How to Be a Knitting Designer
Becoming a knitting designer takes creativity and perseverance. There are a few different paths you can take to become recognized as a designer. Once you have designed your first pattern, you are a designer. Publishing a knitting design is the next goal in the process. Take the time to knit a sample and check your pattern for errors. Make sure your measurements are according to guidelines and that you include a broad range of sizes for garments. Begin building an internet presence with a blog or a web site and use social networking sites to your advantage.
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Instructions
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Submit your pattern to a yarn company. Some yarn companies are looking for new designers who have made a pattern in their yarn. Contact the company to discover if they are looking for new designers and what sort of rights they want on your pattern. Their guidelines and rights vary, so look on the web-site to discover the guidelines for the company, or contact the company directly. Make sure that your submission is professional. Include your experience, if you have any, and a picture of your finished design. Generally, if the company decides to publish your pattern, you will receive a flat fee for the pattern and the company will keep most of the rights to your pattern for publication.
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Submit your pattern to a magazine. Magazines are not yarn specific, but check the web-site for submission guidelines. Most magazines want a description of the pattern and a knitted swatch showcasing the stitch pattern. If you have a picture of the finished design, you can include that as well. Pay attention to the storyboards and themes for upcoming issues to determine if your pattern will fit what the magazine is looking for.
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Self-publish your pattern. Include a downloadable link to your pattern on your blog or a knitting social networking site, such as Ravelry. You can charge for your pattern or offer it for free. Maintain a web presence and build your social network to encourage downloads so you can become recognized as a designer. Many designers take the self-publishing route. While it may be difficult to get your name out there in the beginning, once you become recognized as a designer who has well-written patterns, it will become easier to sell your patterns.
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Tips & Warnings
Look into all of your options before deciding which one is the right path for you.
Pay attention to what rights you are giving away and the pay you are accepting for your pattern. The excitement of getting published can sometimes interfere with common sense, but you may be able to make more money from your pattern in the long run by self-publishing.
References
Resources
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