Something I’d like to get off my chest...

When I buy a pattern or “bookmark” one, I almost always look at the customer photos that have been uploaded and read the reviews. I feel like very few girls (and guys) show off the projects they’ve made. I think that’s a shame, because I enjoy looking at them—I also find inspiration there for modifications, using different yarns, or different colors. Do you guys never look at them?

I look at them often too, and you’re right—it’s a shame that so little attention is paid to them. I’d also love to see a project made using my patterns sometime, since everyone crochets and embellishes differently.

@Michaela

I completely agree with you. I always send a photo, even for the free patterns. Every author wants that (it’s usually mentioned in the pattern, anyway). It’s a shame that so few people do it—often hundreds of patterns are sold, and not a single photo is posted.

Hi,

I basically agree with that.
I also like it when others post photos of their crocheted projects.
Often, a photo of a finished piece has encouraged me to buy the
pattern.

However, there have been times when I’ve bought a pattern
but didn’t end up making the project.

I usually like to post photos of my projects here in the gallery, too.

Best regards, Heike

Yeah, I agree with you guys, too. A few of my customers have already uploaded their photos, and I’ve been thrilled every single time.

I’d also like to mention here that we authors appreciate reviews as well. They show us how the patterns are being received, and they help customers, too.

There are always so many pictures in the gallery. If you link them to the corresponding pattern (using the “Link image to a product” button), doesn’t the picture then also appear in the customer photos?

Ruth, yeah. But you just have to do it ;-)

A question: What do you mean by “uploaded customer photos”? Do you mean the ones in the gallery?
I’ll make sure to do better!

I’m always happy when I spot one of my own projects in the gallery. But I’m just as happy when I discover others’ work—it’s not just about my own! There are often really beautiful pieces there, and if I like something especially well, I’ll leave a comment.

Hey there,
I’d uploaded one photo so far, and after reading this, I went ahead and uploaded a second one right away—even though I’m still in the middle of working on the project. I’ll also post a photo of the finished project later.

Here’s my question: Are the designers notified when a photo is posted for their pattern, or do you have to scroll through the entire gallery? 

Good question about the notification. Some people do respond to the photo, and some don’t...

Well, I’ve never received a notification about that. I check the gallery about 2–3 times a week.

You get a message for every forum post, but not for something as nice as this. Too bad.
I think uploading photos for the item is cumbersome anyway.
Product images/customer photos/upload photo. Then the corresponding item shows up too. 

And you can’t do multiple ones at the same time either. Then you have to repeat the whole process over and over again. 

I don’t get any notifications. But I check back every now and then anyway, because there are often really beautiful things to see there.

Anja, as far as I’ve experienced, authors aren’t notified. You just have to check back every now and then.

I’d also love to see a clearly visible link or button to customer photos on the product page. I’ve mentioned this before using Ravelry as an example. There, every pattern has an option to click on “Projects,” and you can immediately see the photos uploaded for that pattern. In the past, when I used to buy patterns myself, that always helped me. If the project photos are good, the patterns are good too. If the project photos vary widely, I assume the pattern isn’t that great.

Yeah, Ravelry handles that perfectly—I have to agree with you there!

@ursulapetra :
I have to agree with you—I’ve always used customer photos of the projects as a guide to see different color variations—but I can’t agree with the conclusion that a wide variety of project photos means the pattern isn’t that great. Especially with amigurumi, the finished projects can turn out very differently. Depending on how tightly they’re stuffed or, above all, how the face is shaped, the creations can look completely different. No matter how detailed your instructions and photos are as the author, everyone has a different idea of what “stuffing it tightly” means, for example, and beginners in particular often lack a feel for the right amount of stuffing, which is what really shapes the final result. If a customer is still unsure about embroidering faces or uses googly eyes instead of safety eyes, etc., the final result can look very different.
That’s why I always think it’s important to include notes with the photo about how the customer fared with the pattern.

I wouldn’t automatically assume a pattern is bad just because a photo isn’t that great.
I pay more attention to spelling when I look at a product description.
I browse the gallery only from time to time.
I also think a link (button) that takes you to the specific project is a good idea.

Dear designers,
Dear users,

we will give this some thought. 
Thank you very much for the feedback!

Best regards
Alexander

Please give this some thought and come up with a solution soon. My latest project photos didn’t end up on the corresponding pattern page. 

That’s happened to me, too. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do anything about it myself.

Dear authors,

You can assign the images to your own products. Click on the image (in the gallery) and then on “Assign image to a product” on the gallery image page.

Best regards
Alexander

Yay, that worked! Now my photos are linked to the pattern—great! 

@Alexander

Yeah, but what do I do if the photo was assigned to the wrong product ? Then the button isn’t there anymore!

Hi Ruth,

I’ll pass this along to the developers.

Best regards
Alexander