Prepped Purse: Free Pattern & Life Lesson

In 2024 I submitted two bag designs to an online publication and both of them got accepted. I was thrilled! I love browsing online magazines (and physical ones) so the thought of having my designs included was really exciting. Plus, it was a paying opportunity. ✨ Even better!

For this publication, you did not need to submit a completed pattern to be accepted: just a sketch, some basic info, and yarn ideas from a list of potential yarn suppliers. Both bags I designed used the yarn Remix by Berroco. One was focused on grunge vibes (the Rebel Mesh Totebag) and this one, the Prepped Purse, was inspired by bright academia.

After getting accepted, it was time to actually bring my designs to life. I crocheted and documented my process in my weird personal shorthand that I doubt many people can understand. Once the design process was complete, I translated my chicken scratch into an intelligible pattern.

With publications, you are typically required to conform to their style guide and method of writing patterns. This publication was no different, so I set out laying out my pattern with the terminology they required. It was different than how I would write patterns if I were self publishing, which becomes important in a moment. 😅

A week before the deadline to have all our materials and photos submitted, the publication shared that they were consolidating how they structured their issues and no longer would have room for as many patterns as they had contracted. We were all given options as to how to move forward, and I elected to bow out entirely and allow other designers the option to have their designs included.

Designing crochet and knitting patterns is not my full time income. It is a passion project I love and do in my own time, but it does not mean there's no food on the table if I don't get included in a publication. I was gutted that the changes happened, but this is how life goes sometimes! Deciding to not be included sat very well with me, as it allowed others whose livelihood does hinge on contracts like this to hopefully keep their income as anticipated.

Now, what to do with my two patterns?

I was free to self-publish the patterns I had written for the publication (and they were completely written and ready to go), but I wasn't sure I wanted to. First, I was still kind of sad about them. Second, they were in a writing style that I would not have used were I intending to self publish from the beginning. I shared the finished patterns right away with my team of volunteer testers who had opted to help with these designs, letting them know the patterns were theirs to use and that there was no need to test anymore.

After that, I just kind of let them sit. It's been over a year.

I'm very happy with how the designs turned out, but I'm still not a huge fan of how they are written. I could go back and change everything over to my style and list them for sale, but I still don't really feel a desire to do that. So, the Prepped Purse is now available for free here on the CouleeCraft Journal. :)

Get the Prepped Purse pattern here

The pattern is still a bit rough visually and has not been tested by anyone besides me. If you do create with this pattern, I'd love to hear from you! Tag me on social (@CouleeCraft on Instagram, YouTube, BlueSky, and Patreon) or send me an email with your creation so I can see it. :)

Until next time!

Stay crafty,

-Carolyn