Picture this: you’ve just released your latest crochet pattern into the world, and the sweet sound of success chimes in—sales. Customers are buying your pattern, and you know they’re going to love it. However, over the next few weeks, your inbox gets flooded with emails from irritated customers instead of notifications of rave reviews. Each email has a different inquiry about the type, weight, and color of yarn you used in your pattern. Suddenly, the excitement of sales turns into exasperation.
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Say goodbye to the chaos of customer confusion and embrace the simplicity of streamlining how you list yarn in your crochet patterns. In today’s article, I will share with you six tips to consider when listing yarn in your next pattern. I’m also going to share four different examples of how you can list yarn that will eliminate any confusion for your customers and give them the exact information they need.
There isn’t a standard way to list yarn that is known by all crochet designers, but I think several key points should be considered before listing it.
Yarn Brand and Name:
I can not express strongly enough how important it is to provide the brand name and specific yarn type you used for your pattern. Every customer who purchases your pattern wants to know this information. They want to know the exact kind of yarn you used so they can duplicate that same “look.” They will either purchase that same exact yarn or try to find that same yarn in their stash! Oh, and for the love of bird seeds, please mention what color or colorway you used. Color can affect the look of a crochet item!
Yarn Weight and Fiber:
Listing the yarn weight (fingering, worsted, bulky) as well as the fiber content (cotton, acrylic, wool, etc.) in your crochet pattern gives your customer enough information so they can substitute different yarns or purchase their yarn online. Since most yarn companies use the standard yarn weight system set forth by the Craft Yarn Council, it normally isn’t an issue just to list yarn weight and fiber when listing yarn. However, some companies sell their store-brand yarn, and the weight of their yarn is not to the CYC standard. This is why I always recommend listing Yarn Brand along with weight and fiber content.
Yardage/Meterage:
Should you list how many yards/meters are in the skein of yarn or how many yards/meters you used for the project? This is a great question, and my answer is both. Listing the complete yarn info of the skein and the pattern yarn info gives your customer the added information for making decisions when choosing a yarn substitution. It also eliminates the need to do the dreaded calculations that go along with that! Oh! And make sure when you list pattern yarn info, you give a little cushion to your yardage/meterage. This gives your customer a bit of wiggle room for making a gauge swatch or any errors they encounter.
Gauge Information:
Whether you like it or not, gauge always matters in crochet designs. When it comes to listing yarn, the gauge of the yarn used is important as well! On the label of almost every ball of yarn, you’ll find a knitting gauge and a crochet gauge. This would be great information to add if you list yarn by weight. If the yarn you used is a medium size 4 worsted weight yarn with a crochet gauge of 12 sts by 15 rows with a J-10 (6 mm) crochet hook, your customer will be able to find a suitable substitute on the gauge alone.
Yarn Substitutions and Notes:
Not all your customers may have access to the yarn you listed in your crochet pattern. Some may live in another country, while others may want to work from their stash. Offering guidance on yarn substitution is a great way to accommodate customers and helps them take the guesswork out of choosing yarn. Make sure to provide any essential notes regarding color changes, stitch variations, or other important details that can impact the final project.
Formatting and Layout:
Giving your customer as much information about the yarn you used is great, but you also need to take into consideration the format and layout of how you list your yarn info. Make sure you list the yarn info in a clear and organized manner. Use bullet points or a table to make it easy for your customers to reference the details quickly. Ensure the font is legible and that there’s enough spacing between lines for comfortable reading.
Four Examples of How to List Yarn:
Yarn Company, Yarn Name, Yarn Weight [% fiber; X yards / X m per Xg skein]; color: Color Name; X skein(s)
Yarn Weight [% fiber; X yards / X m per Xg skein]; color: Color Name; X skeins
X yards of [Yarn Company, Yarn Name] – [% fiber], X yards / X g. (Total balls used). Color Name
X Size, X Weight with a gauge of X sts and X rows with a size X (Xmm) Crochet Hook.
When you list yarn in your crochet pattern, just remember that your pattern will outlast the yarn you use. Yarn brands come and go. A yarn brand may discontinue a certain yarn, or an indie yarn dyer may retire a color scheme. The yarn you use may not be available three years from now, and you want to make sure that those who purchase your pattern will be able to find a suitable substitute.
