FOR THE ASPIRING KNITTING DESIGNER 🧶

ready to see your patterns in the real world?

build your confidence with the creative coven

the self-paced online video course taking you from casual knitter to #bosswitch of the knitting design business of your dreams within a matter of weeks!

you’ve been flirting with the idea of being a knitting designer for some time now. people always compliment your projects, and you’ve got some fantastic ideas floating around in your head and doodled in a notebook. you’re pretty sure you’ve got the creative chutzpah to do it, you just don’t feel totally confident in your ability to run a whole business around it. and while your partner is super supportive, you don’t want to quit your dayjob without a solid plan in place, so maybe it’s best if you just stick to knitting other people’s patterns?

do you think about getting started and then find yourself stopping because you think:

i’m not creative enough.

i don’t feel confident enough to be a real designer.

what if i fail?

or maybe you just don’t know where to actually start. what’s a tech editor? do i really need one? how many patterns do you need to make before you can get yarn support? how do i know i didn’t accidentally plagiarize that stitch??

look, it should not be this hard to be a designer. wouldn’t it be great to have something that would teach you exactly what you need to know and show you the tools to do it with enough gentle accountability to keep you on track, while also understanding that you’re a real person with a life outside your knitting needles too?

introducing

creative coven

the online design course for knitters who want to become #bosswitch designers

take advantage of my proven pillars of creation | administration | publication and build a sustainable business from a core set of values to get confident in your designs and be your own boss.

with the creative coven, you’ll:

🧶 learn how to take your ideas out of your brain and turn them into actual patterns

✍️ gain confidence in your designing so that you never worry about whether you’ve missed an important step

📌 get and stay organized so that you spend more time creating and less time looking around for those damn notes you scribbled on that post-it…or was it in your notes app??

🧠 work on your mindset so that you say “goodbye, overwhelm and scarcity bullshit!”

🙌 embrace the mantra keep your eyes on your own paper while enjoying community over competition!

🎉 make your fledgling biz fit into your life and grow it on your terms rather than feeling stuck and at the mercy of what used to be your favourite hobby

“getting into designing my own patterns has made me enjoy and appreciate knitting in a whole new way. ash is an honest, supportive teacher who has valuable advice for every stage of the process, and genuinely wants to see their students succeed. my knitwear design business wouldn’t be where it is today without them.”

— alex, @octoberevening

with the creative coven's three pillars you'll learn:

1: CREATION

how to go from idea to stitches through the magic of shawls AND socks*
the basic math behind shaping and how to fit your stitches into it
what to do when your knitting plans go awry

*why shawls? because they are consistently the most popular product category on ravelry, they're a great option for yarn support collaborations thanks to their open visible shapes, and they teach you all the necessary math and shaping fundamentals without the added complexity of fitting across multiple sizes. plus, they're super fun! and why socks? because sock knitters are DEDICATED, they teach you even more shaping and math fundamentals (including how to chart in the round versus flat), and once you have your baseline sock pattern sorted, they will quickly become your easiest source for new patterns!

WALK AWAY WITH: how to create your own shawl or sock design from scratch

2: PUBLICATION

how to write a clear pattern that follows industry standards and what elements are must-haves for a high-quality design
how to publish on ravelry AND your own site (and why you want to diversify your pattern income streams)
how to take photos that help you stand out in the crowd (even if you've never used a fancy camera before)
how to create ebooks and physical books using indesign

WALK AWAY WITH: how to write & publish your pattern

3: ADMINISTRATION

how to evaluate collaboration opportunities to make sure they're a good fit for you and your biz
where to spend money and where to save money while still looking like a professional every step of the way
the basic finances you NEED to know to make sure your biz isn't just an expensive hobby
how to find your unique voice as a designer
how to build your brand on a shoestring budget
& how to build your biz AND an audience that support YOU (so that you can get back to supporting yourself and your community)

WALK AWAY WITH: how to run your small business with confidence from day one

you’ll also find:

IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO:

creative coven’s 3 pillar curriculum of pre-recorded FULLY-CAPTIONED video lessons so you can work at your own pace
the coven library including:
- a comprehensive workbook to help you refine your designs AND your brand
- templates for some of the best design software out there, including indesign
- reference patterns & zines to help guide your own writing
exclusive tarot spreads created specifically for your design and business journey

RESOURCE LIST INCLUDING:

the top-rated tools in the knitting industry, from free to you're-the-big-boss-now budgets, so you can take the guesswork out of what tools to invest in as you grow your business
links to reliable sizing and grading data so that you can be sure you're designing for the broader knitting community with math you can trust
access to the most well-loved stitch dictionaries in the industry so you can expand your knitting knowledge and pattern offerings

PLUS

monthly co-work sessions via zoom for extra support, accountability, and encouragement - bring whatever you’re currently working on and receive live support from ash. whether you’re starting your first lesson, working on your budget, or just want moral support while you binge knit the final rows on your latest pattern sample, we’re here for you (on the 4th thursday of every month)!
lifetime access to your course material and resources list - there's no monthly subscription fee or expiry date, so once you've paid in full you have full access to your material forever!
peace of mind that if life gets in the way, you'll be ok - this course is self-paced so you can go as quickly or as slowly through the material as you want, and revisit it any time you need

“joining the creative coven allowed me to finally put into motion all of my “what ifs” that had been floating around in my head about knitwear design and how to start. i can’t thank ash enough for the truly invaluable resource that is the creative coven.”

— cassidy seidler, @the_rampant_hag

the creative coven is right for you if…

**🧶 you're a fairly confident knitter and you dream of having a life where you get to knit all day while listening to your favourite podcast AND support your family financially** - the creative coven is definitely for you (as long as you're willing to do the work)!
**🧶 you've knit a few things and would love to learn how to make your own patterns** - the creative coven will teach you how to cover your yarn budget with profit from your very own designs!
**🧶 you've designed half a dozen patterns and feel confident in your designs BUT you're not seeing passive income yet** - the creative coven could help you fast track that process and start seeing profit sooner.
**🧶 you've released a bunch of patterns for free on ravelry and you think you give a shit about the knitting industry** - the creative coven will help you learn how to value yourself, your work, and the work of your colleagues.
**…but** **if you're just learning how to knit**, this probably isn't for you quite yet.

my pinky promise to you…

look, i’m definitely *not* going to promise that you’ll be the next knitting designer superstar. to be honest, i think that if you paused for a moment and really thought about what that entails, you’d agree that you don’t actually want that anyway. what you do want is **clarity, confidence, and to not lose your love of knitting** while turning it into an income source for yourself and your family.
that is something that i can promise you, as long as you’re willing to do the work. i’m not gonna pretend that this is easy - whether you want to replace your corporate income and retire your partner, or you just want some extra money to pay for birthday gifts and maybe a vacation once a year, **you have to be willing to show up.** to your needles, to your computer desk, to your ongoing mindset work. **when you do, your whole life will change.** you’ll not only gain confidence in your patterns, you’ll gain confidence *in yourself*. from clicking “publish” on that very first pattern to repeating it for the 100th one, you’ll feel growing pride in both yourself and your work.
and hey, the flexibility to take a vacation on a last-minute whim or take the dog for an extra-long hike because the sun is finally shining isn’t a bad perk either! and when you can write off yarn purchases and fibre festivals for your taxes, that’s pretty sweet too 😉
heads up, because you get access to all your main material as soon as you sign up, there’s no money-back guarantee or refunds available. i know that if you put in the time and work and go through all your assignments that you’ll be making shit happen, and if you get stuck or need any encouragement, we’ve got our monthly co-work sessions to hash that out together!

what's the investment?

if you want to skip (more) years of not getting started due to confusion and lack of good resources, i’ve pulled everything i wish i’d had access to together for you into one place! take advantage of my near-decade of experience and for a single payment of $1997 CAD OR a 4-month payment plan of $527 CAD/month, you'll receive lifetime access to your videos and support materials!

if you have any questions before making your investment, feel free to get in touch with us at hello.sunflowerknit@gmail.com!

“as someone who loves the idea of designing, but doesn’t have a ton of time to regularly play with it, i love that i can come and go and the material will be there where i left off.”

— tala, @addpunctuationworkshop

meet your teacher

hi, i’m ash alberg!

i’m the creator and designer behind sunflower knit. you may have seen me teaching with the likes of vogue knitting live and knit city, and in the pages of publications like laine, making stories, and amirisu. my mum taught me how to knit when i was a kid (left-handed, because i was and still am such a leftie), my nan knit every grandkid the same blanket (which i will someday replicate because the pattern was lost years ago and it feels like an important tradition to carry on), and my gramma was the kind of polish knitter who had no idea what “K2” meant but could take one look at you and make you the perfect-fitting vest. i’m obsessed with all-natural yarns, have fallen prey to the sweater curse on multiple occasions (but i still knit those suckers anyway!), and i’m a non-monogamous knitter unless i have a hard deadline (then you’ll see me be so devoted you’d think i never glance twice at another skein of yarn 😉).

i’m convinced that you can never have too many handknit socks, which therefore makes them the best thing to knit. except when i’m knitting myself a new sweater, or hat, or shawl, or… i’m equally in love with lace and cables. oh, and fingerless mitts are actually handshoes. autocorrect be damned! i also swear a lot unless there are kids around, my dog is the one who really calls the shots, and i run a 6-figure business built around my passion for all things knitting and yarn 🧶

faq’s

i want to become an overnight knitting sensation. can the creative coven help me?
no, you need to be willing to do the work to build a long-term sustainable career, which takes time and dedication. also, going viral doesn't guarantee you a long career or an audience who cares about you and wants to support you in your success. our goal is to play the long game, not the 15-minutes-of-fame game.

can i get the same results for less money?
maybe, but if you want to go the figure-shit-out-as-you-go route, i can tell you from experience that it will take you 3+ years before you start seeing regular passive income and probably wasted money along the way.

what if i hate learning online?
cool beans, this is not the right class for you. all the material is hosted via fully-captioned pre-recorded video classes and the homework assignments and resources are also all hosted online. plus, this course is about building an online biz. if you're uncomfortable online, this is probably the wrong fit across the board for you.

what if facebook groups make me really anxious?
they make me anxious too! that's why there is no facebook group - or any "forum" - built into this course. with the rise of unsafe spaces and the increasing loss of our rights to control and moderate content on different online platforms, i've removed the worry about interacting with thumbnail images and weirdly passive-aggressive (or are they just being sarcastic?) comment threads. we’ve got monthly co-work sessions via zoom that you’re welcome to join whenever you need some extra guidance or support, and you can always book more 1:1 time with me if you need help with something a little bigger (like maybe your first book??).

what's the knitting portion of this course all about?
you'll be working through the actual design exercises and math lessons with shawl and sock designs so that you can learn all about the tricks of shaping without the added complexity of grading across different sizes. when you're ready, there are resources provided for you to take the skills you've honed through the design process and apply them to other knitted items. (you're probably going to want to branch out at least a bit if you're going to make enough money to pay all your bills and feed your fur babies/not-so-furry babies.)

i know i'm not ready to quit my day job. is this still the right fit for me?
100%. in fact, i would highly recommend you not quit your day job until you've looked at your finances, determined how much risk you're willing to take (without putting yourself/your family in financial danger), and ideally started to see at least some consistency in your pattern income. we'll go over how to figure those things out in the money stuff lesson.

what if i can’t afford it right now?

we have a 4-month payment plan available that can help take some of the pressure off! if that still doesn’t work for your budget, no worries. the course is open for enrolment 24/7, and while we might do live “open door” events that come with extra bonuses every once in a while, you’ll never get the false scarcity bullshit from this course. join when you’re able to - while i know you’ll get incredible momentum once you’re actively doing the work inside the course, if your biggest barrier to signing up is that you don’t have the money, that’s totally legit and it’s ok for you to wait until you can afford to sign up without worrying about groceries or paying your house bills.

what if i sign up on the payment plan and something happens to me financially that affects my ability to pay the rest?

failure to complete all four payments will result in access to your class material being revoked. that being said, life happens, so if something major comes up for you, please reach out and we’ll discuss alternative payment schedules.

i'm uncomfortable with swearing. is this the right course for me?
probably not. there are scattered swear words throughout your video classes and if you truly care more about that than the transformation you'll see if you do the work, this isn't the right fit for you.

remind me what i get again?

🧶 **3 pillars of creation | publication | administration** that take you step-by-step through building your biz and take the overwhelm out of the equation
**🧶 the coven library** including workbook, templates, and reference patterns & zines to help you refine your designs AND your brand
**🧶 exclusive tarot spreads** created specifically for your design and business journey
**🧶 monthly co-work sessions** via zoom for extra support, accountability, and encouragement
**🧶 lifetime access** to your course material and resources list - there's no monthly subscription fee or expiry date, so once you've paid you have full access to your material forever!
**🧶 peace of mind** that if life gets in the way, you'll be ok - this course is self-paced so you can go as quickly or as slowly through the material as you want, and revisit it any time you need

still not sure if the creative coven is right for you?

life right now

😓 you don't feel confident that you're creative enough to come up with your own designs (even though you've had that one idea simmering in your head for the past three years...)

😓 you made that one pattern once but you're not super happy with it and you don't think anyone would pay for it

😓 you are sick of answering to other people who don't value your work and worth

😓 you're afraid to start your own biz because a stable paycheck from a shitty job feels safer than venturing out on your own

😓 running your own biz seems nearly impossible with your already-busy life

life after the creative coven

🥳 know exactly where you'll get your next creative idea because you have a whole collection of inspiration to draw on any time you feel stuck

🥳 feel confident about the patterns you write and you've got a clear and easy process that speeds through your paperwork every time

🥳 you get to call the shots because you're your own damn boss! you decide when you start and end work every day, when you take vacations, and who you work with each and every day

🥳 invest in yourself AND your community because you make enough money to live from a space of abundance rather than scarcity

🥳 feel in control and relaxed about money because you've grown your business methodically and logically, always staying on top of the numbers you need to know and ignoring the noise

🥳 prioritize what really matters in your life because you have a clear vision of what you're working on and towards

let’s get real here…

we only have one life to live (at least in this iteration of ourselves - i see you, reincarnation!), and if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that wasting time is bullshit. relying on others to determine our worth, our joy, how we spend our time…frankly, it fucking sucks. and it doesn’t have to be like that. when you’re your own boss, you get to call that shots. if something isn’t working, you get to change it. if you need a break because life has come crashing down, you get to take it, no questions asked.

if you close your eyes and picture your perfect life, what does it look like? how do you spend your days, from waking up in the morning to when you put your head back down at night? are you leisurely drinking coffee after your morning workout and checking emails before reaching for your needles, then settling back into sleep on silk pillowcases and linen sheets after a day spent doing work you love and enjoying quality time with your family? maybe you’re traveling all around the world, giving lectures on knitting cruises and retreats in between visiting beautiful yarn shops and the biggest yarn festivals? or are you frantically running between work and home, stressed every time your kid has a concert or game at the same time you have a big deadline that you know your boss won’t budge on? can you even remember the last time you and your partner had a date night that wasn’t interrupted?

it takes time to build a creative business from the ground up, but it doesn’t need to take you forever. every day you wait to get started is another day lost from your dream life. let’s get you started now.