Hello all you nifty crocheters,

Everyone who knows a little bit of anything wants to make money from it. There’s nothing wrong with that, except that you need to be sincere and careful about the means you follow to make money.

Crocheters are without a doubt creative people full of ideas all the time. Some of these ideas are inspired from other people’s work while some thoughts are absolutely original. You may find the thought of creating an original crochet pattern quite confusing. And I agree with you. There are so many stitches and patterns to work from.

It really is difficult to create an original pattern for certain things. Take granny square for instance. The original granny square pattern was probably the one created for the first time way back when. The situation becomes complicated due to lack of a comprehensive database of original crochet patterns created ever in the world!

Anyway, with so many variables, you can still create an original. Consider the following when doing so:

•    Crochet stitches are not copyrighted. You are free to use whatever stitches you like.

•    Understand the difference between original and inspired from. There is a fine demarcation between the two. Take care not to overlap them.

•    Maintain a crochet ideas journal wherein you can jot down all the ideas you come up with.

•    Develop your ideas one at a time. Some will turn into beautiful articles, while you will seriously question your creativity when working on others.

•    Take notes when working the pattern. Capture information such as the type and amount of yarn used, hook size, final size of the pattern, purpose of the pattern, stitches used in specific rows, average time it took to complete, and any anecdote or personal story associated with the pattern.

•    Use standard crochet abbreviations when writing instructions.

•    Write down the details. For this you can look at a well-written pattern and follow the headings. Otherwise, use one of the several templates available online. Download one such template from:
http://www.lolaness.com/CrochetPatternTemplate.rtf

•    Check the pattern thus written by following the directions written in it. If possible, request trustworthy crocheter friends to follow your pattern. Rewrite directions or improvise the pattern if certain steps are difficult to follow.

•    Include additional information such as photographs, abbreviations, tips, hints and alternate uses.

•    Determine directions for additional sizes if your pattern is that of a wearable. For instance, if you come up with a sweater, make it in different sizes, so readers can make it in the size they want to.

•    Double-check the written pattern for any grammatical or spelling errors. Even a single language related mistake is a complete turn off for many. It immediately diminishes your credibility.

•    Submit the pattern along with its details to crochet web sites or magazines. Some pattern submission links are:

http://www.crochetme.com/submit.html

http://www.leisurearts.com/customer_care/la_information/designs.html

http://www.maggiescrochet.com/pages/designer_guidelines.htm

http://www.breakthroughcrochet.com

Detailed instructions and guidelines about creating and publishing original crochet patterns are also available at, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/229853/how_to_create_publish_crochet_patterns.html

Good luck being creative!!

Crochet is a popular craft around the world. For thousands of years, people have used the art of crochet to create lace and fabrics to use on their garments and to sell to others. Crocheted items were a sign of wealth and prestige.

With the age of the industrial revolution came the mass production of crocheted materials and fabrics, making owning them affordable for anyone, not just the wealthy. As such, crocheted garments became more and more popular worldwide.

These days, crochet is the hobby and craft of many people. There are lots of different arts and crafts as well as, clothing, garments and household items that can be created by means of crochet. Crochet is so easy to learn; practically anyone can do it, making it easy to learn a new skill. Advances in yarn and fiber making technology have provided new and interesting materials for crochet and other needle crafts.

So, since you’re obviously interested in what it takes to start crocheting as a hobby, here are some basic initial steps to help you get going with learning to crochet.

Get Your Supplies Together. You’ll simply need a crochet hook, yarn, a pair of scissors and a large eye needle.

Properly Holding the Crochet Hook. Hold your needle in whichever hand you use to write with. Create a simple slip knot and put it over the end of the hook.

Start Making a Continuous Stitch. Hook the yarn and bring it to the top of the hook and pull through the slip knot. Continue making this chain.

Work Your Way Up the Chain. Move up the chain allowing the first chain stitch to knot on the hook. This allows the yarn to stay in place and not loosen. It is generally a good idea to make this first knot tight rather than loose.

Make Two Loops. Insert your crochet hook into the hole of the next chain stitch and slide the passing yarn through its center.

Bring the Yarn Back. Bring your yarn back on the hook from back to front and slide your knot in the center of the loops which you have already created on the crochet hook.

Make Some Rows. From your second yarn loop, make another single chain stitch and make a counter-clockwise loop. Start again and create the same loops as the previous stitches. Continue this basic crochet technique until you have a swatch of fabric. Once you have completed a swatch of fabric, it is time to remove it from your ball of yarn. Cut it with about a 6″ tail left at the end.

Fasten to Prevent Unraveling. Bring your tail of yarn back through the last stitch to fasten it and then cut the excess.

By using these easy tips and steps, you can achieve your goal of learning to crochet with ease. You’ll be able to start and complete your first crochet project and feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Just as with any new skill, you’ll need to find the proper supplies, materials and instruction before you begin, but with time and patience you’ll become skilled at the art of crochet.