Apr
Okay So Jess Huff Patterns
I’ve made probably like five or six of her patterns at this point and honestly they’re pretty solid if you know what you’re getting into. First one I tried was back in spring 2022 when I was trying to distract myself from my job situation—wasn’t a breakup but just needed something to do with my hands that wasn’t scrolling through bad news.
Her patterns are mostly on Etsy and some are free on her blog I think? The thing about Jess Huff is she does a lot of those modern looking pieces. Not your grandma’s doilies or whatever. Like cardigans and crop tops and those triangle scarves that were everywhere a couple years ago. Very wearable stuff which is why I kept coming back.
How Her Pattern Format Actually Works
So her patterns come as PDFs usually and they’re written in standard US crochet terms. She does include stitch counts at the end of most rows which is super helpful but—and this annoyed me SO much when I made the Driftwood Cardigan in summer 2024—she sometimes puts the stitch count in parentheses mid-row instead of at the end and I’d miss it completely. Then I’d get to row 23 or whatever and suddenly nothing lines up and you gotta go back and figure out where you added an extra stitch.
The photos in her patterns are decent. Not like professional pattern company photos but clear enough that you can see the structure. She usually includes a schematic too with measurements which is honestly more useful than the photos most of the time.
Yarn Weights and Substitutions
Most of her stuff uses worsted weight or DK weight yarn. I’ve used Lion Brand Feels Like Butta for one of her sweater patterns and it worked fine but pilled like crazy after two washes. For the Driftwood Cardigan I used Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK in that dusty rose color—I wanna say it was called Dusty Rose actually, real creative—and that held up way better. Still wearing that one.
She’ll suggest specific yarns in the pattern but you don’t have to use them obviously. Just match the gauge. Which brings me to gauge swatching and look I know everyone says do it but with her patterns you really gotta. I skipped it once on a tank top pattern and the whole thing came out two sizes too big. Ended up giving it to my sister who’s taller than me so it worked out but still.
Starting Your First Jess Huff Project
If you’re new to her patterns I’d say start with something small. She has this triangle scarf pattern that’s free I think? Or maybe it was like $3. Anyway that’s a good starter because it teaches you her style of writing without committing to a whole sweater.
You’re gonna need to know basic stitches—single crochet, double crochet, half double crochet. She does use some increases and decreases but explains them in the pattern. What she doesn’t always explain super clearly is construction method. Like some of her sweaters are worked flat in panels that you seam together and some are worked in the round and she’ll mention it but not always upfront where you’d see it before buying.
The Driftwood Cardigan Experience
Okay so summer 2024 I decided to make the Driftwood Cardigan because I’d seen it all over Instagram and it looked like something I’d actually wear. Pattern was like $8 or $9 maybe. I bought the Paintbox cotton in that pink color and also grabbed some stitch markers because I kept losing mine—my cat knocks them off the coffee table, it’s a whole thing.
The cardigan is worked in panels. You make the back panel first which is just rows of half double crochet basically. Sounds boring but I was watching that show The Bear while working on it so it was fine to have something repetitive. The stitch pattern has this subtle texture thing happening that you don’t really see until you block it.
Then you make two front panels which are the same as the back but smaller obviously. The sleeves are worked separately and they’re tapered so you’re doing decreases as you go. This is where I messed up my stitch count because I wasn’t paying attention to those mid-row counts I mentioned earlier.
Seaming everything together was actually not as bad as I expected? She recommends a specific seaming method using slip stitch I think or maybe it was single crochet seaming. Either way it creates a visible seam but it looks intentional not sloppy. The whole thing took me maybe three weeks working on it most evenings.
Sizing Issues You Should Know About
Her sizing runs pretty true to the measurements she gives in the schematic but here’s the thing—she designs with positive ease usually. So if you want a fitted look you might need to size down. I made my usual size medium and it’s definitely oversized which I like for a cardigan but when I made one of her tank tops in medium it was like a tent.
Read the finished measurements section carefully. She lists the actual garment measurements not body measurements. So if it says 42 inches bust and you have a 36 inch bust that’s 6 inches of ease which is a lot. Just something to think about before you start.
Yarn Requirements and Shopping
She’s usually pretty accurate with yardage requirements but I always buy an extra skein just in case. Dye lots can vary and running out 20 yards short of finishing is the worst. For the cardigan she said 1200 yards I think and I used like 1150 so pretty close.
I’ve used Hobbii yarn for one of her shawl patterns—the Rainbow Cotton 8/4 which is actually a DK weight despite the weird name. Worked great and was cheaper than buying from a local store. Caron Simply Soft is another one I’ve used for her patterns even though it’s acrylic and she usually suggests natural fibers. It worked fine but didn’t drape the same way.
If you’re using cotton be prepared for your hands to hurt a little. Cotton doesn’t have the give that acrylic or wool does so it’s harder on your joints. I had to take more breaks when working with the Paintbox cotton versus when I use something like… actually I can’t remember what I used for that other project but it was softer.
Understanding Her Stitch Patterns
Most of Jess Huff’s patterns use pretty straightforward stitches but combined in ways that create interesting textures. She’s big on half double crochet which sits right between single and double in terms of height. Creates a nice dense fabric that’s not too stiff.
She also uses a lot of front loop only or back loop only techniques. This creates ridges in the fabric. First time I encountered this in one of her patterns I had to YouTube it because I’d never done it before—turns out it’s super simple you just ignore one of the two loops when you insert your hook.
The annoying part is she doesn’t always include a stitch guide or tutorial links in the pattern itself. She assumes you know the basics or will figure it out. Which is fine I guess but would be helpful for people newer to crochet.
Common Problems I’ve Had
Tension consistency is huge with her patterns especially the garments. If your tension changes between the body and the sleeves it’s gonna be obvious. I had this problem with a pullover sweater pattern where my sleeves came out tighter than the body because I’d taken a break for like two weeks between sections.
Another thing is the neck shaping on some of her sweater patterns can be confusing. She’ll say something like “continue pattern while decreasing for neck shaping” and you’re supposed to figure out how to maintain the stitch pattern while also doing decreases at the edges. Not impossible but requires some thinking.
Blocking is pretty much mandatory for her stuff to look right. The pieces can look kinda lumpy and uneven before blocking but once you wet block or steam block them everything evens out and the stitches open up. I use those foam tiles—got them from Amazon I think—and just pin everything to shape and let it dry overnight.
The Free Patterns vs Paid
She has some free patterns on her blog and they’re good for testing if you like her style. The free ones tend to be simpler—accessories mostly like scarves and headbands. The paid patterns are more complex garments and honestly worth the money if you’re actually gonna make them.
I’ve bought patterns I never made which is just how it goes sometimes. Seemed like a good idea at the time but then I lost interest or the yarn I wanted was out of stock or whatever. But the ones I did complete I’ve gotten a lot of wear out of so the cost per wear is pretty good.
Modifications and Customization
Her patterns are pretty easy to modify if you understand basic construction. I’ve added length to the Driftwood Cardigan by just working more rows before starting the armhole shaping. Added like 4 inches because I’m long-waisted and the original length hit me weird.
Changing colors is straightforward too. I’ve done stripes on one of her basic sweater patterns just by switching yarn every few rows. Didn’t affect the stitch count or anything just made it more interesting.
What’s harder to modify is the actual silhouette. If you want to change from oversized to fitted you’re basically redesigning the whole thing. Possible but requires math and testing that I personally don’t wanna deal with.
Skill Level Real Talk
She usually marks her patterns as intermediate which is probably accurate. You need to know basics but you’re not doing anything super advanced. No complicated colorwork or crazy stitch combinations. Just solid construction and following directions carefully.
If you’ve only made blankets or scarves before, her patterns might feel like a jump. But it’s a doable jump. Just pick something simple to start and don’t try to make a whole cardigan as your first garment ever.
The instructions are clear for the most part but sometimes she’ll reference a technique by name without explaining it. Like she’ll say “work in BLO” and if you don’t know that means back loop only you gotta go figure it out. Not a huge deal but can slow you down.
Finishing and Wearing
Weaving in ends on her projects can take forever because there are a lot of them. Every color change, every time you start a new skein, that’s two more ends. I’ve started weaving in as I go instead of saving them all for the end because sitting down with 40 yarn ends to weave in is miserable.
The finished garments hold up pretty well to washing if you use decent yarn. I machine wash the cotton pieces on delicate and lay flat to dry. The acrylic ones can go in the dryer but might pill. Hand washing is obviously gentler but I’m not gonna hand wash a sweater every time I wear it.
The Driftwood Cardigan has held up great since summer. I’ve washed it maybe four times and it still looks good. The seams haven’t come apart and the fabric hasn’t stretched out weird. I did notice some pilling under the arms but that’s pretty normal for cotton yarn.
So yeah that’s basically the deal with Jess Huff patterns. They’re good quality, modern looking, and mostly well-written. Not perfect but nothing is. If you’re looking for wearable crochet stuff that doesn’t look like costume pieces or baby blankets, her patterns are a solid option. Just remember to check your gauge and actually read the whole pattern before starting because there’s usually some detail buried in there that you’ll wish you’d noticed earlier.
