Creating Knitting Patterns, Day 9: Test Knitting

Welcome to Day 9 of the Complete Guide to Creating Knitting Patterns series! Today, we are going to talk about the importance of test knitting and how to find testers for your new knitting pattern.

Why You Should Not Publish a Pattern Without Test Knitting

The answer is simple: you will not catch all errors u´during sample knitting, especially not if you’re knitting the sample yourself.

You will need test knitters that are not yourself. That’s a fact.

You are familiar with your pattern. You wrote it, after all! Which means you are very likely to miss errors by simply overlooking them. Why? Because you anticipate the right steps. A tester does not.

As an aspiring knitting pattern designer, please take this advice: let other people test knit your patterns!

So now we have a new problem: how to find test knitters for your new knitting pattern?

How To Find Test Knitters

Finding test knitters is not rocket science.

Ask Your Friends

First of all, think about fellow knitters in your area or within your friends: maybe someone you know would like to test your pattern? Just ask your fellow knitters for help, most people are interested in testing new patterns before they are released, as this provides them with a kind of a head start.

Don’t know any fellow knitters around? Maybe asking in your local yarn shop is a good start. Asking does not have a price tag attached, just try it!

It’s seen as privilege by many knitters to get early access to patterns. For your friends as well as strangers you might find in knitting forums and in knitting communities. Which leads to the second possibility to find test knitters for your patterns: knitting communities.

Finding Test Knitters in Knitting Communities

Especially Ravelry is the number one resource to find fellow knitters and/or test knitters. There are groups devoted to test knitting of upcoming patterns like The Testing Pool or Free Pattern Testers on Ravelry.

Join the groups and read their rules and guidelines for posting patterns for testing there. Always make sure you read the groups guidelines and rule first to make sure people are happy to read your test knitting offers and not annoyed because your offers are interpreted as spam. Be friendly and play by the rules.

Shall I Pay Testers?

Usually, it should not be a problem to find test knitters who are happy to test your pattern free of charge and for the advantage to get early access to new patterns. So the answer is no, usually you should not have to pay anyone to test your pattern.

Exercise: Find Test Knitters For Your Pattern

Try to find a test knitter now and tell us about your experiences in my Facebook Group! Creating knitting patterns in easier than you think. You can do it, too! Get started now 🙂