3 things I wish someone told me when I started designing crochet patterns
I've been designing patterns for years now, and I keep seeing the same mistakes trip people up. Figured I'd share what I learned the hard way.
1. Gauge swatches aren't optional
I know, I know. Nobody wants to make a 4x4 square before starting the fun part. But skipping it is why your amigurumi comes out the size of a basketball. Take 10 minutes. Save yourself hours of frogging.
2. Written patterns > video-only tutorials
Videos are great for learning a new stitch. But when you're mid-project and need to check row 47? You don't want to scrub through a 45-minute YouTube video. A clean PDF pattern with stitch counts at the end of each row is worth its weight in gold.
3. Test your patterns on someone else
What makes sense in your head won't always make sense to another crocheter. Get a friend (or a stranger online) to work through your pattern before you release it. Every confusing instruction will come out in testing.
I design clean, tested PDF patterns for experienced crocheters who want to pick up a new project without the guesswork. If that sounds like you, check out my pattern bundle — it's $3 and growing.