Crochet patterns can be found in a variety of locations, some for free and some you have to pay for. Among those that must be paid for, how much is too much? I’ve heard a variety of answers to this question. One friend purchased a skirt pattern for $6 and after making it decided that $6 was too much. All of us like free patterns, but many people criticize the quality of the patterns we get for free. We have to pay for patterns that appear in print – in books and magazines – and on some websites like Interweave. Other sites have oodles of free patterns to offer. Garnstudio.com comes to mind.
This begs the question: How much are you willing to pay for a crochet pattern?
Most crochet magazines have a list price of $6-10 per issue and contain from 6 to 15 patterns (typically). Of course, there’s more in the magazine other than patterns, but the price per pattern then becomes at least $1 – and often more. You have to pay for patterns you know you’ll never make, for instance, as each magazine will contain patterns that just don’t suit you. It’s the rare magazine that I see that I’ll make as many as 3 of the patterns. The more patterns I make in each magazine, the lower the price per pattern if we calculate the price per pattern based on the cover price.
Books are another matter. They are more expensive and contain more patterns. But, very few crocheters are likely to crochet every pattern in a book. So, if you pay $20 (plus tax and maybe shipping) for a book containing 20+ patterns, you are again paying about $1 per pattern – but more per pattern unless you make them all.
At your LYS, you might be able to purchase an individual pattern for $3-$8. I believe I’m more likely to actually work up that project since I’ve selected it individually, probably for a specific person or event. I might also purchase the yarn right then too. $6 for a cardigan pattern and $50-$80 for the yarn at the LYS and I’ve got a great project with the pattern being the least expensive part of the equation. And, that pattern can be used more than once, so it’s value may increase in my crochet library. Any pattern we make multiple times definitely pays for itself.
There is also the issue I’ve heard discussed many times. Patterns we pay for are better written and have fewer errors than the freebies. I have not found this to be true across the board. Some publishers are better than others with editing their crochet patterns for accuracy before publication. Most books and magazines have readily accessible Errata resources for their patterns. But, it takes frogging and frustration most of the time before we think to check for Errata, doesn’t it? I have found that many free patterns I find online are actually better written – and the designer is more readily available to help – than the books and magazines I’ve paid for in my library.
Bottom line – how much are you willing to pay for a crochet pattern? I’d love to hear from readers, so I’ll offer categories to encourage your responses.
The patterns I use are – Free Only
The patterns I use are – Paid Only
The patterns I use are – a mix of Free and Paid
I’m willing to pay $1-$5 for a single pattern
I’m willing to pay more than $5 for a single pattern
That’s all. I’ll tally the responses and report the results. Feel free to send emails to me privately if you’d prefer to have your answers tallied anonymously. Otherwise, please post your responses in the Comments Section below. Thanks!
I use both free and paid-for patterns, from websites, magazines, books, leaflets, single patterns, you name it. And I am willing to pay $1-$10 for a pattern, more if it is a patterns for a larger piece or set with alot of great details and if it is very well written and explained. I sell my own patterns for anwhere from a quarter to $5 each, the simple and smaller item patterns usually for less and in a leaftlet or booklet form with a number of patterns. The REALLY good ones sell individually for up to $5. Someday I hope to be good enough to get crochet-famous and charge what Lily Chin gets! Lol!
I use a mix of free and paid for patterns. I subscribe to all the crochet mags and buy quite a few books. I justify the price of them because I work my fingers to the bone and if I want it, I buy it. If I want it bad enough I will pay for it.
I have come across patterns that I wanted but after thinking about it decided not to buy. I can be impulsive, but I can also be cautious. I guess with me it just depends on my mood and if I want to spend the money or not.
My daughter is forever wanting me to make her some sweaters
(the duster types).
When she see’s something in Victoria’s Secret, or some of the
other mail order catalogs, and I see the price of 79 or 89 dollars..
I told her to BUY it. It just does NOT pay for me to try to find a
pattern, then buy the yarn, THEN proceed to MAKE the garment !!
NOT worth the time or effort.
That’s what I do. If I see something I really like, and it’s NOT that
expensive, I will buy it.
I guess it’s a cop out, but, again, I don’t have that much time, with
watching my 4 yr old grandson, full time, while parents work. I can
get things done, he’s pretty easy.. but to concentrate on decreasing,
etc… not going to go THERE !! LOL
I do pay for patterns, I like free patterns.. whatever hits my fancy.
I think I have more patterns, and yarn, than I can crochet in a LIFETIME !!
I guess I’m a hoarder .. LOL (hubby is NOT happy.. but as long as I am) !! LOL
Would like to see your results when you get them.
I hope I have helped in your quest for knowledge !! haha
Stay safe and well.
Sherri
Long Island, NY
I use both free and paid patterns. I’m ready to pay upto $5 for a doily pattern..because i love to crochet doilies.
Free only and I would be willing to pay up to $5 for a pattern I liked.
Both free and paid patterns.
The free ones I get from the library. I love to drool over pattern books and magazines. The Japanese books are so great, that I pay a little extra for the shipping to get them. If a pattern is charted or a complex garment I am willing to pay more for that.
Even if I don’t make any projects right away from a magazine that I subscribe to, often I will go back to an old issue that will inspire me to make something similar/ or very different by using the charted stitch pattern for a new project.
I publish free patterns on my blog and put big efforts in writing good patterns;-)
Mix of both – but I have never bought a pattern online. I feel like I need to SEE the pattern. I can flip through the magazine or book and tell if the pattern looks ok. I’m too afraid of getting duped (paying for a pattern that’s not worth the $) or getting confused (patterns that I don’t understand).
I love my magazines, have only bought a handful of books. I often go back over the magazines because my skill level has changed, my patience or even circumstance (who knew I’d have another baby!)
One day, I might buy a pattern, but I think I’d lean towards that designer whom I’ve followed on their blog, tested their free patterns, etc. One day….
A mix of both. I look for free ones for what I want to make and if I cannot find it I buy a pattern. I am will to pay up to $7 for a pattern.
Most of my crochet patterns are free ones from the internet; most of my hardback books are thrifted ones. I do have a few vintage/antiques patterns books (the paper ones) that I have paid up to ten dollars because I couldn’t find the patterns elsewhere.
If you compare the price of crochet patterns and books, they are a lot cheaper than sewing patterns/books. I’ve paid up to $24 for a dress pattern, and some of my specialty books cost upwards of $50.
The trade off between sewing and crocheting is time versus money. I can make a dress in cloth in a one to 1 1/2 days, but to crochet it I’d probably spend 4-5 days if I crocheted none stop and my hands were in a good mood.
Crochet magazines are beginning to become very costly, so books are close in price if you have a coupon and belong to the store’s club.
Recently there’s been a lot of chatter online about the free patterns using the crocodile stitch versus the ones on Etsy. Take a good look pictures from these sources. I paid for mine from Etsy and it was worth every bit I spent. The ones that are free online don’t look the same nor lie as nicely. I’d rather pay for a quality pattern and know it will come out nicely that get it free and never wear it.
Sometimes you do get what you pay for. And sometimes your work it the problem, not the pattern. My mother did lovely crochet work but used cheap yarn and it showed in the finished product.
In my current pattern collections, I probably have about half downloaded free, and half purchased leaflets. I don’t mind paying for a pattern that I like, but probably no more than $5 for an individual pattern. That’s why I like collections, although I won’t buy it unless there are several patterns I plan to use.
A pattern has to bee extremely outstanding in order for me to buy it. Since I don’t have a lot of money to purchase patterns i take advantage of the free ones that are available. I don’t see me ever spending more than $5 for a pattern. in order for me to go over that limit it would have to be very special.
I only use free patterns. Since I’m only an intermediate crocheter I haven’t crocheted as much as many have. I WOULD pay $1-$5 for a pattern if it really caught my eye, just had to have it, but there are SO many free ones that so far I haven’t found the need to buy one. Of course I DO get Crochet World. But does that count??
The most I have ever paid for a crochet pattern was $80. on e-bay. It was a Herrschners out-of-print pattern.
It was a thread crocheted, layered, 3-dimensional 20+ inches tall, Christmas tree. I didn’t have enough money to buy the kit when they sold it two decades ago. I regretted not being able to buy it and when I found the pattern on e-bay… well… It’s mine now.
I have a mixture of free and paid for patterns. I have lots of lovely crochet magazines and books and just enjoy looking through them at times. In fact when I was in plaster for 6 weeks and could not knit or crochet, the magazines and books were wonderful to look through. They helped me to feel that I was still in touch with my crafting. I have paid $6 for a single pattern, but not too often as I am an aged pensionner. At times I wish that I had more money when I see a really gorgeous pattern that I would love to buy, but can’t afford it.
I use both free and paid patterns, I have not found that paid patterns are better than free, I,ve bought many patterns That I could not use because they were not clearly written. I would pay between one and five dollars for a pattern, maybe six if it was something that I really wanted.
I use a mix of free patterns and paid patterns. And I will pay up to $15 for the pattern. But I’d only spend that much if it was a very much requested item for a special occasion like a wedding or a birthday, etc. Day to day creations, I won’t pay more than $6 for the pattern.
I use a mix of free & paid patterns. I believe the only single pattern I’ve paid for was a sweater pattern for a class I took at a LYS. Otherwise I’ve paid for magazines and books that I love. That makes the book/mag worth it for me to have. Honestly sometimes I just like looking at them. There’s always at least 1-2 patterns I’d like to make some day in them as well.
I have crochet patterns for $2., $3., $4., $.4.50, $5.00, and free crochet patterns, that are extremely easy to make, and the babies who receive the crocheted item, didn’t know me, but are glad their loved one did.