Talk Back!
There is a big difference between creating unique free patterns and creating almost identical knockoff patterns of a pay pattern. I haven't seen any thing like your patterns in the pay category. I don't think you are crushing anyone's aspirations at all.
Sorry about your coffee maker.
As far as patterns go, I think it's an individual thing. I search for patterns I like. If they are for sale, I buy them. If they are free, I print them.
There are some people who will never buy patterns, no matter what. There are others, like me, who just like good patterns, wherever we can find them.
I agree with Sarah and Kimberly. It's one thing being a copy cat and steal somebody's original idea. It's another thing for coming up with brilliant ideas and share them freely. (Or think of it this way, if you charge people for your patterns, does that mean you're doing harm to other designers?)
I get my patterns from both free and paid-for sources, as long as they're good.
Ditto.
Seriously, get a coffee maker you can depend on. Caffine junkies need dependability
I'm so addicted, I have a timer on mine so that when I open my peepers, the coffee is ready. Now, I just need one that delivers in bed.....
~DAWN
I'm definitely in the "no, people will always pay for good patterns" category. I think you have to remember that it's not like there's a finite number of patterns to go around so that if you make a good free one, someone else suffers. I would say that it's just as likely someone who would make one of yours, but wouldn't pay for one because she's not sure her skills are up for it, would then see she *can* do it and go out to buy more knitting patterns. Knitters are like rare flowers, they're grown and free patterns help nurture this interest. (I was about to say that patterns are like fertilizer, but we all know where that metaphor was heading...)
Thanks for the heads-up about the coffee maker. We're in the market for a new one, and were considering the HB. Now we won't.
In regards to your poll, let me just on on record saying, even if you sold your patterns I'd buy them. A good design is worth paying money for. A good FREE design is more than worth its weight in gold. (Especially that Cloche) Just for the record I voted for the "No, people will always pay for good patterns". But, honestly, you should publish a book with yours.
The way I see it, yes, people will pay for good patterns, but in addition to that, I see the blog community as a big old bunch of friends. Some friends like each other more than others, but you wouldn't think twice about sharing a pattern you designed with your friend. *shrug* Maybe I'm just too idealistic.
M
I agree with Sarah - unless you are obviously and deliberately posting free patterns that are obvious "knock-offs" of other's patterns, there's nothing wrong with posting free patterns. I also agree that people will pay for well-written, uniquely designed patterns. There are also others who can't afford to buy patterns and can barely afford to buy yarn who will appreciate the availability of free patterns.
There are some kinds of patterns of which you will find hundreds of versions, free or for cost such as ye old generic mittens. If you come up with your own way of making them without deliberately copying someone else's pattern, then you've got your own version to do with as you please.
Now, if you see a pattern that is a unique or rare concept and then you write AND post your version for free, it's not entirely illegal, but it is tacky, LOL. There's absolutely nothing wrong with figuring something out without buying the official pattern, but to go ahead and say, 'here, take my free version of X instead'...yeah, that's not right!
Marnie - you are not guilty of ANYTHING. Your designs are unique and well-written and it's your perogative whether to provide them for free or to sell them.
How can anyone who shares her chocolates ever be called evil? Your sharing your patterns is a fantastic thing. If you ever decide to sell patterns, I'm sure the blogging community will be the first to buy copies. 'Til then, thank you for sharing. Now... where's my coffee and box of chocolates?
I'm in the "no, people will pay for good patterns no matter what" category...but I'm also in the "Marnie should totally charge for her patterns or write a book because her patterns are so original and freakin gorgeous and I would buy a book full of them" category. You are generous and awesome to share your stuff for free.
mmm.....coffee......
I agree with many of the above comments. Being a poor college student, I love free patterns. It's less I have to spend on my knitting. However, if I really want to knit something I will pay for the pattern because a well designed item is worth the money. I think it's only a rip off if you deliberately copy someone else's pattern and advertise it as a free alternative.
Holy Moly Macaroni! TWENTY-FOUR patterns? That is a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us.
A few days ago I bought a subscription to Interweave Knits. While there are some awesome sources for free patterns on the internet, there are some things that I am willing to pay for. As I get more advanced, I have given in to the fact that I will have to pay for more intricate and professional looking patterns. I think that you and others who post free patterns are doing a wonderful service to knitters and to people who want to sell patterns. You provide knitters with lovely projects to do, which get us addicted to the art of knitting. Because it's so easy to find really nice free patterns, more people stay with the craft, and many of us eventually decide that it's worth our money to pay for books and patterns.
So thank you!
I agree with a lot of what others have said - that your patterns are great, that free and pay patterns can co-exist well, and you aren't hurting pay pattern designers by offering free ones. Oh, and I love coffee too.
Although I'm happy to pay for patterns, I'm much more likely to knit a free one because 1) I know exactly what I'm getting into, and 2) I can change my mind and not knit it without feeling guilty. (I have this problem with books, but something pretty sitting on your bookshelf is less guilt-inducing than a pdf printout.) It also makes it easier to encourage and inspire other knitters. I've made a bunch of your Nautilus hats as gifts, and I love that when knitters ask me about them I can point them to your site without fearing that they'll immediately turn away at the sight of a price.
If I want to make free graphics available to websites, does it hurt other designers? If I want to make pies and give them away does it hurt other bakers? I think there's room in this world for everyone and what they want to contribute. I think you could sell your designs, I think people would be happy to pay for them. If you want to offer them free then that's your prerogative. I wouldn't worry about the whiners.
And yet for some reason, I get offended by people who refuse to ever pay for a pattern. I don't know why. I think it's a statement about designs not being worth money or designers not deserving pay. It's completely different than what you're asking here, I guess.
What everyone else said. I haven't knit any of your patterns yet but I absolutely intend to and I would absolutely pay to do so because they are the patterns I want to knit not because they are the free alternative to the pattern I really liked. I personally would not, on principle, knit someone else's free knock off of pattern I liked, I might try to guess a pattern myself if I felt it was very simple, but if I felt I needed the pattern then I would pay for the original. That you share your beautiful patterns with us for free is a wonderful gift and does nobody a disservice.
Just something else to say in the midst of all the buy/free comments: Bella P is quite loverly! I'm v. excited. When do you think you will have the chart up for the lace edging?
Eowyn,
I don't know if you'll read these comments, but your email isn't a real one so I'll just post here.
The lace chart is already with the pattern. You download it in the same area that you download the other charts. It's above the charts for the small size.
The lace is also written out later in the pattern so you should have everything you need.
~m
A broken coffee maker is a crisis! As an employee of Starbucks, I can tell you people shut down when they can't wrap their hands around a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee. As for the pattern debate, I love free, personal patterns like yours because I am able to talk to the writer if nessecary. If I am using one of your patterns, I can email you, and ask a question. This isn't as easy with published patterns.
If you can manage to put Bonne Marie out of business I'll be extremely impressed. Her stuff is great and everyone buys it, so I doubt that you'll be encroaching on her market. I think free patterns allow people who might not otherwise foray into certain types of designs do so without fear of wasting their money. When it works out well they go back for more!
Your patterns are wonderful and totally unique and I would pay for them. And as others have posted above, no one else is doing what you are designing, so you aren't hurting people, but maybe challenging them to be better. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of you kniot designers, look at the pages and pages of Knitty.com! Worry no more.
I'm siding with the pack here. Good patterns are good patterns - free or for purchase. Do I buy patterns? Yup. Sure. I have many that I've bought and made. Do I print out free patterns? Yup. Sure. I've made a lot of those too. I particularly like the approach many pattern designers use - some are free, some are for pay. So I can try one of their free patterns, make sure that the designer and I speak the same language, and then if it goes well, move on to their for-pay patterns.
And I'm so in the camp that sooner or later you should start charging for your patterns, Marnie - you put so much work into them, and we love you for it!
all good patterns, free or paid for, serve to elevate the craft of knitting by providing inspiration and guidance to the knitter. the good patterns keep that knitter engaged in this rewarding passtime. the longer a knitter keeps at it, the better and more adventurous they become, the more of them will be around to utilize the ever evolving crop of patterns out there. keep it going lady. you (and bonne, among others) serve fellow knitters not by providing us with patterns that are free, but by providing us with patterns that are excellent in design and direction. if you decide to charge for them at some later time, you will still be giving the community the great boon you always have. thanks, either way.
hi marnie, i just recently started reading your blog, and i think it's quite generous of you to freely share your patterns. many people have said (and i agree) that even if you charged for the patterns, we would happily pay for them, which proves that knitters will choose their patterns by quality, not price. if people are choosing patterns regardless of price, then offering yours for free shouldn't infringe upon anyone else's business. right?
thanks for the stunning bella paquita pattern! i can't wait to give it a try after all my gift knitting is done
I didn't have time to read all of the comments, so maybe someone has already addressed this. But...
I am originally a sewer, and more recently a knitter. What amazes me is the way knitting patterns are so unorganized. It takes a lot of searching to find *the* pattern if you have a specific something in mind. If you want to sew a skirt, for example, you head to the fabric store and flip through the various companies' catalogs under "women's clothing" and buy the pattern for the item you want. I gather that some knitting patterns can be purchased solo, but I find much more often that they are part of a booklet with a higher price tag. This frustrates me because there isn't some master catalog and because I dislike paying for the other patterns that I probably won't ever use.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
But the coffeemaker looks so fancy...That sucks! About your poll: Did you really think we'd tell you to stop making amazing free patterns for us?? I'm not stupid, steal money from the designers all you want, just give us the free pattern goodness
Thanks for the Bella P pattern! Now I just need to hunt for some appropriate yarn... About the whole free/paying dilemma, can I ask why you don't charge for your patterns? Are you taking some kind of stand agains paying or did you start out thinking you only had teeny tiny patterns and it was silly to make people pay? And now you're huge! As others have pointed out: I'd pay.
I think money isn't the end all. maybe more things should be free, who knows how the world would be if we each gave brilliant and free patterns, art, ideas, parts and pieces.
Morningmare?? Um, Morning, Marn. Hee hee, couldn't resist. I'm with Melanie, and have to say I'm constantly stunned by the generosity I find on blogs, whether it's free patterns, or just good free words and thoughts.
I agree with all 29 comments above [well, I didn't read EVERY one but the majority...]
Your patters are not a knock off so you should
1. have free patterns if you so desire
2. write a book, woman!
I would TOTALLY buy a book you wrote. You've got the skill, creativity and humor to pull of a good one.
okay, enough ass kissing for one day.
xx
This thread is bringing up a knitting ethics question for me. What do all of you think about copying an item you see in the store or on someone else? Last time I was in SF, I saw a woman and her husband admiring a somewhat unusal scarf in a boutique. The woman was a beginning knitter and very psyched. So I did what any addicted knitter would do. I went back to my hotel and whipped up a pattern for her and e-mailed it so she could make her own. Was that an ethical mistake since the boutique and knitter didn't get $100 or just an act of knitting kindness so a beginner could make her own creation?
what a muddy mess! ethically, i would have to say that knock-offs are definitely made to cut into a designer's profit. on the other hand, if i had the talent to reverse engineer a knitted piece that i saw in a window or walking down the street, you betcha i would!
now by offering free patterns, i do not feel that you are doing anything wrong ethically or morally.
i feel that there is a market out there for both free and $$ patterns. both are viable. if you want others to have the opportunity to knit, crochet... your design free of cost, it's your perrogative. if you want to charge for your pattern, if it is quality, then folks will go for it as well...
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