On My Pattern Style (Ancient Crocheter Keeping It Simple-ish)
Or: Why My Brain Needs Yarn to Do Some of the Work
I’ve talked before about why my patterns include charts. That part is non-negotiable. Charts are visual, precise, and they don’t pretend crochet is written in “plain English” when it’s actually a niche dialect spoken fluently by about twelve people and one very tired designer.
But charts alone don’t define how I design.
The way I design patterns is almost entirely dictated by how my brain behaves when it is F@&King EXHAUSTED.
Long-Form Gradients: Because I Get Bored Easily
I love long, slow color changes. Not the abrupt “new skein, new personality” moment, but the kind where the yarn quietly shifts while you’re not looking. One row you’re fine. A few rows later, something feels different. You look down and realize the color has evolved just enough to reset your interest.
But without weaving in ends.
And no emotional interruption.
Definately not, “ugh, time to stop and deal with yarn management.”
Just… change. Naturally. Casually. Like a mood.
By the time my brain starts thinking okay but what if we did something else, the yarn already has.
That’s not an accident. That’s design. YarnArt Rosegarden or Flowers is great for this. But also couple of my fave hand dyers are WolleAmore and BrediculousYarns.
I Cannot Do the Same Stitch Forever (And I Won’t Pretend To)
I cannot crochet the same stitch for fifty rows. I simply can’t. My hands can do it, but my brain files a formal complaint with HR somewhere around row three.
So my patterns tend to live in the 4-row repeat sweet spot. Sometimes five. Occasionally six, if I’m feeling emotionally stable that week.
Each row changes just enough to keep me engaged:
different texture
different rhythm
different focus
But eventually (miraculously) it resolves into a cohesive.
Variety without being overwhelmed.
Simple, Not Boring (There Is a Difference)
I would love to design ultra-complex stitch patterns that require full cognitive commitment and a brain that isn’t already running ten background processes.
Unfortunately, I currently have a full-time job where I spend most of my day punching well above my IQ and using every spare neuron to remain employed and polite...(the polite part is becoming INCREASINGLY difficult to pull off…)
That means when I crochet, I need:
low mental load
predictable structure
room to breathe
So my patterns stay simple—but not uninteresting.
They don’t demand constant attention.
They don’t punish you for zoning out.
They don’t require you to re-learn the pattern every row.
But they do reward you with texture, depth, and a finished piece that looks far more complicated than it felt to make.
Who These Patterns Are For
Honestly? Two groups:
Advanced Beginners
People who mastered the basics but want to learn how patterns flow, how charts work, and how stitches interact—without being buried under complexity or jargon.
Overstimulated Advanced Crocheters
People who absolutely can do harder things, but are tired. People who want to make something beautiful without thinking too hard. People whose brains are already full.
Well maybe it is all three groups - I’m sure the Intermediate Tired Crafters would love them too!
If you’re someone who:
likes visual instructions
gets bored easily
hates weaving in ends
wants variety without chaos
needs crochet to be calming, not demanding
…you’re in the right place.
This is not high-drama crochet.
This is crochet that understands you are a person with limits and nerves that are moments away from causing an international incident.
I can’t be the only one who yearns for a pattern like that ;).