Editing Your Crochet Pattern

Typically your pattern goes to the tech editor at this stage. Before you send your pattern edit it as much as possible and create a style sheet.

Create Crochet Pattern Challenge 2015 February | CrochetBusiness.com @momwithahook

What’s a style sheet? I know, I had the same question so I asked.

From Create Crochet Patterns: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners Joanne Scrace

A style sheet is a document that lists how everything in your finished pattern should look and be written. Following a style sheet will help your patterns have a consistent look and feel.

What to Include?

• Font type
• Information to give at the start of a pattern
• How headings will be used
• How you will punctuate your pattern
• What standard terms you use
• Stock phrases like “sl st to join” or “sl st into 1st stitch worked” or simply “join”

What exactly does a Tech Editor Do?

A tech editor looks at the whole pattern in every size and ensures that mathematically the pattern works. They will check measurements against gauge, stitches and rows, they will ensure every row uses the number of stitches that are available on the previous row and that the new stitch count adds up.

Tips to Improve Crochet Patterns

(I) find crochet patterns hard to read when they are overly verbose. To give an example:

Round 2: Work 1 dc in each of the next 3 stitches then work 2 dc into the next stitch, continue doing this to the end.

Can be much more elegantly expressed as

Rnd 2: *3 dc, 2 dc in next; rep from * around.

I think verbosity can introduce ambiguity. In the example there is some room for doubt as to whether I keep repeating both instructions or just one.

 Listen in to Creative Yarn Entrepreneur -> Tips for Contracting with Your First Tech Editor

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Now, the final part of this week’s lesson – Publishing Your Pattern