I’ve put this guide together for yarn companies who want to partner with Zanete Knits to create a custom pattern.

I love working with brands that care about the same things I do, whether that’s supporting local makers, looking after the planet, or making sure production is ethical and fair. For me, a great partnership is also about doing some good in the world.

Since I get a lot of requests and can only take on a few projects at a time, I want to make sure I’m putting my energy into the right places. I’d love to hear about the positive impact your company is making, why you want to work with me, and what you hope we can achieve together.

In this guide, you’ll find:

• How our collaboration process works
• The steps to creating a pattern (this usually takes 2–6 months)
• The kind of support we’ll need from you to make it a success

Designing a pattern takes a lot of heart and hard work, and I’m committed to showing your yarn in the best light. Since I’m always working to grow my community, I also really appreciate your help with shouting about the project once it’s ready!

If this sounds like a good fit, keep reading to see how it all works. When you're ready, send your story and ideas to zanete@zaneteknits.com. I can’t wait!

Planning phase

• In this phase, we decide on the theme, yarn, garment type, and finalize the release schedule.  
• We usually propose a design concept (e.g., a Latvian-inspired colorwork yoke sweater or a toe-up cabled sock) while incorporating feedback from the Yarn partner.  
• If preferred, we can align the release date with industry events involving the Yarn partner.

During this phase, we recommend our partners to:

• Share their goals and expected results for the partnership.  
• Suggest the type of item they want to create, if applicable.  
• Mention any yarn restrictions.  
• Let us know of any plans for selling kits or running campaigns with the pattern.

Design phase

4-6 months before the release

• During this stage, Zanete creates swatches, designs, writes, and grades the pattern.  
• We share updates regularly on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, tagging the Yarn partner’s social accounts.  
• We may invite you as an Instagram collaborator if you're comfortable with it; we always respect your social media strategy.  
• This phase usually takes 1-2 months, starting from the swatching process.

Throughout this phase, we encourage our partners to:

• Share our work-in-progress photos on their own social media channels.

Test phase

2-4 months before release

• During this stage, the pattern is reviewed by a technical editor and tested by volunteer knitters.  
• We recruit test knitters through a newsletter announcement and a Google form application. Selected knitters are added to a Slack channel for all test-related communication.  
• Testers receive access to the edited pattern in a shared Google Doc, where they can leave comments and suggest changes as they work through the pattern.  
• The edited test version is also sent to the Yarn partner for sample creation, and they can share it with their sample knitter. Sample knitters may join the test knitters’ Slack group and email thread.  
• Test knitters can post progress photos on social media while working on the project.  
• Testers aren’t required to use original yarn, but Yarn partners may offer discounts (10-30%) to encourage it. Once confirmed, this discount is shared with the testers.  
• This phase typically takes 4-10 weeks, depending on the yarn weight and item type.

Throughout this phase, we encourage our partners to:

• If possible, create a sample and share progress photos on social media and Ravelry.

Pre-launch

2 weeks before release, sometimes overlapping with the testing phase

• A professional photoshoot is done to capture images of the sample. Zanete often models the knitwear herself, though sometimes someone else does.  
• We share the photos and product description with our Yarn partner, asking them to credit the photographer if they use the images.  
•  The final pattern layout is completed and sent to translators to create versions in other languages.
• We start promoting the release on social media and in newsletters, tagging our Yarn partners and inviting them to collaborate if allowed.

Throughout this phase, we encourage our partners to:

• Share our teaser photos on social media as stories or posts.  
• Use the photo gallery to create your own social media posts.  
• Work with us on joint promotions, like campaigns or offers, to boost awareness.  
• Get yarn or kits ready, if needed.

Launch

Release date + 10 days

• Our patterns are published on Ravelry, Etsy and zaneteknits.com. For the first 10 days after release, we offer two discounts: 30% off for subscribers and 20% off as a general intro discount.  
• We send a newsletter to subscribers introducing the new pattern and including a link to the Yarn partner's website.  
• A blog post about the new pattern is published, with a link to the Yarn partner's site.  
• Occasionally, we create a pattern deep-dive video for YouTube, mentioning the Yarn partner and sharing links to their site.  
• We share the pattern on all our social media platforms, tagging the Yarn partner and inviting them to collaborate (with their permission).

Throughout this phase, we encourage our partners to:

• Reshare our release announcement posts on social media.  
• Use photos from our gallery to create their own posts and promote the introductory discount.  
• Include the pattern release in their next newsletter, if possible.  
• Highlight the pattern release on their website, if applicable.

While this marks the end of our formal collaboration timeline, we love staying connected with our yarn partners and seeing how knitters continue to enjoy the pattern long after launch! 

We hope this information has been helpful. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact zanete@zaneteknits.com.