Can't Read Patterns?

[PJinNH]

Does it ever irk you that some people not only can't read/follow a crochet pattern, but moreso have no interest at all in learning how to read a pattern? All they know how to do is monkey see/monkey do.

 

I guess I'm getting more crotchety in my old age.

 

(hmm crochet/crotchety, very similar words)

 

PJ

 

Admin edit: strike and dim offensive content. Readers, please do not address this particular comment further in the thread.

[magiccrochetfan]

I'm kinda crotchety too at times but honestly, i think it is great to be able to look at something and recreate it. That way you arent dependent on a pattern all the time.

[Empress Busy Bee]

No it doesn't bother me. In fact my sister is one that can't read them and I kind of am offended by you calling her, indirectly, a monkey.

I figure at least she crochets, has a hobby. Something we can talk about and she makes nice afghans. That's really all that matters.

 

[Amy]

Reminder: let's please be respectful and supportive of ALL crocheters. We have members here with no problems reading patterns, members who are just learning, members who have never learned but may want to one day, and members who may never want to learn to read a pattern.

 

There is nothing wrong with ANY of these approaches, as long as the crocheter is happy with what he or she is doing.

 

Additionally, I consider it a pretty good skill to have to be able to look at a picture of a finished item and duplicate it without a pattern.

[RoseRed]

No. I don't usually mind other people's business. I know several people that granny square and dc and that's all they care to learn. One of them makes such beautiful items from her own imagination - it's amazing.

[magiccrochetfan]

I can see where if i had an acquaintance who wanted to make a pattern, but did not understand the pattern, so she was coming to me to literally demonstrate how to do each and every line of the pattern....that i would find irksome. In that kind of example, my feeling is the person ought to learn to read patterns, so she can make what she wants even if the "teacher" is not around.

 

With patterns available in writen and diagrammed formats, i think there are patterns that most anybody can use if they want to, and take the time to learn. I would advise them to go to the library and check out a copy of Crocheting in Plain English by M Righetti, sit down with it and learn to use patterns.

 

But hooray for all the people who never use patterns, but make up their own things, or recreate by eye:hook:cheer

[Granny Square]

It's a hobby. A leisure time activity. People can engage it it in whichever way amuses them.

 

Crocheters got along for decades (and knitters for hundreds of years) without written pattern books. Thread crocheters kept stitch/motif sample scrapbooks (actual swatches)to copy from. The earliest 'pattern' books were only illustrations of finished pieces, with no written directions, or at best very rudimentary ones.

 

Detailed written directions detailing every.single.step are a more recent invention. Personally, I wish that more US patterns would follow the rest of the the world to be primarily diagrammed rather than written out, as so many written patterns have errors.

 

edit -- really Kathy, I'm not stalking you, just typing slow again

[magiccrochetfan]

It's a hobby. A leisure time activity. People can engage it it in whichever way amuses them.

 

Crocheters got along for decades (and knitters for hundreds of years) without written pattern books. Thread crocheters kept stitch/motif sample scrapbooks (actual swatches)to copy from. The earliest 'pattern' books were only illustrations of finished pieces, with no written directions, or at best very rudimentary ones.

 

Detailed written directions detailing every.single.step are a more recent invention. Personally, I wish that more US patterns would follow the rest of the the world to be primarily diagrammed rather than written out, as so many written patterns have errors.

 

edit -- really Kathy, I'm not stalking you, just typing slow again

 

Granny, i always enjoy reading your posts, no matter where they are....and i usually agree with you;). And i am SO with you on the diagrammed patterns!!!

[Miss Crochet]

When I write patterns, I try - where possible - to include a simple diagram. A picture is worth a thousand words, etc. It took me a bit of time to figure out diagrams but it was worth it. It doesn't irk me that a person mightn't be able to read patterns, but it does irk me if someone wants to but doesn't try. Similarly, diagrams. At least give it a try before you dismiss it! And if you can't do it, then that's another thing - but without even having a go? ...

[DogCatMom]

It's very difficult to see into the mind of another person and discern that he or she has "no interest at all" in learning something.

 

What with non-verbal learning disorders, visual processing difficulties, aural processing difficulties, dyslexia (written directions), and other ways the human brain can make life difficult, it's a wonder that any of us ever get anything accomplished!

 

Sometimes, someone who would very much like to learn to read patterns doesn't have anyone nearby to ask. We, at Crochetville, may be that individual's only opportunity. And who knows how long s/he has been looking for that opportunity and making things up independently? Maybe we're being snippy (those of us who are snippy, that is) to a potential designer! Not a good move.

 

So, if someone writes in a message to the board here asking about a pattern, if you find yourself rolling your eyes and going, "Oh. My. God. Not. Again," simply move on to another message that you enjoy more. There are plenty of us! Don't worry!!! Someone else--and probably several "someone elses"--will answer the request.

 

Thank heavens. My own schedule has been a little weird (pasted/waxed/air-tight) lately, and I haven't had time to answer those questions as I'd become accustomed to doing. But others here at Crochetville are helping those "Patterns! I need help!" people, and who knows? Once it clicks for them, they may be on the answering end of things, too.

 

 

DCM

[Titus2woman]

I can only crochet with a written pattern and would LOVE (and plan) to learn diagrams. Crocheting by sight is a pure dream!!!!

[magiccrochetfan]

I can only crochet with a written pattern and would LOVE (and plan) to learn diagrams. Crocheting by sight is a pure dream!!!!

 

I sound like a broken record i know:P but really, Crocheting in Plain English is a great reference for learning to use diagrams, i think. You might want to get it from your local library to see if its helpful for you.

[magiccrochetfan]

Maybe we're being snippy (those of us who are snippy, that is) to a potential designer! Not a good move.

 

So, if someone writes in a message to the board here asking about a pattern, if you find yourself rolling your eyes and going, "Oh. My. God. Not. Again,"

 

 

 

DCM

 

One of the things i really love about Crochetville is the positivity. I have never seen a snippy reply to a question or one that conveyed an " eye rolling" feeling. I think anybody who posts a question can feel secure that they will not receive a reply that is negative or impatient.

[DebraKay]

Actually, I admire those that can look at a project and then sit down and make it! I think that takes a lot more talent than following a pattern. My grandma crocheted that way her whole life. She grew up in an era when patterns were not written down much and no one could really afford them if they were. So, she developed the skill of being able to create her own pattern in her head as she went! Sure wish I could do that!

 

Additionally, people learn and work in different ways. I am embarrassed to say, I have trouble trying to read diagrams. It just makes my head swim. Others look at them as the simplest form of patterns. I don't know why I have this block but I have to have the written pattern. I also LOVE to be able to see it done when learning a new stitch. You Tube is my savior there! Although I usually can get it fine just reading about it, some times I can read it, see a diagram and still not understand what they mean, but if I see it done once, I have it! We are all different and I can't see why it would bother anyone how another person crochets!

 

I too, appreciate the supportive atmosphere here on the Ville! I have never worried about asking a question, knowing that I would probably have an answer in record time from a caring member only wishing to help. I do try to pass on help when I can to pay back some of that kindness. Sometimes the answer seems obvious but I remember when there was nothing obvious about the craft for me, so empathy kicks right in.

[RoseRed]

I'm another one that has a problem with diagrams - especially the bigger ones. It totally sux because there are some GORGEOUS doily diagrams out there.

[CollieGrl64]

I had a very hard time learning how to read a pattern and at one point it just happened and now I am working on a pattern that the written pattern confused me so bad I learned how to follow a chart which I was having a hard time following. So my advice is to keep at it and one day it will just happen ... or look for a charted pattern and see if you can follow that. Hope this helps.

Collie

[pretty monsters]

Personally, I pushed myself to figure out patterns as soon as possible. When I first started? No way, I made squares and square and blobs and maybe if you squint you might think it was a triangle. But at least the way I am going about it is one pattern at a time. People who can't read patterns yet or have no desire to are fine by me. If that is how you want to do it, go for it! The nice think about crochet is as long as it makes you happy, make whatever you want.

[HappyOldCro]

I prefer diagrams, and if it is just a written pattern it has to have a clear picture, because sometimes the words just don't make sense. I often find myself with pen and paper creating my own diagram from the directions rather than all the crocheting and ripping things up because it didn't work out right.

I learned by sight from grandma's creations (which she did from memory). My first pattern book was a hanky edging book that included diagrams and simple written instructions to explain some of the more complicated stitches. I also find too many typos in alot of the written out patterns...

[whitneyallison]

Some patterns I can read and follow and others I can't. I'd love to be able to read all patterns and I've tried my hardest but some of them just don't click for me. Would anyone be willing to try and teach me?

[guiness56]

I had to teach myself to read patterns. I did a lot searching on the internet for explanations of things I didn't understand.

 

Learning the abbreviations for the different stitches helped tremendously.

 

Sometimes I still have to come here and ask questions on things I can't get right or something I just don't get.

 

Reading a pattern can be very intimidating to someone who has never tried it.

[DogCatMom]

Some patterns I can read and follow and others I can't. I'd love to be able to read all patterns and I've tried my hardest but some of them just don't click for me. Would anyone be willing to try and teach me?

 

Well...now that people can just publish patterns themselves, without needing to go through publishers, editing (both copy- and technical editing), test-crocheting, etc., there *are* patterns out there which are

 

--poorly written

--incomprehensible even to experienced, pattern-reading crocheters

--inaccurate

--some combination of these.

 

If you're familiar with Ravelry, check there and see whether anyone has made the object whose pattern you're having trouble with. There may be errata (a published list of fixed errors) somewhere that Ravelry can give a link to.

 

Do you have a link to the pattern? Or a place we can look at the one in question?

 

DCM

[Ravenaier]

I can take a pattern and pretty much read it and muddle through it if its really hard. I like reading patterns and visualzing it in my head, seeing the pattern within the pattern. Charts, now that's a whole different issue. I can't read from those to save my soul! I would love to be able to though.

 

Reacreating something from sight is truly a gift of understanding. I tried my hand at it myself in the past few months, and though I came close to the original, it definitely wasn't the same.

[whitneyallison]

Well...now that people can just publish patterns themselves, without needing to go through publishers, editing (both copy- and technical editing), test-crocheting, etc., there *are* patterns out there which are

 

--poorly written

--incomprehensible even to experienced, pattern-reading crocheters

--inaccurate

--some combination of these.

 

If you're familiar with Ravelry, check there and see whether anyone has made the object whose pattern you're having trouble with. There may be errata (a published list of fixed errors) somewhere that Ravelry can give a link to.

 

Do you have a link to the pattern? Or a place we can look at the one in question?

 

DCM

 

 

There's more than one pattern I've had trouble with, anything in the round confuses me and then there was the fish shaped washcloth I tried my hand at, it was supposed to be a goldfish and ended up looking like a barracuda.

[magiccrochetfan]

I can take a pattern and pretty much read it and muddle through it if its really hard. I like reading patterns and visualzing it in my head, seeing the pattern within the pattern. Charts, now that's a whole different issue. I can't read from those to save my soul! I would love to be able to though.

 

Reacreating something from sight is truly a gift of understanding. I tried my hand at it myself in the past few months, and though I came close to the original, it definitely wasn't the same.

 

Check out the crochetville class schedule. Edie Eckman is doing a class on using symbol diagrams in the next few days. She is a really good teacher and the online classes are a great value.

[darski]

As a designer I have to say that writing out patterns is a challenge because I can never be really sure that my words mean the same thing to you that they do to me. The simple things are the hardest to explain

 

That said, I think crafters really should take themselves seriously and "learn" their craft. Put as much effort and time into the learning as you expect to achieve in results. I am reminded of a very strong-willed young woman who wanted to knit incredible doilies but refused to receive the simplest instruction/assistance for doing a purl stitch.