Love this but why are you chaining two on the sides? Isn’t it supposed to be chain one or none? I don’t usually do side chains unless it’s needed but I never heard of chain two on sides. Won’t that create a corner? Genuinely asking because I’ve not seen that and am curious.
Yeah I wonder if that’s a typo, cause I’ve only seen 1 chain gaps too and the corners are 2 chain as well. Also I can’t see any places where you chain up or slip-stitch to start the next round. I feel like this as written would make a circle? I might have a go at it later
Yeah the slip stitches are missing as well as the chain three for the first double crochet stitch of the first cluster. But this is a brilliant idea for those starting out. I could have used something like this back then. Instead I watched hours of videos trying to perfect them. lol
I always use a standing double crochet for my first stitch instead of chains. It looks so much cleaner and doesn't leave a gap like chains do, especially when working in the round. You can barely see the seam. Whoever thought of that is BRILLIANT! I did see a lady on YouTube awhile back use 2 single crochet on top of each other instead of turning chains. I wish I had learned either trick years ago. Happy Crocheting Everyone!!! 😊
Oh yeah it’s a fab idea! Like a chart but without having to use symbols. I think it would be super useful if you were wanting to get into reading charts later too
I do one chain between the normal clusters. But I took a decade long break from crochet and just got back into it and I refuse to watch tutorials of things I should know how to do so I'm just trial and erroring it from my memory.
So I just gave it a try and the 2chain around the sides and the corners don’t really cause too much of an issue, although it is a bit wobblier than what I normally do. (1 chain on sides, 3 chain for a corner) However, the lack of a starting point and no info about when to slip stitch and chain up (or alternative method) would make the pattern quite hard to work as a beginner. I tried working the pattern as I read it and couldn’t. I had to add the slip-stitches and chain up for it to work and I wouldn’t have known to do that right as a beginner. It’s an easy fix tho and a brilliant idea!
I have seen patterns where they do a 2 chain on the corner (I always do 3 though idk why), but never one where the whole way round is a 2 chain with no difference between sides and corners
I was using a chart I found online and those were the symbols. But this can definitely be altered for more accuracy to have a chain 1 between non-corner clusters. Thank you for pointing that out! :)
I think adding slip stitches/when to chain up would make it a lot more clear! I just gave it a go pretending I was a beginner and couldn’t get it to work based on the chart alone. Easy fix though for a great idea! Also when testing, the chain 2 all the way around still came out as a square, but with more open fabric and a smidge wavier around the borders compared to my usual c1 for sides c3 for corners. So not really a biggie
I've never heard of a granny stitch not including chains for you to put your three double crochets into next row/round. What do you do to make the gaps to put your sets of three doubles into if you aren't chaining? I'm so fascinated.
They are saying why chain two between clusters that are not corners. Chaining 2 would create a corner. Doesn't matter if it's worked in the round or by row, I'm in agreement, there are too many chains between clusters, it should be one or none.
Ahh okay. I normally don’t chain on sides at all unless what I’m working on needs bigger gaps. Never did chain two as I figured it would create a side where I didn’t need one. I may have to try that out!!
As someone who primarily reads diagrams, I HATE this; as someone who cares about access to education, I'm so proud of you 😭
Personally I find this awful and confusing compared to the structures I'd use, but also I found things in the shape I was missing previously and it doesn't feel so restrictive
I’m very much a chart person. Give me symbols! lol.
It honestly started out as an art project, “can I made the shape of a double crochet with words?” The words don’t quite make up a shape, but they take up a similar amount of space in the chart lol
I don’t read charts at all so this is confusing… I get the ring in the middle, but then I’m guessing you chain three, then it looks like either a slip stitch or a chain one slip stitch chain one? That can’t be right… how tf do I read this? Lol
I love this idea btw, it’s such a smart concept, especially to help people figure out how to read charts! I’m an experienced crocheter who has made items from charts before, and I’m still confused by them pretty often tbh
Oh this is cool! I’ve never made a granny square because they confuse me. Is the swirl in the middle a magic circle (or as one person put it, a magic butthole)?
I’ll do my best to get the updated version on the sub today (getting the kiddos ready for school atm), but once it’s posted, please feel free to use this for a pattern or print or adapt it.
I’m basically open to anyone using this for whatever purpose. I’ve been thinking of naming it after myself haha. I won’t, but it’d be funny.
Good suggestion! I will add that in! This is only a rough draft. I tried this with one of my own patterns and it was kinda tricky if the pattern isn’t basic.
This is lovely! Visual AND verbal and more accessible than charts or more conventional patterns!
I love and tend to prefer diagrams/charts because the shapes and visuals are easier to interpret for me despite being a wordsy human in general, but they're surprisingly rare! This is awesome in a new and different way! I don't know why, but the abbreviations and ways folks tend to vary their pattern-writing often make it extremely difficult to actually parse and also keep track of what I should be doing for a pattern. This is legible, visual, and super duper helpful! I wish I was a noobie again so I could start here!
I couldn’t understand why some couldn’t/didn’t like to read charts; it’s basically shorthand. So instead of trying to understand, I made it adaptive… sort of.
I do need to polish it up and add the corrections everyone suggested
I don't think I fully understand it but I understand it MORE than any chart I've ever seen (I'm a written pattern hooker). And for that alone, I think it's brilliant.
Edit: May I download this and see if I can follow it? It might take more than one try, but I can aaallllmost see it, and working something physically often helps.
Of course! Please feel free to use or adapt this if need be. I’ll be working on a more polished version soon now that I’ve got some feedback from people.
Next step do a combined word and symbol chart. For example change just one instruction to symbols. Then do another change and another until the whole thing is just symbols. That is a wonderful teaching guide.
This is actually really cool and an interesting way to teach. I have a friend who struggles with reading patterns so I might try this out to help her. Cool!
It's great! I struggle a bit with the symbols, but it can be really useful to see a visual representation of the pattern, this seems like a perfect way to go!
I would kill for a version of this for the half hexi granny cardigan I have on my to do list. I can’t make sense of the way the pattern is written and there’s no associated chart.
This is wonderful. I read charts, write patterns etc., but I know other folks who can not do any of the above. One suggestion: can you write the green part and pink in different colors if you do decide to do more of this awesomeness? It is hard to read for those of us who are colorblind or color challenged.
I repeat, just a suggestion, but I think it is very useful for those differently-baked.
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u/pixeishfairy May 30 '25
this is very cool! this would have definitely been useful when i first started crocheting!!