The Thousand Solutions Blog

How to Make knitting patterns and sell Them Online [Ultimate Guide] -

Jan 19, 2023

 The last update was 18 January 2023

Are you a knitting lover hoping to generate some additional money? Another option is selling your knitting patterns. With the right platform as well as some understanding of the best ways to market your job, you could transform your hobby into a profitable business. This article will provide an easy-to-follow guide to how to sell knitting patterns to make money.

Below is a brief outline of what we'll discuss:

 What is a knitting pattern?

A knitting pattern is simply written instructions about how to knit an item. It explains everything you need to know to create the product: the type of yarn you will need, the gauge, any other materials or special tools required and how to make the size(s) of the finished product, and then the stitch to be used.

 How to make Patterns for Knitting: Step-by-Step Guide

Creating your first pattern can seem like a daunting endeavor, but here are the easy steps that will simplify the process of writing your first pattern easier.

 1. Identifying Your Target Audience

When you begin creating and selling your own patterns, it is important to determine your intended audience. You should think about the people who are interested in your patterns. What kind of knitter would you like to attract beginners or more experienced knitters? Understanding who you're trying to reach will allow you to create designs that are appealing to your target audience.

Additionally, you can make use of market research in order to identify the target market. Take a look at which other knitting patterns are in fashion and also who's purchasing these patterns. This can provide you with an idea of whom your intended audience might be and what kind of pattern they're looking for.

 2. Choose the Type of Product You Want to Buy

When you've got a clear idea of your target audience, decide what type of items you'd prefer to develop knitting designs for. Some great beginner-friendly patterns include items like scarves, baby booties, dishcloths, socks, or tiny blankets. If you're designing knitting patterns that are geared towards more advanced knitters, then you could have the ability to design designs for dresses, sweaters, or other more complicated items and accessories.

 3. Design Your Own Design

At this stage, it's recommended to start drawing a rough sketch of the way your end product will look as. Begin to think about which types of yarn would you recommend to create your idea, as well as which stitches and techniques will be required to make your idea. If you're not sure about the art of sketching Don't fret simply be able to create a basic concept and rough silhouette, where you could jot down some information about your intended stitching patterns, yarn weight, and more.

Keep your intended audience in mind when thinking about your stitching patterns. Do you intend for them to create complex knitting products or do you want your knitting pattern to be doable for an easy knit-while-you-Netflix type of knitting?

When you're making wearable clothes take note of designs and methods that may affect the performance. For example, cable knits might result in thicker knits, and they are suitable for winter sweaters. This is an excellent source of inspiration for different knit patterns to help you get your creativity going.

 4. Make an Sample Swatch

The creation of a swatch can be the most important thing to do. It simply involves creating an swatch of knit with your desired yard as well as needle size and stitch pattern. It allows you to view your work on a tiny scale. You can then check that your material appears and behaves manner you'd like it to. Also, it ensures that you have the right gauge, which is vital for grading.

It is also possible to gauge your knitting in order to ensure that your pattern is correct. In order to do this, make an extensive sample (at at least 6" square, although you don't need to be a square!) using the needles you've selected for your pattern, remembering to work around if you'll be knitting in the round. Then, determine how many stitches and rows you've made per inch. Check out this article for an in-depth guide for how to precisely take measurements of knit gauge.

 5. Make Your Knitting Pattern Instructions

There are many free editors suitable for creating knitting patterns, such as Google Docs and Sheets. It is also possible to use an online graphic design tool similar to Canva, which provides more tools to make your document look polished and professional. After you've proven yourself to be knitter You may wish to consider investing in another software like Adobe InDesign, as you're in a position to design professional document layouts.

In deciding on the format of your pattern's document, you'll want to consider how it will be utilized. Consider how you've used knitting patterns before Do you view them on a screen, or do you print them? Do you take notes about them? This will impact your layout design choices.

It is also advisable to take into consideration accessibility issues for accessibility here. There's actually a flourishing community of blind and low vision knitters, so think about (for an example) how well your document can be used with a screen reader. There are guidelines for visually accessible knitting patterns which you can read about on this page.

The next step is to record your knitting patterns down. An excellent knitting pattern usually has the following elements:

  • Written instructions, row by row or round by round, to create the item
  • An abbreviation list that are used, along with an explanation of what each means.
  • Charts for any stitch pattern , colorwork or design including the key
  • Yarn weight and the amount of yarn needed
  • Size of the needle
  • A list of any other concepts or tools that may be required
  • Dimensions and dimensions of the end product, including a schematic for anything complex or which goes on a body
  • Images of the completed item, in and out of a body where appropriate
  • Details about you as the designer
  • Terms of Use

If you are writing your first design, you will make many options regarding your style of writing. Start by creating a Style Guide document and write down every choice you make including font names and size to whether you begin with a capital letter in the beginning of round or row, or not. This Style Guide will become an invaluable guide for both you and your tech Editor (see the section below) to make sure that your patterns are written consistently and that your clients know what to expect when they purchase from you.

Make sure to keep your knitting draft in an editable format, since you could make more changes as you create the final end product.

 6. Design a Test Sample of Your final product

Once you've written some detailed knitting patterns, follow your own instructions to begin working on a sample of your finished result. You will need to follow your instructions line by line to make sure that you spot any errors or missing information.

Do not forget to take plenty of photos while knitting because you could incorporate these images in your knitting pattern's instructions. They also serve as great social media content for building anticipation for when your pattern comes out! It is also important to take lots images of high-quality photos of your completed product including close-ups of the design and special techniques, as your intended audience will want to view the final product in order to decide the quality of it and whether they'd like to buy your knitting patterns.

 7. Grad Your Pattern

While some types of products are available in one size, many will need to be graded according to sizes, specifically anything that goes to the body.

It is recommended to consult a reputable, inclusive size chartlike these ones of the Craft Yarn Council that we recommend for further reading. It will assist you to determine what the size of each piece of the finished item will need to be.

There are many online courses available that teach you to grade, even if you're not certain what to do. Alternatively, some tech editors (see below) provide a grading service.

 8. Start knitting your pattern to be offered for sale

In this point it is expected that you have written every single instruction needed to create your finished item. The next step is to have your patterns tech reviewed and test! A tech editor is like an editor for copywriting, however it is designed specifically for knitting patterns. They typically make sure whether your count of stitches are correct and correlate with the instructions you've given and that your charts state exactly the same things as your written instructions, that the grading adds up, and that the instructions you've given are clearly written. It is essential to make sure your directions are simple to follow.

In simple terms, they'll ensure that the instructions you provide are accurate and understandable. Editing your tech documents is an essential component of the process. it's almost impossible to modify your own work precisely! The document should be reviewed the work before submitting it to your editor; there is an excellent pre-tech-edit checklist that you can download here.

The second step is to make your knitting pattern tested. This is when you make the initial PDF version of the pattern available for no cost to knitters who will then knit it and provide feedback. Test knitting is a great method to receive feedback from knitters who have actually done the knitting on everything from the clarity and precision of your directions and the quality of your photographs.

Once you've determined the knitting pattern suitable for sale, design the final PDF file of the pattern since this is the file you will digitally you'll distribute to customers.

 How to Market Knitting Patterns Online for Free

There are a variety of choices available including online marketplaces, social media platforms, to your own website. Each one has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it's important to consider the best one for your particular business. It is also possible to consider listing your patterns across various platforms. The simplest and most budget-friendly way to sell your own patterns on the internet is to establish an online store for free using .

 1. Make a website or store online for free.

Platforms like these let you build a stunning website that you sell your personal knitting patterns. You won't have to worry about the cost of third-party platforms or expenses as they provide a completely free tool that allows you to launch your online store for patterns in moments!

The benefits of using it include:

  • A free and forever-green platform. Only charges a 5% fee every time you sell and, therefore, if you're only starting out and haven't got a large number of buyers yet, you won't have to pay anything.
  • Digital files are instantly delivered to your clients. Customers can make a payment on your website and get instant access to your knitting pattern with no involvement from you. This gives you greater time to work on other areas of your business . Yay!
  • If your knitting pattern needs to be modified in the near the future, you may use 's Email Updates feature to email an updated download link to clients
  • Free fully-hosted domain. You'll get a free website/online store with the following customizable store name .com/[yourcustomstorenamehere]. You can also add a custom domain e.g. janesmithknitting.com if you'd like to
  • Easy drag and drop site creator that can be completely customizable to reflect your branding aesthetics. There are no coding or design skills are required
  • Instant payments through Paypal and Stripe.
  • Automated collection and payment of UK & EU VAT
  • The most advanced marketing tools like referral system, affiliate program cross-selling, upselling, coupon codes, email marketing, and more are all included in the no-cost plan.

The company is recognized for its easy-to-use interface for beginners. also provides a lot of videos that provide guidance to help you ensure you're successful in the process of setting up your business online.

 2. List Your Knitting Pattern for Sale

After you've set up your free website/online store with  the right information, you can upload your knitting pattern as product listings.

Wherever you choose to sell your patterns, you'll need to provide plenty of information for the buyer so that they can decide which pattern is right for them. Needles and concepts, proper sizing, and plenty of photos are imperative!

One of the most important options is determining the cost of your pattern. Low and you'll undervalue not only your design but that of other designers working in the same field. Too high and customers will be turned off. It's important that your price precisely reflects the amount of information included in your pattern (as it does vary between designers!). Most likely, you already know what other designers charge for patterns like yours, but take your time and do some research.

When your pattern file is complete as well as its listing of products is complete, you're ready to market your product!

  1. The process of uploading your knitting pattern's PDF on the product listing
  2. Setting up your knitting pattern Product title, description as well as the price
  3. Uploading some pictures as your product listing photos
  4. Publishing your product listing

The whole product upload process should take less than 2 minutes.

 3. Increase traffic and promote Your Knitting Pattern Store

It's now time to begin marketing your pattern store. It could be done through platforms like social media, participating in craft fairs , events and festivals, or advertising on other knitting related websites.

It's also beneficial to establish a blog where you can publish blog post that are related to knitting. The blog posts will receive organic visitors from Google Search Results, resulting in more website traffic to your website.

It is also possible to offer promotional discounts for a short period in order to get people to buy the patterns. This is especially effective during releases of new patterns.

You might want to reach out to knitting bloggers or influencers to read the patterns you have created and to send them to their followers. In addition, you could develop a mailing list in order to ensure that your customers are informed about new patterns and promotions. Additionally, you could create a referral program to encourage customers to refer friends to your designs.

Be sure to take advantage of 's free tools for marketing including coupon codes, referral system and affiliate program mailer list as well as cross-sell, upgrade discount as well as other. This allows you to launch successful marketing campaigns through your social media and elsewhere.

SELL KNITTING PATTERNS ONLINE

Join the more than 130,000 sellers who have launched their online businesses with

 Troubleshooting Common Issues When selling Knitting Patterns

If you are selling knitting patterns there are some typical issues that you might face in the course of your business. These include copyright infringement as well as receiving bad feedback from customers or bad sales. This is why we have a few strategies to get rid of these problems:

  • Make a comprehensive set of terms and conditions for usagewithin the PDF of your knitting patterns. These should contain guidelines for how your customers can interact with your knitting patterns e.g. Is your pattern available just for personal use? Do you grant commercial rights to your clients? You'll also be able to define your rights as property in the conditions of use section.
  • Response to feedback from customers. One of the benefits selling knitting patterns through your personal site (as as compared to selling them on marketplaces such as Etsy) is that you can enable the ability to review customer reviews only with approval to ensure that you don't be a victim of unfair one star reviews. If you receive any negative reviews, you can opt not to post those reviews on your website however, you must contact those particular customers to reach a resolution.
  • Provide your knitting pattern for no cost to get feedback. Getting test knitters to try the pattern out can be a good way to ensure that your pattern is optimized for different types of people. Test knitters are likely to offer valuable pattern notes and feedback which can help make your knitting pattern better. On , you can easily change your knitting pattern's listing to $0 or to a pay-what-you-want pricing.

 FAQ - Creating Your Own Patterns & Selling them online

 Can you create your own knitting patterns?

Making your own knitting pattern could be an exciting and enjoyable process. The only thing you need to write a pattern for is to decide on the type of knitted item that you'd like to design for and then write down your instructions about how you can make the item, then publish the pattern online to other knit enthusiasts.

 Are you able to earn money selling knitting patterns?

 Where can you buy knitting patterns online?

 Final Ideas

If you have the proper technology, pricing strategy and marketing plan, you can turn your passion into money. We hope that following this step-by-step tutorial will allow you to get started with the correct footing to design your own knitting.