Stitches & Patterns

Chances are, I will get tossed out of a certain Facebook crochet group (the admins of which are known to be ridiculously loose with the ban-hammer) for this, BUT this is why I have a BLOG wherein I can write anything I want, post it on my own social media pages like my own FB, G+, Twitter and Ello accounts, and people can STILL read what I have to say here. 

 

And it's very simple: there's a difference between a "stitch" and a "pattern."

 

 

 

Have a look at the photos I've embedded here; these are all crochet projects I have made. 

All of these rely very heavily on "double crochet" stitches. All of them use "chain" stitches. All of them use "slip" stitches. But the way those stitches come together to form completely different looks is what makes a "pattern." 

I hear people calling patterns "stitches" all the time; hell, even I have fallen into that trap. But I'm trying to get better about it. I'm trying not to say "basketweave stitch" - instead, I'll say "basketweave pattern." Or, in the case of the crossed double crochets (see the orange & white photo at top) I'll say "crossed double crochet pattern." In the case of the multicolored scrap blanket in the last photo, it's better if I call that the "scrappy steps pattern." 

One of the members in the group copped an attitude with me about this - she was all "same thing" - so I just blocked her. If she has a problem with things I post, well - maybe it's for the better that we don't see anything posted by one another. I know I'm going to have issues with her so - off she goes. Not even on my radar any more. 

But yes, there IS a difference between a stitch and a pattern, and it seems to me it's important to know the difference and speak/write accordingly. Hell, when I first posted by scrappy steps blanket, what did people do? They ooohed and aaaahed and said "can I get the PATTERN?" They didn't ask for the STITCH. So they already know that there IS a difference between a pattern and stitch. This goes to show that my thoughts are correct, that I'm not crazy. 

I can just see someone new to crochet looking at the corner-to-corner pattern (as shown in the little blue and white squares I made in the photo above) and thinking it's a specific stitch, not a pattern of stitches. Some new crocheters, upon first seeing corner-to-corner, are quite intimidated by it and afraid to try it. But why leave them in their discouragement? Why not show them why it's actually not as complicated as it looks and thus encourage them to try it? 

The thing is, dear new crocheter/fiber artist, if you can chain, double crochet, and slip stitch, then guess what? You have all the skills you need to make a corner-to-corner project. You already can do it - it's just a matter of how you arrange those stitches. 

And those same stitches will get you granny squares when organized differently (see the aqua/blue/white photo above). Those same stitches, combined with single crochet, gets you crossed double crochet (orange and white pic). 

So I say the fiber arts world should be more precise in their language. I don't think that's asking too much. Just say "pattern." I don't see why that's so difficult.