Are you a crochet designer who dreams of generating recurring revenue, building a loyal community, or simply scaling your digital business beyond one-off sales? If so, you’ve probably heard the buzz about crochet pattern subscriptions—but is this business model the right fit for you? In this post, you’ll learn how to start a crochet pattern membership and whether whether that’s the right move for your business.
Memberships are a great strategy for designers who have a consistent pattern release schedule or can create a strong library of value.
– Pam Grice, The Crochetpreneur
Should You Start a Crochet Pattern Membership for Your Design Business?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into everything you need to know about how to start a pattern membership for your crochet design business. Watch, listen, or read below to explore the models, platforms, pros, cons, and actionable steps to get started.👇
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What Is a Crochet Pattern Membership?
A crochet pattern membership is a digital subscription that gives members exclusive or comprehensive access to your crochet patterns, plus other perks like tutorials, community engagement, crochet-a-longs, and more. Members typically pay a recurring fee (monthly or annually) or make a one-time payment for lifetime access to your content hub.
Start a Crochet Pattern Membership that’s Tailored to your Business
When we hear “crochet pattern membership,” typically we’re thinking of one of two popular models:
- Crochet Pattern-of-the-Month Club: Members receive a fresh, exclusive pattern each month—perfect if you already work on a monthly release schedule.
- All-Access Pass: Members get instant access to your entire library (and often new releases). Great for designers with a robust catalog.
But those aren’t your only options! You can create a membership that looks just the way you want it to look, based on the criteria that you come up with that your audience would love. Consider these alternative membership models:
- Crochet Along (CAL) Membership: New crochet alongs are automatically included; ideal for community-driven makers who love teaching and interaction.
- VIP Pattern Libraries: Offer rotating sets of patterns or a selection of your latest releases. You get to control what’s available and when.
- Hybrid Memberships: Bundle patterns with tutorials, community forums, virtual hangouts, or bonus printables for higher perceived value.
The beauty? You design the membership experience—tailor it to your strengths and your audience’s desires.
Is a Crochet Pattern Membership Right For You? Key Considerations Before Launching
Before you jump in, it’s crucial to determine whether your business is ready for a membership model. I recommend considering membership only if you have all of the following in place:
1. Your Design Schedule
- Do you reliably create new patterns monthly? Monthly clubs may suit you.
- Prefer less pressure? Lifetime access memberships relieve the “must release” burden.
2. Audience Trust and Size
- Is your audience asking for more?
- Do they know, like, and trust you enough to invest?
- If not, focus on visibility (lives, videos, community-building) first.
3. Your Goals
- Are you aiming to boost recurring revenue?
- Foster deeper community and loyalty?
- Increase customer lifetime value?
- Understanding your “why” informs your membership’s structure, pricing, and marketing approach.
Who might not be ready yet?
- Brand new designers with only a handful of designs.
- Businesses without an active or trusting audience.
- Anyone who dreads the idea of on-going content delivery.
💡 Pro Tip: Even if you’re not ready now, start planning, observing competitors, and building your audience for a future launch!
Pros and Cons: Lifetime vs. Monthly Memberships
Let’s break down two of the most common models—each has unique advantages and drawbacks.
Lifetime Memberships
👍 Pros:
- Instant cash flow—great for launches and early adopters.
- Easy to promote with urgency (“founding member” deals).
- No obligation for ongoing monthly content.
👎 Cons:
- No recurring revenue stream.
- Tends to have lower long-term engagement.
- Requires creative retention strategies (otherwise, members forget and disengage).
Monthly Memberships
👍 Pros:
- Predictable, recurring income—crucial for stable business growth.
- Members are invested, leading to higher engagement.
- Ongoing content keeps your brand top of mind.
👎 Cons:
- Requires consistent delivery of new content (patterns, events, interactions).
- You must track and address “churn” (members leaving).
- Ask yourself: Are you energized by monthly commitments, or would a big launch and hands-off ongoing work be more sustainable?
Choosing the Right Platform for Your Crochet Pattern Membership
Not all membership platforms are created equal. Your choice depends on your needs, tech comfort, and budget. Here are some of the options available but I encourage you to research them yourself:
- ThriveCart Learn: One-time purchase, no monthly fees, integrates with digital products. Easy pattern upload and library organization. Perfect if you want to avoid monthly costs. You can grab ThriveCart Learn from my affiliate link, here.
- Thinkific / Teachable: Course platforms with community features. They require ongoing payments, but offer robust content delivery and engagement tools.
- Patreon: Great for low-barrier experiments and simple launches. Tiered options make it easy to add bonuses.
- Payhip / Gumroad: Beginner-friendly, allows gated digital content with straightforward setup.
Considerations when Choosing a Platform
When Choosing a Platform for your Crochet Pattern Subscription, Consider:
- Cost (one-time vs. monthly)
- Content delivery (easy uploads? User-friendly navigation?)
- Community features (forums? messaging?)
- Integration with your existing shop or website
successfully launch your crochet pattern
Free Planner to Master Your Pattern Launch Process
If you’re thinking about venturing into the world of crochet pattern design or you’re already a designer and you’re looking to up your launching game, this guide will walk you through every step of planning, launching, and promoting your pattern!
Launching & Growing Your Crochet Pattern Membership
A successful crochet pattern subscription launch is more than just “opening the doors.” Smart strategy can make or break your first months.
Proven Launch Tactics
🚀 Founding Member Launch: Limited-time lifetime offer to drum up excitement and quick cash flow.
🚀 Waitlist Marketing: Collect interested leads before launch; open enrollment quarterly or bi-annually.
🚀 Bundling: Upsell membership to pattern buyers
- “Why not get all my patterns, plus new ones each month?”
- Offer skills training or VIP community as a higher tier
- Early access to pattern testing, affiliate commissions
🚀 Evergreen Funnel: Allow members to join year-round through your email welcome series or blog.
Crochet Pattern Membership Launch Checklist
☑️ Audit your pattern library and set a content schedule.
☑️ Choose and set up your platform.
☑️ Define your member benefits and pricing.Create launch emails, social media posts, sales page, and graphics.
☑️ Create launch emails, social media posts, sales page, and graphics.
☑️ Map out your content calendar—stick to it!
☑️ Prepare retention strategies (see next section).
Retention Strategies: Keeping Members Hooked on Your Crochet Pattern Subscription
Acquiring new members is only half the battle! Keeping them engaged and renewing is key for long-term success.
Winning retention tactics from the podcast:
- Monthly themes or challenges (“Granny Square Month!”)
- Member spotlights and social sharing (feature their makes)
- Live Q&As, virtual hangouts, or exclusive crochet alongs
- Behind-the-scenes peeks and early access
- Tangible rewards: badges, stickers, pins (for lifetime or high-tier members)
- Gamification: loyalty points, milestones, or digital badges
💡 Pro Tip: The more you nurture relationships and infuse your personality, the more likely your members become champions who invite their friends!
Next Steps: Your Crochet Membership Action Plan
Ready to get started? Here’s your simplified roadmap:
- Audit your content and schedule: Decide if you should offer lifetime access, monthly membership, or another model. Consider your strengths!
- Define your goals for the membership: Recurring income? Community building? Increased customer lifetime value? Your answer informs every decision.
- Research platforms: Pick two or three, demo them, and choose your best fit.
- Decide on content frequency: Be realistic! Patterns, events, or community engagement—commit to what you can sustain.
- Set up your membership and launch: With an existing pattern library, you could be up and running in as little as three weeks!
- Foster ongoing engagement: Community is your secret sauce for retention and word-of-mouth growth.
Final Thoughts
A crochet pattern membership isn’t just a new revenue stream—it’s a pathway to deeper relationships, creative fulfillment, and long-term business stability. If you feel overwhelmed, remember: you don’t have to do it alone.
Whether you’re ready to start a crochet pattern membership or make other big moves in your business, the support of like-minded crochet business owners can give you the boost you need! You’ll find that connection, in a distraction-free space, at the The Crochetpreneur Fall Retreat.
Join Us September 19-20, 2025 for the Fall Retreat!
This two-day retreat will include focused work sessions, collaborative coaching, and brainstorming. So bring your laptop and get ready to finally knock out that to-do list! We have plenty of downtime fun planned, too!
Have questions or want to share your membership journey? Drop a comment below! Let’s keep the conversation going.
If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to share it with other crochetpreneurs ready to level up their business!
I’m mapping out what I want for my membership(lifetime access) past, and future patterns. I’ve already started creating it in Thrivecart learn. What I’m struggling with is pricing. What’s some advice you have for that?
Hi Melanie,
I’d suggest looking at some other designers, checking out their offers and what’s included as a way of doing market research.
In the research I’ve done, I’ve found that the going rate for lifetime memberships is somewhere between $25 and $35.
I know that can be hard to swallow when you considered the sheer volume of patterns people might get for that single payment.
However, the payoff is in the increased lifetime value of the customer that may or may not have purchased 3-4 of any pattern.
So, this method increases that lifetime while also nurturing your relationship with our audience and creating advocates who bring others to your shop and membership.
Hope that helps!
Pam