Pattern Testing with MavenCrafted
For the very first installment of “Tester Tuesday,” I virtually “sat down with” Rachael of @mavencrafted to talk about her pattern testing process. If you are not familiar with Rachael, she is an incredibly talented knitwear designer, yarn dyer, and notions maker. In addition to her amazing patterns, she sells hand-dyed yarn, progress keepers/stitch markers, masks, sock cozies, and more. She also has yarn clubs, which offer a skein of yarn and a progress keeper! Check out her SHOP and her INSTAGRAM for more information.
Above: @mavencrafted wearing her Cinna Cardi pattern, currently in testing and coming soon!
Below: four other amazing @mavencrafted designs: Luppino Cowl, Mirror Image socks, Poinsettia Socks, and Cinnabar Sweater
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I have tested several of Rachael’s designs over the last year or so, and she quickly became one of my favorite designers to work with - I think you’ll soon understand why! I posed a few questions to her about her pattern testing process, and here are her responses:
What are the three main things you look for in a pattern tester?
First, is the tester active on Instagram? That’s where I hold my testing calls, and I like to assess whether I have a familiarity with that person on Instagram and whether it will be easy to get a hold of that person during the test. Really, this is a way for me to determine whether it is likely this person will ghost me during a pattern test or whether it will be difficult to get in contact with this person.
Second, is the tester willing to take a picture of the design on themselves? Photo quality isn’t the most important thing, but it is one of the important things. If it is a garment, I probably want to see it on your body to make sure it fits. If it is a sock, I do not want it photographed in a dark room with poor lighting. I want to be able to see the detail and make sure whatever they are testing will be visible in the photograph. The photography does not need to be stellar, but it should at least be pleasant to look at.
Third, does the tester genuinely seem eager to want to test my pattern? Are they interested in the design? Sometimes, you get the feeling testers are just collecting free patterns and the pattern I am creating is not necessarily their style. I really try to look for people who are excited about the pattern. Maybe they interact with me on my social media and tell me they are very excited, or maybe in the notes section of my application, they say they love some particular detail about the pattern. Something that shows me this person will be dedicated to this test and they will enjoy and engage in the entire process. This will make it better for both of us in the end and ensure that it is a good match.
Do you take first time testers and/or how does a tester’s level of experience factor into your decision?
Yes, I do. In terms of experience, I do not go off of how many followers people have or if they have previous testing experience. While it is helpful to have some repeat pattern testers I know I can trust, I welcome beginner makers and new testers, because I also want to make sure my patterns are accessible and easily understandable to anybody who wants to buy and make it. I really enjoy having new makers and new testers to help me get a fresh perspective. When a tester tests for you often, they sometimes get used to the way you speak in your patterns and will miss something. Having new makers and new testers helps ensure that does not happen. And with makers who are new to the craft, I like giving them the opportunity to be included in a test experience and it reassures me that the pattern will be understandable even to someone who is buying their first pattern.
What time frames do you like to give testers, and how do you make that decision?
I think I might give a little bit longer of a testing time frame than some other designers, but that is because I am really hyper-aware of burnout. Let’s say I have a sock pattern. Could I knit a sock in one week? Yeah, I could knit a sock in one day. But that doesn’t mean my testers are going to be able to do that. So, I don’t want to give a one week or even a two week deadline on a sock design, because a lot of testers would not enjoy the process. They would feel rushed, and it would feel like an obligation. I really want my testers to want to make the pattern. I want them to be so excited about it that it feels effortless. So, for something like socks, I usually give about three weeks to make one sock. That way if they start it and need a break for a couple of days, then they can take that break and come back to it again with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. I usually do not go over three weeks for a sock, but that is pretty much my standard to ensure that people enjoy the process.
When it comes to garments, it depends on the garment. For my first one, I gave seven weeks for a worsted weight sweater. For a fingering weight sweater, I would do no less than eight weeks. This is for the same reasons as the sock design — I do not want my testers to experience burnout. I want them to be just as excited at the end of the testing period as they were at the beginning of the testing period. If they are rushing to finish, they will not be excited, and it will feel like an obligation.
I also try to take into account the different sizes that need to be tested and people’s differing experience levels. Some people will need more time. I knit all day, every day, and I work from home. But there are people who have full time jobs or other obligations, and only knit on the side. And there are people who do not knit very fast and simply take more time. I try to account for all of that.
Lastly, a longer testing period means the testers can speak about my design longer and get the word out there for me. It gives them more time to celebrate the pattern with me in a way that is more organic.
What is the most difficult part about selecting testers?
Definitely having to say no to people. On garment designs, I usually choose a pretty large amount of testers, but there is an even larger amount of testers that I cannot choose. It is good to have plentiful testers. I have had 30-40 in my two garment tests, but still, I cannot have 90-100. That means I have to say no to a lot of people, and saying no to people is the hardest part.
The other difficult part is getting a sense of whether it is going to be a good fit. I ask for people’s Instagram handles, and I actually go to every applicant’s profile. I am not just looking at their pictures. I am looking at their captions, seeing how they talk about designs and trying to get a sense of their personality. If I do not get a good grasp of the vibe of a person, I get nervous to have them test for me because I do not know what their personality will be like. Testers are not just a number to me, they are the people who are helping me create my pattern, so I really appreciate them and want to connect with them.
What is the most important thing to you throughout the pattern testing process?
Communication. This is more important than literally anything else. Even if a tester cannot finish or they mess up, communication is the absolute most important part. The number one job of a tester is to communicate. A designer is giving you their pattern and asking you to help them make it perfect so it can be released to the world. When testers do not understand a part of the pattern and just move forward without saying something, that is not helpful. When they do not finish, and they know that they can’t finish, but do not communicate that to the designer, that is not helpful because then that size does not get tested. If the layout was not pleasing to them, or it was hard to look at, that is something that needs to be communicated to the designer too. The whole purpose of testers is to test the pattern and communicate your thoughts about this pattern, because designers cannot read your mind. If there is something you do not like about the pattern but you’re afraid to hurt the designer’s feelings, you need to find a nice way to say it, because designers need the feedback. That is the whole point of this process.
What advice would you give to someone who might want to apply to one of your tests?
Make some sort of connection with me. When someone applies to test my patterns, but they don’t follow me, they have never sent me a message, or they have never commented on anything of mine, they are unlikely to be chosen because I have no clue who they are. I am assuming they just saw my post on Instagram, but do not really care who I am. I want my testers to care and make some sort of connection with me. That way, when I see your name pop up in an application, it will spark some happy memory of some connection I had with you in the past. I am much more likely to choose testers I feel that connection with than those that do not engage with me at all.
That is the overarching theme of everything, really. I really value having a connection with my testers. I have been on both ends of the wrong side of this. I have had testers who did not care about me, and I have also been a tester to someone I did not know very well. In both situations, it was not a good experience. That connection is what makes the whole process seamless. It makes the design better and the experience better for everyone.
Also, always be conscious of your social media. It is like a living resume. Make sure you put your true self out there. I like to know that the people in my testing pool are good people, and that is based on what I can see from their social media.
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Overall, be realistic with yourself. If you do not like to knit socks, do not apply to the test for a sock pattern. Do not apply to test a garment that you don’t think would look good on you. You will end up not enjoying it, and it does not benefit the designer to have testers who are not excited about the pattern.
Same goes for time frames. If you know that you cannot properly test, proofread, photograph, and finish a design within the designer’s specified time frame, do not apply to test it. Designers cannot read your mind. They take your word for it if you say you can do it. If you are concerned about certain aspects of a design and whether you will be able to finish on time, communicate with the designer before you apply so you can both decide whether it will be a good fit.
Thanks for reading this interview with Rachael of @mavencrafted. As a reminder, please check out her SHOP and her INSTAGRAM ! Pictured above are just a few of the Maven Crafted designs I’ve made - the Iris Mitts (a free pattern on Ravelry!) the Cinnabar Sweater, and the Cinnababy sweater. These can be found on Ravelry or her website. All of Rachael’s designs are incredible — I highly recommend them!
