Rant--Patterns lacking information!

[magiccrochetfan]

I am getting really tired of seeing free commercial patterns that simply do not give enough information for a person to understand how to make them. The Lion Brand site and the Coats and Clark site seem really bad about this to me. So often in the Crochet Help section people have posted about some of these patterns. The patterns need schematics, at least, to show the shape of the finished object and how pieces fit together. And the photos are so small and blurry that I wonder sometimes how people even decided to make that item--if I can't see it I would never know whether I wanted to make it!

 

I'm not talking about a free pattern that an individual has posted, I'm talking about huge companies with design departments, technical editors, etc. Why can't they put just a little more effort into the patterns!?

 

My antidote for this is the book Crocheting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_1_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=crocheting+in+plain+english+updated+edition&sprefix=crocheting+i

which explains the basics of crochet construction so you don't have to rely on a pattern so much.

[Debbi-a1]

I agree. The Moderne Jacket that LionBrand had for free for a while, wans't free before and isnt now and it's not very well written for a paid pattern. And on Ravelry where there was a CAL so many people had problems with the pattern. I am so glad I didn't buy the pattern. I finished it by fudging it. If I had waited or took longer, the other participants would have figured it out and I could have used their suggestions. Others had to frog a lot and took longer.

The patterns so need schematics.

 

And the post What were they thinking? talks about not good phtos in patterns.

[Trinket]

Lion Brand is notorious for that. I've run into several LBY patterns that have given me trouble. Some parts of the pattern aren't even there! I remember having been so excited to work on an afghan from their patterns because I thought it was gorgeous. But I never got past the first square because there literally were instructions MISSING, so I had no idea where I should go from there. After a couple tries thinking it was something I was doing wrong, I unraveled it and scrapped the pattern.

 

I've found some pattern books that are like that, too. I have a popular amigurumi book that I feel doesn't have well written pattern directions in it. I'm pretty experienced as a crocheter, but I got confused almost right away. I'm actually feeling regretful of having bought the book now.

[chessie]

I can't remember what crochet magazine it was now but they had a pattern for a pretty dove.When I got it crocheted it looked NOTHING like the one in the picture. Someone had put the wrong picture with the pattern.

[Ladykats]

I found a beautiful square that was a free pattern, I tryed so many times to make it work and it would never come out correct. One of my customers, who has been crocheting for just as many years as me, couldn't get it to work either. I even had a nice picture of it, and how that square was made to begin with is beyond me. I can usually take a close-up of a square and figure it out without having to buy a pattern. But not this square. It was really upsetting as I liked the square.

[kazily]

I rarely use Lion Brand patterns anymore. There are so many mistakes in them or poor directions. I have wondered if they have an experienced crocheter at LB that reviews their patterns. I have also wondered where they get their patterns from.

[Afghaniac]

I've found that Leisure Arts patterns are, generally, the most reliable. I've had trouble with Bernat/Lily patterns. And, most notably, those patterns on etsy.com that are pretty pricey for individual patterns do not seem to be tested for clarity or accuracy.

 

My biggest bugaboo is gauge -- the reason I stick mostly to afghans and scarves. My tension is not very loose nor is it very tight; but even when I use the same yarn called for in a pattern, my gauge is often off. If I change hooks, either the stitch width or length will be off, throwing the whole thing off. The one designer whose gauge always seems to match mine -- and whose instructions are always clear -- is Anne Halliday, designer of most of my favorite afghans for LA.

[PBLKNP]

I've had trouble with Lion Brand patterns, too. I find, with any pattern, the best thing is to read it through first, and see if there's anything that doesn't sound right. As someone said, a lot of the time I end up fudging the pattern so that it will work.

[magiccrochetfan]

I just feel so bad for people who haven't been crocheting very long, or who are trying a particular kind of crochet for the first time, and they end up being confused and thinking they are at fault, when really it is the pattern that is the problem:(

[darski]

I found a beautiful square that was a free pattern, I tryed so many times to make it work and it would never come out correct. One of my customers, who has been crocheting for just as many years as me, couldn't get it to work either. I even had a nice picture of it, and how that square was made to begin with is beyond me. I can usually take a close-up of a square and figure it out without having to buy a pattern. But not this square. It was really upsetting as I liked the square.

 

Could you PM me with the name or the link for the square?...

 

just satisfying an old itch

[Sylviaf]

My knitting daughter has also been complaining about imcomplete patterns.

[HappyOldCro]

I've found that Leisure Arts patterns are, generally, the most reliable.

 

I agree, I have held on to them for years. They are my fav of all the commercial patterns. Along with alot of items put out by individual designers.

I try to get through the problem freebies and make notes on the edges for corrections so if I want to do them again I am able to elliminate all the frustration. I think alot of the newer designers make quick notes as they go and then when typed up, they forget we can't read their minds and didn't see them doing it, .

As for published patterns, some aren't tested because designers are wary of someone pilfering their designs. And the publishers are in it for the money, they don't know it is incorrect until we tell them. It is like when we drop or skip a stitch and then find it a few rows later.

Only it is cheaper to have us rip something out than have to rewrite or reprint a pattern.