So Patreon has a new feature. I'm now able to "sell" individual posts. Which sounds a little weird, I know.

But then I thought... well, what about my pattern previews? Typically I only make those available to Patrons (paid tiers begin at just $2 a month). But what if I made those available for just $5 each?

Kind of like my older patterns. You know, the ones that haven't been tested or tech edited or all the other things that require a lot of time and other resources to take a pattern from basically a blog post to a polished pdf.

My pattern previews are like the bones of a pattern.

The written instructions are there, although I may not have final row counts on some of them or other details because usually I share them AS I'm actively still crocheting the original sample. But for the confident crocheter? Well, they can pretty easily fill in those remaining blanks.

Or, you know, just crochet until you run out yarn! Which is my favorite way to do things, I admit.

So I'm going to try an experiment.

I recently shared a new pattern preview over on Patreon and I've made it available to purchase as an individual post. For $5 just like my older patterns.

It's the written instructions for the hat I made with the yarn leftover from the Nautical Cowl. Here they are together:

I just love them! (Yes, the cowl is also available as a pattern preview. Click the link below for that one.)

But the hat... well, it's just not quite right. It's really only good for one size and I don't like that. Because we definitely do NOT all have the same sized heads!

So I think it needs to be redone. Or reimagined. Something. It needs some work.

If you happen to have a small head like me, though (mine is a 21" circumference), or if you like an extra snug fit like my husband does (his is a 22" circumference), then the pattern is perfectly good. For that one size.

It'll also make a newborn baby hat. And a really extra extra large one. Yeah, I did all that math and so I left it in the instructions.

Because you COULD take the information in the pattern preview and tweak it by using a larger hook and/or heavier weight yarn to get a slightly larger hat size. Or if your tension is looser than mine, you'll end up with a bigger hat, too.

So.

It has potential.

But I'm not satisfied with it as it is for publication on Ravelry and Etsy.

Which means it will probably remain available only on Patreon. At least until I do the work to reimagine it in a way that satisfies me better, preferably with a more reasonable range of sizes!

Once I have THAT sorted out, then I'll take it into testing and get it tech edited and format it for a PDF that looks nice and all that.

In the meantime, just in case anyone else loves it just the way it is (like I do), the instructions for this original version will be available on Patreon. And if you're not ready or able to support my work on a monthly basis, then you'll still have a way to get access to the pattern, too!

If you're not sure what to expect from this as a "pattern preview" here are a couple others that I've made available publicly:

​Advent Calendar Square Motif​

​Coaster or Face Scrubby​

​100 Day Project Shawl Part 1 (Which I still need to finish, oops!)

I know there are some designers out there who have found success with free patterns shared on monetized blogs. But the truth is I've always disliked those. The pop up ads and the extra noise in the sidebars and the videos that start playing randomly. Ugh. I just really hate it. Recipe blogs get the most complaints for that sort of thing, but crafting blogs are just as frustrating to me!

So I've just never wanted to do things that way.

But I DO like sharing patterns off the cuff over on Patreon! It's actually been quite delightful having that space to write and share more freely. I think having that paywall there gives me a sense of security, as a creative, allowing me to share my work more authentically. Because it can be vulnerable, you know? Sharing this thing you've made. This thing that was nothing before you thought it up and wrote it down or crocheted it or painted it or whatever way you make the creative offerings from your soul come to life in the real world.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that ... well, it's a little bit selfish to NOT share my creative work! We NEED art in this world. We need more beauty and joy. And sometimes it's really hard to seek those things out for ourselves.

I believe that this is my work in this world. To seek out beauty and joy and to share it with others, to spread it and cultivate it and help YOU find and cultivate it for yourself in your own way.

One of the ways I do that is through crochet. With my patterns, with teaching, sharing pictures on socials.

Another way is through the pictures that I share, but not just crochet. I share pictures of birds and flowers because they not only bring me joy, but I know some of you delight in seeing them, too! (Who here scrolls to the end of my emails right away to see if there's a chicken update??)

Painting and poetry is another way that I cultivate and share joy. For myself and for you. And that facet of my art is the most vulnerable for me right now. It feels deeply personal. And that's why I never shared much of it on the blog on my website.

But Patreon feels like a safe space for me to just be myself and share generously.

So if you're looking for a little more joy in your life, I invite you to join me over there. You can now even join as a free member to kind of check things out with limited access until you decide if you actually like hearing from me more often or not, ha ha.

Although, I've been a bit quiet over there this past month because I've had my head down working on this project for Spin Off magazine. Which is in the mail! So this is probably the last you'll hear of it until the issue comes out next year.

Here's one last sneak peek!

Eeeeek! I can't wait for you to see how it turned out!! But... I must wait.

And with that, I should probably hush and let you go. I expect I'm facing a vulnerability hangover coming on just as soon as I hit that send button... But. This is me! This is how I'm trying to make a difference in the world.

So if you've read all of my ramblings here, thank you. Thanks for sticking with me. It means a lot more to me than I know how to express. <3

Cheers!

-Connie

P.S. I snuck out front while Ms. Dipper was in the backyard today to see how her "nest" is looking. I was pretty sure I saw a cracked egg the other day (she started with six), but it looks like she cleaned it up! Or ate it... O.o

P.P.S. I got another art show rejection this week—within the same hour that I submitted an application for a virtual art residency! So I'm now up to 3 art show applications with 1 yes and 2 nos, and 4 artist residency program applications with 1 yes, and 3 waiting to hears. Oh I've also submitted ... 2 (?) proposals for fiber arts industry magazines and got 1 yes and 1 no. What a year!