On the Pattern Hunt?

Let's chat about patterns.  Where do you find them? How do you find them?  What do you do when you can't find them.  I will share with you my processes and how I go about finding what I am after,

This idea struck me today when I was getting dinner ready for my little dudes.  I had a text conversation with my awesome cousin, who is also a crocheter.  This will take a little telling.  A Facebook friend of hers posted a photo to her timeline asking if she could make the item in the photo and how much it would cost.  My cousin had responded she might be able to.  I shot her a text with an idea on how to price the item and some encouragement.  She reponded back she did not have the pattern.  I told her to hang on and I would see what I could find.  I did a quick Google search and found a pattern for each of the pieces in the photo.  I sent her the links to the patterns I had found.  She was super excited.  I told her it was a quick Google search and done! She said she usually only searches Pinterest and if it is not there, oh well.  She had never thought to search Google.

That comment made me think.  How many others are in that same place? How much frustration is going on?  That is not okay!!

Thus inspiration struck!!  I will share with you how I search for patterns!  So here goes.  The first step is the biggie - the photo or idea of the item someone (who may be you) wants. In the life of a crocheter the photo comes from a friend or family member who wants something made.  My next step is to search Google.  I will enter what I think the item would be called and away we go.  A slight digression here -  sometimes what I think an item is called and what Google calls it are very different, so be ready to have synonyms on hand. Now back to topic.  The search has happened and now the results have populated. Perfect.  I click to images. Why, you ask?  To find the image that was sent to me to see what it is connected to.  If I am luck it is connected to an Etsy Shop, a Ravelry listing, or a blog post.  Those are luck finds because the pattern could exist!

I also have a couple of go-to blogs I will search, and they usually will come up in the Google search.  I will list them out at the end of the post for you.

The next bit gets a little tricky.  It all depends on your willingness to pay for a pattern.  I am going to be honest here; when I first ventured into the online world of patterns I was cheap and felt I could recreate the pattern no problem.  I can still be that way depending on the request.  Now I am more about supporting other crafters and not using my brain space to try to recreate something someone else has already done.  At this point you need to decide where you stand.

Last step. Get the pattern.  Awesome, right?  You are saying sure - if the pattern is there, but what to do if the patter is not there, or the photo is connected to the finished product?  This is where your creativity and comfort level are challenged.  I have a few go-to patterns I have found for crochet staples.  You know - hats, flowers, afghans, etc.  I have these go-tos for this reason.  I will look at said photos and figure out if one of the patterns I use regularly can be the base of the item in the photo.  If it can then it is a mater of figuring out what else needs to be added to the base to achieve the desired item.  

Blog list: 

www.mooglyblog.com 

www.repeatcrafterme.com 

www.littlemonkeyscrochet.com

You will find some great patterns, videos, information, fun on these blogs!

Until next time!

Peppermint Swirl

This adventure started with a text from a friend.  She sends me a photo of a beautiful red and white afghan that looked like it was made out of peppermint candy.  I had seen this same photo on Facebook and Piterest, and I had been interested in making it, but had other projects going.  

Luckily, my friend wanted to use it as Christmas present for her mom.  She asked how much would charge for something like this.  I quoted her a price and she asked for two!  I was pretty pumped because I thought this would be a pretty straightforward and simple project.

I started doing some research for a pattern to create the swirl.  I ended up at this website.  It the exact photo she had sent to me and I was excited!!  You should know something about me, I always search for already written patterns.  I have never wanted to be a pattern writer, so major props to those who write patterns.  Now back to the story.  I thought I had found the pattern, and I was super happy!  I click the link and it takes me to the Red Heart website and to their Peppermint Swirl Afghan pattern. Yay! This would be nothing short of awesome, except for one thing - the Red Heart patter was NOT AT ALL like the photo.  Oh no! What do I do.  I obsessively contemplate using the pattern from Red Heart because it was already written and I would not have to figure anything out.  I decide to use the pattern.  I hit up my local Hobby Lobby, one because it is close and two because I love their store brand wrosted weight acrylic yarn.  I come home and I am ready to get hooking.  

I get going on the pattern, make it through the first round and to the second.  This would be great!  Then I actually try to execute the second round.  I am instantly lost.  Oh boy!  Do you know what this means?  I am going to have to work on this on feverish levels until I figure it out.  But first my family needs dinner, baths and to bed.  Once the dinner dishes are loaded in the dishwasher and the kiddos are in their bed, I start up again.  Now, I consider myself a pretty experienced crocheter.  I have been doing it for over 20 years.  So how could this pattern be so confusing?  I can read it just fine, but what I am doing is not working.  I remember seeing a link to a video on the website, so I swallow my pride and check it out.  It is a brilliant video put together by The Crochet Crowd, showing exactly how interlocking crochet works for this pattern.  It was perfect!!  Mikey was excellent at explaining the technique and even better at demonstrating (I might have tried to keep up with him during the video, and I came close!).  

Thus the journey began.  I took the project with me while I visited my mom for a quick get outta town type vacation.  My cute kindergartener was off track and I need a day or two out of the office, so away we went.  

The first afghan went fairly quickly, mostly because I was able to work on it most of the days I was at my mom's.  It was great to see it come together.  I delivered the first one and got to work on the second.  The process of making this lovely project is well documented on Instagram (@thatyarngirl), but as you can see, there are some here as well.  All of that documentation was loved by some of my friends and family.  As Christmas came, so did orders for other items and I became super busy.  

Etsy has been a love hate love kind of experience for me.  I really did not know how to use it to my best advantage when I opened my shop the very first time. But this was going to be the year for me.  I renamed the shop to something that made a bit more sense and listed some of my more popular items.  I set up the apps on my phone to notify me of any shop activity, created and advertised a coupon code, launched the items, and waited with baited breath for people to flock to my shop. 

And flock they did! In the form of favorites, views, and likes, but not in the form of orders.  I can't pretend I wasn't a little broken hearted.  But the last day my coupon code was valid an order was placed.  I was stunned!  Guess what they ordered?  The Peppermint Swirl Afghan.  I was humbled!  This project had been a process and a journey, and now someone wanted to be part of it.  Wow! Just wow!

Until next time!