Crochet
Crafternoon Treats Patreon community
Launching the Crafternoon Treats Patreon space
July has also been a month of planning and thinking and I’ve taken the decision to set up a Patreon space. I first mentioned it on a podcast and was overwhelmed by the supportive comments that I got. Go for it! That was the general view, so here I am. Going for it.
Its taken a while longer than I expected for the page to be approved by one of the human employees at Patreon (rather than a piece of software). Its reassuring that they do this final stage of approval to check the purpose of each page and I guess that so many creators are getting busy they just had a back log to get through. Happily, I got the email a couple of days ago, so everything is now ready. You can visit the Crafternoon Treats Patreon page by clicking here or the picture below.
What is Patreon?
It’s a US based site that enables individual creators to produce content for subscribers. To access someone’s Patreon space, pay a monthly fee. This supports the creator so that they can continue doing what they already are. But usually, after subscribing and paying that fee, you can access extra content that’s produced, whether it be vlogs, podcasts, written posts, tutorials or free patterns. Whatever the creator comes up with for you. Its also possible to enter subscribers into giveaways and provide them with discount codes for online stores.
How will the Crafternoon Treats Patreon space work?
Many podcasters have set up a Patreon space to try to generate much needed income. Podcasting takes a lot of time and effort and its really difficult to do it alongside a full time job.
I want to add a Patreon site as an income stream, alongside my Etsy shop in which I sell my yarns and yarn jewellery and my Ravelry store for crochet patterns so that I can avoid having to top up with science writing projects. These are interesting and worthwhile but they take me away from my main focus and sometimes I stretch myself far too thinly.
More than that, I want the Patreon space to be a community where I can get to know you better as you find out more about what I do. The Patreon page is a bit like a Facebook page in that you can comment on posts and chat with each other. Its more personal than YouTube and other social media and hopefully will bring together like-minded crafts with a lot in common. It will be great for me to get feedback from a community of subscribers and to be able to interact with you — more of a two-way street.
What will it cost to subscribe?
The idea is that individual patrons subscribe for a low monthly fee in return for some different rewards. I’ve set up two tiers so that you can sign up for just $2 per month (about £1.50) or $6 per month (about £4.50).
When you subscribe, you sign up for one month and pay your subscription straight away. You are then billed at the beginning of each month that follows, unless you cancel. You can cancel at any time, so you can try it for a month and then unsubscribe. Or subscribe for six months and then have a break. Its totally within your control.
The idea is that this subscription will help fund my production of podcasts, blog posts and tutorials. So to keep me doing what I already do. But I’ll also be giving Patreons something extra.
Gems: $2 each month
Gems will get access to:
- Additional vlogs throughout the month with behind-the-scenes glimpses into what I’m up to. I’m going to aim for one each month, but there may be more…
- News about Etsy shop updates and new pattern releases – before these are made live. Patreons will also get the chance to preorder or reserve items in my Etsy shop.
- Hints and tips and mini tutorials, mainly about crochet but potentially about other crafts too. These will be posts, photos or short videos and, again, I’ll aim for one each month to start with.
- Entry into a monthly draw for a pattern giveaway. Initially this will be for one of my own patterns but as the site grows, I will purchase patterns from other designers too.
Jewels: $6 each month
Jewels will get access to all of the vlogs, news, tips and the monthly draw as Gems (listed above).
Jewels will also be able to view:
- Longer and more involved video tutorials that will build into a library over time.
- Regular 25% discount codes for Ravelry patterns, valid for at least 14 days after the code is announced.
- Occasional discounts for selected items in my Etsy shop, announced at the start of each month and valid for at least 14 days.
- Entry into a monthly draw for a giveaway for something yarn related and for a free pattern. Initially this will be one of my patterns but as the site grows I’ll purchase patterns from other designers too.
The first tutorial for August 2018
For Gems and Jewels: To get us started I’ve done a tutorial on how to block a natural fibre crochet shawl, using my Skimming Stones shawl as my example. This tutorial will be available to Gems and Jewels. It shows the shawl before blocking, how I wash it, how I pin it into shape and how it looks afterwards.
I’ll be recording a short hints and tips video before the end of the month and a detailed stitch tutorial available to Jewels.
Discounts and giveaways for August 2018
For Gems: I’ll be running a draw to win a free copy of my Coffee in the mist shawl pattern, priced at £3.50 on Ravelry. Gems will also have access to a 25% discount code to buy the pattern on Ravelry.
For Jewels: There will be a draw to win a Coffee in the Mist shawl kit priced at £21.00 in my Etsy shop. This includes the natural wool yarn pack and the pattern, posted free to the winner. You will also have access to a 25% discount code to buy the shawl pack in my Etsy shop (the pack includes the yarn and the pattern).
The draws will run until the end of August 2018 and the winner will receive their prize in early September. The discount codes will be valid until September 30th 2018