Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, Tech Editing

 

A good tech editor is an absolute necessity

Have you ever tried to knit from a pattern and just have no idea what the designer is trying to explain? Have you checked your stitches over and over but still come up with a different number than what is in the pattern? Maybe it's not you. Maybe the pattern just isn't very well written and the pattern has some mistakes. That pattern has most likely not been tech edited.

After being frustrated by several patterns I've tried to knit, I've decided not to work on a pattern if it is clear that it hasn't been tech edited. I may be a little bit biased because my other job is as a copy editor, so I do believe in the value of editing. But tech editing for knitting patterns really is essential to make sure the pattern is as clear as possible so the knitter's experience doesn't end in frustration.

So what is a tech editor? A tech editor is someone who goes over the pattern and, in essence, knits it in her mind, checking to make sure all parts of the pattern make sense, as much information as possible is provided, and that all of the numbers work out. The tech editor does not actually knit the pattern (although I have heard of some who occasionally do quick swatches). Joeli of Joeli's Kitchen is a tech editor and also offers training courses for people who want to be tech editors. She's created a series of blog posts about tech editors; these posts do a great job explaining what tech editing is all about, so I'm going to let her describe what a tech editor does:

"A tech editor goes through a pattern top to bottom, line by line, checking for errors, inconsistencies, problems, better ways of writing things, and so on. They meticulously go through the pattern with a fine tooth comb; checking stitch counts, making sure the gauge gives the right measurements, looking at wording, looking for deviations from the style sheet." (from All About That Tech Editor -- the entire blog post is very educational, so I'd recommend clicking over there and reading her full post)

I've worked with three different tech editors and have had good experiences with all of them. They've helped me clear up my patterns and make them better so that you guys can have a better knitting experience.

Although it's not always clear if a pattern has been tech edited (I always add a thank you to my tech editor on my Ravelry pattern page), it's good to choose patterns to knit that have been through the tech editing process if you can. It doesn't mean that a pattern will be completely error free (tech editors are human after all), but it does mean that the pattern is in the best possible shape, which makes for much less frustration on your part when you sit down to knit.
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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (June 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.