Over the past few posts, I've been covering how to design your pattern PDFs and release them. I realized I had forgotten something very important! How to write those very patterns!
So maybe you've been experimenting with your own designs for a while and just scribbling down vague instructions that only you can understand. But hey, you can take those patterns and make money off of them! Seriously! It's really not that hard at. all.
Whether you're writing an entire book or just a single pattern for Ravelry, you'll need to know how to properly write your pattern. You have to make sure people can follow your steps and recreate exactly what you made.
Here are some general tips to start us off:
1. Be good at your craft. In order to design a pattern you'll need a fairly long history of other people's patterns that you've read and knit. This will give you a feel for how knitting patterns are structured and what they include. Don't expect to learn to knit one day and then write a lucrative pattern the next day. Also, you need to have a quality finished project to photograph. So the first step is: Get some experience under your belt.
2. Take it seriously. You are going to be costing people their hard-earned money to buy your pattern. Please for the love of all that is good in the world, make it nice.
3. Literally write down every movement your fingers make. Preferably on pen and paper so you can scribble things out and write in the margins and I don't know, I just personally love pen and paper. When writing down instructions, even if it's a "rough draft," DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT. I'm telling you this from experience! I've been in the process of designing a pattern and told myself "Oh, I don't have to write this step down! I'll remember it when I type up the final version."
Well guess what.
I never do.
And then I have to go back and either rip back or read my knitting to figure it out and it's just such a struggle.
So don't make my mistakes!
Likewise, don't assume your readers know what to do next. Don't leave anything out when writing the final version either.
4. Anticipate the roadblocks your readers will find, and help them through.
For the pattern I just released, I had it tested. This was absolutely SO very valuable for me because it demonstrated to me that other people aren't as close to my pattern as I am. As my pattern's creator, I know everything about how to make it. I've worked all the kinks out in my own head. These kinks don't work themselves out for my readers, however. If there's a "sticky" area in your pattern, pay extra close attention to explaining it well.
5. If your pattern includes a chart, use Microsoft Excel to make one. Excel is a knitter's best friend and, quite honestly, it's a designer's as well.
All right, now that we have those things out of the way, let's dive deeper into each section of a well-written pattern.
If you want an example of what each of these sections look like in a real pattern, I have a free beanie pattern here! I made use of all these tips, so head on over to get and idea of how I applied them.
Introduction (optional):
You may choose to add a little intro in the beginning of your pattern. This is similar to a product description on a clothing website. This could include your inspiration, why someone would want to make your pattern, design elements, and finished size(s). Basically get your readers so excited that they can't wait to cast on.
Materials:
Pretty self explanatory, but in this section you'll want to list out everything you used for your project. Include the exact yarn you used including yarn weight, the brand, the colorway, and the grams/ounces in one skein of said yarn. Also, include the needles you used. Add the size in both numerical American value and in millimeters. If you need stitch markers, add that, and how many. Also mention handles, buttons, zippers, fabric lining, or any other add-on you will need to finish the project.
A mistake I made in my newest pattern was using my hand-dyed colorway for the finished piece. I couldn't tell people what yarn I used exactly, and I got questions about it. So in the future I'll keep that in mind.
Notes:
Here, you add anything else someone would need to know before starting. Discuss any unusual stitches, gauge, or necessary yarn put-up (if a center-pull ball is needed like for two-at-a-time socks). If there are any new techniques you've developed, you should mention that here. If you've taken pictures to guide people through the steps for this technique, place those at the end of the PDF after the pattern. Simply make people aware that there is an unusual stitch needed, and let them know about the picture tutorial at the end. If you add the picture tutorial here, it can scare people away before they even start! So just inform people of it, and move on.
Pattern:
The main event. Here, you write out your pattern. Start out with "Cast on X" and write out all your notes in a simple and clean, row or round format. When you're finished, give your pattern to an expert knitter friend to try out. I say expert simply because you want someone who will be able to pick out flaws and inconsistencies. A beginner may just follow the pattern blindly and give you the A-OK regardless of what you wrote. It does not matter whether or not you are going to be charging for this pattern; it is crucial that you double triple quadruple check that the pattern is correct before releasing it. Errors are annoying and confusing. If you've ever come across one you know this, and the last thing you want is for your audience to feel these things while working through your pattern. If you'll be charging for your pattern, I'd highly recommend getting it tested by some lovely peeps over on the The Testing Pool group on Ravelry. Sometimes even the best knitter friends can be a bit soft in their critiques, so get it tested by some people without a major emotional connection to you.
Here are some other things to keep in mind when writing your pattern:
-Make note of what kind of cast on you used. Long tail? German? Does it matter?
-Don't just say "increase" or "decrease". Choose a type of increase that works best for the project visually, and stick with it. (knit front back, yarn over, make 1, etc) Same with decreases... Always use knit 2 together when it would look good for the stitch to lean right, and slip slip knit when you need the stitch to lean left. If it doesn't matter, use knit 2 together since it's more familiar.
-If you used short rows, make it clear. Tell people to turn their work, and make it blatantly obvious.
-When explaining techniques (which you should always always do--never assume people know a technique), make it as clear as possible. Imagine you're talking to a friend who's sitting right in front of you. Think back to when you were a beginner, and what words would have made this technique click in your head. If the technique is very unheard of, or you developed it, you must, in addition to step-by-step actions, add pictures. Make them simple and small. Perhaps put them into a collage in chronological order.
-It can be helpful to add a note to each row telling if it's a right or wrong side row (rs for right side, ws for wrong side). Adding something like "Row 27 (rs):" can be super great in guiding a person through your pattern and helping them to know they're on the right track. Also, adding a total stitch number to the end of each row is a great thing to do. That way, people can count their stitches and immediately recognize whether or not they made an error.
Editing and Perfecting:
Once you've finished writing your pattern and think it's ready for release, give it a day or two and then go back and read through it again. This will make your little page design errors stand out.
Ok, so this is one post. You probably read it in a few minutes. But pattern designing, on the contrary, is a time-consuming, extensive process (if you want to do it well, that is). You guys all know that I'm taking you along with me on my journey and there is p l e n t y more I'll learn about pattern writing. No doubt I'll have plenty more posts that relate to this topic and in the future I will link them here:
[Future Grace, insert links here]
All right, that's my introductory guide to designing patterns! I hope this was helpful.
Until next time,
Grace
PS. It's the last day to make use of my buy-one-get-one-free coupon code in my Ravelry Store! Use the coupon code HTWAKB to get any pattern free when you buy my new pattern Basketwoven.
