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Calling all Tennessee Designers!

We are looking for submissions for our 2025 Pattern Book! This Pattern Book will be provided to every Tourist who goes on the 2025 Great Tennessee Yarn Tour, as part of their Travel Pack. Whether you are new to pattern design or are looking for a new audience with whom to share your designs, we encourage you to apply! Keep reading to learn more about the Great Tennessee Yarn Tour and this unique opportunity! 

About the Great Tennessee Yarn Tour

The Great Tennessee Yarn Tour started in 2023 as an event to encourage fiber enthusiasts to explore the rich variety of local yarn shops based in Tennessee. Over the course of the Tour, Yarn Tourists visit local yarn and fiber shops, discover gorgeous new yarns and supplies, and make new fiber friends - all the while enjoying the highways, byways, main streets, and backroads of the great state of Tennessee.

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Our 2025 Theme is 'Paca Your Bags for a Great Adventure. This reflects the adventurous spirit of our Tourists and the joy of hitting the open road. â€‹

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Every Tourist who buys a ticket for the 2025 Great Tennessee Yarn Tour will receive a Travel Pack that includes a commemorative Tote Bag, Guide Book, Souvenirs, and Pattern Book. Instead of providing Tourists individual patterns that could easily get lost or damaged, Tourist will receive a keepsake Pattern Book that they can use, along with yarn purchased during the Tour, to create one-of-a-kind Tour Souvenirs to remind them of their incredible journey for years to come.

The 2025 GTYT Pattern Book

The road to the Pattern Book starts with a Pattern Contest! This is a great opportunity for both novice and established designers to share their creativity with a whole new facet of the fiber arts community. The winners will be featured on the GTYT website, newsletter, blog, and across social media platforms. Participating shops will be making samples from the Pattern Book to display during the 2025 GTYT Tour, so Tourists and regular customers will be able to see patterns first-hand.

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We are approaching the Tour Patterns an exciting adventure within  itself - a creative journey to build your design skills and gain invaluable experience and exposure. We have a dedicated Pattern Team that will work with designers to grow their pattern-designing skills and offer guidance. We will provide avenues so that designers and the Pattern Team can get to know each other and foster community and collaboration!​

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If you knit, crochet, or weave and currently reside in the state of Tennessee, you are encouraged to apply!

Design Requirements

  • Pattern contest submissions should be an original design that have not heretofore been published or shared publicly (this includes blogs, newsletters, online pattern sites, online forums, social networks, etc.).

  • The design should reflect this year's theme of adventure and create an item that will act as a memento or souvenir for Tourists, reminding them of the their GTYT journey.

  • Designs should showcase how to combine and creatively arrange mini-skeins of different colorways and palettes.

  • Designs can be for crochet, knit, or weaving. 

  • Designs can be for any skill level, from beginner to advanced.

    • Patterns that can be adapted to multiple skill levels will stand out, as this provides more versatility to Tourists​

  • Designs can be for any category (shawls, socks, accessories, amigurumi, home decor, etc.)

    • When selecting the final designs, our Team considers not only variety of skill levels, but also variety of categories.

    • There will be more competition for common categories, such as socks or shawls.​

  • Designs must meet Yarn Requirements (see below)​

  • Designs should use a minimum of 5 mini-skeins of yarn and a maximum of 20.​

Yarn Requirements

For the GTYT, participating shops are procuring mini-skeins of sock weight yarn in an exclusive colorway. These mini-skeins will be made of natural animal fibers, such as wool, alpaca, or a blend and will be suitable for a variety of projects from socks to shawls to hats and more! Mini-skeins will be 20 -25g each (est. 80 - 100 yds per mini-skein). Colors are not coordinated among shops. 

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Tourists may purchase a mini-skein from each shop they visit, but are not required to. Some Tourists like to find ways to combine all of their mini-skeins into a single project, while others like to spread their mini-skeins over multiple projects. Therefore, flexibility and versatility are key!

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To best replicate the Tourist experience, pattern designs should utilize Sock Yarn that is a wool/wool-blend or alpaca/alpaca-blend. Sock Yarn is #1 "Super Fine" or Fingering Weight.

Designs may use a "neutral" or "main" color in addition to mini-skeins.

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The GTYT will not provide yarn for pattern contestants to use during the design process. Contestants are encouraged to use yarn from their own stash that most closely meets these requirements!

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Contest Participant Requirements

  • Pattern Contestants must be current residents of the state of Tennessee and plan to also still be residing in Tennessee during the time of the 2025 Great Tennessee Yarn Tour (August 2025).

  • We want to make sure these patterns are a surprise! By submitting a pattern design, you agree to not reveal your design, sketches or photos, written pattern, etc. to the public until given permission to do so by the GTYT.

    • In other words - you agree to keep it a secret!

Submission Process

  • Take time to brainstorm, sketch, and plan. Make sure that your idea is achievable and realistic. 

  • Create a mock-up of your design that includes drawings, sketches, and yarns used. Be sure to take notes about any special stitch or techniques used.​

  • Write a detailed description of your design and pattern!

    • This description is where you "sell" your idea to the GTYT team! This is your chance to shine and share your heart and creativity behind your design!​

  • Tell us about the inspiration behind the design, construction and techniques. What makes it a great fit for the 2025 Great Tennessee Yarn Tour?

  • Scan drawings and sketches.

    • These do not have to be to scale, but they do need to be clear. ​

  • Make a swatch that acts as a sample of the finished project. It should include any stitch patterns that will be a part of the finished product and show off your technical abilities.

  • Take clear, high-resolution pictures of this swatch.

    • If you have already started on the project, include some "in progress" photos.

  • These photos, sketches, and descriptions are what our team till use to decide which patterns are the best fit for the 2025 Pattern Book.

  • To show that you will be able to use standardized pattern instructions and abbreviations for your craft, include a "snippet" of the pattern.​

  • Complete the 2025 Pattern Contest Submission Form by February 23, 2025.

  • Email 3-5 drawings, sketches, and photos of your swatch to Info@GreatTennesseeYarnTour.com by February 23, 2025.

    • Include "in progress" photos of your project and a written sample of the instructions if available. Be sure to include your name and pattern title in your email. 

  • We are looking to select at least one pattern proposal from each craft category (crochet, knit, and weaving); however, we may select multiple designs from each craft, depending on the strength of submissions.

Selection Process

  • All contest submissions will be reviewed by our Pattern Team.

  • The Pattern Team will look for:

    • Adherence to Contest Guidelines​

    • Originality and adaptability

    • Patterns that reflect the theme and spirit of the 2025 Great Tennessee Yarn Tour

    • Patterns that are realistic and viable for our Tourists

  • Contest Submissions may also be presented internally to other GTYT members for additional feedback. In this case, GTYT members would be requested to provide "blind" feedback based only on photos, sketches, and potentially pattern descriptions. These viewers would not have access to contestants' names or other identifying information.​

  • The Pattern Team will notify Pattern Contestants either way by March 16.

  • If your design is not selected for the Pattern Book, it may still be a good fit for the Bonus Pattern list. In this case, we will reach out to you with more information about this opportunity.

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If Your Pattern is Selected...

If your pattern is chosen for the 2025 Pattern Book:

  • You will receive a complimentary ticket to the 2025 Great Tennessee Yarn Tour*

    • This includes a 2025 Travel Pack, access to "Tourist Only" sales and promotions at participating shops, and automatic entry into the Triple Grand Prize Giveaway​

  • You will receive a $75 Visa Gift Card*​

  • You will receive assistance editing your pattern for final publication

  • You will be featured on the Great Tennessee Yarn Tour website, 2025 Pattern Book, and social media

  • Your patterns may be on display at participating 2025 GTYT shops.

    • While we cannot guarantee how many shops would make a sample of each pattern, shops are required to make some samples of this year's patterns, so this means your pattern may be on display at multiple yarn shops during the GTYT.​

  • You will receive a non-branded PDF of your pattern after the Tour​

  • *These items will be provided once the final version of the pattern has been submitted to the Pattern Team.

Winning Designer Expectations

If your pattern is selected for the 2025 Pattern Book, then you will have become a 2025 GTYT Designer! To ensure a smooth process, Designers are expected to:

  • Interact with the GTYT and all representatives in a kind, respectful, and professional manner.

  •  Submit a high resolution photo of yourself and information about yourself as requested by the GTYT and its Pattern Team.

  • Creating the final Pattern Book is a collaborative effort; therefore, pattern designers must agree to maintain communication with the GTYT and its Pattern Team.

    • This may include emails, phone calls, online meetings, and potentially online discussion groups​

  • Designers are responsible for testing and writing out complete pattern instructions, adhering to standardized terminology and abbreviations for your craft category​

    • While your pattern may include instructions for a specific stitch or technique, please keep in mind that these patterns are not full tutorials.​

    • Instructions should be all-inclusive. Tourists should be able to start working on these patterns straight from the Pattern Book, without the need to consult a video or other website. 

  • All pattern drafts should be submitted in a .doc format, that can be opened on either a PC or Mac

  • Designers must complete projects using yarn that meets the 2025 Yarn Requirements.

    • The GTYT does not provide yarn support. You may use whatever yarn is in your stash, that follows the Yarn Requirements.​

  • Collaborate with the Pattern Team to revise patterns and directions as needed. Our team may provide feedback to help you create a high-quality final version of your pattern that will be suitable for publication. Designers should be receptive to this feedback and ready to work together with the GTYT Team to create the best version of your pattern.

  • Provide clear, high-resolution photos of your finished project for use in the Pattern Book and digital promotions.

  • Submit pattern drafts by given deadlines:

    • First Draft due by:​ April 15, 2025

    • Second Draft (Shop Version) due by: May 15, 2025

    • Final Draft due by: June 15, 2025

  • Provide an email address that Yarn Tourists can use to reach you if they have questions about the pattern.

  • The Great Tennessee Yarn Tour retains exclusive rights to your pattern until the end of the 2025 Yarn Tour (August 31, 2025)

    • This means you cannot publish or share your pattern until the end of the 2025 Yarn Tour.​

  • After the 2025 Yarn Tour has concluded, designers are encourage to make their pattern available to the public, via channel(s) of your choice.

    • Starting September 1, 2025, you may share, post, or sell your pattern as your see fit.​

  • We want to help customers find you after the Tour! Provide the GTYT with details on how customers can purchase and/or find your pattern after the 2025 Yarn Tour. We will share with our participating shops and via our platforms, so that customers who did not participate in the 2025 Tour can purchase your pattern after the Tour.​​

Ready for Adventure?

The Great Tennessee Yarn Tour is dedicated to building positive relationships in the fiber arts community. This Pattern Contest is one way we can do that - by giving designers an opportunity to share their talents and creativity with crafters from all over the state. We know that pattern design is not easy work, but we guarantee that it will not be in vain. If you take a chance and trust us with your designs and projects, we will use our time, our creativity, and efforts to make sure that you shine!

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If you are ready to embark on this Pattern Adventure, please submit your Project Designs by 11:59 PM, February 23, 2025. 

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If you have questions, please reach out to use at Info@GreatTennesseeYarnTour.com.

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Thank you for your time, creativity, and consideration. We are excited to start a new Pattern Adventure with you! Good luck with your submission!

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