Are you a process or a product crocheter? Maybe you’ve never stopped to think about it or perhaps you’ve never heard of these categories before. Read on to learn more and find out what drives your crochet process.
Product Crocheters
How do you pick your crochet projects? If your main focus is the end result of your finished project, you’re likely a product crocheter. Because your main goal is to create the desired piece, you may not even look through the pattern before you begin. For fearless crocheters, this is a wonderful way to gain experience in new techniques you may not have otherwise tried. You choose your pattern based off of a garment or accessory that you want to wear or complete for a gift. Generally, product crocheters will focus on one project at a time and finish what they’ve started.
Process Crocheters
For process crocheters, it’s all about the journey. You love the act of crocheting and simply want to play with different yarns and your favorite stitches. Process crocheters tend to pick larger projects that allow you to crochet away without much stopping for measuring, hand finishing or fiddling with any kind of stitch you don’t enjoy. You may also cherish the act of searching for the perfect pattern, pairing with the perfect yarn, and swatching until everything is just right.
Combination Crocheters
Most of us aren’t strictly process or product crocheters, but a combination of the two. I know there are certain stitches or finishing techniques that I just don’t enjoy, so I do tend to shy away from patterns that are heavy in those areas. For the most part, I have a rough idea of my finished product in mind when I’m searching for a pattern. I usually start with a yarn from my stash and the amount of yardage guides me to what is possible (one skein? A lacey scarf or hat. Several skeins? Sweater or shawl time!). From there, I look at what the end result would be and if I like it, I’ll take a closer look at the pattern to make sure I’ll enjoy creating the piece. Combination crocheters want to cherish both the act of their craft and the end result.
Something fun to note is that preferences can differ from craft to craft. I find my knitting process is very similar to my crochet process, however I’m definitely a product sewist. The act of sewing isn’t as therapeutic to me as crocheting, so I just want the project to be completed and off my sewing table. In contrast, sometimes I just want to crochet for the sake of crocheting. I’ll grab a skein or two of yarn, my hook and a simple pattern repeat to create a shawl or scarf that just goes and goes. I always want something in process on my hook or needles.
So, which type of crocheter are you? Whatever your process, cherish your crochet time!
I’m not sure which one I am maybe both. What I do most of the time is go to the craft store and walk around the yarn aisle and see if any of them speak to me. A lot of people call me crazy when I tell them that but it is the best way to describe it. I look at the yarn and touch it and it will tell me if it wants to be a scarf, hat, fingerless gloves or a animal or whatever and sometimes they don’t speak to me at all. When that happens if I tell my husband or my adult children that they ask me if I am sick because that almost never happens.
I am a combination crocheter.
I am definitely a “process’ crocheter at this point … I find the process very very relaxing … I also have been quilting for 15 years which seems to be more challenging (perhaps I am more product oriented with quilting) … at this stage of crochet (a newbie) I enjoy something easy and relaxing. For these trying times … crochet is my choice.
I love learning new things to add to the design arsenal. I don’t like having too many WIPs, and love finishing a project. However, when it’s done, I’m done with it, and don’t want to look at it anymore no matter how beautiful, and give it to whomever admired it. So not quite sure where I fall.
Definitely a combination crocheter – I look for specific products that I want to make, but always keep in mind whether a project offers an opportunity to learn something new.
I would say I am a combo crocheter! I learned 50 years ago from my gram and love to take on challenges. When one of my daughters says “can you make this” I jump at the chance to try something new!
You had me pegged from the word combination. I am both types of crocheter and though I love to sew, just like you said I want it done almost as soon as I start! Amazing how we are all different but so much alike!!
I am definitely a combination crochet or knitting. I do a lot of afghans/throws to donate as well as hats and scarves to donate. The only things I keep are samples for my classes. I teach beginner knitting and crochet classes, crochet or knit toys, scrubbies, and tatting (which is time consuming so we only do tiny things).
I tend to shy away from complex stitches and patterns as I want to get things done and on to the next project. I tend to use the same patterns over and over when they are fast and easy to remember. I usually watch TV while I work, but I also have to have something to work on while sitting in a waiting room. I have a hard time just sitting without something in my hands.
I learned to crochet from my mother about the age of 8 and made lots of yarn-chain ropes for my toy horses before starting on blankets for my toy horses. Back then I could get a skein of Aunt Lydia’s Rug Yarn for a quarter, so many of my first projects were made with that rug yarn. My mother taught me to chain on fine baby yarn because that’s all she had on hand. I still have one of my many yards long chains from back then (I am 63 now).
I enjoy the making, the experimenting and the teaching. Guess that makes me a very combination person.
I never thought about being a process or product crocheter. Although I am a combination crocheter, I’m more of a process crocheter. I select patterns based on how they look and I prefer learning new stitches. I have difficulty repeating a pattern.
Crochet bags with a leather bottoms pattern
Without a doubt, I’m a combination crocheter.
I enjoy crocheting, even though I am adventuresome and like to try new projects, there are times I shy from complex patterns. Looking forward to the end result is my main goal! I am not crazy about synthetics and prefer to use yarns that contain at least 50% natural fiber. I guess I am a combination crocheter.
product
I am basically a project crocheter however I have always a blanket, beanie , simple baby clothing going at the same time for relaxation when the going get tough on the project or some days too tired for the more complex project
I must be a product crocheted. That’s because I can’t read patterns. I have looked at a few but couldn’t make heads or tails of them. I am a very visual person in all of my crafts. I can look at a picture or an item and reproduce it. It may take a few tries but that’s the fun part.
I’m a composite. Depends on what is happening around me. Often there is something I want to create for someone around me. Then I look for something I like the looks of that will fit that person or circumstance. Other times I’m ready to try something new – stitch, yarn, pattern. It just depends. I’ve been enjoying crochet since I was eleven years old and I’m 74 now, so I can go both ways. Just know I bless my Grandma Coleman who taught me and my sister. Love it!
I want to be like you at 74, I have 50 years to go but based on your definitely more composed description than my own, I’d say I do about the same when picking a project.
I will be a product crocheted when I learn to crochet. I am just a beginner.
I think I’d categorize myself as a Process crocheter. At least that would be my experience so far.
I started out crochet as a 6 year old and knitting as at or 5 year old. My grandma taught me knitting and my mom introduced me to crochet. I don’t ever remember seeing my mom crochet the two crocheted blankets she claimed she made, but that was the first thing I knew about crochet. My tension to this day has proven knitting to be nothing more than bruised fingers and knots that make me cry so the respect I have for my grandma spending summer after summer reteaching me how to knit only to result in me wishing I could but valuing my finger tips too much is beyond measurable. However after I learned about crochet I started doing it really well. I don’t know why but I remember the first thing I made was a soap holder. I never used that soap holder but I still have it. I’ve made others and used them but I still haven’t used the first one. I tried to make a hat and failed miserably with the shallow salad plate-esque flop that it turned out to be, still have it though because it reminds me that I still did finish it. The next thing I made was an amigurumi elephant for my sister which she rejected for the most part but I was so proud of. The next one I made was incredibly better. Then came two lop eared rabbits, one which was lop headed too. I ended up being a master at crochet-sculpting. I love the instant gratification of a complete animal or cactus or whatever it happened to be that I made. It caused me to be insanely bored with single and half-double stitches though. I found out that freeform crochet was my favorite thing in the world but I never made a big project. I tried a sweater and it’s currently halfway past the boobs. I signed up for a crochet Afghan kit that sends installments of the pattern with yarn which is probably the best thing yet. I love that I get the instant gratification of each square completed, something to show off. I actually ordered two projects at once so I had some variation to work with. I also decided to learn small wearable items after trying to adopt the tiktok trend of making bralettes turned into a nightmare for my chest. I just don’t know if they really have truly adaptable patterns for grandma boobs, and I know mine match my grandma’s because from the neck to the ankles we have an identical build. However I did my first mitten and I got extremely excited. I think if there was a third category called interval crocheter it would be accurate. I always work in intervals and then in a circuit of the intervals. Small product, work on project, learn something new, work on project, small product, work on project, and then learn something new again. Rinse, recycle, repeat. It might be the ADHD or the nature of moving 33 times in 24 years before finally settling in a home but it’s too hard to do anything that’s mundane for too long without at least balancing another mundane task along with it so I feel like I can break from turning into a defunct zombie robot. I have about a thousand other crafts, projects, and ideas on the go at any given time. There’s times where I look like I live in a micro landfill but then I get on the rinse repeat circuit where I clean up and get excited to clean for some odd reason because I really wish I didn’t have to do that. I wish instead of having scissor, notion, hairtie, and pen fairies stealing all my most important tools they would just clean up scraps and trimmings, make me lunch, and take the garbage out sometimes.
I think especially with the newest generation of crocheters that projects like afghans and full sweaters and other longer term projects are going to be harder to find or achieve because of how small projects have taken the mainstream by storm because they’re “cute”. It also makes it insanely hard to buy enough of the same colour yarn when there’s young girls, rightfully so but asininely at that, buying yarn in mass quantities to supply their small businesses. I wish I had the dedication but I genuinely cannot. I do love writing patterns or reframing the pattern to be followed by beginners more easily, but then again they do say those who can’t do teach and I guess I know where I fall there lol.
I am a product crocheter.
I am a process knitter and crocheter through and through. I like nothing better than spending my day experimenting with yarns and new techniques and/or stitches. My fellow knit mates call me “the swatch queen”.
I’m a product crocheter.
I am definitely a combination crocheter. I do love learning new stitches, I also have some stitches that I avoid at all costs. I’m not very adventurous about trying new yarns.