Red flags of free knitting patterns: How to tell the good from the bad
The Internet is full of free knitting patterns, and while it may be tempting to knit from a free pattern versus spending $5-15 on one, there are a few things you’ll want to check before you commit to a pattern to ensure that what you’ve found is a quality pattern.
Here are my tips for how to know if a free pattern is well-written, likely to be error-free, and will not have you throwing it in the closet for time-out.
Common measurement errors in knitting patterns
Knitting patterns are instructions for making an item that is exactly like the item created by the designer. Naturally, measurements are a key part of that equation.
Here are some common measurement issues that I see when editing knitting patterns.
What is knitting tech editing? A complete guide for pattern designers
This blog post features answers to several common questions about the tech editing process.
Do you REALLY need to knit a gauge swatch? Mostly yes, but not always.
I absolutely hate knitting gauge swatches. When I get excited about a project, I just want to get started. I don’t want to waste time knitting a tiny little square and then waiting for it to dry while I block it.
As a tech editor I know that gauge is important, but I also acknowledge there are projects where it’s less crucial than others and maybe not worth the effort.
If you’re wondering if you really need to swatch for a project, consider the following questions.
Why you should get your pattern edited before test knitting
A common question new designers have when they’re getting started with pattern design is the order in which everything in the pre-publication process happens. The big question is do you need to get a pattern tech edited before you send it off to test knitters, or do you wait until it’s been test knit to send it off to a tech editor?
I’m here to tell you definitively that you always want to do tech editing BEFORE testing.
I think the argument for testing before tech editing is that you might think that changes suggested by testers will be made during the process. But that’s okay. You can always have your tech editor do a final check of anything that has been changed.
Here’s why tech editing should happen first.
How to find a knitting tech editor
Finding a knitting tech editor is an important step in the design process when you’re first starting out. There are a lot of tech editors out there, making it a bit daunting to sort through us all and choose. Here are some recommendations on how to get started with the search process.