If you find yourself on this page, it is probably because you are thinking of becoming a pattern tester! Of course there is always the possibility that you have stumbled upon this page and do not know what being a Pattern Tester means. Luckily it is very self explanatory haha. I write the patterns and you do me the incredibly generous service of testing them. Writing patterns is very tedious work, and it is easy to convince yourself that your pattern makes complete sense because you are the one that wrote it. However, we are all people after all, and we make mistakes and can view things with a bias. It is for this reason that pattern writers need pattern testers to help us work through our patterns from a different perspective.
What are the qualifications and responsibilities of a Pattern Tester?
- Be a crocheter, any experience level is okay: It will always be my philosophy that the gap between being a beginner and an intermediate or advanced crocheter is fairly small. Personally I feel like there are so many concepts in crochet that look much harder than they actually are and I don’t think that should ever discourage individuals from tackling projects that they think may be too complicated for them. Therefore I will always welcome ANY level of experience when considering applications.
- Be Reliable: One of the biggest qualifications for being a pattern tester is that you must be reliable. Just like with any business, small businesses rely on following a strict schedule to be successful. Patterns that are sent out for testing will have a deadline in which the test must be completed and by agreeing to partake in the test, you are agreeing to finish by the deadline. I do understand that this is a voluntary task, but I am entrusting you with something that is very important to me and I would appreciate the respect of taking the deadline seriously.
- Be able to purchase your own materials: As much as I wish I could help you buy materials and pay you for your service, I am currently financially unable to offer such compensation. Therefore you will be responsible for purchasing your own yarn and materials, but I am more than happy to help you find affordable options should that be a concern of yours.
- Find Errors and Give Feedback: As a tester, your main task is to follow the pattern, complete the design, and provide feedback. Like I said, I am only human and I am sure that my patterns will always have a few mistakes in them and I would love if you would let me know if you find any. In addition to the actual mistakes, I would like to get feedback on the pattern itself, is it easy to follow or worded too confusingly? Many patterns will have a sizing aspect to them and therefore applicants will be testing their specific size, I would also really appreciate getting feedback on how accurate the instructions for specific sizes are. My ultimate goal is to have a pattern that almost anyone can follow with ease, so any feedback will be considered (as long as it isn’t mean haha).
- Share Your Finished Project: In order for any feedback to be taken seriously, I will need photographic proof that you have actually completed the pattern. I know there are certain makers that require you to post your work in progress and finish product photos on social media, this is not what I mean by sharing the finished product, I only really need you to send any photos to me personally. You are of course welcome to share any photos on social media if you would like to, but you are already doing me a great favor by testing the pattern, I will not require you to promote my brand on your own accounts haha.
What are the benefits of being a Pattern Tester?
- Gaining Knowledge and Experience: I know this sounds super cliche, but taking the time to critique a pattern will ultimately help further your understanding of crochet techniques and how to interpret more difficult patterns. Additionally, if you aspire to write your own patterns one day, this is a process that will definitely aid you in creating your own patterns one day.
- Early Access To Patterns: If you happen to be a fan of my designs, which hopefully is why you are here in the first place haha, you will have them before anyone else! I currently only offer free patterns, but should there ever be a pattern that must be purchased, it will be provided to the testers for free.
- Lifetime Help: Should you have any questions about the pattern you are testing, another one of my patterns, a pattern that is not mine, or even help writing your own patterns, I am always happy to help talk through things with you! (I of course offer this to everyone regardless of if you would like to be a tester or not haha, but you now you know the offer is there!)
- Tester Giveaway (Limited to US Territories): At the release of each pattern I will have a giveaway specifically for the testers of that pattern. I will randomly choose one tester to receive a special care package!
Are there any rules?
- Following Deadlines: As previously stated, when you agree to the test, you are agreeing to a deadline. I take this deadline seriously, and I would really appreciate it if you did as well. I of course am not a heartless monster and I know that life happens, if you find yourself in a situation where you know you cannot complete a pattern by the deadline, I will need you to let me know as soon as possible so that I can find a way to stay on schedule. It is not something that I would like to do, but because everyone is guilty of telling the occasional lie in their life, if you do find yourself in a situation that does not allow you to finish the pattern, it may affect your chances of being able test a pattern in the future, but again I am not heartless, so just talk to me haha.
- No “Ghosting”: I think we have all experienced being ghosted at some point in our lives (in which someone falls off the face of the planet and ceases to acknowledge you existence). I do hope this doesn’t happen since my patterns are already free anyway, but I do know there are people that only want access to a free pattern and once they have it, completely drop you. This is something I am not okay with and should it happen, you will not be able to test a future patter ever again.
- No Copyright Infringement: I have heard horror stories of patterns being stolen during the testing process. This will not be tolerated. All my patterns have been copy-written and I will take legal action should you try to claim my designs or patterns as your own. Should you ever consider doing this to me or any other maker and the legal action is not enough to deter you, know that we all dedicate endless hours of our own time to create these designs and patterns. If you think that claiming them as your own does not affect the lives of these individuals on a very personal level, you would be mistaken. Understand that your actions have consequences for other people than just yours.
I understand all of the rules and regulations above, how does the application process work?
In order to submit an application, you simply fill our the contact form below and you will be subscribed to a Pattern Tester Mailing List. When I have completed a pattern I will send out an email blast with all of the details of the pattern and the timeline in which it needs to be completed. If you like the pattern and know you can meet the deadline, you can following the link in the email to a specific application form for that particular pattern. After that I will take a couple days to review the applications and choose a handful of people to test the pattern! It is that simple, but should you have any additional questions, feel free to ask!
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