Give feedback, comment, review, and help improve the patterns = more fun for everyone

Dear users, dear authors,
could you leave more comments on the patterns, more reviews, more feedback? This is extremely important for the continuous improvement of the patterns here on Crazypatterns, and everyone benefits from it.

It would be great if you could do that.

Have you written a review yet?

I just want to say that reviews like “haven’t made it yet” or “I’ll make it soon” aren’t helpful, of course. These time-wasting comments annoy me every single time. Could you please delete that kind of nonsense? 

I’m not sure right now whether this can be deleted or not. So for the time being, I’d ask you to just generously overlook comments like this. :-)

I’m trying my best, dear Josefa. But ever since کورونا, my virtues—like patience and understanding—have really been overstretched. :-

You can do it. :-)

Reviewing a pattern based on a photo has its own charm.
Luckily, it only happened once and doesn’t count.

Really? I have to laugh right now—sorry.

I could come up with some creative nonsense reviews too:
“I didn’t like the color of the sample item, so just one star.”
Or
“The designer’s name doesn’t fit the product, so I’m deducting 2 stars.”
  “For €3, I didn’t expect to have to make it myself. I thought I’d get that awesome jacket for that price.”

God, I hope I’m not giving anyone any ideas now...

Some of them are really awesome, Anja.

.....We have to do that ourselves too??? ...NOW that’s funny...

Right now, I’m trying to get more feedback on the patterns by starting more threads about pattern reviews, and to encourage both users and authors to leave more reviews.

What strategy do you think would be effective for getting more feedback, comments, and reviews? Do you have any ideas?

Of course, there will inevitably be some comments that aren’t very helpful, but overall, the feedback, comments, and reviews are very important to the authors.

It would be great if we could have a constructive discussion about this here in this thread.

Wait, let me just take off my clown costume and put on my business suit...

So: I actually think your promotion where you can win store credit by leaving reviews is pretty appealing. If you could turn that €10 prize into a million euros... sorry, the clown is being really pushy today... ;-)
Maybe run this promotion more often and offer just €5 with a better chance of winning???

OR: Anyone who also uploads a photo of the finished product can buy the next pattern at a 50% discount? (Although that’ll be a pain to handle financially—it shouldn’t be at the authors’ expense… hm…)

So I just bought a pattern with 120 sales and 0 reviews. Now I’m totally itching to leave that first review. With a photo, of course. 

Well, since I also always find it a real shame that hardly any pattern gets reviewed, I posted a survey in my designer group a few months ago.

The question was: Why are patterns reviewed so rarely?

1st place: I only do it once I’ve made it, which can sometimes take a while
2nd place: I always forget
3rd place: I have no idea how to do it
4th place: I always leave reviews
5th place: What’s in it for me? It’s too much hassle
6th place: I didn’t know you could do that

With new pattern posts, I often add that I’d be happy about a review, but somehow that also feels a bit like “fishing for compliments.”
And during review campaigns, reviews do regularly pour in, but to me they also feel more or less “forced.”
I’ve come to terms with it by now; it is what it is.....
Maybe it would be an option to include a little reminder in the newsletter now and then, like:
“Na....., have you already reviewed everything you bought on CP?”

Best regards - Claudia

Thank you for your ideas. :-)
I need to think about it for a while longer.

For now, I have a request / suggestion:
Could you please each include a note in your signatures about the option to leave reviews?
The link for reviewing is here:
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/todo/itemsrate
You can change your signature here:
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/usersettings/edit?tool=forum_settings
No one has to do this if they don’t want to, but it would be nice if you would give it a try. Thank you.

As a test, I’ve now added this sentence with the corresponding link to my signature:
The authors appreciate your review feedback.
Maybe it will help.

Test 

Like this? 

But it’s not blue and clickable:(

@Anja,
there’s a button with a chain link icon in both the forum editor and the signature editor—it’s to the right of the “Insert Image” button and to the left of “Insert Bulleted List.” First, write the text you want to link, then highlight it with your mouse. Next, click the chain button. Your text will appear in the input field as “Display Text.” Then paste the link into the “URL” field. Give it a try. :-) Glad you’re joining in. I like your text with the little hearts.

Ahhhh

I’ve done it.

It’s nice that you’re taking up the signature idea. :-)

For almost four years now, I’ve included the following sentence in every pattern:

“I’d really appreciate a good review!”…

Yet only one in ten customers actually leaves a review....
What else can be done about that?

Here’s some info on reviewing:
How to Review Patterns (No Advertising)

Well, I only review a project once I’ve finished it and can also contribute a photo. That’s important to me. I find photos very meaningful, and showing off my finished project makes me proud.

@Mod: Finding customer photos is quite a hassle. It would be more convenient if there were a direct option to switch to customer photos right in the designer’s photo section.

For me, a well-executed pattern presented with photos from other customers usually makes me want to try it myself. That’s a significant incentive to buy patterns—one that shouldn’t be underestimated! 

I also wait until I’m finished before writing a review for a pattern, and then I upload photos to the gallery.

Dear Anja, it’s easy to find customer photos.


When you click on the item, you’ll see “Product Images” at the top.
Click on that, then click
on “Customer Photos,” and you’ll be able to see all the customer photos at once.

Dear Marion,

we both know how it works because we’re used to it. For newcomers or people who aren’t so internet-savvy, however, it’s still not immediately obvious.  

A button like that under the product photos with the note: click here for customer photos, would simply be even more convenient. 

You’re right, Anja. It would also be nice if the authors could see who’s uploaded photos to the gallery. 

Thanks, Marion! I hadn’t noticed this button before—I think it’s great!

Thanks for your suggestions regarding finding customer photos. I also find the current process pretty cumbersome. I just had to explain to a customer how to get there.

A button, like Anja suggests, would be really helpful.

Maybe this request can be passed on to the developers. After all, it benefits all of us.

I have another question:
When we revise and improve the patterns… it would be great if customers who have already purchased that pattern could be notified that an update is available. If a pattern hasn’t been sold very often yet, I’ve already taken the time to send a message to the buyers. However, that’s cumbersome and time-consuming, and for patterns that have been sold often, it’s simply not feasible. Wouldn’t it be possible to set this up technically so that customers automatically receive a notification when updates are available? 

I have a completely different idea.

Currently, people are rewarded for reviewing patterns, regardless of the quality of the review.

How about, in the future, rewarding not just the sheer quantity of reviews, but their quality? We could use reviews rated as

"helpful" as a "measure". What do you think?

Best regards,
streifi (Petra)

I think that’s a good idea. 
But then the thumbs-up/thumbs-down buttons would need to be made bigger or colored; you can barely see them. They are hardly used either. 

Thumbs up/down.... Do I find those in the reviews from others? Somehow I’ve really overlooked them so far....
Does that “mark” whether a review was helpful or not, so to speak?
Although with some, I wonder why they only give 3 or 4 stars when the text says “Everything’s great”....
Best regards, Stephanie 

I think it’s great that you have a lot to say on this topic and are sharing your ideas. Alexander / operator and the developers will decide on the feasibility.

Do you have any other ideas?

Hello, unfortunately I don’t fully understand the pattern. 
For example, the dachshund "Boni": The head:
1. MR 6 sc (6)
2. inc 6x (12)
3. (1 sc, inc 1x) 6x (18)
=> what does this "6x" mean? Repeat 6 times? Or crochet these 8 stitches for 6 rounds? 

Thanks for an explanation
Ilona 

Hello ilona-bihlmayer,
Welcome to our forum.
If you mean this pattern
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/items/50132/dackel-boni-haekelanleitung-amigurumi
then you can contact the author directly via this link and ask for help:
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/messages/send?to=79023
Help from the relevant author is part of the service here. Good luck.

Hello everyone,

Yes, I’m only a buyer
No, I haven’t reviewed anything yet.
Everyone who posts patterns here writes differently, and you have to get used to that.

Why don’t I leave reviews? Because I think everything posted here is great.

I would still like to highlight one person:
Petra Klein from Haekelei-mit-Spass-dabei
because she takes the trouble to write everything by hand. At least that’s what it looks like.

This is not meant as criticism of the others. You all do great work.

Greetings,
Luetko

hello Luetko,
welcome to our forum.
It's great that you're so enthusiastic about being here.
But you can also leave a review when you think patterns are great. The authors will definitely appreciate that.

You can also read more about it here:
Give an author a compliment for Valentine's Day (No advertising)

Couldn’t there be some "guidance" in the reviews.... Like, for example, stars for how easy the pattern is to follow, the difficulty level....
I think a lot of people don’t really know "how" to write a review, or what’s "important". 
I just read one.... 2 stars because "you have to count so much"... (double knitting pattern)
And that really has absolutely nothing to do with the pattern itself. 
I don’t buy a sewing pattern and then later write that the pattern is stupid because I can’t figure out my machine.... 
Sorry, stuff like that is really annoying me right now...
Maybe it might be possible to offer a little guidance there...
Best regards, Stephanie

Can you provide more details?
Specifically, what should people be able to rate with stars?

Clarity of the pattern, how easy it is to understand, difficulty level…
These are simply aspects that make it easier for others to decide whether to buy a particular pattern…
If I want to try something new, for example, it’s good to know whether others found the pattern understandable or how clearly it is laid out…
How do others rate the difficulty? I’ve read in other reviews: “A challenge, but thanks to the pattern, easy to follow...”
I think that does encourage others to buy it too...
So on the one hand, give stars 🌟 and, as an addition, write how it went for you...

I think the idea is fundamentally very good. I suggest we first gather more opinions and then, if necessary, agree on a concrete plan with details and specific, direct steps for implementation.
Then Alexander / operator can decide together with the developers.

Thank you.... 

I think what is perceived as difficult, and how difficult, is very individual and depends both on the clarity of the pattern and, above all, on the crocheter’s/knitter’s prior experience. Also, some people find written-out patterns difficult because they are confusing, while others struggle with crochet/knitting charts… But what is certainly important for general clarity: a clear structure for the individual steps, with explanatory pictures where possible and necessary (please in smooth, light-colored yarn!). In my opinion, things like this should be included in the review. And not to forget: the author’s willingness to help is also crucial for a good review (up to now I have had (almost) only very good experiences here—many thanks to everyone!) I would also criticize it if the terms differ from what I’m used to—it confuses me, for example, when MS suddenly stands for “stitch” instead of “stitch repeat,” but maybe I’m just being a bit too picky there!
For me, a good pattern includes:
- what basic skills are required - beginner or not?
- yardage and amount of the specified yarn for the model shown, as well as needle size
- overview of the stitches/techniques used
- illustrated explanation of less common stitches/techniques (e.g. I-cord edge, stitches worked deeper down)
- clear, well-organized structure of the individual work steps, supported by pictures where necessary

I think it’s really great when a more complex pattern has a separate print version…

Finally, one more thing: The vast majority of patterns from here that I have made were good to very good patterns for me. Thanks again to everyone who puts in so much effort!

Somehow, there has to be a way to provide some kind of “guidance” that “reviewers” can use as a reference....
A few days ago, I discovered a relatively new designer, but she had several patterns with only two stars... and I think many people don’t bother to read why.... The review said: “Bought but haven’t made it yet....”
Of course, everyone sees things differently.... and yet the whole thing still needs criteria by which it can be reviewed....
I think it’s so “unfair” when the actual pattern isn’t being reviewed.... Like in the case above. 

I’d love it if more authors and users would contribute their ideas and opinions. There’s definitely a need for some guidance on how to perform reviews of the patterns.

I agree with Steffi! As I said before, such useless reviews shouldn’t be allowed. 

Perhaps it’s possible for CP to delete reviews that aren’t really reviews. By that, I mean exactly those reviews where the pattern hasn’t even been tried yet.

I recently got a tip from a customer. I was in touch with her and reminded her about the review. She told me that she’d be happy to rate the pattern, but that she usually forgets to do so—without any ill intent. She also didn’t find the option to leave a review right away; she only got there with my help after I sent her the link.

She gave me the suggestion (and asked me to pass it on here) that it would be helpful if customers automatically received a reminder after a certain amount of time, perhaps even with a link to the “Downloads” section or to the project.

At the major online retailer, not all reviews are approved immediately; instead, they go through “censorship.”

Perhaps you could run a program that filters certain keywords, take another look at those reviews, and delete them if necessary. 

Anja, I think this is a great idea. It would be a huge help to us authors.

Hmm, tricky topic...
Speaking for myself as an author—when do I actually review something? 
You can review things everywhere, including, for example, on that big marketplace platform with the A :-)
But even there, I really only leave a review if I’m so thrilled with something that I absolutely want to recommend it to other customers, or if I’m so annoyed by the product that I absolutely want to “warn” other customers. 
For “normal average purchases,” I don’t go to the trouble.
And our customers here probably feel the same way. 
But we also shouldn’t forget that quite a lot of reviews are already being left here, especially when you take a look at other platforms ;-) 

Well, I do write reviews for every pattern, but of course only after I’ve finished the project. I almost always upload a photo to the gallery, though I’ve forgotten to do so once or twice.
I find it difficult when the result isn’t satisfactory—it could just as easily be my fault if I made a mistake. That’s why I wait to give it at least a second try—though sometimes I don’t feel like doing it right away, so things do end up on hold every now and then.
One pattern in particular got a lot of bad reviews because it was written as continuous text; I don’t think that’s such a big deal if it’s otherwise easy to understand. 
Or, as has already been mentioned, people deducting stars just because they haven’t even tried it yet—how stupid is that? That’s why I’ve since stopped reading the reviews beforehand. If something looks appealing to me, I’ll give it a try and that’s that; I’d rather rely on the author’s difficulty rating.

Good evening, everyone,
I just have to chime in here too...

I always mention in the patterns that a review would be great.
In reality, only about every 20th sold pattern gets reviewed. But when they do, with a few exceptions, they get 4–5 stars and usually include a short comment.
That said, I have to admit that I myself have many patterns—both free and purchased—that are just sitting peacefully on my USB stick, some for years, and I’ve never actually knitted or crocheted them. So I can’t review them either.
I’m sure I’m not the only one this happens to, where there just isn’t enough time, or the right yarn, or, or, or

I didn’t know about the customer photos myself for a long time; I stumbled upon them by chance at some point *blush*

Because I was curious, I asked in a few crafting groups on Facebook whether this feature is even known.

The most common answer was “Oh? I didn’t know that at all.”
Others find it too complicated.
One woman said she always posts pictures of finished items and thinks it’s a real shame that the designers don’t react to them at all with a “like”—which I can absolutely understand.

Maybe it could be simplified so that it’s immediately clear to the customer at the time of purchase that photos can be uploaded.
Maybe on the homepage under the categories, showing the x newest customer photos...
or on the product pages, below the shopping cart...

Stay creative and have a lovely evening

Of course, I only write a review of a pattern after I’ve made the item—only then can I really judge it. But honestly, I often forget. When I’ve just bought a great new pattern, I like to write a comment about it, but I don’t always get around to making it right away, and then I forget to leave a review.
I also have patterns that I didn’t get on with so well, but I really don’t want to give them a bad review. I also look at reviews and decide based on them whether to buy something—unless I already know from someone that the patterns are always well explained.
I’d rather message the author directly and maybe give tips on how to make the pattern easier to understand.

Hi everyone, I’m “just” a customer, I’ve been here since around January, and I’m very happy with the patterns here. 
To review the topic of reviews for a moment: unfortunately, I personally don’t find the reviews very helpful before buying either, since in most cases there are 5 stars and the comment “great pattern” almost everywhere. I would find a bit more content very helpful here. (Quality over quantity) 

With 1 star, it’s often due to difficulties with the download (without the item having been sewn), which also isn’t that helpful,  since here you can (in my experience) quickly get help from the authors. 

Unfortunately, I also wouldn’t know how to improve the quality of the reviews without taking away the motivation to write one. 

But I do think the idea of reviewing reviews with a thumbs-up is not bad.

There are also various reasons why I don’t leave many reviews:
1. I’ve downloaded the pattern but haven’t made it yet.
2. I haven’t managed to make the pattern (in that case I also think maybe it’s my fault and don’t want to ruin the authors’ review).
3. Once, I asked something in the comments that I didn’t understand. The author replied right away and really helped me. However, she then asked me to delete the comment (which could, after all, have a negative effect on others). That was a huge hassle because I couldn’t delete the comment myself — I had to ask support to do it (they were really nice and deleted the comment for me). But I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if I left a negative comment. I really don’t want any arguments!

By the way, I later noticed that the author had updated her pattern accordingly—but she didn’t send me an update or even a “thank you”!

Janine, that’s frustrating. It’s happened to me too. I spent days cursing, unraveling everything, and thinking I was too dumb to read. Then I found the mistake and reported it. I got a “thank you.” But since I’d lost three days of my life and my enthusiasm for crafting, I asked for a free pattern—which I received. I felt like a beggar, but hey, I was really, really annoyed and had put a lot of time into correcting her pattern. Plus, my yarn didn’t survive all that constant unraveling, and I couldn’t use one skein for the project.

Most designers offer this on their own now, though—I think that’s very customer-friendly. 

I really appreciate that you share your reviews and experiences with authors here, even if they aren’t always positive. This helps spark a constructive discussion that will hopefully benefit everyone. It’s important that we talk about these things.

Hi Libelle11/Anja,
I totally agree with you—I always make the “effort” to upload photos and provide reviews for the patterns too.
Sure, it takes a little time, obviously 🙄.

It really drives me crazy when photos appear in the gallery but aren’t linked in the pattern 🙄.

I always think it’s such a shame when there are already 20 reviews—and not even a single photo 😡

I believe that if someone goes to the trouble of creating and sharing a pattern,
it shouldn’t “just” end with the purchase 😉

If I notice an “error” in a pattern, I let the author know via a “private message” and don’t make a big deal out of it in the comments—that’s just not proper.

And unfortunately, it seems like some people don’t know the difference between a comment and a review 🙄

Hi Josepha,
the signature worked 😉😉😉
Thanks for the nudge—I hope lots
of people read this, and many thanks for the great forum.

Could we perhaps introduce something like a “points account for project photos” that you can redeem once you reach a certain threshold (they’ve introduced this at Hobbii, for example—I don’t think it’s a bad idea, though I’d prefer to redeem them for “monetary value”).
That way, only “finished projects” would be rewarded—and not pointless reviews 🤔

Hi JanineMagnussen
that's why I would always “discuss” something like that “directly” with the author
in other words, “send him/her a message”

Hello everyone
—and I do get frustrated when questions go unanswered—whether it’s a direct inquiry to the author via “Send Message” or a comment 😠

I certainly wouldn’t download a pattern for, say, 6 euros if I can’t even get an answer to a question—like about the “size” (for the specified yarn)—or, even more frustrating, if I’m told, “It’s in the pattern”—sorry, but I definitely won’t be buying that pattern 😉

Hi Susanne,
welcome here. It’s great that you’re getting involved and suggesting ideas.

Hi,
I think I’ve actually had that review reminder service before 🤔

I think it’s pretty good, though I only review the patterns I’ve actually made—and that can sometimes take a while (depending on the project—I’m currently working on a blanket!!!) 🤔

Also, when I first started, I downloaded a lot of “free” patterns 😉 (Help—I don’t have that much time—I still have to go to work, after all 😂)

Or I’ll buy a pattern, try it out, and realize it’s not for me—so I won’t write a review—it’s my problem, after all 😉
... Or I’ve bought a pattern and only then realized how much yarn I’d need—and I don’t have anything suitable on hand right now—or rather, the yarn hasn’t “called out” to me yet 😀

By now, I’ve built up a “big stash of yarn” that I’d like to use up (without buying anything new!), so I’ll just look for a pattern that works with the yarn I have,

or I’ll make some patterns multiple times because I like them so much (e.g., the Hanna shawl)

Bottom line: it just takes a while for me to leave a review—and post photos 😘

Thanks, Josefa,
I have to admit I only just discovered it now 🙄
otherwise I would have “joined in” sooner
but all the time I spend at the computer is time I can’t crochet 🤣🤣

Maybe you'd like to join in writing in these threads?

Finding a project for yarn without a project
Present your yarn - get project suggestions

Pattern survey
Which patterns do you especially like right now / which ones do you enjoy buying at the moment?

Using up leftovers
Best of the leftovers race January to March 2022: weigh your leftovers now, use them up, and win

Working through your yarn stash
Yarn mountain climb 2022: live reporting ;)

Finishing UFOs = unfinished objects = projects that have been left lying around
UFOs 2022: finish stubborn UFOs by the end of March

Wow 😲
I don’t think I’ll be able to tear myself away from the computer today.
Thanks for the suggestions 😘

please
have fun :-)

Susanne, I had to smile at your line, “All the time I spend on the computer is time I can’t spend crocheting.”

I often say that when I’m supposed to be taking pictures for my patterns again. Actually, I just want to crochet or knit…

But there are so many new ideas and inspirations to be found here. It’s always worth a visit, and before you know it, an hour has flown by. 

@Petra for me it's 90 percent PC work without participating in the forums :D

I’d like to address fil-art-aue’s point again: update notifications.

No one can tell me that 7-year-old files still meet today’s visual and technical standards—that’s how old my oldest patterns are. I’d love to revise them, but I think it’s really a bummer that we can’t send the updates to customers. For patterns that don’t sell well, that might be feasible. But with a few hundred sales, it’s unrealistic to contact everyone individually.

Ravelry and Myboshi already have this feature—why isn’t it available on Crazypatterns?

Maybe someone might stumble across it by chance. I think it’s important, though—if only to show that you have designers here who care about their patterns and, by extension, their customers.

I’m sure I and a few others would be really happy if this could be made possible somehow.

I also think the idea of an “Update” feature is a good one.
What’s the point of sending a message to buyers if not everyone checks their inbox and reads the notification?

Now I have a question for those who give star ratings. I’ve noticed in some reviews that the full number of stars wasn’t given, so I wanted to check why that was. And then it says: “Great pattern,” “Awesome idea and explained really well,” “So cute and explained so well,” but then a star was deducted. Why is that?
I think it would be helpful if the negative point were also mentioned.

I don’t get it either. I always explain what I didn’t like.
The current pattern will also get a lower rating, because although the designer responded promptly, she didn’t address my questions—she just used stock phrases like, “Just follow the pattern.” I’m going to do that now—I’m curious to see if I’ll get the result I want. (I made a gauge swatch, used different yarn and larger needles, and wanted to know how I’d know when the jacket is long enough. You can’t try it on, since you have about 300 stitches on the needle.) 
 

Yes, you’re right, Veronika. And to be honest, as an author, it’s always a mystery to me. Customers seem happy, but then they deduct a star. Most of the time, though, I’ve reached out to them to ask why. Very often, the answer was that they hadn’t even noticed. They clicked somewhere and suddenly it was only 4 stars. These customers then corrected their rating—much to my delight.

I don’t reach out to customers about things like this. I think that’s unprofessional. A 4-star review is a good one, and some people just believe that 5 stars are reserved for truly exceptional work. You have to accept that. I’ve only ever reached out to a customer once—when the review was completely inexplicable. 

Sure, 4 stars is good, but there must be a reason why it didn’t quite make it to 5. If I think the pattern is sooooo cute and can follow it perfectly thanks to a great description, then that’s 5 stars for me.
I’d deduct one star for unclear parts of the description that make my work unnecessarily difficult or something like that.

How are things going right now with reviews and feedback on the patterns?

Slow going.... And that’s putting it mildly.
My rating rate is just 2.5% 😕

@Fadenwerk,
it’s great that you have the note about the review option in your signature. 

@Authors,
could you also add a note about the review option to your signatures?

@Users,
if you’d like, you can do that too. That would be great.

Dear Petra, you’re one of the few here who always takes the time to respond to a detailed review with a photo. Many sellers just complain about their customers but rarely respond themselves, which I find very unfortunate as a customer. After all, writing a review takes effort and time, and if there’s no response, you start to wonder: Why should I review it if nobody seems to be reading it anyway? So thank you for that!

I’d also like to address the issue of reviews from a customer’s perspective—perhaps especially for those who don’t speak up about it.
Reviews are required or expected… but are they really?

There’s a group of customers who might not dare to write that a pattern was hard to understand, or who don’t dare to contact the author, or who’ve been turned down. So they don’t write a review at all. Then there are those who download several patterns at once. I’m like that, for example. Some patterns end up sitting in a drawer for up to a year. When I finally get around to using them, I’ll leave a review. I don’t understand the frustration over 5-star reviews with unhelpful text. Sure, a review with comments like “easy to understand” is more helpful to other customers, but it doesn’t hurt the seller either. I think the proposed “censorship” of reviews is completely off the mark. If it’s implemented, I’ll stop leaving reviews. That makes no sense to me. How is a customer supposed to know whether to spend the money or not? I read all the reviews and then decide whether to buy—and who’s supposed to decide what gets censored? It’s a sensitive issue! For me, it’s essential to contact the seller if there are mistakes—we all make mistakes, and it saves the seller further trouble. So let’s work together nicely instead of against each other—that way, we all benefit.

Hi Gabi,
I totally agree with you—censorship is out of the question 😲 / and the “piled-up” patterns, mistakes…
I could totally sign off on that 😘

I also have a lot of patterns I haven’t gotten around to yet (from the “early days,” when I downloaded everything right away), but I really only give a review once I’ve actually made the project.
Rating patterns with “haven’t made it yet, but it sounds good”—I just don’t get that 🙄

On the topic of censorship:
I love crochet charts in patterns (I could just skip the rest then 😇), but a friend of mine can’t handle them at all and needs written instructions, so our reviews would be totally different in that regard 🤔
I’m currently working on a pattern that I just couldn’t figure out at all (I guess I kind of think “backwards”—but since I liked it so much, I took the time to rewrite it for MYSELF, and now it works. Of course, I struggled a bit at first, but I think that’s on ME, so I’d still give the pattern a good review anyway 😉 - How would something like that be “censored”? 😇

Sure, authors make mistakes sometimes, but you should always message them “directly” if you notice something—I actually think that should go without saying.

And as a customer, I’d also be happy if people commented on my review or photos, for example 😇
I think it’s a shame that, especially with free patterns that are downloaded thousands of times, so few people leave reviews and even fewer (if any) post photos.
Especially with free patterns, you should make the effort to “show your appreciation” for the author making the pattern available for free 😉

It would also be good (maybe this could be included as a note right in the gallery) to point out that if the pattern is linked properly (so it appears with the pattern—which is good for the author and for buyers who are still undecided; more photos would simply be nicer 😉 and then they won’t “disappear” in the gallery, which would be a shame 🤔), some people just need the visual to be able to imagine, for example, a different color.

Oh, and of course, shawls look nice when laid out so you can see the color and pattern well, but I’d also love to see what the shawl—or even the tunic, jacket, or similar item—looks like when “worn” 😉

You actually added what I had forgotten. Thanks, Susanne.