Why I Offer Free Patterns

I was recently asked the question, “Why do you post your patterns for free on your site when they are so awesome?”

While I am flattered by the compliment and appreciate their concern for my business, I have a very good reason for my patterns being available for free.

The short answer: 

I want to prove my skills as a designer and writer, and I want to earn your trust before you ever spend a penny on me.

The crochet community is vast and full of designers, some experienced in writing and some not. So many inexperienced designers want to start a business selling patterns, but they just don’t know how to write yet. Some (more than I would like to admit) can’t even read patterns when they begin to write and sell them. This often leads to customers buying sub-par patterns and ending up disappointed or angry.

Many crocheters shy away from paid patterns altogether. They’ve been burned by poorly written patterns. Why should they trade their hard-earned money for something full of errors that is difficult to understand?

They shouldn’t.

They should only pay for patterns they can trust.

I write good patterns. I wrote for several different magazines before I ever published on my own. I let the experts teach me how to write a good pattern, and I work with some of the best testers and editors in the industry to bring you a quality product.

So, I put the text of my patterns out there for my customers to see to prove that their time won’t be wasted on another sub-par pattern.

Consider the text-only, web-only patterns as a free sample. 

The free text-only patterns are a great way to look over the pattern and see every step laid out in words. They are easy to read, and for some people who are used to stuffed animals, they may be enough to make a complete project.

But the free patterns are the “fun size” candy bar. I’ve made the Premium Pattern is WAY more valuable than a mere printable version of the pattern text. I’ve made my Premium Patterns an upgrade to the entire creative experience – a “king-size” candy bar if you will.

Pattern text from the web page may result in 5-6 pages of text, but the Premium Patterns are often 20-30 pages, peppered with full-color tutorial photos and diagrams to help with perfect part placement.

For more complex patterns, I color-code steps for you. There are links to videos and ways to contact me in case you get stuck and need one-on-one help.

All Premium Patterns are created using an easy-to-read style guide I’ve developed by writing for several magazines and online publications. They are designed to print, and yes, they have page numbers.

Stuffed animals can be complicated. Premium Patterns are a tool to take the stress out of making something large and complex. They teach the techniques and simplify the attachments so the artist can enjoy the process more and create the finished item they envision.

We all started to crochet to relieve stress, not create it. We deserve to enjoy this craft and be proud of the art we create.

So, yes, you can view the pattern text for free, but I really hope that you give yourself the gift of a stress-free upgrade. 

Finishing the item is a great feeling, but enjoying the process is even better. 

I promise I have put in the work to make following my patterns fun and easy.

Yarn on,

Kati