changes. You can use a * to indicate where to repeat from if the pattern is repetitive.  Feel free to try it out!

Striped Square Pattern

You will need:

100g of chunky yarn in two colours: A (I used dusky pink) and B (cream rainbow spots)

5.5mm crochet hook

Scissors

Abbreviations:

Ch = chain

dc = double crochet (US single crochet)

ss = slip stitch

FO = fasten off

Instructions

Start with Yarn A

R1: Ch 11

R2: dc 10 (10)

R3: change to yarn B, ch1, dc10 (10)

R4: ch1, dc10 (10)

R5: *change to yarn A, ch1, dc10 (10)

R6: change to yarn B, ch1, dc 10 (10)

R7: ch 1, dc10 (10)

R8-10: repeat from *

R11: change to yarn A, ch1, dc 10 (10)

Fasten Off and weave in the ends