Sometimes I think people assume tech editing is only needed for complex patterns where there are multiple sizes to be checked or complicated stitch patterns involved. After all, how much could go wrong in a simple scarf pattern? Now that I’ve been tech editing for nearly four years, I can confidently say A LOT.

Tech editing is a crucial step in the knitting pattern design process, and like any editing service, it costs money.

Exactly how much money you spend is going to vary based on the individual tech editor, but hopefully this blog post can give you a general idea so that you can set expectations and a budget for tech editing.

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.

This blog post features answers to several common questions about the tech editing process.

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.