How to Sell Your Crochet Patterns Online
by Crochets Studio — Written by a Crochets.ca contributor who's sold patterns from her own kitchen table and still tests every step before hitting publish.
You can start selling crochet patterns this week: pick one or two platforms, write instructions that a tester with no context can follow start to finish, and price based on your real design and testing time, not just yarn cost. The rest is photos and a bit of patience while your shop finds its audience.
Know Your Platforms
Before you upload a single file, decide where you'll actually sell. Each platform has a different audience, fee structure, and level of control.
Marketplaces (Etsy, Ravelry, LoveCrafts)
These sites bring built-in traffic, which matters a lot when you're starting out with zero followers. Etsy charges listing and transaction fees but has the broadest general audience. Ravelry is crochet- and knit-specific, so buyers there already know what a "gauge swatch" is, which cuts down on support questions. LoveCrafts sits somewhere in between, with a strong European and North American craft crowd.
Your Own Website or Payhip
Selling direct means you keep more of every sale and own your customer list, but you're responsible for all your own traffic. This works best once you already have an audience on social media or a blog. Many designers run both: a marketplace for discovery, and a direct shop for repeat buyers.
Start with one or two channels. Trying to manage five storefronts on day one will eat more time than it earns you.
Write Clear Instructions
A pattern that sells well is one a stranger can complete without emailing you for help.
What Every Pattern Needs
- A materials list: yarn weight and approximate yardage, hook size, notions like stitch markers or a yarn needle
- Finished measurements and gauge, so buyers know what they're actually making
- Skill level, stated honestly
- Step-by-step instructions using standard stitch abbreviations, with a note on which system you're using (US vs UK terms matters a lot to a Canadian audience, since both show up here)
Test Before You List
Have someone who hasn't seen your notes work through the pattern cold. Testers catch missing steps, unclear row counts, and typos in ways you can't, because you already know what you meant to say. Keep a running errata list once your pattern is live so you can fix issues fast if they come up.
Add Photos That Sell
Buyers are making a decision based entirely on images, so give them enough to trust the pattern.
Show the finished piece from multiple angles, including a close-up on the stitch texture. A lifestyle shot, worn or styled in a real setting, helps buyers picture owning it. Natural light and a simple, uncluttered background beat a fancy studio setup every time. If you can show more than one colourway, even better; it signals the pattern is flexible.
Price for Your Time
It's tempting to price low to attract buyers, but underpricing trains buyers to expect too little for original work.
Factor in your actual design hours, testing rounds, and grading time if you're offering multiple sizes. Most single-size crochet patterns in the Canadian market sell between $4 and $8 CAD, with multi-size or garment patterns priced higher to reflect the extra grading work. Bundle deals and seasonal discounts can move volume without permanently lowering your baseline price.
Protect Your Design
Add a simple copyright line to your PDF ("© Your Name, for personal use only, do not resell or redistribute") and decide upfront whether you allow buyers to sell finished items made from your pattern. Most designers do, since it builds goodwill, but it's your call to make and state clearly.
Ready to reach more crochet lovers? List your first pattern in our community marketplace and connect with buyers who are ready to pick up their hook.
Next step
List your pattern on Crochets