People who say they crochet, but appear to know nothing.

[Real Deal]

I'm puzzled. I've noticed a few people who say they crochet, and have blogs and websites with crochet shops of nicely crocheted items ~ yet seem to know little (even about basics) of crocheting. What am I missing here? Are they selling items that are really made by someone else? This doesn't make any sense to me.

Real Deal

[Empress Busy Bee]

Are they selling items that are really made by someone else?

I doubt it. I've found from being on this board that many people only know the basics or a little beyond. Many people can't/don't read patterns and that always surprises me.

Goodness knows I don't know how to do it all yet.

[amandapace]

There are in fact many people that cancrochet very well, but have never learned terminology. I learned from a book, so I'm fairly good at knowing about things, but I'm cursed with not being able to deviate much from patterns.

[eurolyons]

Can you give me a 'fer instance...what have you found that these people do not know?

[christinascrochethaven]

I doubt it. I've found from being on this board that many people only know the basics or a little beyond. Many people can't/don't read patterns and that always surprises me.

Goodness knows I don't know how to do it all yet.

 

I'm one of those who don't read patterns well and yet I'm able to crochet pretty darn good. I don't learn "anything" from just reading.... I guess just because some of us learn differently...we aren't as good as those who know how to read patterns perfectly. Maybe this thread is about criticizing and not really about crochet.

[snugsmontreal]

i get it alot with my knitting. i take my knitting everywhere with me, including lots of public transportation. i once had this older woman who said she knits sit down next to me and start talking to me and fondling the scarf i was making. it was a woven cable pattern, super easy but it looks hard and she was examining it and she said you you're doing "this" stitch (literally calling my cables this stitch) and said she only knits things that "look the same on the front as the back" ... i started thinking to myself only one knit stitch looks the same on front and back and that is garter st and its only knit stitches no purls. so i kind of doubted this woman ever sis more than learn the knit st and maybe made a scarf once. then she proceeded to tell me my yarn was sub-par and that i should only shop at this high end LYS here

[shelly_bean]

I am a nerd, so I have to read all kinds of books and learn all about the craft, my mom isn't, she follows the pattern, but will go off on her own, she doesn't count, or follow it completely if she doesn't like how it is looking. She can't read a chart to save her life.. Yet she does great work. some people are different.

[Amy]

I think you will find with any craft that seems to be getting lots of attention and becoming popular, there are many people on the internet at large (not people within our own community here at Crochetville), who attempt to take advantage of that popularity for their own personal profit.

 

There probably are sites that purchase crocheted items from a number of different crocheters, and then try to sell all the items in one central website. This kind of setup could be arranged to be beneficial to all parties, or it could be that the seller is taking advantage of all the people they're purchasing from. There's just no way for us to know.

 

But I bet these sites are few and far between.

[adagio]

In my group of crocheters at my church we have some who can't read a pattern. Some can read patterns, but only know one stitch. Some that can read a pattern consider it gospel, and won't deviate AT ALL. Yet they all crochet wonderfully. What you've noticed did not surprise me at all.

[paperflowers]

I know a lady who says she's a continental knitter, but when I started teaching her crochet she couldn't figure out how to hold the supply yarn. It's the same hand and same method.

[Empress Busy Bee]

I'm one of those who don't read patterns well and yet I'm able to crochet pretty darn good. I don't learn "anything" from just reading.... I guess just because some of us learn differently...we aren't as good as those who know how to read patterns perfectly. Maybe this thread is about criticizing and not really about crochet.

Now where did you get criticizing from my reply, or anyone elses?

All I did was give an example for the question asked. I never said it was a bad thing, just that it surprises me. I never knew until coming to this board, that people could crochet so much without being able to read patterns. I don't read patterns perfectly at all. I've had to read some at least three times before I 'get it'.

 

As for the lady selling stuff on her blog and not seeming to know much, well I guess I just don't automatically think the worst of people. I have no proof, especially without seeing the blog, that she's buying and selling other people's work.

 

[Amy]

I don't think anybody is criticizing anybody else and the way they do or do not crochet. I want to ask that people stop picking apart each other's words. This *CAN* be a nice, respectful discussion. But if it turns ugly, with people jumping all over each other, I'm going to close the thread.

 

I think we can all agree that there are MANY talented people out there who are able to duplicate general things they see without the need of a pattern to follow. Personally, I think that's an amazing talent to have----because I'm much better at following a pattern. I think it's amazing that people can just dream something up and make it without a pattern. That's definitely a valuable talent to have. And if you can do this, then you wouldn't need to learn to read a pattern!

[Tiga]

I think the variety of styles and ways to crochet is what makes crochet so wonderful.

 

I find it mildly amusing that all those "subversive" knitters have only one way to do things, maybe two if you count throwing vs. continental. But still, in knitting, the rules are the rules and if you don't follow them, things are going to get fouled up in a hurry.

 

In crochet, you can do your stitches backwards, in one loop or two, sideways, from the wrong side, and your work will still come out functional. It may look different, but it will still be a sweater, and you can still wear it. Our stitches are 3 dimensional, and that gives us so much leeway in how we can torture them before the project gets totally fouled up, lol.

 

So, yeah, I guess we don't *have* to be as technically knowledgeable as knitters, but I think that's what I like about crochet. I was able to, in about a week, teach myself how to crochet. In a month, I was able to tackle "expert" patterns. I made mistakes, but I didn't have to pull out all my work to fix them; ignoring them was a valid option. And the next time I did the same stitch or technique, I could learn from my previous mistake. And still use the previous item with the minor mistake in it.

 

I'm learning to knit now (again, teaching myself as I don't know anyone that knits), and when I screw up, I have to rip out my work 90% of the time because I don't have the technical prowess to fix it.

 

Anyway, I have no beef with people making and selling crochet right out of the gate - we all start somewhere, and as long as what they are selling isn't going to fall apart (and it being crocheted, it's less likely to unravel than knit), and they are charging a fair price, who cares how expert they are? If a total newbie made something I liked, and I had to money to buy it and didn't feel like making it, why wouldn't I buy it?

[Tiga]

Hey Amy - if you want to learn how to make stuff with out a pattern, try thinking of the finished object as a chart, if you read charts.

 

I've started doing that with some simple finished objects I've made myself, from patterns, just as a challenge, and I'm finding it easier to figure out how to reverse engineer things.

 

I have a bit of an ethical issue with reverse engineering some things, but it's a fun brain exercise in any case.

[eurolyons]

While I can definately work things up without a pattern, I too am amazed when someone can look at whatever, be it crochet, knitting, sewing, wood work,whatever and just make magic without a previous pattern to follow. I'm still a bit confused with this thread though...I asked in a previous post for examples (and there have been a few given) of what the original poster was talking about. What it that a person makes something without a pattern and just doesn't know the terminology of crochet, the "bones" of crochet, or that they didn't know how to read a pattern, or a site (like what you mentioned Amy) that sold crocheted items, but the seller doesn't know anything about crochet to answer a buyer's question? It just seemed really vague to me.

 

I once worked at a job 6 years ago that required I know something about computers and Windows software, which I did know...but my boss' expectations were higher than my expertise...he was annoyed and felt I misrepresented my skills, so dismissed what skills I had. It really was about communication or lack thereof. I had been working with computers in some form or fashion for 20 years, but he didn't stop to consider that because computers change so much so fast, that one has to always be learning to stay on top of things...something I was willing to do. But does that mean that I didn't no "anything" about computers or the software I was working on? Of course not...just that I probably needed a little time to get my sealegs with the software.

 

Anyway, my point is that I felt the original poster for this thread was a little vague...there is so much to this craft...more than even I realised over 4 decades of my life...we probably all use about 20% of what crocheting is about...and yet some of us have managed to do remarkable work, set up websites, get published, sell work etc...I think that's downright remarkable.

 

And truthfully, I think we're just scratching the surface...

[chrispersmom]

My mother had some pattern books and she could read them, but she rarely used them. She made up beautiful things in her head and just made them. And she was wonderful at teaching others. She made it so easy once she explained things to you. One christmas a lady brought her about a dozen naked baby dolls . My mom made up outfits for all of them...a bit like Darski really. She just used the doll as a model and made up something. The salvation army had a contest and my mom won all of the ribbons. Her first place was for the doll she dressed as a bride , right down to the little bouquet made from thread. Some people are just brilliant and can pass it to others. Others are brilliant and can't explain it. Crochet is a wonderful art. It adapts to the people that do it. We each make it our own.

[chrispersmom]

Oh, and all her dolls went to needy children. Mom was told that the little girls just went nuts!

[Real Deal]

Sorry I couldn't get back here sooner, but Crochetville was down, then it wouldn't load on my computer until 4 am Sunday. Now it keeps logging me off every little while even though I checked the Remember Me box. I'm trying to work around that.

 

PLEASE everybody, do not fight! I did not ask what I did about any of you. And it has nothing to do with whether some people read patterns and some don't. I am not trying to provoke anything here ~ I am truely baffled.

 

I did not name a specific person because I thought it would be pretty tacky to do so. I'm not trying to insult anyone. If anyone is THAT concerned, pm me and I will discuss it with you.

 

After seeing 4 questions recently by people who said they know how to crochet, but these questions were extremely basic, I just thought I would ask if it's just me noticing this, or are these people fudging here a little or what? That's all. Maybe there needs to be a class on bottom line basics. I don't know. I see a lot of fabulous crochet work here at Crochetville, so I thought I'd ask.

 

Real Deal

[Amy]

After seeing 4 questions recently by people who said they know how to crochet, but these questions were extremely basic, I just thought I would ask if it's just me noticing this, or are these people fudging here a little or what? That's all. Maybe there needs to be a class on bottom line basics. I don't know. I see a lot of fabulous crochet work here at Crochetville, so I thought I'd ask.

 

Real Deal

 

I'm afraid this explanation is not going to do anything but inflame people's feelings on this issue even further.

 

Crochetville's member encompass a wide variety of skill levels: from the very beginner to the expert in everything.

 

Now that it's easy to open inexpensive online stores selling things you've made, many relative newbies are deciding to make a little bit of money from their newfound hobby. I've seen this happen in the jewelry-making world. I have never seen this discussion go well on jewelry-making forums.

 

The very experienced people get upset that newcomers are jumping in and selling things. Sometimes they had valid points because people didn't have the skills to make high quality products, and it showed in the pictures of what they were selling. (Some people can learn a lot and develop good skills in a short period of time, others take much longer to get to the same point.) Other times the experts were just threatened by new businesses jumping into the mix, potentially reducing the amount of income the experts were making.

 

Not to mention, different people have different ideas on the "basics." Some people are able to be excellent crocheters making incredibly complex pieces without ever knowing what somebody else might consider "basic."

 

I don't think a thread questioning whether or not some members might be "fudging" to be a good thing for this forum, so I am closing this thread.