“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”- Henry Ford

Thinking about writing your own crochet patterns? If so, let me tell you some things I’ve learned along the way that will hopefully help you avoid some of the pitfalls that come along with pattern writing. Full disclosure: I am by no means an “expert.” I’ve been pattern designing/writing for only about three years. So, I am pretty new to it myself.

1. Take your time.

It isn’t a race! There is a lot of pressure to quickly produce content and material in order to be competitive. If you rush yourself into putting a pattern out for testing before it’s ready, you will most certainly regret it. Typically after designing and writing the pattern you’ll want to hold a “tester call”. A tester call is basically an ad, posting, or application in which you enlist other crafters to receive your pattern, make your design, then submit their feedback to you in hopes of correcting errors before you release it to the public. This process is vital because you want to ensure that your written instructions make sense and that others can follow it without confusion. You are going to be selling this pattern; therefore, you want to make sure people are happy with the product you have sold them.

If there are mistakes, it is the job of your testing team to catch them and bring it to your attention. This is the part that is always unsettling for me. With any design, you often wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to criticism. Mistakes happen. Although it can be quite difficult to not take it to heart when these errors come to light. A good group of testers will catch your mistakes and tell you. Despite this, hearing you’ve made a mistake can feel defeating. So, before opening yourself up for the tester call, be sure your pattern (and ego) is ready to withstand the critique.

2. Be open to change.

During the testing process, your testers may suggest changes to your original design. Embrace this. You may have your heart set on something- only until you hear of a much better way of doing it.

When designing my Circle in the Sand Top a while back I had instructions to make (2) separate ties consisting of 100 chs each which were attached to a wooden ring. These ties were to go up and around the neck while wearing the top. Well, one of my testers (and someone who has become a friend to me) stated that she made a chain of 200 and then tied it around the wooden ring- basically accomplishing the same thing. It was Susanne of @swelling_hart_creations that gave me that little nugget and ultimately improved my original design tremendously!

3. Take care of the ones taking care of you.

These are the people taking time out of their busy lives to test your pattern for FREE. Sure, they get your pattern for free. But, keep in mind they are providing you with their expertise, guidance, and editing skills. They are also taking time to provide you with modeled pics which take a lot of time to coordinate good, high quality photos. Be thankful for their work. I always try to show them support by posting their work to my socials in hopes of not only engaging with them but hopefully paying it forward so that we can grow together!

4. Do not give up.

With every pattern, I always learn so much. I am thankful to those that support me and encourage me with their positivity. Yes, the mistakes are hard to hear- but with those mistakes you learn and get better. Throughout my short time in pattern design and writing I have met some truly wonderful people who I am fortunate to call my friends. Rachel of @rae.clay.crochets, Lisa of @pinkcapricorncrochet, Sara of @earth.hand.fiber are just some of the incredibly positive and uplifting people I have met along the way. Rachel of rae.clay.crochets is an amazing tech editor, by the way. I highly recommend her to tech edit your pattern before opening it up for testing.