Do you ever think a pattern is too hard...

[CLLinda]

until you try it?

 

I saw a baby hoodie sweater and thought it was too hard to make. It just looked beyond my abilities.

 

One night, I just sat down with the pattern, and it was fine. It was easy and now I am making my third one.

 

Do you get freaked out and not try things because they look too hard?

 

[crazycrochet]

Surprised yourself, didn't you? That is why I always will give a pattern a try, because you never know what you can and can not do until you try it.

[abc-dee]

ive had patterns boggle my mind, and when i just break it down to steps i find them much easier to handle.. and if i get stuck i refer to my stitch giudes. i have a few of them

[smokeyp81]

I always give a pattern a try. I have also been crocheting for 30+ years! LOL!

 

I think that this is the biggest mistake any crocheter can make....If you only stick with patterns that you "think" you can do, you will never get better. You need to challenge yourself with new patterns. What is the worst thing that can happen? A little frustration and some lost time? Heck, you might even surprise yourself......

[shana0923]

This is my biggest problem! I never think I can do anything past beginner. I am trying though so I guess that is what really counts right?

[Carla J]

Yes, I once put off making a MC pattern, because I thought it would be too hard. I eventually did do it with size 20 thread. It is one of my favorites. After that I found a pattern from PK that I wanted to do, again it was really complicated. After reading the pattern 3 times, and a lot of frogging, I did that one too.

 

I agree that they challenge one to the next level in skills, but are worth it in the end.

[CrisKad]

I was petrified to try the Cathedral Rose Window since it looked so difficult. I sucked it up and started it in early February and finished it last night. I never thought I could do it, but the pattern was actually easy!

[smokeyp81]

I was petrified to try the Cathedral Rose Window since it looked so difficult. I sucked it up and started it in early February and finished it last night. I never thought I could do it, but the pattern was actually easy!

 

 

Way to go! That pattern is on my to-do list. Maybe it will be my winter project!

[chichiwawa]

I make the mistake of reading the pattern before I try it. I convince myself that I can't possibly make "that" but then when I try it, it's alot easier than I thought.

[ZoeZoesmom]

I have 2 patterns I recently purchased that are patiently waiting for me to pick them up and get going....what's that saying? I think I can...I think I can...

[Ladycrochat]

Sure, sometimes something looks way too hard, but it is always fun to surprise yourself and actually do it......and do it well! This is EXACTLY what the quote in my signiture means to me! Congratulations on being brave and improving your crocheting skills!

[dragonpuck]

I always try to go back to a pattern that stumped me - often the second time around i wonder what was "so hard"

the other thing i do is make extra time-- , put all my other projects and concentrate on the "difficult one" then it seems to get done much faster and with less headaches!

 

lynn

 

dragonpuck

[Elle]

Oddly enough, I suffer from the opposite problem - I always look at patterns and go "oh, that looks EASY!" until I actually start working on it, then I crochet, frog it, crochet, frog it, crochet, frog it, throw my hands up and go looking for something else.

[adagio]

I'm experienced enough to feel like there isn't much left out there I 'couldn't' do, once I set my mind on it. I know my limits for patience, tedium, and attention to detail, and choose my projects accordingly. There are a lot of things I'd like to make, but don't because I don't WANT to do the piecework, or whatever else it demands.

[ScoobyDoo0811]

There are a lot of patterns that I won't try because they appear to be hard Especially patterns for clothes. I have never tried making clothes and have no intentions in the near future to try. To me they are scary Someday I may get the courage up and try to make some things I have never tried before and who knows I may surprise myself

[crochetmom2]

Oddly enough, I suffer from the opposite problem - I always look at patterns and go "oh, that looks EASY!" until I actually start working on it, then I crochet, frog it, crochet, frog it, crochet, frog it, throw my hands up and go looking for something else.

 

This is exactly what I do!! Usually when I abandon something it is because it just doesn't hold my interest--don't like the stitch or yarn or something like that .

[rashidah]

Yes there is a blanket that I would like to try but it look so hard I can't even make it in my dreams.

[Elle]

This is exactly what I do!! Usually when I abandon something it is because it just doesn't hold my interest--don't like the stitch or yarn or something like that .

 

This happens to me every time I attempt to crochet anything in a ripple pattern! I want SO BADLY to crochet a ripple afghan, but I cannot get the ripples to come out correctly! And the worst part is, I DON'T KNOW WHY!! I follow the instructions to the letter, and I always end up messing up when I get to the top of the point. I don't know how I manage to sabotage my own efforts each time I attempt a ripple, but I do, and I hate it! No matter how carefully I count my stitches, I NEVER end up with the correct number of stitches between the "valley" and the "peak", so I always end up frogging and restitching numerous times before throwing up my hands in frustration and disgust and going on to something else.

[EdieEckman]

Thinking something is "too hard" is one reason I have a love/hate relationship with those skill-level designations. I think that with a well-written pattern and a set of basic skills (ch, sc, dc, tr), a crocheter can make ANYTHING, but sometimes the skill rating of "intermediate" or "advanced" scares off stitchers who would be perfectly able to follow the directions and make the thing if they just take it a step at a time.

 

Also-it helps to have a really well-written pattern. Pattern-writing takes a certain talent, and I've seen some really poorly-worded patterns that are hard to follow. If you seem to be having trouble reading patterns, start by making sure that the pattern you are reading has been tech-edited, or at least written by a skilled pattern-writer (which isn't the same thing as an experienced crocheter)!

 

Edie Eckman

[tahlara]

Yes there is a blanket that I would like to try but it look so hard I can't even make it in my dreams.

 

What is the pattern ? We could help you along the way you work on it.

[proudmama762003]

This happened to me just the other day - it was for the friendship square that has the interlocking circles - i am making squares for a couple of different comfortghan to send off and thought that there were so many neat things about this square - 1st the name and also the interlocking circles reminds me of hope, love, faith and of course, friendship, perfect for a comfortghan - I looked at the square a ton of times, finally printed it off and looked at it some more, I did 7 other patterns and finally bit the bullet and tried it - It was such a nicely written pattern, only a couple of very minor errors. mostly type-o i think. anyways, I did it and absolutely LOVED it and did a few more in different colors. Now, if I could just figure out how to make the circles a bit smaller so the interlocking holes were smaller I would love it more and it would probably be my all time favorite for comfortghans cuz I figure I could just add double crochet rows to make it 8 inches....I just don't like the extra-large holes it leaves in and between the circles. If anyone knows of a different pattern that comes out the same but the circles are smaller please do direct me to it...

 

The ones I hate are the ones that look and ARE VERY simple but I just can't seem to get them right no matter how hard I try. Then later I find out that the pattern was written wrong or just poorly and once it is done correctly it falls into place.

 

I have also beat my head against the wall trying a pattern, walked away or slept the night and came back to it and breezed through it and can't for the life of me figure out what I thought was so hard in the first place - hate those brain fog moments!! LOL!!!

 

I, do know, that no matter how advanced I become or how good I am, there will always be someone out there that creates something that will stump me or intimidate me - I think that is why I love this craft.

 

The catherdral window afghan, along with others like this (construction wise), intimidate me to no end!!! I think it is an absolutely stunning afghan and I drool over the ones I see (I really like the original colors but have seen some other really pretty ones) I often check the CAL for this one just to ooh and aah over everyone else's beautiful work. I would like to believe that if I just sat down and did it I would do fine but all that weaving of ends etc (I HATE to weave ends!!) and just the complexity of it would make me really frazzled! So, for now, I shall admire it from afar....ahhhhh!!! Maybe someday I will reward myself and make it just for me (I have yet to make myself an afghan (I have made oodles for everyone else), clothes etc for everyone else but never for me - I think the only thing I ever made for myself was a purse (might have to post a pic of it) and it turned out soooo cute - but that was kind of a necessity thing - I needed a purse and found a free tear off pattern that I liked so I made it.

 

Hopefully, with this forum and the help of all the wonderful people here, I won't be as intimidated by things from now on.

 

Sorry I rambled - I tend to do that sometimes!!! LOL!!

[lizdini]

I think this all the time (that's why until recently I never did stuffed animals-the limbs scared me) but usually if I just take it a step at a time I do ok. Or I give up and have yet another UFO in my closet...

[rashidah]

What is the pattern ? We could help you along the way you work on it.

 

It is call a 6 point star blanket but I count more then 6 points.:think:blush

[tiniree]

I consider myself a real beginner even though I've been crocheting for a little over 2 years. Because I haven't really made anything "difficult" or a "large" project, mostly scarves & dishcloths, I think of myself as a beginner.

 

About 7 months ago I bought a booklet "Afghans by the Pound". In it is a pattern I fell in love with. But...it looked VERY DIFFICULT. It was all dc (ok, no problem there), three different colors and it used a new stitch for me....a FPdtc which I learned meant front post double triple crochet! YIKES, I thought there was no way I could do that.

 

Well, I decided to give it a try. I had to frog the pattern row 4 times before I figured out what I was doing wrong but I finally got it. I was amazed at how fast it went, and yes, how easy it was once I got it down.

 

Shortly after getting 11 rows done I had to put all my craft stuff in storage in preparation for a major move. We finally got all settled this past April and just this morning I got it back out. I was thrilled to discover that I was able to pick it right up like I'd always been working on it.

 

Just goes to show what all the crochet instruction books say: "Once you have the basic stitches down, there is no limit!"

 

Marie