Crochet patterns are in big demand. Millions of dollars worth of patterns are sold worldwide every year and many more free patterns are accessed on blogs and on YouTube too. By becoming a crochet pattern writer you can tap into this profitable market and gain back creative control over your crochet. But, how to get started writing crochet patterns? I’ll tell you all.
Just Get Writing
It might not sound very helpful, but you just need to start writing your pattern.
There are no certifications, no guilds, no permissions needed to become a crochet pattern designer. Yet so many crocheters feel unable to get started because “surely I can’t just write something and sell it?” But yes you can!
We all know how frustrating it is to try and follow a pattern whose instructions are unclear or filled with mistakes. Unfortunately there are more than a few of these out there. But if you make it art of your process to thoroughly test and edit your patterns, you won’t end up in this category.
Crochet Patterns Are Like Recipes
Your pattern will be written like a recipe. You need an ingredients list at the start:
- how much yarn
- what kind of yarn
- hook sizes
- any accessories that are required
- Gauge
Then you need to let your crocheters know what any abbreviations mean that you use. Never make assumptions that everyone knows what standard abbreviations mean. You simply don’t know what kind of skill level someone has that is going to make your pattern.
Then you start writing step by step how to recreate your design, exactly how you have made it.
You can download my free step by step guide on how to write a crochet pattern here. So you always have the steps you need to follow on hand.
Think of all the things that you want to see in a crochet pattern that you follow.
- Stitch counts for each row
- Does your turning chain count as a stitch?
- Pictures to show where stitches go and how they are supposed to look
All these things go a long way. The small details count when it comes to how easy your pattern will be to follow.
Learn By Doing
Writing crochet patterns is best learnt by just doing it. Write a pattern and see if you can follow your own instructions. By getting stuck in you will find out how well it suits you, how your own brain works and what kind of system you need.
No one writes a good first pattern. So give yourself some grace and don’t expect perfection the first time. You will end up wishing you’d taken better notes while making your design. You may end up wishing you chose a different yarn. Your first pattern may not fit the niche you eventually settle on. But al this is OK because it’s part of the learning process.
The Learning Curve
Writing your first pattern is a learning curve, and a steep one at that!
My very first pattern was shockingly bad, but because it was my first I just didn’t know any better. I had to answer messages from customers to explain details that I hadn’t made clear. I hadn’t included details on what yarn I’d used. I had to go back and update it once I’d honed my skills a bit more.
But do you know what never happened? Demands for a refund. Despite the mistakes I didn’t get any nasty messages, no one asking for their money back. My customers were simply happy to help me correct the pattern. So you don’t need to worry if mistakes do creep in. It’s far from ideal, but as long as you’re willing to make corrections your customers will be understanding.
Your patterns will get better the more you write.
Fear Is Your Biggest Enemy
What really stops you from getting started or even pressing the publish button on your finished pattern is fear. Fear of getting it wrong, fear of being judged, fear of not being good enough, fear of failure. The fear is worse than the reality and if you are going to make your dreams of being a crochet pattern writer a reality, then you need to push that fear back and just get started.
As with starting anything new, you have a lot to learn and you have to push your comfort boundaries to make it happen. But if you are determined and willing to learn, you can and will become a successful crochet pattern writer.
You can let fear win and become your own worst enemy or you can push your fear to one side and just get on with it. There will never be the perfect time in life to get started, so the next best time is right now!
Where To Learn About Crochet Pattern Writing
There is a lot to learn about become a successful crochet pattern writer. It’s not just about writing the pattern itself, you need to build your reputation, grow an audience, learn how to get your patterns found in search results and so much more.
It took me years to put all the pieces together. I made lots of mistakes along the way and I took a long time to get a cohesive brand that I was comfortable with and that worked for me and my lifestyle. But that’s why I created Crochet Pattern School – so you don’t have to do things the hard way and can make your patterns pay sooner rather than later.
In Crochet Pattern School I help you to discover everything you need to know to conquer the challenges and make your crochet patterns the profit making machine you want them to be.
You can subscribe to my free Substack here, but to go deeper you can subscribe to my Crochet Pattern School Podcast here for just $7 a month with no minimum sign up term.
I also have several other resources for learning about various aspects of crochet pattern writing. You can explore them here inside our dedicated webpage for all things crochet patterns.
