Reviews - Patterns

So, I think I’ve now reviewed all of my roughly 75 patterns—whether I’ve made them or not.
Some are great, and some just aren’t that great. I find it difficult when I have problems with a pattern to write everything down and then actually follow through.  Sure, there’s always room for improvement here and there, but with some of them, I wonder if anyone actually had someone test them out first. I can’t tell in advance whether I’ll be able to follow the pattern or not—I have to buy it first, and then I realize that some just don’t work, and as I said, it’s hard to put that into words.  By now, I’ve found some sellers whose instructions I’m very happy to buy—because I know they work really well.
Others get along just fine with them—everyone’s different, after all.
But in any case, I’ve written reviews for them all now.

@Stricklady
wow, thank you - 75 reviews are a lot of work. It’s really great that you put so much effort into giving feedback to the sellers. As a small token of appreciation, here’s a little virtual flower for you. Of course, you’re automatically entered into the voucher drawing for everyone who has written reviews.
You can read more information about it here
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/7052/bewerte-gewinne-verlosung-von-10-x-10-guthaben
Greetings from Mod Josefa

Hi.... that’s nice.... It’s amazing to write so many reviews. But the feedback is important to us designers.

What I’d generally like to see is, if someone has problems with a pattern, that they let the designer know via email and explain where they’re stuck or what’s unclear. That’s the only way we can improve and iron out mistakes.

For those who’ve been crocheting or knitting for a long time, it’s not always easy to see everything through a beginner’s eyes, or to realize that a particular crochet step needs to be explained in even more detail.

I think every eBook includes contact information. Or you can use the private message feature on CP.

You, our customers, are our motivation for writing patterns and bringing you joy. So please give us honest feedback and reach out if we can help with any issues in the pattern. Help us get better and write more beautiful patterns. Best regards, Nicole




 

So, I’ve been knitting and crocheting for as long as I can remember, and that’s been quite a while.
As I said, it’s hard to put some problems into words; sometimes I could just briefly reword the pattern. Sure, detailed instructions are good for beginners—that’s fine—I just skip over those parts. But with some patterns, even when I read them, I just can’t picture what it’s supposed to look like in my head. Last week, I was one of 10 test crocheters working on the same pattern. We made changes and improvements—and these were all different people on Facebook—and in the end, all 10 of us were able to achieve the same result using the pattern without any problems at all. Everyone wants 5 stars and only good reviews; I get that, too. That’s why I try it, put it aside, and try again. It’s also difficult to change one thing or another in a pattern once you’ve already made something. I think it’s really great that Natalie—who’s been reading along here in the forum—made some changes, and I’m very proud too. She wants to keep selling her patterns, and I’m one of the people who’s happy to buy her patterns again. 

Wow, Stricklady,

Reviewing 75 items must have taken quite a while.
But it’s great that you did it. I saw that you also reviewed some of my patterns, each with its own comment. You must have gone through each one again, so a huge compliment to you.

I think it’s "normal" to get along better with some patterns than with others.
I think it’s almost like when I read books. I can relate better to some writing styles than to others.
Each of us probably has a different approach; it may even start with whether you choose portrait or landscape format and which font you use.
I can also say for myself that you definitely keep developing. While my first patterns may have seemed a bit "disorganized," I’ve now developed my own style, which is simply what works best for me. ( e.g. the photos are usually on the right and the description on the left )
and everyone has their very own style of describing things. I notice that here in the forum too. With many people, I no longer even have to check who wrote the post; I can tell from the writing who it is.

I wish you lots of continued fun here, and of course with knitting and crocheting.

Best, Nici

Good morning
I also reviewed my patterns a few days ago. There was one I couldn’t figure out. As an honest person, I phrased it like this (more or less): “This pattern wasn’t suitable for me. It could be a bit more detailed in the individual steps for complete beginners. Otherwise, it’s okay.” The seller then sent me a message saying that my review wasn’t okay and that I’m exactly the kind of person who just downloads free patterns and helps herself, only to badmouth everything afterward.

Hmm… I’ve already bought several patterns, so how would she know whether I’m just “taking advantage”? Ultimately, the seller rather cheekily questioned my intelligence, saying it must be down to me and my intelligence, since others manage just fine with the patterns. That makes me wonder: if you publish patterns but can’t handle constructive criticism, why on earth would you put them online in the first place? And if you have five reviews that only give stars but hardly any comments, what’s the point of that?

I think it’s okay to offer friendly, constructive criticism. I’ve reread my reviews/messages a few times and came to the conclusion that they were written in a very friendly, honest, and constructive way. I would never publicly badmouth anyone or use language that is below the belt, because I’m aware that everyone can see it. But I think that should also apply to sellers, because I don’t think a personal attack is appropriate. I’m pretty sad that things can go like this here, and I’ve already thought about deleting my account. What do you think about “problems” like this?

Best regards

Hi, sweetie...

Of course, that’s not a nice reaction to your review. I’m always grateful for criticism, just as I am for praise.

Whenever I’ve received questions about a pattern, I’ve first solved the problem for the customer. And depending on what the problem was, I’ve improved and expanded the pattern accordingly.
  That said, I’d appreciate it if people would reach out to discuss any issues with the patterns before giving a bad review.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of phrasing things a little differently.

I can’t make sense of reviews without comments—especially when only 4, 3, 2, or 1 star is given. Neither can other users.

And you can only improve with constructive feedback.

  When I compare my patterns to those in books, magazines, or from other designers, I have my own style, and I phrase some things differently—which has been well-received by customers so far.

I hope you’ll stick around and continue to share your honest feedback. I’d really appreciate it.

Hello herzchen_w,

That’s a very unpleasant experience you’ve had. I hope the seller’s reaction is—and remains—an exception. I can certainly understand your frustration. A review is a review, and in my opinion, it’s not open to dispute as long as it’s factual and constructive.
Of course, we’re happy about positive reviews, but above all, they should be honest—and if someone can’t figure out a pattern, they have every right to say so. I think it’s important to include a short note with your review explaining what you actually did, just as you’ve written.

What can I say… I’m sorry you had that kind of experience. I hope you haven’t lost your desire to write reviews now.

Best regards
Melle

Thanks for your reply. Best regards

I haven’t been here on CP for very long, but I’ve already received a bad review—the message was angry and unfriendly.
In the end, though, I did sell something, and the buyer felt cheated and said she should have gotten something better for her money. I wrote to her immediately, apologized, and expressed my regret that she was dissatisfied. I wanted to know what the problems were and was happy to help—or to change the pattern accordingly.
I also offered her a free pattern, but unfortunately, I didn’t receive a reply.
I think it’s good when my customers point out what wasn’t right, rather than saying nothing, being angry, and never coming back.
Of course, it would be great if we designers and authors received a message before public criticism, but we can’t expect that, of course.
I think that most designers don’t take criticism personally.

After all, I can only grow from my weaknesses and mistakes.

Hi herzchen_w,
I’m sorry you had to go through that experience, and I really hope you don’t let it stop you from writing reviews. If you’d like, you can send me a PM (private message) with the name of the seller in question, and I’ll get in touch with her to ask her to be a little friendlier when dealing with paying customers.
It’s great that you spoke up here in the thread to share this. That’s the only way we can address it. I hope you have many enjoyable hours here in the forum, on the portal, in the shop, and while working from the patterns.
Best regards
Mod Josefa

Good morning
First of all, I think it’s great that so many of you responded to my post here. And thank you for your honest opinions and the experiences you’ve shared.
The exchange of messages with the seller—which was so unpleasant and ended with her questioning my intelligence—has been on my mind. As I mentioned, I’ve read through all the messages a few times and really wondered why the seller took it the wrong way. I’m a friendly person, and since I work in an office and deal with customers every day, I know that tone is everything and that you can certainly offer praise or criticism in a friendly and pleasant way—which is exactly what I did.
So my conclusion is this: I had a bad experience there and it annoyed me. But I won’t report the seller’s name and will consider the matter “forgotten” (-> thanks for the offer, Mod Josefa) and hope it doesn’t happen again.
Many thanks to all of you and have a wonderful day. Warm regards

Maybe it was just a really stupid coincidence, and you happened to run into a designer who was in a bad mood and stressed out—someone who, if she’d been in a better mood, might not have taken it the wrong way.

But none of that helps… I think it’s good that you’re putting this behind you and seeing it as a bad experience during an exceptional situation.

Yes, I felt similarly, though not quite as strongly, when I rated them all. If you don’t rate them, that’s bad; I understand that. But if you don’t give the full 5 stars, the seller gets annoyed. They want to sell the patterns, and we’re the buyers, so one or two of them should perhaps think about whether they might want to change something. As already written, it’s very difficult to explain what may be unclear to one person or another. So just leave some things unrated as they are. As for me, if I really like something, then I write something and rate it too. 

@Herzchen_w
I think it’s great that you spoke up instead of just walking away in silence.

@Stricklady
It’s a shame that you had to go through that experience too. But from what I understand, you’re not letting it deter you, and I think that’s awesome. Not all sellers here are like that.

@all
If anyone has a problem with a seller, feel free to reach out to me or send me a private message.
You’re under no obligation whatsoever to give the full number of stars. If you feel that a pattern has been rated generously with 3 or 4 stars—or even fewer—then that’s your right.
Sellers aren’t entitled to good reviews if there was something in the pattern that wasn’t clear.

Please continue to leave reviews. I trust that you’ll be fair when doing so. And please always remember that the vast majority of sellers here are really nice and friendly, are happy to offer tips and help in the forum, and put a lot of effort and time into their patterns.

Exactly… Reviews are important—even 3 stars are perfectly fine.

“Bad reviews” only annoy me when they’re unfounded—meaning there’s no explanation provided or they’re for things that aren’t my fault. For example, I had a case where a customer couldn’t open the PDF file on their iPhone but could only open it on a laptop, and for that I got a 1-star rating… This didn’t happen here on CP, but I tried to offer help and recommend appropriate apps so it would work on the iPhone—but the customer wouldn’t hear of it. And the patterns aren’t to blame for technical glitches or anything like that.

  Or bad reviews with reasons like “too many photos”… I never know what to make of those either. Beginners rely on them, but a pro certainly doesn’t.

But I would never let my tone slip. I might get annoyed in my head, but you don’t do that to customers—you don’t write insults to them.