Pattern Design Circle Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jessica Brist
Helping crochet and knitting pattern designers navigate the ins and outs of running a fulfilling business, marketing their designs, and living a life they're passionate about.
If your to-do list keeps bumping into your energy limits…
If you’re working in scraps of time, wondering how anything actually gets done…
You’re not alone.
This month, Minnie turned one, which means I’ve officially been a mompreneur for a full year. And I’m honoring that milestone by sharing, openly and realistically, the ups and downs of this first chapter.
In this week’s Studio Scribbles (available on YouTube or the podcast), I dive into the three biggest challenges I’ve faced as a new mama and creative (ADHD) entrepreneur—along with the shifts, lessons, and two surprising ways this year has actually helped my business.
Whether you’re caregiving, healing, balancing a day job, or simply doing the best you can with what you’ve got… this one’s for you.
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Full Circle Entrepreneurship Weekly "Email" Diary Series #1
When things don't go according to plan, we, as the CEOs of our businesses, get to choose which path to take. Do we keep pushing forward according to the original plan, do we make some changes, or do we scrap it all?
Past me (a few years ago) would typically push forward with the original plan as much as I possibly could. It's kind of what we've been taught by society: hustle and do all the things. (And honestly, I believe there is a time and place for it - like if you're just changing plans out of lack of confidence, avoidance, and procrastination. There is a certain momentum that comes through implementation.)
But present me is choosing to create more space in the plan.
This week I'm trying something new. I hesitate to call it “new” because it's been brewing in my brain for years, but it is the first time (I think) I've actually implemented it. I've recorded this week's email as a video, because I feel like I can share myself and my thoughts easier that way… and I feel less pressure to be “perfect” when it's just us talking like a conversation than in an email like this.
Upcoming Events
July 7-11: Q3 Kick Start Focus Week (aka, Get St Done Week)**
Kick start Q3 with aligned, intentional momentum that sets you on the right path toward your goals for the quarter. Enter the week with goals and leave with key tasks checked off, systems humming, and momentum locked in.
This is an event open to all members of the Aligned Entrepreneur's Hive.
Don't have your quarterly goals mapped out? Don't worry! The Q3 Quarterly Review drops inside the Hive on June 29 (so you can have Q3 mapped out prior to the Focus Week starting). Broken into 4 parts, it guides you through your quarterly reflection, assessment, intentions, and plans.
Join the Hive for $27
July 13-19: Q3 Creativity Burst Design Challenge
Infuse your business with a burst of creative energy and at least 7 new design ideas through a week of unique prompts and my signature Creative Thought Journey Process.
This is an event open to all members of Pattern Design Circle.
Join Pattern Design Circle for $9
TBD: How to Use Storytelling when Marketing Your Pattern Designs
This is a free 3-day challenge coming to you soon! I'll dive into why storytelling is so powerful and valuable in your marketing, provide a plethora of story examples, and help you outline key stories that you can tell for your knit or crochet designs.
More info on the BTS of this event in the video :)
Words of Wisdom:
Change is inevitable.
It can feel scary. It can feel hard. It can feel uncertain.
But over time, things will always change. Your preferences, your priorities, your routines, your structure, your marketing. It all changes.
It's meant to change.
Don't resist it. Instead, lean into what fits you now, and it will lead you into deeper alignment.
Weekly Motivation:
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Are feeling overwhelmed by the constant demand for fresh content? Do you feel confused about how to actually repurpose your marketing content across several platforms?
This episode of the Vibrant Artist Podcast is your go-to guide. I dive into why repurposing your content is powerful and time-saving, what content repurposing actually is, and actionable strategies - including specific examples related to creative art businesses - to help you repurpose your existing marketing content effectively.
In this episode, you'll learn how to transform a single piece of content into multiple formats, saving you time and amplifying your message across various platforms. This episode is both practical and inspiring, ensuring you can implement these techniques without adding stress to your creative process.
Tune in to discover how to make your content work smarter for you, allowing you to focus more on your art and less on the marketing grind. This episode is perfect for artists, designers, and creative business owners looking to streamline their marketing efforts while staying true to their authentic voice.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to maximize your content's potential and keep your creative energy flowing.
Links:
Opus Clip Pro (for pulling short clips from long form videos)
FREE Aligned Habits Challenge (through May 31)
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Feeling stuck or a bit "meh" in your creative practice? Whether you're an author, poet, painter, graphic designer, knitting pattern designer, potter (you get the idea, right?) -- I have a free challenge designed just for you.
I’m hosting a FREE 3-day Creativity Challenge to help you generate fresh, meaningful, and uniquely YOU creative ideas using my signature Creative Thought Journey process. Each day, you’ll receive a new prompt designed to guide you through your experience, inspiration, and personal creative voice so you’ll have at least three brand-new ideas, each with a built-in story and deeper connection to your journey, by the end of the challenge.
Not only does this process help your creativity, but it makes your marketing easier.
If you’ve been craving a spark of inspiration or a way to develop ideas that feel truly aligned with YOU, this challenge will get you there. Tune into this episode to learn more, and use the link below to sign up!
Join the Free 3-Day Creativity Challenge
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Sometimes, things don’t go as planned—and that’s okay. This episode is a little more behind-the-scenes than normal, and it's a reminder that sometimes pausing to realign is the most productive thing you can do.
I had a different episode planned, but instead I'm doing a bit more behind-the-scenes work to create super valuable content that's strategic so it reaches the right people. So this is your permission slip to slow down when you need to, step back when necessary, and focus on making your efforts truly effective. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to keep going just for the sake of consistency, I hope this episode helps you rethink that.
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Marketing doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or scattered. Whether you’ve been putting in the effort but something just isn’t clicking -- maybe your audience isn’t growing, engagement feels flat, or sales aren’t coming in like you hoped -- or you’re just getting started on your marketing, this challenge is for you.
I’m hosting a free marketing challenge this week (March 7-9, 2025) called "Clarify Your Marketing Foundations." We’re diving into the three core parts of your marketing funnel to help you identify any gaps that might be holding you back, so you can create a stronger, more effective strategy.
By the end of the challenge, you’ll have more clarity on what’s working, what’s missing, and what to focus on next. Ready to make marketing feel more aligned and effective? Tune in to this episode to learn more, then sign up to join us!
Sign Up for the Free Challenge
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In an online world dominated by the "need" for engagement, negative headlines soar above the positive and mundane happenings around us. I'm not familiar with the scientific reason, but I do know the human brain seems to be captivated by negativity and controversy. It creates a fascination, a reaction, and a response; so our news, media, social media, and conversations are often oversaturated with it.
However, statistics indicate the world isn't any more "bad" than it was in the past; we are just more aware of it. But just because we have access to the constant stream of negativity doesn't mean it's healthy for us or that we are meant to consume it. In fact, statistics say that we consume as much negativity in one day as our ancestors used to receive in their whole lifetime, and the human brain has not evolved to adjust to it. So it's no wonder that we live in a society suffering from depression, anxiety, doomscrolling, burnout, and so much more.
But we don't have to leave it at that! Science shows we can take steps to improve our happiness, regardless of what negativity surrounds us.
So I invite you to join me for the free 3-week Happiness Challenge. We start February 23, but you can join at any time. After the challenge is over, the content will still be available inside the Aligned Entrepreneurs Hive.
Tune into this episode to learn more about what to expect in the challenge.
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The podcast previously named "Pattern Design Circle Podcast" is now named "Vibrant Artist Podcast." In this episode I dive into why I've made the change, what you can expect on the podcast moving forward, and how this impacts you if you're a knit or crochet pattern designer.
I'm excited to dive deeper with you into living vibrantly as a creative entrepreneur.
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I feel a lot like I'm coming back to business with a fresh start after about 2 years marked by burnout followed pregnancy and then maternity leave. I still have the same excitement and passion for my business, but as a work-from-home mom with a baby, my work schedule looks a bit different. And my planning process is no exception.
In this podcast episode, I dive into exactly what my slow, organic planning process is looking like for this year. If traditional planning doesn't resonate with, if you still haven't planned out your year, and/or you feel like you're too busy to spend time thinking about planning, I hope you are able to take away tangible steps that resonate with you so you can plan and set goals in a way that feels good to you and fits with your lifestyle needs.
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One of the most popular podcast episodes from last year was where I answered questions that you submitted, so we're going to do it again, but we're going to make it topic specific! Tune into the episode for all of the details on what kind of questions I'll be answering, and beyond.
Submit your questions here no later than February 28, 2025. If you include your email address, you'll be entered in a chance to win a free coaching call.
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We're already to the last episode of this series of podcasts inspired by video interviews from the Collin & Samir show. I hope you've found them thought-provoking, inspirational, and filled with value that you can use in your life and business.
This final episode is inspired by a discussion that was "just" between Collin and Samir - no guests. They were talking about Twitter becoming X and discussing what kind of content would and would not work well on that platform, and in this conversation, they brought up the concept of 'Forgettable versus Memorable Content,' an idea that peaked my interest... and of course, led to this episode!
So, what makes your social media content just another piece of content that folks are scrolling past, compared to content that resonates with folks so they remember it and take action as a result?
Let's dive in and talk all about it!
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New and exciting changes for you are here!
In an effort to make my communities as accessible, generous, and helpful as I can, I've adjusted the Pattern Design Circle community membership, so it's now split into three communities:
- The Creative Thread: a free community for knit and crochet pattern designers - and anyone who would like to collaborate with designers - to find resources, including calls for submissions, networking and business opportunities, and connecting with each other.
- Pattern Design Circle: a paid community ($9/month) for knit and crochet pattern designers who would like to dive deeper into their designing, business, and/or marketing.
- Aligned Entrepreneurs Hive: a paid community ($27/month) for creative entrepreneurs who want to dive deeper into their life and business to create a sustainable, fulfilling, happy, and impactful life.
You can absolutely be a member of all three, or just choose the community(ies) that best fits your needs right now.
Tune into this episode to learn more about what's inside each community!
I can't wait to see you inside the community!
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3 ways I can help you right now:
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I hope you absolutely loved the previous episode inspired by Jacob Collier's interview on the Collin & Samir Show, and that you're ready for part two!
While part one felt a bit like a motivational pep talk (or at least I hope it did - that was my intention!), in part two we're diving deeper into some of the realities of business ~ and Jacob's advice concerning fear and growth mindset.
As always, I hope you enjoy this chat and take away something valuable to implement in your life or business today.
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I've completely restructured the opportunities that I offer for you to work with me 1-on-1, and I couldn't be more excited! I now offer the same one-time coaching calls (but with more clarification on how I can help you) AND brand new coaching packages to help you follow through after our call(s).
Tune into this episode to get all of the details or check out the booking page here. PLUS, I am offering 50% off the coaching packages for the first 2 people that sign up for each package option. This includes:
- Alignment Package
- Business, Marketing, or Alignment Strategy Package
- Design Strategy Package
- Productivity, Habits, or Efficiency Package
In addition to these packages (aka not included in the 50% off promotion) are single calls for:
- Alignment Call
- Business, Marketing, or Alignment Strategy Call
- Design Strategy Call
- Productivity, Habits, or Efficiency Call
And a brand new offer to help you with analyzing where your time is going and how to better spend it in alignment with your goals:
- Time Tracking Assessment
I cannot wait to work with you! We're going to uplevel your life so you're living the happy, fulfilling life you dream of.
Let's Get Started.
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Do you ever read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an interview that inspires you so much that you just want to talk about it with someone - or everyone? That's how I felt after listening to Jacob Collier's interview on the Collin & Samir Show. And that's what this episode is all about: digging deeper into some ideas that really resonated with me from the interview.
Finding your passion, becoming an expert, following your purpose, and making an impact... this is just the tip of the iceberg from this podcast episode. I can't wait for you to tune into this podcast for creative motivation and inspiration!
And stay tuned... part two of this episode is coming next week, because I just couldn't contain it all to one podcast!
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Over the past couple of years, I've been fascinated to learn about the natural cycles of humans, including seasonalities, hormones, habits, and more. As we lean into these natural cycles, our businesses can feel more easeful, our time more productive, and our energy more optimized. If you're ready to lean into what's already instinctual in your body (rather than working against it), this episode is for you!
In this episode with Renae Fieck, we talk about Cycle Syncing: what it is, how it works, and how to optimize it in your life and business to save time and energy. By using cycle syncing in 2021, Renae was able to 5x her revenue, work fewer hours, and feel so much more balanced along the way.
Don't have a menstrual cycle? Don't worry! Renae also answers how to approach this, whether you've never had a menstrual cycle, you're pregnant, you're on birth control, or you're pre-menopausal or menopausal. Whatever your situation, there's help for you!
I absolutely can't wait for you to dive into this juicy, insightful episode.
Connect with Renae Online:
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
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With Amazon's Big Deal Days just behind us and Black Friday sales just ahead of us, I have some thoughts. Did you notice how many other businesses followed Amazon's lead with Big Deal Days by hosting their own "big" sales at the same time? Do you wonder if you need to jump on all of the sale/discount bandwagons too?
In this podcast episode, we dive into all things discounts and sales: trends that I've been seeing, when discounts/sales work well (and when they don't), how to create a good discount/sale, and how to decide if you will be hosting Black Friday sales or not.
I can't wait for you to dive in!
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
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If you've found this episode helpful or inspiring, feel free to support the podcast via Ko-fi 🌸
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If you're an abled person who doesn't have to worry about ableism in your day to day life, you're likely unaware of the many different shapes and forms that ableism can take. I know it's certainly a relatively new topic for me! And that's why I'm so excited to share this episode with you, featuring Beth Gorishek from Adaptive Knitter.
Beth has been adapting everything ~ including her knitting ~ her entire life as someone who is limb different. She's passionate about teaching folks how to become more adaptive, but she's also passionate about bringing more awareness to ableism. As a business owner who isn't especially familiar with ableism, you may be unknowingly excluding folks through ableist business practices and design!
Dive into this episode to learn what ableism is and how it might be currently showing up in your business.
Adaptive Knitter Website
Current Knit Stars Season - Season 9: Permission to Shine
Past Seasons (1-8 and Stand alone courses) - Season 8: Breaking the Ice
Knit Stars Yarniverse Community featuring over 50 masterclasses
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
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Hurricane Helene recently dumped a ridiculous amount of rain on western North Carolina: a mountainous region that is not used to hurricane weather. The massive amount of rainfall led to power outages, water lines breaking, houses and roads drifting into the lakes and rivers, and more. While my home wasn't touched, there are homes not far from me that were. And the worst of the destruction is just a 2-3 hours' drive from me.
Long story shorter: western North Carolina needs our help! The weather is getting colder, so I've started a project (called Keep W NC Warm) to collect handmade warm winter items to donate to folks affected by Hurricane Helene.
Get all of the information here.
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
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As much as we might try to see the world through a black and white, right versus wrong lens, that's often not the case.
In this podcast episode, I chat with Karel Chan from KC Knitting Co, and we discuss some hot takes for the knit and crochet pattern design industry, which are linked with a discussion of the nuances of running a creative business, and specifically as a knitwear or crochet designer.
You may not be surprised to know that we believe, whether driven by necessity, passion, or the desire for creative freedom, understanding what fuels your journey is crucial.
Within this discussion, we compare and contrast designers who start designing with the intention for it to be a business versus those who start by sharing their projects with friends and online communities... and how this can impact the designer's brand voice, authenticity, and interest from the audience.
A critical theme in our discussion is the balance between financial goals and personal satisfaction, particularly because we believe financial success is not the sole measure of worth or achievement. In order to feel successful in your creative business, it's important to set realistic goals that align with your personal values and to not let external pressures and societal expectations distort your perception of success.
Tune into this episode for discussion on balance, including mental health, self-care, finances, and creativity. As summarized by Chat GPT, "this episode serves as a supportive guide for pattern designers seeking to navigate the complexities of their craft-based businesses with authenticity and intention."
Check out KC Knitting Co.
Since the recording of this podcast episode, Karel has put coaching on hiatus to focus on her therapy private practice and knitwear design company. She is currently accepting new therapy clients in Oregon and Washington and dreaming up brand new knitting designs for 2025.
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
If you've found this episode helpful or inspiring, feel free to support the podcast via Ko-fi 🌸
3 ways I can help you right now:
Coaching
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Finding a technical editor that you work well with and that does good work can be difficult to find, and it often takes time to build a trusting relationship. I feel as though I have a great working relationship with my technical editor, but it wasn't always that way.
Prior to working with Joanna (of Precision Technical Editing), I'd worked with a few other technical editors, typically for just one or two patterns. One I felt spoke to me in a bit condescending way. Another I didn't quite trust with more complex designs. You get the idea... and you've quite possibly been there yourself!
My getting in touch with Joanna was just a perfect aligning of the stars or a complete happen chance, whichever you'd like to believe. She was a recommendation from someone I'd never heard of who sent me a message on Ravelry and said she liked working with Joanna. What first sold me on giving it a try to work with Joanna was her experience with some bigger name designers.
What ended up selling me on working with Joanna was her patience with teaching me, willingness to listen to where I was coming for, and her flexibility by creating a flat rate offer for my first patterns. Let's just say I wasn't the easiest client at first. When a suggestion she offered conflicted with what I thought made since, I'd resist it and want to know the WHY behind it. I can just imagine how it'd try the patience of some folks. And, if I was paying her per hour on those first few designs, how big of a bill I would have racked up!
Don't worry: I ask Joanna in this episode for her perspective too!
Ultimately, I had Joanna tech edit nearly all of my existing patterns at the time, she's edited most of my new patterns since, and she even edited the knitting patterns for inTANDEM when I was on the inTANDEM team.
Basically: we work really well together. But how did we get here?
In this episode, Joanna and I dive into the designer-tech editing relationship. We talk about our relationship specifically, what makes a successful editing relationship, and how to find a editor for your needs... plus a few words of encouragement if you haven't found "your" editor just yet.
Check out Precision Technical Editing.
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
If you've found this episode helpful or inspiring, feel free to support the podcast via Ko-fi 🌸
3 ways I can help you right now:
Coaching
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Being vulnerable and asking for help can be difficult and intimidating in any situation, let alone when you're the CEO of your business and you feel like you're supposed to be the expert - the person who knows everything and can do everything. But the reality is... you're human. We're all human. And just as vulnerability tends to be valuable in nearly any relationship, so it is in business. Vulnerability is a great way to build trust and connection, for starters.
It can feel scary, but aren't scary things usually worth it?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, I'm chatting with Hanna Lisa from Making Stories about her experience of getting vulnerable with her audience and asking for help. She shares about the difficult experience her business was in (again) and what happened when she asked her audience for help. (Spoiler alert: it was all great things!)
If you're a business owner who's ever struggled, is struggling, or might struggle in the past, this podcast episode is for you. No matter what the struggle is, chances are your audience can relate and/or offer support in some way or another.
Connect with Hanna Lisa online:
making-stories.com
Instagram
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
As an entrepreneur, it can be difficult to take off a month or more for your business, especially if you're working alone and used to wearing all of the hats. But as a new parent, it's extremely valuable and important that you're able to step away from work to care for yourself and your new little one(s). Plus, this is why you're a business owner: so you have the freedom and flexibility that you want and need in life!
In this episode with Johanna of Anna Johanna Designs, we talk through our different approaches to planning for maternity leave. Johanna is expecting her second child, so she's been through it before - not only the experience of having a baby, but also going on maternity leave as a pattern designer. This is my first child, so it's completely new to me! For a variety of reasons, including differences in our pregnancy experiences and in the countries we live in, we've approached planning for maternity leave a bit differently, and our maternity leave experiences will also look unique.
Whether you're preparing for maternity leave now or you plan to be sometime in the future, we hope you find this episode helpful as we talk about our approaches - and how important it is to give yourself some grace and lean into your own experience.
Connect with Johanna online:
Website
Instagram
Ravelry
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
Whether you're on the brink of burnout, you're in the middle of suffering from burnout, or you're wanting to prevent burnout in your creative business, this podcast episode is for you!
In this episode, we chat with Kam of Hand Knit by Kam. Kam and I were both dealing with burnout around the same time, but she chose to take a break. Tune in to hear what her break looked like, how she felt returning to her business, and how things look different now.
Ultimately, I want you to know that there is absolutely no shame in taking a break. Sometimes, that's the only thing that will keep you from burnout and from leaving your creative business altogether. It's ok for things to look different than they used to, than you imagined, or than you see in other businesses. The most important thing is to take care of yourself, because you 100% are the most important asset in your business.
Find Kam online:
Website
Ravelry
Instagram
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
If you are a creative entrepreneur, I really really hope you'll listen to this episode, because I think it's so important for all of us to be reminded of this over and over and over and over again!
This episode is a continuation of my series of diving into inspiration from other creative entrepreneurs and sharing their stories, wisdom, motivation, and work with you.
Today we are diving into Dan Pearce's Donkey Mud Pottery Studio. I've really enjoyed following his Instagram account for a few years, in part because of the way he showcases the value of his work.
First of all, we discuss Kintsugi, a Japanese method of repairing broken pottery pieces... and how it actually increases their value instead of decreasing it!
Then, we dive into a discussion of pricing and perceived value of any and all creative work. It's not just about the materials, expertise, and time that goes into a piece. Curious what some of the other components are? Definitely tune in!
I truly hope you find this episode to be an inspiring reminder of the value of your work, and perhaps it'll even result in some action, whether it's changing your prices, adjusting the way you talk about your work, or making tweaks to your audience base.
Whatever the case, keep seeking examples of what's possible and proof of your value as a creative, as well as the value of your work.
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
Sometimes our businesses take unexpected turns that we never would've imagined... but that turn out even better than we might have planned! Last year, an opportunity arose for Jessie Rayot of Jessie at Home to purchase Crochet Foundry, and she jumped right on it!
In this podcast episode, Jessie shares all about her (unexpected) experience taking over an existing publication, including the ups and downs, and everything between! Plus, she shares her insider tips and opportunities for knit and crochet pattern designers looking to work with publications, and specifically Crochet Foundry!
Connect with Crochet Foundry online
crochetfoundry.com
- Sign up for the newsletter
- Become an affiliate
- Sell your patterns on Crochet Foundry
- Submit your patterns for Crochet Foundry magazine
Use coupon code BEAUTIFULCROCHET for 10% off one entire magazine order
Email Jessie: admin@crochetfoundry.com
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
I'd love to hear from you!
Send a Fan Mail Message!
In this episode, I answer all of the questions (a bit rapid-fire style) that you submitted on the podcast survey in April. We cover picking a business name to starting a business legally, feeling aimless in your business, revenue streams, mindset, systems, and more.
There are two reasons that I chose to approach these questions this way:
- The podcast episodes are pretty much ready to go through October, since I'll be away for a few months on maternity leave.
- Several of the topics are a bit out of the scope of what we tend to focus on here on the podcast.
Looking to dive a bit deeper?
Book a 1:1 Coaching Call
Join the Pattern Design Circle membership
Purchase the Complete Marketing Course
Purchase just the Branding Your Business Course (coming soon) from the Marketing Course
Listen to the podcast episode on Affiliate Marketing
I'd love to hear from you!
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Are the measures you're taking to be more "productive" actually just causing you more headache and wasting you more time? Or are your productivity habits actually moving you toward your goals?
In a world of hustle culture and a huge emphasis on being efficient and productive, it seems we've sometimes lost sight of what our real goals are and what productivity actually means and looks like.
Inspired by an episode on Mark Manson's YouTube channel, where he interviews Cal Newport about one of his books on productivity, in this podcast episode I talk about:
- different methods of measuring productivity
- how taking breaks and going on vacation can be productive
- how slowing down will come naturally when you obsess over the quality of your work
I can't wait for you to dive in! And don't forget to let me know your thoughts by sending some Fan Mail!
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
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When I approached Kim McBrien Evans of Indigo Dragonfly about being a guest on the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, she said, "Let's talk size inclusivity and what TRUE size inclusivity looks like!"
Kim wears many hats, as a knitwear designer, yarn dyer, teacher, and passionate advocate for inclusive sizing.
She shares, "I believe that size inclusivity and good fit work best as a partnership between the maker and the designer. The designer's role is to understand how body proportions work and how they interact with clothing. The maker's role is to understand how their body is unique, and how their proportions may not match the pattern they wish to make. As designers we can start by observing bodies in clothing, and using that visual information to teach us how clothes and bodies interact at any size. As makers, the more we learn about our bodies and how we like our clothing to fit, the stronger our partnership with our favourite designers becomes."
I can't wait for you to dive into this episode, where we start from the basics of what inclusive sizing even means and dig into the practical applications for knit and crochet pattern designers like you and me.
Want to learn more about Inclusive Sizing? Join the Pattern Design Circle membership, and learn from 50+ experts, including Kim!
Connect with Kim/Indigo Dragonfly online!
Patreon
Kim's Ravelry Designer page
Indigo Dragonfly Website
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
Send a Fan Mail Message!
I won't lie... I've been dragging my feet about recording (and sharing) this episode. At first, I had a sense of relief having spoken the words into existence... and then all the fears and imposter syndrome came creeping back in again.
Why have I been procrastinating on this episode? Three main things:
- fear of folks thinking I'm a failure
- sadness and guilt that I didn't give the past change enough time
- perfectionism - wishing all of the new things were in place and perfect before sharing
But once I'd recorded the episode and thought about sharing the episode, I knew it also had to do with my own vulnerability. Would you think that I was too negative? Or that I was sharing too much from my personal life? Would you find it boring? And if any of those were true, would it mean I'm a bad podcaster?
From the recent survey, I know you're looking for just straight-up tips and you aren't as interested in the way I talk about business - looking at all of the places for nuance, taking into account our whole life picture, paying attention to authenticity and passion, and discussing the reality of the ups and downs. But it's still a core part of my brand and who I am. And I still believe our deepest connection comes when we're willing to be open and vulnerable with each other.
Even though I guess it's been a while since I've really been vulnerable in my business. Sometimes there are experiences that knock you down and cause you to retreat a bit. They confirm some of your greatest fears and make you question things. And I've had several of those over the last few years. Experiences that have made me want to just give up on everything and move to a different industry entirely.
But obviously I haven't. There's still a fire and a passion in me, and a sense of work that hasn't been completed.
And as hard as it is to share this episode, I know I'll regret it if I don't.
In this podcast episode, I share a brief recap of what's happened over the past year (plus), both in my business and my personal life, to lead to some more changes here for Pattern Design Circle. And, don't worry, it's not all stories and gloom! There are new and exciting things on the horizon.
Start checking them out here:
New Pattern Design Circle website
Pattern Design Circle membership is now open 24/7
Find the podcast via the website
Send a Fan Mail Message!
Creative entrepreneurs are a special kind of entrepreneur, and as a creative entrepreneur, I say that in the most positive and loving way. Our mission, our fuel, and our inspiration are different than others. We have a passion for creating, and sometimes that can make entrepreneurship difficult. Sometimes we feel like it's a constant pulling between creativity and entrepreneurship. Where's the balance? Is it possible to be "successful" financially and to be fulfilled creatively? Is it better to be focused on the passion and creativity or to be focused on the business?
This podcast episode is inspired by an interview I watched on the Colin & Samir show with Max Fosh, a well-known YouTube creative entrepreneur known for the extensive lengths he will go to for the sake of humor. One of my favorite gems from the interview was discussing two different metrics of success that we as creative entrepreneurs have - one metric relating to our passion and creativity, and the other relating to financial success. So, of course, we dive all into a conversation on that, plus other gems from the interview, including a quick path to a short career, constraints as creatives, and failing as a creative.
I hope that these perspective shifts are as inspiring, motivational, and impactful for you as they were for me!
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
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Rather than asking what Carolyn has done, perhaps we should be asking, "what hasn't she done?!" From pattern designing to teaching classes in the local yarn shop she co-owned to working with creatives on Patreon (and so much more), Carolyn of Coulee Crafts truly has dabbled in so many areas of the fiber arts industry (and beyond)! I believe she truly deserves to be called a multi-passionate creator!
In this episode, I introduce you to Carolyn and we talk about her passion for crochet design, what makes her designs so fun and unique, how teaching classes has influenced her work as a pattern designer, and her love for cultivating community.
Currently, Carolyn is living on a hobby farm that she's working to turn into a fiber farm, hosting a YouTube channel, designing, and working outside her business. Plus, Carolyn focuses on designing "the most smile-inducing weird stuff I can" so what's not to love about that?!
Connect with Carolyn online:
YouTube
Patreon
Coulee Craft Club Discord
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
The Pattern Design Circle Podcast just celebrated its second birthday! I don't know if I'm feeling like “it's already 2 years old?!” or “it's only 2 years old?!”
But I do know that it's definitely something I really love doing, and that I've been continuing to make it more and more a focus in my business. I love how I can show up authentically and talk about business and all the things with you.
In this episode I recap a bit from the past - including some statistics and favorite episodes - and share a bit about what to expect for future episodes. Plus, I share about an opportunity to win a free 60 minute coaching call with me!
To celebrate the podcast anniversary, I'm giving away one free 60-minute coaching call to someone who fills out this survey - it's just 5 quick questions on what you'd like to hear more about on the podcast, and if you don't listen to the podcast, how you'd prefer to receive that content instead! Thanks so much for taking the time to complete it, and I can't wait to work with one lucky winner soon!
TOP 5 EPISODES OF ALL TIME:
- 5 Pillars to Building a Successful Pattern Design Business
- Marketing 101: Methods, Strategies, and Why It's Important
- Stop Buying All the Things! That Course Isn't the Solution. Here's What You Need Instead
- Moving the Needle in Your Pattern Design Business - with Shelley Brander of Knit Stars
- What to Include in Your Knit or Crochet Pattern
Looking for support? I've got you!
The Complete Marketing Course
1:1 Coaching
Pattern Design Circle Membership
Recently, I've been feeling very inspired by listening to content from creatives outside the arts and crafts industries. A couple of weeks ago I watched the Project Iceman documentary produced by Yes Theory!, and I absolutely loved it, and keep mentioning in all sorts of conversations. It's one of those pieces of content that not only resonated with me, but it truly inspired and motivated me as a creative entrepreneur... which is why I want to share about it with you, in case you need the same kind of boost.
In this episode we're talking about what Anders accomplished in Project Iceman mentally, and specifically what he accomplished despite everyone telling him he would fail.
It's true: entrepreneurship isn't easy. Following your dreams and passions as a creative are not easy. And it isn't any easier when it feels like you don't have a proper support system around you. However, Anders proves to me that you can prove the naysayers wrong even if you don't have people believing in you. You can build your support system slowly, but what's going to be most important is your own belief in yourself and your determination to follow through.
My goal with this episode is to pass along just a smidgen of the inspiration that I felt from this documentary. To remind you to pursue your dreams, even when it's hard, even when folks tell you it's not possible. Your journey is your journey, and your journey alone. It's ok if other folks don't get it. Keep crushing it, and I'm here cheering you on!
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers. Included in Pattern Design Circle is a featured guest discussion with Kiffanie where we talk all about copyright and trademarks!
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Something I hear over and over again is, "I didn't get into this because of the business side of things; I got into it because I love knitting!" and I know it's something that most of my audience can relate to. So, chances are pretty high that you don't jump up and down with excitement over "all the legal stuff."
Thankfully, I'm going to introduce you to your new best friend in this episode! Kiffanie Stahle is both a lawyer and a creative business owner. She's even a maker in the fiber industry! So she gets it. And, something she's really great at is talking about "the legal stuff" to make it easier for creative business owners to understand.
In this podcast episode, we're specifically talking about contracts. We will be chatting about all of these questions: Why are contracts important? When should I use a contract in my business? What are the key elements of a contract? And Kiffanie even provides an audit on this episode of the contracts that she's signed with me!
If you're feeling uncertain at all about contracts in your business, this episode is for you!
Resources from Kiffanie:
NextLegalStep.com
TheArtistsCourtyard.com
Legal Roadmap for Your Creative Business book
LLC for Your Creative Business book
*Note: these links are my affiliate links through Amazon, meaning I may receive some compensation, if you purchase through the link. It does not change the price that you pay for the product.
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers. Included in Pattern Design Circle is a featured guest discussion with Kiffanie where we talk all about copyright and trademarks!
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
It's no secret at all that there can be a lot of "need to," "have to," and "should" ideas that circulate the industry (and our brains) when it comes to running a creative business... and it's not always easy to discern how important those things actually are.
In this podcast episode, we're diving into the topic of industry festivals and events. Is it important to attend these events as a knit or crochet pattern designer? Are you doing your business a disservice by not attending? What's the best way to show up at these events in order to get the highest ROI (return on investment)? What festivals and events actually fit your needs and terms of success? This episode addresses all of those questions swirling in your head!
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Maybe your current impression is a bit like mine was, and it feels a bit slimy and annoying. Or, maybe your ready to dive into it and wanting to know all the details. Or, maybe you're not very familiar with affiliate marketing, and you're looking for the basics of what it is, how it works, and how it could fit into your business.
Whichever scenario you find yourself in, this podcast episode is for you. I'm diving into what affiliate marketing is, how it works for both businesses involved (and benefits the end customer), why I love affiliate marketing and want to incorporate more of it in my business, and how you might choose to use affiliate marketing as an additional revenue stream in your business.
If you've listened to the episode and have come to the description for the promised links here they are! :)
Sign Up to be a Pattern Design Circle Affiliate
View My Favorite Knitting, Designing, and Business Products on my Amazon Storefront
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
In a world that feels like it's constantly becoming less and less "real," so much of society - and our customers - are craving what's genuine and authentic. But in a world that demands SO MUCH of business owners, how can we possibly do it all?! Showing up online, marketing, creating our products and services, and serving our audience... it can get exhausting wearing all of the metaphorical business hats.
Kinsey of Authentic AI for Entrepreneurs (and Feel Good Social) is obsessed with utilizing AI tools to improve efficiency WHILE maintaining your value as a real human with real emotions, and continuing to share authentic content, even when it is supported by artificial intelligence.
In this podcast episode, we dive into the collective overwhelm we are seeing (and experiencing) with technology and the internet, the importance of providing value for your audience, choosing what to share with your audience, changes in content trends, our mixed feelings on storytelling, the 12 essential post strategy, and so much more.
You can expect to receive a lot of permission and grace, as well as actionable tips for making content creation simpler and more authentic to you and your brand!
Don't forget to check out Kinsey's 12 Essential Post Mini-Course if you're wanting to try that strategy! You can find it here on her page of course offerings.
Plus, she's just launched her new course, Content Made Easy with Chat GPT, this week!
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
In the previous episode we talked all about who might be watching you, ready to hand you your next great opportunity... but are you ready for it?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle, let's chat all about how to be ready so you aren't scrambling to get ready when that opportunity arrives! From your social media to your website, from your patterns to your email funnel, let's talk about what it looks like to be ready for success.
Is your social media and website properly introducing you, your brand, and your work?
Is your work showcasing your expertise and value?
What is your customer experience like?
Is your business set up to handle success at a volume?
Are you making it easy for folks to purchase from you?
Is your celebrity crush even going to be able to contact you?
Dive into this podcast episode to discuss all of these topics and more!
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
You never know who is watching... and a lot of times this can evoke fear, perhaps even to the point that you choose not to show up. But have you thought of all of the POSITIVE ways people are watching you?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we aren't just talking about your ideal customer that's watching you (and falling in love with your work) but also the person who's ready to hand you your next greatest opportunity. It might be a collaborator, a sponsor, a host, or even your favorite industry celebrity.
There are always folks keeping their eye out for designers like you that have great talent and beautiful values, and you never know when they might stumble across your name, social media, website, or pattern design.
Whether you're already waiting for the next opportunity, or you've been feeling discouraged if and when that next opportunity is coming, this podcast is here to inspire and motivate you. It's coming; you just don't know when!
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Accessibility can feel like a huge scope that encompasses so many things... because it does and it is! But in this podcast episode with Renee Van Hoy, Renee breaks down some simple easy-to-implement methods to start making your designs and business more accessible. Not only that, but she provides insight on who this helps, how it helps them, and what a huge difference it makes in their lives and making.
And it impacts every part of your business, from your social media and email marketing to your website design, and of course, your knit or crochet patterns.
It can all feel overwhelming if you're not familiar with it, but Renee encourages knit and crochet pattern designers to just start with one or two pieces and build on that. It really is doable!
Plus, Renee has tremendous resources available for designers. For just $20, take the Accessible Patterns Course; not only will you learn all about making your patterns accessible, but you'll support the Accessible Patterns Index, and receive a free pattern review from Renee. And any time you publish an accessible pattern, you can let Renee know, and she will add it to the Accessible Patterns Index, an incredible resource for folks who benefit from accessible patterns.
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Maybe you're sick and tired of seeing free knitting and crochet patterns everywhere. Or you're trying to figure out why in the world there are so many free patterns out there. Or maybe you're trying to figure out how to utilize free knitting patterns in your business model.
In this podcast episode, we talk all about free crochet and knitting patterns: why (and how) you might choose to incorporate them in your marketing strategy, how businesses are making money off free patterns... and of course my hesitancies and mixed feelings around it.
But of course, through it all, I remind you that you are the boss of your business. You get to choose what feels best to you. You get to choose your business model. And you get to choose if (and how) you incorporate free knit and crochet patterns in your business model.
Tune in now to get the full run down so you can choose what's best for you.
Need more business and design resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
We have reached the final of seven episodes in the planning series! However, this one is a little bit different! Rather than talking about planning and goal-setting specifically, we're talking in this episode all about how to make achieving those goals and plans FUN!
Yes, we're talking all about how to make business more fun, even the super boring, frustrating, and overwhelming tasks that you keep avoiding!
Sure, it's kind of a mindset thing, but in these episode I share 15 (sometimes silly and ridiculous) different ideas to gamify the boring and overwhelming tasks, so you can breeze through them and they aren't hanging over your head anymore. Plus, it'll bring you closer to actually achieving the beautiful goals and plans you made for your business!
And I don't just leave you with 15 ideas, but I also share how to generate more games ideas that you’ll love.
Simplify, organize, and focus with these super simple printable worksheets.
Goal-ephant worksheet from Jen Butler Says
Want to laminate your sheets? This is the laminator I bought!
Join Pattern Design Circle for accountability, coworking, community, and resources.
Jessica, the knitting pattern designer behind Double the Stitches, started her business as several of us do, with selling hand knit products. However, she was selling knits to photographers for baby photoshoots! In this episode, she shares a few of the challenges with that and how it lead to a pivot designing knitting patterns, leaving her job at a local yarn shop, and diving deep into community building online.
In this episode, we chat about her free group, paid group, in-person events, and the free upcoming virtual summit, Knit Happy! Summit, happening next week: February 15-18, 2024.
Be sure to tune in for an inside peek at all the things, including the inspiration behind the name "Double the Stitches" inside this episode!
Join the free Knit Happy! Summit
Sign up to be an affiliate for the Knit Happy! Summit
Join the Double the Stitches Patterns group on Facebook
Sign up for 5 Community-Building Tips
Join Pattern Design Circle for community support, business growth, and networking.
Get 1-on-1 support for your knit or crochet pattern design business.
We're a month into the new year. How are your plans going so far? How are you feeling about the next 11 months, or even the rest of the quarter? Whether you feel like you've already fallen off track when it comes to your goals and plans for 2024, or you're worried about it heading that direction, this episode is for you.
In this episode, I talk all about actionable ways to ensure you actually follow through with your plans and achieve your goals. Grab your pen and paper because this one's packed!
Simplify, organize, and focus with these super simple printable worksheets.
Want to laminate your sheets? This is the laminator I bought!
Join Pattern Design Circle for accountability, coworking, community, and resources.
Hortense, the knit and crochet pattern designer behind Knitting with Chopsticks, unexpectedly started her business in 2018, never anticipating it'd become her full-time job. Five years later, designing is her full-time job, plus she hosted her first crochet summit last year, is hosting her first knitting summit February 1-4, 2024, and runs a membership community for knitters and crocheters!
Inside this episode, we talk about hating social media, the beauty of running a business using blogging (and free patterns), what it's like to host a summit (and what a summit is), and information about the upcoming Knit Your Wardrobe Summit.
We were so busy talking that I forgot to mention it inside the episode - the class topic that I'm presenting on is Making Garment Adjustments Using Your Actual Gauge!
Find Hortense online at knittingwithchopsticks.com.
Join the FREE 4-Day Knit Your Wardrobe Summit here. (Check out the All Access Pass and Superpack here.)
Sign up to share the summit as an affiliate here.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
LIMITED TIME: Get 20% off your first month inside Pattern Design Circle here with coupon code NEWYEAR through January 31, 2024.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Whether you've been seriously considering translating your knit or crochet patterns or it's never crossed your mind, you are in for an absolute treat in this episode!
Not only is Julie an absolute gem, but she shares ALL about the ins and outs of translating your pattern to another language(s).
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why you might want to translate your patterns
- How to choose which language(s) to translate your patterns to
- What to expect when working with a pattern translator
- How to incorporate pattern translation in your design process
- What to look for in a pattern translator
- .... and more! (of course)
Visit Julie of ACCROchet on her website for info on her crochet patterns, translating services, tech editing, and more!
You can also view a quick list of links for all things ACCROchet here.
And last but not least, check out the collective for French speaking business owners here.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
Finally! Let's talk about ACTUALLY planning the year. If you've been following along, this is the fifth of a series of podcast episodes all around planning in your business for the new year.
In this episode, we are going to talk about how to actually set goals (and a plan to support those goals) that you're going to be excited about and that feel good to you. We'll be tying together all of the pieces from this planning series so you feel confident with the next step.
If you struggle to know where to start or what to do to create a goal and a plan, this episode is for you!
Need more resources and support? Don't worry; I've got you!
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
LIMITED TIME: Get 20% off your first month inside Pattern Design Circle here with coupon code NEWYEAR through January 31, 2024.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Confession time: I hate money goals.
Actually, that's not 100% true. I love them and I hate them (and I talk about why in this podcast episode). But either way, I'm over them. I'm over them defining my business. I'm over making them the BIG goal in my business.
And I know I'm not alone.
The truth is, money goals just don't fit everyone. Whether it's your lifestyle, your personality, the mission and goals of your business... or they just don't seem to work for you.
Planning and goal-setting primarily around money goals is the traditional way of setting up business goals. But it's not always the best way to plan, and I'm over it!
So in this episode, I share what money goals are, how they are traditionally used for planning and goal-setting, and other metrics (and methods of planning) you can use as the focal point of your 2024 business and life planning.
This is the fourth of a series of podcast episodes all around planning in your business for the new year.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
LIMITED TIME: Get 20% off your first month inside Pattern Design Circle here with coupon code NEWYEAR through January 31, 2024.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
Even with the most thrilling job that you absolutely adore, even with the most exciting plans and goals, the human body needs breaks. And chances are, if you're reading this description and listening to this episode, you are living in a human body. What that means is: you need breaks. You need to create time and space for rest.
I feel like our society is currently facing a crisis of exhaustion, due to a number of reasons, including our hustle culture to constant keep pushing. To keep driving toward the next goal, keep working until we can't work any more. Our brains are tired. Our bodies our tired. We need rest.
If you're suffering from exhaustion and burnout currently, you definitely need to take breaks. And if you're not already suffering from it, you need to take breaks to allow yourself the space so you don't end up there.
If you're anything like me, no matter how exhausted you are, you get exhausted about all the new ideas, the possibilities, the things you can achieve.... and suddenly your whole month, quarter, year is crammed full.
Starting now, we aren't doing that anymore, ok?
Taking time for rest and breaks not only takes care of you - allowing you to feel better and show up better - but it also creates more space for creativity, for excitement, and for all of the amazing emotions you want to feel in your business (rather than dread and frustration and exhaustion).
In this podcast episode, I talk all about planning your year in a way that creates space for breaks and for rest. And not only creating space for it, but making it one of the top priorities as you're planning.
Feel skeptical about making the time and space in your own life? I totally feel you. Let's dive into the why and the how for your business planning.
This is the third of a series of podcast episodes all around planning in your business for the new year.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
LIMITED TIME: Get 20% off your first month inside Pattern Design Circle here with coupon code NEWYEAR through January 31, 2024.
NEED A PERSONAL COACH? Book here.
I'm sick and tired of business owners following the "rules" established by other business owners, designers, influencers, you name it. Whomever it is in your sphere that's saying "you have to do XYZ to be successful" or "a successful design business looks like ABC" or "planning the new year needs to include LMNOP."
I'm tired of you feeling less than because you're following someone else's definition of success, someone else's rules, someone else's terms and conditions, someone else's dream business and life.
If you're still getting caught up in any "I have to" and "I need to" stuff, or feeling tempted by the shiny thing that Susie Whats-Her-Face has or does (and let's be real, it never goes away 100%,) then this episode is for you.
In this episode of the planning series. we're talking about business (and life) planning in a way that is aligned and authentic... as well as what that even means! AND we're talking about how to audit plans you've already made to know if they really are a good fit for you!
So buckle up, grab out your pen and paper, and get ready to plan your best year yet... the year that's on YOUR terms according to YOUR dreams.
This is the second of a series of podcast episodes all around planning in your business for the new year.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
Do you have a habit of setting yourself up for success? I believe many of us are very used to setting ourselves up for failure, or at least make the chances of success more difficult. This is for a variety of reasons: lack of example, lack of clarity and focus, not understanding what our unique definition of success is, and beyond. In this episode I dive into a few ways that we often set ourselves up for failure when planning.
How many times have you recycled a goal from a previous year, or a goal that you've seen someone else make - without truly checking in with yourself to see if if felt important or meaningful to you? How many times have you set goals and plans that sound good - but failed to check in with how they really felt and what they really meant?
In this episode, we chat about reflecting as a method of preparation for the planning and goal-setting process in order to set ourselves up for success. This allows us to be better in tune with what we truly desire, what works for us, and motivates us, as well as being aware of the historical data of what we can expect and what we can improve on.
This is the first of a series of podcast episodes all around planning in your business for the new year.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for our twelfth (and final of this series) featured knitting pattern designer, Anna Johanna.
In this live chat, we talk all about Johanna's journey to knitwear design (recently moving to full-time designing and away from her work in research in statistics), inspiration, the design process, inspiration, movies, and beyond. (Be sure to keep tuned to learn about her eclectic movie tastes and how she still struggles to think of herself as a creative. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper look behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram, on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
In this discussion with Lucy, we talk about what Knit It is, how it started, Lucy's business journey (including her experience with getting funding for her idea that started as a college project), and, of course, much more.
Smart Knit It® is the ultimate way to knit. Sit back and relax as your Smart Pattern has everything you need. From interactive row and stitch counts, progress tracking, chart views and in-pattern technique video tutorials, you'll never be stuck again. We've taken the frustration out of patterns and left you with the best part - knitting!
Knit It on Instagram | Create a Free Knit It Account | Information for Designers
I’m currently only able to share the referral discount by sending an email invite, so if you’d like to join a subscription with a discount, just comment on this post, and I’ll send you an invite 💕
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
Sometimes life (and business) is a lot... and that's ok. It seems to me like designers, entrepreneurs, and society as a whole seem to be collectively overwhelmed and exhausted. So if that feels like you, you are so not alone.
In this podcast episode, I share my own experience of life feeling like a lot and how to navigate business during the unexpected, the exhaustion, and the overwhelm.
And spoiler: if you aren't feeling overwhelmed or exhausted right now, you're feeling like life is grand, this episode is also for you, because I share tips on what to do when it's going more smoothly to help yourself when everything feels like a lot.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
Megan's been designing for 10 years, and I've been designing for nearly 5 years. In this episode we share the seasonal trends that we see in our pattern sales - and the sense we make of it. There's one month in particular that really surprised us as newer designers. We share the highs, the lows, and what you can do to raise the lows... and even discuss leaning into the seasonality of your own body.
Tune in to hear us spill the beans, including whether we even pay attention to the seasonal trends in our businesses or not.
Find Megan online on Instagram and at www.pipandpin.ca.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
There are so many platforms available for selling knit and crochet patterns: Ravelry, Etsy, LoveCrafts, Ribblr, Making app... the list just goes on and on... and it's a lot to keep track of when publishing and updating patterns. Perhaps you feel like you're spread thin because you're trying to be everywhere, or perhaps you feel like you're missing out because you aren't on all the platforms. Either way, gosadi is working to make your life easier.
The platform is currently open for beta testing, so not all of the platforms are currently available, but the beta testing program includes 6 months of free access to the platform.
In this podcast episode, learn how gosadi started and what it's working toward, meet two of the gosadi team members, and hear some of their greatest business advice.
Note: I am an alpha tester for gosadi, so I've been testing the new platform for over a year. I'm happy to answer any questions that you have; just send me a DM on Instagram @patterndesigncircle or send me an email at patterndesigncircle@gmail.com! Additionally, the gosadi links are affiliate links; if you join the program via my link, I may receive some compensation; it does not impact the price that you pay.Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
Beliefs affect everything: what we do, say, and think; how we present ourself; how we perceive the world; and beyond. So what happens when we realize a belief isn't in alignment with who we are?
Whether it's because a belief is no longer serving you, it's limiting your potential, you've discovered the foundation of that belief is something false... or any other reason, changing a belief is no joke. It's hard work that requires intentionality and a solid understanding of why you're choosing to change the belief.
In this podcast episode, I give space to acknowledge how difficult it is to change a belief, whether it's personal, business-related, or both; and share the step-by-step process for changing beliefs.
This is a rather personal episode for me (spoiler: tears were shed) because so much of the last 8 months for me has been spent in deconstructing beliefs and building new ones in their place, but I also share how this applies to so many things in our businesses too. Because beliefs impact everything.
Dive into this episode to unlock validation, space, grace, and guidance in your journey of beliefs.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for our eleventh featured designer, Tif Neilan, the knitting pattern designer behind Tif Neilan Handknits.
In this live chat, we talk all about Tif's journey to knitwear design (via interior design), inspiration, the design process, inspiration, creativity, horses, and beyond. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper look behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@tifneilan_handknits), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Sometimes it feels like AI (artificial intelligence) is taking over everything, including the business world, with platforms like Chat GPT being utilized by so many businesses; and it doesn't look like it will be disappearing anytime soon. So, how do we take advantage of these new tools and the benefits that they offer without losing ourselves and our brand identity in the middle of it?
That's exactly what we're diving into with this episode with Kinsey of Feel Good Social and Authentic AI for Entrepreneurs. Kinsey is passionate about using AI in a way that supports your business, to build your brand, without losing your voice or brand personality. She truly believes it's possible to amplify your business with AI and keep authentic in your business.
AI can be such a wonderful tool for increasing efficiency, overcoming creative ruts, and taking care of tasks that can feel mundane and frustrating. So let's use AI for what it's good at - allowing us to spend more time on the parts of our business that we're good at and love.
Unlock the balance between authenticity and AI in this podcast episode.
Check out Kinsey on Instagram at Feel Good Social and Authentic AI for Entrepreneurs. Since releasing this episode, Kinsey has created a mini-course for training Chat GPT to use your brand voice! Check it out here.
Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for our tenth featured designer, Natalie Warner, the knitting pattern designer behind Natalie in Stitches.
In this live chat, we talk all about Natalie's journey to knitwear design, slower and more intentional knitting and designing, technical and nerdy aspects of designing, embracing and accepting our humanness, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper look behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@natalieinstitches), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
We all get caught in the trap of buying solutions with the hopes that they'll magically fix everything in our business - and life. And while there are so many valuable resources and products - courses, webinars, workshops, classes, memberships, etc - that are SO valuable, there comes a point when it's time to stop buying all the things... at least for the time being.
Perhaps you've heard of "shiny object syndrome" (getting excited about the next new, exciting product) and "course collectors" (folks that buy lots of courses/classes but don't consume and implement the material). These are both symptoms of what I'm talking about in this podcast: times when we have the materials and the answers, and it's time to just do the work.
This podcast episode is a rant and a pep talk at the same time. But I promise it's not a personal attack; sometimes this is the rant I have to listen to myself as well. And it's for you if you have aren't seeing results from the products that you have already invested in previously.
In episode 47, I talked about knowing when to seek outside help (like through coaching, courses, and memberships) and when not to. In this episode, I share a pep talk about why NOT to buy the next new thing and what to do instead. I talk about what's holding you back (since we've established it's not the lack of knowledge or resources) and the questions to ask yourself so you can finally do the work.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
You are a wonderful, beautiful, kind human. You care about other people. You're a nice person. Did you know that you can use this to your business's advantage to make more money? Not in a gross, manipulative way, but to lean in deeper to who you are.
By creating and cultivating genuine connections as a thoughtful human, you build the like-know-trust factor not only among your audience and customers, but with your networking connections. The folks around you will enjoy working with you and will be more likely to recommend you, invite you to opportunities, and continue to purchase from you. So, being your nice, kind human self really can pay off... and monetarily, too! It won't be an immediate return on investment, but it's the kind of investment that builds a solid business foundation for life-long customers and community.
In this podcast episode, I talk about some different places you might choose to really lean into the fact that you're a nice human (rather than hiding it in the corner). I also talk about this not meaning you should be a pushover or get walked over; you can be a nice human and have boundaries!
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Life is made up of journeys, and understanding your ideal customer's journey can be so valuable for several reasons, including:
- showing your audience that you understand where they are, what they want, and how they can get to their goal... which builds trust in you
- providing the resources and products to help your audience in their journey
- understanding how to serve your audience well in each step of their journey
There are several customer journeys that you can examine and learn from. I'm co-hosting a free workshop with Megan of Pip & Pin this Friday, June 2, 2023; to talk about why the customer journey is important, how to map out your customers' journey, and how to apply this information in your business. We will primarily discuss your customers' journey with your products, but we will also touch on the customer buying journey.
To join us for the free workshop, just sign up here.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for our ninth featured designer, Meghan Jones, the knitting pattern designer behind Little NutMeg Productions.
In this live chat, we talk all about Meghan’s journey to knitwear design, third party publishing, painting, and more — and we get to meet Meghan’s helper 😄 We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@meghanjoneslnmp), on her website, on Ravelry, and on Facebook. You can find the 2023 Knitter’s Planner here.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Whether you're "just curious" to learn how designing knit and crochet patterns works, you've decided you'd like to design knit or crochet patterns but you aren't sure where to begin, or you've started designing and you're getting stuck; I'm teaching a class just for you!
In my new class, Intro to Knitting and Crochet Pattern Designing, I'm covering:
- where to find design inspiration
- methods of storing design ideas
- my signature Creative Thought Journey
- the complete design process, from idea to publishing
- fundamentals of Designer's Math
Join me for class virtually this Saturday, May 27! Learn more and sign up here.
Listening to this minisode after the live class took place? Don't worry; just click the link above to gain access to the next class (or, perhaps, I'll have an on-demand version available by the time you're reading this!).
Maybe things in your business are feeling hard, or maybe things don't quite feel right. Maybe you're struggling to get in touch with your creativity again, or maybe you can't find any time to stop and rest. Maybe you have a feeling that things are meant to be different, or maybe you're struggling to see how anything could work out in the future. And maybe, if you're in any of those situations, the answer is to make some space in your life or your business.
It can be so easy to get attached to the path that we're currently on, our hopes and ambitions we had for the goals we're working toward. It can feel like we have to prove to the world, prove to ourselves, that we can do it. We can do the impossible. But at what cost?
By holding onto things that no longer serve us - beliefs of hustle culture, projects we've fallen out of love with, beliefs around our value being tied to our busyness - we don't have the space to reach out and grasp the better things that are waiting for us. New beliefs, answers, opportunities, perspectives, ideas, creativity, learnings... we must make room for them. And in order to make room for them, we have to let go of the things that are filling the place that's meant for them.
In this podcast episode, I talk all about this idea of making space for creativity and new opportunities in business. As some examples, I share about times when I discovered something greater was waiting for me - but first I had to let go.
If you're struggling, lost, confused, frustrated, or unmotivated, I hope this episode will be an inspiration to you to look within yourself and observe the spaces where you can let go in order to receive more, to receive better.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Did you know the way you interact with the world in one part of your life can be indicative of how you handle other parts of your life as well? Apparently that applies to playing mindless games on your phone as well. Ask me how I know!
You see, I've been sick for the last two weeks, with not a whole lot of energy and minimal brain capacity for getting work done. Naturally, when I haven't been sleeping, I've turned to playing mindless games on my phone. When I'm not feeling up to much of anything, I don't feel guilty about it. But now that I'm feeling a bit better and it's become more of a time wasting, addicting, and procrastinating habit... well, I feel a bit different about it.
However, now that my brain is functioning somewhat normally and I've been getting back to work... I've started thinking a lot while playing this specific mindless game. And what I started thinking about was how I interacted with, perceived, and responded to the game.... And light bulbs (or perhaps, alarm bells) started going off in my brain when I realized: I've been approaching my business (and sometimes other parts of my life) the same way I've been approaching this little, pointless, time-wasting game.
And thus I share with you, in this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, seven lessons I've learned this week about my business and myself as a business owner, from a mindless, time wasting game that I've spent too much time (in my estimation) playing recently. Who knew a matching game and a knitting pattern design business could hold so many things in common?!
I hope this episode sheds some lights on behaviors that you might have in your business as well, and maybe you'll even find some things you want to change around a bit.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Struggling with putting the pieces together in your business, marketing or designing? Trying to sort out why things are feeling misaligned, or how to get a marketing strategy to work for you? I would love to work with you 1-on-1 to get you on the path of clarity and confidence in your knitting or crochet pattern design business! I always offer 1-on-1 coaching calls, but for this month only (May 2023), I'm offering for the first time a Coaching Bundle, where you receive 3 calls for optimum support.. and it's 25% off. Tune into this episode to learn more about the Coaching Bundle and my style of coaching knit and crochet pattern designers.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Have you ever purchased a course, expecting it to make your business or life complete, and been upset because you feel like you didn't learn anything new? Have you ever received some advice and thought to yourself "that doesn't feel right at all?" Have you ever felt like you should just stop asking for advice because it's never actually helpful? In this episode, I want to address all of those scenarios and more.
I discuss why we often end up feeling so frustrated and upset... and how sometimes it's actually our own fault. How sometimes, perhaps, we shouldn't be looking for outside help. Not because that help isn't valuable or "right," but because you already have the answers within you, and asking around isn't going to help you. Sometimes we have to just listen to ourselves. Sometimes we have to just do the work we already need to do. To stop looking for excuses or a different, easier solution.
And, of course, there are times when it's so extremely valuable to receive outside help, whether that's from a coaching call, a workshop, a membership community, a course, or a trusted friend. So how do you know when to ask for outside help and when not to? Tune into this episode of Pattern Design Circle for all the deets!
And if you're looking for some outside help with your knitting or crochet pattern design business, whether it's with your marketing, business, or designing, you can book a 1:1 coaching call with me! On the website, you'll also see I'm currently offering a limited time Coaching Bundle for 25% off for the month of May (2023). For more information on my coaching style and the Coaching Bundle, you can also listen to the next podcast episode (Minisode 7).
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
I tend to talk a lot about authenticity and alignment in business, but recently I've been wanting to dive deeper into what that actually means. What does it really mean to have authenticity in your business? What does it really mean to have an aligned business? In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, I propose that perhaps, authenticity in your business equates to having a sense of belonging in your business. Let me explain. Take a listen to this podcast episode, and let me know what you think. Does this feel like it aligns with your definition of authenticity in your business? Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know!
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
If you're not familiar with the idea of Hustle Culture, it's this idea that we have to constantly be working hard, constantly working to achieve the next thing, constantly grinding, in order to be successful. And while I absolutely believe that we can have healthy spurts of hustle, I don't believe it's healthy to live in a Hustle Culture mentality. In this episode I talk a bit about Hustle Culture and how it can lead us to focusing on busy work rather than productive work, but more importantly in my opinion, I talk about ways that we can overcome this mentality. How we can have focus and intentionality so we can spend less time doing more impactful work, and still have time for family, relationships, and life outside of work.
I hope this podcast episode inspires you to have an honest look at your currently work mentality: are you just hustling and keeping busy, or are you doing meaningful, intentional work?
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Whether you recognize it or not, we all go through different seasons throughout life. If you don't like the term season, you might also think about it as themes or phases. Times when things just aren't the same as they once were. It can be for a variety of reasons: something changing within us emotionally, physically, or mentally; or something that's happened or happening around us. Whatever the reason, we tend to bring a different sense of priorities and energy in these different time periods. And this is true not only for life, but also for business.
In this episode of Pattern Design Circle, I discuss honoring those seasons such that we lean into them rather than working against them. There's something about this society that we live in that can make us feel as if we always have to show up in a certain way, but I don't believe that's true. I believe that we can acknowledge the seasons, the cycles, the ups and the downs; to honor them; and to work with them instead of against them. They can teach us so much about ourselves and about the world. They can show us new perspectives. They can help us to grow and learn. But only if we lean into them. I believe we're trained to work against them, but I encourage you to work with them, to learn from them, and to grow alongside them.
I hope you enjoy this listen, and if you aren't already, that you start paying attention to the seasons of your own life.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
In March I posted on my Instagram account asking what folks wanted to hear about on the podcast, and someone asked to hear how I created the Creative Thought Journey... so here you are! It's a process that I created to replicate the process my brain naturally went through to create several of my own knitting pattern designers. When I wanted to share it with other pattern designers, I transformed it into a step by step process that any creative (knit or crochet pattern designer or otherwise) could use to develop new ideas. The power of it is that it gets you away from the prompt, onto a personal journey influenced by your lived experiences, and at a design that's different from other folks working with the same prompt. Tune into this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast to get the full story of how and why I developed my signature Creative Thought Journey process.
Want to try it out for yourself? Join 52 Weeks of Creativity to get a weekly creative prompt along with the Creative Thought Journey steps, and end with 52+ new design ideas one year from now.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Well, this "minisode" didn't end up so "mini," but in this episode, I chat about the launch strategy that I have been using for Pattern Design Circle - and why I'm changing it! Doors will be closing to Pattern Design Circle on April 5, and I will be returning to a cart open/close method - meaning that folks can only join the membership during certain launch periods. This is how Pattern Design Circle started, and then I moved to the open cart strategy about a year ago. In this podcast episode, I talk about the pros and cons of both methods and why I've chose to change the launch strategy (again).
I also share a bit about what Pattern Design Circle is in case you are a knit or crochet pattern designer looking for community support, resources, and strategies to amplify your business - what all I offer inside - and how it can support you with your goals.
Doors to Pattern Design Circle will close Wednesday, April 5; learn more about it here!
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for our eighth featured designer, Julie Ann Lebouthillier, the knitting pattern designer behind Twin Stitches Designs.
In this live chat, we talk all about Julie's creative journey, design process, business tips, and more. There's socks, sweaters, designing tips and journeys, Patreon, reading, sewing, yarn, an more... We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@julieannknitter), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.
Are you feeling lost or frustrated when it comes to marketing your knit or crochet patterns? Do you struggle with marketing feeling hard, sales-y, or confusing? Are you tired of hearing "have to's" and "should's" that don't align with your personality and goals?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above, I created a FREE Marketing Challenge just for you. It's focused on helping knit and crochet pattern designers uncover their customized feel-good marketing strategy.
Tune into this podcast episode to learn why I'm hosting the Free Marketing Challenge for Pattern Designers and what you'll learn inside the challenge.
Join the Free Marketing Challenge here.
You've self-diagnosed your marketing as "failing."
First of all, I hope you aren't being too hard on yourself. Are your expectations realistic for your experience and past results that you've seen? Is your marketing actually failing, or are your expectations higher than reality? (If this is you, I 100% get you. I love to dream big, imagine the impossible -- at least in terms of business goals -- and expect the best. But, unfortunately, that's also a good recipe for disappointment and frustration. So let's be realistic for starters.)
Beyond that, let's talk about three of the possible reasons your marketing is failing, or in other terms, three reasons your marketing is underperforming. Is it possible that you aren't clear, you don't have a plan, or you aren't actually marketing?
If you're ready to get brutally honest and open with yourself about your own marketing, tune into this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast. Remember, it's by being honest and vulnerable that we are best able to learn and grow.
You've got this, and I'm here to support you!
If you're struggling with clarity, intentions, or your marketing in general, join me for the FREE Pattern Design Marketing Challenge happening March 29-31, 2023.
Book a 1-on-1 coaching call to dive deep into your business with me.
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
Let's get straight to the point: I am co-hosting a FREE Creative Pattern Design Challenge for designers, aspiring designers, and folks who enjoy creativity in general. The Challenge will be three days long: March 9 through March 11. Inside, we will be teaching all about my signature creative thought process, sharing three creative design prompts, providing creative tips and tricks, and helping you navigate the next steps of your creative design journey.
Tune into this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast for more information, like the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the Free Creative Pattern Design Challenge.
But don't procrastinate, because we're starting on Thursday, March 9!
If you're ready for inspiration, transformation, accountability, new design ideas, and lots of fun, sign up for the Free Creative Pattern Design Challenge now, and we will see you inside!
If you've been following along with the last several Pattern Design Circle Podcast episodes, we've been talking a lot about big picture marketing ideas... from the fundamentals of marketing in your business (in Episode 34) through an overview of how to use several different marketing platforms - and what makes each platform unique. We talked about email marketing (Episode 35), social media marketing (Episode 36), blog marketing (Episode 37), Pinterest marketing (Episode 38), and YouTube marketing (Episode 39). And while each platform certainly has its differences, the truth is, all marketing is fundamentally the same.
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we dive into 5 truths about marketing that apply no matter what platform you're using.
Tune in for all the deets!
Book a 1-on-1 coaching call to dive deep into your business with me.
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
Are you struggling to understand how YouTube marketing can be used in your crochet or knitting pattern design business? Do you enjoy making video content, but you aren't sure how to relate it to your designs, make it valuable to your customers, and generate sales for your business?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we dive into the full overview: what it is, why it might be a good fit for your business, how to create videos, and tools you can use with YouTube. We also chat about SEO (search engine optimization) and what kind of content you may choose to create.
Tune in for all the deets!
Book a 1-on-1 coaching call to dive deep into your business with me.
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
Are you struggling to understand how Pinterest marketing can be used in your crochet or knitting pattern design business? Do you love to browse Pinterest as a user, but you aren't sure how to use it for marketing? Are you confused about how it can be leveraged to increase your income and impact as both a designer and a business?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we dive into the full overview: what it is, why it might be a good fit for your business, how to create pins, tools you can use with Pinterest, and how to use Pinterest alongside other marketing strategies. We also chat about SEO (search engine optimization), what kind of content you may choose to create, and how to use Tailwind to extend your experience with Pinterest.
If you're interested in trying out Tailwind with my affiliate link, you'll receive $15 off a pro account.
Tune in for all the deets!
Book a 1-on-1 coaching call to dive deep into your business with me.
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
Are you struggling to understand how blog marketing can be used in your crochet or knitting pattern design business? Do you love writing about knit and crochet topics, but you aren't sure how to monetize it? Are you confused about how it can be leveraged to increase your income and impact as both a designer and a business?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we dive into the full overview: what it is, where to host your blog, when to post on your blog, and how to post a blog (and make money). We also chat about SEO (search engine optimization), headers, your bio, your opt in (aka freebie), and what other marketing strategies it integrates well with. If you're worried about your content not fitting the "typical" blog don't worry! You just need to provide value (like any other marketing strategy) through education, inspiration or entertainment.
Tune in for all the deets!
Book a 1-on-1 coaching call to dive deep into your business with me.
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
Are you struggling to understand how social media marketing can be used in your crochet or knitting pattern design business? Are you confused about social media strategy and how it can be leveraged to increase your income and impact as both a designer and a business?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle, we dive into the full overview: what it is, why it's a highly utilized marketing strategy, how it works, and when to post. We also chat about the pros and cons, your social media bio, the link in your bio, your feed, and perfectionism on social media.
Tune in for all the deets!
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
Are you struggling to understand how email marketing can be used in your crochet or knitting pattern design business? Are you confused about what email marketing is and how it can be leveraged to increase your income and impact as both a designer and a business?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we dive into the full overview: what it is, why it's a highly recommended marketing strategy, how it works, where to host your email marketing, and when to send emails. We also chat about freebies, funnels, spam folders, open rates, conversation rates, subject lines... and of course, a friendly reminder that you can think outside of the box to use email marketing to fit your brand, your personality, and your customers in a what that feels fun and authentic.
Tune in for all the deets!
Join the Pattern Design Circle now for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business.
"Marketing." What kind of feelings does the word bring up for you? Anxiety? stress? overwhelm? frustration? confusion? or joy? excitement? connection? fulfillment?
Marketing is one of those words that so many small business owners absolutely hate, and knitting pattern designers are no exception at all. It can feel like it's a waste of time, too time-consuming, and too difficult to understand. It may feel like it's a topic for "big businesses" to focus on but that it doesn't apply to you.
My friend, if that's how you feel, I'm sorry to burst your bubble. Because marketing is crucial for any business to be successful. It is the action that leads to the sale. So if you want to make money, you need to be marketing.
Fortunately, it doesn't have to be as complicated as you might be making it in your brain.
In this podcast episode, we break it down, answering:
- What is marketing?
- Why is marketing important/why should I care about marketing my small pattern design business?
- What are the different methods of marketing?
- What are the different platforms for marketing?
- How do I know which marketing methods and strategies I should be using?
- How many platforms should I be marketing on?
- What is a "client journey" and "the buying process," and how does it relate to my marketing?
So settle in for a packed episode where we chat all about the foundations of marketing.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business
It's currently December, a busy season of life that can bring up a lot of negative emotions. We've created this expectation for ourselves that our life has to be perfect and all of our goals have to be achieved by December 31st, which can leave us feeling frantic and overwhelmed in an already hectic season. So how do you end the year - personally and in your business on a high note? In a way that feels good, aligned, and intentional? So you don't feel like you're scrambling to achieve all of the things, check of all the boxes, and prove that your year was "good enough."
In this podcast episode I cover all of that, and my goal is to help you reflect inwardly to know exactly what your focus and intention for this season is. December 31st is just a date, your life and your business are always a work in progress. Let go of unrealistic expectations, allow yourself to be human, and finish the year in a way that feels good, that feels successful on your terms.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business
Needing a dose of inspiration? Just listen to this episode with Shelley Brander, owner of Knit Stars and Loops Yarn Store, and author of Untangled: A Step-by-Step Guide to Joy and Success for the Modern Yarn Lover and Moving the Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur!
After reading Shelley's most recent book, Move the Needle, I couldn't help but immediately contact her and ask her to be on the podcast. What I loved most about Shelley's story is that it's so relatable for most of us entrepreneurs: starting from the ground up, overcoming obstacles, wondering if you'll ever get anywhere, and struggling with personal life at the same time. Shelley's journey is inspirational and gives you the sense of "I can do it too."
In the episode, we talk about several specific stories that Shelley shares in her book, covering topics including:
- Changing your mind and changing your path
- Putting your heart into your work
- Wanting to make everyone happy
- The Cool Kids Yarn Club
- Standing up for yourself
- Valuing your worth
- Caring for yourself in your business
It's an episode you don't want to miss out on! I hope you truly find it valuable, inspiring, and insightful.
Looking to find Shelley online? Knit Stars website | Knit Stars on Instagram | Move the Needle book*
Join the Pattern Design Circle today for additional guidance, resources, and support for your pattern design business
*Note: this is an affiliate link that will direct you to Amazon; I may receive a small compensation amount if you purchase; it does not affect the price you pay
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the seventh featured designer, Megan Nodecker, the knitting pattern designer behind Pip & Pin.
In this live chat, we talk all about Megan's creative journey, design process, business tips, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@pipandpin), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle by October 31, 2022 and get a free one-hour 1-on-1 coaching call.
Do you struggle with paying yourself as a knitting pattern designer? Are you wondering how to increase your pattern prices or how to make additional money for the work you're already doing? You are not alone.
In this episode, I bring in Hanna Lisa, the owner of Making Stories magazine, to talk all about paying yourself inside the knit and crochet industry. Just two months ago, Hanna Lisa made a vulnerable and transparent announcement to the world: she hasn't been able to pay herself. In this podcast episode we dive deeper into that conversation.
We discuss:
- the value of transparency and vulnerability in business
- the ability to show up as you are and not playing any roles as a business owner
- the struggle to pay yourself as a designer, including industry pricing, money mindset, and fear mindsets
- Hanna Lisa's wishes for the industry
- other ways to make money as a designer
We hope you truly love this episode and find it valuable, inspiring, and insightful. If you'd like to continue the conversation, feel free to send us a message on Instagram or email!
Looking to find Hanna Lisa online? Making Stories website | Making Stories on Instagram | Making Stories Collective
Join the Pattern Design Circle by October 31, 2022 and get a free one-hour 1-on-1 coaching call.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the sixth featured designer, Tressa Weidenaar, the knitting pattern designer behind Tsinbikee Knits.
In this live chat, we talk all about Tressa's creative journey, design process, relation to her heritage, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@tsinbikee), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle by October 31, 2022 and get a free one-hour 1-on-1 coaching call: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle.
As a business owner working to create an aligned business that you love and enjoy, that you get to run (rather than it running you), and that allows you to show up authentically as yourself; you may wonder if it's possible to follow a strategy AND follow your energetic flow. Or, you may be questioning your abilities and your energy, assuming that there is something wrong with you because you experience ebbs and flows that aren't accounted for in business and marketing strategies. My friend, I want you to know you are not alone, and you are not wrong. There is not anything wrong with you. You are a human being starting to be attentive to your needs, in a society that wants you to operate like a robot.
You're not a robot. I'm not a robot. And because of that, I'm helping business owners like us find the balance between our natural flow and our strategy. I truly believe it is possible, but it will require work.... inner work. Listening to yourself, taking note of your energy, and believing that it is good and right. Then and only then can you make the adjustments that you need for you and your business.
I'm so excited for you to tune into this episode, where I dive into strategically following your energetic flow in your business. You've got this, friend!
Loved this episode? Please consider sharing it with a friend.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today.
As a business owner, your resources are limited. Time, money, energy, health... some of them (like money) you can increase, but one thing you can't ever change is time. Each day, you have a defined amount of time: 24 hours. You can't create more time, you can't take away time, but you can choose how to spend your time.
Are you investing your resources in activities that bring you a return on your investment? In this episode, I share three steps to ensure that you are investing your most valuable resources in the areas that give the highest return on investment (ROI) from your perspective. Remember, your ROI is not just monetary return, and only you can determine what the ultimate ROI is for you.
Loved this episode? Please consider sharing it with a friend.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the fifth featured designer, Mieka John, the knitting pattern designer behind Salt & Stone Knits.
In this live chat, we talk all about Mieka's creative journey, design process, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@saltandstoneknits), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today and get a free one-hour 1-on-1 coaching call: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the fourth featured designer, Karel Chan, the knitting pattern designer behind KC Knitting Co.
In this live chat, we talk all about Karel's creative journey, design process, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@kcknittingco), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
Are you feeling scared about the idea of investing in yourself and your business? Don't worry! That's normal. In this episode, I break down by that feels scary, how the action of investing in yourself changes your mindset and the trajectory of your business, and the 5 most powerful things that we receive when we are willing to invest in a coaching program.
If you're ready to invest in yourself, your dreams, and your business, I would absolutely love to work with you. Book your 1-on-1 design business coaching call or join the Pattern Design Circle. When you join the Design Circle during the month of September 2022, get a free one-hour 1-on-1 coaching call.
It happens to all of us. We hate it, we'd love to avoid it, and sometimes we pretend it never happened. What am I referring to? I'm talking about all of those times you've felt like a failure. When you didn't achieve your goals, everything felt like it went wrong, or you felt like you weren't far "enough." But in this podcast episode, I want to challenge that thought. Was it really a failure? I'm going to argue that actually it was just a huge learning experience. Whether it was something you learned about yourself, your business, other people, or the world you live in, that experience had/has something very valuable for you. It's offering you a lesson and giving you a path forward, showing you more clearly the path to your goals and ideas of success. In fact, these "failing" experiences can be far more valuable than the "succeeding" experiences. Feeling skeptical? Grab your earbuds and let's dive in for a heartfelt business chat. I share with you examples from my business journey, give you tips on how to learn more from each experience, and talk about the large variety of lessons that we learn - almost always from the experience of failing.
Ready to join a learning resource center and community for knit and crochet pattern designers? Join the Design Circle during the month of September 2022 and get a free one-hour coaching call with me!
Want to book a 1-on-1 design business coaching call without joining the Design Circle? Book your call here.
Are you getting frustrated with the amount of time you spend creating content for your pattern design business? Do you find yourself feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed every time you try to create a social media post or email for your subscribers? If yes, I recorded this podcast episode just for you. In this episode, I share my process for how I efficiently create content for social media, email lists, and beyond.
However, if there's any part of my process that doesn't work for your brain and your needs, please tweak it to work for you! None of this is set and stone or mandatory; I'm just sharing what I've learned works really well for you. Ultimately, the goal is that you enjoy what you're doing and you're meeting your goals at the same time.
Loved this episode? Please consider sharing it with a friend.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the third featured designer, Emma Janet, the knitting pattern designer behind Bloom & Create.
In this live chat, we talk all about Emma's creative journey, design process, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@bloom.create), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
When you're struggling to be "successful" as a pattern designer, or in anything you do, really, it can be easy to look at what other folks are doing, make assumptions about whether or not they are successful, and if you think they're successful, want to copy what they're doing. You aren't intentionally trying to copy them; you're just trying to find the secret to success. But any time you try to follow what someone else is doing because you think it's what you "should" be doing, you're approaching a slippery slope.
I'm guessing you started designing crochet and/or knitting patterns because it's something you loved, and then you decided to start a business around it. You didn't set out to be confined by boxes of what "everyone else" is doing, and when you do get stuck in those boxes... it makes your brand less appealing to your customers.
If you're struggling with comparisonitis and/or are feeling like "everyone else" is successful and you need to unlock the success secrets, I've recorded this podcast episode just for you.
Loved the episode! Please consider sharing it with a friend.
Join the Pattern Design Circle: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the second featured designer, Kam de la Pena, the knitting pattern designer behind Hand Knit by Kam.
In this live chat, we talk all about Kam’s creative journey, design process, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@handknitbykam), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
When you think of branding, what do you think of? Many business owners think of the aesthetics: logo, colors, fonts. And while that is (a small part) of it, that's not the whole branding picture. It's really just the final bit, and if you don't have the first part sorted out, the aesthetics bit can feel like you're just throwing a dart in the dark. However, when you have clarity on your whole brand, the aesthetics part is a lot easier - and your brand as a whole, including your content and messaging - are much more cohesive and intentional.
Whether you're just starting a pattern design business or you're struggling with what your brand should look like and sound like, or even what content you should be sharing, this episode is for you. Unfortunately, no one else can tell you the right answer, but fortunately the answers are within you, and in this episode I aim to help you unlock them!
If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
Do you struggle with feeling like you aren't creative or aren't creative "enough," even though you are a maker and pattern designer? I believe we are actually all creative, but many of us have been taught otherwise.
This episode is a little bit different. It's actually the recording from when I was the guest on Kinsey Streib's podcast, Feel Good Social. She interviewed me about my business journey, and we talked about all sorts of business topics, but the topic of creativity came up numerous times. We chat about discovering your creativity, applying your creativity to your business, finding your way as a business owner (and giving yourself permission to change your mind)... and we talked about Instagram reels!
In the introduction to this episode, I also referred to another episode, Episode 5: Having Fun in Your Design Business, where I had Kinsey as a guest on the Pattern Design Circle Podcast.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.
Join us for the first featured designer, Hannah Thiessen, the knitting pattern designer behind Hannah Belle Knits, author of the Slow Knitting books, and owner of By Hand Serial.
In this live chat, we talk all about Hannah’s creative journey, design process, and more. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper peek behind her design work!
You can find her work on Instagram (@hannahbelleknits and @byhandserial), on her website, and on Ravelry.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
Designing knit or crochet patterns and running your own business can feel so complicated and overwhelming. There are so many tasks to manage every day, and it can feel like there's a million other tasks you "should" be doing. Add into that the perceived success of others, your perceived lack of success, and the stressors that are always sure to arise, and you can feel so discouraged about the work that you're creating. But that's not why you're here. Do you remember why you started a pattern design business? Do you remember the joy that you felt when you first started out?
In this episode I talk all about the number one thing you must remember as a pattern designer and business owner. If you don't remember it, it could cost you and your business. If you do remember it - and keep it forefront in your mind - it can motivate and inspire you on even the hardest days.
Join the Pattern Design Circle today: snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
When you sit down to create your knit or crochet design and pattern, are you feeling frustrated, confused, or unmotivated? Chances are you're using a design process that isn't optimal for you. There are certain steps required to create a design idea and a pattern, but you don't have to follow those steps in any specific order. Even the best designers follow different design processes.
As humans, we are different people. Our brains work differently, our creativity works differently, and we have different parts of the process that make us most excited. It's time to figure out what process works best for your brain, your creativity, and your goals so there's more joy in your pattern designing.
In this episode, I talk about the 10 steps to designing knit and crochet patterns, explain why my process works so well for me, and show you how to adjust the pattern according to your interests, strengths, and goals.
For the written blog post of this episode, read here.
Other podcast episodes I mentioned in this episode include:
Episode 2: How to Collaborate with Indie Yarn Dyers (for Crochet & Knit Designers)
Episode 4: Guide to Tech Editing
Episode 6: Guide to Test Knitting
Episode 8: What to Include in Your Knit or Crochet Pattern
Episode 10: How to Generate New Pattern Design Ideas
Episode 13: Comparing the Top 5 Platforms for Selling Knit & Crochet Patterns
There are several platforms available for selling your knit or crochet patterns, but how do you know which one is the best fit for you? Your time is limited and it's not efficient to be uploading all of your patterns to all of the locations. I encourage you to just start with 1-2 platforms to save yourself from overwhelm, fatigue, and wasting your time. The truth is, not all of the platforms will generate the same revenue for you.
In this episode, I talk about the pros, cons, and fee structures of the top five platforms that knit and crochet pattern designers are using (Ravelry, Payhip, Etsy, LoveCrafts, and Ribblr), plus a bonus bit about selling on your own website. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but I'm giving you the information to make an informed decision without having to do loads of research.
If seeing the written out version works better for you, you can find my blog post here, but the fees for most of the platforms have changed since writing the blog post.
We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. I've been hosting a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online. But my Instagram following also wanted to hear from me! So in this episode I share about my design journey and answer questions from my Instagram audience.
Curious to know why and how I started designing? Want to know my best tips for folks wanting to start designing? Snuggle up with some knitting or crocheting, and let’s get into it!
My Designs that I Mentioned:
With Love From the North Mittens
on Snickerdoodle Knits: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/product-page/with-love-from-the-north-mittens
on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/with-love-from-the-north-mittens
Hidden Love Mittens
on Snickerdoodle Knits: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/product-page/hidden-love-mittens
on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hidden-love-mittens
Dancing in the Rain Shawl
on Snickerdoodle Knits: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/product-page/dancing-in-the-rain-shawl
on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dancing-in-the-rain-shawl
Remembering Summer Scarf
on Snickerdoodle Knits: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/product-page/remembering-summer-infinity-scarf
on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/remembering-summer-infinity-scarf
Remembering Summer Shawl
on Snickerdoodle Knits: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/product-page/remembering-summer-shawl
on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/remembering-summer-shawl
Gratitude Shawl
on Snickerdoodle Knits: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/product-page/gratitude-shawl
on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gratitude-shawl
Stuck in a creative slump and have no idea how to get out? Chances are you're only making it worse for yourself because you're dwelling on it, getting frustrated, and trying to force the creativity. I'm sorry, friend, but that's just not going to work. So let's talk about what will work! In this podcast episode, I talk all about four tips to cultivate creativity within you so you can get back to generating all of your amazing knit and crochet pattern design ideas!
Need a bit more accountability to stay on the creative train? As long as you're willing to put in 30 minutes every week, I have 52 design prompts for you, which will be delivered straight to your inbox every week for a year. It's called 52 Weeks of Creativity, and I created it with a fellow designer to help you get out of the creative slumps, regardless of what time of year it is.
Looking for the podcast episode all about creativity and business journeys? It's Episode118 on the Feel Good Social Podcast, titled "Finding Your Creativity in Business & Marketing with Jessica Brist!"
You were so excited about all of the design ideas that you had, you were loving life as a crochet or knit pattern designer, and now you're stuck. You're in a creative slump and feeling completely unmotivated. And chances are you're only making it worse for yourself because you're dwelling on it, getting frustrated, and trying to force the creativity. I'm sorry, friend, but that's just not going to work. So let's talk about what will work! In this podcast episode, I talk all about five sources of endless pattern design inspiration. It's already around you and within you - you just have to be open and attentive to it.
But maybe the problem isn't so much that you can't find the inspiration, but more that you don't take the time for it. Beth (the crochet pattern designer behind Fig & Filament) and I created something just for you! 52 Weeks of Creativity sends a unique design prompt to you once a week. Just spend thirty minutes each week responding to the creative prompt, and a year from now you will have over 50 new pattern design ideas! We're excited to see what new pattern designs you create. (And yes, I promise these prompts are totally different than a magazine call for submissions! Instead of trying to guide you to a specific style and theme, we're encouraging to follow your own interests and intuition. I know you'll love it.)
In this episode I also mentioned the Design Challenges, which are similar to the 52 Weeks of Creativity design prompts, hosted inside the Pattern Design Circle. The Design Circle is a community filled with enthusiastic knit and crochet pattern designers focused on growing their businesses and connecting with fellow designers.
"Hey Jessica, Why did the podcast episodes stop with no warning?!" Well, it wasn't intentional. My vacation was intentional, but the break in podcast episodes wasn't. Now I'm back and so excited to be recording again. (If you want to hear and see more about my vacation, you can watch the replay from my Instagram Live either on YouTube or on Instagram.) In this catch-up minisode, I talk about why it's ok (and actually very important) for us to take breaks. As business owners, it can be so easy to dive headfirst into hustle culture, thinking that we have to work nonstop in order to "get ahead" or "be successful." But, really, it's extremely unhealthy for us as humans, for our relationships with others (including our family), and for our business; which is why I've been working this year to slow down in my business. Yes, my husband laughs at me every time I say I'm "working to work less," but it's so true! It takes conscious intentionality... and a lot of boundaries, especially with myself. If any of this resonates with you, this episode is a must-listen! I'm talking about why and how I'm slowing down in my business... as well as the hardest part of it all so far!
Pattern Design Circle Online
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patterndesigncircle
Audio Podcasts: https://patterndesigncirclepodcast.buzzsprout.com/
The Design Circle: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/design-circle
Other Links: https://www.snickerdoodleknits.com/patterndesigncircle
Just starting out in crochet or knit pattern designing, wondering where and how to start, and wanting to not make all of the mistakes in the book? Don't worry; I've got you! From actionable tips to tips of encouragement, in this episode I'm sharing my top five tips for new pattern designers (and business owners). These are based on what I've seen other new designers struggling with time and time again, as well as lessons that I've learned (and continue to relearn) as a pattern designer and business owner. But don't worry, you've totally got this and you have a support system here to walk you through it all!
Looking for additional help? You can book me for one-on-one design or business coaching, or you can join the Pattern Design Circle to connect and grow with fellow pattern design businesses.
You have your design idea, and you've started to write out your knitting pattern. But suddenly you're at a standstill: what all do you need to include? What if you forget something?
I've found there are seven key components that knitters (and your tech editor) are looking for in knitting patterns. Include these parts and you will avoid several edits from your tech editor, and many questions from knitters working your pattern.
In this episode, I also mention my blog post all about What to Include in My Knitting Pattern.
Have a design idea but you're not sure how to make it a reality, much less a pattern that other knitters or crocheters can work from? You are not alone. I've coached several designers through their first pattern design, and it's never as difficult as you think it will be. In this podcast episode, I break it down for you, so you know exactly how to start your first pattern design, bringing your design idea from design concept to design sample, and finally a completed pattern. The truth is, when you break it all down step-by-step it isn't so bad. So let's dive into it, shall we?!
Already listened to this episode and wanting some individualized support for your design concept? I offer 1:1 design and business coaching; just book a call according to your availability here!
Ready to dive into the specifics of pattern writing? Listen to episode 8, all about what to include in your knit or crochet pattern!
If you're familiar with my work inside the Design Circle, you know I'm a huge fan of collaboration and community support among knit and crochet pattern designers. There are so many benefits for you and your business... like having an easier time combating imposter syndrome and feeling more confident in your work. It's been one of the most valuable things for me in my business, so I thought I'd dive a bit deeper into why collaboration is so powerful, valuable, and impactful, and a few different ways you can start working with fellow designers. Of course, I couldn't help but mention my membership community for knit and crochet designers, the Pattern Design Circle, because it's the only community for designers I've been in that truly feels welcoming and supportive. And I've been working on a collaborative project with other knit and crochet pattern designers; it's a new knit and crochet publication, called inTANDEM, that's focusing on the power of collaboration and restructuring the relationship between knit and crochet designers and publications. We are currently collecting support for upfront expenses on Kickstarter, through May 30th.
When you've finished writing your knitting pattern, you've only finished the first step of the process. Often the following steps, where your pattern is reviewed and edited, take even longer. If you're familiar with the design process, you're likely familiar with the term "test knitting," but what what does it mean and where do you even start with running a test knit?
A couple of episodes ago, we talked all about tech editing, so I start this episode with a breakdown of the differences between tech editing and test knitting (and why both are important!). Then I share what a test knitter does, what they're looking for in your pattern, how to find test knitters, where to host a test knit, how to run a test knit, what to expect in the test knitting process, and more. This is your complete guide to navigating test knitting as a knit or crochet pattern designer!
As you're working to grow your pattern design business, it can be easy to get stuck in the weeds: trying to learn, improve, and expand. It's easy to get caught up with all of the things you're told you "should" be doing or "have" to be doing, and you lose sight of exactly why you're doing this.
Why are you running a crochet or knitting pattern design business? Is it to work non-stop and stress yourself out? I'm guessing probably not. So how do we create more room for enjoyment in our work?
In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, I chat with Kinsey of Feel Good Social about different ways - and perspectives - for having fun in your business. It might not be what you expect!
When you've finished writing your knitting pattern, you've only finished the first step of the process. Often the following steps, where your pattern is reviewed and edited, take even longer. If you're familiar with the design process, you're likely familiar with the terms "tech editing," but what does that mean and how does it work?
In this Pattern Design Circle Podcast episode, I share what a tech editor does, what they're looking for and editing in your pattern, how to find a tech editor, what to expect in the tech editing process, and more. Before I even get into all of that, though, I talk a bit about the difference between tech editors and test knitters (do you really need both?!). This is your complete guide to navigating tech editing as a knit or crochet pattern designer.
Plus I talk a bit about my tech editor, Joanna or Precision Tech Editing. I definitely recommend her if you're looking for a knitting pattern tech editor!
If you've never received yarn support from a yarn dyer before, it can feel really intimidating. "Why would they ever support me?" Self-doubt can quickly creep in, but I'm here to ask you to kick it right back out. Why? Because yarn dyers are often very eager to collaborate with indie crochet and knitting pattern designers. Yes, even new ones! And yes, even you! In this episode (Episode 2 of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast), I talk all about my first experience working with indie yarn dyers; share what the collaboration process looks like; and let you in on some of the secrets that I've learned from the yarn dyers I've worked with (at 3 years in, that's over 20 yarn dyers)!
Hey there! I'm so excited to have you here on the Pattern Design Circle Podcast! In this trailer episode, I officially introduce you to the podcast and give you a head's up about what you can expect.
Whether you're struggling to start your crochet or knitting pattern design business, or you've been at it a while and you're feeling lost, confused, and frustrated, this episode is for you. In this first episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we chat about the five pillars that are absolutely necessary to running a successful pattern design business. Nope, it's not social media, an email list, or ads. Sure, those are tools that will help your business be successful, but first you have to be super clear on the pillars of your business. The bad news is, only you know the answers. The good news is, you have the answers; you just have to do some searching. Don't worry if you don't have all of the answers today, but at least start thinking about them. The more clarity you have around yourself and your business, the more successful you will be. And remember, that's your definition of success, not anyone else's!
Also, since this is our first time chatting, I introduce myself and share a bit about my journey as a knitting pattern designer and pattern design mentor, beginning with Snickerdoodle Knits and now also including the Pattern Design Circle. After you give the episode a listen, send me a message on Instagram @patterndesigncircle to introduce yourself! Can't wait to chat more!
We're well into spring now, and that means many folks are spring cleaning around their homes... but have you thought about spring cleaning for your business? Traditionally when we think about spring cleaning, we think about reorganizing, dusting, rearranging, putting away decor that's out of season, and bringing out the decor that is in season. So how does that translate to your business? If you're ever feeling scattered or lost in your pattern design business, chances are you could benefit from some spring cleaning! In this third episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, I discuss 5 things that need some tidying up in your business. When it's all done, you can take a deep breath in and enjoy has much cleaner things feel!
In this episode I mention using Flodesk for writing your emails and managing your email list. You can get 50% off your subscription with my affiliate link.