You’ve designed beautiful crochet patterns, written clear instructions, and created professional PDFs that showcase your work. Now comes one of the trickiest questions every pattern designer faces: how much should you charge?
Pricing your crochet patterns can feel intimidating. Price too high and you worry no one will buy. Price too low and you undervalue your work while leaving money on the table. Finding that sweet spot where your patterns sell well and you earn what your designs are worth takes some strategy.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the key factors that should influence your pricing decisions and share practical tips for setting prices that work for both you and your customers.
Factors to Consider When Pricing Crochet Patterns
Pricing isn’t just about picking a number that sounds good. Several important factors should influence what you charge for each pattern.
Cost of Materials
Start by calculating what it costs to make the finished project. Add up the yarn, any special notions or materials, and extras like stitch markers or buttons. This gives you a baseline understanding of the customer’s investment beyond just the pattern price.
While you’re not directly recouping these costs (customers buy their own materials), understanding the total project cost helps you price appropriately. A pattern requiring $80 worth of luxury yarn needs a different pricing strategy than one using $15 of basic acrylic.
If your pattern uses bargain yarns, consider whether your target audience can realistically invest in a high-priced pattern. Sometimes offering yarn substitution suggestions can make expensive patterns more accessible to budget-conscious crocheters.
Complexity and Skill Level
Pattern complexity should directly impact your pricing. A simple beginner scarf pattern that takes an hour to write and another hour to test shouldn’t cost the same as an intricate sweater pattern that took weeks to develop, grade across multiple sizes, and refine through extensive testing.
Beginner patterns typically fall at lower price points, often between $3-$6. These patterns serve as entry points for new crocheters and often lead to repeat customers who trust your work as they advance their skills.
Intermediate patterns usually range from $6-$10, while advanced patterns with complex construction, detailed charts, or multiple size gradings can command $10-$20. Designers known for exceptionally detailed, well-tested patterns in this category sometimes price even higher because their reputation justifies the premium.
Skill level also affects your audience size. Beginner patterns have broader appeal but face more competition. Advanced patterns serve a smaller but often more willing-to-pay audience looking for unique challenges.
For more on what makes patterns truly excellent, check out our guide on Technical Aspects of an Excellent Crochet Pattern by GoSadi designer Julie Desjardins.
Time Investment
Your time has value, and pricing should reflect the hours you invest in each pattern. Track your time from initial concept through final publication, including designing, swatching, writing instructions, creating charts or diagrams, photography, editing, testing coordination, and revisions.
Let’s say you spent 30 hours total on a pattern. If you want to earn $20 per hour for your design work, you’d need to make $600 from that pattern to fairly compensate your time. If you price it at $8, you’d need to sell 75 copies to reach that goal.
This doesn’t mean every pattern needs to immediately recoup all your time investment. Patterns continue selling over months or years, and your first few designs help build your reputation and skills. But understanding these numbers helps you make informed decisions about where to invest your energy.
Some designers price new releases higher initially, then lower prices over time as sales naturally decline. Others maintain consistent pricing but periodically run sales. Both approaches can work depending on your business model and audience.
Size of the Finished Project
Generally, larger projects justify higher prices due to increased time investment, materials required, and pattern complexity. A baby blanket pattern involves less design work than a king-size blanket pattern with multiple stitch pattern sections.
Similarly, garment patterns that include multiple sizes require significantly more work than single-size accessories. Each additional size needs testing, grading, and verification. This extra labor deserves compensation through your pricing.
Consider also the time investment for the crocheter. A pattern for a project that takes 40+ hours to complete can command a higher price than something workable in an afternoon. Crocheters investing substantial time want thoroughly tested, clearly written patterns that won’t frustrate them midway through.
Pattern Exclusivity and Uniqueness
If your pattern offers something truly unique, a special technique you’ve developed, or an innovative construction method, you can price accordingly. Patterns that teach new skills or offer fresh approaches to familiar items add educational value beyond just the finished object instructions.
Limited edition patterns or designs tied to specific events can also command premium pricing. The exclusivity itself becomes part of the value proposition.
Your Brand and Reputation
As you build a reputation for quality patterns with excellent instructions, clear photography, and responsive customer service, you earn the ability to price higher than unknown designers. Customers pay premium prices for designers they trust.
This means your first few patterns might be priced more conservatively to build that initial customer base and gather reviews. As your reputation grows, gradually increase prices for new releases while potentially maintaining lower prices on older patterns as a gateway to your work.
Learn more about creating patterns that build your reputation in our post on Crafting High-Quality Crochet Patterns.
Tips for Pricing Your Crochet Patterns
Beyond understanding the factors that influence pricing, here are practical strategies to help you set prices confidently.
Do Market Research
Before pricing any pattern, spend time researching what other designers charge for similar designs. Look at patterns with comparable complexity, size, and style on platforms like Ravelry, Etsy, and designer websites.
Pay attention to pricing across different experience levels. What do established designers with thousands of sales charge versus newer designers building their catalogs? This gives you a realistic range to work within.
Don’t just copy others’ prices, but use this research to ensure you’re not dramatically overpricing (which kills sales) or significantly underpricing (which devalues your work and the broader pattern market).
Consider Your Target Audience
Who are you designing for? Budget-conscious beginners may balk at $15 patterns but happily purchase at $5-$7. Experienced crocheters seeking unique, challenging patterns often willingly pay $15-$25 for exceptional designs.
Your marketing, photography, and overall brand should align with your pricing. If you’re targeting premium customers, everything about your presentation should reflect that quality. If you’re focusing on accessible patterns for beginners, make sure your pricing matches that positioning.
Start Conservatively, Adjust as Needed
When you’re unsure, it’s often better to start slightly lower and increase prices based on feedback and sales data than to start too high and see no sales at all. Your first pattern doesn’t need to be priced like a designer with 50 patterns and years of reputation.
Pay attention to your sales patterns. If it gets lots of favorites but few purchases, the price might be too high (or the marketing needs work).
Don’t be afraid to adjust prices. Many designers increase prices on patterns after the initial launch period or based on seasonal demand. You can also experiment with sales to understand your customers’ price sensitivity.
Ask for Feedback
Your crochet community is a valuable resource. Ask fellow designers, test crocheters, or trusted friends what they’d expect to pay for your pattern. Show them comparable patterns at various price points and get their honest reactions.
Social media polls can also provide useful data. Share your pattern preview and ask followers whether they’d purchase at different price points. This gives you real market feedback before you commit to pricing.
Value Your Work Appropriately
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: many pattern designers significantly underprice their work, often out of fear that higher prices won’t sell. This hurts not just individual designers but the entire pattern economy by setting unsustainably low price expectations.
Your patterns represent hours of skilled work, years of experience learning your craft, and ongoing costs like photography equipment, software, website hosting, and marketing. Price your work to reflect this value, not just to match the lowest-priced patterns you can find.
Customers who want quality patterns will pay fair prices. Customers who only buy the absolute cheapest patterns probably aren’t your ideal audience anyway because they’re less likely to leave reviews, share their finished projects, or become loyal repeat customers.
Factor in Platform Fees
Remember that selling platforms take their cut. If Etsy charges roughly 9-10% in combined fees and you want to net $7 from a pattern, you need to price it around $7.75-$8. On Ravelry with minimal fees, you keep nearly everything. On your own website, you pay only payment processing (around 3%).
Build these platform fees into your pricing strategy so you consistently earn what you need regardless of where customers purchase. For a detailed breakdown of platform options, read our guide on Where to Sell Crochet Patterns.
Consider Bundle Pricing
Offering pattern bundles at a discount encourages larger purchases while providing customer value. If your individual patterns are $7-$8, a bundle of three patterns for $18-$20 creates perceived savings while increasing your average sale amount.
Bundles work especially well for related patterns (all the pieces for a matching set) or patterns that build on each other skill-wise (a progression from beginner to advanced versions of similar items).
Set Your Prices and Start Selling
Pricing your crochet patterns strategically is crucial for building a sustainable pattern business. Take time to consider your costs, time investment, market positioning, and target audience. Research what others charge, but don’t be afraid to value your unique work appropriately.
Remember that pricing isn’t set in stone. You can adjust as you learn more about your audience and as your reputation grows. The goal is finding that sweet spot where your patterns sell well and you earn fair compensation for your creative work.
Creating quality crochet patterns takes skill, time, and dedication. Your pricing should reflect that value. When you price confidently and strategically, you build a business that sustains your creativity and rewards your hard work.
Continue Learning:
- Pricing Your Knitting Patterns: Strategies & Considerations
- Technical Aspects of an Excellent Crochet Pattern: 6 Key Technical Considerations & Pattern Writing Qualities
- Crafting High-Quality Crochet Patterns
- Where to Sell Crochet Patterns: Find the Perfect Platform for Your Business
- How to Promote Your Crochet Patterns
- SEO for Knit & Crochet Pattern Sales: Boost Visibility While Keeping Your Brand Voice
