Crochet Pattern Design - Getting Started
Written By: Kristen Moore
Published on 03/02/2024
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission when you make a purchase through of these links at no additional cost to you.
If you haven’t read my previous blog post about originality and finding design inspiration, then you’ll definitely want to head there first! You can find it at the link below!
Crochet Pattern Design - Designing With Originality
Since you now have a better idea of where your own personal inspiration is coming from, and how to make sure you’re not copying another designer, you can get started and jump into designing your very own unique crochet pattern!
Let’s jump in!
How to get started designing your first crochet pattern.
There are two main methods I see many designers using when they start a new crochet pattern.
1. Sketching it out first and/or writing down the pattern first.
2. Free-handing it and writing down notes as you go.
Either of these methods work great so it’s really up to you to decide which works best for you. I have sketched a few patterns before but I usually prefer just sitting with my hook and yarn and free handing the idea in my head. I have found my finished piece usually turns out way differently from my sketches, so that method doesn’t always work for me.
Once you have your idea for a pattern and have decided on sketching it out or creating it as you go, then you can decide which yarn and hook size you want to use.
Try not to get discouraged if something you chose doesn’t seem to be working. The majority of designers usually frog their work a million times and experiment with different yarn and hook sizes! And even then, sometimes the design ends up not working out.
Crochet pattern designing takes a lot of experimentation and patience on your part. I truly believe most people are capable of it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean designing is for everyone. If you’re wanting to easily design a pattern and aren’t willing to learn through trial and error then designing might not be for you.
If you want to design a pattern but are struggling to come up with what to design, I recommend picking up your favorite yarn and hook and sitting down for a few hours to just allow your hands and mind to create.
There have been so many times where I was stuck and didn’t know what to design next. I knew I wanted to make a new amigurumi pattern, but my mind just couldn’t seem to come up with something original. So I grabbed some yarn and a hook and started with a magic ring. I played around with increases and decreases and learned how they affect the shaping of projects. I spent a couple of hours just having fun with it, and although it didn’t result in a finished pattern I learned SO much about shaping that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
Pattern designing is like anything else…it takes practice (lots of it!) and skill. The only way to learn how increases and decreases create the shape of something is to practice. The only way figure out which hook size works best for your new pattern is to try different hook sizes! The only way to see what different crochet stitches look like together is to experiment with them!
And here’s a little money saving tip for you: check out your local library for crochet stitch books! If you’re a crochet designer on a budget, this is a fantastic way to learn more about different crochet stitches. I also really love the this book called the Crochet Stitch Dictionary. It has over 150 different crochet stitches for you to practice and is INCREDIBLE if you’re looking to expand your skills. I would check to see if your library has it! But, I honestly think every crocheter should have this stitch dictionary on their shelf for good too. You can check it out at my affiliate link here!
My next challenge for you after reading this post is to set aside an hour or two of your time to simply experiment. If you have a design idea in your head, feel free to work towards that! If you don’t, just grab whatever yarn and hook calls your heart and work towards learning some new techniques that could help with a future design.
Ultimately, as your knowledge of crochet techniques grows in general, you will better understand the nuances of designing a new pattern.
Okay, so now that you’ve done your homework and you finally have that design in your head that you can’t stop thinking about…it’s time to get working!
Here’s a little behind the scenes of my own personal design process.
A design idea is born! Yay!
Pick out my desired yarn and hook choice (keeping an open mind to potential changes).
Decide how I want my design to be initially started. For example, if I’m designing a blanket, what size do I want it to be? Spend some time researching general blanket sizes to make sure your sizing matches accurately. Or if I’m designing an amigurumi project, will it be worked from the head down or from the feet up? I like to make note of all the details I want before I begin to use as a guide going forward (once again, ALWAYS be open to changing it up!).
Begin creating! Make a swatch or two first to see how I like my stitching with the hook I chose.
Write down EVERY step of the way either on paper or using the Notes app on my phone. This step takes a lot of time. I even go as far to write down every single round after I’ve worked it in case I need to put the design down for a second and can’t remember what I did. For some designers, they can create pretty much the entire project before stopping to go back and write it all down. My memory doesn’t serve me that well though, and I like to play it on the safe side so writing things down as I go is my jam.
Frog and adjust the design as I go. Change hook sizes, types of stitches, and yarn types as needed.
Finish my first rough draft!
Decide if I’m happy with the design, or if there are any details I want to rework.
Decide if I want to work up another piece with new parts that need to be reworked. Sometimes, I’ll save this part for when I know I’m ready to take instructional photos and videos so I can knock it all out at once.
The design is finished and ready to be formatted!
I know most of these are pretty simple and straightforward, but I hope they’re specific and helpful enough for you as you get started with your new crochet design!
Make sure you find some time after reading this to schedule in that practice crochet time. It might feel wasteful since it may not result in a finished item, and I know how valuable your time is.
But, think of it like this…most professionals spend money and time taking classes and courses and doing homework to grow their knowledge and skill set. Even though you may not come out of that hour or two with a finished item, or even a new pattern design…if you’ve really challenged yourself, then you should be coming out of it with an increased knowledge of crochet techniques that will tremendously help you later when you’ve thought of another design idea.
Maybe now, you’ll have a better idea of how increases, decreases, and different stitches affect your end product and shaping…and you can use that knowledge with your next pattern to make the shapes you want.
I used to be really hard on myself when the time I spent crocheting or working on a new idea didn’t result in anything. I would get SO frustrated because I felt like I wasted so much time. But when I look back, a lot of my designs were born out these seamlessly unfruitful crochet sessions. There were little techniques I discovered here and there that I held onto and was able to implement in designs later down the road - without even realizing it in the moment.
Now, whenever I sit down and try to work on a new design and it doesn’t work out, I’ve learned not see that time as a waste and instead see it as time I spent practicing my skills instead.
It’s ALL about MINDSET.
This is one of the biggest things I wish I knew when I first started my design journey.
So just remember, if it doesn’t turn out the first time you try…don’t give up! The more you practice using the creative part of your brain, the more your creativity will grow…and you might not be able to stop it.
“The more you practice using the creative part of your brain, the more your creativity will grow.”
I really hope this post was helpful for you! As always, feel free to email me at junebugandjames@gmail.com or send me a message on Instagram or Facebook if you have any questions, or if this post helped you at all!
Thanks again for reading, friend!
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