Apr
So You Wanna Try Croby Patterns
Okay so Croby Patterns is basically this collection of crochet designs that I stumbled on probably spring 2022 when I was stuck at home with covid and bored out of my mind. They’ve got this whole designer collection thing going where different people contribute patterns and honestly the quality is all over the place but there are some really solid ones in there.
The main thing about their patterns is they’re pretty accessible for people who aren’t like super technical crocheters. I’m definitely not someone who learned from books or anything formal so when I see patterns with tons of abbreviations and chart symbols I just… my brain shuts off. Croby stuff tends to be more written out which helps.
What’s Actually In The Collection
They have a bunch of categories but the ones I’ve actually used are the garment patterns and home decor stuff. Made this cardigan thing in summer 2024 that I wore maybe twice because it ended up being way bulkier than I thought it would be but whatever. The pattern was called something like “Weekend Wrap” or “Easy Wrap Cardigan” I can’t remember exactly.
Used Lion Brand Wool-Ease for that one in this burgundy color and it was fine I guess. The thing that annoyed me SO MUCH about that pattern was the sleeves. They tell you to crochet the sleeves flat and then seam them and attach them to the body but the instructions for where exactly to attach them were super vague. Like it just said “attach sleeves to armholes” and I’m sitting there like okay but WHERE on the armhole, how many stitches in, do I center them or offset them or what.
Ended up having to watch like three different YouTube videos about setting in crochet sleeves that weren’t even for that specific pattern just to figure it out.
The Tutorial Section
The tutorials are honestly more useful than some of the actual patterns. They have video tutorials for basic techniques which is good if you’re like me and learned everything kind of piecemeal from different people. There’s one about invisible decreases that actually made sense to me finally after trying to figure that out for literally years.
One thing though is their video quality is kinda inconsistent. Some are super clear and well-lit and the person explains everything step by step. Others are like filmed on someone’s phone in bad lighting and they’re going way too fast. You gotta be willing to pause and rewind a lot.
How To Actually Use Their Patterns
So when you download a pattern from them it usually comes as a PDF. Sometimes there’s charts included sometimes not. For the patterns that do have charts I usually just ignore them because again I never learned to read those properly and trying to learn while also trying to make something just makes my head hurt.
Here’s what I do: print out the pattern even though I know that’s wasteful or whatever but I need to be able to mark it up. I go through with a highlighter and mark where the different sizes start and end because they write patterns for like 5 different sizes all in one and it gets confusing real fast which numbers you’re supposed to be following.
Also I make notes in the margins when something doesn’t make sense or when I figure out a better way to do a step. Like for that cardigan I mentioned I wrote “DON’T DO THEIR SLEEVE METHOD” in big letters at the top.
Yarn Choices and Substitutions
Most of their patterns list a specific yarn but then also give you the weight and yardage you need which is actually helpful. I pretty much never use the exact yarn they recommend because either I can’t find it or it’s too expensive or I just have something else in my stash already.
Made this blanket pattern from their home collection using Caron Simply Soft instead of whatever fancy merino blend they suggested and it turned out totally fine. Actually I think the Simply Soft worked better because it’s machine washable and the blanket was for my sister who has two kids and a dog so like it needed to be practical.
The pattern was this chevron design that looked complicated but was actually just repeating the same row over and over once you got past the setup rows. Did that one while watching the entire second season of Succession which was probably fall 2022 or winter going into 2023 maybe.
Sizing Issues To Watch Out For
Okay so this is important. Their sizing is… optimistic. I made a tank top from one of their summer patterns and followed the measurements exactly made my gauge swatch and everything and the finished thing was still too small. Like not unwearably small but definitely tighter than the “relaxed fit” they described.
Now I always go up one size from what their size chart says I should make. Hasn’t failed me yet since I started doing that.
Also their ease recommendations are kinda weird sometimes. They’ll say something has “2 inches of positive ease” but then the fit looks totally different on the model than what you’d expect from 2 inches. I think maybe they’re measuring ease differently than standard or something but I never figured out exactly what the deal was with that.
The Designer Collection Specifically
So the designer collection is like their premium patterns I guess. They cost a bit more than the basic free ones but they’re usually more detailed and have better photos. Whether they’re worth it depends on the designer honestly.
There’s this one designer whose name I’m blanking on but she does a lot of geometric colorwork stuff and her patterns are really well written. Clear instructions good photos multiple angles of the finished object. Then there’s another designer who does these flowy garment things that look gorgeous in the photos but the patterns are a mess. Vague instructions no info about how different yarn weights might affect drape just not great.
I learned pretty quick to check reviews or look for project photos on Ravelry before buying anything from the designer collection because the quality really varies.
Working Through A Pattern Step By Step
Let me walk you through how I actually work with one of their patterns start to finish. Spring 2022 I made this market bag pattern during a really bad breakup and honestly having something to focus on probably kept me sane or at least distracted.
First thing I do is read through the entire pattern before starting. I know everyone says to do this but I actually mean it with Croby patterns because sometimes they’ll mention something important in a random note halfway through that would’ve been good to know at the beginning.
Then I gather all my materials. For that market bag I used Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in like three different colors I don’t remember which ones exactly but one was definitely that bright teal color they have. Needed a 5mm hook which I had.
Started with the base which was worked in the round. Their instructions for joining rounds are always to slip stitch but I usually do an invisible join instead because I think it looks cleaner. That’s the kind of thing you can modify once you know what you’re doing.
The sides of the bag were just single crochet worked in continuous rounds which was mindless and easy. Good thing because I was watching a lot of trash TV at the time and couldn’t focus on anything complicated. My cat kept trying to attack the working yarn which was annoying but also kind of funny.
Where I got stuck was the handles. The pattern said to crochet chains and then work back along the chains to create straps but it didn’t specify how to attach them securely to the bag body. I ended up just weaving in the ends really really well and reinforcing with extra yarn and hoping for the best. Still holding up two years later so I guess that worked.
Common Problems and Fixes
The most common issue I run into with their patterns is gauge. They’ll say gauge isn’t super important for something and then it totally matters. Made a hat once that could’ve fit a watermelon because I didn’t check gauge and just assumed it’d be fine since it was “just a hat.”
Another thing is they sometimes use British terms mixed with American terms and don’t always clarify which one they mean. Like if it says “double crochet” you gotta figure out from context whether they mean American double crochet or British double crochet which is actually American single crochet and yeah it’s confusing.
Usually you can tell from the gauge and fabric photos which one they mean but not always. I just default to assuming American terms unless something seems really off.
Materials and Tools
Most patterns don’t require anything fancy tool-wise. Standard hooks yarn needle scissors stitch markers sometimes. I use the Clover Amour hooks mostly just because they’re comfortable and I already had a set.
Stitch markers are more important than you’d think especially for patterns worked in the round. I just use the cheap plastic ones from the craft store they work fine. Lost about half of them to my cat over the years but whatever they’re like three dollars for fifty.
For yarn I usually shop at Michael’s or JoAnn’s because that’s what’s accessible to me. Sometimes I’ll order from Wool and the Gang or Webs if I want something specific but mostly I just use Red Heart or Caron or Lion Brand. It all works fine for most projects.
Time Investment
How long their patterns take really depends obviously but I’d say most of the garment patterns take me like 20 to 30 hours total. Smaller stuff like hats or cowls maybe 3 to 5 hours. The bigger blanket patterns can be 40+ hours easy especially if there’s a lot of color changes or texture work.
That market bag took maybe 6 hours spread over a few days. Would’ve been faster but again I was dealing with personal stuff and kept putting it down to cry or whatever. Not my most productive crafting period but the bag turned out good at least.
Is It Worth The Money
The free patterns are obviously worth trying since they’re free. The paid ones range from like five dollars to twenty dollars usually. Whether that’s worth it depends on how much you value clear instructions and good photography.
For me it’s worth paying for a well-written pattern if it’s something I really wanna make because the time I save not having to figure out confusing instructions is worth more than ten bucks. But I also have definitely bought patterns that weren’t worth it and that’s just part of the gamble.
The designer collection ones are usually the more expensive end but like I said the quality varies so much by designer that price doesn’t always correlate with how good the pattern actually is.
Modifications and Customization
One good thing about their patterns is they’re usually pretty easy to modify once you understand the basic construction. Like that cardigan I made I ended up making the body longer than the pattern called for because I’m tall and wanted it to hit at a specific length.
Just worked extra rows before starting the armhole shaping. Had to buy an extra skein of yarn but it wasn’t a big deal. The pattern structure was simple enough that I could see where to add length without messing anything up.
Color changes are even easier to modify. Most of their colorwork patterns tell you exactly which rows to change colors so if you wanna do different colors or add more stripes or whatever you can just adjust that part and keep everything else the same.
Final Thoughts On Using Croby Patterns
Look they’re not perfect patterns but they’re decent and accessible and there’s enough variety that you can probably find something you wanna make. The tutorial section is genuinely helpful especially for techniques you might’ve missed learning elsewhere.
Just go in knowing you might have to troubleshoot some stuff or fill in gaps in the instructions sometimes. Keep your phone handy to look up videos if you get stuck. Don’t be afraid to modify things that don’t make sense.
And definitely definitely make a gauge swatch even when they say it’s not important because it usually is at least somewhat important. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned from working through their collection over the past couple years.
The community around Croby patterns is pretty active too so if you get really stuck you can usually find someone who’s made the same pattern and can help troubleshoot. Ravelry has project pages for most of them with notes from other makers which I always read through before starting something new.
