Do You follow patterns exactly?

[inmy7thhvn]

I do follow them a lot of times, but then there are some that I change up. Especially if I've done the pattern once already, I like to add or change something when I do it over.

[bmwkitty]

:skeletonMost of the time I sick to the pattern but I have add more rows changed the border used diff. ww yarn or changed the colors but not any thing real big yet.As I get better I'm surre I will.

[Calesmommy]

I have nevered followed a pattern all the way. I alway end of doing something different.

[bama_belle]

I always make some sort of change. I don't think I have ever followed a pattern exactly.

[caffiendess]

Well in the strict sense of following everything in the pattern no.... I almost always change yarns, colors, etc Most times on afghans I change the size because I feel it is not big enough. But other than that I usually follow pretty closely how to do the actual pattern.

Cece

[malimore]

I concider patterns (and/or instructions) as inspiration - in sewing, cooking and crochet. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The beauty of crochet is that you can rip if it doesn't work out.

 

Debby

 

I know it's an old thread and post, but had to reply!

 

You can frog the crochet, rip out the stitches in sewing, and always call for pizza in cooking. The line my ex and I always used was, "Get the KFC number handy, I don't know if this is gonna work!"

[ottkvo]

I don't consider changing colors not following the pattern so I have to say yes I follow them exactly. I've only been crocheting a year :fluffyso I still have a little trouble understanding them sometimes.

[mpmuskie]

I don't usually follow the pattern exacptly. I look at patterns as a suggestion or a guideline of how to get started with different areas of whatever I've working on.

[MyissaG]

As long as I can remember, I have never finished a pattern as exactly as the pattern requests. I add a different trim to an afghan, I make rims on hats wider and add buttons, etc. Is that the creative side to me? Or do I just need to make things my own?

 

Does anyone else do this?

 

Let me know about your changes.

 

 

 

I dpn't always follow the patterns either. The only time I make sure to follow the pattern exacly is when I am doing a project for Carol. Those ones are being published, and I wouldn't want any differences in what the pattern says.

[StephanieD]

I tend to do exactly what the pattern says except for the kind of yarn it calls for. I don't feel like I know enough to start making changes and things. I've been crocheting about two months now.

 

When I first started cooking, I did the recipes EXACTLY. Now that I've been cooking longer, I always add something to the recipe or leave something out. I imagine that I'll probably do the same thing with crocheting once I feel comfortable.

[neicy crochets]

I followed a pattern to the last stitch on the very first thing I crocheted, only because I was forcing myself to learn to read a crochet pattern. I made this as my first official crocheted pattern: http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r65/neicycrochets/firstphotos376.jpg

Now, I like to look at a photo of a particular project, then wing it. It leads to a lot of frustrating moments sometimes but it's all in fun.

[yarncat]

I have always modified patterns to suitg my tastes.

[Tampa Doll]

Doing a lot of 11 1/2 inch dolls, I have a tendency to take a piece from this pattern and a piece from that pattern. Especially if I can't find what I want.

An example is my Ken pilgrim on my Nevember table. If I remember he is a combo of 3 patterns.

So to answer your question, basically no.

[Dragonflymomof2]

I am always changing something around. Sometimes I will find a mistake in a pattern and have to fix it, and then in turn change other rows/rounds around. I always use the hook I like as opposed to the hook the pattern suggests.

 

Aurora

[SnoPeach]

Like so many others here, I've done a bit of both: following patterns exactly (that didn't always turn out - somewhere there's a huge floppier than necessary turquoise beret from Gr 12), especially as has been pointed out, for doilies; and making subtle-through-to-flagrant modifications. And finally, I'm starting to do things on the fly, creating out of my understanding of stitches and the vision of what I want.

 

With the range of the answers here, how can anyone not feel at home!

 

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Tracie

[Empress Busy Bee]

Same here, it depends on the pattern. At the very least I change the colors.

[Afghaniac]

I have to agree with Gleda: I usually follow patterns to the letter (unless I find errrors), because I liked the way it looked when I selected it. Also, most of the things I make are afghans with particular stitch patterns and motifs that are sometimes pictures in themselves, such as flowers or stars or popcorn-stitch cats, hearts, or paperdolls for example). I often do use my own colorways, however, and sometimes change the border of an afghan, especially when I prefer a border to fringe.

 

Sometimes I add embellishments to basic, somewhat boring patterns, as with the scallop-edged One-Skein Scarf from the Happy Hooker book. I finished making it with a skein of yarn I had on hand, found I had some left over, and crocheted 15 or 16 floral motifs that I sewed onto it.

 

I almost always follow a recipe to the letter the first time out, too, sometimes to my detriment when I should have followed my own instinct and changed something. Only after the first try do I modify a recipe. I never could understand why, when someone asks me for a recipe, she changes it around. I wonder why she asked me for it in the first place. My mother used to try my recipes, change ingredients, then ask me why they didn't taste right.

[ynkeyroze]

On projects i have never done before i try to follow the pattersn, but sometimes i tear it out and redo the project with my own twist.

[Auntie Kellie]

It depends on the pattern. Personally, I hate Picots so if they're in the edging, I tend to leave them out. If they are an important part of the pattern, then I suffer through them. When I'm doing an afghan or something big like that, I tend to add my own edgings to it to give my own personal touch.

 

Hugs and Cookies

Auntie K

[Riohnna]

I usually do if they are in English.If not, and all I have is a graph,,,,I guess!

[amberslipstitch]

I use a patterns as the foundation then use my own creativity to build on the foundation.

[missamorphosis]

Depends on the pattern. Lately, I have a tendancy to go off the written path, unless it's something that warrants staying on it.

[01buckler15]

I always use different yarn. Sometimes a different hook size. The was one pattern that looked a little off so I changed it up a bit to make it look more straight. But I generally stick to the pattern. I haven't tried changing one up completely. I'm not to good at figuring out what the stitches will do before I do them. The only project I did without a pattern (my easy hat) I actually did by accident.

[anjelle]

Whoo boy. I'd say I've only followed a pattern exactly once. And that was because I'd tried it my way, found fault, and figured I'd see how it turned out their way. (It still didn't satisfy, by the way, and I ended up making other modifications.)

 

I always use a different yarn color than suggested. I have to use a different hook, because I stitch tightly. Or I'll pick a different yarn weight and have to make up for that change one way or another. And, frankly, I decide I can see where they're going with the pattern and just wing it after a while.

[kameleonkat]

I have never followed a pattern exactly in my life, knit or crochet

 

Most of the time I just look at the picture and how the pattern starts and i will make the item from there.