By Becky Stahl
I guess I'm a boring pattern follower. I've never written a pattern, so I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable following my own directions. I've winged it for basic things like granny squares or a dishcloth, but for anything more detailed, I usually follow a pattern.
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I like to know where I'm going before I get there.
About As Rebellious As I Get
I usually follow a pattern exactly from start to finish, but sometimes I'll change it up and add a stitch here or there if I want it a little different. That's about as rebellious as I get. I wish I were more creative and could think of patterns on my own. I really admire that skill.
Fixing The Kit Myself And Trusting It
The last time I went off pattern, I was working on an amigurumi kit. The directions had a minor mistake, and I figured I knew how it should go, so I fixed it myself.
It turned out great, which was a relief because I was pretty confident for someone making it up as I went. Sometimes patterns have errors, and you just have to figure them out to the best of your ability.
Notes I Mean To Keep But Often Skip
I should be better about writing things down for projects I'm working on. I'm trying to keep notes for each one: the yarn and colorway, maybe even the label, the hook size, and anything else that might be relevant.
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I would also like to know where I left off because if I put a project down and pick it up two weeks later, I won't remember. I'll look at it like it belongs to somebody else. Do I always take notes? No, but I'm trying to be better about it.
Burned By AI Patterns On Etsy
I like free patterns just as much as everyone else, but sometimes I'll see one on Ravelry or Etsy that I have to buy. I've been burned a few times on Etsy by AI patterns. They can be very deceiving. Luckily, Etsy gave me my money back, but they didn't do anything about the seller.
Now before I buy a pattern, I check the reviews to see whether someone has crocheted it successfully. If it looks too good in the pictures, it probably is too good to be true, or at least too good for me to buy without reading the reviews. I do prefer free patterns, though. There are many on the Internet, and I can't afford to buy every pattern I want. My yarn already has a pretty good claim on that money.
Try A Chaos Blanket First
If someone is a strict pattern follower, my advice would be to try and wing it every once in a while. Start with something easy, like a dishcloth or an Afghan. Pick some stitches out of a stitch dictionary and try them. A good place to start would be a Chaos Blanket. There's really no pattern. You just do different stitches on each row. It's called a chaos blanket, so even if things get a little messy, you're still on theme.
But there's nothing wrong with following a pattern exactly. That's why we have patterns! And if you're someone who can wing it, hats off to you! I wish I were more creative like you.
