Playing with patterns

high on my list of goals for this year is re-formatting my patterns.

I have a standard way of writing patterns which is much the same as I would write this blog. I start at the top of the page and keep writing. This has worked out fine. Most of my patterns go off to a magazine before I get them back. each magazine has their one template so I keep my patterns as simply laid out a possible and then the magazine can put them into their own format.

What the copyright of a pattern is returned to me I tend to just take off any copy that refers to the magazine, turn the file into a PDF and pop it snugly into my etsy pattern shop

I knew my patterns had a simple layout but I am very proud of the patterns themselves and was quite happy to leave it there.

Last year I had a few different projects starting with a collection of designs I did for James C Brett yarns.

 For these designs I had to present the pattern in the James Brett pattern format. It took a bit of doing but I was really happy with the way they looked when I'd finished.

It got me thinking maybe I was doing my own patterns a bit of a dis-service leaving them in such a simple layout. I have over a 150 patterns in my etsy shop and another 100 or so that I need to add so the though of changing them all wasn't that much of a fun idea. It was a nice idea maybe but not very do-able when I'm snowed under with other crochet work.

Later in the year I started to teach amigurumi at the wonderful York Makery  
For this I printed out my patterns to take to the classes. I realized they used a awful lot of paper and I was quickly running out of ink. I decided to reformat the patterns so that they fit better on a sheet of paper print easier.

From then on it I knew that I was going to have to start the process of reformatting all my patterns.

turning them form this ...

To this ...

Please note they are just screenshots and don't show the whole patterns.

I am so in love with my new template.

I managed to get this one down from 17 pages to just 8.

That not bad for 15 patterns. you can find my fruit collection here it £5 for all 15 at the mo (not including VAT)

It going to be slow going changing them all. I'm announcing the updated patterns on facebook and Instagram @lizwardcrochet but I'll try and keep a list of links on here too.

So far I've done

my most popular pattern the hedgehog family still only £3 (not including VAT)

The rainbow caterpillar also £3 (not including vat)

The fat friends which is £10 for a set of all 10 or £2.50 each. These will all be on instant download too.

Also note there will be another set of these coming this year. Defiantly another 5 but I'm hoping it'll be 10 in the end.

My lovely party chihuahua is also £5 for him and all his accessory's 

Finally for this weekend at least my alley cats just £3.50 for the whole collection. (I'll add a link when I've set up the listing, I need to take some better photos of these first)

 I hope you enjoy my new patterns. I have really put a lot of work in getting them looking as good as they deserve. I'll try and update the rest as fast as I can, but for the rest of today I want to get my hands off a keyboard and back on my crochet hook.

lots of love
Liz