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Crochet Symbol Sampler Bookmark: Free Beginner Crochet Pattern

You will crochet a flat bookmark that uses five basic stitches in a set order, so you can read a simple symbol chart and check your own stitch counts. It needs only beginner stitches and takes an estimated 1 to 2 hours.

Crochet Pattern Symbol Sampler Bookmark

Free crochet pattern · US terms

Yarn: 2 - Fine (sport) — suggested
Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4) — verify with a swatch
Gauge: 18 sts x 20 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in single crochet, unblocked. Gauge is calculated from the stated hook and yarn weight; measure your own swatch to confirm. (calculated, not measured)
Size: approx. Approximately 2 in (5 cm) wide by 7 in (18 cm) long, unblocked
Level: Beginner
Time: about 1 h 30 min (estimate)

Written and count-checked on paper, not yet physically tested. Make the gauge swatch and the checkpoint below before you commit all your yarn.

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The finished piece is a narrow flat rectangle about 2 in (5 cm) wide and 7 in (18 cm) long, worked in rows with a small scalloped edge. Each row repeats one basic stitch, so the fabric shows what chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet and double crochet look like side by side.

It suits a new crocheter who has made a few practice swatches and wants to follow written rows and a symbol chart at the same time. The stitch counts are printed on every row so a mistake shows up before you go on.

Before You Start

Time estimate: about 1 to 2 hours for a first bookmark, less once the stitches are familiar.

Skill needed: chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet and double crochet. Nothing else.

Yarn amount: one 50 g ball of cotton or cotton blend is more than enough; the estimate is about 30 yd (27 m).

Swatch first: work a 4 in (10 cm) square in single crochet to check gauge and to see how your tension behaves before starting the narrow rows.

Materials

Suggested materials. Any yarn of the same weight works if you match the gauge.

1 ball of 2 - Fine (sport) cotton or cotton-blend yarn, about 50 g

Cotton holds a flat bookmark shape and shows stitch texture clearly. A light color helps you see the stitches; smooth acrylic in the same weight is a workable substitute.

3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook

Matched to fine yarn for a firm, non-floppy fabric. If your swatch feels loose, drop to 3.0 mm (D-3).

Tapestry needle

For weaving in the two ends. A blunt tip slides between stitches without splitting the yarn.

Tape measure or ruler

Needed for the gauge swatch and the early checkpoint.

Stitch marker (optional)

Useful for marking the first stitch of a row while you learn to read counts.

Yarn needed (estimate): Estimated about 30 yd (27 m), well under one 50 g ball

Gauge and Size

Gauge: 18 sts x 20 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in single crochet, unblocked. Gauge is calculated from the stated hook and yarn weight; measure your own swatch to confirm.. This gauge is calculated from the yarn and hook above, not measured on a finished sample. Make a 4 in (10 cm) swatch first; change the hook size, not your tension, until it matches.

Finished size (approximate): Approximately 2 in (5 cm) wide by 7 in (18 cm) long, unblocked. Your size depends on your gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

Abbr.	Meaning
ch	chain
sl st	slip stitch
sc	single crochet
hdc	half double crochet
dc	double crochet
st	stitch
sts	stitches
tch	turning chain
FO	fasten off

Special Stitches

Half double crochet (hdc)

Yarn over, insert the hook in the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops at once.

Double crochet (dc)

Yarn over, insert the hook in the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.

Scallop edge

A group of stitches worked into one stitch to make a rounded bump. Here each scallop is 3 dc worked into the same stitch, with a sl st between scallops to space them out.

How This Pattern Is Written

All instructions are in US crochet terms.
The bookmark is worked flat in rows, turning at the end of every row. The right side faces you on odd-numbered rows.
The turning chain at the start of a row does not count as a stitch on sc rows (ch 1). On hdc rows the ch 2 counts as the first hdc, and on dc rows the ch 3 counts as the first dc; in those rows the first actual stitch is worked into the next stitch of the row below.
Every row lists the stitch count at the start and at the end so you can check as you go. A row's starting count equals the previous row's ending count.
The piece is designed as a symbol-reading exercise: each block of rows repeats one stitch type so you can match the written row to the symbol chart you are learning from.
Finished size and yarn amount are estimates based on the stated gauge, not measured on a completed piece.

Checkpoint after Row 6: The piece should be about 2 in (5 cm) wide and about 1 1/4 in (3 cm) tall, with 34 sc across the row. Lay it flat and count the top edge; if the count is off by one or two, the width will still look right, so recount before continuing.

The Pattern

Bookmark Body

Row 1: Ch 36. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn.(35 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the first st and in each st across. Turn.(35 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the first st and in each st across. Turn.(35 sc)
Row 4: Ch 2 (counts as the first hdc), hdc in the next st and in each st across. Turn.(35 hdc)
Row 5: Ch 2 (counts as the first hdc), hdc in the next st and in each st across. Turn.(35 hdc)
Row 6: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the first st and in each st across. Turn.(35 sc)
Row 7: Ch 3 (counts as the first dc), dc in the next st and in each st across. Turn.(35 dc)
Row 8: Ch 3 (counts as the first dc), dc in the next st and in each st across. Turn.(35 dc)
Rows 9-14: Repeat Rows 2-7 once more: Row 9 and Row 10 = sc; Row 11 and Row 12 = hdc; Row 13 = sc; Row 14 = dc. Turn at the end of each row.(35 sts each row)
Row 15: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the first st and in each st across. Do not turn.(35 sc)

Scallop Edge

Round 1: Do not turn. Working along the top edge of Row 15, ch 1, sc in the first st, then work the scallops as follows: *skip 1 st, 3 dc in the next st, skip 1 st, sl st in the next st; repeat from * 7 more times (8 full repeats worked over 32 sts), then skip 1 st, 3 dc in the next st, skip 1 st, sl st in the last st. The edge is worked along one long side only.(35 sts along the edge; 9 scallops)

Finishing and Assembly

1. FO, leaving a 4 in (10 cm) tail.
2. Thread the tail on the tapestry needle and weave it through the back of several stitches, then back through two stitches in the opposite direction to lock it.
3. Weave in the starting tail the same way.
4. Lay the bookmark flat and smooth it with your hand. If it curls, mist lightly with water and press flat under a clean cloth, then let it dry.
5. Trim any loose yarn ends close to the fabric.

Sizes and Variations

Wider bookmark

begin with ch 46 instead of 36 to add about 1 in (2.5 cm) of width. Every row then carries 45 sts instead of 35; the scallop edge gives about 6 scallops.

Longer bookmark

repeat Rows 2-7 a second time before Row 15. The stitch count stays 35 on every row.

Two-color version

change color after Row 8 and again after Row 14, carrying the old color up the side edge. Counts do not change.

No-scallop version

end after Row 15 and skip the Scallop Edge section for a plain rectangle.

Troubleshooting

What you see	Likely cause	Fix
The bookmark gets narrower row by row.	The first or last stitch of the row is being skipped, often because the turning chain was mistaken for a stitch.	The turning chain does not count as a stitch in sc rows. Work the first sc into the stitch directly below the hook, and the last sc into the final stitch of the row below. Recount at the end of each row.
The edges look wavy or the piece curls into a tube.	Tension is tight in the middle rows, or the turning chain is too long for the stitch used.	Use ch 1 for sc rows, ch 2 for hdc rows and ch 3 for dc rows, and keep the chain loose. Block the finished piece flat to relax the curl.
The scallop edge looks uneven or crowded.	The skip-one-stitch spacing was not followed exactly, so scallops overlap.	Count out loud: skip 1, 3 dc in one stitch, skip 1, sl st. Each scallop uses 4 stitches of the edge, so 35 edge stitches give about 5 full scallops with a little left over.
The stitch count is right but the rows look slanted.	Each new row is started in the same direction without turning, or the work was turned the same way twice.	Turn the work at the end of every row so the right side faces you on odd rows. Check that the yarn tail stays at the same corner after turning.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with a little mild soap, squeeze gently without wringing, and roll in a towel to remove water. Lay flat to dry and press lightly under a cloth if needed. Do not tumble dry.

Questions Makers Ask

Can I make this bookmark if I only know single crochet?

Yes, if you learn hdc and dc first. Both are shown in the special stitches section and each takes one practice row. The rest of the bookmark is single crochet rows.

How do I use this bookmark to practice reading a symbol chart?

Draw or find a chart of the same stitches and match each row to its symbol: a small circle for chain, a dot for slip stitch, a plus for single crochet, a T for half double crochet and a T with a slash for double crochet. Work the row, then compare the fabric to the symbol.

Will one 50 g ball be enough?

Yes, with plenty left over. The estimate is about 30 yd (27 m) for one bookmark, and a 50 g ball of fine cotton usually holds well over 100 yd (90 m). The figure is an estimate, not a measured amount.

Designer's note: Count each row before turning. On a narrow piece, one missed stitch at the edge is easy to see only after several rows, and recounting takes seconds.

Next: Try a small cotton washcloth in the round to practice joined rounds and a stitch marker.

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