by Susan Quilty

Created on: April 12, 2008

From traditional to trendy, crochet patterns are readily available. Many can be found online, often at websites for yarn brands (often listed on yarn labels). When you're looking for stylish crochet designs, here are a few great places to look:

Garnstudio Drops Design - http://www.garnstudio.com

Drops Designs are some of my favorite online. They have a wide variety of stylish crochet patterns and knit patterns as well. Clothing patterns are available for women, men, children, and babies. There are also patterns for accessories and home decor.

Garnstudio sells their own line of high quality yarn and the patterns are written to use their brand. While the yarn may be difficult to find in local stores, the website provides links to retailers and to mail-order stores. Yarn information is also available online and can be used to help find yarn substitutions.

As the company is based in Norway, the website is translated for many different countries. The English translations are good and the website is careful to note whether a pattern is in British or American crochet (as the terms are different). Be aware that the measurements and yarn information are all metric, but there conversion tools available.

Stitch Diva - http://www.stitchdiva.com

Fresh and funky, Stitch Diva patterns are always fun. They are trendy, but have flattering lines that will keep them in style. Patterns are mostly for women's clothes and accessories, but there are a few home projects as well.

Most Stitch Diva patterns are $7 and are can either be purchased for instant download or to be mailed (additional shipping fee). There are a few free patterns to try out as well. The patterns are easy to follow and patterns that have been purchased can be downloaded more than once through the online order history.

If you'd like to use the recommended yarn, kits are available for some patterns. Kits include the pattern and enough yarn to complete the project.

Crochet Today! - http://www.crochettoday.com

Crochet Today! is a crochet magazine put out through Woman's Day magazine. It can be found at most craft stores or you can order a subscription through the website. Issues include patterns for clothing, accessories, and home decor. Some patterns are also available free on the website.

The patterns in Crochet Today! are stylish and well designed. They include crochet diagrams which make them even easier to follow. Each issue has a resource section explaining stitches, techniques, and how to read crochet diagrams.

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