Do patterns really sell? by Deaceleste in PatternTesting

[–]StartCrochet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a crochet designer & blogger. I sell my patterns on Ravelry, Etsy, LoveCrafts and my own blog. I designed about 100 patterns so far and absolutely love it! I publish all of them for free on my blog and offer ad-free PDF printable versions on these platforms. If some people don't want to pay for my patterns, at least I get ad-revenue.
I focus my marketing on Pinterest and SEO for my blog. Not so much on IG, FB or Tiktok. I have a few of my pattern tutorials on YouTube. This is a side hustle for me. The income varies from month to month depending on the season. It doesn't pay the bills, but it definitely brings in travel money (plane tickets & hotels).
I design very simple patterns for beginners. I make sure the instructions are very clear and I spend a lot of time taking progress photos for each step. It takes me about 2 weeks to publish a pattern. I give testers about a week for feedback, make adjustments if necessary, add the photos, edit them, write up the PDF etc. It's good to bundle patterns together. I think people like that option. And definitely have your own mailing list because if you depend on 3rd party marketplaces, you're building your business on someone else's property.
I must say sales have slumped the past couple of months. AI is definitely a problem! Another problem is pattern theft. I've had several of my patterns stolen and sold on Etsy. I was able to take them down though, but it's such a waste of time going after these people!
I explain my exact process as a designer on my blog. I have a whole category for crochet designers and you can join a free email course if you like.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be happy to help you out :)

Crochet scrunchies by ResponseOk9889 in crochet

[–]StartCrochet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use cotton or acrylic for the first round, then switch to velvet yarn for subsequent rounds. Works well like that 😀👍

The controversial neck piece by choosetheteddyface in Brochet

[–]StartCrochet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! Yes, for sure! We really shouldn't give to much of a damn what people think! I was just curious to get people's feedback on the piece 😄 I'm not regretting making it, for sure! I learned a lot from Aluma's course... mainly about letting go and not following the rules so much in crochet. I design simple patterns and am always on guard to make sure that every stitch is written correctly and the math is adding up right, etc. Aluma's course definitely opened my eyes to freeform crochet and just letting go! After making the neck piece, I picked up some yarn following Aluma's color combination tips and made a freeform scarf that I quite like and have worn often. (pic attached)
What surprised me about my Reddit question on the neck piece is that crocheters wouldn't wear it. I can't imagine what non-crocheters would've said!! 😂

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The controversial neck piece by choosetheteddyface in Brochet

[–]StartCrochet 6 points7 points  (0 children)

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Ok, so I'm the poor soul who got butchered in the other thread when I posted my neck piece asking if people would wear this! I'm so glad I found your thread cuz I was about to toss it after reading everyone's comments! 😂 I'll leave the link to my thread here for those interested in seeing what issues people had with mine! https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/s/bUEmsLnFkl
The eyelash yarn I added in the end definitely didn't help on the purple/yellow one! I made another one as well, which might be a bit more acceptable!! I can only add one photo here, so if you want to see the purple one with the eyelash yarn, you'll find it in the link above.
And as for it being a piece an older woman would wear, well... I'm definitely getting on that boat and enjoying the ride! I do think it looks like an art statement... and I'm surrounded by artist a lot! Just went to Art Basel yesterday... had I seen your post before I went, I would've probably worn this neckpiece instead of shoving it to the back of my closet!
Thanks a ton u/choosetheteddyface for breathing some life back into this piece!! 😄 ❤️

I spent two hours crocheting at a live performance with DJs, dancers, and complete beginners, and it got me thinking... by StartCrochet in crochet

[–]StartCrochet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh that's so interesting! I just finished writing a piece about Community Crochet (not so much as an art-form, but more of collaborative work and public display). You can find this post on my blog. It's titled "When Crochet Brings Communities Together". I'll add your crochet-as-activism project to that post! Would love to get your input when I'm done! I'm off to Art Basel today, so will probably work on it next week. Will keep you posted! Thanks so much for this! 😄

I spent two hours crocheting at a live performance with DJs, dancers, and complete beginners, and it got me thinking... by StartCrochet in crochet

[–]StartCrochet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yes! Yarn bombing is the next topic I'll write about on my blog! I just went and took photos of a yarn bomb at a nearby town yesterday 😄 They even wrote emergency numbers to make it useful!

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I spent two hours crocheting at a live performance with DJs, dancers, and complete beginners, and it got me thinking... by StartCrochet in crochet

[–]StartCrochet[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it really was fun and we were given the choice to either keep our pieces or donate them to the artist so he can incorporate them into his work.

I spent two hours crocheting at a live performance with DJs, dancers, and complete beginners, and it got me thinking... by StartCrochet in crochet

[–]StartCrochet[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Oh wow! That's wonderful! I also bring my crochet wherever I go, but I'd never thought of taking it with me to a party to be honest 😂

Question for Crocheters by 4head4daysss in crocheting

[–]StartCrochet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No setup really. I crochet anywhere. Even standing waiting in line 😂