As a crochet pattern designer, I’ve heard a lot of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly about crochet patterns. One thing I often hear is “I won’t pay for a crochet pattern because every time I do the pattern is written terribly and I end up having to figure it out myself anyway”. This makes me sad, mostly, because it is often times true. Anyone can write a pattern and publish it, so sometimes you just never know what you are going to get. But there are many crochet pattern designers out there that spend so much time working on creating a wonderful, well-written, easy to follow pattern for their customers. These designers rely on pattern sales to pay the bills and provide for their family. But I know how frustrating it is to pay for something and it not work. So I’ve made a list of 4 things for you to do when purchasing a crochet pattern so that you get exactly what you want and what you paid for.
Most designers have links to their social media and other shops right on their listings. Do some investigating. Read the reviews, see how much following they have, look at their pictures, and just find out as much information as you can. If they have good reviews and a lot of people follow them and purchase from them, you are probably going to get a great pattern from them. Even if they are just starting out and don’t have many followers, you can still check the reviews, comments, photos, and more on their social media and other sites.
- Try a free pattern from that designer.
A great way to find out if you will like the pattern you are considering purchasing is to try out a free pattern from that designer first. Many designers offer free patterns on their websites. Find one that you like and work it up. If it’s easy to follow with no errors, most likely a paid pattern from that designer will be in the same style and format.
- Check to see if the pattern is tested or tech edited.
Not all designers do this, but many do. I personally think it is a crucial part of the designing process and I have every single one of my patterns tested and most of them tech edited also. This means that someone else tried out the pattern before it was published to see if they could read it, follow it, and create the intended design. Most testers also check for errors and typos while they are working on it so that the designer can fix any mistakes within the pattern before they publish it. This is a great way to be sure that the pattern you are purchasing will work up well.
Many designers run sales on their patterns. I personally have a introductory sale on every new pattern I release and I often have store-wide sales during holidays and special occasions. Check social media, Ravelry, or any of the designers other online venues for a sale or coupon code before you buy.
If you feel good about the design and designer after doing these 4 things, I recommend you purchase a pattern from them. You will be helping out a small business and that is a wonderful feeling. If, after purchasing a pattern, you do find a mistake or are having trouble with the pattern email the designer for pattern support. Mistakes happen. Designers are human. I’ve had patterns tested and tech edited and still found a typo in it after all that. It happens. Have a little grace and reach out to the designers. Most designers will be more than happy to help and will be glad that you reached out to them so they can fix their mistake.
As a crochet pattern designer myself, I will tell you that I personally put all of my heart into each pattern I write and I truly want to produce a wonderful pattern for my customers to enjoy over and over again. I hope this helps ease your mind a bit when purchasing a crochet pattern and even encourages you to do some pattern shopping soon!
