When did it hit you that you are no longer dependent upon a pattern?

[kilikina]

I have just had a "crochet-lightbulb" moment - I can sit down, pick up yarn and a hook and just start going, and make things - nice things! Things that lay flat, and look pretty, with form and shape. I love crocheting in the round. Tonight, I picked up yarn and started making little motifs - nothing major, just stars, triangles, a butterfly, flowers - all out of my own imagination, and (because I love prime numbers) all with prime number patterns (except one flower - not sure what happened there! haha.

 

I still have sooo much to learn, but this is such a fun moment for me!!! I'm really excited that I'm not dependent upon patterns anymore.. I might just give up on them all together!!

[Daisy]

That kind of creativity hasn't hit me yet. I still depend on patterns for the most part.

[Crocus58]

It's fab isn't it? I haven't done motifs yet (because I just don't work with them that much), but I can churn out a lovely set of baby booties and matching hat! I can wing a nifty coaster too - and have done some interesting afghans.

 

I call it doodling with yarn.

[grrlsmom]

I can only do it with afghans. No matter how badly the end result with, someone will love it, it's an AFGHAN, for heaven't sake! LOL

[kilikina]

Crochet Doodling!! What a great name!

[Lady_of_Roses]

I'm too anal retentive to really try to create my own patterns as yet. Basically I want so badly for an item to turn out perfectly that I won't invent yet until I get better understanding of more concepts.

 

That probably makes no sense, but I'm hoping that eventually I'll figure out what I've been trying to piece together in my mind and then I'll have my lightbulb moment.

[magiccrochetfan]

Congratulations!:hook That is indeed a great feeling.

[Real Deal]

Yeah, nifty isn't it? I discovered it first with baby blankets. I was never really seeing what I had in my mind, so I would just start working. The only part I was unsure of was size, so I looked up a number of patterns to check on general baby blanket size.

 

Over time, I found I mostly use patterns for the statistics ~ how many of a certain st in a certain weight yarn covers so many inches if you are doing blah, blah, blah.

[Titus2woman]

It hasn't yet.... (((((HUGS))))) sandi~but I'm looking forward to it!

[Bejai]

I think mine hit me this year when I realized that I do like checking gauges and having to constantly stop to check off and read the next line. After not picking up a hook for the last 6 years I decided to try things my way and it's be great. I look at mags/books to get the general idea, like I learned top-down sweaters this year and side-to-side crochet. Now I do both with a pattern my fit is perfect everytime with checking the gauge!

Now if I could just make sense of those darn sock!!

[CLLinda]

I don't have that talent yet, but that's ok. I start out with a pattern, and then of course, change what I'm doing.

 

Never do I finish a pattern exactly as it is written. Something is always changed, to my taste and ability.

 

That's the real beauty of crochet.

 

[minwifeof4boys]

.. I'm still a co-dependent...

[KER828]

I'll use a pattern if there is a new stitch I like and want to learn, but I wanted a baby afghan for a boy and everything I had was too frilly so I just checked out my patterns for # of beginning chain for an idea and I was off and made my own. With a hat I get the basic math so now I can do the same. It is fabulous. I really admire people who can picture the pattern in their head and create it. Maybe someday.....

[Momcrochets]

It's a neat feeling! My "independance" is limited somewhat (I can do it, I enjoy it, but somethings, like doilies, are still beyond my inventing abilities)...and there are tons of great patterns out there, so I will probably never give them up.

[MamaHooker]

I have done this pretty much from the start. I will use a pattern if I have never made something like it before but I have a hard time following exactly and once I have it down I am constantly adapting it. I cook the same way. I have dozens of cookbooks but never follow recipes -- I think this ties in well with the crocheters are rebellious people thread elsewhere.

[KER828]

-- I think this ties in well with the crocheters are rebellious people thread elsewhere.

Okay why rebellious??? I'm thinking instead innovative....

[Eneida]

Congratulations!! I believe that the "designer" in you is waking up!! What a marvelous feeling !! I depend on patterns even though I can make small coasters or maybe an afghan without a pattern..no intricate or elaborate stitches:lol

[MamaHooker]

Okay why rebellious??? I'm thinking instead innovative....

 

Rebellious is what stick in the mud people call innovators

[Sylviaf]

I use and like patterns. There are people who are wonderful designers; some of us are happy being "technicians"---I do a good job with crocheting, or whatever craft I'm involved in, but feel no particular need to create the idea, too. I am very grateful for those of you who not only design but share those designs with those of us who are content to execute them.

[kilikina]

Starting with a pattern and changing as you go is just one small step from being entirely independent.

 

Even if you think you still need a pattern, try it some time. Sit down, take some yarn and a hook, use what you know about crochet - stitches, how to crochet in the round, how to do a ripple, or whatever, and just start going... not really freeform - still using the usual "ways" of a regular crochet pattern, and just see what you come up with. It's super fun!

 

This is the thing that gave me the boost.. I saw this pic in Interweave Crochet, and thought I'd see what I could come up with. So, I just started making my own motifs, and it was so fun! It doesn't matter that it won't be the same, it'll be my own! Yay!

 

Here is the link:

http://www.interweavecrochet.com/issue/2008/materials_sum08.asp#santafe

[JoAnn]

NEVER! Good for you:yes

[pineapplequeen]

I'm still waiting....

[Granny Square]

Well, I'm not pattern-free but I have seen a few things here in show-and-tell that I thought were nice, and was able to recreate them from the picture.

 

Some of the vintage "patterns" were quite vague (I'm talking 1930 or earlier, not vintage as in 1970! ) and and incomplete, you had to more rely on your ablity to copy the photo or sketch. We're coming full circle with more patterns being written in charts versus words, much more intuitive.

 

I do mostly thread projects, I'm not very good at inventing from scratch (except filet), but I often make changes to suit me. I think developing the ability to extrapolate beyond the pattern is a good one, so many patterns have errors in them that it helps to "figure out what they really meant".

[Nila]

Hmmm....I think when I learned how to crochet, I just did things without patterns, so it was actually a big deal when I understood enough to actually follow a pattern properly.

[Hookerangel]

When I first learned to crochet when I was about 8 I always 'crochet doodled'. I used to make clothes for my dolls, afghans and doilies. When I was about 12 ponchos became fashionable and I made a poncho and beret for my DS and myself and everyone started requesting me to make them. I didnt even know the names of the stitches until my friend's Mum wanted to learn to crochet and asked me to help her. She bought a 'learn to crochet' type book which she then gave me. I just loved it. This is where I learnt the names of all the stitches I had been using all those years. I then discovered patterns which I nearly became addicted to. Now I mainly use graphs.