Victoria House Needlecraft

Filed under: Crafts — Admin @ 5:35 pm, September 7, 2026.

By Emily Carter, March 10, 2026

Victoria House Needlecraft

The platform you choose to sell your knitting patterns significantly influences your visibility, earnings, and the management of your business. For a designer, pinpointing the ideal platform involves understanding your audience, business goals, and the approach you intend to take in your crafting enterprise.

Notably, there is no universally “best” platform; rather, the most effective selling strategies are tailored to individual needs. Some designers flourish on a single platform, while others have found success through a blend of diverse channels. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the most popular options available for knitting designers, ensuring that you can make well-informed decisions regarding your time and resources.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Platform

Selecting the right platform goes beyond mere fees. It’s crucial to identify solutions that align with your objectives and operational style.

Fee Structures and Profit Margins

Different platforms operate on various fee structures. For instance, Ravelry charges no commission, thus maximizing your profit per sale. In contrast, Etsy’s multi-tiered fee system and LoveCrafts’ percentage-based fees can have a substantial impact on your earnings, particularly when your patterns are priced on the lower end.

To illustrate, let’s take a $6 pattern as an example. On Ravelry, after payment processing, you would generally net around $5.70. By comparison, an Etsy sale might yield about $5.10 post-fees, while LoveCrafts would provide approximately $4.20 after a 25% seller fee is applied. These variances mount when you consider numerous sales, making the platform’s fee structure a critical element of your decision-making process.

Ease of Use and Time Investment

Some platforms feature straightforward setups that might require ongoing maintenance. Others might have a steeper learning curve but offer time savings over the long run. Evaluate how much time you are willing to devote to managing each platform.

For example, Etsy often necessitates continuous SEO optimization and occasional paid advertising to maintain visibility. Engaging with the Ravelry community is essential, as is attracting external traffic. Managing your website involves technical upkeep and marketing on your part.

Built-In Audience vs. Marketing Control

Marketplaces such as Etsy and LoveCrafts come with an existing customer base that can help new designers make initial sales. However, you compete against numerous other designers for attention, and the marketplace dictates how customers are introduced to your work.

In contrast, your own website and Ravelry demand that you drive traffic to them, granting you control over the entire customer experience. This requires more upfront effort but can result in a more sustainable business model in the long run.

Customer Relationship Ownership

Ownership of customer relationships is a vital consideration. Marketplaces typically retain that relationship, limiting your ability to contact customers directly for updates on new releases or to cultivate connections.

Operating from your website or gathering email addresses through marketing allows you to nurture those relationships directly, transforming one-time purchasers into loyal patrons who look forward to your next pattern release. For example, designer Paty Lyons has effectively cultivated her newsletter audience via her GoSadi Designer Landing Page.

Technical Requirements and Support

Your comfort level with technology also plays a significant role. Platforms like Etsy and Ravelry handle most technicalities for you. Conversely, running your own website calls for additional technical knowledge or budgeting for professional assistance.

Consider the support available on each platform. In the event of an issue, how swiftly can you get assistance? Are there adequate resources for troubleshooting?

For More Insights

If you’re interested in exploring the distinctions between marketplaces and platforms, consider reading Victoria House Needlecraft’s insights on the topic. Additionally, GoSadi designer Snickerdoodle Knits provides an informative overview of various platform options worth examining.

Popular Platforms for Selling Knitting Patterns

GoSadi

GoSadi operates on an innovative model compared to traditional selling platforms. Instead of functioning merely as another marketplace for listing patterns, GoSadi serves as a centralized hub connecting all the places you already sell.

What Makes GoSadi Different

The platform’s Designer Landing Pages (DLPs) address a common challenge—customers often want to buy from different locations. Some might prefer Etsy’s checkout system, while others enjoy Ravelry’s pattern library, and many are eager to support designers directly through their personal websites. Rather than confining customers to a single channel, your GoSadi DLP links to every site where your pattern is available.

This enables knitters to select their preferred shopping experience while you establish a cohesive, professional online presence. You are not restricting your audience; you’re actually broadening it by meeting customers in their comfort zone.

Time-Saving Automation

GoSadi automates the often tedious task of updating pattern information across various platforms. For example, if you need to change a price or add a new photo, you only have to update it once in GoSadi rather than logging into multiple sites. This feature is particularly beneficial for designers with extensive catalogs of 20, 50, or even 100+ patterns, saving hours of work weekly.

The platform efficiently manages pattern catalog synchronization across selling channels and upholds your professional digital footprint, freeing up your time to focus on design and customer relationship building.

What to Consider

While GoSadi doesn’t handle payment processing or direct pattern sales, it simplifies the use of existing selling channels without replacing them. Currently in beta, the platform is actively evolving based on designer feedback.

Best For: Designers who sell across multiple platforms and want to streamline their workflow while providing customers with flexibility. This service is particularly valuable for established designers managing growing pattern catalogs and seeking to reduce the time spent on administrative tasks.

Ravelry

Ravelry has earned its reputation as the fiber arts community’s core, where enthusiastic makers converge to share projects, inspirations, and discover new patterns. It remains an essential platform for knitting designers.

Why Ravelry Matters

Ravelry charges zero commission on pattern sales, ensuring that you retain 100% of your earnings, minus payment processing costs (around 2.9% + $0.30). This structure makes it one of the most lucrative platforms per sale for pattern designers.

The community features—project pages, pattern queues, and social elements—facilitate organic pattern discovery as makers showcase their finished projects and favorite patterns. This word-of-mouth promotion is incredibly valuable and occurs naturally within the community.

Ravelry’s advanced search capabilities help makers find precisely what they need, while its comprehensive pattern database invites users to engage deeply with the craft, often spending hours browsing and planning projects.

What to Consider

As a forum-based platform, Ravelry relies on detailed filtering and search functions for pattern discovery. While this arrangement provides a robust database for makers who know what they’re after, newer crafters increasingly favor algorithm-based solutions like Instagram and TikTok for initial pattern discovery before finally purchasing on Ravelry.

New designers may struggle to gain traction right away; hence, promoting your Ravelry shop via other channels and active community engagement is crucial.

Getting Started

Ready to establish your Ravelry shop? Refer to our guide: Get Started Selling on Ravelry.

Best For: Every serious knitting pattern designer. Ravelry’s zero-commission structure and active community make it indispensable. Use it in conjunction with other platforms instead of relying on it as your sole presence.

Etsy

Etsy continues to be a favored platform for selling digital knitting patterns, thanks to immediate access to millions of crafters actively seeking their next project.

The Etsy Advantage

Setting up an Etsy shop is relatively straightforward, with user-friendly tools that enable quick sales initiation. The platform’s vast customer base ensures your patterns receive instant visibility among eager shoppers. Moreover, customers generally trust Etsy’s established reputation, and the platform offers reliable customer service for both buyers and sellers.

Etsy’s digital storefront features allow you to develop your brand identity within the site through customizable sections, announcements, and policies. The platform also manages payment processing, digital file delivery, and customer communications all in one place.

What to Consider

The competition on Etsy is intense, with countless pattern designers vying for attention. To stand out, it’s crucial to understand SEO, create striking photography, and oftentimes, invest in paid advertising.

The fee structure significantly affects profit margins: as of 2025, you should anticipate paying $0.20 USD per listing (valid for four months), in addition to transaction and processing fees. These costs can accumulate rapidly, especially for lower-priced patterns.

Selling on Etsy involves crafting your business in a “rented storefront”—the platform owns customer relationships and could modify rules, fees, or algorithms at any moment. Recent shifts in policies and fee increases have left some sellers uncertain about the platform’s long-term viability for their businesses.

Next Steps for Etsy

Learn more about optimizing your presence on Etsy by reading about Navigating Etsy’s Optimized Pricing Tool.

Best For: Designers just starting out who seek immediate access to an active buyer base, or established designers who incorporate Etsy as part of a multi-platform approach.

LoveCrafts

LoveCrafts has positioned itself as a one-stop shop for yarn and patterns, appealing to makers who prefer to find everything in a single location.

What to Consider

LoveCrafts attracts customers actively shopping for both yarn and patterns, increasing the likelihood of impulse purchases when customers are already in a buying mindset. This offers an additional revenue stream for designers using LoveCrafts affiliate links to generate traffic. The platform manages all customer service, payment processing, and digital delivery.

Your patterns benefit from international exposure through LoveCrafts’ extensive reach. Furthermore, the site’s well-curated appearance enhances credibility, especially for newer designers.

Listing patterns on LoveCrafts is free, though you will incur a payment transaction fee along with a 25% seller fee when your monthly sales lie between £30/€35/$40 and £1,500/€1,800/$1,900. Beyond that threshold, the seller fee is waived. LoveCrafts also ensures compliance for sales tax on international transactions.

Best For: Designers who are willing to trade off fees and some pricing control in exchange for reduced customer service duties or those trying out international markets without the hassle of overseas shipping and tax compliance.

Your Own Website

Establishing a store on your own website grants you complete control over your brand, customer connections, and profit margins.

The Website Advantage

By managing your website, you retain the largest share of earnings for each sale, typically paying only for payment processing (around 2.9% + $0.30 via processors like Stripe or PayPal). This autonomy enables you to own your customer list, allowing for direct marketing efforts and relationship building.

When you establish control over your branding, pricing, and promotional schedules, you have the freedom to run sales as organically fits your business, rather than conforming to a marketplace’s whims. You can bundle patterns, provide memberships, curate exclusive collections, or experiment with varied business models of your choosing.

What to Consider

Developing and maintaining a website demands either technical knowledge or a financial investment in platforms such as Shopify, Squarespace, or WordPress with WooCommerce. Ongoing costs including monthly fees, domain registration, and potential custom developments can accumulate.

Driving traffic to your website relies entirely on your efforts—through content marketing, social media, email campaigns, and, if necessary, paid advertising. Without built-in marketplace traffic, attracting new customers might prove challenging.

On your own, you’ll manage customer service, technical issues, and digital delivery systems. These responsibilities can become time-consuming, especially as your business expands.

Best For: Established designers with a solid audience, recognizable brand, and active marketing strategies. It is also ideal for designers looking to use GoSadi’s Designer Landing Page and the “More Info URL” feature to connect their website with marketplace options, offering customers a choice while maintaining a professional brand identity.

Find Your Perfect Platform and Start Selling!

The most triumphant knitting pattern designers adopt a multi-channel strategy that optimally balances reach, profitability, and time investment.

Why Multi-Platform Selling Works

Different knitters possess varying platform preferences. While some may exclusively shop on Ravelry, others might discover inspiration through Etsy, and many appreciate the option to purchase directly from designers’ websites. Through a diversified approach, capturing customers at the platforms they prefer becomes feasible.

This strategy also mitigates risks associated with relying heavily on one channel. If a platform alters its policies or algorithms—something that happens frequently—your business isn’t left vulnerable.

How GoSadi Makes Multi-Platform Selling Sustainable

The challenge with multi-platform selling has traditionally involved administrative burdens. Updating prices, descriptions, and photos across multiple sites can be exhausting and time-consuming.

GoSadi addresses this by consolidating all pattern catalog information into one hub while linking the various selling channels via Designer Landing Pages. This enables you to offer customers choices without overextending yourself. With a single update in GoSadi, synchronization across platforms is seamless.

Consequently, you can maintain profitable sales on Ravelry, capture Etsy traffic, and develop customer relationships on your website, all without the burdensome administrative workload that often accompanies a multi-channel approach.

Start Where You Are

If you are just launching into the world of knitting pattern sales, it’s wise to begin with one or two platforms. Ravelry is essential due to its zero fees and engaged community, whereas Etsy provides immediate marketplace traffic. Alternatively, if you’re open to a long-term strategy, consider investing in your website.

As your pattern catalog grows and you expand your sales channels, GoSadi will increasingly prove valuable. The time saved on administrative tasks will grant you the freedom to focus on what truly cultivates growth in your business: designing stunning patterns and engaging with your community.

What’s Next

With your platforms chosen, it’s now time to put your patterns in front of eager knitters. Consider exploring strategies like Marketing & Promoting Knitting Patterns.

Keep Learning:

  • Pricing Your Knitting Patterns: Strategies & Considerations
  • SEO for Knit & Crochet Pattern Sales: Boost Visibility While Maintaining Your Brand Voice
  • Best Practices for Building an Email List, Growing a Community, and Keeping People Engaged
  • Technical Aspects of Successful Knitting Design: Swatching, Grading, Tech Editing, and More
  • Casting on a Business: Getting Started as a Knitwear Designer

Cool Facts About Heating Up The Menopause Hot Flash

Filed under: Crafts — @ 2:50 am, March 28, 2018.

By Dawn M. Olsen

There it goes again! Another unannounced hot flash!

Without a prescription or an expensive trip to your OB/GYN, there are some options a woman can appropriate to try to keep hot flashes at bay, or at the least, minimize their intensity and frequency. So the next time you find yourself revisited by the heat demon, you might want to consider one or all of them. Look at it this way. What have you got to lose? Except maybe the time it takes to change into drier clothes, a quick make-up touchup, and the price of another box of tissues to dab away the perspiration.

Over recent years, there has been, and continues to be, significant testing done about the symptoms of menopause. It has been found that menopausal women complain more about hot flashes than any other symptom, even above the lack of sexual drive which usually also accompanies menopause. Because many women have a fear of serious side effects with taking hormonal replacement therapy drugs, or they just dont have the time, money, or the inclination to address these menopause symptoms with alternative medications, theyre essentially at a loss as to what to do about the symptoms. For lack of information, they then assume they just have to wait it out and hope for the best.

Most recently however, researchers have found its just simple common sense that seems to rule for women experiencing menopause but are not taking medication. By making a few simple preparations, and modifying behavior and habits slightly, you can definitely feel a difference, which will also go well with the new optimistic attitude youll gain.

According to Colette Bouchez of WebMD, Doctors label hot flashes a vasomotor symptom — a series of biochemical events that unfold when your temperature controlling mechanism goes slightly awry. The result: Your body thinks you’re overheated, even when you’re not.

So what does a hot flash feel like? I would liken it to entering a sauna fully clothed, and being required to sit there with no way out for, lets say about 5 minutes. When your times up, you exit the sauna drenched in perspiration. Your body now becomes chilled and the bumps on your damp skin prove it. The quick change in temperature has you immediately grabbing for a blanket to cover yourself because now youre freezing. Once youve traded the sticky, clinging clothes for drier, warmer ones, a little time passes. Then, when you least expect it, your internal sauna kicks in and you get to do it all over again! Oh, joy of joys!

While encountering different trials while traveling this road called life, Ive often wondered about how those of the past handled similar situations. This is certainly one of those times. Just how did the women of the day carry on through the menopausal years without hormonal replacement therapies, required naps due to migraine headaches, and all the body aches that make you feel 15 years older than you really are?

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They spent their time in the fields with their husbands, cooking and canning vegetables, and carrying wood. Were they just stronger than we are today? Have we become so soft and pampered with our modern conveniences that we now grumble about everything?

In this day of advanced technology, space travel, and ingenious, innovative gadgets, you would think something could be done about hot flashes. I dare say that not all advancements are for the better. Maybe its time we look back, instead of ahead, and learn from our past counterparts.

Just as in days gone by, there are things we can do right now, to help relieve the hot flashes without the use of hormones. Most would simply call it common sense. We do have some advantages, however, that previous women didnt have, so lets explore some of them.

First, pay close attention to what you wear. This may sound simple enough, but the truth is, it can make a big difference in your hot flashes. Some of the synthetic, manmade fabrics hold heat to a much greater degree than other natural fibers. Some of the most notorious to stay away from are nylon, spandex, and close-knit polyesters. Because they hold heat, they dont allow you to cool down nearly as fast as cotton, or other natural fabrics. Consequently, your hot flash will certainly last longer, and possibly even be more intense.

For those hot flashes that occur while you sleep (more commonly known as night sweats), get rid of those pretty nylon nighties and satin pajamas, and trade your polyester sheets in for cotton ones. Believe me. Youll be much sexier to your husband in dry cotton pajamas than in sweaty silk ones, too.

Also, dress for your climate. Heavy sweaters will certainly keep you warm on those snowy days, but when a hot flash erupts, theres no way for you to cool down afterward to avoid the chills. Wear layers. Youll find it much easier and more comfortable to remove the needed layers at will, than to suffer with that beautiful but expensive sweater you cant do anything about. It will save on the dry cleaning bill, too. If you must wear a sweater, make it a cardigan so you can button or unbutton when the heat demon visits.

Be active and exercise whenever you can. If you dont have time, make time! Although many menopausal women think that exercise will increase the hot flashes, doctors have actually found the reverse to be true. In exercising daily, whether its taking walks, biking, running, swimming, or whatever activity youre comfortable with, youll find that over time, hot flashes will decrease in frequency, and may even decrease in intensity. Hallelujah!

If youre at home, you can also take advantage of cold water. If youll think back to the old western movies, you may remember how the hot, arid conditions were emphasized when traveling through the West. As an older child, I distinctly remember watching the dust fly from the horses hooves when the good guys chased the bad guys. Something else I remember; the beautiful women usually carried a cloth hanky. Theyd moisten it and femininely dab their brow and face from time to time. I used to think it was from the hot sun. Now I know it was their hot flashes!

Dont underestimate ice. Its lousy if youre trying to drive on it, but its a godsend when you need to cool down quickly. Ice cubes work great. Hold one to your pulse points; your wrist, inside your elbow, on back of your knee, or the back of your neck. If you hold it in a washcloth, you wont have that irritating melt running down your back or leg. If your hot flash attacks at the office, head for the soda machine and use the cold can on your pulse points instead of the ice. Every little bit helps.

If youd rather go hi-tech, there is a gel-filled scarf you can buy. Keep it in the freezer and place it on the back of your neck when the heat begins creeping up on you. It stays cold for over an hour and the best part it doesnt drip!

Women who reside in cooler homes or work in cooler offices tend to have fewer hot flashes as well. So, keep the fan handy from January through December. Concerning outside heat sources, its also advisable to avoid hot showers, whirlpool tubs, and Jacuzzis. Anything that helps to raise body temperature should be sidestepped.

Check your breathing pattern. Often times, when women become excited, they change their breathing, which in turn increases oxygen levels, which then also increases warmth. Its the perfect combination to jumpstart a real hot flash. So, take a deep breath and relax, especially if you become stressed. It can decrease the number of hot flashes you experience as much as 50%.

In speaking about common sense; ironically, common scents can also make a difference. The scents of lavender, vanilla, and lemongrass, as well as essential oils like ylang-ylang, geranium, and clary sage, have been found to bring on a relaxing sensation. They have a calming affect to the body and can decrease hot flashes, too.

On the other side of the coin, there are certain perfumes and chemical smells that can easily heighten the frequency and intensity of hot flashes. Because many of these are dependant on the genetics of each individual woman, its a good idea to practice keeping the calming fragrances around.

One last deterrent to hot flashes is decreasing or quitting smoking. Studies have shown that cigarettes can exacerbate hot flashes because they trigger hormonal changes, particularly in thin women. So, the bottom line is, cutting back on the number of cigarettes you smoke is good, while quitting altogether is best.

So, next time youre watching an old Western and you see the heroine wiping her brow; remember. Grab your cardigan and go for a walk. When you return, take a cool shower, don your cotton pajamas, get your soda and your ice cube, light your lavender candle, sit back, take a deep breath and relax. It will all be over soon.

About the Author: Dawn M. Olsen is an Advocate for Better Women’s Health through Education. Find out more about how to approach your

menopause symptoms relief

at http://www.menopauseatoz.com

Source:

isnare.com

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What You Need To Know About Fur Restyling

Filed under: Crafts — @ 2:44 am, March 25, 2018.

Fur restyling is an easy, inexpensive way to go from drab to fab with an old fur coat or jacket. There are plenty of techniques and services that many fur providers offer to customers who are looking to revamp their fur pieces, and some even hold restyling clinics that can help you think of new ideas for your garment.

If you’re new to the idea of fur restyling, though, you might not be aware of the great benefits that come with these options. Check out a few of them below to study up on the compelling reasons to consider restyling your fur coat before next winter.

Fur Restyling Is the Economical Alternative to Buying a Modern Coat

Buying a fur coat means making a substantial investment. You buy it as an item that you intend to use for years to come. But face it-after a few years, your glamorous fur just isn’t what it used to be. With new styles out every season, you might be dying to update yours but feeling too guilty to buy a new fur coat just because your tastes have changed.

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Getting your old fur restyled solves your problem.

Fur restyling services cost an insignificant amount of money compared to the price of a brand new fur, but they give you the modern look you want from your old coat. Creating a new look for your fur will even give you a better return on your investment; when you’re looking good in your newly styled jacket, you’ll want to wear it every chance you get in the winter.

And even if your fur coat was inherited, what better way to honor its original owner than by wearing it proudly? A few minor touches can bring any generation fur into the modern age and ready to show off.

You Can Get a Personalized Creation with a Fur Restyling

Not only is fur restyling an inexpensive fix to your style woes, it’s also a great way to create a customized coat made to turn heads.

Your changes might be as minor as taking up or letting down your coat’s arm holes or softening its shoulders. If you’re up for more dramatic changes, however, you can try shearing long-hair fur for a lighter, silkier garment or knitting the fur into a beautifully woven pattern. Changing the length can give your coat an updated look, and reversible options allow for more use and versatility.

But no matter what you want out of your old garment, fur restyling can give it to you. If you’re ready to explore the many options available to you, contact a fur supplier that offers fur restyling services today and set up a consultation.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/shopping-articles/fashion-articles/what-you-need-know-about-fur-restyling-691864.html

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For more information on fur restyling Michigan and fur coats Michigan, visit our website today.Author: Brian McLauren