*As of 9/9/09, this program is by invitation-only. We may open this program up to unsolicited submissions at a later date.
Introduction
Welcome to the Knit Picks Independent Designer Partnership program! We created this program because we think that our customers will be interested in patterns by independent designers, and we would like to see more patterns available that promote our yarns.
We've tried to create a fair and equitable program for independent designers. You will receive 100% of the pattern sale price and also retain full rights to your designs. Also, there is no exclusivity agreement, so you can still sell your pattern on you own website or on Ravelry - this program will be an additional outlet for sales of your pattern. We're excited to work with you to promote your patterns to our large existing customer base.
How to submit a pattern
We are looking for patterns that will showcase Knit Picks yarns, so only patterns knit in Knit Picks yarns will be accepted. The patterns will be chosen by a panel of reviewers from Knit Picks. Only patterns which are well-written, including computer-generated charts and legends (when applicable) and free of errors will be considered. Knit Picks will review your pattern and give you a response within three weeks.
If you are submitting a new pattern idea, please email a description, sketch, and/or photographed swatch of the design to yarnsupport@knitpicks.com. If your pattern concept is a good match for Knit Picks, we will send you free yarn support with your choice of Knit Picks yarn to knit a sample. After you've written your pattern and submitted both your sample and PDF, our in-house panel will review your materials and make a decision. If we do not select your pattern, you are free to sell it anywhere you choose, and you have no further obligation (regarding that individual pattern) to Knit Picks.
If you are submitting an existing pattern knit in another yarn, please submit this pattern by email to submissions@knitpicks.com for initial review. Existing patterns have a good chance of being selected for the Independent Designer Partnership program since we can already see what the finished item will look like, although final approval will have to wait until we can confirm that the Knit Picks yarn substitution works for the pattern in question. If your pattern is a good match for Knit Picks, you will receive free yarn support to re-knit the pattern using Knit Picks yarn. Once you have completed the knit sample in Knit Picks yarn, you can submit your new PDF (using Knit Picks yarn) and knitted sample for review. If we do not select your pattern, you are free to sell it anywhere you choose, and you have no further obligation (regarding that individual pattern) to Knit Picks.
Knitting your sample
If you're knitting a garment, we'd like you to knit it in a size that will fit our models. These numbers are the chest size of the models, not garments, so ease should be taken into consideration (whether positive or negative).
- Men's: 38-40.
- Teen/Small Men's: 30-32
- Misses: 32-36
- Women's (plus sized): 48-50
- Kids: any size appropriate to the pattern style
- Babies: 6 month size or larger
Knitted samples should be error-free, clean, and blocked to appropriate final measurements.
How to create a PDF version of your pattern for Knit Picks
You can format your pattern any way you would like that is both easy to read and visually appealing. Include the "Downloaded from Knit Picks" graphic (available as JPG, Adobe Illustrator file, or PDF) in the upper-right of the first page. Make sure to double check that your abbreviations and terms match the Knit Picks standard abbreviations.
You are responsible for having the pattern tech edited prior to submitting it to Knit Picks, and you must include your contact email address so you can answer any questions about the pattern.
Patterns must include:
- Pattern schematic. This is a diagram showing the dimensions of the final knitted item.
- List of abbreviations used in the pattern
- Text of commonly used techniques
- Copyright text for the designer submitting the pattern ("Copyright 2009, Designer's Name, All Rights Reserved")
- Designer's email address for pattern support ("For pattern support, contact designer@something.com")
- Properly formatted computer-generated charts (if applicable).
How to submit your materials to Knit Picks
There are three pieces that you will need to submit to our review panel:
- Submit your pattern in PDF format to submissions@knitpicks.com, and make sure to leave placeholders in the pattern for Knit Picks photos.
- Mail a sample knit in Knit Picks yarn to
Knit Picks
c/o Pattern Sample Manager
13118 NE 4th Street
Vancouver, WA 98687
Our in-house photographers will photograph your sample. We will mail your samples back to you within 30 days of the pattern being posted for sale. - Mail a signed Knit Picks Terms and Conditions contract to the address listed above.
Once we receive all three pieces from you, we will review your pattern within 3 weeks.
Photography
Designers are welcome to use their own photos for their patterns, as long as these photos are up to Knit Picks' technical and artistic standards. If designer-submitted photos are used, Knit Picks will request digital copies of the photos used in the pattern for the "Additional Images" section on www.knitpicks.com. Digital photos for the "Additional Images" section should be at least 72dpi and 600 pixels wide.
If you are not able to provide high-quality photos in your pattern, our in house photographers can photograph your sample and provide the images by email for you to add to your pattern. This allows the designer the ability to control the placement and sizing of these photos in the pattern. These images will also be shown on the pattern's "additional images" section on the website. You are welcome to include photo directions or low resolution placeholder images to show what kind of detail you would like to be included when Knit Picks photographs your sample. Garments will be photographed on models, not flat.
Once you have added the Knit Picks photos to your pattern, you can email it back to submissions@knitpicks.com as a final version (subject line "Final Version – XYZ pattern by Designer Name") and we will put it up for sale on www.knitpicks.com.
The designer may use Knit Picks photos to promote their pattern wherever they would like (such as on their blog, website, or on Ravelry).
Payment
We will pay advances of $100 for smaller accessory projects and $200 for larger garment projects (including children's garments). If you never sell enough of a pattern to offset the advance payment, there are no repercussions.
Once the pattern is on our website, the designer will be paid quarterly. The designer will earn a full $1.99 per purchased pattern - Knit Picks takes no commission or upload fee. The designer will be able to log in on a special section of the Knit Picks website and check the number of patterns sold.
*The advance payment is for the introductory phase of the program. We may change the advance payment policy when Knit Picks opens the program to the entire designer community.
Pattern support
Customer service for patterns in the Independent Designer Partnership program will be provided by the designer, not by Knit Picks. This will allow you to receive feedback directly from knitters who purchased your pattern and provide them with help or corrections. We need a valid email address that we can list on the pattern and you must check your email regularly and respond to customer questions and concerns. Our customer service department will direct all questions about the pattern directly to the designer. If you have pattern errata, we will also post it on our website.
We are committed to excellent customer service, so if we hear customers complaining that they are not receiving timely and helpful responses to their questions about a designer's patterns, we may choose to remove these patterns from our website (after notifying the designer).
Pattern protection
All PDFs downloaded by the customer will include a copyright watermark (printed along the bottom of each page) to discourage unauthorized distribution.
Termination
If you decide to remove your pattern from the Knit Picks website, we need 30 days notice. Also, the pattern cannot be removed by the designer until the advance is met. If the designer would like to remove the pattern before the advance is met, the designer must return the balance of the advance first. Knit Picks can choose to remove your pattern for any reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit my own photos for my pattern?
Yes. Take your own photos, lay them out in the pattern as you would like them in the final version, and let us know that you would like to use them as final images. You will still need to submit your knitted sample by mail. We will review the photos to make sure that they're up to our technical and artistic standards.
If your pattern is accepted but the photos are not up to our internal standards, Knit Picks can still photograph your sample and provide you with new images. If you do not wish to use Knit Picks photos in this case, your pattern will not be eligible for the program but you will be free to sell it anywhere you choose, and you have no further obligation (regarding that individual pattern) to Knit Picks.
How do I find a tech editor to review my pattern?
A good resource for finding a tech editor is the Indy Pattern Designers' Resources group on Ravelry.com. Many tech editors have listed their qualifications, rates, and availability.
How do I make a computer-generated chart, and what does "properly formatted" mean?
Our in-house designers use a program called Knit Visualizer to create their charts. Other software programs you could use include Aran Paint, Stitch & Motif Maker, Stitch Painter, and Virtual Swatch. Some designers use Microsoft Excel for their charts, and there are a number of knitting chart fonts available.
"Properly formatted" means that the chart must be easy to read with clean lines, include a legend of the symbols used, has properly numbered rows, and the pattern repeats (if any) are clearly marked.
Why can't you accept my pattern at the swatching stage? I don't want to spend time knitting a sample if the pattern isn't guaranteed to be accepted.
With how our program is structured regarding photography and submission process, we will not be able to accept a swatch in place of a finished knitted project.
We understand that it's a huge undertaking to knit an entire sample garment. If you have questions about whether your pattern concept is appropriate for Knit Picks, feel free to ask while requesting yarn support (yarnsupport@knitpicks.com). We'd like to work with designers in a way that will help them make a beautiful finished project that will be a good fit for the Knit Picks designer program, and the yarn support stage is a good time for us to work back-and-forth with you about your pattern concept.
What if I don't like how Knit Picks has photographed my knit item?
If you don't like how the photos taken by Knit Picks have turned out for your pattern, you're welcome to submit your own photos to use instead. If these photos are up to our technical and artistic standards, you can use them in your final pattern. If they are not up to our internal standards, your pattern will not be eligible for the program but you will be free to sell it anywhere you choose, and you have no further obligation (regarding that individual pattern) to Knit Picks.
I'm a great knitter, but I'm not much of a graphic designer. How can I find someone to design/lay out my pattern?
You could try the Indy Pattern Designers' Resources group on Ravelry.com for graphic designers as well.
I'd like to lay out my pattern myself, but I'm not sure what it should look like.
We've provided a sample blank template that you can use for laying out your pattern. There is also a sample pattern that you can use as a guide for what elements are needed in a finished pattern.
How do I make a PDF?
The easiest way to make a document into a PDF is to use Adobe Acrobat. Adobe also has an online service for converting documents into PDFs.
Also, here is a good tutorial on how to create PDFs.
I'm nervous about providing pattern support – I've never answered questions about my patterns before. How do I handle questions about my designs?
Interacting with your "knitting audience" doesn't have to be scary or intimidating. When providing pattern support, get as many details as possible from the knitter about the problem they're having, then try to figure out whether their issue is one of pattern comprehension or an actual error in the pattern instructions. If they're having difficulty understanding the pattern, try to step them through the instructions. If they've discovered a pattern error, get their contact information so that you can email them corrections once you've updated your pattern. In the case of a pattern error, email submissions@knitpicks.com (subject line "Errata – XYZ Pattern") with the corrected PDF and a description of the errata and we'll both update the pattern for sale and add the errata to the Knit Picks Customer Service Errata page.
When in the process do I get my advance check?
Once we have formally accepted your pattern, you will receive photos taken by Knit Picks to insert into your PDF. Once you have submitted this final version of your PDF, we will send you your advance check.
Can I submit patterns that have been turned down by other publishers/websites?
You can, as long as there is no existing exclusivity agreement with the company to which you already submitted. As long as you are the sole owner of the pattern, you are free to submit to Knit Picks for review.
Can I submit crochet patterns?
We're not currently accepting crochet pattern submissions.
Resources
ZIP file with all downloads (graphics, templates, abbreviations)
Indy Pattern Designers' Resources group on Ravelry.com
"Downloaded from Knit Picks" logo - JPG, PDF, AI
Standard text for commonly-used knitting techniques
Sample Blank Template (empty, for those who want to fill it in)
Sample Pattern (complete, for reference)
