making your own patterns

does anyone else here make their own crochet patterns?
do you have a method to your work or just make it up as you go along?

no one else does their own? poop, too bad!
all the crochet items that i sell are my own patterns

I've started writing patterns but either don't follow through in the tweaking them and rewriting them or don't get a brainstorm in how to finish them. It's hard to find the time and to be able to concentrate with no distractions. I have so many ideas in my head but no time to write them down. Ah....someday....maybe....

I have never designed something intricate, at least not yet. The most I have done is modified patterns for my own personal use or done simple scarf or little pocketbook patterns for some of my charity projects.

I guess if I really sat down and concentrated, I could design. But right now I have some family problems that have to be taken care of so I just crochet from patterns.

I am glad there are designers in this world, otherwise I'd be in big trouble. LOL.

LI Roe

I've only made a few things from patterns by other people. For the most part I wing it. I have tried making a few things specifically to make a pattern and it just sucked all the fun out of it.

I like to make amigurumi style things and to shape them I'll increase or decrease at random to ensure things are smooth. It's a pain to keep track of each of those little adjustments or to figure out how not to need them in the first place.

But, it is neat to add new patterns to my site and see where others have enjoyed using my pattern. I guess the key for me is discipline, meticulous notes and a big eraser.

I use a small tape recorder much faster then writing it down ! Then I can just keep talking and don't lose my train of thought ! I also do this if I am altering an exsiting pattern !

I am currently making an afghan on my own. I bought a pattern back in 2003. It was in my mind absolutely beautiful. I was busy with a new born. Then got pregnant when he was 10months old and was busy with a very fussy little girl which was #3. I tried a few times to pick up the pattern and do it. (i taught myself to crochet). THen when #3 was 14months old I found myself pregnant again which was a shock.(2nd and 3rd children were with help due to thyroid issues). So a blessing came and of course crochet put on hold again.

Well I have picked it up and undone it several times and have come to realize that I just dont have time to figure out what in the world I am doing wrong and have thought that the pattern isn't correct because I am doing everything right. Sooo finally i stopped trying that pattern in the book. I consulted with my sister who taught herself as well and she does no patterns at all. She does it all freehand.(her own way) so after talking with her and hearing my dh mention that the afghan we have on the couch is very cold bcause of all the wholes in it(meaning its done in treble although pretty it isn't very warm) I decided that I would be doing a pattern of all 1/2 double crochet. I am on about the 6th row and am doing it much faster than anything I have ever done. I have never done my own pattern before so this is just a wait and see. I even screwed up with the hdc and accidentally added 1ch and you couldn't even tell. that was in the 3rd row. No one is going to see it and I wasn't going to rip it all out. That was my problem with the other pattern, by the time I got to a high row I was dealing with having to rip it out. No more of that nonsense.

It is a beatuiful color green and goes well with our house. So I can't wait to have a warm afghan on my couch soon. Oh and bigger too.

I am going to create a post requesting a pattern for a circular afghan as well. I am trying to do a prayer afghan and a round one is what I wish to make but all the ones out there are all pointy and I want one with soft points. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear it.

I make up my own patterns sometimes and usually make it up as I go along. Sometimes I forget to write it down and then can't duplicate it exactly but I am trying to do better about that I just finished a simple purse and have started on a muff of my own pattern.

Wow, I love all the ideas on how to write patterns. I usually write mine while I'm making my project, otherwise I forget something.