everything always has to be high quality but free

I sometimes find it a little sad when you come here to the Crazypatterns forum and read that people want this and that
and of high quality, of course—but definitely free.

I'm going to do that soon too
go to the butcher and say I'd like the best beef tenderloin, at least half a kilo.
but I'm not paying anything.
Want to bet the butcher shop assistant will laugh at me?


Quality from a professional simply has its price, no matter what the topic is.

there are so many free patterns online for knitting patterns, crochet patterns,
also for sewing and all other kinds of crafts
here on Crazypatterns there are also lots of free patterns
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/kostenlos



well, whatever. Getting annoyed about it won’t make it any better either.

But it’s nice to read that there are customers like you who appreciate our work—thank you :-)

Sad—yes! In fact, you also notice that free patterns (based on my observations) get fewer reviews than paid ones. Are customers who pay perhaps also more responsible and “more considerate”? Why do some people come along, take something, and think, “That’s just the way it is” and “They owe it to me”? Gratitude is completely lacking. I think something went wrong in their upbringing. If you’re going to get a free pattern, you might as well leave a positive comment afterward. But it’s not just here—I also run into people in life who never say “thank you” and often think others owe them something.

Best regards, Karo.
P.S. Now I’ve gotten a little grumpy *laughs*. Thanks for the free patterns :-))

I also find the whole review thing sad.
My free loop scarf pattern has been downloaded 557 times and hasn’t received a single review.
But that example with the butcher really made me laugh! *laughs*
Best regards,
Karin

@kreativhäkelshop

I know that too: downloaded well over 100  times
not a single thank-you (on my website); it was the same with the other two free patterns, not even the little “I like it” box was clicked  . . .

at some point I decided: If people don’t even want to make that little effort, I won’t provide any more free patterns, which is a shame . . .

Oops: Correction: it happened well over 1,000 times in less than a year :-)

Everyone likes to grab something for free when there’s something nice available.
I can totally understand that, but you don’t have a right to it, and you can’t demand it for free either.

I’d really think it was a shame if there were no more free patterns.

The fact that the free patterns don’t get reviews might be because some people are a bit “scatterbrained” and probably just forget to do it. With a paid pattern, people might take a little more time to rate it—after all, they paid for it.

I don’t think you should let that discourage you. Not everyone is like that, after all.
 

Hi,

I’m somewhat familiar with the issue of free patterns too, mainly on my blog in the embroidery section. But user behavior has changed over the last 10 years. Back then (2003), when I first found my way online, it wasn’t quite like that. Even back then, I was designing primarily for a relevant forum where I was also a moderator. Today I run my own forum, where I still get a “thank you” now and then… but on my blog, things remain quiet.

When it comes to crocheting, I’m in uncharted territory. I don’t have a large collection of patterns here yet. A free pattern isn’t exactly a hit. I wasn’t expecting a “thank you” here either. The reason for this pattern was more practical in nature—I’d hoped to get feedback on whether it’s easy to follow, what works well, and what I should still pay attention to, and what could be improved. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It’s a shame, really; we’ve seen from the photos just how valuable that kind of feedback is.

*waves* Nici

Getting upset is understandable, but unfortunately it doesn’t accomplish much.

@nksdesign : That feedback thing was also one of the underlying reasons behind my free pattern. Bottom line: Almost 400 downloads in three weeks and a single review. Four stars with no comment, so I don’t even know what cost me that one star. Too bad—unfortunately, you can’t improve that way.

And as for things being free as such: Yeah, those are always the moments on Facebook when I start making snarky comments. If someone says, “That’s pretty expensive,” okay, I can accept that. I wouldn’t buy the best beef at the butcher’s either because it’s too expensive for me (to stick with that example). But wanting it for free strikes me as pretty brazen. They should just look at the picture and design it themselves. But then again, they can’t even do THAT. And the ones shouting the loudest for free patterns are, in my opinion, the ones who need an instruction for every single stitch, since working freely is completely foreign to them.

Well, now I’ve had my little rant too :D

I think this stems from that mindset—promoted everywhere—that has spread like wildfire in recent years: “Being cheap is cool” . “Sale,” “even cheaper.” And unfortunately, way too many people are jumping on that bandwagon. If everything is cheap everywhere—or even free—there won’t be enough purchasing power left in the end to sustain it, because even those who want everything cheaper will eventually have to sell themselves short, and then they’ll have nothing left in their wallets. But most people don’t think about that.

And one more thing: If you can afford the materials, then you should also be able to pay those few euros for a pattern. In most cases, that’s not even as much as a ball of good-quality yarn! Or take sewing patterns: for the price of a pattern—say, for a bag—you can’t even buy a third of the materials needed for the project.

Plus, a pattern has lasting value.
 

I created a feedback thread
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/1335/feedback-thread-fuer-kostenlose-anleitungen
I hope plenty of feedback comes together there.
I’d really like that.
I think it would be good if the sellers then also ask follow-up questions if needed and such, so a nice dialogue develops

@MOsMaschen
isn’t that exactly the point of a pattern, that you get instructions that you simply need as a beginner or less experienced crafter? If you can work freely, you don’t need a pattern at all, neither a free one nor a paid one.
When I started crocheting, I was just standing there and couldn’t see the forest for the trees
by now, because I’ve spent time on the subject, I have a bit more of an overview and can also make things “freely”
without needing help for every tiny step
but I also put a lot of time and effort into learning it and working it out for myself.
it doesn’t just fall into your lap.
that’s something a lot of people simply forget

@orimono
If the quality of a pattern is right and fits, then in my opinion you absolutely don’t have to go along with this “cheap is cool” trend.
At least that’s what I think. That wasn’t meant to say that patterns that are discounted are all not such good quality. But I think there will always be buyers for well-made patterns.
I mean, for example, I would find 20 euros too much for an amigurumi pattern. I wouldn’t buy it, even if the pattern is of really high quality. I’d rather look for a cheaper alternative then.
depending on how many extras the pattern includes, I’m also willing to spend more on it.
but I wouldn’t pay 6 euros, for example, for a very ordinary potholder pattern with no color changes, or single-colored and without extras, crocheted only with single crochet stitches. If, however, it included a crochet tutorial, especially for beginners, with all stitches and techniques explained clearly, tips, tricks, etc., then it would definitely be a different story.
to put it generally
the more added value you get from a pattern, the less price haggling there will be

I do know that this requires more work from the sellers
but on the other hand: as a seller you have lots of practice and a lot of experience
so it should actually be easy to score points with extra information without having to make a huge effort.
and the way I understood it
as a seller you do this work once, and then you sell the pattern 10, 20, 50, or 200 times.
I think that can definitely pay off.

I mean, people with a lot of crafting experience may sometimes forget what it’s like when you approach a subject as a beginner
that as a beginner you really are grateful for every tip
even for tips that may seem like tiny, trivial stuff to experienced crafters.
I’d just think it would be nice if the sellers could, if needed, remember what it was like when they first started crafting and weren’t so good at it yet. then maybe you can understand some of the buyers’ wishes better.


on the topic of
“if you can afford the material, then a few euros for a pattern should be possible too”
I think many people see it exactly the other way around
more like: “now I’ve paid so much for the material, so at least the pattern has to be free”
many people still simply don’t realize that handmade items are not necessarily cheaper than store-bought ones.
It’s not just about money for material and pattern.
It’s also about the time you have to put into it.
The specialist knowledge, the skills that you have to work to acquire.
Scarves (from a special offer) are cheaper than handmade ones.
and it’s easier too, because you don’t have to work away at it yourself.

but when you make the scarf by hand, then you know what you’ve made when it’s finished
that gives it a completely different feeling when you wear it
kind of like
this is mine, I made it :)
it just feels better right away than store-bought/on sale from a shop
well okay, of course you won’t score points with handmade things among brand fanatics, that’s obvious
but they won’t be hanging around craft sites anyway, but in the respective brand stores and such

One more thing I wanted to say:
by "working freehand," I meant that I can now make things like scarves, decorative flowers, blankets, etc. without a pattern, and I’ve also experimented a lot with different techniques.
but things like, for example, the goldfish we linked in the other thread the other day—I don’t remember which thread it was now—
I definitely wouldn’t be able to make freehand.

This feedback thread idea is great. Maybe it’s easier for users to write here in the forum because they’re not so comfortable with giving direct feedback or don’t really want to judge how many stars a pattern “deserves.”

I’m definitely curious to see how it develops, and I think it would be great if it’s used well. Maybe it would also be worth mentioning on Facebook :) There are lots of people on the CP page who haven’t really noticed this forum yet ;)

Cheers, Nici

@muetzekatze: I'm not saying at all that everyone has to / should be able to work freely. I just think that anyone who can't do that (yet) should take a moment to realize that designing (and therefore working freely) is a skill that first has to be performed. And I simply get the impression that the people who are least able to perform the skill of working freely are often the ones least willing to appreciate the work of those who have mastered it. You might suspect that envy is behind it.

Envy, yes, that’s certainly part of it too
but I also think there’s a lot of lack of awareness behind it
they may not realize at all how much work goes into a pattern
because they simply don’t have any personal experience with the subject

that’s also why I think it’s good that sellers and buyers can engage in dialogue here in the forum,
that could possibly help both sides develop more understanding for the other side’s motivation

Hi,

yeah, I’m in a similar situation right now… I made an amigurumi pattern… €1.50, and people are upset that it isn’t free. I just asked in a group if anyone wanted a pattern for a bear. I don’t understand why people immediately assume it’s free… it makes me a little sad. There’s so much work that goes into it…

Well, I just hope it remains a minority.

I’ve been following this thread from the very beginning, and a thought just occurred to me: maybe this reluctance to leave reviews also has to do with the anonymity with which people can buy patterns here. That’s super convenient for sellers, of course, because it means less work for them, and for buyers too, because they have the pattern available right away. But there’s also a near-total lack of personal contact between sellers and buyers. I haven’t sold much here yet, but when I look at my shop on DaWanda and do a simple calculation (without taking into account that the reviews for purchases made there are naturally included as well) of how many reviews I have and how many sales, I come up with a 65% review rate.

    If I take you as an example, orimono (I hope that’s okay with you), you’ve already made nearly 400 sales here and received only 9 reviews—that’s not really very many. On DaWanda, it’s a completely different story—there, you have a 54% review rate. Or if we take crochetwithlove (I hope that’s okay with you too), it’s exactly the same. She’s only received 11 reviews here out of 305 sales—that’s not much either. On DaWanda, it’s 50%. And for most of the other sellers I’ve looked at, it’s similar: very, very few reviews here (at most 10%) and significantly more on DaWanda.

  Maybe people just feel more obligated to leave a review when the sale is a bit more personal and they’ve at least had brief contact with the seller via email. Here, nobody actually knows who bought the pattern, so it’s certainly much easier for many people to just skip leaving a review.

Anyway, I still wish you all a good night!! :-)

Hi Berit,

it’s okay that you mentioned me :-)

At first, I was pretty frustrated here too because there are so few reviews. It’s really less personal here for both buyers and sellers—after all, we sellers don’t know who’s buying either. But that’s just how it is, and I’m slowly getting used to it ;-)

Man, this really is quite a topic here. There are both free and paid patterns here. Why get upset? If you don’t want to buy one, just use a free pattern. I’ve looked at the free patterns and have to say they’re just as well-made as the others.
-Best, owl.

And once again, people on Facebook are mocking the fact that patterns cost money *shakes my head and wonders if these people all work for free*

well, I think the pattern in question cost 2 euros with prepaid and 2.50 without prepaid.
you could argue, go to the bakery or butcher or supermarket or another store with those two euros and see what you can get for 2 euros or 2.50. It won’t go very far.
But if you buy a pattern for that money, then you don’t just have the pattern, you can also make it, and then wear the finished items or use them as decoration.

You get a lot more for your money / bfor those 2 euros, because for those two euros you get much more in value & enjoyment. So besides the purchase price for the material value, there’s also a high practical value or emotional value, if I may put it that convolutedly. Buying Crazypatterns patterns is almost an investment in personal satisfaction, in the joy of making them, for getting through rainy days and boring afternoons; you can make others happy with them, crochet or knit yourself something nice that keeps you warm in winter and looks good in summer, a chic scarf for example, or a nice potholder so you don’t burn your fingers on the tea kettle, etc. etc. and so on. = wellness and relaxation through crocheting and knitting. Crazypatterns makes it possible, or something like that :)

-->so, that may have been a bit exaggerated in parts, but I think it’s clear what I was getting at.

but someone who absolutely doesn’t want to spend any money on patterns probably won’t be receptive to that. So it would probably be a waste of time to present this argument to people who don’t want to spend anything on patterns. I think you should just point those people directly to YouTube videos with tutorials, or to Google search, or to the free patterns here on Crazypatterns, or just ignore them completely.
and maybe this should also be said again very clearly:

if you don’t want to pay with money, you have to pay with the time it takes to find a suitable pattern.
Because nothing is free except death, and even that costs you your life.
here on Crazypatterns, the time needed for searching is kept clearly within limits, but the patterns do cost a little something.
-->that is still very convenient for users, because the search time is eliminated, leaving more time for what’s really fun: crocheting, knitting, sewing, embroidering, crafting, being creative.

anyone who’d rather spend a long time on the internet looking for free & good patterns, or complain at length because everything is so expensive and everything always costs something, simply has correspondingly less time for the beautiful things in life.

that was my sermon for Sunday—or rather, Sunday is over, so for the midnight ghost hour

Do you think it could be that a lot has changed in this area since the beginning of the year?
I get the impression that there are no more discussions about this topic over on Facebook and that things have calmed down a bit
of course, that’s just my impression
feel free to correct me

Good evening, everyone. I just have to speak up—I’m one of those people who sometimes uses a free pattern, but I often leave a thank-you note. And many others are in the same situation as I am: when it comes to paid patterns, bank transfers can be a problem. I’m in Spain most of the time and would like to pay by bank transfer—I have an account in Spain and one in Germany—but often the amounts are so small that you don’t want to make a transfer for them. Thank goodness I read beforehand that there’s another way (post by Moderator) thank you, it’s very helpful that you can transfer money online in advance and the small amounts are then deducted. Thanks again. I’m going to use that option and hope it works.
Have a good night’s rest, everyone.
Best regards, Heide

Welcome, Heide
You mean this thread here? https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/4895/kundin-moechte-mit-berweisung-bezahlen
It works great even with short posts :)
Have fun :)

Good morning, thank you—that’s the one I meant.
Have a nice Sunday
Best regards, Heide

Do you also think the internet is changing? I think a lot is happening—not just because more and more people are going online on mobile devices, but also because the internet has become so normal and is simply an integral part of life and work. I don’t know whether that also affects the buying and selling of patterns, but maybe you know more about it?

Hi, I can only agree with many here regarding the reviews and the complaints about paid patterns, and I think it’s a real shame.

I think people are losing their sense of courtesy more and more; they’re living at an ever-faster pace, are active in countless forums and groups, and while they want to be part of everything and stay engaged, they end up not having the time to do so. I know this from my own experience—I can’t be 100% active everywhere either… but I try to be present in as many forums and groups as possible every week to help with problems, offer suggestions, etc.

But the thing is, people are less and less willing to spend money on anything—not just in the creative world, but in other areas too. A friend of mine who runs a secondhand store says the same thing: the mindset is increasingly shifting toward people paying €1 and expecting brand-new items.

So far, I’ve always offered my patterns at a pretty affordable price, especially for crochet fans who don’t have a lot of money. But to be honest, I’m slowly finding it harder to cover my costs, since they keep going up every year. And I think starting in 2015, I won’t be able to offer them at such low prices anymore and will have to raise them.

Another thing I always find a shame is that designers often work against each other instead of simply working together. What you sometimes see among designers—it almost leaves me speechless. Sure, we’re competitors, but everyone has their own style, and I still think we’re stronger together than if everyone tries to succeed on their own.

I could actually write more here, but I really need to get to bed early today… and if I keep typing, it’ll be midnight again :) You know me,

so good night, everyone, and have a great week!