Learn to knit & crochet
What Is Test Knitting? How to Become a Pattern Tester
Before a pattern goes on sale, someone has to make it from the written instructions alone. That's a test knitter or tester crocheter: you work the pattern on a deadline, report anything unclear or wrong, and usually get the finished pattern free. Here's how testing works, how to land your first test, and how to be the tester designers ask back.
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What a pattern tester actually does
A tester makes the item exactly as written, in their own size and yarn, and tells the designer where the pattern trips people up. That's different from a tech editor, who checks the math, grading and formatting on paper. A tech editor can confirm that the numbers add up; only a tester can tell the designer that row 14 is confusing, or that the medium fits like a large.
- Clarity: is every instruction understandable without guessing? Are abbreviations defined?
- Accuracy: do the stitch counts work out at the end of each section, row or round?
- Fit: do the finished measurements match the schematic for your size?
- Yarn amounts: how much did your size actually use?
- Photos: most designers want progress shots and a photo of the finished piece.
Where to find testing calls
Designers recruit testers wherever their audience gathers. The most common places:
- Instagram: designers post calls in their feed and stories. Search hashtags like #testknit, #testknitters, #testersneeded and #crochettesters.
- Designer newsletters: many designers offer tests to their mailing list first.
- Ravelry groups: there are long-running groups dedicated to test knitting and crocheting, where designers post calls with full details.
- Discord, Facebook and Patreon communities: some designers run testing entirely within their own groups.
Start with designers whose patterns you already make or would buy. You'll enjoy the work more, and you'll know their pattern style.
How to apply
Testing calls usually come with a short application form. Answer every question, and be honest. Designers are picking a spread of sizes, yarns and experience levels, not only the most expert makers.
- Your size, with the measurements the call asks for (bust, head or foot circumference).
- The yarn you'd use, including weight and fiber. Many calls ask testers to use the recommended yarn or a close match.
- Your experience with the techniques involved, such as cables, colorwork or short rows.
- Your availability, and whether you can meet the deadline.
- Links to your finished work, if the call asks for them.
Deadlines vary with the project. Accessories like hats and socks often run two to four weeks; sweaters and larger shawls often get six to eight. Check yours against your calendar before you apply, not after.
Before you cast on
Read the whole pattern first. Questions you catch now are cheaper than questions you catch at the yoke. Then knit or crochet a gauge swatch, wash it, and measure it, checking unlabeled needles against a needle gauge first: if your gauge is off, the fit feedback you give will be wrong too.
If you're not using the recommended yarn, match its length per 100 g and fiber as closely as you can, and tell the designer exactly what you used. Our guide to substituting yarn shows how. Patterns in testing sometimes give estimated yardage for sizes nobody has made yet, so buy a little extra.
Feedback designers can use
Good feedback is specific and located. "The sleeves were confusing" doesn't help; "Sleeve, round 3: the decrease says k2tog but the chart shows ssk" does. Note issues as you go, with the section, row or round number, rather than reconstructing them at the end.
| Report | Example |
|---|---|
| Errors | Body, row 42: count should be 96 sts, I had 98 after following the instructions |
| Unclear wording | "Work as established" after the pocket: unclear whether to continue the rib |
| Gauge and needles | 20 sts and 28 rows per 4 in after washing, on US 7 (4.5 mm) |
| Fit | Size 3, worn with 3 in of positive ease at the chest: fits as described |
| Yarn used | 312 g, which is 677 yd of a 217 yd per 100 g worsted |
Weigh what you have left at the end rather than guessing the yardage you used. A digital scale reads to the gram, and the calculator below turns that weight back into yards.
What you get, and the red flags
Most tests are unpaid. The usual return is the final pattern for free, credit when it's published, and early access to a design you like. Some designers also provide yarn, especially for yarn-company patterns.
- No written pattern, or a call that asks you to work out the details yourself. That's design work, not testing.
- A requirement to buy the designer's kit or yarn at full price, on top of unpaid work.
- Impossible deadlines, such as an adult sweater in a week.
- Demands beyond the project, like professional photo shoots or a set number of social posts.
Questions
Do you get paid for test knitting?
Usually not. Most tests are rewarded with the free pattern and credit. Paid testing does exist, mostly with yarn companies and established designers, and sample knitting, where you make the item for photography and hand it over, is more often paid.
Do I need to be an advanced knitter or crocheter to test?
No. Designers want testers across experience levels, because beginners spot unclear instructions that experts read past. Apply for patterns that match your skills and say honestly what you haven't tried before.
What happens if I can't finish a test on time?
Tell the designer as early as you can. Most would rather know a week before the deadline than the day after, and they may still use your partial feedback.
