As part of our editing process, we must do a pass where we check the entire pattern for style.
Style is the way a pattern is written--how every instruction is presented to the maker. It is how things are capitalized, punctuated, formatted, abbreviated, and worded. It’s all the things that are not specifically “technical” but absolutely influence how the instructions are read and understood.
While stitch counts and pattern repeats and measurements and grammar can be right or wrong, style choices in a pattern are not—if they are all done consistently. A pattern’s style is crucial to how the maker interacts with the pattern because a haphazard style will lead to mistrust and possible confusion.
When you check style, you look for inconsistencies in:
- Fonts and font weights
- Formatting and spacing
- Punctuation
- Repeat instructions
- Naming
- Headers
- Symbols
- Abbreviations
Sometimes I do this style check first, when I am doing a read-through of the pattern--marking obvious irregularities. Other times, I do it last, after all the numbers and other technical issues are completely correct, especially when there are a lot of technical issues in the pattern that will require re-writing much of the text.
Unlike other areas of publishing, the things related to crochet and knitting pattern style are not (and may never be) fully standardized. Yes, there are common ways we phrase things, general ways we punctuate, and lists of common abbreviations and technique symbols. But yarn patterns are a marriage of art and math and science, and the aspects of a pattern related to style are fully up to the designer’s/publisher’s preference. (Within reason, of course. The instructions must still make sense and the style should not be a distraction!)
For example:
Sizes could be listed as 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) [6, 7, 8, 9] or A (B, C, D) (E, F, G) (H, I, J). Are they listed the same through the whole pattern, in every instance?
The designer may use ″ or inch or in. Which one do they use consistently?
Is there punctuation at the end of every line of instruction? Or just space?
How does the designer prefer to write repeated stitch patterns?
Do they abbreviate? If so, which words and which stitches? And are the abbreviations the same throughout?
Is it cast on or cast-on—and when do they use the hyphen?
None of these style decisions are right or wrong. You will find that most patterns fall into a typical range of formatting and phrasing, and we but as editors, you will face questions like:
- "What is the standard way to do this?"
- "What is the abbreviation most people use for this?"
These kinds of questions afford an excellent opportunity to share resources and references and best practices. Ask your client what references they use. You can also start to curate your favorite resources into a reference list for all your clients to refer to, a valuable freebie to show your care for your client’s work and development of their branding and style.
Above all and first and foremost, when you onboard a client, ask them if they have a style sheet. If they don’t, start to create one as you edit. Ask questions and confirm their style decisions as you move through the editing process, then send the draft style sheet to them, instructing them how to use it as they write the next pattern. Encourage your clients check their patterns for style before they send you their next draft. Then, miraculously, each style editing pass will get easier as you work together to hone the style in this collaborative effort.
The style sheet belongs to the client and it can enhance and improve their creative agency, building confidence in their pattern writing skills over time. It is a living and evolving document that gets updated with every project and formatting tweak, and many of my clients wondered how they ever wrote patterns without one.
If you have never written a style sheet, I have a sample one in my book, and here are a few blog posts from our colleagues that will help get you started:
The style guide: creating harmony between all your patterns
11 ideas for your style guide
Style sheet when designing and writing crochet patterns
Style sheets make pattern writing easier
Do you create style sheets for your clients? What is your best tip for checking style? Hit reply and tell me about it!
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