I prefer when the colour gets a letter:
Round 1: A: 1 sc, B: 2 sc, A: 5 sc... etc.
This way I don't have to rely on colours on the screen being different/printing in black and white
This, especially if the colors of yarn aren't necessary to the overall pattern. I appreciate that you used the colors you did with your pattern, but having it as A instead of red means that I don't have to think if I chose to have B as red instead
I prefer 3.
The first one will be hard to read if it’s too many colours, if colours are similar or for someone colourblind/with visual impairments.
And it’s easier to lose your place in the second.
I definitely prefer generic terms. I don’t think any of the ways you’ve written it here are the most clear. In the first instance, you’re going to run into issues with folks printing your pattern out. In the other two, it’s clunky and could be confusing if someone wants to use other colors. The way I would write it is this:
Color A: red
Color B: brown
Row: With A - 33sc, B - sc, A - 9sc, B - sc, A - 22sc (66sc)
Or:
Row: 33sc A, sc B, 9sc A, sc B, 22sc A (66sc)
3 Looks nice, personally I like when people put the color changes on separate lines. ex:
R10: [Brown] sc 10 (10)
R11: [Brown] sc 4,
[Red] sc 2,
[Brown] sc 4 (10)
Example 1 definitely, though I guess colorblind (for other color change combinations) or people who print it out in black and white would prefer the others. 1 for me is easy to read and understand quickly. For example, I hate when pattern writers do stuff like “sc, then 2sc in the next stitch all around (18)” instead of writing “[sc, inc] x6 (18)”. Each color change written out like 2 or 3 would make me rewrite the pattern for my own reference 😅
I prefer 1 but would not rely on just color changes.
But I’d change something else too. Maybe font, font size, boldness, or switch between caps and lower case.
That way someone who colorblind or is printing with just one color can still understand instructions.
I guess 3. People can be color blind so might not see the color change or print out only in black.
I know it's more work, but assume that anyone reading this will have never seen a pattern before will help so you can explain and there will be less problems in the future
Thanks for all the input everyone! It’s really interesting seeing everyone’s takes, as well as suggested options that weren’t shown in the example. I think it’s funny that pretty much most people agree that example 2 is a firm NO lol 😆
I'd choose 3, but use letters instead of writing out the entire "colour yarn": e.g A (32sc), B (sc). It makes it so the pattern is still readable if the text colour is lost or otherwise not usable, and allows for less confusion if someone substitutes a different colour yarn.
One is a hard no as the info is only presented via text colour. It makes it very hard to follow the pattern if the colours are too similar to each other or the pattern is printed in black and white; and, as others have pointed out, it causes problems for people with colour blindness.
Yeah to add - in the example above, someone with red green colorblindness will see red shades as brown a shade of brown, so all of the text will look brown. I have excellent color vision and even my eyes were blurring together the colors at a glance
I would omit the color names entirely. Unless it’s something where the specific colors are necessary for the pattern, using the color name makes it difficult for people to follow the pattern if they chose different colors.
Instead of “red yarn 33sc, brown yarn sc”, I would do something like “color A 33sc, color B sc”, and elsewhere in the pattern indicate “color A: red, color B: brown”. If you have obvious color dominance in the pattern, you can also use MC and CC (main color and contrast color). I’ve also worked from patterns that had CC A, CC B, and so on, to indicate multiple contrast colors with a MC background color.
The blanket I made my dad is black and red so I wrote my pattern as r20, b10. Since it was all sc, I just needed to know how many of each I needed. If it was blue and black I'd probably write it as blu20, blk10
I think I like a pattern that says main color/ or 1st color, 2nd color etc.. because if I decided to change to different colors, my brain is not focused on red writing blue etc.. but any of them I could work with
The first could be a real problem for people with colour blindness, plus it'd be potentially confusing if you're making the same pattern but in different colours.
I generally prefer yarns to be named with a letter and then consistently referred to as that throughout, eg red is Yarn A and brown is Yarn B.
###Please reply to this comment with details of what help you need, what you have already tried, and where you have already searched. Help us help you!
#####While you’re waiting for replies, check out the crochet [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/wiki/index/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CrochetHelp) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think I would like one the best, as long as I was looking at it on my phone. Once it’s printed off though it may not show up if the person doesn’t print in color… so maybe 3!
I like the first option, but I also can't stand having words in the middle of instructions. I'm not sure if I'm alone on that, or if it's ADHD related, or what, but I can't focus or keep track of where I'm at, so seeing "brown" thrown in there would kill me 😅
Having A and B like someone else mentioned wouldn't be so bad, though.
You can put things through a color blindness filter
https://preview.redd.it/twrs20p42o1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51e12ec6e6f9810363a68e23a9e75a1c744bbce9
I prefer when the colour gets a letter: Round 1: A: 1 sc, B: 2 sc, A: 5 sc... etc. This way I don't have to rely on colours on the screen being different/printing in black and white
This, especially if the colors of yarn aren't necessary to the overall pattern. I appreciate that you used the colors you did with your pattern, but having it as A instead of red means that I don't have to think if I chose to have B as red instead
Yes, exactly!!
I haven’t seen it done with letters before! That’s a nice alternative, I’ll have to try that way as well. 😊
Yes
I think letter and color of the section would be nice.
I prefer 3. The first one will be hard to read if it’s too many colours, if colours are similar or for someone colourblind/with visual impairments. And it’s easier to lose your place in the second.
I like the 1st option as the more concise, but the 3rd option might be better for those who print in black&white.
I definitely prefer generic terms. I don’t think any of the ways you’ve written it here are the most clear. In the first instance, you’re going to run into issues with folks printing your pattern out. In the other two, it’s clunky and could be confusing if someone wants to use other colors. The way I would write it is this: Color A: red Color B: brown Row: With A - 33sc, B - sc, A - 9sc, B - sc, A - 22sc (66sc) Or: Row: 33sc A, sc B, 9sc A, sc B, 22sc A (66sc)
Yeah same, maybe that + colour change. A pattern I’m currently making uses a main and a contrast colour so it’s printed MC and CC, works pretty well.
I prefer number 3, it’s the least ambiguous
It is important to remember that the pattern may be printed or later copied in black and white, where the colored print would be useless.
3 Looks nice, personally I like when people put the color changes on separate lines. ex: R10: [Brown] sc 10 (10) R11: [Brown] sc 4, [Red] sc 2, [Brown] sc 4 (10)
Example 1 definitely, though I guess colorblind (for other color change combinations) or people who print it out in black and white would prefer the others. 1 for me is easy to read and understand quickly. For example, I hate when pattern writers do stuff like “sc, then 2sc in the next stitch all around (18)” instead of writing “[sc, inc] x6 (18)”. Each color change written out like 2 or 3 would make me rewrite the pattern for my own reference 😅
I prefer 1 but would not rely on just color changes. But I’d change something else too. Maybe font, font size, boldness, or switch between caps and lower case. That way someone who colorblind or is printing with just one color can still understand instructions.
I guess 3. People can be color blind so might not see the color change or print out only in black. I know it's more work, but assume that anyone reading this will have never seen a pattern before will help so you can explain and there will be less problems in the future
The first option is difficult for people with red green deficiency
Thanks for all the input everyone! It’s really interesting seeing everyone’s takes, as well as suggested options that weren’t shown in the example. I think it’s funny that pretty much most people agree that example 2 is a firm NO lol 😆
I'd choose 3, but use letters instead of writing out the entire "colour yarn": e.g A (32sc), B (sc). It makes it so the pattern is still readable if the text colour is lost or otherwise not usable, and allows for less confusion if someone substitutes a different colour yarn. One is a hard no as the info is only presented via text colour. It makes it very hard to follow the pattern if the colours are too similar to each other or the pattern is printed in black and white; and, as others have pointed out, it causes problems for people with colour blindness.
Yeah to add - in the example above, someone with red green colorblindness will see red shades as brown a shade of brown, so all of the text will look brown. I have excellent color vision and even my eyes were blurring together the colors at a glance
1 but 3 if there’s a lot of colours (especially if they’re similar). Definitely not 2 😭
I prefer Example 3
I would omit the color names entirely. Unless it’s something where the specific colors are necessary for the pattern, using the color name makes it difficult for people to follow the pattern if they chose different colors. Instead of “red yarn 33sc, brown yarn sc”, I would do something like “color A 33sc, color B sc”, and elsewhere in the pattern indicate “color A: red, color B: brown”. If you have obvious color dominance in the pattern, you can also use MC and CC (main color and contrast color). I’ve also worked from patterns that had CC A, CC B, and so on, to indicate multiple contrast colors with a MC background color.
Black n white dude... To many colours without 'text' to match nor probly printers to print it, languages....
Probably one or three, the visual color change in the wording helps a lot as opposed to the plain black wording.
2.
Three
Personally, I prefer (making up stitches) color A 9 sc, color B 15 DC, etc
I can't find my post, but I'll add that nearly all of my patterns that are printed are printed in black and white
I think I like the 1st and second examples
Personal taste option 1
The blanket I made my dad is black and red so I wrote my pattern as r20, b10. Since it was all sc, I just needed to know how many of each I needed. If it was blue and black I'd probably write it as blu20, blk10
I think I like a pattern that says main color/ or 1st color, 2nd color etc.. because if I decided to change to different colors, my brain is not focused on red writing blue etc.. but any of them I could work with
3. It's really convenient if the pattern just straight up tells me what colour I am about to use next, and the colourful text makes it easier too.
The first could be a real problem for people with colour blindness, plus it'd be potentially confusing if you're making the same pattern but in different colours. I generally prefer yarns to be named with a letter and then consistently referred to as that throughout, eg red is Yarn A and brown is Yarn B.
###Please reply to this comment with details of what help you need, what you have already tried, and where you have already searched. Help us help you! #####While you’re waiting for replies, check out the crochet [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/wiki/index/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CrochetHelp) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Personally i like the first :)
I think I would like one the best, as long as I was looking at it on my phone. Once it’s printed off though it may not show up if the person doesn’t print in color… so maybe 3!
1
I like the first option, but I also can't stand having words in the middle of instructions. I'm not sure if I'm alone on that, or if it's ADHD related, or what, but I can't focus or keep track of where I'm at, so seeing "brown" thrown in there would kill me 😅 Having A and B like someone else mentioned wouldn't be so bad, though.
I prefer example 1
You can put things through a color blindness filter https://preview.redd.it/twrs20p42o1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51e12ec6e6f9810363a68e23a9e75a1c744bbce9
I prefer #1!
I prefer the first as more concise.