Mind of the Crochet Designer podcast

ep 7: Creating charts hard and time consuming? Learn how to create crochet charts like a pro with these tips

• Christina Hadderingh

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In this episode I reveal the secrets to creating clear, professional crochet charts. Discover why adding charts to your patterns can make all the difference and explore various tools and software to streamline your process. If you are dragging your feet at offering crochet charts because they feel hard or time-consuming, this episode is for you! 

Highlights:

  • The Importance of Crochet Charts
  • When to Include Charts
  • Charting Tools and Software
  • Pro Tips for Clear Charts in HALF the time


And if you're ready to take your charting game to the next level, I also have a few things to dive even deeper.

Sign up to the Newsletter to get access to my secret Crochet Design Library, which contains your free charting mini-course (among other awesome resources).

Get your special offer for the upcoming masterclass 'Create Crochet Charts like a PRO' through this link. Offer expires on the 28th!

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Have a wonderful and creative week!

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Hi. From beautiful souls. Welcome to a new episode of mine, of the crochet designer. My name is Christina hollering, and first off, I want to say how happy I am with. All of the laws on the podcast, on the episodes. On the content. I received a lot of reviews on the podcast. Page. So please, if you haven't already, because I love to read your reviews and it really helps me spread the podcast. If you are loving on this podcast, please leave a review at Christina crochet, coach.com/podcast. And make sure to add a star review to Spotify. Or on Any, any other of your favorite podcast platforms? Because it really helps me spread it and. If it has value to you, it can certainly have failure to other aspiring crochet designers or whether you are a professional crochet designer or an aspiring crochet designer. It kind of fell you to anyone that has this crochet design dream. And so thank you. Thank you. Thank you for helping me spread the podcast and leaving your refuse. Having said that today, I want to talk about making crochet charts. So please grab your whip and your crochet hook, and let's dive into this topic. First, I want to talk about why to actually offer a crochet charts. Well, the reason is simple. You just getting your potential buyers an extra reason to buy your pattern because some people just have trouble with following written patterns or maybe they don't. Read in the language that your pattern is in. They can just simply use the chart and follow the pattern from there. It also gives an extra official aid when the written pattern isn't 100% clear. So sometimes I get questions from people. I don't get a lot of questions by the way, because I really feel like. You can use anything as her crotch. Your pattern, your written patterns should be 100% clear in the first place. But anyway, Whenever I do get an email. A lot of the times I have charts and tutorial photos with my patterns. So it's really easy to to use it as an extra visual aid. Like someone doesn't really get the written pattern. I mean, some of my patterns are intermediate to advanced level. So they don't really understand it. So I can simply refer to the chart or the tutorial photos and this way it's easier to provide pattern support. And some people, are official learners. So like myself. So I just love to provide an extra official aid. To my pattern. Then. There's the question of when to actually add a chart and I use a set of criteria. The first is. And maybe the only one is that it should really be off added value. I don't chart simple squares with rows of all double crochet. And I also don't chart things dead. Doesn't make the pattern any more clear. Like a fairly heavy overlay pattern where desktops have overlap in the stitches. In this case, it's just better to use tutorial, pictures or videos because charts won't make that any more clear. So. When I started Christina crochet coach, I did a lot of Q and a just to get a sense of what people needed help with. And a lot of them asked questions about how to actually make charts and what to use when making charts. So here are a few options on how to actually make them. So the first one is really simple and low tech it's to actually draw them by hand, just using grid paper. And pencil and charted out dead way. And you might think this is like a very unprofessional way of charting. We will discuss professional versus unprofessional in a bit. But I want you to know that Rachel Carmona from Cyprus textiles. Does this, and she's a full-time professional designer. And I always like to know that if it's good enough for somebody else, somebody dad gets to make money with her work. That it's good enough for anybody. So if you feel very overwhelmed with crochet charts software, then you must know that it's really okay to just draw them by hand. Then another thing. That I started out with is stitch fiddle. It's a free software. It's online. You can make an account and use it. And it's very great for very simple charts, like filet crochet. Or color work. I would personally not use it for more complex ones. Because the software isn't really user friendly. And it's very limited in its options. The thing I personally. Use myself is the crochet charts software from stitch works software. It's a free software and you can do so many things with it. It's not perfect. I mean, it really isn't that user friendly. So I'm going to talk more about that in a bit. And the last option. Well, I'm sure there are more options, but

Microfoon (YXC usb audio)-1:

The last option I personally know is using a drawing program like Adobe illustrator to do it from scratch, which is quite time consuming. But it does give a very professional finish and Kiersten balding from hack Mariak. She does all of her crochet charts from scratch., for the scape. Yes. Publications, all of her charts look very professional and she does use Adobe illustrator. So I really wanted to include this in the list.

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Now. You can use whatever has your preference. The downside is that most of the digital options have a very steep learning curve. And that's also why a lot of crochet dishonors don't offer charts because the software is really hard to learn. And it takes such a long time to create them. And that's why I want to share two tips on how to make. Your charts more clear and one real time safer. So these are also some of the tips from my upcoming masterclass called create crochet charts, like a pro. More on that in a beds. And I'll help, you know, the second one that is a true time-saver might really surprise you, but I wanted to discuss it on this podcast. My first tip is to use notes alongside your charts. This way you don't have to chart things that are difficult to chart anyway. So I chose a note like you work the first three rows on the wrong side and arrests on the right side. Again. This way you don't have to use like arrows or lines or whatever to chart that out. You can just put a note above the chart and this really saves time and makes your pattern clearer. Or I often include notes that will make reading the chart more clear, like the position of the row number indicates the beginning of the row. Very simple. Right. This way. I don't get a lot of questions in my inbox and this is one of the reasons I want to make very clear patterns because I'm not loving our customer service emails. So if there's a way I can make my pattern, my charts more clear, I will, and notes are a big part of that. Now the most surprising tip. I mean, I think a lot of you might be surprised on this. Time-saving tip. Is to leave your perfectionism at the door. Because the charts should be easy to follow and clear. It doesn't have to be 100% perfect. And if you are stressing over the angle of this stitch and dead. It's so easy to get caught up and spend days creating charts. Now I want you to know that your time is valuable and your customers can still follow a chart. Even when some of the stitches are a bit wonky. So, if you are working your charts and you are noticing that you get really uncomfortable when a stitch isn't perfectly aligned. Then this might be a really big time safer for you. And I also want you to know that the charts I added for the hotel B show. I used stitch fiddle at the beginning. Dade really, we're not that special or professional looking. But they were super clear and nobody complained about them. And that's the most important part. Now. There's something I've been working on for the past weeks. And I'm so thrilled to be able to offer this because so many of you ask about. How to create professional looking charts. And of course these things take time to set up. And so I'm really pleased. I can finally offer it to you. Because I struggled so much and spent so many hours and days and years learning how to create professional. Charts with the crochet. Charts software. Literally seven years now. And I didn't have someone to support me in my crochet design journey, and I really love to be the one to support you in yours. So what I've done is you might already have access to the library. I don't know if you're signed up to the newsletter, but. I have a secret crochet design library. That's full of crochet design resources for the professional crochet designer. You can. Find guide, stare a workbooks on how to tap into the magic of your inspiration to create unique designs. You can find checklists on how to create your pattern on how to create your. Design. If you are the one that loves to use checklists or want to know how I, as a professional Christianity, signer creates them. But the latest edition I'm super proud of is a full mini course on how to create. Your professional looking charts, using the crochet. Chart's software from stitch works. And in the mini cars, I go over all of the basic features off the software. So you can use it as well. And I will share two of my favorite shortcuts that will cut. You're charting time in half, like literally, because it's so easy, but if you don't know, then it's also easy to spend so many hours on creating your charts. And I really wanted to provide a mini course that is of true value because I think a lot of us. When you are in the e-learning space, we get so tired of all of these so-called masterclasses and free courses. That really are way off,, selling something else that aren't really up to value. So I really wanted to create something that really is of true value. And that's the mini course. When you sign up to the newsletter, you will get the secret link to sign up to the free library. And so many of you already are signed up and I'm loving that because I really want to provide. A resource, a full library of resources that will make your crochet sign journey so much more fun and so much more easy. So if this is calling to you, please sign up through Christina crochet, coach.com/newsletter. Or you can just go in the show notes and click the link there. And if you are ready to take your charting game to the next level and offer your crochet customers an extra reason to buy your patterns. You can sign up for my upcoming masterclass. I am so frail to be able to offer this masterclass because I struggled so much and spent so many hours and days learning how to use this software. And. That's why I will spill all of my secret shortcuts. I discovered while using the software for the last seven years. We will make charts in real time together in this life masterclass. And of course replaced will be available if you can't make it, because it really is in the doing that we really get to learn. So afterwards you will be able to make your own charts in no time and get back to the fall things of Christianity sign, because no one likes to spend days on creating crochet charts, but it really is an extra added benefit of your pattern. And so if you're looking to professionalize your crochet design journey, it really is a failure to look into offering charts to your potential customers. Now the amazing thing is because our really. Fell you, you. As a listener of this podcast, as a follower of Christina crochet coach. And this is the first time I'm hosting a masterclass. You get a whopping 60 euros off. When you sing the link from the show notes. And this way you don't pay the 79 euros, but only 19. This offer won't last, next Monday on the 28th, it will expire. So if charting is something you really. Feel like you need to look at in your crochet design journey at this time. I hope to see you at the masterclass. Now. Before I go and leave you to work on your next crochet design. I want you to know dad, what are your opting for the free mini course? Automatic class? I really hope I have provided you with the stepping stones on how to create your own professional crochet charts. Because like I said before, I didn't have someone teaching me this, but I really want to be that person for you. I hope you. have a wonderful day. Talk to you next time on the mind of the crochet designer podcast. Bye. Bye.