How to Publish a Pattern

Do you know the steps it takes to put out a good pattern? Of course, you must come up with an idea for your pattern. That just goes without saying. You can either write your pattern and then make it or make it then write the pattern. It’s just personal preference. Then you need to have samples made, send it to the testing pool and the tech editor who checks for mistakes (also known as errata). All this takes lots of time. It could be months or even a year to get a pattern out. It takes money, too, as tech editors charge by the hour. Not only do they fix mistakes, but they can grade the pattern (this means to make a range of sizes in addition to the original sample) and make the charts. All this and don’t forget the publishing part. Ravelry, Etsy and other pattern websites take their cut. I didn’t realize when I published my first pattern how many expenses I would incur.

I too, have found that pattern prices are going up. I saw a sweater from a well know designer published yesterday for $20! I admit I was surprised but this pattern could have 10 or more sizes and many pages. Next time I purchase a pattern, I’ll think about what it took for the designer to publish it and not worry about the $5 it took for me to purchase. I appreciate when they celebrate a milestone or a birthday and put them out as a free download for a day or two. I do take advantage. I also favorite them in my personal Ravelry account. This helps the designer rise in popularity and get their name out there. You are doing them a huge favor by favoriting their pattern even if you don’t buy it. So, give your designers some love this week when they publish a pattern. They deserve it!