It’s time for another edition of Dear ELK Studio. You asked the questions and our team of contributors have your answers. Be sure to leave your question at the bottom of the page in the area provided. If you’ve asked a question and don’t see it today, hang on because there is always next week. Enjoy today’s article!

Dear ELK Studio,

I am a beginner and wonder where I can find great crochet patterns?

Dear Beginner,
There are many fantastic sites you can visit online for crochet patterns. If I had to choose one I would recommend Ravelry. Ravelry has a variety of fabulous crochet patterns by many different designers. You can spend hours there browsing!  You do have to register for an account but no worries because it’s free. . For some other crochet pattern resources you can take a look at this blog post by Oombawaka Design and for free patterns here’s another link also by Oombawaka Design.

 

Dear ELK Studio,
If you were making a hat, would you use the sc, hdc or dc?

Dear Confused Hatter,
That’s a great question and the answer is yes, yes, and yes! The choice of stitch depends on many things, but for me it is largely about the desired finished look. Let us look at them:

A single crochet hat will have a denser texture and depending upon the yarn you use will sometimes look knit. It will take longer too, but will probably be warmer and a bit more structured.

Double crochet will work up very fast as you can cover much ground in fewer stitches. It will give a softer fabric, with less structure. It lends itself well as a base to many decorative stitches and textures, such as front and back post double crochets, X stitches, puffy stitches, etc.

My favorite is the half double crochet. I just like the way it looks and it is so quick to stitch. It creates a semi dense fabric and lends itself as a base for many decorative stitches. Just about the only negative to this stitch is that it will lean right so when working in the round your seam will generally go on a diagonal, but of course there are ways around this.

 

Dear ELK Studio,
What social media sites do you think are important as a crochet designer?

Dear Social,
There are so many social media sites available for the upcoming designer.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google + are a few and maybe the most popular but some other great sites are Sulia, Tribber, Scoop it, and Stumble Upon.

My advice for you is which ever sites you choose just set a consistent schedule.  Building a following is tough work and consistency is crucial.  Another point to consider is that how you interact on Facebook isn’t necessarily how you interact on Pinterest or even Twitter.  Each site can attract totally different crowds.

 

Dear ELK Studio,
How do I start writing my own patterns?

Dear Future Designer,
I wanted to give you a great answer, so I asked Kim Guzman and Tamara (Moogly) how they started.

Kim said that she is self-taught and learned by reading and studying other patterns.  Once she submitted a pattern, she would study the changes made by a technical editor.  She gave this link by Crochet Insider as maybe a place to start.

Tamara is also self-taught.  She just started writing and then looked at other patterns from magazines and books to study the syntax and such.  She also recommended getting feedback from other designers and crocheters.  Her last piece of advice is, “It’s a learning process that you just sort of dive into.”

Do you have a crochet or business related question?  Leave a comment in the space provided below!

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I hope you have a great day! Be blessed.

Kathy