I’m extremely flattered whenever a pattern of mine is chosen for a knitalong, or a tutorial is recommended to a wide audience. However, all my creative output is copyrighted and I’ve found it necessary to put together a few friendly FAQs – to keep you and me straight! I’m not an expert in this field, so if something strikes you as being incorrect, or a question you have isn’t answered, please feel free to contact me.
An important note
My patterns, articles, and tutorials appearing in paid publications (knitting magazines) are copyrighted under the magazines’ rules, so you will need to contact the publisher directly for permission to use them.
May I link to your blog?
Absolutely! I am very flattered that you consider the content of my blog link-worthy :).
May I post your picture(s) on my blog?
If you plan to hot-link the pictures, then you may not. If you plan to host the pictures on your own server, then please contact me and ask.
May I post text you’ve written on my blog?
Properly crediting my writing ensures as few misunderstandings as possible. Thus, following general citation rules is a good idea. You may paraphrase my writing and you may quote me directly, as long as you cite me as the original author. Exception: sometimes I explicitly state that you may use my words as your own, e.g., in letter-writing campaigns.
May I translate your pattern into a different language?
Some of my patterns have already been translated, so check with me first – it may save you some work ;). Regardless, without a question, you are allowed to translate the pattern for your personal use, or the use of a friend.
Furthermore, should you decide to post the translation on your blog, a forum, or another public location, you are allowed to do so after letting me know. When translating a pattern for public display, make sure to cite the original author, location (website URL or magazine issue), and include the copyright information.
May I sell items which I knit using your pattern?
In general, if the profit goes into your pocket, then no. But please check with me first – sometimes I’ve given special permission if the sale benefits a charity or other worthy causes.
May I teach a class using your pattern?
My concern with classes is not the instructor’s or yarn shop’s profit – they are earning money from expending their time and expertise, not from abusing my pattern. I worry about the pattern’s distribution, and adding an extra step between original source and user (as I explain below). Therefore, although the answer is “yes,” I would really appreciate if you would respect the following caveats:
- Let me know if you’re teaching a class using my pattern.
- If possible, ask each of your students to retrieve the pattern from its original source – the online ‘zine where the pattern is published, my website, purchased from me individually, etc.
- If the students don’t have internet access, or you are otherwise compelled to distribute the pattern on your own, please give only one copy to each student. Make sure that each copy includes:
- the source of the pattern (website URL)
- the title and author of the pattern
- the copyright information
- Please make a point to tell your students that the pattern is copyrighted: they may not sell the pattern, they may not sell items knit from the pattern, etc., without asking me first.
May I host a knitalong using your pattern?
Of course! If the knitalong is LYS-based, then please refer to the “caveats for teaching a class” (above): they apply here, too.
May I include your pattern and/or tutorial in a newsletter?
I strongly prefer if you would simply provide the source information – where the newsletter readers could find the pattern/tutorial.
If you believe that, for whatever reason, the readers would not be able to access the pattern or tutorial in its original context, then please contact me. I may allow for the information to be reprinted if there’s a compelling reason, after asking you to follow the “caveats for teaching a class” (above). Please ask.