As a crochet designer, crocheting isn’t just about making beautiful things; it’s also about creating well-written patterns for customers to replicate easily. One of the secrets to writing such great crochet patterns is taking detailed notes throughout the design process. However, most designers will have more pattern notes than necessary. In this article, I will explain how to approach your pattern’s ‘Pattern Notes’ section and which notes to include.

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Too many crochet designers use their ‘Pattern Notes’ section completely wrong! They use it as a dumping ground for every note they took in the design process or a place to share their thoughts about what they created. Here are a few examples of what I call, ‘dumping ground notes.’

• To start your project, it’s easier to pull the yarn from the center pull of the skein.
• At the end of each round, I used the invisible join, but you can use whatever method you want. Or continue to crochet in one big spiral.
• I wanted to use a variegated yarn for this design because I thought it would look pretty, but I didn’t have any on hand. You could give it a try and tag me in your photos.
• The yarn I listed can make 2 or 3 hats, depending on what size you make. You could also make this pattern in a chunky yarn. That would be so cute!
• When you’re blocking your shawl, make sure to head to my affiliate links to purchase the mats and pins I used. They’ll help your project fit better.

‘Dumping Ground’ notes are any notes that may include your personal thoughts and opinions about the materials being used, suggestions on how the pattern or design could be improved, or providing your customer with various options to choose from to complete the instructions.



The ‘Pattern Notes’ section should only include notes that are essential for your customer to complete the project. This may seem like a straightforward answer to the question, but it is open to interpretation. What I consider a necessary note may not be the same for you…and it may be different for every other designer!

Here’s How Designers Should Think About the ‘Pattern Notes’ Section:

As a designer, thinking about your ‘Pattern Notes’ section like a message board is a game-changer. On this message board, you’ll leave short, detailed “sticky notes” about specific things in the instructions that may not be immediately obvious. I can’t say this enough: please make sure your ‘sticky notes’ are short, direct, and concise.

These are not love notes. They’re ‘Get the Job’ done notes.



For example, if your customer is making your most recent cardigan pattern and comes along the line of instruction that reads, “ch 2, dc in first st, dc in st 2 rows below, work in pattern repeat as established to last 3 sts, dc in st 2 rows below, dc in the last 2 sts. (49 sts)

It would help if you left several important “sticky notes” for them so they can better understand how to complete this line of instruction. Here are a few questions your customer might have:

1. Does ch 2 at the beginning count as a stitch?
2. What does 2 rows below mean?
3. Wait! What the heck was established!?

Here’s the ‘sticky notes’ to leave on your ‘message board’ so your customer can have all their questions answered clearly:

1. ch 2 counts as a double crochet.
2. When instructed to work st “2 rows below”, insert hook into the indicated stitch in the row numbered 2 less than the row currently being worked.
3. When instructed to work in pattern “as established,” work the next row of pattern and ensure that the stitches line up as in the previous row.

If you’ve been designing crochet patterns for a while, you might have noticed that many crocheters tend to skip over the pattern notes, and some don’t even bother reading them. Here’s a useful tip to make sure your customers pay attention to the notes: include something that will catch their attention and encourage them to read them thoroughly.

Were going to use the same set of instructions as the cardigan pattern that I used earlier as an example:

“ch 2, dc in first st, dc in st 2 rows below, work in pattern repeat as established to last 3 sts, dc in st 2 rows below, dc in the last 2 sts. (49 sts) Leaving the line of instruction as it is may raise a lot of questions for your customer. However, adding a simple change will lead customers to the relevant sticky note that you left on the message board. Let me show you:

“ch 2 (see Pattern Notes), dc in first st, dc in st 2 rows below (see Pattern Notes), work in pattern repeat as established (see Pattern Notes) to last 3 sts, dc in st 2 rows below, dc in the last 2 sts. (49 sts) Including (see Pattern Notes) in your line of instruction will grab your customer’s attention and head them straight to the message board to find what each note says about the instruction. You could also use this same concept when your line of instruction includes a ‘Special Stitch.’

Just a couple of things to take note of when including (see Pattern Notes) or (see Special Stitches):

• If you have to add (see Pattern Notes) several times in one line of instruction (like I did above), add it to the beginning of the row/round instead: Row 1 (see Pattern Notes). This way, you’re still directing your customer to the message board but not crowding your instruction line.
• You only have to use (see Pattern Notes) at the first mention of that particular note. For example, if you use ‘ch 2’ at the beginning of each row/round, you only have to include ch 2 (see Pattern Notes) on the very first line of instruction that mentions ch 2. Using it in every line will crowd your instructions.

To ensure that you are using the pattern notes section effectively and correctly, the best approach is to have your pattern tech edited. I can assist you in making sure that your pattern is the best version of itself, which will ultimately result in a better experience for your customers when they create your projects. If you’re ready to have your pattern edited, fill out my CONTACT FORM, and I’ll be in touch!