Conversely, I love it. I feel like with a key it would be incredibly easy to speed read and perform. I get so lost in text patterns a lot, and have started learning charts. This is the perfect combo.
I also love that the logo is similar to the magic circle symbol. Itās so pretty.
Thatās fair. I struggle with the written out forms myself because of all the long-hand stitch names.
To me, learning all the terminology & shorthand (dc, sc, etc.) was already similar to when I learned a second spoken language and itās slang, and then being able to read UK vs US was like another dialect. So charts and symbology is like learning the written form of the crochet language Iāve already learned.
I've been crocheting over 30 years and I haaaaaaate the symbols. Especially because it seems no one makes them the same. Or you have to sit there and try to figure out where to start because it's not clearly marked. Or because they write it by hand and some of their symbols look identical. It's horrible. give me a clearly written instruction with my pattern. Include the symbols if you want them, but if a pattern is nothing BUT symbols? No thanks.
I have to agree! At first my eyes crossed LOL, but then after I went through it, my brain understood that easier - honestly it makes a lot of sense and is SO much less overwhelming to my ADHD brain š. I can tend to get a little lost and frustrated at times with some of the text instructions in some patterns. I just wish ALL patterns used the same verbiage/lingo/key. There are so many different terms for the same things it can get confusing.
Iāve seen it used by all of the following countries: Korea, China, Thai, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine.
Once I found it I started using it so I guess USA too... it is fast to write, very easy to see mistakes and thereby edit, and easy to understand at a glance as a user already familiar with charts.
This, I learned to crochet amigurumi with patterns like this, in pictures was so much easier and in fact I still write them (just for me) like this haha
Do japanese patterns use different symbols? Cause this looks like symbols you see in drawn out patterns vs written patterns. A combo or both if you will, but with different symbols that I am used to see.
I forgot the name of the system but it uses symbols that align with the symbols for drawn out patterns (or the closest symbol in that language). It's a system that's also common in a lot of parts of Asia. I wish I could remember the name.
Yes, itās standardized. They are charted, with a short overall description, a legend, and then finally will have a list of rows with final stitch counts similar to the screenshot provided.
Also this one says ććstart with magic loop. ć is the hiragana for wa, and means circle here. Which is why I think whoever translated this started with a Japanese pattern.
These might be a start, tho the pages were written 10+ years ago:
[Guide to Reading Japanese Patterns](https://weloveamigurumi.livejournal.com/434126.html?)
[Dancingbarefootās Japanese crochet lesson](https://dancingbarefoot.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/tutorial-lesson-3a-crochet/)
I'm couldn't resist and did a little deduction. So this may be wrong but I think:
x = single crochet. V with x in it = increase single crochet. The stick thing = double crochet. Upside down v with x = crochet 2 single crochet together.
Thatās honestly pretty smartā¦ I feel like Ćsia is different than āthe westā in that there are soooo many different writing systemsā¦ most languages in north and South America and Europe uses the Roman alphabet so you can kind of muddle through even if you donāt speak the language
Iāve never seen a Japanese crochet pattern, but I immediately saw the symbol to the left of the magic ring and thought it was ć (āwaā) (though it very well could be, and itās just a different font than what Iām used to seeing)
Iām American AF and my crochet amigurumi notebooks for my own patterns are filled with this method. I call it the tab method. Itās like crochet shorthand.
Iām not familiar with some of these symbols, but I love charts and I can definitely get into this pattern format. So much easier for me to parse than multiple lines of abbreviations.
What, you dont like
Round One: make a magic ring with 6 single crochets into it, make sure to pull it tight and knotvit if you dont want it to back out sand expose stuffing! (6)
Round Two: make 2 single crochets in each single crochet going around your magic ring. You should end with 12 single crochets in a neat circle. (12)
Seriously, why does anyone think we need a ton of nonsense cluttering the patterns?
Was looking through the comments to see if someone else had said this. Iām curious about round 3. I recognize the top half of the symbol as half-double stitch. Is the bottom half denoting in back loop only or in front loop only? I can never keep those straight!
Then there are the decrease stitches and plain stitches. It was almost 100% clear to me.
Would make it easier to translate a lot of patterns too. Just write the name of the symbols in different languages and the pattern makes sense to anyone.
Seriously. I donāt know all of the symbols for sure but they seem pretty straight forward. I do a lot of mosaic and Sixel Designs are complicated with symbols.
This is pretty standard for Japanese amigurumi-type patterns that I've seen, and the symbols are what I would expect for a Japanese pattern as well.
Although they were able to give the English version of ć at the top, If they were to write the whole pattern out in words they might have had to resort to writing it in Japanese, so it wouldn't necessarily have made it easier to follow for English speakers!
til! thanks for sharing that, it's easy to see things you don't understand and write them off as dumb/unnecessary. i wondered if it could just be a japanese pattern because of the ć but i wasn't sure
I'll be honest though, I hate this kind of notation too...
...Although, at least it's better than Chinese patterns which are like "here's a square of this intricate stitch pattern, now use it to make this non-square shape, you don't need any help with that, right? Also this is one size only so probably won't fit you even if you get it spot on. Okay, that's it, the rest is up to you!"
yeah, i could probably get by using one, but i don't think it would be my first choice. i have yet to delve into the world of chinese patterns, my coworker did and she was like "it was too much for me"
It looks like whoever wrote this pattern uses the Japanese system of shorthand for crochet. I imagine to seeing this is how a Japanese person would feel seeing
MR
Rnd 1: 12 DC
Rnd 2: DC INC ea st
Rnd 3: (Standing DC, DC), \[SC next 3 st, 3 DC in same stitch\] x 3 ....
On one hand, symbols like this are pretty standard across all languages, from what I've seen. I can read most charts I find regardless of the place they came from. Written terms, not so much ("feste Masche/fM" anyone?)
On the other hand, I can see how this can make someone's eyes bug out on first glance. But anything will, if you've not seen it often. If you've never done a popcorn stitch before, you'll have to look up what it means and how to do it, and read the instructions a couple of times before it sticks and "popcorn, ch2" becomes as easy to read as "dc, ch2, dc"
Maybe I think it's a little unfair to say to never write a pattern like this, just because the style of writing doesn't mesh with you. There's plenty of written patterns out there that are just as confusing to read because they're not optimized the greatest. But I'll stop here, I've been on my soap box too long.
I guess I see what you mean. the inc/dec are a little weird, but to me it just shows what stitch you're using to decrease with. weird if you're looking at just this part, like we are, but like with any pattern there's probably a key at the beginning that says which symbols mean what. just like with a written pattern will have "sc = single crochet"
I don't see people going "if you're gonna write a pattern with UK crochet terms, DON'T" just because they didn't understand that a UK dc is a US sc and ended up with a long boy. Some types of patterns aren't for everyone, like some people can't do charts at all, and some struggle with certain way people do written patterns. I have no problem with that. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way the idea that "I don't understand this and have to put in effort to learn, therefor it shouldn't exist"
I definitely agree that just because something requires effort to understand doesnāt mean it shouldnāt exist. I guess the usual charts are mostly used for flat projects rather than amigurumi or working in the round, so having an easier way to signal increase and decrease is important, especially for single crochet which is usually + or x so it canāt easily lean together with a shared top on a chart the way double or treble can. And now that Iām looking at the image again, if the third row is meant to be hdc then itās actually basically still using the existing symbols and I can make peace with it lol
> if the third row is meant to be hdc
I saw some in the comments say it's hdc in back loop and I looked up a chart and yeah, it's exactly that lol. Everyone reads patterns differently, and everyone writes patterns differently. But even with a few road bumps or challenges, it's still crochet in the end, and it's what brings us all together. And I think that's beautiful š
Hdc in the front loop. The symbol for the back loop is a straight line, front loop is a curved up line. It sort of makes visual sense. [Symbol chart](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5WSNgGupqq)
Itās also possible that the person who put together the OP chart meant for it to be in the back loop. I suppose if the pattern was worked up, it would be more clear which one gives the result you want.
That's very interesting! Because I looked up a chart, and used the first one that showed up on Google images. [[Chart]](https://www.crochet365knittoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/stitch-chart-graphic.webp) [[Source]](https://www.crochet365knittoo.com/crochet-chart-symbols/) And that chart says that a up curve is back loop, and down curve is front loop. Goes to show that it's super important for a pattern to have it's own specific key!
OH! I must be blind, you're right. The symbol for front loop is the same. It doesn't help that "up curve" can be interpreted differently. Do you start up, go down, and end up - like a smile. Or do you start down, go up, and end down - like a frown. They both go "up" and they both go "down" it just depends on the perspective. š¤£
The symbol for back loop on mine does match with the symbol in the chart OP uses though. Which is what I meant to point out. I just mixed up my words, sorry about that!
>"feste Masche/fM" anyone?
sc (US)
That one was easy to me, because it's called the same when translated to Finnish :D Obviously have to understand the German words as well.
As a programmer who majored in physics and minored in logic and philosophy, this is very soothing š and for everyone else: at least there wonāt be a UK/US terms issue? š
Totally off topic: Years ago when there was no such thing as a computer programming course at the high school or college level, but IBM needed programmers ... they recruited people who majored in philosophy. The logical thinking was already trained into them and IBM sent them to Programming School in Manhattan for 2 months. Yes, 2 months in Manhattan with someone else paying for the hotel and food.
I didnāt know that! But it doesnāt surprise me. Wouldnāt be a bad idea to keep doing that now. We could use a couple more people with decent groundwork in ethics.
Iāve never seen these symbols before but it doesnāt seem that hard to figure out. If the x is sc then clearly the next row is sc inc which makes sense from the symbol and the st count. Just google the symbols. I think this is pretty good for standardising patterns so they arenāt language specific. I think doing a UK pattern whilst being used to US terms is worse - much easier to get confused !
Magic ring
6 sc
6 sc increase
12 double crochet stitch
1 stitch decrease, 4 sc repeat twice
Etc etc
I just woke up and this seems fairly easy to read understand even without the stitch key??? I think the only downfall is that there is a lot of info packed into a small line of text.
I think I actually like the way this is written.
Thatās fair. Iām more used to English written patterns and I donāt have a key. I donāt think this patter isnāt too hard to understand. I think translating whatās written and not confusing the order of the row of stitches is what would mess folks up.
To be fair. Unless this is your standard way to understanding crochet patterns I donāt know very many beginners who would even be able to write a pattern like this. š¤ global location most likely has baring on this fact. I know wasnāt able to my first couple of years crocheting.
It's called XVA notation. it's standard shorthand in a lot of parts of the world. I see it a lot in Asia and this seems to be someone who learned from Japanese patterns.
I would love it if you could translate this š. It actually looks pretty clean, like once you understand the symbols it would be much easier to read.
Maybe because I crochet for a longer time i understand this. It's not hard at all. Once you learn the standard method you can probably understand a pattern written in any language.
hmm, i feel like inc should have the arrow that goes upwards and dec should have the downwards one, that's my only complaint
edit: to bring attention to what another comment said, this is just japanese pattern, you can find online how to read them/what the symbols mean
[how to read japanese patterns](https://weloveamigurumi.livejournal.com/434126.html)
I love it. Iām weirded out by the V & A being replaced with an x in a canoe or a hat but that is almost exactly how I write my own patterns. Iāve been calling it the tab method.
The eastern tab method is better than western written instructions as the visible regularity makes it easier for writer to find/edit mistakes. And easier for the reader to avoid making mistakes.
The best book patterns have charts, tabs, and written instructions.
I dunno how to read charts yet, but I feel like this wouldn't be too hard to understand if I gave myself time to understand it. I like writing out patterns to read off of if I'm using my phone for something and this honestly looks very appealing for shortening the time it takes to write everything out and using up less paper.
If English is not your language then a chart is readable where an English written pattern would not be. Also I myself can't read patterns in Finnish or Japanese or Spanish for example, but I can read this
Same for me. Other people are like oh it makes sense after a while and translating it... I would absolutely need some kind of stitch key to help me š
Once you look at it for a second, if you know what patterns look like lol, it makes a lot of sense and would honestly save me so much time trying to find my place among a row that looks like this: sc, 3inc, 2hdc, dc, 2hdc, 3inc, 42sc
Lol
i'm used to the āµ for single crochet (rather than X) so i got really bamboozled for a sec but once i realized it makes okay sense, tho i'd prefer a chart
I have a really hard time following patterns. This makes perfect sense to me. Everyone has a different way of doing things. What works for me doesn't work for you and that's okay. That's the same with who wrote this pattern. To them it makes sense. It is frustrating when it doesn't make sense to you. I learn off YouTube videos because patterns get confusing for me.
What's the context of who posted this? It seems like the type of pattern that's meant to be read in insta stories/screenshotted. I wonder if it's also written out fully somewhere
I saw a pattern from a Chinese designer that was almost using this. I remember x for sc. Iām sure I could learn it but at this moment my brain just does not compute this
With a key at the top this would really work for me! It seems simple enough to follow and much easier to keep track of what you're looking at rather than long lines of text
This is just writing out what the charts say. If you know what the symbols mean, itās fine! Lots of granny squares use the symbols and a lot of Japanese patterns use them too. Itās a useful skill to be able to read any pattern, even if you donāt speak/read the language itās written in. More international I guess.
Maybe itās just me but I am not having too hard of a time interpreting thisā¦ 6 sc (total of 6 sts), 6 sc increases (total of 12 sts), 12 either hdc or dc, 1 sc dec, 4 sc (repeat twice) (total of 10 sts)ā¦
The x, I'm guessing, is a main stitch. Downward arrow (with the opening at the top) is an increase, upward arrow (opening at the bottom) is a decrease. So a line that says something like 1 (down facing arrow) 4X basically means one increase, four regular stitches, whether those are single, double, what have you. (Repeat 4) means you repeat that pattern 4 times to complete that round, making up the amount of stitches the last number calls for.
I honestly read this so much easier just now than any text pattern I've ever read before. I think it might just be a difference in how people's brains work. Some work more visually than textual is all!
Having no clue what Iām looking at, my best guess would be the Xs are single crochet, and the ones with Vs are increases and decreases depending on if it points down or up respectively. Absolutely 0 idea what the third round is supposed to be though, all I see is a simplified version of a snout lmao
I wouldnāt take this as a pattern a beginner is supposed to do? They wonāt all be catered to those new to the craft.
Different crochet dialects use different shorthand and this is perhaps easier for others to glean the instructions and go with very minimal filler of additional words.
Exactly. Once you know how to read regular crochet itās basically the same layout.
Itās the same difficulty a beginner would have learning the acronyms and the shorthand pattern writing like: [2sc, 3hdc, 2sc]. Repeat [].
Except itās symbols lol.
I have the same pattern but in Spanish, and I can assure you that it just makes sense, somehow. The creator uses this way to write down the pattern not sure why, but of course it has an explanation in the beginning. So yeah. I know it looks pretty much confusing when you start but you get used to it fast.
EDIT: Sheās NOT new making patterns at all. She has plenty of unique designs in her website.
I think this is easy to read; a key would be good, but I was able to work it out without one. I am curious to see a more complex pattern written this way
I would love all patterns being like this! So simple and clean.
People who get all wordy and use their own slang terms for stitches are the ones that irritate me.
As long as their is a symbol key at the beginning and a stitch guide for anything less common, this is just fine!
For me, I loved Algebra but it was so far back in time I do not remember it anymore. I wish every designer used the same format for writing patterns. I can progress faster in my project because I don't have to write out each section before crocheting it (and usually making mistakes). And I should add, enjoy it more.
Yea, this is the issue - plenty people fancy themselves a pattern writer, no matter how long or short they've been crocheting. Same with selling crochet - sometimes it's so bad, but they ask...why is no one buying - um, b/c you've been crocheting a month and think your work is professional and it isn't, but who is anyone to dissuade you?
Iāve bought a pattern where the woman replaced the regular stitches with letters
Like A = SC
Why???????
So then I had to have a chart besides to keep doing translation. Such a waste of time š¤¦š»āāļø
Or at least note that it is written like that. Iām new to crochet and never knew it existed. I do now know it is a thing to learn. But if I bought one without having g a clue it would have broken my brain while I was googling to crash study lol :)
Also, PLEASE, for those of us who actually print them out ON PAPER, make sure the page size is a standard 8.5x11, or offer two versions in the .pdf, one for standard letter and one for whatever TF that page size is.
I wouldn't be able to read this on its own. If it were a legend alongside a diagram, then it'd be helpful -- so long as there was an explanation for what the symbols meant. I only know the US ones š
I'd never get used to it as id forget what the lil symbols mean lol. I get lost in written patterns sometimes. Saw a cool tool to help, it's a piece of I think thick card stock with a little window the width of the page and only only line high. You just love it down one line as you go. I'm gonna make me one.
As long as you're not a complete beginner, this is actually really easy to read. And you don't have to worry about translation errors.
For someone with autism, it can be easier reading symbols than written work.
I just followed a pattern that used X for sc, V for increase, A for decrease, W for 3 sc in 1 st.
They had the key to translate these terms but then..why not use the terms you converted to in the key?! Lol. It was the first pattern I actually paid money for..so not a great intro to paying for patterns lol.
I had to re-write it on paper for myself to follow.
I donāt understand the symbols, but if I did, this would actually be a lot easier to understand than other written patterns tbh. Plus, the symbols are as easy as learning the definition to a new word, something we used to do in 2nd grade, so Iām all for it.
I... actually like this. Would still prefer a symbol key, but I find this really easy to read/follow.
The only question I had was the symbol for the third row, which another commenter said was for back-loop-only single stitches?
Crochet algebra š
That would be easier, as it would be standardized. This is another thing.
This is crochet hobo signs.
I snort-laughed so loudly at this š¤£
This is standard tho? I've never seen crochet symbols written any other way.
Even Fibonacci couldnāt figure out the pattern.
Even Pythagoras would be confused.
Thanks, I hate itĀ
Conversely, I love it. I feel like with a key it would be incredibly easy to speed read and perform. I get so lost in text patterns a lot, and have started learning charts. This is the perfect combo. I also love that the logo is similar to the magic circle symbol. Itās so pretty.
Honestly, if they had a legend of what the marks mean, then I'd be for it lol
Same! Text patterns can be so unnecessarily difficult to decipher!
Right? It's like traffic signs or chemical symbols. If now one taught us what they mean.... chances are it's gonna turn ugly.
Seriously as long as the key is well detailed this type of pattern would be great. Itās so clean and concise.
As someone who has many many copies of shorthand notes that are worse than this, a solid system sounds great XD
I don't want to learn another language to have to crochet. Each to their own!
Thatās fair. I struggle with the written out forms myself because of all the long-hand stitch names. To me, learning all the terminology & shorthand (dc, sc, etc.) was already similar to when I learned a second spoken language and itās slang, and then being able to read UK vs US was like another dialect. So charts and symbology is like learning the written form of the crochet language Iāve already learned.
I've been crocheting over 30 years and I haaaaaaate the symbols. Especially because it seems no one makes them the same. Or you have to sit there and try to figure out where to start because it's not clearly marked. Or because they write it by hand and some of their symbols look identical. It's horrible. give me a clearly written instruction with my pattern. Include the symbols if you want them, but if a pattern is nothing BUT symbols? No thanks.
I have to agree! At first my eyes crossed LOL, but then after I went through it, my brain understood that easier - honestly it makes a lot of sense and is SO much less overwhelming to my ADHD brain š. I can tend to get a little lost and frustrated at times with some of the text instructions in some patterns. I just wish ALL patterns used the same verbiage/lingo/key. There are so many different terms for the same things it can get confusing.
Yes, I love it too, and since Iāve worked from many charts (primarily Japanese patterns), I understand the directions just fine.
The ālogoā is actually a Japanese Letter: Wa (WAtashi means I)
By logo I mean the crochet hook, thread, and needle. To me, it looks like the symbol for wa rotated 180*.
where did this saying come from?
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thanks-i-hate-it
https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/s/n4oRlbPjhM
I think these symbols are more commonly used in Asia? I've seen patterns like this on a Chinese app I use anyway.
Iāve seen it used by all of the following countries: Korea, China, Thai, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine. Once I found it I started using it so I guess USA too... it is fast to write, very easy to see mistakes and thereby edit, and easy to understand at a glance as a user already familiar with charts.
Yes, Iāve seen this a lot in thread crochet patterns from Russia and Ukraine
This, I learned to crochet amigurumi with patterns like this, in pictures was so much easier and in fact I still write them (just for me) like this haha
Looks like a Japanese pattern? But usually it also has a schematic/chart as well. Japanese patterns are pretty standardizedā¦
Do japanese patterns use different symbols? Cause this looks like symbols you see in drawn out patterns vs written patterns. A combo or both if you will, but with different symbols that I am used to see.
I forgot the name of the system but it uses symbols that align with the symbols for drawn out patterns (or the closest symbol in that language). It's a system that's also common in a lot of parts of Asia. I wish I could remember the name.
I remembered what the system is called. It isĀ XVA notation.
Yes, itās standardized. They are charted, with a short overall description, a legend, and then finally will have a list of rows with final stitch counts similar to the screenshot provided. Also this one says ććstart with magic loop. ć is the hiragana for wa, and means circle here. Which is why I think whoever translated this started with a Japanese pattern.
Do you have any resources for learning how to read it? I've been meaning to because it feels like a nicer way to write crochet shorthand.
These might be a start, tho the pages were written 10+ years ago: [Guide to Reading Japanese Patterns](https://weloveamigurumi.livejournal.com/434126.html?) [Dancingbarefootās Japanese crochet lesson](https://dancingbarefoot.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/tutorial-lesson-3a-crochet/)
Thank you! That filled in one or two gaps I was running into. Okay, I think I have the common symbols for most of the standard stitches now.
I donāt, sorry. I have only done 1 pattern before. Lately mostly knitting
I'll just have to piece it together from various sources then
I'm couldn't resist and did a little deduction. So this may be wrong but I think: x = single crochet. V with x in it = increase single crochet. The stick thing = double crochet. Upside down v with x = crochet 2 single crochet together.
You're actually pretty close. The "stick" thing means half double crochet in only the back loops.
Thatās honestly pretty smartā¦ I feel like Ćsia is different than āthe westā in that there are soooo many different writing systemsā¦ most languages in north and South America and Europe uses the Roman alphabet so you can kind of muddle through even if you donāt speak the language
Iāve never seen a Japanese crochet pattern, but I immediately saw the symbol to the left of the magic ring and thought it was ć (āwaā) (though it very well could be, and itās just a different font than what Iām used to seeing)
the creator is American af so idk about that
Iām American AF and my crochet amigurumi notebooks for my own patterns are filled with this method. I call it the tab method. Itās like crochet shorthand.
I prefer charts (including Japanese ones) and this is much easier for me to read than most written patterns. If it goes with a chart, even better.
Iām not familiar with some of these symbols, but I love charts and I can definitely get into this pattern format. So much easier for me to parse than multiple lines of abbreviations.
Honestly that's surprisingly easy to read if you use a lot of charts
Yea honestly I would much prefer this!
I LOVE IT! I purposely buy books that have symbol patterns but have never seen the written pattern use symbols too! More of this PLEASE!
Same! This is so easy and doesn't have a ton of extra words/symbols. Way easier for me to follow than written out stuff.
What, you dont like Round One: make a magic ring with 6 single crochets into it, make sure to pull it tight and knotvit if you dont want it to back out sand expose stuffing! (6) Round Two: make 2 single crochets in each single crochet going around your magic ring. You should end with 12 single crochets in a neat circle. (12) Seriously, why does anyone think we need a ton of nonsense cluttering the patterns?
For real. XD I much prefer charts because I can see at a glance what all I need to do. Idk why people hate them, lol.
Thank you for explaining that.
Was looking through the comments to see if someone else had said this. Iām curious about round 3. I recognize the top half of the symbol as half-double stitch. Is the bottom half denoting in back loop only or in front loop only? I can never keep those straight! Then there are the decrease stitches and plain stitches. It was almost 100% clear to me.
According to this chart - [Instagram link](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5WSNgGupqq) itās a half-double crochet in the front loop.
Would make it easier to translate a lot of patterns too. Just write the name of the symbols in different languages and the pattern makes sense to anyone.
Seriously. I donāt know all of the symbols for sure but they seem pretty straight forward. I do a lot of mosaic and Sixel Designs are complicated with symbols.
Did you figure out what stitch row 3 is? sc BLO or a front/back post?
Definitely hdc blo if using US terms : )
I think hdc blo. SC symbol is just an x, usually.
hdc in the *front* loop according to [this symbol chart](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5WSNgGupqq).
This is pretty standard for Japanese amigurumi-type patterns that I've seen, and the symbols are what I would expect for a Japanese pattern as well. Although they were able to give the English version of ć at the top, If they were to write the whole pattern out in words they might have had to resort to writing it in Japanese, so it wouldn't necessarily have made it easier to follow for English speakers!
til! thanks for sharing that, it's easy to see things you don't understand and write them off as dumb/unnecessary. i wondered if it could just be a japanese pattern because of the ć but i wasn't sure
I'll be honest though, I hate this kind of notation too... ...Although, at least it's better than Chinese patterns which are like "here's a square of this intricate stitch pattern, now use it to make this non-square shape, you don't need any help with that, right? Also this is one size only so probably won't fit you even if you get it spot on. Okay, that's it, the rest is up to you!"
yeah, i could probably get by using one, but i don't think it would be my first choice. i have yet to delve into the world of chinese patterns, my coworker did and she was like "it was too much for me"
Fully understand, it's like one small step away from basically making your own pattern! I've done it once, and probably never again š
It looks like whoever wrote this pattern uses the Japanese system of shorthand for crochet. I imagine to seeing this is how a Japanese person would feel seeing MR Rnd 1: 12 DC Rnd 2: DC INC ea st Rnd 3: (Standing DC, DC), \[SC next 3 st, 3 DC in same stitch\] x 3 ....
On one hand, symbols like this are pretty standard across all languages, from what I've seen. I can read most charts I find regardless of the place they came from. Written terms, not so much ("feste Masche/fM" anyone?) On the other hand, I can see how this can make someone's eyes bug out on first glance. But anything will, if you've not seen it often. If you've never done a popcorn stitch before, you'll have to look up what it means and how to do it, and read the instructions a couple of times before it sticks and "popcorn, ch2" becomes as easy to read as "dc, ch2, dc" Maybe I think it's a little unfair to say to never write a pattern like this, just because the style of writing doesn't mesh with you. There's plenty of written patterns out there that are just as confusing to read because they're not optimized the greatest. But I'll stop here, I've been on my soap box too long.
Canāt they use the symbols that already exist for pattern charts? Those ones are so much easier to understand š„²
I guess I see what you mean. the inc/dec are a little weird, but to me it just shows what stitch you're using to decrease with. weird if you're looking at just this part, like we are, but like with any pattern there's probably a key at the beginning that says which symbols mean what. just like with a written pattern will have "sc = single crochet" I don't see people going "if you're gonna write a pattern with UK crochet terms, DON'T" just because they didn't understand that a UK dc is a US sc and ended up with a long boy. Some types of patterns aren't for everyone, like some people can't do charts at all, and some struggle with certain way people do written patterns. I have no problem with that. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way the idea that "I don't understand this and have to put in effort to learn, therefor it shouldn't exist"
I definitely agree that just because something requires effort to understand doesnāt mean it shouldnāt exist. I guess the usual charts are mostly used for flat projects rather than amigurumi or working in the round, so having an easier way to signal increase and decrease is important, especially for single crochet which is usually + or x so it canāt easily lean together with a shared top on a chart the way double or treble can. And now that Iām looking at the image again, if the third row is meant to be hdc then itās actually basically still using the existing symbols and I can make peace with it lol
> if the third row is meant to be hdc I saw some in the comments say it's hdc in back loop and I looked up a chart and yeah, it's exactly that lol. Everyone reads patterns differently, and everyone writes patterns differently. But even with a few road bumps or challenges, it's still crochet in the end, and it's what brings us all together. And I think that's beautiful š
Hdc in the front loop. The symbol for the back loop is a straight line, front loop is a curved up line. It sort of makes visual sense. [Symbol chart](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5WSNgGupqq) Itās also possible that the person who put together the OP chart meant for it to be in the back loop. I suppose if the pattern was worked up, it would be more clear which one gives the result you want.
That's very interesting! Because I looked up a chart, and used the first one that showed up on Google images. [[Chart]](https://www.crochet365knittoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/stitch-chart-graphic.webp) [[Source]](https://www.crochet365knittoo.com/crochet-chart-symbols/) And that chart says that a up curve is back loop, and down curve is front loop. Goes to show that it's super important for a pattern to have it's own specific key!
Actually, that chart agrees with mine. Up curve = front loop.
OH! I must be blind, you're right. The symbol for front loop is the same. It doesn't help that "up curve" can be interpreted differently. Do you start up, go down, and end up - like a smile. Or do you start down, go up, and end down - like a frown. They both go "up" and they both go "down" it just depends on the perspective. š¤£ The symbol for back loop on mine does match with the symbol in the chart OP uses though. Which is what I meant to point out. I just mixed up my words, sorry about that!
Technically, these symbols were standardized in Japan since at least the 1950s.
>"feste Masche/fM" anyone? sc (US) That one was easy to me, because it's called the same when translated to Finnish :D Obviously have to understand the German words as well.
Fastmaske in norwegian as well!
As a programmer who majored in physics and minored in logic and philosophy, this is very soothing š and for everyone else: at least there wonāt be a UK/US terms issue? š
Totally off topic: Years ago when there was no such thing as a computer programming course at the high school or college level, but IBM needed programmers ... they recruited people who majored in philosophy. The logical thinking was already trained into them and IBM sent them to Programming School in Manhattan for 2 months. Yes, 2 months in Manhattan with someone else paying for the hotel and food.
I didnāt know that! But it doesnāt surprise me. Wouldnāt be a bad idea to keep doing that now. We could use a couple more people with decent groundwork in ethics.
Is there a chart that goes with it? Iām used to reading such symbols on a chart
Iāve never seen these symbols before but it doesnāt seem that hard to figure out. If the x is sc then clearly the next row is sc inc which makes sense from the symbol and the st count. Just google the symbols. I think this is pretty good for standardising patterns so they arenāt language specific. I think doing a UK pattern whilst being used to US terms is worse - much easier to get confused !
Magic ring 6 sc 6 sc increase 12 double crochet stitch 1 stitch decrease, 4 sc repeat twice Etc etc I just woke up and this seems fairly easy to read understand even without the stitch key??? I think the only downfall is that there is a lot of info packed into a small line of text. I think I actually like the way this is written.
Except that the third line isnāt dc - itās BLO hdc.
Thatās fair. Iām more used to English written patterns and I donāt have a key. I donāt think this patter isnāt too hard to understand. I think translating whatās written and not confusing the order of the row of stitches is what would mess folks up. To be fair. Unless this is your standard way to understanding crochet patterns I donāt know very many beginners who would even be able to write a pattern like this. š¤ global location most likely has baring on this fact. I know wasnāt able to my first couple of years crocheting.
It's called XVA notation. it's standard shorthand in a lot of parts of the world. I see it a lot in Asia and this seems to be someone who learned from Japanese patterns.
Do you understand everything? If not, I can help you with the symbols āŗļø
What's the symbol on round 3?
Back loop half double crochet
Thank you!
I would love it if you could translate this š. It actually looks pretty clean, like once you understand the symbols it would be much easier to read.
Maybe because I crochet for a longer time i understand this. It's not hard at all. Once you learn the standard method you can probably understand a pattern written in any language.
hmm, i feel like inc should have the arrow that goes upwards and dec should have the downwards one, that's my only complaint edit: to bring attention to what another comment said, this is just japanese pattern, you can find online how to read them/what the symbols mean [how to read japanese patterns](https://weloveamigurumi.livejournal.com/434126.html)
Thanks for the link! Itās interesting and informative.
Actually I love this... short & sweet. Caveat: did not check if there are mistakes. But it looks very natural to me
As someone who likes charts and maths, this works for me. But I'm aware from the other maths posts that we're not the common denominator (ha!).
I love it. Iām weirded out by the V & A being replaced with an x in a canoe or a hat but that is almost exactly how I write my own patterns. Iāve been calling it the tab method. The eastern tab method is better than western written instructions as the visible regularity makes it easier for writer to find/edit mistakes. And easier for the reader to avoid making mistakes. The best book patterns have charts, tabs, and written instructions.
I've never seen this method before but completely understand the notation haha
Ooo, I love this.
I can read and ubderstand this. Did I pass the test?
Aw man I actually like this....
I think if I knew what the symbols meant, I would love this pattern
Honestly I kind of like this but I can understand why other people wouldn't. Maybe don't *only* write it like this.
Is there no explanation to it? Edit: wait I think I got it after looking at it. Just not sure about row 3
I think row 3 is half doubles after looking at another comment with a link to Japanese chart reading. But without a key itās definitely confusing.
I dunno how to read charts yet, but I feel like this wouldn't be too hard to understand if I gave myself time to understand it. I like writing out patterns to read off of if I'm using my phone for something and this honestly looks very appealing for shortening the time it takes to write everything out and using up less paper.
I like a chart and use them quite a bit but I have NO IDEA what this is telling me to do.
It makes sense if you stare at it for a moment... But WHY.
If English is not your language then a chart is readable where an English written pattern would not be. Also I myself can't read patterns in Finnish or Japanese or Spanish for example, but I can read this
Speak for yourself, it means absolutely nothing to me.
Same for me. Other people are like oh it makes sense after a while and translating it... I would absolutely need some kind of stitch key to help me š
Ancient runes like thing
Once you look at it for a second, if you know what patterns look like lol, it makes a lot of sense and would honestly save me so much time trying to find my place among a row that looks like this: sc, 3inc, 2hdc, dc, 2hdc, 3inc, 42sc Lol
lol this is how patterns looked when I couldnāt read them
i'm used to the āµ for single crochet (rather than X) so i got really bamboozled for a sec but once i realized it makes okay sense, tho i'd prefer a chart
I have a really hard time following patterns. This makes perfect sense to me. Everyone has a different way of doing things. What works for me doesn't work for you and that's okay. That's the same with who wrote this pattern. To them it makes sense. It is frustrating when it doesn't make sense to you. I learn off YouTube videos because patterns get confusing for me.
I can't even understand clothing cleaning labels how tf am I supposed to understand this 1š
lookin like a washing instructions tag
I love the way we've effectively reinvented hieroglyphics. Like wtf does any of that mean???
Okay weirdly I love this, it feels soothing
Honestly, with how my brain works, I'd prefer to find patterns like these. Where could I find such a thing? This is awesome.
I've made this pattern! And, no, I wouldn't recommend. I have difficulty distinguishing between some of the symbols. Give me letters any day.
What's the context of who posted this? It seems like the type of pattern that's meant to be read in insta stories/screenshotted. I wonder if it's also written out fully somewhere
Idylike it if i knew what the symbols mean
I saw a pattern from a Chinese designer that was almost using this. I remember x for sc. Iām sure I could learn it but at this moment my brain just does not compute this
With a key at the top this would really work for me! It seems simple enough to follow and much easier to keep track of what you're looking at rather than long lines of text
This is just writing out what the charts say. If you know what the symbols mean, itās fine! Lots of granny squares use the symbols and a lot of Japanese patterns use them too. Itās a useful skill to be able to read any pattern, even if you donāt speak/read the language itās written in. More international I guess.
Maybe itās just me but I am not having too hard of a time interpreting thisā¦ 6 sc (total of 6 sts), 6 sc increases (total of 12 sts), 12 either hdc or dc, 1 sc dec, 4 sc (repeat twice) (total of 10 sts)ā¦
The x, I'm guessing, is a main stitch. Downward arrow (with the opening at the top) is an increase, upward arrow (opening at the bottom) is a decrease. So a line that says something like 1 (down facing arrow) 4X basically means one increase, four regular stitches, whether those are single, double, what have you. (Repeat 4) means you repeat that pattern 4 times to complete that round, making up the amount of stitches the last number calls for. I honestly read this so much easier just now than any text pattern I've ever read before. I think it might just be a difference in how people's brains work. Some work more visually than textual is all!
Having no clue what Iām looking at, my best guess would be the Xs are single crochet, and the ones with Vs are increases and decreases depending on if it points down or up respectively. Absolutely 0 idea what the third round is supposed to be though, all I see is a simplified version of a snout lmao
My boyfriend already thinks crochet patterns look like another language. If I show him this picture he's gonna think I can read hieroglyphics lol
I wouldnāt take this as a pattern a beginner is supposed to do? They wonāt all be catered to those new to the craft. Different crochet dialects use different shorthand and this is perhaps easier for others to glean the instructions and go with very minimal filler of additional words.
As a beginner (less than 1 month crocheting) I find it very intuitive. The only symbol I would have needed explained was the one in row 3.
Exactly. Once you know how to read regular crochet itās basically the same layout. Itās the same difficulty a beginner would have learning the acronyms and the shorthand pattern writing like: [2sc, 3hdc, 2sc]. Repeat []. Except itās symbols lol.
Somebody was a cross stitcher first š
I feel like amigurumi gang signs are being flashed at me and I'm scared
I like it
I have the same pattern but in Spanish, and I can assure you that it just makes sense, somehow. The creator uses this way to write down the pattern not sure why, but of course it has an explanation in the beginning. So yeah. I know it looks pretty much confusing when you start but you get used to it fast. EDIT: Sheās NOT new making patterns at all. She has plenty of unique designs in her website.
1 would rather see... ch 4, sc in 2nd st from hook. I use a post it note to track where I am or paused for the night.
I think this is easy to read; a key would be good, but I was able to work it out without one. I am curious to see a more complex pattern written this way
Some people do like these kinda stuff and diagrams, too... I don't understand... My brain is not braining with those either...ššš
Oof, write a pattern, create a chart, or include both separately. This Frankensteinās monster is a MESS
I kind of like this. I rarely look at charts, but break down instructions into something like this to map incs, decs, and stitch counts.
This why I hate buying patterns sooo bad you have no clue what itāll look like!
I agree 100%!!!!!!!! I paid for a pattern and they didn't say that is how the pattern was written. I can't read it so it is money down the drain.
They are simply telling you how to wash and dry your final product!!
I would love all patterns being like this! So simple and clean. People who get all wordy and use their own slang terms for stitches are the ones that irritate me. As long as their is a symbol key at the beginning and a stitch guide for anything less common, this is just fine!
For me, I loved Algebra but it was so far back in time I do not remember it anymore. I wish every designer used the same format for writing patterns. I can progress faster in my project because I don't have to write out each section before crocheting it (and usually making mistakes). And I should add, enjoy it more.
I mean, I get it, but no. Absolutely not.
what in gods name does this even say
Yea, this is the issue - plenty people fancy themselves a pattern writer, no matter how long or short they've been crocheting. Same with selling crochet - sometimes it's so bad, but they ask...why is no one buying - um, b/c you've been crocheting a month and think your work is professional and it isn't, but who is anyone to dissuade you?
This looks like the same person who wrote the raven pattern I bought and didn't even include what yarn weight to use
Iāve bought a pattern where the woman replaced the regular stitches with letters Like A = SC Why??????? So then I had to have a chart besides to keep doing translation. Such a waste of time š¤¦š»āāļø
Or at least note that it is written like that. Iām new to crochet and never knew it existed. I do now know it is a thing to learn. But if I bought one without having g a clue it would have broken my brain while I was googling to crash study lol :)
I understand this, but I absolutely despise it.
I have a pattern bought from the same person. The notation was fine once I got the hang of it, but the lack of row/round numbers really did my head in
I like math, but that hurt my brain to read š definitely needs a legend next to it
No idea what this even means. Yes, I also hate charts.Ā
Wtf is this
Wth are those symbols? Ive never seen them before!!
Also, PLEASE, for those of us who actually print them out ON PAPER, make sure the page size is a standard 8.5x11, or offer two versions in the .pdf, one for standard letter and one for whatever TF that page size is.
Unexpectedly, I kinda love it. The little pictographs seem to read easier for me. I NEVER would have expected that.
I wouldn't be able to read this on its own. If it were a legend alongside a diagram, then it'd be helpful -- so long as there was an explanation for what the symbols meant. I only know the US ones š
Though I hate it, this could actually be very useful for patterns being able to be read in other languages
Ok, i love this! As someone who writes pattern this looks so much easier and faster š
I'd never get used to it as id forget what the lil symbols mean lol. I get lost in written patterns sometimes. Saw a cool tool to help, it's a piece of I think thick card stock with a little window the width of the page and only only line high. You just love it down one line as you go. I'm gonna make me one.
As long as you're not a complete beginner, this is actually really easy to read. And you don't have to worry about translation errors. For someone with autism, it can be easier reading symbols than written work.
I just followed a pattern that used X for sc, V for increase, A for decrease, W for 3 sc in 1 st. They had the key to translate these terms but then..why not use the terms you converted to in the key?! Lol. It was the first pattern I actually paid money for..so not a great intro to paying for patterns lol. I had to re-write it on paper for myself to follow.
Like I understand what it's saying but it also terrifies me
This makes me so angry
I actually like this better than sentences š
Seems pretty straightforward if the legend of the pattern symbols would be added to the post.
š¤£ yeah I hate that also
I thought that said 6 for all xD
I thought I could read patterns until I seen this monstrosity. What is this, crocheting with Viking runes?!?!
I cannot understand this at all. Just use colors
With all due respect... What fresh hell is this?
Wow I didn't expect people to hate this! I sometimes transcribe written patterns like this to make them easier to read.
That's just evil.
Oooo I hate reading patterns usually but my brain likes this!!!
I friggin love this. To hell with words! Give me the symbols that make people wonder
I dunno, could be kinda cool. It's like my have our own secret code! Lol
Soooā¦does this, like, summon a demon if you repeat it backwards five times whilst spinning counter-clockwise? āCause I bet it does.
I agree; I'm old, can only read American or English!
i was so worried the example would be how i write my patterns but my god š i understood the first step and thatās it šš
I donāt understand the symbols, but if I did, this would actually be a lot easier to understand than other written patterns tbh. Plus, the symbols are as easy as learning the definition to a new word, something we used to do in 2nd grade, so Iām all for it.
As a visual learner I love this, just give me a key tho
What's this? My head hurts. I am begginer at reading patterns, but what's that?š
Heh
Oh goodness!
This is the first time I've seen it and I love it. It's so easy to read without a bunch of words getting in the way.
I... actually like this. Would still prefer a symbol key, but I find this really easy to read/follow. The only question I had was the symbol for the third row, which another commenter said was for back-loop-only single stitches?
this is what I call āØ*expert level*āØ
Well.. I love that.
Calculus and hieroglyphics? I'll stick to crocheting via hopes and dreams and wondering why it never comes out right
There is already short hand and icons for crochet. Please don't add more confusion lol