A Pattern Rant… Again!

I got my first order for a couple of very popular character hats. My customer had sent me a picture of the ones that she wanted and I was able to find the exact pattern. So rather than try to figure it out on my own by looking at the picture (which I could have easily done), I figured I would support yet another independent designer and purchase the pattern.

I am so sorry I did at this point. I say “at this point” because I do have a message in to the designer asking for the missing information.

This pattern had no gauge. It had no measurements, finished or working. So even if I followed it to a “t”, I wouldn’t know if it fit until I finished it and checked it with the measurements my customer sent me. Thank goodness I’m not a crochet newbie! Could you imagine if this was one of your first “big” projects and it didn’t fit? Things like that are enough to make some inexperienced stitchers throw down their hooks in frustration and blame themselves. That makes me sad.

I buy patterns a)to support designers and b)to save myself time. I know there are a lot of wonderful free patterns out there. When I run across one, you bet I sing the praises of the pattern and its designer. I also know there are a lot of designers cranking free patterns out and not having them tested because of time constraints. I’ve ran across my fair share there as well and some of them were atrocious. When it comes to a choice of a free pattern versus a paid pattern of a similar item, I will purchase the paid pattern. Reason being is if there are any issues, I feel the designer is responsible to address them because they have been given money out of my pocket. I’m not saying I wouldn’t send a message to a designer of a free pattern, but I don’t feel they should be held as accountable because what it comes down to is: you get what you pay for.

When I pay for a pattern, I expect that this pattern will save me time and I will get the required size IF I MATCH THE GAUGE. If there is a gauge and my item doesn’t turn out, the onus is on me. When I see that there is no gauge, I’ve already made up my mind that I won’t be purchasing any patterns from this designer in the future, no matter how well-written and illustrated it is. Sadly, that’s the case with this one. It looks like an excellent pattern.

I have messaged the designer and I politely asked for this information. I also suggested that they may want to include it in the pattern for others because I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world that may or may not match their gauge. We’ll see how it goes… Sometimes designers take offence, even when you tactfully point out that they’re missing important information. My intention is to help. I don’t want to nitpick or degrade them. BUT we’ll see what their reaction is. My attitude will depend on that.

UPDATE: I did get a message back and she said that I wasn’t the only person asking for a gauge. She sent me one and said she’s working on the others. Yay! So… I won’t be naming names (and I wouldn’t have anyway), but I will be posting finished results when I get them done and linking to where you can purchase the pattern as I do with all my finished items. It may not necessarily be the next finished item I post, so please don’t jump to conclusions as to who it may be. And even if you do, this gal has a ton of good stuff to say about this person’s work because the pattern itself is great! I won’t post a finished item or a link to a pattern if I wouldn’t recommend it to my friends.

Spike Stitch Baby Bonnet by Crochet by Jennifer

It was pattern testing time again earlier this week. I decided to use my “happy accident” yarn.

This is the Diagonal Spike Stitch Pixie Bonnet by Crochet by Jennifer.

The photo doesn’t do much justice for the texture of this stitch. It’s gorgeous! As with all her patterns, this one was also well-written, with detailed instructions. I would say that it’s for somebody a little more experienced than an absolute beginner, but don’t let that stop you! I was certainly pleased with the results.

Click here to purchase your copy of the Diagonal Spike Stitch Bonnet pattern.

Angelina Pixie Bonnet (made with my handspun!)

I’ve been running around like a headless chicken lately, but I’ve been able to sneak in a few pattern tests. The test for Crochet by Jennifer’s Angelina Pixie Bonnet came up while I was pet sitting. Of course I didn’t have my yarn stash with me and I was in another town where I was unsure of where to find the yarn store(s) (I didn’t look because let’s face it… I have more than enough yarn to last three lifetimes!) So woe is me… I had to bust into my handspun. Don’t worry. I survived.

So here is the hat that I made. As with all of Crochet by Jennifer’s patterns, this one was easy to follow and well-written. It may be a bit of a challenge for the absolute beginner, but a challenge is always good.

I wanted to include a photo of the yarn I used. This one is one of my favourites to work with. I think it’s just so amazing to see the transformation from fluff to finished item!

I’ve been doing my best to use up the yarn in my stash before I dive into my handspun. It’s getting harder and harder though. I think it’s mostly the colours that’s making it difficult. I’m seriously considering having a yarn de-stash…

Diagonal Weave Baby Bonnet

I just finished up a pattern test today. I LOVE the texture of this little hat! Jen’s on a roll with this stitch. As always, her patterns are clear and concise with photo illustrations as needed.

This pattern is available from Crochet by Jennifer at this link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/diagonal-weave-baby-bonnet

I’m testing another hat with with this texture as well. I’m planning on having it done sometime tomorrow. Tonight is Minion time… I have a little guy going out on Tuesday. I also have a pattern test that I’m finishing up for a gorgeous wrap. I’ll post photos of it when I’m done too.

Tighty Whities

UPDATE: The pattern is now available for free at Simply Collectible Crochet. Click here for the pattern.

My little guy is obsessed with Despicable Me 2.If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand the connection with underwear LOL After the year we had, we needed all the smiles we could get on our Christmas Day. What better way than to add a pair of mini underwear to the Christmas tree?

His silliness inspired me to write the pattern up for it. It’s being tested right now. And with this pattern, a series of ideas came to me. So this one won’t be the last… hehehehe

Headbands Abound

My niece asked me for some headbands for her birthday. Done! Not only that, but my cousin had requested some blingy ones for her daughter. So it was headbands all around at the family gathering today!

Of course Charchar has to get his mug in there LOL These three headbands I made without a pattern. I’m considering publishing them. Many of the patterns I looked at had buttons or they were made to fit. These ones are made out of cotton for the summer and I find that cotton tends to stretch after time. Oh, and then there’s the part where I just didn’t want to sew a button on them 😉

I have a busy few weeks ahead. I’m working on some crocodile stitch slippers tomorrow (possibly tonight). I have to make another Droid hat too. I love being busy doing the things I love!

Baby Shoe Fever

Okay, I’m on a roll here:

Pattern by PatternMa

When my little guy was actually little, I had a heck of a time finding cute stuff to buy him. To me, there’s a difference between cute and cutesy. I liked to dress him like a little man. So when I saw these little shoes, I decided to get the pattern. While they will work for a boy or a girl, I’m going to focus on “boy colours” at the moment because I want to balance these with the little Mary Jane shoes I posted earlier.

Copyright… From the Horse’s Mouth

It seems there are some out there that didn’t like my post regarding designers thinking they can dictate what you can and can’t do with an item you completed from their pattern. You’ve bought the pattern, you paid for the materials, invested your time. Yet they think they can tell you that you’re not allowed to sell YOUR work or can dictate where you sell it? That’s like my LYS saying you can use the fleece you purchased here to make your own yarn, but you can’t sell that yarn locally or online because we want to reserve the right to sell ours there.

So I decided to send an inquiry to the U.S. Copyright Office to get the answer straight from the horse’s mouth. Sure, I did my homework and researched the subject thoroughly online. I just wanted to make sure all my “t”‘s were crossed and my “i”‘s were dotted.

This is the message that I sent to the U.S. Copyright Office:

Can you sell an item you have made from a pattern? Can pattern designers dictate what you can do with an item you have made from a pattern they have written? I purchased a crochet pattern and nowhere in the listing did it say that it was for personal use only. It was only after I was 3 rows from being finished that I discovered this. Am I legally allowed to sell this item?

This is the response I received:

Generally, you may do what you wish with your own personal copy.

The first-sale doctrine is a limitation on copyright that was recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1908 and subsequently codified in the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 109. The doctrine allows the purchaser to transfer (i.e., sell or give away) a particular lawfully made copy of the copyrighted work without permission once it has been obtained. This means that the copyright holder’s rights to control the change of ownership of a particular copy end once that copy is sold, as long as no additional copies are made. This doctrine is also referred to as the “first sale rule” or “exhaustion rule.”

If you have additional questions or need further assistance, our contact information is listed below.

Sincerely,

cfk
U.S. Copyright Office
Attn: Public Information Office-LM401
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20559-6000
Email: copyinfo@loc.gov
Phone: 877-476-0778 (toll free) or 202-707-5959
Fax: 202-252-2041
Website: http://www.copyright.gov

There it is. Don’t believe me or don’t agree? The information is right there to contact them yourself. Nowhere did they say that I’m not allowed to sell the finished item regardless of what the designer says in the listing or on the pattern.

As I had mentioned before, I won’t purchase a pattern from somebody who states their wishes in the listing that they don’t “allow” items made from that pattern to be sold. Even though I don’t always buy a pattern with the intention of making the item to sell, I do need to have that option in case things don’t work out the way I had planned. I want to respect peoples’ wishes. I would also much rather support a designer that supports their customers. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. If a friend sees an item I made and asked where I got the design, you bet I’ll send them to the designer. BOOM! Another sale for the designer. I also believe in giving credit where credit is due. I’m sure there have been a few sales generated from my finished pieces for those designers who encourage sales of finished items. That fuels their business and allows them to keep writing patterns. They help us help them help us help them…

Happy stitching.

Misguided Designers and the Gifts they Give

After buying a pattern last week where the designer had stated that “you cannot sell the items made from this pattern”, I have decided to create my own shrug. I’m actually going to send “thank you” vibes to this designer because if they had have stated their wishes in the pattern listing, I wouldn’t have bought it. And I wouldn’t have got angry when I saw the fine print at the bottom of the pattern, trying to dictate what I can do with MY work. I’ll respect your wishes and not sell MY work made from your pattern (with the one exception I made before seeing this statement). I’m coming up with a prettier, better-fitting item that I can call my own. Thank you for your narrow-minded thinking and misguided perception of power. You’ve forced me to reach into my creative toolbox and come up with my own thing. That alone makes the money I thought I had wasted worth while! And if I end up writing the pattern out and selling it, well, I’ll be sending you even bigger “thank you” vibes.

Yes, I was very angry and frustrated at the time. But I ended up getting an even greater gift. I took my anger and turned it into creativity. This is the biggest project I’ve ever worked on without a pattern. And by golly, I’m going to make it pretty!

From the pattern

My OWN design

For those who are unfamiliar with the in’s and out’s of patterns and your rights v.s. the designer’s rights…
When you purchase a pattern, you are purchasing directions to make an item. You cannot legally claim it as your own, copy, sell or share the pattern with anyone else in any form (unless you have some sort of agreement directly with the designer). You CAN sell the items that you have made from the pattern regardless of what the designer says. You own YOUR work, you’re the one who bought the materials to make it and you’re the one who put your time in to make the item. They don’t own the item, they own the pattern. Many think that they can tell you that you can’t sell your work online. There are even bigger rip-off artists that try to sell you “cottage licenses” for various periods of time which they claim give you the right to sell the items you made from their pattern. THIS IS A SCAM. You’re not even legally required to provide a link back to the designer (although it is good Karma to do so).

I was 3 rows out from being finished this project when I noticed the designer’s “wishes.” Had this designer listed their wishes in the pattern listing, I would never have bought it. While it is a beautiful design, I will not support people like this. What was even more frustrating was that the item I worked on turned out to be a little too small. There is NO WAY I’m going to rip out all that work and start from the beginning. I also don’t have anyone that I could gift this item to. Nor should I have to. I am going sell this item because it is my RIGHT to do so. I’ll even provide a link to the designer, but I will also include a note regarding their wishes.

I think most stitchers who do this for a living are on the same page. I’ve found that this is quite a sore spot in the crochet community. Many who I’ve talked to about this issue have felt the same way. It’s one thing if the designer states this up front. We have the option to purchase it knowing their preferences. But when it’s not put in the pattern listing, that is just plain dirty. I will NOT respect their “wishes”, I will exercise my rights. I have a family to feed and I buy patterns to make items to sell to feed said family. Why would I buy a pattern where I can’t sell the finished items from?

If you design patterns and you don’t want people selling THEIR creations from your pattern, then don’t sell your patterns! It’s that simple. People are going to do it anyway regardless of what control you think you have over THEIR finished items.

Links:

Patterns And How They Are Affected By Copyright Law

Selling Goods Made From Patterns – Copyright Infringement?

I’m in Hookin’ Love!

Just a quick note…

I finally cracked and bought the pattern for Crocodile Stitch Boots from Bonita Patterns. I’d been dragging my heels because I don’t usually purchase from designers who charge for different sizes of the same pattern. But she bundled all 3 sizes for $10. And next week is my birthday. And I’ve been drooling over these patterns for months. Sooooo….

The experiences I’ve had recently with so many designers who are new-to-me, a majority of them have been really disappointing. It’s mostly gauge issues, but there have been some sizing issues as well. So it is with great reluctance that I purchase from somebody that I have not purchased from previously. I know I’m not alone on this!

Last night I picked up my hook and things were going well. Then I hit a wall. I’ll admit that the “colourful” language came out. I figured “Here we go again… Ugh…” So I figured I would scroll down to another size to see if it was explained any different. Well, I just had to scroll down a little bit because the answer was at the top of the next page!

This pattern is so well written and clearly explained with the help of photographs. She did an AMAZING job with this pattern. I’m a so impressed and would recommend to anyone! It’s a little on the advanced side, but if you’re a patient beginner, I’m sure you could figure it out.

I think she’s ending the sale tonight. Even if you don’t get in on the $10 action, I would say that this pattern is so amazing that I would even buy the sizes separately!