So You Think You Are Ready To Write Your Own Crochet Patterns? 4 Lessons You Need To See

So You Think You Are Ready To Write Your Own Crochet Patterns?  4 Lessons You Need To See

A SICK 'LIL MONKEYS Tutorial
By Kelli Wohlgemuth

So, you've learned to crochet.  You've bought a few patterns, found hundreds more for free, and now you are even creating your own stuff, but how do you put it all in pattern form?  By now I am assuming, you have passed the sketching phase and are ready to create your item, but hold on, I learned the LONG HARD WAY about pattern format.  I confused many a tester.  Often times even when following the Craft Yarn Council standardized abbreviations and pattern format, people are still confused.  I think this is because in the age of the internet, people learn to crochet differently, they pick things up in bits and pieces.  If you are lucky, your mom or grandmother taught YOU the right way.  The HARD way, with all the funny letter and symbols and pictures of loops to follow on a page. 

Lesson # 1: YOU CANNOT ASSUME YOUR END READER WILL KNOW NEARLY AS MUCH ABOUT CROCHET AS YOU DO.

Sure, it is easy to say, well they should learn the standards!!!  But let's be honest, you are generally writing patterns for PATTERN SALES.  People buy patterns that have a GREAT, TEXTURIZED, finished look, and that are EASY to follow.  SO, give them a hand.  Use standard formats and abbreviations, BUT give the user a short list of notes at the beginning.  Let them know the things they can consistently rely on in the pattern, such as whether or not to count their beginning CH 2 as a stitch for example.  What may seem so very simple to you right now, was not always so easy.  It took you time and trial and error to finally commit to memory that in a round, the CH only counts as a stitch when you join to the chain.

Lesson # 2:  YOU MUST DO A FULL PATTERN RUN, AND LISTEN TO THE FEEDBACK OF YOUR TESTERS.

OK, No one is going to type it out perfectly the very first attempt.  This is the reason we do pattern tests.  Try to get a variety of testers to work your pattern from beginner to advanced, and stop to receive their feedback.  Do NOT berate your testers for evaluating and testing your design.  This is what you ASKED them to do for you by asking them to work your pattern.  It is extremely rude to allow someone to put their time and energy into testing, what is basically your rough draft, and then yell at them for finding your errors.  This is not only a good way to loose testers, it is a QUICK way to get a "sullied" name in the crafting community.

Lesson # 3: KNOW THE CRAFTING COMMUNITY, YOUR BEST FRIENDS AND BIGGEST RIVALS.

As crafters we GENERALLY love each other to death, but let's face it, when I sell a pattern everyone of you is my biggest rival.  This fact does not cause me to be secretive or rude to other crafters.  No.  This fact drives me, and inspires me to always be better.  The crafting community is comprised of some of the MOST talented artistic people I have ever known.  It is this level of creativity that pushes me to go further in my own creative endeavors.  Use the friendly rivalry to your advantage.  Link into your peers.  Test their patterns.  Check out other formats.  Do evaluate your pattern and be honest with yourself if it is worth the same, less, or more than the versions your crafty peers have available and price it accordingly.

Lesson # 4:  KEEP TRACK OF EVERY STITCH TYPE YOU LEARN ALONG THE WAY.

My craft bin actually has a few labeled swatches of interesting stitches.  When I come across one in a pattern, I do a swatch of that stitch and mark the hook size and yarn weight and stitch name.  When sketching out ideas, you never know which of those swatches will push your idea that extra edge it needs to out sell all the other patterns.

This brings us to our next Tutorial which will be out 05-06-2013 on stitch varieties.  What unknown stitches are YOU missing out on?

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