After facing the intense pressures of hustle culture, knitting-pattern designer Jessica Brist set out to build a career rooted in supporting, inspiring, and empowering fellow creatives. Both a designer and a business mentor, Jessica is the founder of Snickerdoodle Knits, Full Circle Entrepreneurship, and Pattern Design Circle. With more than six years of experience in pattern design, she understands the unique challenges of building a business in this industry.
In this blog post, Jessica shares best practices for working with pattern testers—a process that can feel intimidating at first, but often proves one of the most rewarding parts of bringing a design to life. She breaks down what pattern testers do, where to find them, and how to set up a test knit in a way that respects both your work and your testers’ time.
This article kicks off our “Pattern Testing in Practice” series, in which three knit and crochet designers share their approaches to running test knits—from getting started to building collaborative relationships to developing systems that make sense for your business. Whether you’re new to pattern testing or refining your process, these perspectives are designed to help you build a workflow that fits your style.
You’ve finished writing your pattern, sent it through tech editing, and now you want to send it through one more step: pattern testing.
Working with testers can feel intimidating when you’re just getting started. How do you find testers? What’s reasonable to ask of them? Should you pay them? In this guide, we’ll walk through the essentials of working with pattern testers, so you can set yourself (and your knitters!) up for success.
What Do Pattern Testers Actually Do?
A pattern tester is someone who knits your design before it’s published, following the instructions as if they were a customer. Their job is to make sure:
- Instructions are clear and easy to follow.
- The design knits up as promised.
- The experience is smooth and enjoyable.
In other words, they help you see the pattern through your customers’ eyes. They bring fresh perspectives and different knitting habits, so they can spot issues that you may have missed.
What Pattern Testers Don’t Do
It’s important to know that pattern testers aren’t replacements for tech editors. They’re not trained to analyze pattern structure, calculate the math, or catch typos. Instead, think of them as your “knitter’s eye”—they give you insight into how a real maker would experience your pattern, while your tech editor ensures the technical details are solid.
Where to Find Pattern Testers
There are several ways to connect with knitters who enjoy testing patterns:
- Yarnpond: A platform designed for knit and crochet testing, Yarnpond keeps everything organized in one place. You do have to pay for credits in order to post a test, but this is my top recommendation for new designers. They outline everything you need to share with your testers, and even provide a feedback-form template.
- Ravelry Groups: Forums like The Testing Pool connect designers with enthusiastic testers. (Just note accessibility limitations on Ravelry.)
- Social Media and Newsletters: If you’re an established designer with a following, your own audience is an excellent place to find testers.
Over time, most designers build their own “tester pool”—an email list or group chat where interested knitters can sign up to hear about new opportunities. If you use a platform like Yarnpond or a Facebook or Ravelry group, I highly recommend providing your testers with the opportunity to sign up for your test-knitting email list at the end of the pattern test.
Running a Smooth Test Knit: Best Practices
Here are a few tips to keep your test knit running smoothly:
- Set clear expectations: Share deadlines and yardage requirements up front.
- Provide enough time: For example, 4–6 weeks for a shawl or socks; 2–4 months for sweaters.
- Stay organized: Make sure testers know where to ask questions and share updates. Throughout the test, provide reminders about milestones and deadlines.
- Ask the right questions: Create a feedback form with specifics like gauge, finished dimensions, adjustments made, and clarity of instructions.
The Pay Debate: Should You Compensate Pattern Testers?
One of the biggest conversations in the design world is whether testers should be paid. On one hand, testing is labor, and labor should be compensated. On the other hand, most independent designers struggle to make enough profit to pay testers.
Here’s where many designers (myself included) land:
- Non-monetary compensation: Commonly, testers receive a free copy of the final pattern, plus an additional free pattern of their choice from the designer’s shop.
- Respect and generosity: Spacious timelines, clear communication, and gratitude go a long way toward making testers feel valued.
Personal note: When I was a new designer (and didn’t have a portfolio of patterns to offer testers), I promised testers they could choose a free pattern from any design I published that year. That December, I sent out a reminder email. It was a simple gesture to honor their time and express my gratitude.
Bottom line: While paying pattern testers is ideal, many makers genuinely enjoy testing as a way to help designers and try new patterns early. Just remember, it’s a volunteer role. Treat your testers with respect and appreciation.
Finally: Your Test Knit (or Crochet) Checklist
Here’s a simple checklist to get you started with your pattern test:
- Decide where you’ll host your test
- Write a clear tester call with pertinent information
- Prepare a feedback form
- Decide how you’ll compensate testers
- Send testers the final pattern
You Are Ready: Work With Pattern Testers and Grow With Confidence
Working with testers can feel like a big hurdle, but it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the design process. This is your first chance to see your design come to life in other knitters’ hands—and ensure that your pattern is clear, accurate, and enjoyable.
Take it one step at a time, treat your testers with respect, and you’ll build a community of knitters who are just as excited about your designs as you are.
If you’d like help building your pattern design business—from tech editing and testing to marketing patterns and adding revenue streams—check out Jessica’s Pattern Design Circle.
Stay tuned! Coming up next in our “Pattern Testing in Practice” series, crochet designer Leanna Haughian of Crafty Bones will share how she builds a collaborative process that makes pattern testing feel like a true team effort.
