Free Patterns
Free designs sorted by project, skill level and how long an evening you have.
Free patterns are not the cheap option in crochet. They are the standard. The craft has run on shared patterns for a century, and a great deal of the best work is given away by people who would rather it was made than sold.
The problem is finding them. Search results are clogged with pages that promise fifty patterns and link to forty dead blogs. So this section is organised by what you actually have: an evening, a skill level, and some yarn you already own.
By how long you have
The most useful way to choose, and almost nobody sorts patterns this way.
- 22 projects you can finish in under two hours
- 20 beginner patterns you can finish this weekend
- 24 scrap yarn projects to clear the stash
- 30 gift ideas for everyone on your list
By skill
Honest labelling. Easy means easy, not easy once you have been crocheting for two years.
- 18 free beginner patterns with video support
- 24 easy patterns for absolute beginners
- 30 free amigurumi patterns with clear written steps
- 16 free shawl patterns with charts included
What a good free pattern has
After enough of them you can tell in ten seconds. These are the things worth checking before you buy yarn for something.
- A gauge note. Its absence is the clearest sign nobody tested the pattern.
- Yarn weight and metreage, not just a brand name that may be discontinued.
- Stitch counts at the end of each row or round. This is the single most useful thing a pattern can give you and it is the first thing dropped by careless writers.
- Which terms it uses. US or UK, stated plainly near the top.
- Finished measurements. Without them you cannot tell whether the hat is for a baby or an adult until you have made it.
| Warning sign | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| No gauge given | Untested, or copied from somewhere else |
| No stitch counts per row | You will find the error twenty rows later |
| Terms not stated | Guess wrong and every stitch is the wrong height |
| Only one photo, taken far away | The detail may not survive close inspection |
| Finished size missing | You cannot plan yarn or check as you go |
Read a pattern all the way through before starting. It takes four minutes and it is how you discover that round 14 needs a second colour, or a stitch you have never worked, while you are still at the shop rather than at row 13.
Questions
Are free crochet patterns any good?
Many are better than paid ones. The reliable test is stitch counts per row and a stated gauge, not whether money changed hands.
Can I sell items made from a free pattern?
Usually yes for small numbers, but it depends entirely on the designer. Most state their terms on the pattern page. Where nothing is stated, ask.
What does US terms versus UK terms mean?
The stitch names are offset by one. A UK double crochet is a US single crochet. Working the wrong set makes every stitch the wrong height.
Where do I find free patterns that actually work?
Designers who publish regularly and answer comments. A pattern with a long comment thread full of finished photographs has been tested by hundreds of people.
Why does my finished piece not match the photo?
Gauge, yarn weight, or both. The same pattern in DK rather than worsted comes out roughly a quarter smaller.
What should I make with leftover yarn?
Granny squares, coasters, amigurumi and dishcloths. All four take under 50 grams and none of them needs a full skein of any one colour.
Patterns for this section are on the way.