Stepping Away From Pattern Testing

[ShineNheaven]

I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from pattern testing and potentially from Ribblr altogether.

I love crochet, designing, teaching, and helping other designers improve their work. Constructive criticism is incredibly valuable, and I absolutely believe designers should be told when something is unclear or incorrect.

However, there is a difference between constructive feedback and making another creator feel belittled because they don’t write, design, or crochet exactly the way you do. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced enough of the latter that something I love has increasingly become stressful rather than enjoyable.

Crochet is creative. We are not all going to use identical methods, notation, construction, or design choices, and differences in preference are not automatically mistakes.

I’ve put a tremendous amount of time into testing patterns, helping newer designers troubleshoot unclear instructions, creating my own detailed patterns, and trying to make this community a positive place. At this point, I need to put that energy somewhere healthier for me.

I hope we can all remember that there is a real person behind every pattern and every username. Feedback can be honest without being unkind. Why do we so quickly assume incompetence in one another? Designers and testers should be working together with mutual respect, not constantly feeling as though they have to prove their abilities.

For now, I’m going to focus on designing projects for my crafting classes and getting back to the part of crochet that I actually love: creating and teaching.

I also want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me, encouraged my designs, tested with kindness, or simply enjoyed what I’ve created. There have been some genuinely wonderful people here, and I don’t want the difficult experiences to overshadow how much I appreciate you.

And if I have personally promised you a pattern or told you I would create something for you, please don’t worry. I still intend to honor those commitments and finish those designs. Stepping away from Ribblr and pattern testing does not mean I’m stepping away from the people I’ve made promises to.

[cr0chetdrag0n]

Oh no! I totally get what you’re saying, and I agree that the fact that there is a real person behind every username needs to be more spread. I’m praying that you find a better way to connect and test!

[Chomusukebakuretsu]

Thank you for sharing this. It breaks my heart to read that a community meant for creativity has caused you this much stress, but I completely respect and support your decision to protect your peace.

You are so right—crochet is an art form, and there is no single “correct” way to create. The community is losing an incredible asset, but I am so glad you are reclaiming your love for designing and teaching on your own terms. You are absolutely right about the fact that there is a real person behind a username and that definetly needs to be more spread. Thank you for all the energy you’ve poured into helping others. Wishing you the absolute best with your crafting classes!

[peachyxtulips]

aww, so sorry to hear that! you are an amazing, dedicated tester. however, i completely agree with you! your points are so valid, thank you for sharing a message everyone needs to hear.

[strawberrycat49]

sorry to hear that! I totally agree tho, your points make lots of sense!

[BetsyPe]

Hi, I am sorry to hear this. I just recently started to participate in the community and also started testing and I can totally understand what you are saying. Some of the comments that I read there are just plainly toxic. If you apply as a tester you agree to support the designer and point at things you register while trying the pattern as well as give suggestions. This is not about whether you like a design or not without giving suggestions yourself. Maybe some ppl struggle with giving feedback in general. Idk. However I didn’t expect such level of toxicity in the crafting community and feel sad on behalf of all the designers that put themselves out there and give their best.

[Kevin45632]

I don’t know you but being honest is great but being harsh is disgusting and it’s not ok if you love crocheting go for it but words that aren’t kind shouldn’t come with you wherever you’re going I hope you can come back to ribbler sometime even if it’s not this month or this year harsh words shouldn’t tear you away from the random people supporting you it should let you support them back. See you later I hope.

[HellloooBlue]

I’m so sorry that you’re dealing with that kind of feedback. It’s never easy when someone is cruel with their responses vs actually suggestive and helpful.
I appreciate you speaking out on this, as I think a lot of creators are dealing with similar responses, people just don’t seem to understand that we are people too.

[livgriff1426]

This makes a lot of sense. It’s truly so sad how just a hobby can turn into something that gives so much stress (trust me I know. I haven’t been testing patterns really any more because of it)

I wish you the best with everything else you’re doing

[JPaws]

I completely understand, and I’m really sorry you’ve had to deal with experiences that have taken the joy out of something you love. You absolutely deserve to step back and protect your peace.

I also want to thank you for all the help, guidance, and encouragement you’ve given. I’ve learned a lot from you, and I truly appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into helping. Your feedback has always been valuable to me, and I’m grateful for everything you’ve shared.

I hope stepping away gives you the chance to get back to enjoying crochet for what it’s supposed to be — creating, teaching, and having fun. You’ll definitely be missed, but I completely respect your decision and wish you nothing but the best.

[KdKrafts]

We will miss u

[CosmikEluminatedC]

I hear you loud and clear. Positivity can become a toxic mechanism if anyone shuts themselves off from growth. I can innerstand why some may feel that testers pointing out discrepancies may feel like criticism. However, if done properly testers and designers could take a step back and really determine if the feedback is for growth. If I allowed my first test to ruin me I wouldn’t have the knowledge I do now and how important design growth can be.
I know we all learn continuously so we need to keep this in mind.

[IMadeIt]

I’m sorry to here you feel belittled here on Ribblr.

Yes, constructive feedback/criticism is incredibly valuable, however, it’s often how the message is ‘delivered’ that is the problem.

As you mentioned we don’t all write, design or crochet exactly the same way. The same can be said about our communication styles, which will vary greatly based on many factors. As we all know, using the internet to communicate tone, feelings and/or emotions is extremely difficult. This is why the use of tone tags and emojis is so helpful.

As an avid tester myself, with over 70 completed tests, I’ve personally never come across anyone (tester or designer) who’s said anything that I would consider rude, hurtful or hateful.

I recently saw a post that addressed the topic of “toxic positivity”, which I believe is quite prevalent here on Ribblr. People afraid to say “No” or “I disagree” or giving their honest feedback for fear someone is going to misinterpret it as “hate” even though it’s been said without malice. This has happened to me. I’m not referring to people being outright nasty or rude (yet I have witnessed and experienced both here on Ribblr.) I’m simply referring to people not being honest in their opinions or thoughts because “someone might have their feelings hurt”.

A break from Ribblr may be what you need to reassess it’s place in your crafting journey.

I wish you the best for the future.

[web9502]

I’m sorry you had a bad experience testing. I agree that kindness and communication from both sides is a must. Ribblr is all about community, and this behaviour is so not ok. Hope you feel better and come back when ever you are ready!