Crocheters! Let’s borrow a trick that knitters have been using for years. When column after column of printed instructions overwhelm them (lace patterns are often the worst), knitters copy the pattern onto index cards: one row to one index card.
They punch the corner of each card, and hold them all together with a binding ring or a loop of yarn.
You can do this with crochet instructions, too. As you copy the pattern, break the row up into manageable chunks. For instance, write any instructions in parentheses on a line by themselves.
You’ll be amazed at how much better you understand a pattern after you write it out.
As you crochet, look only at the one card that has instructions for the row or round you are working on. As soon as you’re done with that row, go to the next card.
In the photo, I’m in the middle of crocheting the Pomegranate pattern from Crochet Garden. It is not difficult to crochet, but its instructions are long. With a single row written on each index card, I can focus on that one little bit of the pattern.
The paperclip is to keep my place in the pattern, since I couldn’t finish the motif all in one sitting.