The thing no one seems to get about chat gpt is that it can't actually answer your questions. It can only generate something that LOOKS like an answer to your question.
Keeping this in mind also helps you explain AI mistakes. Someone (I think on Tumblr?) shared a great example of this where the AI answer of a Google search blatantly mixed up "dairy free" and "no animal products". I can't remember the exact specifics anymore, but I _think_ it ended up claiming jelly was dairy; in any case it was fairly obvious to me that it jumped on the generative shortcut of "dairy is an animal product, ergo dairy free = vegan" (it even did mention animal products and vegan), where a human is able to tell dairy is only a subcategory of animal products and people avoid dairy for other reasons specific to that subcategory, and the answer the AI came up with was NOT an answer to the question being asked. It seemed pretty obvious to me that it was a replay of an earlier infamous instance (predating the current boom) where an AI model being trained to recognise sheep in photos started recognising grass instead - something common to photos of sheep that nonetheless does not a sheep make.
More people should try that "describe how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich" exercise before they try to write a knitting pattern. I write mine like medieval recipes - "make a sock, here's the lace pattern for the top, good luck".
I was traumatized by that exercise in middle school…. But it definitely left an impression about not assuming the reader knows the basics or can fill in details.
@@Twyggs This is my preferred method and what I'm looking for in patterns. But I shared in another video that current patterns are unnecessarily long and some lady jumped on me calling me a capitalistic b*** that wants to take from the middle class fair equivalent they deserve for their money. I still can't understand how a 100 words filler can be a fair equivalent of someone's money, but the world is pretty because we are all different. I want to believe that people are able to gain basic knowledge and aren't so helpless that they need 10 times repeat to be actually written 10 times, instead of putting in an asterisk.
@@alekfelis That's Accurate. Unfortunately I Had To Teach A Woman How To Crochet A Large Single Granny Square Via Video Call. I Do Believe The Majority Of People Are Smart. I Do Also Believe That Not All Of Them Are Knitters Or Crocheters. 😅 I Have To Also Take Into Consideration That I Can Knit And Cable Without Looking After 20+ Years By Fingertip Feel. Crochet Is Even Easier For Me. These People Are Why Parenting Books Are Popular & Why Shampoo Bottles Say "For External Use Only"
@@StarfireReborn This is a very good explanation. I'm just old fashioned and used to the short and sturdy type of vintage patterns. The modern way seems to me too spoiled and also visually difficult to deal with, it's for me more like reading a novel than being guided. Especially because I don't print them. Fortunately there are sites like knitCompanion. However I don't mind other people preferring that way, especially if they aren't used to the old acronym style, I can see where our habits come into place for comparison. I only can't understand how that is related to the price? Especially when there are plenty of free patterns who also are way too descriptive. I'm sorry but I don't believe that more words are equal to more money worthy. It's a matter of different formatting style not added value.
Thank you for this. Great advice from you and from the commenters so far. I would add: when browsing Ravelry, if a free pattern has a ridiculous number of projects, such as 20,000, that’s a clue that it’s worth gambling some yarn on it without digging too much deeper. But do scan the projects for comments such as “I used so-and-so’s modification” cropping up frequently, because sometimes the community has improved upon the original, and the improvement has become common knowledge.
My favorite place to get free patterns is the library! My local library has a great fiber arts section, and if there's a book that I want but they don't have, they're able to borrow it from a neighboring library. They also give access to knitting magazines through libby and hoopla if you prefer things virtual. While I know this isn't an option for everyone, I highly recommend looking into it if you're on a budget. As Arthur was said "Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card" Love, a former library kid (now adult) born the same year as knitty
Our library raises funds by selling their collection and now has hardly anything on any subject. However we have a thrift store that is a great place to get all kinds of books for only a couple of dollars each.
I have had a fully paid for pattern cost me my sanity. I did figure it out in the end, there was a "turn your work" which was never included in the instructions which led to some extremely incorrect rows and a very angry frogging session. I did however, manage to finish the project and was very glad to be done!
I mostly crochet but found this an outstanding presentation. It's good advice no matter if you knit or crochet. Now, If I could only find a presentation that revealed reliable free pattern sites that are also reliable purchase pattern sites. I've endured horrible patterns from those who sell, as well as those who give their patterns away. Thank you for your advice.
In my experience, Tin Can Knits and Churchmouse Yarns both have excellent free and paid patterns. There are others, but those are the ones that are always top of mind for me 😊
Drops Designs has 180,511 free knit and crochet patterns that span 17 different languages. I’ve knit several of their sweater patterns over the years and have never encountered any tech issues. I just wish Drops yarn from Garn Studio was more readily available in the US. I can find it on-line but have never come across it in a LYS.
Oh goodness! I completely forgot about Drops designs. Their designs are great, but I have found their pattern formats lacking in clarity. Mind you, I haven't looked at them in a while. Thanks for adding this source! 😃
I absolutely agree with you. Big box yarn manufacturers such as yarn inspiration and Hobbii have lots of free patterns but I would recommend them for more experienced knitter's or crocheters as not all the instructions are provided and/or are too vague. I hear from a few RUclipsrs that Drops patterns are hard to follow and you need to fill in the gaps. Love Purl Soho and Tin can knits. Stephen West even has a few free patterns too which are great.
@@Knicoleknits the thing about Drops patterns is that they're very much written in a European matter where the knitter is assumed to have skills that all basic knitters should technically have. They are not written with the assumption that the knitter knows nothing. I much prefer the Drops patterns over the 20 page "learn to knit" patterns that are very popular now. I was born in HOlland and learn to knit with Drop type patterns and I love them.
@@marieanne2680 Same here! I learnt how to knit with Drops patterns 13 years ago, and apart from the basic knit and purl, which I already knew, I learnt most of the techniques from their videos. I do see now in hindsight that their patterns have some flaws, like no detailed photography of the piece and no infos on intended ease. But I still use them, mostly for accessories, socks, and kids garments. I also feel that the pattern writing style nowadays is sometimes a little too elaborate and wordy. It might be connected to the surge of new knitters during the pandemic.
The pattern you talked about that you needed to cut and paste to get a usable document, next time click on the left side of the toolbar (where the web address is) and select Reader View. This turns the webpage into a document of words that is easily manipulated 😊
I would also add free books, ebooks and magazines from your local public library! Mine even has some online craftsy courses you can access with your library card.
One of my favourite fingerless gloves patterns is free... The only reason it's my favourite is when I was looking at it I stumbled across a FANTASTIC youtube video by a different person explaining the tricky part at the beginning. Without that I don't think I would ever make them.
I don't "do" patterns, but I can do anything shown on a video tutorial that doesn't Yak my ear off. I watch Mostly nonverbal or turn down the sound on any foreign language knitting or crochet video and just go to town with them as they do whatever it is they do, making their "model"/sample large enough to do whatever my brain concocts after having skippped to the end first to see what results and then going back to start along with them. I figured out long ago that trying to figure out how to read a pattern was going to drastically slow down my experience so I just gave it up entirely. My eyes understand every word spoken with the hands that I watch in any video. Without clouding my mind with whether it means this or whether it means that or getting destroyed in my ego when something doesn't work out. I have more time to really watch and discern what they are doing regardless of the language spoken or the fact that they are not speaking, and can dedicate myself to doing exactly what they are doing. I find that the Middle Eastern ladies that I watch are very fine demonstrators of what they are teaching, regardless of words. The demonstrators in tutorials that I presume to be south of my Texas border, do extremely well at showing what they are going to do before they do it. It is only a rare few that just begin to crochet and just crochet and crochet until they are done and show 5 or less seconds of the finished product at the very end of the video, never spreading it out for you to see the steps and how it should look after a few rows or at a change in the pattern, before continuing to the finish. Most all of the Knitters I watch, go at a pace that is pretty easy to follow, or at an easy pace that I can use the playback speed to slow down. A rare few go so fast at working English style stitches that I don't know exactly where the yarn is going as they wrap it around the sticks a certain way even if I slow it down to 25% speed. I have learned the most about knitting from Russkiy and Turkiç women I've watched, who don't speak. I tell you it really sharpens the mind when you don't have to sort out words.
This is fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing your knitting process. It’s like French immersion for knitting! I also like watching foreign language knitting videos. There’s so much to learn from different styles 🥰
Thanks for helping to explain this! As a crochet designer I have often been questioned as to why I charge for my patterns (double eye roll). I also like to remind them of how some of those extreme spammy sites can actually be dangerous to click on. A few have actually stolen entire professionally published books of mine in the past. All on the internet is not as great as it may seem. Again, I so appreciate your helping to educate folks on this issue!
Yikes! That must be so maddening. I try to [gently] steer people to paid patterns as much as possible. I *think* the culture around free patterns is gradually changing from entitlement to appreciation, but we've got a long way to go!
@@Knicoleknitsi hope so. I know that a lot of these sites can be buggy and have no problem selling your information to whomever they can. Like you said, you still pay a price!
I've knit many a free pattern over the years, including two Clapotis. It is a good idea to be cautious, but to be fair, I've run into more issues with patterns in books (Interweave I'm looking at you). Thank goodness for the resources we have available to us now. Once upon a time it was all on you to figure out any errors.
You can delete the pictures and extraneous info BEFORE hitting print. Hover cursor over image and there should be an X or delete sign. It’s been a while since I’ve done it but it works.
A free pattern designer who does have some paid for patterns too (all are excellent by the way) is Marly Bird. She's designed for Yarnspirations which someone else did mention, but she also has videos which go along with the patterns to show you exactly what to do. She's just released a knit and crochet mosiac hat pattern which is easy for someone who has never done mosaic knitting or crocheting before. It's incredible how she can make things like that and then post a pattern for free.
Just a note about purl soho, if you click on the print pattern option on the right side of the screen usually at the top of the page, there's a print page pop-up and if you click on the left of each section you can remove the parts of the webpage that you don't want, like photos and stuff, I've done this with their kitchener stitch definition when I was first learning it and saved it as a pdf. it's really useful!!
I was going to suggest that too! I’ve seen that “complaint” by others before. I’ve also found that some of purl soho’s free patterns can take a long to work up, a real time commitment for sure. However the results are so beautiful.
Aside from some simple baby items, Tin Can Knits and Purl soho are the only free ones I’d use. And quite frankly in actual use it comes down to TinCanKnits. I’ve used so many of their patterns in multiple sizes and never been disappointed. The Strange Brew sweater book is utter genius. Good designers deserve to be paid for all their work.
I almost always change Purl Soho's free patterns. For example - their knot bag? They use a provisional cast on. I used a turkish cast on and didn't have to go back and join that end. Their patterns are ideal for showing off their yarn.
I follow Expression Fiber Arts, they have GORGEOUS yarn (unfortunately, I'm in Italy so buying the yarn would be awfully expensive because of shipping and customs) and they have free patterns on the website, both crochet and knitting, and if you are in the newsletter, they put a free pattern each for Crochet and knitting every Friday, and I've made some of them, the patterns are beautifully written and edited. Top marks!
I love my library card. I just had a chat with a gal at my LYS and we both had stories about using patterns in books. Very important to look for errata
I knit my first sweater using Tin Can Knits free pattern the Flax Sweater. It turned out great. I've also knit several free patterns from Purl Soho. I'm currently knitting their free Mosaic Blanket pattern. I do have a couple of free patterns that appear to be self-published and look a little sketchy. I haven't tried knitting them however. BTW I love the cowl you're wearing-- lovely.
I love the purl soho patterns. I usually tell people you might be getting what you paid for… nothing. My sister gets free patterns and then fails to get the beautiful cabled sweater from the yarn she bought in Ireland. She asks for my help… I look at photos first and see no photo shows the buttons buttoned because THEY WONT BUTTON. Sleeves are tight and won’t even pull over the model’s shoulder… She told me she quit knitting sweaters because they never work out. I told her she should let me choose the pattern
I read through free patterns after I download them. If I cant figure it out after a couple of readthroughs and a swatch with some decent yarn then I deleate it and look for a clearer to me pattern. Tin can knits has some fantastic free patterns.
Thank you very much for your video! It has been informative! You tackled on so many important points and shared links I have never heard before! I totally agree on all the points about free patterns! Thank you once again for your work!
My favourite free patterns : Drops Design, Filcolana (danish yarn brand), This Handmade Life has a bunch of free socks patterns, the baby size Sunny cardigan by Tanis Fiber Arts, the Trescao jumper by Along avec Anna (both in French and English)
Thanx, Nicole-I so appreciate your helpful information! Not sure if this counts as a free pattern, but I once bought a cowl kit from Lion Brand that had a terribly written pattern. (And I’m not a beginner.) I even watched the designer’s RUclips and it still didn’t help and I ended up designing my own! Now I can take heed of your insights on the designers when buying kits as well! Seems like they are just a way for yarn companies to sell more yarn and they don’t necessarily take the care to include well written patterns. Of course, it varies across kits and designers. But goes to show your warning to beware of what appears to be a good deal!
In addition to your pros for free patterns I have one more: If I find a lovely pattern from some new to me designer, I usually look at a free pattern of this designer first in order to assess, whether their way of pattern writing matches my way of understanding them. That's helpful especially with new designers, who have yet to acquire enough helpful projects as a reference. This way I give these new designers a chance and at the same time I minimize the risk of disappointment. With respect to myself publishing patterns, I made two free ones years ago, but that didn't feel right. So I've changed that: Nowadays, with some project I "unvented" and like, I describe what I did in my particular garment and my size on my project page down to measurements and stitch count. This way people have access to this information and I don't have to grade, tech edit or do other things I would require a good pattern to provide. Being unable to make good pictures consistently, that's my way of maybe at least give a start to someone wanting to make something similar in their size and style.
I accidentally have done this a couple times haha. Specifically letes knits. I drooled over the yarn for one of her patterns with gauge dye works for literally years. Then I started drooling over one of her paid patterns and realized hey wait I did one of her patterns and it was great, I'm gonna buy it
I have had to rewrite a couple of patterns. Both were great in the end and I did keep notes as to how I changed them to make them work. Little Valentine by Sylvie Beez was the first. The written instructions didn't match the charts, but the charts needed 3 put together to do them. I was knitting this during covid and maybe I had covid brain also, but I finally sat down and completely wrote out the written instructions to follow rather than 3 charts across. The 2nd was Cosmos Top by tatiana Martin - it was translated from Russian, I believe and parts were missing, so I wrote it out also. Both are very beautiful after they were finished and luckily after 50+ years of knitting, I had the knowledge to make them work. I saw my LYS offering the Little Valentine pattern with a yarn purchase a while back, so let them know my experience with it and offered to let them connect me to anyone who might buy that kit and need help with it.
You've made two videos that have exactly matched where I was knitting-wise. 1) Wallet worthy patterns. (I was experiencing buyer's remorse for a cardigan pattern.) 2) This one! I found several Drops patterns I liked very much. Of course the pudding isn't made yet so I'll have to wait and see. Like you, I have a background in sewing so I'm susceptible to thinking "How hard can it be?" I really appreciate your channel. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge!
There are some designers who I have used their free patterns (some had free version on blog and paid pdf versions) and now that I've successfully made one of their projects and know that I like them, they're easy to follow etc. I've made an effort to buy at least one of their other patterns. There's one designer in particular, she's a crochet designer and I used her blog for the first cardigan of hers I made and then paid for the second cardigan pattern and now I'm planning a third cardigan from one of her designs and will pay for that one.
@esthermcafee5293 I was thinking of Evelyn and Peter crochet. The ones I've made from her were quite simple in shaping, but she uses such pretty stitch patterns. I also love TL Yarns, so check out her too.
@esthermcafee5293 sorry. I thought I responded. I've made some summer cardigans from Evelyn and Peter crochet. I also recommend TL Yarns for crochet patterns.
Great video! I came across a pattern for a fair-isle sweater that is absolutely gorgeous and it's free. It is the Plumose Yoke Jumper by Laura Barkla and is available on Ravelry. Available in 13 sizes - a well written pattern. My one friend has also made it and it fits her perfectly as well. I have made the Tin Can Knits sweater multiple times. It was a success every time.
Never been burned by a free pattern…because I seldom use them! As an artist, I have no problem with paying for others’ hard work.😉 But I recently picked up a free pattern for a brioche beanie that looks like it might bite me. Heh. Rather use an Andrea Mowry pattern anyhow. Worth $7. ☺️ And Tin Can and Purl SoHo? Definitely good!
In fairness paying for a pattern isn’t a guarantee it’s a good pattern either. My husband bought a pattern for me that was awful and in the end the project couldn’t be completed.
I’m currently using a free hobbi pattern to make a triangle shawl for the first time (I don’t know what it’s really called) and it’s been a lot of fun and really easy to fallow
I have followed your tube videos to learn to knit socks, gloves and a sweater. I have bought a few patterns from recommended designers , (preferably patterns accompanied by RUclips tutorials). The patterns I have bought for socks and for a sweater can be used more than once , so not really expensive.
Thanks for this very valuable information. Yes, I have used free patterns with good results and if I may say I bought a Rowan cardigan pattern with the recommended yarn (in the same breath, nothing wrong with Rowan who have some great patterns) which I think is not accurate. So, as a result this has been put on the back burner to challenge me later.
I'm commenting here the first time. You are my favourite english speaking creator 💐. Since three days i' m crocheting a pullover for my dog. The free pattern is from a wellknown worldwide delivering company. I'm also a beginner. Found two mistakes, thank God there are many RUclips Videos for education. Chanced two things by myself and now its nearly done. I will upload photos. Should i really write about the two mistakes ? Other people crocheted the pullovers also and it seems to work. But i'm not sure if i'm really correct or too dumb 😅. I frogged many times and had to find a solution. Sending blessings and much fun from Germany ❤🧶
I have had good luck with simple free patterns eg a vanilla sovk pattern. I have 4 free patterns on ravelry? Did I do a bad thing? I do get friends from my knitting group test knit and proof read them. Of course thry have not been tech edited. I just like the challenge of writing a pattern for the fun of it. 2 more ideas for a hat and mittens that haven't been developed yet.
Sharing your free patterns on Ravelry is not a bad thing at all! Sounds to me like you are very concerned that they are correct and useable and if you're doing it for the fun and challenge, go for it! 💖😀
Literally RIGHT NOW struggling to finish a free pattern. I've had to start over multiple times already. TTvTT Does anyone know if there's a video tutorial for the Hummingbird Bag??
I have used Florence's free sweater and cardigan patterns as a beginner knitter. They are so well written and I highly recommend them. I have since pirchased some of her paid patterns as I trust her as a designer and pattern knitter. Just wish she had more patterns available!
Yarn companies like Novita have a lot of free patterns, but the style is more for intermediate and forward, not beginner. They have had Sari Nordlund and other professionals who have made the patterns.
Yep, a lot of yarn companies give free, professional patterns as a way to promote their yarn. I might be wrong, but I am under the impression that yarn companies that sell cheaper yarns (mostly cotton, acrylic and wool/acrylic blends) focus more on beginner projects, whereas the ones that are more premium have more complex patterns. It makes sense to me, when you are beginning a new hobby, you probably aren't investing right away into fancy materials (unless you are really wealthy).
Thank you! I've knit Clapotis several times and am glad I wm ent deep following all the discussions when I first started. I kept all my research, through cut/paste into a Word document. Ten years later, I came back to it having coʻme to the same point where I needed clarification again. This time, I appended with my results so I didnt have to back-track again. Also, some of the original discussion pages don't exist anymore.
I just grabbed that Knitty Gemini pattern! I love to try a free pattern to see if l like the layout and instructional style from a designer. I do usually make a point of buying a pattern afterwardd.
I knit the Cloudburst mittens and the Trescao sweater from Along avec Anna….two knitting’s I really love ! I seldom buy patterns but I buy books ( Champêtre from MC Levesque , 52 weeks of socks and the book of Charlotte Stone….I knit a lot of socks from theses books!)
I mainly draft my own basic patterns because I'm a bit of an odd size and find that a lot of graded patterns don't have my size or don't fit properly, so I tend to look at youtube tutorials on construction and work from there with my own measurements. For more complex work with a lot of lace and cables I prefer vintage patterns over modern ones because I prefer vintage clothing and accessories. Additionally vintage clothing patterns tend to be written in a way that makes customising the size and fit easier. And the people putting them online tend to be doing so out of a passion for vintage knitting and put a lot of care into them as a result.
A lot of the free patterns I use are vintage/ historical. Free vintage knitting/ crochet both have patterns from the 40’s- 70’s and i also do some patterns from early 1900’s magazines saved on Archive
Rarely been burned by free patterns, actually, but I am drawn to ones by designers I know and trust. However, I HAVE been burned many times by paid patterns, and that hurts far more. To be fair, I'm self-taught in knit and crochet and will try just about anything that isn't a texture "ick" (keep bobbles far away please) and am brave/curious enough to adapt if a pattern doesn't fully deliver or has errors. Others may not be able or want to create that way, and I appreciate you made the point that often the cost isn't monetary - for the pattern at least.
Unfortunately I haven't found that paying for patterns avoids the problem of them costing my sanity. I once paid $7 for a pattern that included two different tensions to work to (when I called the designer on it she said it was a different way of measuring, but she wouldn't say which of the two to use if I stuck pins in the pattern, measured between them and counted the stitches). That was far from the only problem, but that alone is a huge red flag. Or the cute kitty cat hat that gave a really basic hat pattern, then "sew ears on and embroider face" with absolutely no guidelines for where to put the ears or how to sew the face.
You're absolutely right. Paying for patterns is no guarantee of perfection, but as a rule you're more likely to get a better quality pattern. I have been burned by paid patterns too. Sometimes you just don't know until you own it. 😋
The cons of free patterns sound like every vintage pattern ever. (I am an old fart and that was why I took to designing my own patterns back in the day.) I started work on writing a pattern (as opposed to having some arcane scribbles that only I can follow), it's a fairly simple one but I want to give users some additional flexibility, which is definitely adding to the complexity of writing it. (I've had to put it aside for a whole lot of reasons but I do hope to get back to it at some stage - and then publish it as a free pattern.) So I can vouch that when you say there is a lot of work involved, that is 💯% true!
Right? That's why I'm grateful to be privileged enough to pay for patterns without hardship. For those who can't, it's so lovely to know there are folks like you who are willing and able to do all that hard work and share it with others 😊💖
I’ve paid for a couple of patterns and bought pattern books that were terrible. I don’t think money necessarily is the deciding factor. I do exactly what you say and see if people have made the pattern on ravelry and if the pattern is there but no one has made it then I avoid.
Paying for a pattern is no guarantee it is good either! I once bought the exact yarn specified in a Vogue Knitting sweater pattern, did a test gauge, followed the instructions precisely, and partway through I could see there is just no way the instructions given could produce what was pictured. I counted the stitched in the middle row in the picture -- it's a side to side knit, so the rows run up and down and were clear in the middle of the photograph -- and there were significantly more in the picture than in the instructions.
This video comes very handy. I have recently re-started knitting after a stop of more than 30 years and I have so far knitted two free pattern sweaters, both of which right now are not able to be worn. I was just wondering what did I do wrong as I had followed the instructions word by word? And now I realise, that the patterns were not, 100% accurate. I just thought I was verydumb.😢
Ah, the classic case of "the pattern lied." Don’t let it unravel your confidence. We all go through a learning curve with faulty patterns. With practice, you'll be able to recognize when the mistakes are yours and when they're not 😊
I recommend yarn company sites. My very first knit of any kind was the Lumi Sweater from Novita. It was a very complicated design as it turned out but I was so new I had no clue. Nevertheless, it turned out just fine. I have made things from Lion Brand and Berroco as well with success.
A lot of yarn manufacturers offer free patterns, the ones from Scandinavia usually also provide them in English. Danish Filcolana and finnish Novita come to my mind immidiately, I have knit a lot of their patterns.
another way to get knitting patterns for free is through your local library. this might not be the case for everybody, but my local library has a very good selection of knitting pattern books that are very current (charlotte stone, summer lee, laerke bagger etc) and if you request a book that they don't have, they will often purchase it.
I bought the free pattern add free. Classic Knitted Tank Top by Wannipa Yunker. I liked that I could see if I wanted it, was it at my level. There was also a video tutorial. It was worth it not having all the adds. Love your content.
Thank you for the video. Very helpful. I have knit some free Purl Soho and Knitty patterns over the years. I agree that knitted patterns would be very complicated to write. I would love to see a video on test knitting. I have done it a few times and enjoyed it, but I figure there is a secret network somewhere that allows people to knit for established designers.
Hi Nicole. Thanks for this very informative thread. I’ve made a couple of the Tin Can Knits patterns (paid and free) so I can vouch for them for sure. I have a tried and trusted sock pattern (paid for from the Crazy Sock Lady) which has a great hand holding RUclips tutorial which doesn’t cost the earth but is very straightforward. Thanks for all of your useful tips and suggestions. 🙋🏼🏴
I have had success with Drops designs, though it does help to be a somewhat experienced knitter. I have also found that some paid for patterns are lacking in detail. It breaks my flow to have to contact the designer and ask for additional info… when I have paid for it especially.
I hear you. It's super frustrating to find errors in a pattern - especially when you're on a roll. However, mistakes happen to the best of us and I know (good) designers appreciate the feedback and opportunity to make corrections 😊
I struggled with rhe free 'swirl hat:. Multiple posters and verbiage. There is no gage given and different cast on numbers. But I was determined. I love the look but is definitely too big. Yarn was stash yarn I was trying use up.
Something I’ve found that works for the free patterns that are posted on blogs with tons of links or ads is to save the webpage as a PDF from my phone and then save it to my files.
I downloaded a hat pattern from Ravelry that was based on my favorite band. The cast on and ribbing were fine, but the stich count in the colorwork section did not match the cast-on stitches and there was no note of increases anywhere in the pattern. And yes, I did buy some nice yarn specifically for the project. I quit before I completely trashed my nice yarn and now I'll have to find something else. Maybe I'll make my own pattern.
I look at free patterns mostly for ideas. I adjust the pattern and turn it into something totally different. I mostly use it for stitch count ie sizing based on the yarn I have available. I am a broke aged pensioner. I have a few books to help me as well, really old ones. Probably worth a fortune as in collectors items lol. Most free patterns don’t work for us in Australia as we have yarn based on ply eg 8 ply or 12 ply. I have no idea what worsted yarn is.
I've seen different equivalency charts for Australian to North American weights. It seems that 8 ply is closest to our DK or light worsted. Your 10 ply would be closer to a true worsted or aran weight. I'm intrigued now and want to do more research 🤔😃
I knit Calorimetry and was very satisfied with the outcome although I haven’t had a chance to wear it yet. I’ve also knit a cowl and 2 hats from purl soho and at least 4 projects from Drops. The ones I’ve worn the most are the Drops projects. Free patterns are always challenging but I must admit that I always deviate from patterns, either because I have my own ideas and I’m using the pattern as a guide or because I’m not using the recommended yarn so adjustments are necessary. Or both 😊.
Not a knitter, but a crocheter. The only pattern I really had problems with was from a CAL and the problem was, that someone didn't translate the instructions correctly to my mother tongue from English. It took me over 2 months until I found out why it didn't work out thanks to Reddit. The pattern was free and from a crocheting/knitting brand.
I use both plenty free and paid patterns, it's mostly a which ever one I like. I'd say honestly both have as many flops as there is good ones. I've had some paid ones that were an absolute pain to read and had definitely errors in them. But I've also had amazingly well written ones. Same goes for free. It's always best to check comments and projects before, no matter paid or free.
I love the way you present ideas and explain them. Except you’re giving me too many ideas for projects. I vowed I’d only do one project at a time. 😂 Could you do something on a good way of keeping track of stitches and rows? I have the Andrea Mowry Find your Fade pattern that I’ve restarted so many times because I lose track of where I am. Again thank you!
My preferred method is simply to use graph paper to tick off each row. Stitches are easy; use simple 'light bulb' stitch markers to keep track, always using a unique colour for the row starting marker, if knitting in the round. Personally, I always use green - for go! With rows, read the pattern thoroughly then create a simple grid on graph paper. For example, if the repeat is 24 rows, create a grid of 24 rows. If the end of each repeat isn't obvious in the knitted design, add a 3" length of contrast yarn as you begin the next repeat. Just plonk it between the stitches so you can pull it out when the garment is finished. My other personal tip is to always complete a row before leaving your work for a while. I find picking up work in the middle of a row scrambles my brain! I hope this helps a little.
All of Elaine Fitzpatricks - Down Cloverlaine - patterns are free. They include lots of baby bibs and wash cloths, a hat and a super cute pair of mitts and socks. They are well written, easy to follow and many, if not all, include both written instructions and charts. They make great baby gifts!
A few years ago I bought a kit with yarn and pattern. Had to rip back when done because of a bad mistake in directions. Not my error, the pattern I paid for. 😢And yes it was a Berroco pattern
Sorry to hear about that - so frustrating! Paid patterns are no guarantee of perfection, but as a rule they tend to be better than free patterns. Hope you have better luck in the future!
Jep, I knitted an easy bonnet for my daughter. A friend told me she would like to knit the same design. I said, I had written it down and could give it to her. Turns out I once started and never finished. It also is extremely complicated when I write it down, I get confused and I doubt somebody can copy it. I have lots of experience and do things you would not recommend or describe in a pattern. But my easy, beginner's bonnet is not easy after all...
I have bought 2 knit kits that the pattern wasn't available any other way, and found there were errors in both and contacted customer service regarding the error for clarification and one never got back to me at all. The other told me there was no error since they did an office knit along and didn't find any issues. Luckily, I am an experienced enough knitter to figure out a fix for both. SMH... sometimes paid patterns aren't worth it either.
I sometimes ask ChatGPT to help me as I’m knitting since I convert the gauge for a lot of patterns - in most cases I’ve to ask it to double and triple check its basic arithmetic, e.g. I’ll ask it to tell me the sections for placing stitch markers when knitting a raglan but it’ll give me a higher number of stitches than what I have. Other times it’s ok, but I can’t rely on it.
Great advice as always. The free patterns I have knit have all turned out great (sweater and a couple of throw rugs). I do use the “copy paste” technique to reduce the number of pages for printing. Yes, I still need/prefer to have the printed pattern. I have been burnt by Chat GPT. I asked for a cable design I could incorporate in a simple cardigan sleeve …. Absolute disaster! Ended up modifying an existing one I had previously paid for. 😂
Crocheter here, using what advice I can for my own free pattern hunting, thanks for the tips! Aside, I would never ask AI for this sort of thing given the absolute waste of energy those generative programs are. The amount of pollution and emissions they take to produce each result let alone train and store their reference data is enough to turn me off of them for good. I'd like the planet to be cool enough to enjoy the things I make as long as possible! (Or if you don't believe that sort of thing, I'd rather we use our finite fossil fuel energy for something other than stealing the show from human creators.)
Thanks for your comment! You bring up some important points - and I agree AI is incredibly resource intensive. I’m afraid the toothpaste is already out of the tube, but we can all be conscious of our use. 😊
I was successful in having a free pattern removed from Hobbii. It was a top-down, side button child's sweater that they sourced from Go Handmade. By round 4 I was beyond frustrated. I went to Go Handmade's site and requested help. In their defense, they tried. 1) The pattern was originally written in Danish. The translator(s) had obviously based on what I was dealing with had a difficult time with the translation. Go Handmade's customer support is staffed with folks who were ESL and admitted that only had one rep who kind of sort of read/spoke English to attempt to help me. 2) The original pattern designer had died about 18 months after the pattern was published. In the end they could not help me make heads or tails of the pattern. Now...thankfully I had previously knit a different but similar top-down yoke on a pattern I sourced from Plymouth Yarn so I used that as a guide. I took notes the whole way through and have since knit the Go Handmade sweater twice. However, I also contacted Hobbii and explained my experience. They removed the pattern from their site.
When I started knitting again a few years ago I didn't know about Ravelry. Doing a search for knitting patterns then, you got a whole lot of free ones. Then I found Ravelry and paid for patterns. They are inexpensive enough to purchase and try. The only problem I have now is I don't have a color printer anymore🤔, so when I print a chart it doesn't always come out well, and I have to breakout my colored pencils. I have more than a few patterns I just HAD to get, and haven't tried yet.
Hi, I loved this program, too! I can use the colour photocopier at my library for 20 cents a page. I can even send digital files remotely to the same photocopier/ printer as long as I pick them up within 24 hours. Love my library - I used to purchase all their art and craft books as librarian. The interlibrary loan system allows me to borrow from other libraries free of charge.❤
I've tried some free or cheap ($1-$3) patterns and it is hit and miss. One I only paid a dollar for, but bought some Crazy Zauberball to make it and the thing was riddled with mistakes. Stitch counts were totally off, glaring errors all over the place. I gave up and now have a crazy Zauberball so I'll have to find something to use it. Other designers that have free patterns - Stephen West has about 20. His Boneyard Shawl is very popular, super easy and I've made it. It's lovely. (Who doesn't love Stephen West?) Espace Tricot out of Montreal has some nice free patterns as well. They used to have almost all of them for free when Melissa and Lisa owned the store, but the new owners have switched a lot of them to paid patterns. Melissa now owns Sonder Yarn Co. and has a dozen or so patterns for free on Ravelry.
@@satsumamoon - I agree that some are wild and over the top. Those aren't for me. He does have some more subdued patterns and some interesting construction techniques. I've knit a few and they are well written. He also has a lot of tutotial videos on RUclips.
I love KPG's designs and have knitted several BUT the patterns are soooo long! Very wordy pattern writing style and, as I print out my digital patterns so I can make notes on them, I can get annoyed about the amount of printer paper required - 30+ pages is not uncommon.
Ai didn’t recreate pattern. It stole it from other designers which is what Ai does. It scraps the net for its databases. But there are lots of lovely free patterns by real people.
The thing no one seems to get about chat gpt is that it can't actually answer your questions. It can only generate something that LOOKS like an answer to your question.
Yup. That's been my experience with it for sure. 😋
Keeping this in mind also helps you explain AI mistakes. Someone (I think on Tumblr?) shared a great example of this where the AI answer of a Google search blatantly mixed up "dairy free" and "no animal products". I can't remember the exact specifics anymore, but I _think_ it ended up claiming jelly was dairy; in any case it was fairly obvious to me that it jumped on the generative shortcut of "dairy is an animal product, ergo dairy free = vegan" (it even did mention animal products and vegan), where a human is able to tell dairy is only a subcategory of animal products and people avoid dairy for other reasons specific to that subcategory, and the answer the AI came up with was NOT an answer to the question being asked. It seemed pretty obvious to me that it was a replay of an earlier infamous instance (predating the current boom) where an AI model being trained to recognise sheep in photos started recognising grass instead - something common to photos of sheep that nonetheless does not a sheep make.
@@beth12svist Thanks so much for this! It explains a lot 😋
More people should try that "describe how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich" exercise before they try to write a knitting pattern. I write mine like medieval recipes - "make a sock, here's the lace pattern for the top, good luck".
😂😂😂
I was traumatized by that exercise in middle school…. But it definitely left an impression about not assuming the reader knows the basics or can fill in details.
@@Twyggs This is my preferred method and what I'm looking for in patterns. But I shared in another video that current patterns are unnecessarily long and some lady jumped on me calling me a capitalistic b*** that wants to take from the middle class fair equivalent they deserve for their money. I still can't understand how a 100 words filler can be a fair equivalent of someone's money, but the world is pretty because we are all different. I want to believe that people are able to gain basic knowledge and aren't so helpless that they need 10 times repeat to be actually written 10 times, instead of putting in an asterisk.
@@alekfelis That's Accurate. Unfortunately I Had To Teach A Woman How To Crochet A Large Single Granny Square Via Video Call. I Do Believe The Majority Of People Are Smart. I Do Also Believe That Not All Of Them Are Knitters Or Crocheters. 😅 I Have To Also Take Into Consideration That I Can Knit And Cable Without Looking After 20+ Years By Fingertip Feel. Crochet Is Even Easier For Me. These People Are Why Parenting Books Are Popular & Why Shampoo Bottles Say "For External Use Only"
@@StarfireReborn This is a very good explanation. I'm just old fashioned and used to the short and sturdy type of vintage patterns. The modern way seems to me too spoiled and also visually difficult to deal with, it's for me more like reading a novel than being guided. Especially because I don't print them. Fortunately there are sites like knitCompanion. However I don't mind other people preferring that way, especially if they aren't used to the old acronym style, I can see where our habits come into place for comparison. I only can't understand how that is related to the price? Especially when there are plenty of free patterns who also are way too descriptive. I'm sorry but I don't believe that more words are equal to more money worthy. It's a matter of different formatting style not added value.
Thank you for this. Great advice from you and from the commenters so far. I would add: when browsing Ravelry, if a free pattern has a ridiculous number of projects, such as 20,000, that’s a clue that it’s worth gambling some yarn on it without digging too much deeper. But do scan the projects for comments such as “I used so-and-so’s modification” cropping up frequently, because sometimes the community has improved upon the original, and the improvement has become common knowledge.
Excellent advice!
My favorite place to get free patterns is the library! My local library has a great fiber arts section, and if there's a book that I want but they don't have, they're able to borrow it from a neighboring library. They also give access to knitting magazines through libby and hoopla if you prefer things virtual. While I know this isn't an option for everyone, I highly recommend looking into it if you're on a budget. As Arthur was said "Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card"
Love, a former library kid (now adult) born the same year as knitty
Love this! I used to borrow tons of knitting books from the library when I was on a tighter budget. It's an excellent resource 💖😃
That is such a great idea! Thank you ❤
I never would have thought about trying my local library for crochet/knitting books or magazines.
Our library raises funds by selling their collection and now has hardly anything on any subject. However we have a thrift store that is a great place to get all kinds of books for only a couple of dollars each.
I have had a fully paid for pattern cost me my sanity. I did figure it out in the end, there was a "turn your work" which was never included in the instructions which led to some extremely incorrect rows and a very angry frogging session. I did however, manage to finish the project and was very glad to be done!
You have my sympathy! It sounds like a lot of work went into that project.
I mostly crochet but found this an outstanding presentation. It's good advice no matter if you knit or crochet. Now, If I could only find a presentation that revealed reliable free pattern sites that are also reliable purchase pattern sites. I've endured horrible patterns from those who sell, as well as those who give their patterns away. Thank you for your advice.
In my experience, Tin Can Knits and Churchmouse Yarns both have excellent free and paid patterns. There are others, but those are the ones that are always top of mind for me 😊
A bad pattern you paid for hurts your pocketbook a lot more. As for me, I don't have twenty-minutes to invest in her "free" rant.
Drops Designs has 180,511 free knit and crochet patterns that span 17 different languages. I’ve knit several of their sweater patterns over the years and have never encountered any tech issues. I just wish Drops yarn from Garn Studio was more readily available in the US. I can find it on-line but have never come across it in a LYS.
Oh goodness! I completely forgot about Drops designs. Their designs are great, but I have found their pattern formats lacking in clarity. Mind you, I haven't looked at them in a while. Thanks for adding this source! 😃
I absolutely agree with you. Big box yarn manufacturers such as yarn inspiration and Hobbii have lots of free patterns but I would recommend them for more experienced knitter's or crocheters as not all the instructions are provided and/or are too vague. I hear from a few RUclipsrs that Drops patterns are hard to follow and you need to fill in the gaps. Love Purl Soho and Tin can knits. Stephen West even has a few free patterns too which are great.
@@Knicoleknits the thing about Drops patterns is that they're very much written in a European matter where the knitter is assumed to have skills that all basic knitters should technically have. They are not written with the assumption that the knitter knows nothing. I much prefer the Drops patterns over the 20 page "learn to knit" patterns that are very popular now. I was born in HOlland and learn to knit with Drop type patterns and I love them.
@@marieanne2680 Same here! I learnt how to knit with Drops patterns 13 years ago, and apart from the basic knit and purl, which I already knew, I learnt most of the techniques from their videos. I do see now in hindsight that their patterns have some flaws, like no detailed photography of the piece and no infos on intended ease. But I still use them, mostly for accessories, socks, and kids garments. I also feel that the pattern writing style nowadays is sometimes a little too elaborate and wordy. It might be connected to the surge of new knitters during the pandemic.
I like drops patterns too.
The pattern you talked about that you needed to cut and paste to get a usable document, next time click on the left side of the toolbar (where the web address is) and select Reader View. This turns the webpage into a document of words that is easily manipulated 😊
Thanks for sharing! I will definitely try that next time! 🤩
I have knit lots “free” patterns that were awesome! I have also paid for my own share of patterns that need (sometimes several of them) correction!
Yup. It can definitely go both ways. Generally speaking paid patterns are a better bet, with the exception of free patterns from trusted sources 😊
I like Yarnspirations for free patterns. I've never run into problems with their free patterns.
Good to know! 😊
I have also used their patterns without any problems thus far1
Currently working on a knitted skirt from them, and a simple flat knitted sweater. It’s pretty clear instructions
I would also add free books, ebooks and magazines from your local public library!
Mine even has some online craftsy courses you can access with your library card.
Excellent tip!
One of my favourite fingerless gloves patterns is free... The only reason it's my favourite is when I was looking at it I stumbled across a FANTASTIC youtube video by a different person explaining the tricky part at the beginning. Without that I don't think I would ever make them.
It sounds like you found a great resource!
I don't "do" patterns, but I can do anything shown on a video tutorial that doesn't Yak my ear off. I watch Mostly nonverbal or turn down the sound on any foreign language knitting or crochet video and just go to town with them as they do whatever it is they do, making their "model"/sample large enough to do whatever my brain concocts after having skippped to the end first to see what results and then going back to start along with them.
I figured out long ago that trying to figure out how to read a pattern was going to drastically slow down my experience so I just gave it up entirely. My eyes understand every word spoken with the hands that I watch in any video. Without clouding my mind with whether it means this or whether it means that or getting destroyed in my ego when something doesn't work out. I have more time to really watch and discern what they are doing regardless of the language spoken or the fact that they are not speaking, and can dedicate myself to doing exactly what they are doing. I find that the Middle Eastern ladies that I watch are very fine demonstrators of what they are teaching, regardless of words. The demonstrators in tutorials that I presume to be south of my Texas border, do extremely well at showing what they are going to do before they do it. It is only a rare few that just begin to crochet and just crochet and crochet until they are done and show 5 or less seconds of the finished product at the very end of the video, never spreading it out for you to see the steps and how it should look after a few rows or at a change in the pattern, before continuing to the finish. Most all of the Knitters I watch, go at a pace that is pretty easy to follow, or at an easy pace that I can use the playback speed to slow down. A rare few go so fast at working English style stitches that I don't know exactly where the yarn is going as they wrap it around the sticks a certain way even if I slow it down to 25% speed.
I have learned the most about knitting from Russkiy and Turkiç women I've watched, who don't speak. I tell you it really sharpens the mind when you don't have to sort out words.
This is fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing your knitting process. It’s like French immersion for knitting! I also like watching foreign language knitting videos. There’s so much to learn from different styles 🥰
Thanks for helping to explain this! As a crochet designer I have often been questioned as to why I charge for my patterns (double eye roll). I also like to remind them of how some of those extreme spammy sites can actually be dangerous to click on. A few have actually stolen entire professionally published books of mine in the past. All on the internet is not as great as it may seem. Again, I so appreciate your helping to educate folks on this issue!
Yikes! That must be so maddening. I try to [gently] steer people to paid patterns as much as possible. I *think* the culture around free patterns is gradually changing from entitlement to appreciation, but we've got a long way to go!
@@Knicoleknitsi hope so. I know that a lot of these sites can be buggy and have no problem selling your information to whomever they can. Like you said, you still pay a price!
I've knit many a free pattern over the years, including two Clapotis. It is a good idea to be cautious, but to be fair, I've run into more issues with patterns in books (Interweave I'm looking at you). Thank goodness for the resources we have available to us now. Once upon a time it was all on you to figure out any errors.
Yes, good point about books. Whenever I get a new one, I always go check for errata before starting anything. 😋
AI patterns could also be just straight up stolen pattern work from combing the Internet for data.
Yup. So true 😑
Exactly!
You can delete the pictures and extraneous info BEFORE hitting print. Hover cursor over image and there should be an X or delete sign. It’s been a while since I’ve done it but it works.
Thank you! I'll try that next time 😊
A free pattern designer who does have some paid for patterns too (all are excellent by the way) is Marly Bird. She's designed for Yarnspirations which someone else did mention, but she also has videos which go along with the patterns to show you exactly what to do. She's just released a knit and crochet mosiac hat pattern which is easy for someone who has never done mosaic knitting or crocheting before. It's incredible how she can make things like that and then post a pattern for free.
Yes! Marly is a teacher as well, so I'm sure her patterns are very instructional 😊
Just a note about purl soho, if you click on the print pattern option on the right side of the screen usually at the top of the page, there's a print page pop-up and if you click on the left of each section you can remove the parts of the webpage that you don't want, like photos and stuff, I've done this with their kitchener stitch definition when I was first learning it and saved it as a pdf. it's really useful!!
Thanks for sharing that tip, I'll definitely try it out! 😊
I was going to suggest that too! I’ve seen that “complaint” by others before. I’ve also found that some of purl soho’s free patterns can take a long to work up, a real time commitment for sure. However the results are so beautiful.
I'm on my second Tin Can Knits Flax sweater. It's a beautiful, easy to knit raglan. Highly recommend it especially to beginners.
I made one this last spring and I loved working it, the app works wonderfully to help you about the size!
The library! I got pretty much every EZ book from the library when I was first starting to knit.
Perfect!
Free patterns and articles on Knitty is how I learned how to knit. Still some of my all time favorite projects.
Aside from some simple baby items, Tin Can Knits and Purl soho are the only free ones I’d use. And quite frankly in actual use it comes down to TinCanKnits. I’ve used so many of their patterns in multiple sizes and never been disappointed. The Strange Brew sweater book is utter genius. Good designers deserve to be paid for all their work.
I almost always change Purl Soho's free patterns. For example - their knot bag? They use a provisional cast on. I used a turkish cast on and didn't have to go back and join that end. Their patterns are ideal for showing off their yarn.
@@jandroid1962😅
I follow Expression Fiber Arts, they have GORGEOUS yarn (unfortunately, I'm in Italy so buying the yarn would be awfully expensive because of shipping and customs) and they have free patterns on the website, both crochet and knitting, and if you are in the newsletter, they put a free pattern each for Crochet and knitting every Friday, and I've made some of them, the patterns are beautifully written and edited. Top marks!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll check those out 😁
Local Libraries may also have pattern books.
This is where I go! ❤
Yes! Great suggestion - thank you 😃
I love my library card. I just had a chat with a gal at my LYS and we both had stories about using patterns in books. Very important to look for errata
If you use Edge as a browser Function key F9 will put the page in reading mode so you can print the pattern without all the extra stuff.
That's so helpful! Thank you for sharing!
I have two paid patterns where the designer couldn't be bothered answering my question. It's a crap shoot with any pattern paid or free.
Sadly, that can happen with paid patterns too. I hope you have better luck in the future 😊
I have purchased a lot of patterns and pattern books that have been difficult to follow.
I knit my first sweater using Tin Can Knits free pattern the Flax Sweater. It turned out great. I've also knit several free patterns from Purl Soho. I'm currently knitting their free Mosaic Blanket pattern. I do have a couple of free patterns that appear to be self-published and look a little sketchy. I haven't tried knitting them however. BTW I love the cowl you're wearing-- lovely.
Thanks, Marjorie! 💖
I love the purl soho patterns. I usually tell people you might be getting what you paid for… nothing.
My sister gets free patterns and then fails to get the beautiful cabled sweater from the yarn she bought in Ireland. She asks for my help… I look at photos first and see no photo shows the buttons buttoned because THEY WONT BUTTON. Sleeves are tight and won’t even pull over the model’s shoulder… She told me she quit knitting sweaters because they never work out. I told her she should let me choose the pattern
I hope she takes you up on your offer! 😋
I read through free patterns after I download them. If I cant figure it out after a couple of readthroughs and a swatch with some decent yarn then I deleate it and look for a clearer to me pattern. Tin can knits has some fantastic free patterns.
Thank you very much for your video! It has been informative! You tackled on so many important points and shared links I have never heard before! I totally agree on all the points about free patterns! Thank you once again for your work!
You are so welcome!
My favourite free patterns : Drops Design, Filcolana (danish yarn brand), This Handmade Life has a bunch of free socks patterns, the baby size Sunny cardigan by Tanis Fiber Arts, the Trescao jumper by Along avec Anna (both in French and English)
Thanks for the great suggestions!!
Thanx, Nicole-I so appreciate your helpful information! Not sure if this counts as a free pattern, but I once bought a cowl kit from Lion Brand that had a terribly written pattern. (And I’m not a beginner.) I even watched the designer’s RUclips and it still didn’t help and I ended up designing my own! Now I can take heed of your insights on the designers when buying kits as well! Seems like they are just a way for yarn companies to sell more yarn and they don’t necessarily take the care to include well written patterns. Of course, it varies across kits and designers. But goes to show your warning to beware of what appears to be a good deal!
I'm so glad that you're a savvy knitter and can adapt your own solutions to problems! 😊
In addition to your pros for free patterns I have one more: If I find a lovely pattern from some new to me designer, I usually look at a free pattern of this designer first in order to assess, whether their way of pattern writing matches my way of understanding them. That's helpful especially with new designers, who have yet to acquire enough helpful projects as a reference. This way I give these new designers a chance and at the same time I minimize the risk of disappointment.
With respect to myself publishing patterns, I made two free ones years ago, but that didn't feel right. So I've changed that: Nowadays, with some project I "unvented" and like, I describe what I did in my particular garment and my size on my project page down to measurements and stitch count. This way people have access to this information and I don't have to grade, tech edit or do other things I would require a good pattern to provide. Being unable to make good pictures consistently, that's my way of maybe at least give a start to someone wanting to make something similar in their size and style.
The knitting community is lucky to have you and your detailed modification info! 😊💖
I accidentally have done this a couple times haha. Specifically letes knits. I drooled over the yarn for one of her patterns with gauge dye works for literally years. Then I started drooling over one of her paid patterns and realized hey wait I did one of her patterns and it was great, I'm gonna buy it
I have had to rewrite a couple of patterns. Both were great in the end and I did keep notes as to how I changed them to make them work. Little Valentine by Sylvie Beez was the first. The written instructions didn't match the charts, but the charts needed 3 put together to do them. I was knitting this during covid and maybe I had covid brain also, but I finally sat down and completely wrote out the written instructions to follow rather than 3 charts across. The 2nd was Cosmos Top by tatiana Martin - it was translated from Russian, I believe and parts were missing, so I wrote it out also. Both are very beautiful after they were finished and luckily after 50+ years of knitting, I had the knowledge to make them work. I saw my LYS offering the Little Valentine pattern with a yarn purchase a while back, so let them know my experience with it and offered to let them connect me to anyone who might buy that kit and need help with it.
One of the worst patterns I ever had was a paid pattern!!! Many free patterns are great.
You've made two videos that have exactly matched where I was knitting-wise.
1) Wallet worthy patterns. (I was experiencing buyer's remorse for a cardigan pattern.)
2) This one! I found several Drops patterns I liked very much. Of course the pudding isn't made yet so I'll have to wait and see.
Like you, I have a background in sewing so I'm susceptible to thinking "How hard can it be?"
I really appreciate your channel. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge!
You're very welcome! Drops has many lovely patterns, but I'm a bit wary of their pattern format. I don't find it the most user-friendly 😋
@@Knicoleknits Totally agree with you. You either love Drops patterns or hate them. I belong to the latter part. Do love their yarns though.
There are some designers who I have used their free patterns (some had free version on blog and paid pdf versions) and now that I've successfully made one of their projects and know that I like them, they're easy to follow etc. I've made an effort to buy at least one of their other patterns. There's one designer in particular, she's a crochet designer and I used her blog for the first cardigan of hers I made and then paid for the second cardigan pattern and now I'm planning a third cardigan from one of her designs and will pay for that one.
I’m desperate to find reliable crochet patterns - please share a name!
@esthermcafee5293 I was thinking of Evelyn and Peter crochet. The ones I've made from her were quite simple in shaping, but she uses such pretty stitch patterns. I also love TL Yarns, so check out her too.
That's a really good way to show your support for designers you admire. 😊
@esthermcafee5293 sorry. I thought I responded. I've made some summer cardigans from Evelyn and Peter crochet. I also recommend TL Yarns for crochet patterns.
Great video! I came across a pattern for a fair-isle sweater that is absolutely gorgeous and it's free. It is the Plumose Yoke Jumper by Laura Barkla and is available on Ravelry. Available in 13 sizes - a well written pattern. My one friend has also made it and it fits her perfectly as well. I have made the Tin Can Knits sweater multiple times. It was a success every time.
That's awesome! It's always good to hear about free patterns that work well.
Never been burned by a free pattern…because I seldom use them! As an artist, I have no problem with paying for others’ hard work.😉 But I recently picked up a free pattern for a brioche beanie that looks like it might bite me. Heh. Rather use an Andrea Mowry pattern anyhow. Worth $7. ☺️
And Tin Can and Purl SoHo? Definitely good!
I agree I'd rather just buy and support the designer if they have good patterns.
In fairness paying for a pattern isn’t a guarantee it’s a good pattern either. My husband bought a pattern for me that was awful and in the end the project couldn’t be completed.
I’m currently using a free hobbi pattern to make a triangle shawl for the first time (I don’t know what it’s really called) and it’s been a lot of fun and really easy to fallow
Excellent! I'm fairly new to Hobbi, so haven't checked out any of their patterns yet 😊
@@Knicoleknits the one I used is pretty good and it’s useful it links you to the yarn
I have followed your tube videos to learn to knit socks, gloves and a sweater. I have bought a few patterns from recommended designers , (preferably patterns accompanied by RUclips tutorials). The patterns I have bought for socks and for a sweater can be used more than once , so not really expensive.
Wonderful! 😀
Thanks for this very valuable information. Yes, I have used free patterns with good results and if I may say I bought a Rowan cardigan pattern with the recommended yarn (in the same breath, nothing wrong with Rowan who have some great patterns) which I think is not accurate. So, as a result this has been put on the back burner to challenge me later.
I'm commenting here the first time. You are my favourite english speaking creator 💐. Since three days i' m crocheting a pullover for my dog. The free pattern is from a wellknown worldwide delivering company. I'm also a beginner. Found two mistakes, thank God there are many RUclips Videos for education. Chanced two things by myself and now its nearly done. I will upload photos. Should i really write about the two mistakes ? Other people crocheted the pullovers also and it seems to work. But i'm not sure if i'm really correct or too dumb 😅. I frogged many times and had to find a solution.
Sending blessings and much fun from Germany ❤🧶
Hello back from Canada! Yes, please consider noting the errors you found. It could help someone else who choses to make that pattern 😊
@@Knicoleknits oh thank you for the advice. I was pretty unsure. Have a nice day 💐🍀.
I have had good luck with simple free patterns eg a vanilla sovk pattern. I have 4 free patterns on ravelry? Did I do a bad thing? I do get friends from my knitting group test knit and proof read them. Of course thry have not been tech edited. I just like the challenge of writing a pattern for the fun of it. 2 more ideas for a hat and mittens that haven't been developed yet.
Sharing your free patterns on Ravelry is not a bad thing at all! Sounds to me like you are very concerned that they are correct and useable and if you're doing it for the fun and challenge, go for it! 💖😀
Literally RIGHT NOW struggling to finish a free pattern. I've had to start over multiple times already. TTvTT Does anyone know if there's a video tutorial for the Hummingbird Bag??
I have used Florence's free sweater and cardigan patterns as a beginner knitter. They are so well written and I highly recommend them. I have since pirchased some of her paid patterns as I trust her as a designer and pattern knitter. Just wish she had more patterns available!
Good to know!
Yarn companies like Novita have a lot of free patterns, but the style is more for intermediate and forward, not beginner. They have had Sari Nordlund and other professionals who have made the patterns.
I'm not familiar with that one - I'll check it out! 😄
I want to add Filcolana and Schachenmayr.
Yep, a lot of yarn companies give free, professional patterns as a way to promote their yarn. I might be wrong, but I am under the impression that yarn companies that sell cheaper yarns (mostly cotton, acrylic and wool/acrylic blends) focus more on beginner projects, whereas the ones that are more premium have more complex patterns. It makes sense to me, when you are beginning a new hobby, you probably aren't investing right away into fancy materials (unless you are really wealthy).
Thank you! I've knit Clapotis several times and am glad I wm ent deep following all the discussions when I first started. I kept all my research, through cut/paste into a Word document. Ten years later, I came back to it having coʻme to the same point where I needed clarification again. This time, I appended with my results so I didnt have to back-track again. Also, some of the original discussion pages don't exist anymore.
It sounds like you’ve built a really helpful resource for yourself!
I just grabbed that Knitty Gemini pattern!
I love to try a free pattern to see if l like the layout and instructional style from a designer. I do usually make a point of buying a pattern afterwardd.
I knit the Cloudburst mittens and the Trescao sweater from Along avec Anna….two knitting’s I really love ! I seldom buy patterns but I buy books ( Champêtre from MC Levesque , 52 weeks of socks and the book of Charlotte Stone….I knit a lot of socks from theses books!)
Thank you for the great ideas!
I mainly draft my own basic patterns because I'm a bit of an odd size and find that a lot of graded patterns don't have my size or don't fit properly, so I tend to look at youtube tutorials on construction and work from there with my own measurements.
For more complex work with a lot of lace and cables I prefer vintage patterns over modern ones because I prefer vintage clothing and accessories. Additionally vintage clothing patterns tend to be written in a way that makes customising the size and fit easier. And the people putting them online tend to be doing so out of a passion for vintage knitting and put a lot of care into them as a result.
That's so interesting! I haven't worked a lot with vintage patterns, but they fascinate me. Sounds like a great video topic! 😉
Informative as always! I agree totally I have learned the hard way a few times. I do love Tin Can Knits and Purl Soho.
A lot of the free patterns I use are vintage/ historical. Free vintage knitting/ crochet both have patterns from the 40’s- 70’s and i also do some patterns from early 1900’s magazines saved on Archive
I bet you find some great ones in those old magazines!
Rarely been burned by free patterns, actually, but I am drawn to ones by designers I know and trust. However, I HAVE been burned many times by paid patterns, and that hurts far more. To be fair, I'm self-taught in knit and crochet and will try just about anything that isn't a texture "ick" (keep bobbles far away please) and am brave/curious enough to adapt if a pattern doesn't fully deliver or has errors. Others may not be able or want to create that way, and I appreciate you made the point that often the cost isn't monetary - for the pattern at least.
I agree - there's always a gamble, but a lot of free patterns out there are truly excellent!
Unfortunately I haven't found that paying for patterns avoids the problem of them costing my sanity. I once paid $7 for a pattern that included two different tensions to work to (when I called the designer on it she said it was a different way of measuring, but she wouldn't say which of the two to use if I stuck pins in the pattern, measured between them and counted the stitches). That was far from the only problem, but that alone is a huge red flag. Or the cute kitty cat hat that gave a really basic hat pattern, then "sew ears on and embroider face" with absolutely no guidelines for where to put the ears or how to sew the face.
You're absolutely right. Paying for patterns is no guarantee of perfection, but as a rule you're more likely to get a better quality pattern. I have been burned by paid patterns too. Sometimes you just don't know until you own it. 😋
The cons of free patterns sound like every vintage pattern ever. (I am an old fart and that was why I took to designing my own patterns back in the day.)
I started work on writing a pattern (as opposed to having some arcane scribbles that only I can follow), it's a fairly simple one but I want to give users some additional flexibility, which is definitely adding to the complexity of writing it. (I've had to put it aside for a whole lot of reasons but I do hope to get back to it at some stage - and then publish it as a free pattern.) So I can vouch that when you say there is a lot of work involved, that is 💯% true!
Right? That's why I'm grateful to be privileged enough to pay for patterns without hardship. For those who can't, it's so lovely to know there are folks like you who are willing and able to do all that hard work and share it with others 😊💖
I’ve paid for a couple of patterns and bought pattern books that were terrible. I don’t think money necessarily is the deciding factor. I do exactly what you say and see if people have made the pattern on ravelry and if the pattern is there but no one has made it then I avoid.
Paying for a pattern is no guarantee it is good either! I once bought the exact yarn specified in a Vogue Knitting sweater pattern, did a test gauge, followed the instructions precisely, and partway through I could see there is just no way the instructions given could produce what was pictured. I counted the stitched in the middle row in the picture -- it's a side to side knit, so the rows run up and down and were clear in the middle of the photograph -- and there were significantly more in the picture than in the instructions.
Ooof...that sounds brutal. Patterns in magazines can have their issues. That might need to be a whole new topic on its own 😋
This video comes very handy. I have recently re-started knitting after a stop of more than 30 years and I have so far knitted two free pattern sweaters, both of which right now are not able to be worn. I was just wondering what did I do wrong as I had followed the instructions word by word? And now I realise, that the patterns were not, 100% accurate. I just thought I was verydumb.😢
Ah, the classic case of "the pattern lied." Don’t let it unravel your confidence. We all go through a learning curve with faulty patterns. With practice, you'll be able to recognize when the mistakes are yours and when they're not 😊
I knitted 2 Clapotis in a bamboo yarn. I kept one and gifted the other. Love the way it looks the bamboo drapes lovely but weighs a ton.
I recommend yarn company sites. My very first knit of any kind was the Lumi Sweater from Novita. It was a very complicated design as it turned out but I was so new I had no clue. Nevertheless, it turned out just fine. I have made things from Lion Brand and Berroco as well with success.
Thanks for sharing your experience - yarn company websites can be a great resource for patterns!
A lot of yarn manufacturers offer free patterns, the ones from Scandinavia usually also provide them in English. Danish Filcolana and finnish Novita come to my mind immidiately, I have knit a lot of their patterns.
another way to get knitting patterns for free is through your local library. this might not be the case for everybody, but my local library has a very good selection of knitting pattern books that are very current (charlotte stone, summer lee, laerke bagger etc) and if you request a book that they don't have, they will often purchase it.
Excellent advice!! 💖
Kate Atherley: Oh my goodness, I just went and checked out her designs on Ravelry and so much beauty !
I'm so glad you discovered her many talents 😊
I considered trying to get a pattern published in Knitty, but decided their requirements were too rigorous. Designing is never going to be my day job.
It's A LOT of work. I don't blame you for keeping in your hobby track 😊
I bought the free pattern add free. Classic Knitted Tank Top
by Wannipa Yunker. I liked that I could see if I wanted it, was it at my level. There was also a video tutorial. It was worth it not having all the adds. Love your content.
You’re absolutely right - sometimes a paid pattern is worth it, especially if it comes with video instruction! 😊
Thank you for the video. Very helpful. I have knit some free Purl Soho and Knitty patterns over the years. I agree that knitted patterns would be very complicated to write. I would love to see a video on test knitting. I have done it a few times and enjoyed it, but I figure there is a secret network somewhere that allows people to knit for established designers.
I will add Test Knitting to my video list! 😊
Hi Nicole. Thanks for this very informative thread. I’ve made a couple of the Tin Can Knits patterns (paid and free) so I can vouch for them for sure. I have a tried and trusted sock pattern (paid for from the Crazy Sock Lady) which has a great hand holding RUclips tutorial which doesn’t cost the earth but is very straightforward. Thanks for all of your useful tips and suggestions. 🙋🏼🏴
Thanks for watching! 😃
Oh my i've tried to use a free plush pattern and omg it was so hard to figure out how to asseble 😅
I have had success with Drops designs, though it does help to be a somewhat experienced knitter. I have also found that some paid for patterns are lacking in detail. It breaks my flow to have to contact the designer and ask for additional info… when I have paid for it especially.
I hear you. It's super frustrating to find errors in a pattern - especially when you're on a roll. However, mistakes happen to the best of us and I know (good) designers appreciate the feedback and opportunity to make corrections 😊
I struggled with rhe free 'swirl hat:. Multiple posters and verbiage. There is no gage given and different cast on numbers. But I was determined. I love the look but is definitely too big. Yarn was stash yarn I was trying use up.
Something I’ve found that works for the free patterns that are posted on blogs with tons of links or ads is to save the webpage as a PDF from my phone and then save it to my files.
That is a great tip!
I downloaded a hat pattern from Ravelry that was based on my favorite band. The cast on and ribbing were fine, but the stich count in the colorwork section did not match the cast-on stitches and there was no note of increases anywhere in the pattern. And yes, I did buy some nice yarn specifically for the project. I quit before I completely trashed my nice yarn and now I'll have to find something else. Maybe I'll make my own pattern.
That is so frustrating. I encourage you to try making your own version! 😊
Excellent, and thought-provoking. Thanks, Knicole!
I look at free patterns mostly for ideas. I adjust the pattern and turn it into something totally different. I mostly use it for stitch count ie sizing based on the yarn I have available. I am a broke aged pensioner. I have a few books to help me as well, really old ones. Probably worth a fortune as in collectors items lol. Most free patterns don’t work for us in Australia as we have yarn based on ply eg 8 ply or 12 ply. I have no idea what worsted yarn is.
I've seen different equivalency charts for Australian to North American weights. It seems that 8 ply is closest to our DK or light worsted. Your 10 ply would be closer to a true worsted or aran weight. I'm intrigued now and want to do more research 🤔😃
I knit Calorimetry and was very satisfied with the outcome although I haven’t had a chance to wear it yet. I’ve also knit a cowl and 2 hats from purl soho and at least 4 projects from Drops. The ones I’ve worn the most are the Drops projects. Free patterns are always challenging but I must admit that I always deviate from patterns, either because I have my own ideas and I’m using the pattern as a guide or because I’m not using the recommended yarn so adjustments are necessary. Or both 😊.
It sounds like you have a great knack for adapting patterns to your own vision! 💖
@@Knicoleknits there’s also a lot of frogging involved 😜
Not a knitter, but a crocheter. The only pattern I really had problems with was from a CAL and the problem was, that someone didn't translate the instructions correctly to my mother tongue from English. It took me over 2 months until I found out why it didn't work out thanks to Reddit. The pattern was free and from a crocheting/knitting brand.
That must have been a challenge! I hadn't even considered how translation would mess with instructions, so thanks for sharing your story 😊
I use both plenty free and paid patterns, it's mostly a which ever one I like. I'd say honestly both have as many flops as there is good ones. I've had some paid ones that were an absolute pain to read and had definitely errors in them. But I've also had amazingly well written ones. Same goes for free. It's always best to check comments and projects before, no matter paid or free.
Good advice! 😊
I love the way you present ideas and explain them. Except you’re giving me too many ideas for projects. I vowed I’d only do one project at a time. 😂
Could you do something on a good way of keeping track of stitches and rows? I have the Andrea Mowry Find your Fade pattern that I’ve restarted so many times because I lose track of where I am.
Again thank you!
My preferred method is simply to use graph paper to tick off each row. Stitches are easy; use simple 'light bulb' stitch markers to keep track, always using a unique colour for the row starting marker, if knitting in the round. Personally, I always use green - for go! With rows, read the pattern thoroughly then create a simple grid on graph paper. For example, if the repeat is 24 rows, create a grid of 24 rows. If the end of each repeat isn't obvious in the knitted design, add a 3" length of contrast yarn as you begin the next repeat. Just plonk it between the stitches so you can pull it out when the garment is finished. My other personal tip is to always complete a row before leaving your work for a while. I find picking up work in the middle of a row scrambles my brain! I hope this helps a little.
I sure do! Here's a link to my video on running markers: ruclips.net/video/t2291WWchcc/видео.html 😊
@@jayeclements6452 thank you!
@@Knicoleknits omg I watched that and used it for a recent swatch and totally forgot there were other uses
All of Elaine Fitzpatricks - Down Cloverlaine - patterns are free. They include lots of baby bibs and wash cloths, a hat and a super cute pair of mitts and socks. They are well written, easy to follow and many, if not all, include both written instructions and charts. They make great baby gifts!
Excellent recommendation! I'll check her out 😊
A few years ago I bought a kit with yarn and pattern. Had to rip back when done because of a bad mistake in directions.
Not my error, the pattern I paid for. 😢And yes it was a Berroco pattern
Sorry to hear about that - so frustrating! Paid patterns are no guarantee of perfection, but as a rule they tend to be better than free patterns. Hope you have better luck in the future!
@@Knicoleknits yes, I found the problem, ripped it all out, rewound the yarn, but haven’t used it for anything as yet.
I have used Drop’s alot!
Jep, I knitted an easy bonnet for my daughter. A friend told me she would like to knit the same design. I said, I had written it down and could give it to her. Turns out I once started and never finished. It also is extremely complicated when I write it down, I get confused and I doubt somebody can copy it. I have lots of experience and do things you would not recommend or describe in a pattern. But my easy, beginner's bonnet is not easy after all...
Excellent example! It really makes you appreciate a well-written pattern, doesn't it? 😊
This is great information! Thank you!!
Very interesting topic. Thank you for the information and links. ❤🙂
I have bought 2 knit kits that the pattern wasn't available any other way, and found there were errors in both and contacted customer service regarding the error for clarification and one never got back to me at all. The other told me there was no error since they did an office knit along and didn't find any issues. Luckily, I am an experienced enough knitter to figure out a fix for both. SMH... sometimes paid patterns aren't worth it either.
It's true - there are no guarantees either way. I'm hoping some of the tips help with knowing what to watch out for 😊
I sometimes ask ChatGPT to help me as I’m knitting since I convert the gauge for a lot of patterns - in most cases I’ve to ask it to double and triple check its basic arithmetic, e.g. I’ll ask it to tell me the sections for placing stitch markers when knitting a raglan but it’ll give me a higher number of stitches than what I have. Other times it’s ok, but I can’t rely on it.
Yep. it's a long way from being reliable, for sure. 😋
Great advice as always. The free patterns I have knit have all turned out great (sweater and a couple of throw rugs). I do use the “copy paste” technique to reduce the number of pages for printing. Yes, I still need/prefer to have the printed pattern. I have been burnt by Chat GPT. I asked for a cable design I could incorporate in a simple cardigan sleeve …. Absolute disaster! Ended up modifying an existing one I had previously paid for. 😂
It’s good to know the copy-paste technique works for you! That ChatGPT is a sketchy critter 😋
Wow! Lots of great information .Thanks
You’re very welcome! 😊
Great advice! Many thanks for this ❤
Crocheter here, using what advice I can for my own free pattern hunting, thanks for the tips!
Aside, I would never ask AI for this sort of thing given the absolute waste of energy those generative programs are. The amount of pollution and emissions they take to produce each result let alone train and store their reference data is enough to turn me off of them for good. I'd like the planet to be cool enough to enjoy the things I make as long as possible!
(Or if you don't believe that sort of thing, I'd rather we use our finite fossil fuel energy for something other than stealing the show from human creators.)
Thanks for your comment! You bring up some important points - and I agree AI is incredibly resource intensive. I’m afraid the toothpaste is already out of the tube, but we can all be conscious of our use. 😊
I was successful in having a free pattern removed from Hobbii. It was a top-down, side button child's sweater that they sourced from Go Handmade. By round 4 I was beyond frustrated. I went to Go Handmade's site and requested help. In their defense, they tried. 1) The pattern was originally written in Danish. The translator(s) had obviously based on what I was dealing with had a difficult time with the translation. Go Handmade's customer support is staffed with folks who were ESL and admitted that only had one rep who kind of sort of read/spoke English to attempt to help me. 2) The original pattern designer had died about 18 months after the pattern was published. In the end they could not help me make heads or tails of the pattern. Now...thankfully I had previously knit a different but similar top-down yoke on a pattern I sourced from Plymouth Yarn so I used that as a guide. I took notes the whole way through and have since knit the Go Handmade sweater twice. However, I also contacted Hobbii and explained my experience. They removed the pattern from their site.
That’s so frustrating to run into, but I’m glad you got a resolution with Hobbii!
Excellent video, thank you! Love your videos!!
You're very welcome! 😄
hi i always enjoy watching you i am always learning something new
You're very welcome! I'm always happy to help 😊
When I started knitting again a few years ago I didn't know about Ravelry. Doing a search for knitting patterns then, you got a whole lot of free ones. Then I found Ravelry and paid for patterns. They are inexpensive enough to purchase and try. The only problem I have now is I don't have a color printer anymore🤔, so when I print a chart it doesn't always come out well, and I have to breakout my colored pencils. I have more than a few patterns I just HAD to get, and haven't tried yet.
I completely forgot about the whole color printer issue. I can see that creating work in this digital world. 😋
Hi, I loved this program, too!
I can use the colour photocopier at my library for 20 cents a page. I can even send digital files remotely to the same photocopier/ printer as long as I pick them up within 24 hours. Love my library - I used to purchase all their art and craft books as librarian.
The interlibrary loan system allows me to borrow from other libraries free of charge.❤
Great idea! We got rid of our color printer because it was costing an arm & leg to use. The ink ran out to fast and was too expensive.
I've tried some free or cheap ($1-$3) patterns and it is hit and miss. One I only paid a dollar for, but bought some Crazy Zauberball to make it and the thing was riddled with mistakes. Stitch counts were totally off, glaring errors all over the place. I gave up and now have a crazy Zauberball so I'll have to find something to use it.
Other designers that have free patterns - Stephen West has about 20. His Boneyard Shawl is very popular, super easy and I've made it. It's lovely. (Who doesn't love Stephen West?) Espace Tricot out of Montreal has some nice free patterns as well. They used to have almost all of them for free when Melissa and Lisa owned the store, but the new owners have switched a lot of them to paid patterns. Melissa now owns Sonder Yarn Co. and has a dozen or so patterns for free on Ravelry.
I dont love stephen west . I dont like his messy /busy designs either. I do like that he is so creative though.
Thank you for these great suggestions! 😊
@@satsumamoon - I agree that some are wild and over the top. Those aren't for me. He does have some more subdued patterns and some interesting construction techniques. I've knit a few and they are well written. He also has a lot of tutotial videos on RUclips.
Knit purl girl is an amazing designer who has free patterns!!! I think she release one free pattern a year.
Thanks! I'll check her out 😊
I love KPG's designs and have knitted several BUT the patterns are soooo long! Very wordy pattern writing style and, as I print out my digital patterns so I can make notes on them, I can get annoyed about the amount of printer paper required - 30+ pages is not uncommon.
Ai didn’t recreate pattern. It stole it from other designers which is what Ai does. It scraps the net for its databases. But there are lots of lovely free patterns by real people.