How we decide what's true.

1. What we publish

Crochet Calc publishes two kinds of work: calculators (interactive client-side tools that apply a documented formula to user-entered measurements) and articles (long-form reference content covering technique, formulas, terminology, and history). We do not publish patterns, opinion pieces, product reviews disguised as editorial, or sponsored content.

2. Sourcing standards

Every factual claim that could be disputed must trace back to one of the following source types, in order of preference:

1. Industry standards bodies — the Craft Yarn Council Standard Yarn Weight System, the Crochet Guild of America, ISO and ASTM publications where relevant.
2. Textbooks and reference works by named, credentialed authors — Clara Parkes (The Knitter's Book of Yarn), Edie Eckman, June Hemmons Hiatt (The Principles of Knitting), Dora Ohrenstein.
3. Peer-reviewed academic sources for fibre-science claims (tensile strength, hand-feel, twist angle).
4. Manufacturer technical specifications for product-specific facts (a yarn's stated yards-per-100 g, a hook's stated material).
5. Primary commercial sources for marketplace facts (Etsy's published fee schedule, Ravelry's pattern database).
6. Practitioner experience for tacit-knowledge claims (which fibres pill, how blocking changes drape) — clearly labelled as practitioner observation, not laboratory result.

Forum posts, social media, and unattributed blog content are not used as primary sources.

3. Calculator development

Each calculator passes through five gates before publication:

1. Formula derivation from a documented source (see section 2). The source is named in the calculator's matching article.
2. Plain-language documentation of the equation in the article body. If the equation can't be written out clearly, the calculator is not ready.
3. Real-world testing against three independent projects with known yardage / dimensions. Calculator output must be within ±5 % of actual measurement.
4. Edge-case review — what happens at zero, at extreme values, at unusual input combinations? The UI should refuse or clearly warn on nonsensical input.
5. Independent review by a second crocheter, who works the calculator with their own data and checks the output for plausibility.

Calculators are re-tested annually and whenever a referenced standard changes (for example, when the CYC publishes a revision to its Standard Yarn Weight chart).

4. Article development

Articles follow the same sourcing rules and undergo the same review process:

1. Outline covering the user question, the relevant entities (techniques, tools, standards), and the planned source list.
2. Draft written from the outline, with every numeric or specific claim accompanied by its source.
3. Fact-check pass — each cited source is opened and the cited claim verified against it.
4. Voice and clarity edit — pass for tone, accessibility of language, and consistency with house style.
5. Second-reader review by a working crocheter, particularly for technique articles.
6. Publication with the author byline, last-reviewed date, and source list visible at the bottom.

5. Use of AI tools

We use large-language-model tools as drafting and editing aids — for outline generation, sentence-level revision, and consistency checks across articles. We do not publish LLM-generated content as-is.

Every article is read end-to-end by a human editor before publication, every factual claim is independently verified against its source, and the final voice is human. LLM-suggested content that cannot be independently verified is removed, not published with a hedge.

We do not generate fictitious experts, fabricated quotes, or invented case studies. Where we say "we tested this," we mean we, a human, actually tested it.

6. Author attribution

Articles carry a byline showing the author's name, role, and date of last review. Author names link to their bio page. Anonymous publication is reserved for sensitive subjects (none on a crochet site, in practice).

7. Corrections policy

We correct errors promptly and visibly. When we change a published article:

• Typos or formatting fixes — silent correction.
• Factual corrections — the original wording is struck through where practical, the correction shown, and a dated note added at the bottom of the article: "Edit, [date]: [what was wrong, what we changed it to, and why]."
• Significant rewrites — flagged at the top of the article and noted in the changelog at the bottom.
• Calculator corrections — the formula history is shown in the matching article's source notes.

To report an error, write to [email protected]. Include the URL, the current wording, and your correction with a source.

8. Affiliate and advertising disclosure

Some product links on the site — particularly to yarn, hooks, and reference books — are affiliated. When you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships are disclosed at the top of any article containing such links.

We only link to products we use, have tested, or have strong reason to recommend. We do not accept payment to include products. We do not change editorial coverage in response to affiliate-programme incentives. If a competing non-affiliated product is genuinely better, we say so.

Some pages display advertising via Google AdSense. Ads are clearly labelled, separated from editorial content, and do not influence what we cover or how. Calculator pages are kept ad-free.

9. Sponsorship and partnership policy

We do not publish sponsored articles. If a yarn brand offers payment for editorial coverage, we decline. We may accept product samples for review, in which case the sample is disclosed in the article and our coverage remains independent — including the right to publish a negative review.

10. Conflict of interest

Where the editor or a contributor has a financial or personal connection to a product being discussed, the connection is disclosed at the top of the article. Examples: a hook brand the editor has designed for, a yarn shop owned by a family member.

11. Reader feedback and community

Reader feedback shapes our coverage. Calculator requests with multiple independent requests move up the queue. Common confusions raised in reader email become FAQ updates. We name no readers publicly without explicit permission.

12. Independence statement

Crochet Calc is independently owned and operated. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Craft Yarn Council, the Crochet Guild of America, Ravelry, Etsy, or any yarn brand. We cite them; they do not cite us. Any future affiliation will be disclosed here and noted on affected pages.

13. Updating this policy

This policy is reviewed annually and revised when our practices change. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes are announced on the homepage for at least 14 days.

Questions about how we work? Get in touch.