The beginning of a new year is often a time of reflection and making resolutions. This encompasses almost every area of life, and do not let your crochet be over looked.

Regardless if you are a professional in the industry of crochet, a hobbyist, or simply an enthusiast, there are simple goals to improve your stitches.

Before you set a resolution, first you need to reflect what you have done and the skills you already have. This can be as simple as reviewing all the things you have created in the last year. As a professional you can take stock of how many patterns you’ve written, how many samples you’ve stitched, how many patterns you’ve edited, how many blog posts you’ve written, how many designs you’ve submitted, how many classes have you taught, how many students have you instructed, whatever resembles your business. As a hobbyist or enthusiast you take stock of the techniques and stitches you are most comfortable with, the projects you have completed, and how you felt about the ones you have finished, and the reasons why you did not finish others.

After the reflection, you are able to set some goals for the next month, the next season, the next year, or even the next five years. Where do you want your business to be? Where do you want your skill levels to be? What kinds of projects do you want to work on? Do you want to expand your experiences into new fibers? Do you want to attempt a new skill? Determine what you want to accomplish and set goals to attain it. Plan on taking classes, plan on putting your-self out there more, plan on taking chances, and plan on challenging yourself.

With simple reflection and goal setting you can take your crochet to places far beyond your dreams.

Tips for Pricing Your Work in Crochet

Working as a crochet professional, regardless of the actual profession, can lead to many questions. One of which is how to set a price for your work. Some tips to consider are:

• ·         Know your market. Do some research; see what makes your work special and what is being paid for similar work. You can do this by networking with other professionals, check out government statistics at the Bureau of Labor, check out other Etsy shops or Ravelry stores.

• ·         Know your customers. Regardless if you are designing patterns or selling finished goods, or even teaching, technical editing or contract stitching, you need to know what your customer is looking for, and what they are willing to pay. Selling high end crocheted finished pieces may not sell for a desired price at a swap meet or flee market, but may get the price required at a specialty boutique; just as a crochet student may be willing to pay more for a class at a local yarn store then at a local library, everywhere is different; location matters.

• ·         Do not just give your work away. If you do not value your work no one else is. It is easier to ask a higher price and change to a lower one if the item does not sell, but it is much more difficult to increase it after the fact. This does not mean that you cannot offer work for free; you may consider doing this for various reasons, but understand why you do.
  

• ·         Remember that you are running a business. If you are taking your hobby to the next step and becoming a professional, you need to treat it like a business. Make a spread sheet and figure out your costs, including a wage for yourself, and then use this to aid you in setting a price for your work. Keeping track of your expenses and gains can help you determine if your pricing is adequate for your needs.

• ·         Don’t limit yourself to just the crochet industry, think outside the box. You can use information from other industries to help you, for instance some restaurants set menu prices by taking the cost of materials needed for the meal and then multiplying them by 4, many have found that this formula helps them to cover all the costs they incur. You may find a similar formula works for you business. 

Obviously this list does not cover all your specific needs, but they are some things to consider helping you in pricing your hobby to a career.

Crochet and Mentors- The Professional Difference

Having a mentor and being a mentor are the connections that can create an everlasting friendship as well as enhance the careers of all parties involved. You find this relation in formal situations and arrangements and informal ones, a successful relation is one in which both parties have a mutual respect for one another. 

Crochet Guild of America offers a mentorship program, which matches new crochet professionals with established professionals to help enhance the crochet industry, while ensuring that professional ethics and standards are practiced and encouraged. It is these professional approaches that help to bring crochet from a hobby to a career.

A new professional can expect their mentor to offer practical advice from their personal experiences; they can expect constructive criticism, and someone willing to point them in the right direction. Mentors will not be teaching, they will not be giving their work away, they will not be opening every door for a new professional; they will be showing them where the doors are and explaining how to turn the handle.

A mentor can expect that the new professional is serious about the endeavor, and willing to put in the work necessary to make their goals a reality. A mentor can expect that the new professional is finding answers for themselves as well as asking questions; they can also expect that the new professional has respect for and consideration of their schedule and work, as they are not an answer book simply a guide.

To obtain a mentor with CGOA, you must complete an AssociateProfessional Application; which requires that you have already began attempting to work in the industry. After completing the Associate Professional level (working in the industry for 2 years), you can complete the Professional Application and be eligible to pass your knowledge and guidance forward to new professionals as a mentor.

The Technical Editor, an Important Link to a Good Pattern

In the world of pattern writing, many people have a hand in getting a good pattern out and into the world. One person that the average crocheter never hears of, but that designers rely on is the Technical Editor. A Tech Editor usually works in a freelance capacity, working for publishers and yarn companies, as well as small independent designers. The job that they do is critical to ensuring that a pattern actually works and makes what it says it will. 

Many that work in this professional area, began after working in other areas of the crochet industry. Some were and are Designers, some Contract Stitchers, and some Teachers, but all have a long understanding and love affair with crochet, as well as some understanding of how the crochet industry works. 

The average day as a Tech Editor varies by the individual. Some work this career part time, still keeping their hand in other areas of work, others delve in full time. All however do understand their own work styles and limitations. As they have to utilize much math skills, they usually know what time of day they are sharpest for that kind of work, and niche out that time as their work hours. Even though all approach their work a little differently, dependent upon what works for them, they all have the same outcome. They must ensure that the pattern is formatted in the manner requested by the employer, meaning that if the publisher’s pattern style is to have the beginning chain stitches for each row at the end of the prior row or the beginning of the working row, the pattern should be set up that way, as well as all abbreviations matching. They also make sure the font is correct, the spacing, everything that goes into the finished pattern to ensure that it is consistent with the rest of the patterns in the publication. 

Then they go on to the pattern itself. They go over the gauge, and ensure that the measurements provided will actually work out with the row and stitch count and give the desired end product. Then read over every row to ensure that the stitch counts and repeats are all correct, they review increases and decreases, and they pull out yarn and work confusing steps out to see if there may be a simpler way of explaining them, they attempt to make the pattern as clean and orderly as possible. They may create graphs or charts to make the pattern simpler, if requested from the employer. They are a second set of eyes for a designer and a quality control for the publisher. Every designer has a different way of writing and expressing their design, a Tech Editor helps to bring that voice in unison of how others “speak” crochet, so that the pattern user can readily enjoy the design. 

Dependent upon the employer, they may even provide the pattern support long after the pattern is published. Meaning, if you have ever had a question in that magazine or book and contact the publisher, they are the ones to address the question and help you find the answer. 

Most are paid on an hourly wage; however some receive a flat rate for service, while work is often found from word of mouth, as well as through a network of connections throughout the industry. Some may utilize the skills needed in this career in a few other arenas, such as other fields of editing and writing. Attention to detail is a very desirable skill in this profession, as well as patience to work through complex problems.  Being able to communicate with many different styles of personalities can also be an added benefit. While be adaptive to various computer software programs, and being able to focus and concentrate on the unique requests of each employer are a must. But the most important skill needed it a strong understanding of math, and the ability to decipher it in patterns. 

To begin a career as a Tech editor, engaging in networking opportunities with the crochet industry, such as the CGOA annual Chain Link Conference (the Knit & Crochet Show) is a great benefit. Investigating employment opportunities with publishers and yarn manufactures is also a starting point. While applying to become an Associate Professional with CGOA is an additional benefit.

CGOA 20th Anniversary Conference: Opportunities for Professionals

Once again CGOA offers vast opportunities for those that are, or those that strive to be, professionals in the crochet industry!

At the Knit and Crochet Show this July 23-27, 2014, in Manchester, New Hampshire, there may not be the traditional “Professional Development Day (PDD)”, but there are many learning and networking options available. 

On Wednesday, there are three different events that can aid any professional. “Get Your Geek On” is an opportunity to discuss crochet structure and technical processes of actually creating a stitch; while “Master’s Crochet the CGOA Way” may be focused on the CGOA Master’s Program, but will share with you information that will improve your crochet abilities and help you to look critically at your work. I cannot forget “Professional Think Tank”, an informal setting that is designed to aide all crochet professionals, by addressing your pressing questions, and honing your communication skills while networking with others.

However the opportunities do not end with Wednesday. 

The CGOA Education Committee has had a hand in ensuring that there are some terrific classes such as:

• ·         Thursday “Design Inspiration” with Lily Chin.

• ·         On Friday there is “How to Market Your Knit & Crochet Business” with Kate Preston and “Independent Pattern Publication” with Mary Beth Temple.

• ·         Saturday continues different options with “Color Theory and Fiber Artisan” with Suzanne Allen.

• ·         While Sunday rounds out options with “Healthy Hands” with Suzanne Allen, “Draping a Pattern- a Demonstration” with Lily Chin, and “Teaching Challenges” with Karen Klemp. 

This list does not even include all the wonderful technique classes available, there are so many to list that I would basically be reposting the class listing. 

There are also many “informal get-togethers” being planned for those that are recognized as Associate Professionals and Professionals with CGOA (keep an eye open on the Professional Yahoo Group for the locations and times, they will be posted as the event nears). If you are interested in applying for Associate Professional or Professional status, please apply here (www.crochet.org). 

If you are able to attend this, the 20^th Anniversary conference of CGOA, you will not be at a loss for learning and gaining new friends!

Check out all available classes, events, and registration at http://www.knitandcrochetshow.com/

Look forward to seeing you there!