Wondering if you’re ready to start selling your knitting patterns on Ravelry, Etsy, or your own website? It’s a question I hear a lot. And the truth is, if you’ve never sold your designs before, the idea can seem intimidating.
You’re worried about putting your work out there, about pricing, about handling customer service, or even about the technical aspects of setting up a shop. It’s completely understandable, too. No one wants to face rejection or feel overwhelmed by the business side of things. But don’t let that stop you! Selling your patterns can be incredibly rewarding.
It allows you to share your creativity with the world, connect with fellow knitters, and even generate income from your passion. If you’ve been feeling a pull to share your designs with a wider audience, you’re probably getting close!
To help you decide, today I’m sharing 5 ways to know if you’re ready to take the leap and start selling your knitting patterns. This way you can focus on building a successful design business – without feeling overwhelmed or unprepared. (And if you’re not ready yet, you’ll know what you need to do!) Let’s dig in.
5 Ways You Know You’re Ready to Start Selling Your Knitting Patterns
Only you can say for sure whether you’re ready to start selling. As I mentioned above, if it’s been heavily on your mind lately, you’re probably in a good place to start researching your options, at the very least. You may even find that you’re more prepared than you think!
To help you decide, here are a few tell-tale signs that show you’re more than ready to share your designs with the world.
Readiness Sign #1: You Have a Few Finished and Tested Patterns
Has someone suggested you start selling your patterns, especially after seeing your beautiful finished projects? This is why it’s so helpful to share your work with others. When I first started designing, I was hesitant to even show my work (it’s scary!). But after receiving positive feedback from friends and fellow knitters, I realized I had something valuable to offer. If you don’t have a support system or network of people to give you feedback, try sharing your work in online knitting communities or with local yarn shops. Given the number of finished and tested patterns you have, would you say you have a small collection ready to go? Always start with a solid foundation, friend.
Readiness Sign #2: You’re Excited to Share Your Designs with a Wider Audience
You may not feel it now, but your intuition about whether you’re ready to share your work will almost always steer you in the right direction. So if you feel a genuine desire to connect with other knitters and see your designs brought to life, it can be hard to ignore that feeling. Here are a few ways to push past any hesitations: First, picture someone knitting one of your designs and enjoying the process. Next, imagine the positive feedback you might receive. Finally, picture a time when you felt proud of something you created and shared with the world. Chances are, sharing your designs will bring you a sense of fulfillment and connection.
Readiness Sign #3: You’ve Researched Different Selling Platforms
Sometimes big decisions come easy because you’ve naturally gravitated towards a solution. That can feel like a natural progression, and many times it’s a sign you’re on the right track. So when you find yourself consistently drawn to Ravelry, Etsy, or the idea of setting up your own website, just go with it. It’s a sign you’re exploring the possibilities. If you’ve tried brainstorming different ways to share your patterns and a specific platform keeps coming to mind, it could mean it’s the right fit for you.
Readiness Sign #4: You’ve Considered the Business Side of Things
Now that we’ve covered some of the mindset signs that will help you determine if you’re ready to start selling, it’s time to cover some practical reasons. Before you start selling, there are some things you’ll need to have in place. It makes little sense to jump into selling without considering the business aspects. Here’s how you’ll know that selling your patterns will be a huge success:
- You have a rough pricing strategy. You’ve considered your costs, your time, and the value you provide.
- You have a system for delivering your patterns. You are familiar with creating PDFs, or you are willing to do the research to figure it out!
- You’ve considered customer service. You’re prepared to answer questions and provide support to your customers.
- You understand basic copyright and intellectual property principles – aka your patterns are original – you didn’t take another designer’s pattern and just alter it a bit.
Readiness Sign #5: You Have a Plan for Marketing Your Patterns
Now, I can hear you saying, “Just putting my patterns online isn’t enough!” And that’s absolutely true. Every business needs a marketing plan. Because simply listing your patterns won’t guarantee sales. It wasn’t until I started actively promoting my work that I saw significant results. That’s when I realized that marketing is just as important as the design itself.
Here’s what you can do to prepare: First, identify your target audience. Get in the habit of engaging with other knitters online. Remember that consistency is key. The first time I tried marketing my patterns, I gave up too quickly because I didn’t see immediate results. Be ready to experiment with different marketing strategies and track your results. Having a plan like this will help you reach a wider audience and increase your sales.
Standing in between you and Selling: The Doubt Edition
Usually, the biggest thing standing in the way of sharing your work isn’t something external. It’s actually self-doubt. Some common concerns I hear from my clients are: “What if no one likes my designs?” “What if I don’t make any sales?” “What if I can’t handle the business side of things?” Does any of that sound familiar? The best way to clear those concerns up is to focus on the joy of creating and the potential to connect with other knitters. Why do you want to share your designs in the first place?
Standing in between you and Selling: Real-Life Obstacles
Real-life obstacles are some of the most obvious challenges you’re going to face with starting a business. We’ve already covered common obstacles in this post, but you likely will have some challenges that are unique to your situation, resources, and time constraints. The good news is, most of them can be overcome with planning and preparation. So in addition to what I shared above, I recommend creating a realistic timeline and setting small, achievable goals. And remember, when you’re ready, you’re ready. If you find that you aren’t really motivated to take the necessary steps to set up shop, you know that you’re not quite ready. And that’s okay, just keep creating and exploring your options. Want some help on navigating the business side of knitting design? I love to support you in building a thriving creative business of your dreams – check out my Purl & Publish Membership for more information.
Bonus! Extra ways to get ready for selling your patterns
- Create mockups of your pattern covers and promotional materials.
- Practice writing pattern descriptions and product listings.
- Join online communities for knitting designers and learn from others’ experiences.
That’s a wrap! I hope this post has helped clarify whether you’re ready to start selling your knitting patterns. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember that when I first started my business, everyone told me it was too competitive and difficult. Now look at me, running a successful business and helping other designers achieve their dreams.
Have a question about anything I covered today? Connect with a community of passionate knitting designers just like you! The Purl and Publish membership offers exclusive resources, expert guidance, and a supportive network to help you build your business. Join the conversation here!
