Ways to find Free Crochet Patterns

Free Pattern: Red Heart Shawl

When I first began crocheting I spent a great deal of time visiting my local library. That seems like eons ago. It was before Kindle apps, crochet video tutorials on YouTube, and well before the Internet was a gateway to any and all information. I remember finding a pattern in a magazine that I loved and carefully preserving it in a plastic slip cover for years. I believe I still have that pattern for a newborn sweater, tucked away in a box full of xeroxed and photocopied patterns, along with those I wrote by hand.

Thank God for modern technology.

Can I just say it is so much easier now to find patterns and save them?

Some of the best ways I've found to find free crochet patterns include several methods I mentioned above: Kindle, YouTube and online. You can search Amazon for free crochet patterns. You can visit yarn brand web sites and find numerous patterns. Crochet designers often give free crochet patterns away. If you had a favorite pattern online that is no longer accessible (site went down, etc.) don't give up. Check out the Internet Archive as they maintain numerous websites long after they disappeared. You'll see an example of Groovy Crochet and how the patterns are maintained.

Another option, and one that may not be thought of too often, is Google Books. You can set Google Books to preview mode and view some of the newest books available for sale. This saves hours of time that I would have spent in a library. Best of all, you'll have a chance to preview many patterns before you decide to buy a book or not.

Here are several examples of patterns online through Google Books. Just make sure to select "preview available." The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs  Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia.