Interested in being a Crochet, Tunisian Crochet or Knit Pattern Tester?

What It's Really Like to Test One of My Patterns

If you've ever seen a tester call and thought "I'd love to do that, but I'm not sure if I'm the right fit," this post is for you.

Pattern testing can look pretty simple from the outside. You get early access to a pattern, make something, share a photo. But there's a lot more going on behind the scenes, and I think once you understand what testing actually looks like in my process, you might be surprised by how approachable it really is.

Your job isn't to be perfect. It's to be curious.

By the time a pattern reaches testers, the technical editing has already been done. What I really need from you is your experience as a maker working through it for the first time. That means noticing when something feels confusing, when a transition isn't quite clear, or when you find yourself reading a sentence twice trying to figure out what it's asking you to do. Those moments are gold. If you're wondering "wait, what does this mean?" that's exactly the kind of feedback that makes a pattern better for everyone who makes it after you.

Honestly, the best thing a tester can do is ask questions. It's easy to assume you're the only one who's confused, but if something trips you up, it almost always trips up someone else too.

How my testing process actually works

All of my pattern tests happen inside Discord. I love it for testing because everything stays organized and searchable. No more digging through Instagram DMs trying to find an answer someone asked three weeks ago. Testers can scroll back through conversations, build on each other's questions, and share progress as they go. It ends up feeling less like a formal process and more like a little community of makers all working on the same thing at the same time.

Testing timelines are intentionally generous. For garments, tests run a minimum of 12 weeks, but most are closer to 16. I want you to have time to actually enjoy the make, think through your sizing and fit, and give me feedback that's thoughtful rather than rushed.

You don't have to make it exactly like the sample.

This is one of my favorite things about how I run tests. Want to add stripes? Go for it. Using a variegated yarn? Perfect. Want to adjust the length or tweak the sleeves? Please do. The only thing I ask is that you keep track of your changes and your yarn usage so your feedback is still useful to future makers.

Patterns are meant to be a starting point, and I genuinely want to see what you do with them.

Testing isn't about promotion.

You don't need a large following or a public account to be a great tester. What matters is that you engage with the process, communicate when things feel unclear, and respect the timeline. I do encourage testers to log their finished projects on Ravelry so future makers can see how the pattern looks across different body types, yarn choices, and modifications, but that's not a requirement. Your value as a tester comes from your input, not your platform.

Want to test one of my crochet, Tunisian crochet or knit patterns?

The best way to stay in the loop is to join my Discord community, where tester calls are posted first and all testing takes place. You can also sign up for tester emails if you'd rather just get a heads up when a new call opens.

👉 Join the Discord here!

👉 Sign up for tester emails here!

I'm so grateful for every maker who has been part of this process. Testing is where a pattern goes from something I made to something we made together, and that really does make all the difference.