Free patterns and inexpensive crochet hooks got me into the hobby. I'd tried to learn to crochet before, and I never understood it until I found the videos on TH-cam. Now I buy my patterns because I've found artists I just love.
Oh I agree, it's fantastic that there are free patterns for beginners or for those who don't have budget for patterns. My gripe is mainly the market prep videos that say they have tried and true money makers but then make it to be so terrible that they had to spend $5 on a pattern that makes them money. There are certainly times I've had to pass over paid patterns because paying bills was more important.
I feel you on the point about everyone having to be a designer. I will happily pay for a good, tested pattern. No need to reinvent the wheel! (For example, I'm so very thankful that someone else did the work to write pretty much the exact pattern I was seeking for a basic knit-in-the-round pullover. It was well worth the $6 I paid to have a go-to pattern, so I went back to the designer's shop and bought her cardigan pattern too!)
Yes! And I will happily pay a premium for say, a Kitman Figueroa $12 knitted, intricate, beaded, all the things pattern because I know I'm always going to get a very nice, thorough pattern. I understand it's not always easy to pay that - and I've certainly been there and had to wait until I could fit it in my budget. When I started this channel and IG I was like ok, what do I have to design to share and bring people in? But the idea didn't bring me joy so... I'll stick to hanging out, pattern reviews, I have an ergonomic hook review coming, genersl opinions, etc. I will eventually do some tutorials for a very specific purpose but that's also a longterm video project that will be at least a few weeks away for the first in a series.
@@StitchesGonnaStitch Can't wait for the pattern reviews! Love the way you do things on your channel because it feels like sitting and crafting with a friend.
Thank you so much for saying that.💙 That was exactly my goal - I did have a pattern review go up last week (maybe Tuesday?) but it didn’t get pushed out much so I’m not sure if it’s a good format to keep going with.
Love this video! I want to make a hexi-granny cardigan! I agree with you about crochet design. I think it would also be good for designers to work with a tech editor. Pattern testers don't catch everything and that is what a tech editor is trained to do. Also, people pay for sewing patterns, why not crochet? I always look at reviews and, on Ravelry, looking at projects.
Thank you for hanging out! 💜 I have tested and my comments were both received well and received poorly. Some designers don't seem to actually want feedback. Conversely a few designers seem to think testers are "too nice" with their feedback. I'm actually continuing my paid pattern review series really soon... 😉
Your take on paying for patterns just gave me the image of two people holding their Sbux coffee while bitching over the "exorbitant price" of a pattern 🤣 Sometimes I buy a pattern from a content creator after watching their YT tutorial. I think that's a nice way to thank them for their work. I even bought a pattern for a granny shawl once even not "needing" it. I'm on a tight budget but I think it's only fair to support people whose work you like. And yes, I buy music, too 😆
Yes!!! They're also the "don't buy acrylic because it's not sustainable" while getting disposable Sbucks cups every video 👀. (Preview of my hot takes video). I have also done that where I like the video or the blog and then went and bought the ad-free pattern to thank them. Especially if I think I might make it again. I know money is tight for a lot of folks but there were times when I could only do free patterns for the most part and I just dealt with it.
Hi Holly! Have you ever tried crocheting fun clothing or costumes for your cats?? Like a sweater, hat, scarf something like that?? That would be super cute and fun for the holidays ❣️
Hi! I prefer not to get sliced to pieces 🤣 I can't even get a collar or harness on the grown cats, Maddie is just big enough to see if she'll tolerate it.
I’m obsessed with Tunisian crochet but have only practiced it. It makes pretty nice straps for tank tops, not stretchy (I used the double crochet tunisian stitch). I have my eye on the hot cocoa poncho by TL Yarn Crafts. It doesn’t feel slow to me, reminds me of in write offs when you could go faster writing one word at a time all the way down instead of each whole sentence line by line. I love tapestry crochet but have only used it with mosaic crochet. I’m seeing gorgeous mosaic crochet patterns with curved lines and I’m loosing my mind wondering when I’ll work them into my wips.
I may have to give it a fair shake. I did have a Tunisian crochet stitch type tutorial hit my TH-cam homepage that looked neat. I was also teaching myself from magazines back in the day which probably made it 100 times slower. I'm sure there are mosaics and tapestries I'd want to do if I look, but I already have so much other stuff I want to make. I have no business adding to that queue...
Axolotl I don’t understand what the attraction is. Where has this fish been hiding. I never knew about them up until a few months ago. 🤷🏼♀️I’m afraid to try mosaic crochet I have a few patterns just need to sit down and do it.
Haha right? It's so weird that people suddenly love them. Mosaic doesn't do anything for me because I'm not into super geometric patterns. It's neat but not something that draws me in. I'm sure you can do it! I think I've seen some tutorials on TH-cam if you get stuck.
@@draconicfeline6177 It just seems bizarre that what, a year or two ago nobody even knew what the heck an axolotl is and now they're all they rage. They're fine, I just don't get why they're so popular.
I make cloth plushies and "YOU SHOULD MAKE AXOLOTLS THEY'LL SELL LIKE HOTCAKES" Erm, thanks but no thanks. I don't feel comfortable selling my plushies. "YOU SHOULD SELL THEM!!!"
Omg yes. The last person who said that to me (she wanted 3 plushies) I quoted her what I thought sounded like a stupid amount. She said ok sure that's totally fine. Well then.... lol. I was able to use the money at the time but now I'm like, nah. Not in 2025.
I understand no-sew patterns in concept but I don't get it as a supposed benefit. I often make more mistakes in the ones that go out of their way to be no-sew that should just sew. I guess it's because I was a sewist for a long time before starting crochet relatively recently (just coming up on a year). I am not a designer. I'm a remixer. I have taken similar parts from one pattern for another. Or smashing up concepts. But I will def rewrite a purchased pattern for my format if I will make it again (I like to have ending stitch counts and explicit number of repeats vs "repeat until X number of stitches left"). Woobles has given me high mathematical expectations for patterns that a lot don't meet, especially when the row counts are too prose-y.
I never tried a Woobles kit but it's on my list to rate at least one of them. I don't know if I'd consider myself a remixer as much as a reimaginer. I don't make many no sew patterns because a lot of them don't appeal to me or I'd rather have the more detailed design that requires sewing. I have found myself basically rewriting. If that Grim Reaper I rated would have been printer friendly I would have printed it and made it bleed ink as they say.
🧶What yarny trends did I miss or do you have opinions on❓️
Free patterns and inexpensive crochet hooks got me into the hobby. I'd tried to learn to crochet before, and I never understood it until I found the videos on TH-cam. Now I buy my patterns because I've found artists I just love.
Oh I agree, it's fantastic that there are free patterns for beginners or for those who don't have budget for patterns. My gripe is mainly the market prep videos that say they have tried and true money makers but then make it to be so terrible that they had to spend $5 on a pattern that makes them money. There are certainly times I've had to pass over paid patterns because paying bills was more important.
I feel you on the point about everyone having to be a designer. I will happily pay for a good, tested pattern. No need to reinvent the wheel! (For example, I'm so very thankful that someone else did the work to write pretty much the exact pattern I was seeking for a basic knit-in-the-round pullover. It was well worth the $6 I paid to have a go-to pattern, so I went back to the designer's shop and bought her cardigan pattern too!)
Yes! And I will happily pay a premium for say, a Kitman Figueroa $12 knitted, intricate, beaded, all the things pattern because I know I'm always going to get a very nice, thorough pattern. I understand it's not always easy to pay that - and I've certainly been there and had to wait until I could fit it in my budget. When I started this channel and IG I was like ok, what do I have to design to share and bring people in? But the idea didn't bring me joy so... I'll stick to hanging out, pattern reviews, I have an ergonomic hook review coming, genersl opinions, etc. I will eventually do some tutorials for a very specific purpose but that's also a longterm video project that will be at least a few weeks away for the first in a series.
@@StitchesGonnaStitch Can't wait for the pattern reviews! Love the way you do things on your channel because it feels like sitting and crafting with a friend.
Thank you so much for saying that.💙 That was exactly my goal - I did have a pattern review go up last week (maybe Tuesday?) but it didn’t get pushed out much so I’m not sure if it’s a good format to keep going with.
Love this video! I want to make a hexi-granny cardigan! I agree with you about crochet design. I think it would also be good for designers to work with a tech editor. Pattern testers don't catch everything and that is what a tech editor is trained to do. Also, people pay for sewing patterns, why not crochet? I always look at reviews and, on Ravelry, looking at projects.
Thank you for hanging out! 💜 I have tested and my comments were both received well and received poorly. Some designers don't seem to actually want feedback. Conversely a few designers seem to think testers are "too nice" with their feedback. I'm actually continuing my paid pattern review series really soon... 😉
Your take on paying for patterns just gave me the image of two people holding their Sbux coffee while bitching over the "exorbitant price" of a pattern 🤣
Sometimes I buy a pattern from a content creator after watching their YT tutorial. I think that's a nice way to thank them for their work. I even bought a pattern for a granny shawl once even not "needing" it. I'm on a tight budget but I think it's only fair to support people whose work you like. And yes, I buy music, too 😆
Yes!!! They're also the "don't buy acrylic because it's not sustainable" while getting disposable Sbucks cups every video 👀. (Preview of my hot takes video).
I have also done that where I like the video or the blog and then went and bought the ad-free pattern to thank them. Especially if I think I might make it again. I know money is tight for a lot of folks but there were times when I could only do free patterns for the most part and I just dealt with it.
I love your outlook and positivity. Subscribed. 😊❤
💜 thank you 😊
Hi Holly! Have you ever tried crocheting fun clothing or costumes for your cats?? Like a sweater, hat, scarf something like that?? That would be super cute and fun for the holidays ❣️
Hi! I prefer not to get sliced to pieces 🤣 I can't even get a collar or harness on the grown cats, Maddie is just big enough to see if she'll tolerate it.
I’m obsessed with Tunisian crochet but have only practiced it. It makes pretty nice straps for tank tops, not stretchy (I used the double crochet tunisian stitch). I have my eye on the hot cocoa poncho by TL Yarn Crafts. It doesn’t feel slow to me, reminds me of in write offs when you could go faster writing one word at a time all the way down instead of each whole sentence line by line.
I love tapestry crochet but have only used it with mosaic crochet.
I’m seeing gorgeous mosaic crochet patterns with curved lines and I’m loosing my mind wondering when I’ll work them into my wips.
I may have to give it a fair shake. I did have a Tunisian crochet stitch type tutorial hit my TH-cam homepage that looked neat. I was also teaching myself from magazines back in the day which probably made it 100 times slower.
I'm sure there are mosaics and tapestries I'd want to do if I look, but I already have so much other stuff I want to make. I have no business adding to that queue...
And I agree, let’s have some uplifting stuff!
Awww I'm so glad this is being well received!
Axolotl I don’t understand what the attraction is. Where has this fish been hiding. I never knew about them up until a few months ago. 🤷🏼♀️I’m afraid to try mosaic crochet I have a few patterns just need to sit down and do it.
Haha right? It's so weird that people suddenly love them. Mosaic doesn't do anything for me because I'm not into super geometric patterns. It's neat but not something that draws me in. I'm sure you can do it! I think I've seen some tutorials on TH-cam if you get stuck.
They're cute little amphibians but... Why?
@@draconicfeline6177 It just seems bizarre that what, a year or two ago nobody even knew what the heck an axolotl is and now they're all they rage. They're fine, I just don't get why they're so popular.
I make cloth plushies and "YOU SHOULD MAKE AXOLOTLS THEY'LL SELL LIKE HOTCAKES"
Erm, thanks but no thanks. I don't feel comfortable selling my plushies.
"YOU SHOULD SELL THEM!!!"
Omg yes. The last person who said that to me (she wanted 3 plushies) I quoted her what I thought sounded like a stupid amount. She said ok sure that's totally fine.
Well then.... lol. I was able to use the money at the time but now I'm like, nah. Not in 2025.
Really liking your content!!!
Thank you 💜 I appreciate you hanging out some more!
What a beautiful story ❤ I hope that guy in Ohio doesn’t lose his spark ⚡️ for life!! This was a great video 🎉
Thank you! I doubt he'll stop.
I understand no-sew patterns in concept but I don't get it as a supposed benefit. I often make more mistakes in the ones that go out of their way to be no-sew that should just sew. I guess it's because I was a sewist for a long time before starting crochet relatively recently (just coming up on a year).
I am not a designer. I'm a remixer. I have taken similar parts from one pattern for another. Or smashing up concepts. But I will def rewrite a purchased pattern for my format if I will make it again (I like to have ending stitch counts and explicit number of repeats vs "repeat until X number of stitches left"). Woobles has given me high mathematical expectations for patterns that a lot don't meet, especially when the row counts are too prose-y.
I never tried a Woobles kit but it's on my list to rate at least one of them. I don't know if I'd consider myself a remixer as much as a reimaginer. I don't make many no sew patterns because a lot of them don't appeal to me or I'd rather have the more detailed design that requires sewing. I have found myself basically rewriting. If that Grim Reaper I rated would have been printer friendly I would have printed it and made it bleed ink as they say.