Apr
Okay so DROPS patterns are basically this massive free library
You go to garnstudio.com and there’s like thousands of patterns just sitting there. They’re the company that makes DROPS yarn which is Norwegian I think, and they put out all these designs for free because obviously they want you to buy their yarn but here’s the thing – you don’t have to. I’ve used Red Heart, Lion Brand, whatever’s on sale at Michael’s with a coupon and it works fine.
The site is kinda overwhelming at first because there’s SO many patterns. Like you can filter by technique and I always go straight to crochet because that’s what I do, but they have knitting too if that’s your thing. Summer 2022 I made this really simple granny square cardigan from one of their patterns – it was called DROPS 238-8 or something with numbers like that because they number everything weirdly. I was watching Stranger Things season 4 and just cranking out squares on my couch, and my cat Pepper kept trying to attack the yarn ball which was annoying but also kinda helpful because it kept the yarn from rolling under the furniture.
How to actually find patterns you’ll finish
Search by difficulty level first. They have beginner, intermediate, advanced – don’t be a hero and pick advanced if you’re still figuring out double crochets. I learned this the hard way with a circular vest thing that I literally never finished and it’s still in a bag somewhere in my closet.
The filters are your friend:
- Garment type – cardigans, sweaters, shawls, hats, whatever
- Season – they actually design for spring/summer vs fall/winter which affects yarn weight
- Yarn weight – this is important because substituting gets tricky if you’re way off
- Free patterns – make sure this is checked or you’ll see their magazine patterns too
One thing that really annoyed me is they write patterns for like 15 different sizes all in one pattern. So you’re reading along and it says “work 24(26,28,30,32,34,36) stitches” and you gotta keep track of which number is yours. I usually print it out and highlight my size throughout the whole thing before I even start because I’ve messed this up SO many times.
Understanding their yarn situation
They’re gonna suggest DROPS yarns obviously. Common ones you’ll see:
- DROPS Cotton Light – sport weight, nice for summer stuff
- DROPS Merino Extra Fine – worsted weight, very soft
- DROPS Air – super bulky mohair blend
- DROPS Paris – aran weight cotton
- DROPS Alpaca – exactly what it sounds like
But like I said you don’t need their yarn. The pattern tells you the yarn weight and meterage. Just match that. When I made that granny square cardigan I used Caron Simply Soft because it was on sale and I needed like 8 skeins – I wasn’t gonna pay premium prices for a project that size. The pattern called for DROPS Belle but I looked at the specs and Simply Soft was close enough.
The actual process of using these patterns
Download the PDF. Don’t try to work off your phone screen, you’ll hate yourself. The PDFs are usually like 6-8 pages with diagrams and everything written out. They include measurements in both cm and inches which is helpful.
Read the whole thing first – I know that sounds boring but their patterns have this section at the top called DROPS LESSON that explains any weird techniques they use. Sometimes they have a specific way of doing increases or a stitch pattern that’s unique to that design.
Gauge swatches are unfortunately important
I hate making gauge swatches. Everyone hates making gauge swatches. But with DROPS patterns especially, you gotta do it because if your tension is off, that cardigan that’s supposed to fit like a medium is gonna be a tent or a crop top. They tell you exactly what your 10x10cm square should measure.
Spring 2024 I was making this lace shawl pattern – DROPS 245-23 I think – and I skipped the gauge swatch because it was just a shawl, how bad could it be? It turned out like 30% bigger than the photo and I couldn’t wear it as a shoulder wrap, it was more like a full blanket scarf. Still pretty but not what I wanted.
Their diagram situation
DROPS patterns come with these measurement diagrams that show the finished piece with all the dimensions marked. This is actually super helpful for visualizing what you’re making. They show things like armhole depth, body length, sleeve width – all that stuff.
The stitch diagrams though… sometimes they use international crochet symbols and if you learned like I did from random YouTube videos and blogs, you might not know all of them. They have a symbol key but it takes some getting used to. A treble crochet in their diagrams has three little crossbars and honestly the first few times I was like wait is that a double or triple crochet because terminology is different in UK vs US patterns.
Yarn substitution math nobody wants to do
Okay so let’s say the pattern wants DROPS Paris and you wanna use Lily Sugar’n Cream because you have a bunch already. You need to match:
- Yarn weight category – both should be like worsted or both sport weight
- Meterage – this is the big one that people mess up
- Fiber content kinda matters – cotton vs acrylic vs wool drapes differently
The pattern tells you total meterage needed. Like it’ll say “450 meters of DROPS Paris” – you need to figure out how many balls of your substitute yarn equals 450 meters. I use my phone calculator and honestly just… do the math. If your yarn is 186 meters per ball then 450 divided by 186 is about 2.4 balls so you need 3 balls.
Don’t forget the dye lot thing if you’re using a specific color – buy all your yarn at once because if you run out halfway through and go back for more, the color might be slightly different and you’ll see it in the finished piece. This happened to me with a blanket in fall 2023 and I’m still annoyed about it.
Following the actual instructions
DROPS patterns are written pretty clearly once you get used to their style. They break things down into sections – usually like BODY, SLEEVES, ASSEMBLY, FINISHING. Work through each section completely before moving on.
They use a lot of repetition markers like asterisks or parentheses. “Work *1 dc, ch 1, skip 1 st*, repeat *-* across row” – that kinda thing. Keep track of where you are because if you zone out watching TV (I was watching The Bear when I made a summer tank top last July) you’ll lose your place.
One thing I actually like is they’re very specific about stitch counts. They’ll say “you should have 87 stitches” at the end of certain rows so you can check yourself. Use stitch markers for the love of god, especially on rows where you’re doing increases or decreases.
Common issues people run into
The sizing thing I mentioned – seriously highlight your size throughout. I’ve accidentally switched sizes mid-pattern and ended up with wonky proportions.
Tension changes as you work. Maybe you start out crocheting tight and then relax as you get into it. This shows up in your finished piece as uneven fabric. Try to stay consistent or at least check your gauge every few inches of work.
Reading ahead helps because sometimes they’ll say something like “at the same time when piece measures 25cm, begin armhole shaping” and if you’re not paying attention you’ll miss the armhole part and have to rip back. Ask me how I know.
The language barrier is real sometimes
DROPS is Norwegian and even though patterns are translated to English, sometimes the phrasing is a little off. You might see “mount the sleeves” instead of “attach the sleeves” or other slightly weird word choices. Usually you can figure out what they mean from context but occasionally I’ve had to look up a technique on YouTube because their explanation didn’t quite make sense to me.
They also use European terminology sometimes even in the English version – like they might say “tension” instead of “gauge” or “cast off” instead of “bind off” even though that’s more of a knitting thing anyway.
My favorite patterns from their collection
That granny square cardigan I mentioned – DROPS 238-8 – is genuinely great for beginners. It’s just squares that you seam together and then add a border and button band. Very forgiving and you can customize the colors however you want. I used four colors of Caron Simply Soft and it turned out really cute.
There’s this circular vest pattern that’s popular – I think it’s DROPS 172-10 or somewhere around there – where you work from the top down in one piece. It’s more advanced but the construction is really clever. I started it during a breakup in winter 2023 because I needed something complicated to focus on and honestly the pattern kept me from spiraling too much because it required actual concentration.
Summer tops are where DROPS really shines honestly. They have tons of cotton tank tops and tees that work up fast and are actually wearable. Look for anything in their DROPS Cotton Light or DROPS Paris – those are good weights for warm weather. I’ve made probably five or six summer tanks from their patterns using Red Heart Scrubby Smoothie which is not at all what they recommend but it’s cotton and machine washable so whatever.
Modifying patterns to make them yours
Once you’ve made a few DROPS patterns as written you can start tweaking them. Change the stitch pattern, adjust the length, add pockets, whatever. The basic construction is solid so you can play around with details.
I took one of their basic cardigan patterns and added a hood instead of the collar they showed. Just measured my head and crocheted a rectangle that I folded and seamed on – nothing fancy but it made the piece more practical for me. The pattern gave me the framework and then I customized.
Color blocking is easy to do with their patterns too. If they show it in one color you can switch colors every few rows or do the body in one color and sleeves in another. Just make sure you’re matching yarn weights if you’re mixing brands or your gauge will get weird.
Practical tips nobody tells you
Print the pattern and put it in a page protector or plastic sleeve so if you’re drinking coffee or whatever you don’t destroy it. I’ve ruined patterns with water rings from my mug.
Take progress photos as you go, especially for complicated constructions. If you have to put the project down for a few weeks and come back to it, photos help you remember where you were and what you were doing.
Join the DROPS Workshop group on Ravelry – people post questions about specific patterns and usually someone’s already asked what you’re wondering about. The comments section on the actual pattern page on garnstudio.com is also helpful because people troubleshoot there.
Wind your yarn into center-pull balls before you start. I know this seems fussy but yarn that’s pulling from the outside of a skein gets tangled and twisted and it’s annoying to deal with while you’re trying to count stitches. Spend the ten minutes upfront to wind it properly.
Keep notes about what you actually did vs what the pattern said. Like if you modified something or if you found an error, write it down. I have a little notebook where I track projects and it’s been super helpful when I want to make something again or recommend a pattern to someone.
When patterns have errors
Sometimes there are mistakes in DROPS patterns – they’re usually pretty good about fixing them but if you downloaded an older version you might hit an error. If something seems really wrong like the stitch count is way off or an instruction doesn’t make sense, check the errata section on their website or look at Ravelry comments.
I was making a shawl once and the row count was definitely wrong – it said repeat rows 3-8 but row 7 didn’t work with the stitch pattern at all. Turned out they’d posted a correction and I just had an old PDF. Super frustrating to figure out mid-project but at least they do fix mistakes when people report them.
Trust your gut – if something seems off it probably is. Don’t keep working and hoping it’ll magically make sense later because you’ll just have more to rip out.
