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

[esiepiela]

It hasn't hit me yet either...still waiting!

[pakat]

Same as Emily...

it hasn't hit me either and kinda doubtful it ever will.

Trish

[YankeeMom]

I can't stand following patterns anymore, so I just get an idea in my head and run with it.

[HomekeepingGran]

I think I'm an in-betweener — I will take off on my own a little but rarely from nothing at all. Maybe my spatial skills aren't developed enough.

[Ellie 13]

I used to follow patterns if I wanted a certain item. I'd change them sometimes. I started designing when I saw a "granny square" contest in Woman's Day (70's early 80's ). I've entered many afghan contests. If someone says "Can you make a (fill in the blank)" I try. I created a "Rubber Ducky" for my brother, also turkeys, cows, turtles, etc. I love making stuff up. Some day I'm going to put my patterns in a book.

Ellie 13

[Zaraliz]

I learned to crochet long before I could read a pattern so my earlier efforts were all out of my head. Now I do a mixture or adapt a pattern to suit. Zaraliz

[darski]

I like to keep an even balance. I can create lots of original stuff but I love the work that others do and I enjoy following their patterns. There is an entire world of great crochet know-how out there.

 

 

I think both/and is the best way to go.

[Flia]

It never hit me, I've always just done it.

The first hat I made I had to ask a friend how much I should decrease, but then everything went fine.

Sometimes I see a pattern that I like, look at the major things, and then use my own ideas.

[kazily]

When I was learning crochet I didn't have any patterns so I had to wing it. I grew up in a rural area, no one I knew crocheted other than the nice older lady that taught me & she didn't use patterns. So I was another one that had to learn to read a pattern much later than when I learned to crochet. Back then I just made baby blankets, granny squares joined etc. I really didn't know that crochet's boundaries were endless!

I didn't know there were so many stitches either. I just learned to make crochet cables in the last several months.

 

Now that I know how to follow patterns, I usually start with one & then go off on my own anyway lol There are some crochet projects that I can't envision on my own & I do follow them to the end.