Have you ever tried to crochet a project from a vintage pattern and your finished piece just didn't look right? You followed the instructions as closely as possible considering their decidedly sparse nature, but the piece you finished just looks out of proportion or too big.

Is this a slip stitch or a single crochet? The answer might depend on your pattern.

If you are used to crocheting from patterns written in the United States, you were probably working the wrong stitches. While both English and American patterns use the same terminology when referring to crochet stitches, stitch names actually refer to different stitches. And many vintage patterns use English terminology.

So, if a vintage Weldon's pattern tells you to double crochet (dc) across the next row, they are really referring to what modern American patterns would call a single crochet (sc). An English single crochet (sc) would translate as a slip stitch (sl st) in American patterns. A treble crochet (tr) in a vintage pattern, such as those found in Weldon's, would translate to a double crochet (dc) in current American patterns.

Bourbon Rose Pattern for Antimacassar from Weldon's Practical Crochet Seventh Series

Are you confused yet? I know I was confused the first time I tried to memorize the difference. If you are used to crocheting from American patterns, the easiest way to remember which stitch you are supposed to work is to always go down one full stitch, so single crochet becomes slip stitch, double crochet becomes single crochet, treble crochet becomes double crochet, etc.

If the vintage pattern tells you to work a half treble (htr), the "half" stays as it is written and the "treble" translates to an American double crochet. So you would work a half double crochet.

My favorite stitch is the chain stitch. This stitch does not change whether you are working a vintage pattern or a modern pattern. A chain stitch is always a chain stitch.

If you find you are having trouble remembering which stitch to work, keep a translation key handy or write out the pattern in the crochet vernacular you are used to. I have also found that a set of highlighter pens can come in very handy. Highlight the single crochet stitches in yellow, the double crochet stitches in green, etc.

I love crocheting from vintage patterns. Translating the stitches, following a pattern that was written over a hundred years ago, and discovering a treasure at the end of your crochet journey, makes crocheting from a vintage pattern an unparallelled adventure.

Start your own adventure today by downloading Weldon's Practical Crochet Seventh Series: How to Crochet Useful Articles for Personal and Home Decoration.

Best wishes,

P.S. Do you have tips for working vintage patterns or are you used to crocheting in English and have tips for working American patterns? We would love to hear about them below.