Drops Design

[mwedzi]

I love Drops! Most of their stuff is knitted (and I love their knitted designs), but check out this super cool crochet coat. Just love it! It's pattern DD-004

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift_nye.php

[caitlinsmom]

Love that coat. They have so many great designs.

[JCB]

How does that site work? I saw a pattern I'd love to have (not even sure if it's in crochet) but don't see how to order. Or can you only order from their retailers? Do they sell their patterns one at a time, or do you have to buy the entire catalog?

 

Has anyone ever ordered a Drops design? (They do have great designs but I wish they would give a bit more basic info about each pattern)!

 

Joan

[mwedzi]

JCB, all the patterns are free and they are on the site. I should have given you the main page:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/kategori_oversikt.php

Click on, for example, Ladies, and it will give you all the womens patterns. Or click on Crochet and you will get all the crochet patterns.

[funkyreporter]

To download the pattern you like click on the flag below it...

 

Word of Warning: The patterns ARE lovely but a bit confusing... I have downloaded two that didn't look to hard and ran into a lot of problems... I thought itwas just me and I consulted Shelleden who is a published designer and she ended up scratching her head too... I'm not sure if it's something lost in translation between the European/USA thing, or if I'm just 'not getting it'.... a portion of the pattern I downloaded was written out, and then the next section was in symbols only... I have a book on symbol crochet and also received some help from some of the lovely people here on the 'ville, but as yet that specific project is lurking in WIP/UFO status... I have not given up, but I am STUCK STUCK STUCK!

 

Good luck and if anyone figures out that secret, let me know:yay

[nightowl]

I haven't run into any big problems understanding the patterns so far. . .

 

In case anyone doesn't know, there is an English-language forum on the Garnstudio/Drops site where you can get help or ask questions if you have a problem. It's very good, and one of the admins, Bruce, is from Scandinavian Knitting Design here in the UK -- the people who actually do the English translations -- so you can get a definitive answer!

 

Smiles,

[funkyreporter]

nightowl, thanks so much for the tip! I really LOVE this cape I'm trying to make and I spent quite a bit on the yarn, I'm using a Jimbo hook - doing everything right, but the pattern hates me... oh and the cape can fly!!! You should see it go across the room when I get stuck:devil

[JCB]

JCB, all the patterns are free and they are on the site. I should have given you the main page:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/kategori_oversikt.php

Click on, for example, Ladies, and it will give you all the womens patterns. Or click on Crochet and you will get all the crochet patterns.

 

Thanks so much. I never realized they were all free. I've got the site bookmarked now.

 

Joan

[CrochetedJust4You]

What a wonderful site! Thanks so much for the link!

[christinacoghill]

OK, I just LOVE that sweater pattern. I plan on making one after I finish up another sweater that I am making... Too bad I have to sleep and go to work otherwise I could crochet/knit (yes I did say knit) 24-7!

[JennyCrochets]

I haven't run into any big problems understanding the patterns so far. . .

 

In case anyone doesn't know, there is an English-language forum on the Garnstudio/Drops site where you can get help or ask questions if you have a problem. It's very good, and one of the admins, Bruce, is from Scandinavian Knitting Design here in the UK -- the people who actually do the English translations -- so you can get a definitive answer!

 

Smiles,

 

Good Tip!! thanks a lot!

But I can see why you've not had any trouble understanding the patterns, after all, they're written in the english version

 

I've found them to be a bit frustrating, and I don't recommend them to a newbie crocheter. I also found that the best way to treat these patterns is I go through them first with a pencil, and write all the conversion stitches from the english to the american (tr = dc in american, etc etc.). saves me lots of time on these. But even doing that, they are still not written for the newbie crafter.

[nightowl]

Good Tip!! thanks a lot!

But I can see why you've not had any trouble understanding the patterns, after all, they're written in the english version

 

Hah, that's actually quite funny, Jenny. . . you see, I'm so used to the American terms that dominate the Internet and forums like the 'Ville (there are very few home-grown patterns published here) that I naturally think in US terms now and have to make an effort to read a UK pattern!

 

I've found them to be a bit frustrating, and I don't recommend them to a newbie crocheter. I also found that the best way to treat these patterns is I go through them first with a pencil, and write all the conversion stitches from the english to the american (tr = dc in american, etc etc.). saves me lots of time on these. But even doing that, they are still not written for the newbie crafter.

I read somewhere someone's tip that she copies and pastes the pattern text to Word or Notepad and then uses the Find and Replace function to change all the dc's to sc's and so on. . . might be a suggestion?

 

But on your other point, with respect, how many garment patterns from anywhere, crocheted or knitted, are written for the complete newbie? (Except those that are marked "Beginner" or "Easy", of course.) Pattern writers have to assume you know the basics; it's impossible to spell out every stitch and every step and even if you could it would just waste space and frustrate and annoy the more experienced -- who are more likely to be making the thing anyway.

 

Paulette may be right in that it's a European/US cultural thing; I can honestly say the Drops patterns are not written differently or any more cryptically than any commercial pattern I've seen here. Symbol charts for stitch patterns are common in Europe (not UK!) and Japan. Personally I like them, but without debating the pros and cons, for patterns published on the Internet it seems to me to make a lot of sense. . . Yes, it may mean making an effort to learn something new, but that's what makes crochet fun, isn't it? And it's no more effort than any non-US crocheter has to make if she/he wants to use most Internet patterns.

 

Really, I think Garnstudio have done everything they can do to make their patterns understandable. The main site has a link on the home page to hook conversions, UK/US terms and garment size charts. Info on the yarns, including gauge and yardage to help with substitution, is linked from the home page and from every pattern page. There's a FAQ section in the forum with abbreviations, conversions and where to find the English translations for the charts (they are included in the patterns!) and the forum itself, where you will get a reply from the translators within 24 hours.

 

And all the patterns are free! Yet practically every day on a crochet list I belong to there are posts complaining that hooks are not stated in US terms, or that the charts are in Norwegian, or the poster just doesn't want to learn symbols. (This really is on another list, by the way, not aimed at anyone here.) One woman answered a query about hook size, saying size 9 meant US I-9. . . when I gently pointed out it was 9mm -- which I had checked with Bruce of SKD, i.e. the horse's mouth! -- she took great umbrage, posted a snarky reply vowing never to answer a question again and sent me a nasty email <sigh>.

 

So I hope you'll forgive my going off on a bit of a rant, but I do feel Garnstudio should be praised for all they do, not criticised. And Paulette, I know we PM'd about that cussed chart before, but I'd be happy to help anytime you feel strong enough to take it on again. I know Bruce would be tickled to death by the image of the flying cape!

 

Smiles,

[flyinghooks]

I have to chime in and agree with Nowl. I Love love Drops Design. My first adult garment was one of their sweaters - I made it during the olympics last year. I also made another top as a summer top and have at least 3 or 4 more DD patterns on the WIM list. I also have to agree that the forum is helpful with any questions you may have.

 

Giid Luck and remember you can always ask the 5000 members of the ;ville for help too!

[goodtaste]

Thanks, Nikki! Drops has a lot of beautiful patterns. Some people can convert from knitting to crochet, but although I have bought 3 books that are supposed to teach me how to do that, I'm as lost as ever on the subject.

It's good that more and more nice patterns are available in crochet:yay

 

Cloty