Pictures, sign language, and Symbols have been the timeless means to share everything from history to recipes.

Crochet Symbols are used in Charted Patterns. It is these Charted Patterns allow us to cross language barriers and enjoy the creativity of those with whom our only common language is the technique used in our craft.

Several recent discussions about Crochet software led me to take another look at New Hampshire Software’s SymblCro.

And, I might have just said, “this has to wait for another day” until I read the 1850 Pattern monologue* Caution: Be Prepared For PSA‘s in this complimentary pattern “explanation”

Apparently Joan Silverton shares my sense of humor and her free crochet pattern verbiage can make me laugh out loud, – that rates a deeper look into the product born of her frustration with that 1850 and toher vintage crochet pattern.

Stealing an hour from the “To Be Done File” including perusing the on-line forum, it seemed that perhaps a Yahoo group would be a better way to share information about Symbol Crochet and thus spread its use

The never humble opinion, I was wrong about what I said “in the past” The SymblCro is a program deserves to grow. It just already does so many things I want/need from Crochet Software Design tool.

Fortunately, Joan freely admits the “manual” is not the easiest, once you begin to make some progress on that steep learning curve, it is easy to see the huge potential of this program. Since this is currently still a free program, it only get “free time” and we all know how life can happen.

Being the patient sort that I am (not), and with the clear understanding that with rare exception, we are all likely rookies where SymblCro is concerned, and with informal agreement from its author, we set up a Yahoo Group to Focus on SymbolCrochet.

The goal of SymbolCrochet is to create a place where both those who use and those who design using Symbols crochet can share information.

Along the way, we may be able to create the basis of references and cross references and perhaps even help Joan to incorporate a larger number of symbols “into the program” and well as a wish list of things we “wish it could do”

So here’s the skinny:

Although nothing can really substitute for good reference books…

Current Use or Knowledge of SymbolCrochet, the symbols or the software is not required,

Basic Crochet knowledge will be helpful – If you are just learning to crochet and want to use “written” instructions, there are many wonderful groups.

For General Crochet Help, I happily recommend Crochet Partners as one of the best resources for beginner to advance technique help or one of the more specialized groups like Carol Ventura’s group for her passion, Tapestry Crochet when you need very specific “help” Another of my favorites is Kim Guzman’s yahoo group for Tunisian Crochet

The mission of SymbolCrochet will be how to use Symbol Crochet to complete your crochet work using instructions written using crochet symbols instead of “just words”.

Secondarily, to help each other over the learning curve, so we can most effectively use Joan Silverton’s SymblCro software for design purposes –

And who knows, in the process we might even develop some new cross references either for this blog or my dreamed of Crochet section for the YARNandTHREAD.info Wiki

We are still working on unpacking the boxes and arranging the furniture, so please excuse our dust.