Info and Resources regarding Pattern Design
(for fellow or new-b designers)
I created this page to help others who would like to design patterns, but are not sure where to begin, or could use some help with the process. Designing crochet (or knit) patterns can be a lot of fun, and very rewarding, especially if you enjoy 3 key things: designing, crocheting, and working on the computer. If you would like to get started on designing your own patterns, or are just curious about how I do it, reading through this page should help you get a good idea of what is involved.
Toolbox:
Computer - anything that's not a dinosaur should get the job done
Digital Camera - you don't need a really fancy one. Being able to adjust exposure is helpful, but I think that is standard on most cameras nowadays. Ben's Bargains is my favorite website to find deals on cameras and other "techy" items.
Photo Editing Software - my personal choice is GIMP (similar to photoshop, but free)
Desktop Publishing software - When I began, I got away with using Wordpad (simple, standard program with Windows), but I upgraded to a much more sophisticated program called Serif PagePlus SE which I have been tremendously grateful for. It is a free program, very user friendly, and has made the process so much easier (and my patterns turn out much nicer looking)
PDF writer - CutePDF or pdf 995 are both free programs which are easy to use (you simply use the "print" function from whatever program you made your pattern in). I recommend CutePDF unless you are wanting more "advanced" functions.
Imagination / creativity, Crochet hooks, yarn, etc (all obvious)
The process:
Designing / Rough Draft / Testing Phase 1 / Photos / Testing Phase 2 / Final Draft / Pattern Ingredients / Copyright / Format / Selling / Promoting
[This is the whole process in a nutshell: I make/design something, write down how I did it, take photos of it, turn my notes and photos into a nice looking and easy to read pattern using my computer, test the pattern, get it copyrighted, and make it available for sale. Details follow below]
Designing: The process of designing usually begins with some sort of idea, or image in my mind, of what I want to make. This could come from many places, but for me it usually is inspired by the images and things floating through my mind as I'm falling asleep at night. Then I simply sit down with my hooks and yarn and try to make it. Most often it turns out differently than what I had originally pictured - sometimes I like the result better than I imagined it, sometimes I don't and try again. Once I have a satisfactory "prototype", I attempt to make it again, this time writing down what I am doing as I work it up.
Rough Draft: Next I take my notes and convert them into a "rough draft" of my pattern on the computer. The program I use to do this is Serif PagePlus SE (an excellent, free, desktop publishing program similar to Word).
Testing Phase 1: Next I test my rough draft, fixing any errors or typos I find, and often re-working the design a little as I go along to make a little bit better here or there. Every time I change something in the rough draft during testing, I modify it on the computer, re-print it, and test again. This phase may take a long time, especially if I am working out instructions for different sizes.
Photos: Honestly, the most important ingredient in your pattern is an attractive picture to represent it. Not many will even be interested in downloading the pattern for free without seeing at least an illustration of the result - and if you are wanting to sell the pattern, an attractive photo is very important. Often I use the results from testing "phase 1" to take photos of, but sometimes I make new items in certain color schemes or whatever. The important thing is that I have a nice looking item that will make a nice photo.
My favorite background for photos is a simple white poster board - but I've on occasion used other things, like my living room rug, a shower curtain, or the outdoors. I set up my item (making sure to "pose" it nicely - I smooth out all the creases and wrinkles, and try to make an attractive display), take many photos from many angles, experimenting with different lighting, and then I edit the photos on my computer.
There are many tutorials online about how to edit photos, so I am not going to spend a lot of time writing about that here. I will say that if you decide to use Gimp or Photoshop, the "curves" tool is very helpful in getting a nice white balance and contrast. You will want to put at least one photo into the pattern itself, and of course you'll need to upload them to your website or wherever you are hosting/selling the pattern.
Testing Phase 2: Once my photos are put into the pattern, and I have it in a satisfactory layout, I print it out and test it again. Often times there are small errors/typos that are overlooked while working on it on the computer, and looking through it step by step while following the instructions is a good way to notice them all and correct them. If I've been working on my pattern for a long time and have it pretty much memorized, I either take a break for a few days and work on other things so that when I come back to it it is "fresh", or I ask a friend to test it for me.
Final Draft: Once I have all the kinks worked out and I am happy with my result, I convert the pattern into PDF format (using a free program called CutePDF), and I list it for sale on Etsy and this website. (See more info on selling)
Ingredients for a good pattern:
-List of materials required, sizes, gauge, and difficulty. It may also include info on yardage estimates, time to complete, and any special terminology or instructions.
-Contact information/ website URL
-Easy to read instructions that have been well tested
-Attractive photo of the finished item
-Defined abbreviations (if you used them)
-Copyright (and perhaps Terms of Use)
-Good layout (my idea of a good layout is: attractive and easy to follow, not too crammed, but not too spaced out - and squeezed into 2 pages if possible to prevent paper from being wasted when it's printed)
Copyright: If you are concerned with anyone trying to steal / copy your designs (it does happen), it is important to get your copyrights registered. I do this at http://www.copyright.gov. It costs around $35 to register one thing, unless it is a group of things that are not yet published (be sure to verify these details and get more information at the copyright website). Your works are automatically copyrighted; you don't have to get them registered, but doing so gives you extra security and insurance against unaffordable legal costs if things get serious. I now also watermark my photos, since I have had numerous troubles with people stealing those and claiming them as their own as well. Also make sure to have a "terms of use" written out - just to make sure people know how you expect your pattern to be used - not everyone is on the same page with what you consider to be "common sense" (I learned the hard way). Normally pattern designers don't allow people to sell the items they make using the pattern. I often do, however, just because I like to help other crafty people, especially stay at home mamas like myself, make some money (it's kind of a "quid pro quo" - they help my sales by buying my pattern and linking to my site, and I help theirs by allowing them to sell the items they make using my patterns). Whether you do the same or not is up to you.
More info on copyright regarding crochet/knit patterns can be found on the following websites:
The Copyright FAQ for Knitters / Copyright for Crafters / Crochet Patterns, Knitting Patterns and Copyright Law / Knitting and Copyright
Pattern Format / Terms: There is no one standard for how crochet patterns are written. I recommend making sure you have had plenty of experience with different patterns from different authors to get a feel for the different ways others write them, then do whatever makes the most sense to you. You can give an explanation at the beginning of your pattern of how to read it if you think that may help (for example, "instructions placed between stars *like so* are to be repeated"; "instructions inside parenthesis correspond to different sizes as follows: (S, M, L)", "abbreviations are defined at the end of the pattern").
Selling: There are many options open to you if you'd like to sell your patterns. You can:
-List them for sale in an online market place such as Etsy, Artfire, Shop Handmade, lov.li , Ebay, or other.
-Sell them through your blog, myspace, facebook, or similar account, forums, or even email.
-Submit them to craft magazines (though you're not likely to make much $ that way). I do hear good things about Liesure Arts, however.
-Build your own website. This site was built using Dreamweaver and basic HTML know-how. There is a free program called Serif WebPlus which is similar to Dreamweaver and free, though you'll have to upgrade for $20 if you want more than 10 webpages. You could aslo hire someone to design a website for you, or use a site like Core Commerce. I am hosted through FatCow and I highly recommend them. They are affordable (something like $5 / month), have many helpful tools, and great customer service - they even called me the day I signed up to welcome me and ask if I needed any help!
-E-Junkie is an awesome service which offers a simple "fat free" shopping cart which can be used to sell your items virtually anywhere online. Digital patterns can be downloaded immediately after payment, which saves a lot of work versus having to email each and every one (unfortunately E-Junkie does not work with Etsy - I am not sure about the other handmade sites).
Promotion: I don't have a whole lot of expertise to offer in this arena. One thing you can do it get business cards and hand them out to friends, customers, relatives, or anyone else interested; leave them places you visit, post them on bulletin boards, etc. Vista Print is a good option if you're looking for something cheap (nearly free), and there are many other companies as well if you just do a simple google search. You could also print them yourself.
That is all for now.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Happy Designing!
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