About StitchCheck

StitchCheck is a free tool for checking amigurumi crochet patterns and previewing them in 3D. It is made by FamCraftsShop, a small shop that designs and sells crochet patterns.

Why we made it

Writing an amigurumi pattern means writing dozens of rounds of numbers, and a single typo — a repeat count of 5 instead of 6, a total of 16 instead of 18 — can send a maker down the wrong path for an hour. Testers catch most of these, but not all, and checking the arithmetic by hand is slow. We built StitchCheck to check our own patterns before they went out, then opened it up for everyone who writes or follows patterns.

The 3D preview came from the same need. It is hard to picture what "R7–12: sc around (36)" will look like until you've crocheted it. Seeing the shape first means fewer test pieces and fewer rounds to undo.

How it works

You paste or type a pattern. StitchCheck reads each round — its label, stitches, repeats, colour changes and the stitch count at the end — and works out how many stitches the round uses from the round below and how many it makes. If the two don't line up, or the count the pattern gives is different from what the instructions produce, that round is marked with a plain-language explanation.

It then builds a 3D model from the stitch counts, one round at a time, using the height and width of a typical single crochet stitch. Increases make the shape grow, decreases make it close, and plain rounds make it taller. You can play the build round by round, paint stitches, try safety-eye positions and export a picture.

Everything runs in your browser. Patterns are saved in your browser's storage and are not uploaded to us. See the privacy policy for details.

What it understands

• US and UK crochet terms, including the common abbreviation styles designers use.
• Patterns written in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and Japanese, and the X/V/A chart letters common in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese patterns.
• Repeats in brackets, asterisks and "repeat … times", round ranges, back- and front-loop rounds, and colour changes.
• Multi-part patterns (head, body, arms…), including how many copies of each part to make.
• Your own abbreviations, if a designer uses unusual ones.

The interface itself is available in 14 languages.

What it can't do (yet)

StitchCheck is built for amigurumi worked in rounds. It can read simple flat rows, but it isn't designed for garments, blankets, lace or colourwork charts. The 3D preview is an estimate: real yarn, tension and stuffing all change the final shape a little, so it's best used to compare versions and catch big surprises, not to predict the exact size.

Learn more

Our guides cover reading patterns, US vs UK terms, fixing stitch-count mistakes, increase maths and designing your own toys. If you find a pattern StitchCheck misreads, or have an idea, get in touch through our Etsy shop.