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Frequently asked questions#

If you don't find what you're looking for here or in the documentation, ask in our community group. We will extend this FAQ page as more questions come in.

About Cromo Cloud#

What is Cromo Cloud?

Cromo Cloud is a platform for designing and sharing mosaic crochet patterns. Apart from being a library of community-shared patterns, it includes CromoDesigner, a cross-platform design tool, and CromoViewer, a handy tool for following a pattern while crocheting

It was created as a one-man hobby project. Read more about that on the about page.

Is Cromo Cloud free to use?

CromoViewer is free. CromoDesigner comes with a subscription, but pricing is as low as 2.5€/month for the full-blown version and even lower for the starter version. Subscriptions can be canceled at any time. More pricing details here

Can I sell my patterns on Cromo Cloud?

No. Through Cromo Cloud you can give crocheters access to your patterns, so that they can easily follow the patterns by using CromoViewer, but you cannot directly sell them on the Cromo Cloud platform. However you can limit access to your paid patterns, by providing your customers a unique access code generated on Cromo Cloud. We also provide seamless integration with Ravelry (see below for more details).

Can I share my patterns on Cromo Cloud for free?

Absolutely! In fact, we deeply appreciate designers who choose to share their creativity with the community. Free patterns help inspire others, make mosaic crochet more accessible, and help fellow crocheters discover new techniques and styles.

Is there a link between Cromo Cloud and Ravelry?

Yes. When creating patterns with CromoDesigner, you can share or sell them on Ravelry, which is a huge community with literally millions of daily visitors. Ravelry users can synchronize their Cromo Cloud and Ravelry accounts. As a result, crocheters who have purchased your pattern will automatically gain access to CromoViewer for following that pattern. No need to distribute unique access codes in that case.

Can I create private patterns just for personal use?

Yes. A newly created pattern always has the draft status. You can see it on the 'My patterns' tab and open it in CromoViewer, but no one else can see it. Only after you publish the pattern will it appear in the Cromo Cloud pattern library and be visible to everyone.

Can I open all free patterns on Cromo Cloud in CromoViewer?

Yes. While access to paid patterns is limited (the seller provides a unique access code to the buyer for that), free patterns can be opened in the CromoViewer app by anyone. You just have to add the pattern to your library, so that it appears on the 'My Patterns' tab.

About CromoDesigner#

How do I create my first pattern?

Actually we created a detailed walkthrough for you, you can follow it here. CromoDesigner also has a 'tour' available in its Help menu. Following that tour is the best way to get an overview of the CromoDesigner capabilities. (you can also view it on YouTube)

What's the best workflow as Ravelry member?

Good question, since Ravelry and Cromo Cloud are 2 separate platforms and you will want to have your patterns visible on both. Due to some restrictions on how data can flow between both platforms, it's best to follow a specific workflow. This is explained here

Can I import existing patterns?

No, that's not possible unfortunately. There exists no official standard for written crochet patterns, therefore a single import tool is not feasible. However, we were able to import a small number of free patterns available on Ravelry by writing a specific conversion tool for each. If you have a large number of written instructions for mosaic crochet patterns, don't hesitate to contact us, and we will evaluate if a conversion would be feasible. And no, we won't charge you if we decide to work on that - we're happy to support all you designers, as long as it's technically feasible.

Any other ways to start using CromoDesigner with existing patterns?

Yes. One of the possibilities in CromoDesigner is to upload an image, which is shown as background on your design canvas. If you have a clean picture of your existing design, and you make sure the number of stitches in the Cromo Cloud design aligns correctly with the image, it should be really easy to draw the design on top of that image. Our walkthrough for first-time CromoDesigner users demonstrates this functionality, you can follow it here.

Personal note: I have done that for a few designs of my daughter 🥰. Designs which took her weeks to create 🎨, took me something like half an hour to have them 'imported' in CromoDesigner 🚀. After that, my wife was very happy that she could use CromoViewer to crochet those patterns 🧶

About CromoViewer#

Do I need an account to view patterns?

Yes — an account is needed to browse the Cromo Cloud library, to add (free or paid) patterns to your personal library, and to open them in CromoViewer. A Cromo Cloud account is free.

I purchased a pattern on Ravelry. Can I open it in CromoViewer?

That depends. If it was created in CromoDesigner, that's definitely possible. If it wasn't, you might ask the designer if (s)he is willing to create a CromoDesigner version for it. In most cases that's pretty easy to do.

Next, click your name in the upper right corner of the Cromo Cloud window and select Sync with Ravelry. Your purchased patterns will appear, and if they indeed were created with CromoDesigner you will be able to add them to your personal library. After that just click the pattern and in the pattern detail page click "Open in CromoViewer".

I purchased a pattern and received an access code for CromoViewer. How do I use it?

Just look up the pattern in the Cromo Cloud library and select it to open the pattern detail page. Click "Open in CromoViewer", that's when you will be able to fill in the access code and proceed to CromoViewer. You only need to provide the code once, after that the pattern is added to your personal library.

Can I use CromoViewer offline?

No - CromoViewer has the patterns you work on stored in its cloud library. That's also where it stores your personal preferences (like used design/background color for each pattern) and your progress. You can easily swap between your home desktop, travel laptop or iPad and pick up where you left off.

How do I report a mistake in a pattern?

That is not something we will be able to solve. You will need to contact the designer for that, or maybe post in the community group and tag the designer.