Apr
Getting Started with Naztazia Patterns
So Naztazia’s stuff is all on YouTube which is honestly the best way to learn if you’re like me and can’t read those weird written patterns with all the abbreviations. I made her hexagon cardigan thing in summer 2022 when I was basically living on my couch watching The Office for the millionth time and needed something to do with my hands.
The thing about her patterns is they’re free which is amazing but also means you gotta watch the videos and sometimes they’re like 45 minutes long. You can’t just skim it like a written pattern. I usually put them on my TV and rewind constantly because she’ll say something important while you’re looking down at your work and then you miss it.
Picking Your First Pattern
Don’t start with something huge. I know her dragon blanket looks cool but that’s like a commitment. Her smaller stuff like the granny square bags or the simple shawls are way better for figuring out if you even like her teaching style. Some people find her really easy to follow and some people get annoyed because she talks a lot, like explains the same thing multiple ways which I actually need but I know it drives some people crazy.
I’d say try one of her hexagon patterns first. The motifs are small so if you mess up it’s not the end of the world and you can just make another one. Plus hexagons are weirdly satisfying when they actually turn out flat and not all warped.
What You Actually Need
She usually tells you the yarn weight in the video but not always the specific brand. For that hexagon cardigan I used Caron Simply Soft because it was on sale at Michaels and I needed like 8 skeins. Cost me probably forty bucks total which isn’t bad for a whole cardigan. The color was called “Bone” which is just off-white but sounds fancier I guess.
Hook sizes she’s pretty specific about. She’ll say use a certain size and honestly just use that size because the gauge actually matters when you’re making wearable stuff. I tried to be smart once and use a smaller hook thinking it would make tighter stitches and the whole thing came out too small and stiff.
Following the Videos
Okay so here’s how I actually use her videos. First I watch the whole thing through once without crocheting, which I know sounds like a waste of time but it helps you know what’s coming. She’ll mention like “we’re gonna do this part differently in round 5” and if you don’t know that’s coming you might not pay attention to that part.
Then I start actually making it and I have the video playing on my phone or tablet. The TV is better though because bigger screen means you can actually see what she’s doing with the hook. Sometimes her hands block the view of the stitch and you gotta rewind and look from a different angle or wait til she moves her hand.
Pause constantly. Like every few stitches sometimes. She works faster than most beginners can follow and that’s fine, the pause button exists for a reason.
The Annoying Parts
The thing that drove me nuts about making that hexagon cardigan was joining the motifs. She has this specific way she wants you to do it and it’s supposed to be invisible or whatever but mine kept looking lumpy. I probably redid the joins on like fifteen hexagons before I gave up and just accepted they were gonna look how they looked. Nobody ever noticed except me but still, it bugged me the whole time.
Also she doesn’t always tell you exactly how many motifs you need? Like she’ll say “make hexagons until it fits” which is helpful in theory but also means you might make too many or not enough. I made like 60 hexagons and only needed 52 and now I have these 8 random hexagons sitting in a bag somewhere.
Yarn Choices and Substitutions
She’s pretty flexible about yarn which is good. Like she’ll use Red Heart Super Saver in one video and then say you can use whatever worsted weight you want. I’ve used Bernat Blanket yarn for one of her blanket patterns and it worked fine even though it’s bulkier and softer.
The dragon pattern I mentioned earlier, my friend made that with I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby in like six different colors and it turned out massive and actually really cool. Took her four months though and she said her hands hurt by the end of it.
For the shawls I’d recommend something nicer than acrylic if you can afford it. I made one of her triangle shawls in spring 2024 with Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball and it was so much better than acrylic would’ve been. The drape is different, it’s softer, doesn’t squeak when you move. That specific yarn comes with the gradient already built in so you don’t have to think about color changes which is nice when you’re just learning.
Color Decisions
She uses a lot of color in her designs which can be intimidating if you’re not good at picking colors that go together. My dog knocked over my whole yarn stash once while I was planning colors for a blanket and honestly the random pile on the floor looked better than what I had picked out, so sometimes chaos works.
Variegated yarns can be tricky with her patterns because the stitches are usually pretty visible and textured, so the color pooling might look weird. Stick with solids or semi-solids until you know what you’re doing. I learned that the hard way with a Red Heart Unforgettable yarn that just looked like a mess in a granny square pattern.
Specific Patterns Worth Trying
Her virus shawl is super popular and actually pretty straightforward once you get the pattern repeat down. It’s the same thing over and over just getting bigger. I made one in like a week while binging some true crime show, can’t remember which one. Used Caron Cakes in the colorway “Blueberry Cheesecake” which sounds delicious but is actually just blue and cream stripes.
The granny square cardigan is another good one but you need to actually measure yourself and do math which I hate. She gives measurements in the video but everyone’s different so you gotta adjust. I just made squares until I had enough to wrap around my body and then figured out the sleeves later.
Her bag patterns are probably the easiest starting point. The boho bag or whatever it’s called, that took me maybe three hours total and I use it all the time for carrying my crochet projects around. Used Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn because it’s sturdy and cheap and comes in a million colors.
Wearables vs Home Decor
The blankets are gonna take forever, just accept that now. Her patterns aren’t complicated usually but blankets are big and repetitive and your hands will get tired. I started her mandala blanket pattern in winter 2023 and it’s still not done because I got bored halfway through and started making other stuff.
Wearables are more satisfying because you finish faster and then you can actually wear the thing. But you gotta think about sizing more carefully and washing instructions matter more. That Simply Soft cardigan I made, I accidentally washed it in hot water once and it got weird and fuzzy but didn’t shrink at least.
Technical Stuff You’ll Learn
Her patterns teach you a lot of techniques without really announcing it. Like you’ll learn how to work in the round, how to increase and decrease, how to join yarn invisibly, all that stuff just by following along. She explains it but in a casual way not like a formal lesson.
The magic ring confused me for the longest time and her explanation finally made it click. Something about how she shows the yarn positioning from different angles. Written patterns just have diagrams that look like abstract art to me.
Invisible decreases, color changes, working in spaces versus stitches, all that stuff comes up in her patterns and she shows you exactly what she means. You can see her hands doing it which is worth so much more than reading “sc2tog” and trying to figure out what that means.
Common Problems
Tension issues are huge with her patterns because a lot of them have specific drape requirements. If you crochet too tight, hexagons won’t lay flat and shawls won’t flow right. Too loose and everything gets floppy and weird looking. She crochets with pretty average tension so if yours is really different you might need to adjust hook sizes.
Counting stitches is important even though it’s boring. I’ve had to frog entire rounds because I missed a stitch somewhere and didn’t notice until three rounds later. She usually tells you how many stitches you should have at the end of each round which helps but you gotta actually count.
The other thing is weaving in ends. Her colorful patterns mean SO MANY ends to weave in and it’s tedious and nobody warns you about this. I have a blanket with like 200 ends still hanging off it because I keep putting off that part.
Time Commitment Real Talk
That hexagon cardigan took me probably 30 hours total? Maybe more because I wasn’t tracking carefully and I’d crochet while watching TV so I wasn’t always paying attention. The hexagons themselves go quick, maybe 20 minutes each once you get the rhythm down, but making 50+ of them adds up.
Joining and bordering and weaving in ends probably took as long as making all the hexagons which was annoying but that’s just how it goes with modular stuff.
Shawls are faster, especially the triangle ones. You can knock out a simple shawl in a weekend if you really focus. The virus shawl took me longer because it’s bigger and the stitch count gets huge toward the end so each row takes forever.
Skill Level Honestly
She says beginner friendly a lot and mostly that’s true but like, advanced beginner maybe? You should know basic stitches already. If you can’t do a single crochet and double crochet without thinking about it, learn those first and then come back to her patterns.
The patterns themselves aren’t hard, it’s more about following along with a video for extended periods and keeping track of where you are. If you’re someone who gets distracted easily or can’t sit still for long videos, her stuff might be frustrating.
I’m not great at reading written patterns which is why I like her videos, but if you prefer written instructions you can sometimes find people who’ve written out her patterns in the comments or on Ravelry. She doesn’t provide written versions herself which makes sense since the videos are the whole point.
Making Adjustments
She’s pretty chill about people modifying her patterns. Like you can make a shawl bigger or smaller by just adding or removing rows. The hexagon stuff you can rearrange however you want. I’ve seen people take her hexagon pattern and make it into a blanket instead of a cardigan.
Color changes are totally up to you. She’ll use specific colors but you don’t have to copy that. Sometimes her color choices are kinda bold and if that’s not your style just use what you like. The pattern works the same regardless.
Size adjustments on wearables are trickier because you gotta think about proportions but for something like a cardigan made of hexagons, you can just add more hexagons or make them in a different yarn weight to change the overall size.
What to Actually Buy
If you’re gonna try her patterns, get decent yarn but don’t go crazy expensive. Mid-range acrylic like Caron or Lion Brand is fine for most stuff. Save the fancy yarn for smaller projects where you’ll really notice the difference.
Hooks, just get whatever size she recommends. I use Clover Amour hooks because they’re comfortable and the sizes are marked clearly but honestly whatever works for you is fine. Ergonomic handles help if you’re making something big.
Stitch markers are helpful for keeping track of rounds especially on the circular patterns. I just use scrap yarn in a different color because I’m cheap but actual markers work better.
A yarn needle for weaving in ends, you’re gonna need that. Get a few because I keep losing mine and then finding them later in weird places.
Project Planning
Watch the video first and make a list of what you need. She usually mentions it at the beginning but double check the description too. Some videos have corrections or updates in the description that aren’t in the video itself.
Buy more yarn than you think you need, especially if you’re making something big or adjusting the size. Running out of yarn halfway through and not being able to find the same dye lot is the worst. I always get an extra skein or two just in case.
Have a plan for storing your project between work sessions. Hexagons especially, you’re gonna have a bunch of loose pieces that need to stay organized. I use gallon ziplock bags labeled with how many I’ve made so I know where I’m at.
The whole Naztazia thing works best if you’re patient and okay with video learning and don’t mind rewinding a bunch. Her patterns are solid once you get used to her style and the free thing is really unbeatable. Just start small, maybe make a dishcloth or something in her style to see if you like it before committing to a giant project that’ll take months.
