Editorial Policy

I'm Dana Whitlock, and everything published on Yarn Wren passes through my hands, my hook, and usually a few rounds of frogging before it goes live. This page explains how that actually works — how I choose topics, check my math, decide what to recommend, and handle the inevitable mistake. If you want the fuller story of who I am, that lives on About Us; this page is about how I work.

Our Mission

Yarn Wren exists because too many crochet patterns are written for one imaginary body and one imaginary gauge, and everyone else is left guessing. My job is to take the guessing out — through patterns genuinely graded across sizes, honest amigurumi geometry, and stitch and technique guides that explain the why, not just the how. I'd rather publish twenty solid, tested pieces a year than a hundred rushed ones.

How Content Is Created and Reviewed

Every pattern that appears on the site is designed by me, worked up in at least two sizes before publishing (often more, with help from test crocheters and my wife Joanne, who fit-tests nearly everything in a 2X), and checked stitch-by-stitch against the written instructions — not just crocheted from memory and typed up after the fact. Tutorials and technique posts go through the same process: I make the stitch or method myself, photograph the steps as I go, and re-read the draft against the actual swatch before it's scheduled.

Math-heavy content — gauge conversions, resizing formulas, increase schedules for amigurumi shaping — gets an extra pass. Eleven years of teaching high school algebra made me allergic to unchecked arithmetic, so any formula on this site has been run through more than once, usually on actual graph paper, before I trust it in public.

How We Choose Topics

Topic selection follows the categories that make up the site: Crochet, Amigurumi, Patterns, Stitches, DIY, Home, Wearables, and Seasonal. Inside those, I prioritize:

• Gaps I keep seeing in the wider crochet world — especially fit, grading, and sizing questions that go unanswered elsewhere
• Reader questions, sent in through Contact or asked directly in comments
• Seasonal and gift-making needs, timed early enough that you're not crocheting a Christmas stocking on December 23rd
• Techniques and trends I've actually tested in my own studio, not just seen scroll past on Pinterest

I do follow trends — new stitch patterns, popular amigurumi styles, wearable shapes that are having a moment — but I only write about them once I've made the thing myself and have something honest to say about how it behaves in yarn and in real sizes.

Sourcing and Accuracy

Stitch names, terminology, and techniques are checked against standard crochet references and my own three decades of hands-on experience, and I note clearly when something is a regional variation (US vs. UK terms trip up even experienced crocheters). Historical or general craft claims are sourced honestly, and I'd rather say "I'm not certain" than state something as fact that I haven't verified. If a pattern or technique comes from a guest contributor or another designer, that's disclosed in the post itself, alongside our general Collaboration practices.

Product Recommendations

When I recommend a specific hook, yarn brand, stuffing, or notion, it's because I've used it enough to have an opinion worth sharing — not because it showed up in an inbox. I care about drape, yardage, splittiness, washability, and whether a yarn actually behaves the way the label claims at the gauge I'm using. Some of those recommendation links are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you; full details live in our Affiliate Disclaimer.

Advertising and Partnerships

Yarn Wren runs ads and occasionally partners with yarn or craft brands to keep the lights on in the studio — that's how a one-person pattern-testing operation stays sustainable. Any sponsored content, paid partnership, or affiliate relationship is disclosed clearly, both in the relevant posts and in our site-wide Disclosure page. I turn down partnerships that would ask me to recommend something I haven't tested or don't actually believe in, full stop. For how data, cookies, and third-party ad networks factor into all this, see our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Corrections Process

Pattern errors happen — I've frogged enough of my own work to know that firsthand. When a reader flags an error (a miscount, a typo in a repeat, a schematic mismatch), I verify it against my original notes and swatch, then correct the published post as soon as possible, with a visible note on what changed and when. Errors reported by email to [email protected] or in the comments get a personal reply from me — not a form response. General terms around site use and liability are covered in our Terms of Use and Disclaimer.

Community and Comments

The comment sections here are genuinely useful because crocheters are generous about sharing their modifications, their yarn substitutions, and their honest results. I moderate comments to keep that space kind and on-topic, following the standards laid out in our Community Guidelines. Spam, rudeness toward other crocheters, and unrelated self-promotion get removed; disagreement, questions, and "I tried this in a different weight and here's what happened" are always welcome.

Images and Sharing

All photography on the site is either my own or properly licensed and credited, detailed further on our Image Credits page. If you'd like to pin or share a pattern, our Pinterest Disclaimer covers how that works, and you can also find the site's boards on Pinterest.

If anything on this site ever seems inaccurate, unclear, or just doesn't add up, please tell me. That's not a courtesy — it's the whole point of doing the math in the first place.