How to Write Your First Crochet Pattern (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)
Hey friend!
First of all, congratulations on taking the first step toward writing your very first crochet pattern! Creating your own design is such an exciting milestone, but I know it can also feel a little scary and a lot overwhelming.
You might be wondering: How do I turn my crochet design or creation into written instructions? Am I experienced enough to make my own pattern? Can I sell it?
If you have these questions, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started and help you feel more confident writing your first crochet pattern.
The good news is that you don’t need to know everything before you begin. Your first pattern is not supposed to be perfect.. it’s a learning experience.
Every pattern you write will teach you something new and help you become a better designer.
When I started designing, I had no background in pattern writing or design. I didn’t know there was a “right” way to write a crochet pattern. I had never heard of things like gauge, tech editing, pattern testing, or industry standards. I simply started crocheting, wrote down what I did, and learned through trial and error.
My first few patterns were far from perfect. Over the years, I’ve gone back and rewritten many of them as my skills improved and I understood more about professional pattern writing.
I created this guide to help you have an easier beginning than I did. I’ll share the lessons I wish someone had taught me when I was starting out, so you can avoid common mistakes and approach your first pattern with confidence (and you don’t have to go back like me to rewrite old patterns when you should be creating new ones!)
Remember, your goal isn’t to create a masterpiece on your first try.
Your goal is to finish your first pattern, learn from the experience, and build the skills and confidence to create your next one.
Let’s get started!
Your First Crochet Pattern vs. Writing Patterns Professionally
Your first crochet pattern can absolutely be a pattern you plan to sell. You don’t have to wait until you’ve written dozens of patterns before you start selling your work.
The difference is that when you’re writing your first pattern, you’re learning the process for the first time. So, to keep things manageable, we’ll start with a simpler approach:
Crochet first, write later.
You’ll focus on making your project, recording what you do, and turning those notes into clear written instructions.
As you gain experience, you can develop a more planned-out design process. You’ll learn to work out the details and write your pattern before crocheting the sample.
If you’ve already written a crochet pattern and want to improve your process, take a look at my complete guide to [How to Write a Crochet Pattern to Sell]. It covers the more professional workflow that can help you make designing and writing each new pattern easier and more efficient.
🎁 Get Your FREE First Crochet Pattern Checklist
Feeling overwhelmed and worried you’ll forget something along the way?
I’ve created a simple, free 7-step checklist to help you keep track of the process, from choosing your project to publishing your finished pattern.
Use it as a guide while you work through this article, so you can focus on one step at a time instead of trying to remember everything.
👉 Get Your Free First Crochet Pattern Checklist
Why You Shouldn’t Modify Someone Else’s Pattern to Sell
It can be tempting to take an existing crochet pattern, change a few stitches or add a border, and sell it as your own. However, that’s NOT ethical.
Crochet patterns are protected by copyright as written works. Simply changing a few details doesn’t make the pattern yours, and selling a modified version may infringe copyright.
Remember: There is a thin line between inspiration and infringement.
Quick Tip: There is no “20% rule” or other percentage (even 50%) that makes copying okay. Changing someone else’s pattern to sell as your own is copyright infringement.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice.
Before You Write Your First Crochet Pattern
Before you start writing your first crochet pattern, spend a little time preparing. A small amount of preparation now will make the whole process much easier.
1. Crochet a Few Patterns
If you’re new to crochet, make a few beginner-friendly projects before designing your own. This helps you become comfortable reading patterns and understanding how projects are constructed.
You can try some of my designs here.
2. Study Professional Patterns
Read a few well-written crochet patterns from a designer’s perspective. Notice how they’re organised, how instructions are written, where stitch counts are placed, and how information is presented.
The goal isn’t to copy another design at all.. but it’s to learn what makes a pattern easy to follow.
3. Learn Standard Crochet Terminology
Familiarize yourself with standard US or UK crochet abbreviations and terminology. Using recognised terms makes your patterns clear, professional, and easy for crocheters around the world to understand.
4. Practice Writing Instructions
Before writing a complete pattern, practise writing the instructions for a simple stitch swatch like a sc swatch or a shells stitch swatch. Comparing your version with a professionally written stitch pattern is a great way to learn the language of pattern writing.
How to Write Your First Crochet Pattern
Step 1: Choose Your Project and Design
Start with a project that matches your current skill level. Choose your yarn, hook size, and simple stitch pattern, keeping the design easy to write and follow.
Before you begin crocheting, sketch your idea. It doesn’t need to be a perfect drawing—just enough to help you visualize the shape, construction, and details.
Action Steps
- Choose your project, yarn, and hook.
- Decide on your stitch pattern.
- Sketch your design.
Step 2: Crochet Your Project and Record Everything
Grab your favourite drink, your notebook or laptop, and your phone or camera before you begin. Keeping everything within reach makes it easy to record your notes and take photos as you crochet, so you won’t have to rely on your memory later.
As you crochet, remember that this is your first sample. Don’t worry if you decide to change something along the way. It’s completely normal to frog a few rows, tweak the stitch pattern, or adjust the size.
While you crochet, write everything down. Don’t rely on your memory—you’ll almost certainly forget the little details later. Record every chain, turn, stitch, row, stitch count, measurement, and any changes you make as you go. Even if your notes are messy, they’ll be much easier to organize later than trying to remember what you did. This is your rough pattern draft.
Take photos throughout the process too. Capture key construction steps, special techniques, and progress photos before moving on to the next stage. These photos can be invaluable when writing your pattern and can also be used in your PDF pattern, blog post, or marketing materials.
Most importantly, have fun with it.
Action Steps
- Crochet your project from start to finish.
- Write down every detail as you crochet.
- Take photos of important construction steps and your progress.
- Keep all your notes and photos together in one place.
Step 3: Make a Gauge Swatch
Gauge tells you how many stitches and rows fit into a specific measurement. Recording gauge is an important habit because it helps ensure your finished project matches the measurements in your pattern.
Measure your swatch carefully and record your stitch and row counts.
Action Steps
- Crochet your gauge swatch.
- Measure your stitch and row gauge.
- Record your gauge information.
⭐Need help understanding gauge?
Gauge is one of the most important skills to learn as a crochet designer.
It might seem confusing at first, but once you understand it, you’ll find it much easier to design patterns and help crocheters get the results you’re aiming for.
My Master Gauge Guide will help you understand crochet gauge, measure it correctly, and feel more confident explaining gauge to crocheters who need help while following your patterns.
👉 [Get the Master Gauge Guide here]
Step 4: Write Your Crochet Pattern
Now it’s time to turn your notes into a crochet pattern that someone else can follow.
Start by gathering all your notes and photos.
When writing your instructions, imagine you’re teaching a friend who can’t see what you’re doing. Your instructions should be clear enough that someone can recreate your project without having to guess what comes next.
Write one step at a time using standard crochet terminology and abbreviations. Include stitch counts at the end of rows or rounds where appropriate, and add notes whenever something might confuse the crocheter.
Keep your sentences short and consistent. If you repeat a particular instruction throughout the pattern, always word it the same way. Consistency makes patterns much easier to follow.
Finally, don’t get stuck trying to make everything perfect. You’ll improve it during editing, tech editing, and pattern testing.
Action Steps:
Complete your first draft.
Tech Edit & Test
Before you sell your pattern, you want to make sure the instructions actually work and make sense to someone else.
A tech editor is someone who checks the pattern itself for errors — things like stitch counts, measurements, calculations, instructions, abbreviations, and consistency.
A tester is another crocheter who follows your pattern exactly as written to see if they can make the project successfully. They can tell you if they get confused, find mistakes, or notice something missing.
Step 5: Edit and Tech Edit Your Pattern
Before sending your pattern to testers, review it carefully.
For smaller projects, crochet the pattern again using only your written instructions. For larger projects, make a swatch to check your instructions.
Look for:
- Missing steps
- Confusing instructions
- Spelling or formatting mistakes
A professional tech editor checks your pattern for technical accuracy, including stitch counts, calculations, terminology, and consistency.
Action Steps
- Proofread your pattern.
- Check your instructions by crocheting from them.
- Hire a tech editor if possible.
- Make updates based on feedback.
Step 6: Test Your Pattern
Pattern testing shows you how your instructions work for other crocheters.
Give testers your pattern exactly as written and ask them to note anything confusing, missing, or difficult to follow.
You don’t need a large testing team for your first pattern. Even one or two testers can provide valuable feedback.
Action Steps
- Find pattern testers. They can be your friends.
- Ask them to follow the pattern exactly.
- Collect feedback.
- Make final changes.
Step 7: Publish Your First Pattern
Congratulations—you’ve created your first crochet pattern!
Before publishing, prepare:
- Your final PDF
- Finished project photos
- Product listing
If you’re just starting, Etsy is a great place to begin because it already has customers searching for crochet patterns. You can expand to platforms like Ravelry or your own website as your business grows.
Opening your first Etsy shop?
Use my referral link to get 40 free Etsy listings. Each listing normally costs $0.20 USD.
Action Steps
- Prepare your pattern listing.
- Publish your design.
- Celebrate your first pattern!
🎉 Ready to Write Your First Crochet Pattern?
Want some guidance as you work on your first pattern? Join my Write Your First Crochet Pattern in 7 Days course, and I’ll guide you step by step through choosing your design, creating your sample, writing your instructions, and preparing your first simple pattern.
By the end, you’ll have a first pattern written and ready for the next steps!
👉 [Join the Course Here]
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Making mistakes is part of learning to design crochet patterns. The goal isn’t to avoid every mistake — it’s to learn from them and improve with each pattern.
Choosing a Project That’s Too Complicated
Your first pattern doesn’t need to be your dream design.
Complex projects can involve advanced shaping, multiple sizes, complicated calculations, and lots of testing time. This can quickly make your first pattern feel overwhelming and take much longer than expected. It has caused aspiring designers to quit. We don’t want that.
Start with something manageable, learn the process, and gradually take on more challenging designs as your skills grow.
Not Taking Notes
Never rely on your memory.
Record every stitch, row, round, measurement, and change as you crochet. Even small details — like the hook size you used — can be easy to forget if you leave them until later.
Your notes become the first draft of your pattern.
Creating Your Own Abbreviations
Use standard crochet terminology and abbreviations whenever possible.
Familiar wording makes your pattern easier for crocheters to understand and helps prevent confusion.
Don’t create your own abbreviations unless there’s a very good reason to do so.
Skipping Editing and Testing
Even experienced pattern designers can have errors in their patterns. That’s why editing and testing are so important.
These checks help you catch mistakes and confusing instructions before your pattern reaches your customers.
And as a new designer, you can learn a lot from this process. Your tech editor may catch things you didn’t notice, and your testers can show you where your instructions aren’t as clear as you thought they were.
Waiting for Perfect
Your first pattern probably won’t be perfect.
Even after you’ve revised it again and again, there may still be things you’d do differently next time. Ask me how I know! 😅
Every pattern you write teaches you something new.
The more patterns you finish, the more comfortable you’ll become with designing, writing, editing, and testing.
Your goal isn’t perfection. Your goal is to get the reps in.
Finish the pattern. Learn from it. Write the next one.
Done is better than perfect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Anyone Write a Crochet Pattern?
Yes! If you can crochet and are willing to learn, you can become a crochet designer.
You don’t need to be an expert, have a certification, or be great at maths. You need to create patterns that are clear, accurate, and enjoyable to follow.
What Should My First Crochet Pattern Be?
Choose a simple project that matches your skill level.
Good beginner pattern ideas include:
- Scarves
- Dishcloths
- Simple bags
- Baby blankets
- Placemats
- Basic accessories
Avoid starting with complicated garments or designs with lots of shaping.
Can My First Crochet Pattern I design and write be a Hat?
A hat may seem like an easy first pattern, but it can be more complex than expected. Designing a hat requires skills like working in the round, shaping, sizing, and creating the right fit.
For your first pattern, I recommend starting with a simpler project that does not require shaping or working in a round.
However, there are no rules. Do what your gut says. If you feel ready to design a hat, read my guide on creating your first crochet hat pattern.
Do I Need to Be Good at Maths?
You only need basic maths skills, such as multiplication and division, for things like stitch counts and sizing.
Calculators and worksheets can make the process much easier.
Do I Need to Be Good With Technology?
No. You only need basic computer skills. Everything else can be learned as you go.
Can AI Write My Crochet Patterns?
AI cannot write patterns.
A good pattern requires understanding construction, stitch behaviour, shaping, sizing, fit, yarn choices, and how real crocheters will follow the instructions.
AI can support your workflow, but the designer must create, test, and verify the pattern.
Read more in this blog
Do I Need a Pattern Tester for My First Pattern?
Yes, testing is highly recommended.
Testers follow your pattern exactly as written and help identify unclear instructions, mistakes, or areas that need improvement.
Should I Tech Edit My First Pattern?
If your budget allows, yes.
A tech editor checks your pattern for technical accuracy, including stitch counts, calculations, terminology, and consistency.
Having your first few patterns professionally edited can help you improve your skills faster.
How Long Does It Take to Write a Crochet Pattern?
Your first pattern may take several days or weeks. As you gain experience, the process becomes faster. If you want to write your first pattern in a week with me click here!
Can I Sell My First Crochet Pattern?
Yes!
Your first pattern doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be clear, accurate, and tested.
Every designer starts with a first pattern. The more patterns you launch, the better you get.
How Do I Know If My Pattern Idea Is Good Enough?
Many new designers wait for a “special” idea before starting. Your first pattern does not need to be unique or complicated.
Choose a project that:
- You understand how to make
- You would enjoy crocheting
- Solves a problem or creates something people want
Your goal is to learn the design process first.
You’ve Got This!
If you’ve made it this far, you’re already much closer to writing your first crochet pattern than you were when you started.
Don’t wait until you feel like an expert. Every successful crochet designer started exactly where you are now.
🎁 Grab Your FREE First Crochet Pattern Checklist
Ready to write your first crochet pattern but not sure where to start?
This free 7-step checklist will help you keep track of the process, from choosing your project to publishing your finished pattern. Use it as a handy guide to help you stay organised and work through each step without feeling overwhelmed.
👉 [Get Your FREE Checklist Here]
Want More Guidance?
If you’d like help putting everything together, my Write Your First Crochet Pattern in 7 Days course will guide you through the process step by step, from choosing your design to writing your pattern.
Instead of trying to figure everything out on your own, you’ll have a clear process to follow as you work towards completing your very first crochet pattern.
👉 [Learn More About the Course]
If this guide helped you, I’d love it if you pinned this post so you can come back to it later and share it with another crocheter who’s dreaming of designing their first pattern.
And when you’ve finished your first design, I’d love to celebrate with you! Tag me on Instagram or Facebook @crochetwithakita so I can see what you’ve created.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more crochet design tips, tutorials, and resources to help you grow your skills and build your crochet design business.
Thank you so much for reading, and happy designing!
Related Articles
Want to learn more about designing and selling crochet patterns? Here are a few guides you might find helpful:
[How to Write a Crochet Pattern to Sell] — Learn how to write patterns using a more professional process.
[How to Launch Your First Crochet Pattern as a New Designer] — Learn how to prepare, launch, and promote your pattern.
[Why Become a Crochet Designer?] — Find your deeper why and find your path as a designer.
[How to Set Up Your Crochet Design Business] — Learn about getting your crochet design business started.
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Hey, I’m Aki!
Crochet has been a huge part of my life for the past few years, and I still can’t believe I get to do this every day because of wonderful people like you. I’m so happy you’re here!
I design fun, unique crochet patterns with beginner-friendly video tutorials because I believe you should never feel limited—in crochet or in life!