How to Design Your First Crochet Pattern III

What to Expect When You’re Expecting & Plan Your Next Steps

Now that you’ve decided what you want your first crochet pattern to be, it’s time to start working on it.

While creating your piece, you will be taking notes all the time. You will be writing down every row or round, stitch by stitch. In the meantime… Let’s just quickly list some of the steps you want to think about and start working on while you’re creating your design (though not necessary in this order). You might be needing some new skills, so better start learning on time.

1.      Set Up Social Accounts

If you haven’t already, you’d probably want to set up your public Facebook page and start showing your work. You would also want to create an Instagram account, again public and just for your crochet creations, as well as Pinterest account.

2.      Take Progress Photos

While you are there, don’t forget to take enough progress photos. You may want to add them in the pattern, or just to share them off on your social accounts and start growing your followers.

3.      You Need a Name for Your Crochet

Start thinking about the name for your future business. It would be great if you would be able to choose one that you can apply to your domain (your future website or blog) and all your other platforms and accounts, including Ravelry and Etsy. I think you should give this subject some serious thinking, so you wouldn’t have to change your name along the way.

Even more, you can check the available options using Namechk or some other online tool while brainstorming your name ideas.

4. Even if You Aren’t Tech Savvy

Think about how you will type up your pattern. Maybe you feel comfortable using Word, or you are willing to try Google Docs, which would also make a great way to conduct a pattern testing later on and/or have your pattern tech edited. 

5. Take More Beautiful Photos

Once you have made your design, take the time and take some really nice photos of the finished item. Ask a friend, or someone more experienced for help if you are not sure how to do it. Having good pattern photos is extremely important.

6. Where to Publish Your First Pattern

Having all that in place, you will need to make some corrections and prepare a PDF version of your pattern for publishing. Think about where you’d like to publish your first crochet pattern. I suggest Ravelry for a start. Since you most probably already have a profile there, and it’s inexpensive option. Other platforms to think about are Etsy, Lovecrafts… but I believe it is a good idea to take one step at the time.

7. Write a Description

Before you present your pattern to the world, you should have written a nice description of it, including all important attributes. It’s a good idea to always carry a pen with you and just write down any idea you may get along the way. It will make the process easier if you have some key words or ideas already developed and ready.

8. Join the Community, Think About Promotion

You could also join some of the designer and/or tester groups on Fb. That is a good place to chat with like-minded fellow crocheters, ask for advice and learn from their experience. You could also join a couple (or more) groups, apart from those you already belong to, where you’d be able to promote your future pattern. Just make sure to read (and follow) group rules carefully, because a lot of those groups are not self-promotion friendly, and you could be kicked out without any warning. But that is also okay. Don’t ever take something like that personally and fuss about it!

Dream Big, Work Hard

I can already hear you! I know. It’s a lot of work. It really is. A lot of working hours even if you are writing a really simple pattern. But, you’ve already made your first step, and you know how they say: “The first step is always the hardest”.  So, in order for you not to feel overwhelmed or disheartened, I will do my best to walk you through each of the steps mentioned above, and probable a few more I forgot to mention here.

At this point, the best tips I could give you are:

• Get yourself organized and make a plan! If you are an organized person, this will come easy to you. But, if you are more like me, doing several things at the same time, always remembering stuff instead writing them down, wanting to cover everything at once… this could be a challenge for you! I’m still learning how to improve my organizational skills. Try keeping your tools (I mean yarn, hooks, pencils, notebooks) in one place. Try setting the schedule for a week. Make a ‘to do list’.

• Set your goals high, but give yourself enough time to achieve them, and enough space to make mistakes and learn from them. Work at your own pace. And, if you get stuck, there’s always someone in this amazing community available to help you, including myself!

And now, enjoy your coffee, or your wine and think about all these things. You will see! After writing your first pattern, it will get much, much easier and less overwhelming.