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!!
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.
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.
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!
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