How Do You Keep Track of your Patterns?

[cheerios1004]

I get mine off the net so I just store them all in my bookmarks. If I want to sit on the couch and my bf is using the laptop I write out part of the pattern. Its very useful especially since I would just lose leaflets and I have lost all my books somewhere...

[SPRAT605]

I also use 3 ring binders... I don't use sleeve protectors yet... and I do have the outside of each binder marked like "wearables" , "afghans" , "Misc". I also use the suject dividers with the little colored tabs to put into subcatogories.

[TnTHale]

I do what alot of the other people do.. I keep my patterns in 3-ring binders, in plastic sleeves.. But I have alot of binders, one for Afghans (which I need to start another binder for that), one for Baby Items, one for Clothing, and one for Other Crochet (like washcloths and lil things like that).. I do this with alot of my crafts, I have binders for Knitting (which I dont really do, but if I ever get the need to try it out again, I have patterns), one for gardning, rose care, paper crafts, wood working, glass art and so on...

 

I was actually thinkin of scanning all of my patterns and saving them onto cd's in the future... That might be a very handy way of dealing with them all... Plus think of all the room you would save on your shelves with all the loose patterns and binders!!! Just need to find the free time to do so!!

[Eveamlizya]

I keep all my patterns in a binder that is full of page protectors. Once I get enough of them, I am going to get those alphebetical dividers and categorize them that way or maybe make my own dividers and label them scarves, afghans, doilies, etc...

[stitchgirl]

I categorize and put them in 3-ring binders. But I don't have enough binders right now and so they're growing again, all over the place.

[mis1110]

I keep all of my ones printed off the internet in a 3-ring binder in plastic sleeves, and I'm working on scanning in all the patterns I save off of yarn sleeves, so I can print them out and stick them in a sleeve too. I'm also working on my page dividers to seperate the patterns into categories. So far they are all in one binder but I don't even have half of them printed so I see foresee more binders in the near future. (all patterns are also saved on my flash drive just in case I need to print another copy). I keep the binders on a shelf in my photo-studio/ craft room right next to the plastics bins of yarn.

[shazzeth]

If I find it, I print it...and then I tend to leave patterns lying all over the house XD My Mum's just given me a folder because she's sick of finding them everywhere :lol

[Warrior Princess]

I print them off, leave them laying around the house, find them eventually, put them in piles, then carry them from room to room. Right now they are all piled in a corner next to my couch along with the library books! I should get some binders and organize them. I should also organize my closet, the kids toys, the storage stuff in the basement, my recipes.....But since that's not going to happen, I'm going to crochet something instead!

[pat54]

I also have 3 ring binders and have one for individual catagories (or with afghans, several binders). I also have many books, but the most difficult are the magazines. I have them in binders by date but when I want to make something I have to go through all the magazines to find it. Then I usaully spend nights going through magazine by magazine looking for something I know I saw. They are all together in my den on a shelf so I have a starting point. I have started looking for one thing and ended up making something different because I spotted it in the magazine before I got to what I was looking for.

[esiepiela]

I have all of my patterns in three ring binders...in plastic sleeves to keep them nice! I have one binder for afghans and another for sweaters or wearables. My family thinks I am crazy. LOL

[Sherilynn]

But with the sheet protectors I can mark off rows I've done if I need to by using an overhead marker and erase it when I have the project completed.

Great idea -- thanks for posting this! *adding Vis-a-Vis marker to my crochet-on-the-go basket*

 

I made a template for the online patterns I've found so I know I have a photo, material and instructions in an easy format to read. That and so they look similar (i'm a TAD OCD).

Love it! but I'm not quite OCD enough to actually DO it. I will confess that most of my printed recipes are one of two formats.

[ScoobyDoo0811]

I keep up with all my patterns by using 3 ring binders. Easiest way for me to keep track of them. Inside the binders I have dividers to categorize into categories. Otherwise, they would be all over the house and I would never know where they were.

[amylu]

I have a 3-ring binder, & all of my patterns are in clear plastic inserts that go in the binder. It makes it easy when I'm trying to find a pattern I have, because I just go through the pages. ..especially because I print alot of what patterns I find online... trying to keep up with those loose pages was troublesome! lol.

[kilikina]

I have most of all of mine saved as pdf files and organized like I have a folder for Kitchen stuff and in that folder I have coasters, dishcloths, and so on. And then I just print whatever project I want. When I see a pattern online I go to print it but save it as a pdf file instead. Hope to hear other people's methods.

 

Me Too. Though, I usually have my computer with me.. and just follow the pattern on the computer.

 

I have some books and pamphlets which I keep all together on a shelf.

 

I also keep a little journal for my crochet projects (or at least try to), and some patterns are written out in there. (Usually favorite patterns or especially difficult patterns that I rewrite in my own lingo.)

[dakotarose1953]

I think the 3 ring binder with clear sleeves is the best. Having a binder for each catagory. I was saving online patterns on my computer until I had the dreaded "computer crash" and lost everything! Now I do have some in a folder, but only long enough to keep them until I can have a print party!

[Gran]

They loose ones are in three-ring binders. The binders and books, along with the magazines are on a shelf. I don't have so many or use them so often that they travel around the house much. I still have more than enough patterns for a century or two.

[dmandy]

Instead of printing the patterns i find on the internet, I e-mail them to myself at a gmail account and store them there. I use to bookmark them but I've lost too many when my computer had problems.

 

Donna Marie

[e.ldelgado]

I keep mine on a flash drive. in different folders. i ran out of room printing all of them.

[HappyOldCro]

I also have 3 ring binders and have one for individual catagories (or with afghans, several binders). I also have many books, but the most difficult are the magazines. I have them in binders by date but when I want to make something I have to go through all the magazines to find it. Then I usaully spend nights going through magazine by magazine looking for something I know I saw. They are all together in my den on a shelf so I have a starting point. I have started looking for one thing and ended up making something different because I spotted it in the magazine before I got to what I was looking for.

 

Me too! It is easy to go thru the printed ones in binders in page protectors, but I dread hunting through the mags. I have been thinking about a flatbed scanner and scanning my fav patterns from mags and putting them in a binder with tabbed dividers. I keep putting it off because this room is so small and tight, I really don't have room for a flatbed. But it might be something you gals with bigger rooms could try.

 

Another thought for you all who are concerned about loosing your patterns saved on the PC, back them up on CD's by category, so if PC does go down (and it does happen) you still have your patterns.

[countingsts]

boxes and note books with plastic binders

[abc-dee]

i have a filing cabinet, and i am in the middle of printing all my computerized patterns.. and i am dividing them into catagories and in each catagory there will be a file for the patterns i have COMPLETED and YET TO TRY.. keeping in mind that i will have a WIP file, and a NEXT PROJECT file..

 

Well thats where im at with it at the moment.. and all my pattern books will be filed in there also

[hockeymomcrochets]

If I get a small booklet or one sheet on thin paper type pattern I put it in a sheet protector in a 3 ring binder I have that is overstuffed already.

 

If I have the heavier cardstock leaflets, like from Annies, they go in a pocket that is in front of the binder.

 

My books I have on a bookshelf.

 

Now having pdf files to download and the ability to print to pdf with my program I have everything in a CRAFTS file on my computer and then I have folders to sort them by type and then sometimes subfolders to sort them by style or designer. Plus with being able to right click and rename a pdf I can make a note like NICE, PRETTY, DO THIS at the end of the file name so that they "pop" out at me when I look at them.

 

The downside to electronic is that when I'm looking at free patterns, there are so many out there I'm printing more than I'm crocheting!

[chedges1]

i have a three ring binder which i need a new one but since my printer quit i havent been printing any out lol. and then i have 20 books...

[antwerpnative]

I keep my patterns in the computer. I have a Needlework folder and then subfolders for each craft that I do. i.e. Knitting, Crocheting, Needlepoint, Crossstitch.

Each of those than get additional subfolders, i.d wearables, household, accessories, etc.

 

I back everything up on a flashcard and keep the flashcard in an unused medicime vial.

 

Works great for me.

Happy crocheting,

antwerpnative

[pasteeater]

I have all my printed [and I have a LOT] patterns in a carry around file box. I have them organized by subject. It works well for me. And my magazines are in magazine boxes and I have every pattern on a "Master" list. I type of the names of the magazine and then what patterns are in it.