Open to all · nothing behind a sign-up

Made the old-fashioned way —

Free crochet patterns, written out in full.

Every pattern is set out round by round, in US terms, with the stitch count in brackets at the end of each one. Nothing is summarised, nothing is held back, and nothing costs anything.

Browse the shelf Start with a beginner square
100% With stitch counts
US Terms, spelled out
0 Sign-ups to read one
A display case of crocheted granny squares — sunbursts, daisies, ladybirds and classic clusters in every colour, each one a free pattern on this site
the window display — every square a free pattern

Twelve picks, hand-set

Every card opens the whole pattern — materials, abbreviations, all the rounds and the finishing notes.

Flowers 53 Animals 19 Sky & Nature 14 Bags & Projects 12 Classic & Solid 8 Fruit & Food 6 Geometric 4 Motifs 3

See every free pattern →

The house rules

What is in every single one

The count, every round

Each round ends with its stitch count in brackets. If your number is off you find out now, not four rounds later when the only fix is to pull it all back.

The whole materials list

Yarn weight, number of colours, hook size, notions, and the finished size of the sample that was actually made — so you can judge before you start.

Abbreviations on the page

Every short code the pattern uses is spelled out on the same page, in US terms. No hunting through a separate index halfway through a round.

Nothing held back

No round is ever shortened to “repeat as before”, and nothing is kept back for a paid version. The whole pattern is on the page, free, with no sign-up between you and it.

Where would you like to start?

Pick your level

Beginner

Chain, single crochet, double crochet. If you can do those three, every pattern on this shelf is within reach today.

Beginner patterns →

Intermediate

Puffs, bobbles, back-loop ridges, colour changes and a corner that has to come out square. Comfortable ground once you have a few squares behind you.

Intermediate patterns →

Advanced

Layered petals worked behind each other, encased rounds, ten-round blooms. Slow work, and worth every minute of it.

Advanced patterns →
Close-up of double crochet stitches worked in cream cotton with a wooden hook resting on them
the bit that has to add up

A word from behind the counter

Why the counts matter

A crochet pattern is a small vocabulary — chain, single, double, treble — arranged into a motif. The stitches themselves are not the hard part. What makes a pattern a pleasure or a misery is how honestly it was written down.

The single most useful thing a written pattern can give you is the stitch count at the end of every round. It turns a long silent stretch of work into a row of checkpoints: finish the round, count, carry on. That is the whole trick, and it is why nothing goes up on this shelf until the numbers agree with the photograph.

Leave the counts out and a maker finds the mistake four rounds later, when the only cure is to pull it all back.

About Stitch Obsession The abbreviations list

You ask, we answer —

Questions over the counter

Are the patterns really all free?

Yes, every one. The whole pattern sits on its own page — materials, abbreviations, all the rounds with their stitch counts, and the finishing notes. There is no sign-up between you and it, no paid tier, and no part of the pattern kept back for later.

Do the patterns give stitch counts?

Every round ends with its count in brackets, exactly as the designer worked it. That is the checkpoint that tells you the round came out right before you commit to the next one.

US or UK crochet terms?

US terms throughout, unless a pattern says otherwise. Where the UK word differs it is noted in the abbreviations list — a UK “treble” is a US double crochet, and that one catches everybody once.

What if I am completely new to this?

Start on the beginner shelf. If you can chain, single crochet and double crochet, those patterns are within reach today — and each one spells out every abbreviation it uses on the same page.

Can I sell the things I make?

The squares, blankets and bags that come off your own hook are yours to keep, gift or sell. A link back to the pattern is always kind and never required. Please don’t republish the pattern text or the photographs themselves — see the terms.

Which hook and yarn should I use?

Each pattern lists the exact hook size and yarn weight the sample was worked in, plus the finished measurement, so you can adjust if your tension runs tight or loose. If you are unsure what a weight means, the yarn weight guide lays it out.