Free Owl Knitting Patterns To _BEST_ Download
Nichol Sadlon
See our collection of free knitting patterns and get inspired for your next project! Each pattern is available as a free digital download and all the necessary components are available for purchase at the click of a button!
This is sometimes seen as an unproductive discussion because the laws surrounding intellectual property are somewhat hazy, but I still think it's a discussion worth having--because just because something is technically legal doesn't make it right (and vice versa). We so often talk about the "knitting community," but if we truly want to consider ourselves to be part of some kind of cohesive group, I think it's important that we recognize some faults in that community and work to address them.
First, copyright. I am not a copyright lawyer, and I don't play one on tv, but my general understanding is that designers own the copyright to their work--that is, the text and images used to create their patterns. And this is true whether they officially register the copyright or not. The design itself may or may not be protected under copyright (more on this later), but the "recipe" to make it is the intellectual property of the designer.
What does that mean? It means it is illegal for anyone other than the designer to sell or distribute the pattern or any part of the pattern. It is illegal for someone to purchase a pattern and then sell copies of that pattern or to distribute the pattern for free without the designer's consent. Consent may come in the form of an agreement with a yarn company for exclusive rights to sell/distribute the pattern for a specific period of time, a wholesale arrangement to sell patterns in a local yarn shop, or a contract to distribute a certain number of patterns as part of a kit, like KnitCrate. But in all cases, the designer still owns the pattern; a customer purchasing the pattern has the right to use it, but not to distribute it.
Where this becomes an issue, most often, is when websites based in countries where IP laws are not well enforced upload designers' patterns and either sell them or allow you to download them for free. It is very difficult to have these websites shut down or the illegally-distributed patterns removed--which is why the onus is on the knitting community to refuse to patronize such websites. If you find a designer's pay-to-download pattern posted somewhere for free, it's not a great deal or a lucky find, it's theft.
You might also find this problem with less scrupulous yarn shops and yarn boxes--if a company is distributing a pattern free with purchase, they most likely have an arrangement with the designer, but there have been instances where the designer had no idea, and only found out when a customer brought it to their attention. If you see a situation where someone is distributing patterns and it seems shady to you, it doesn't hurt to let the designer know. Best case scenario, they'll tell you it's all above board and you can continue to shop happily. Worst case, they'll tell you they never approved distribution of the pattern--it will become a complicated situation they have to resolve, but you've done the right thing in making sure that company can't continue to steal from the designer.
Where the distribution issue gets a bit murkier is when we talk about "sharing." Maybe you bought a pattern, knit something gorgeous from it, and your friend wants to make it too. Is it ok to give the pattern to your friend? This is technically legal--but as a contributing member of the knitting community, a better move would be to encourage your friend to purchase her own copy of the pattern. If you like the designer's work enough to purchase the pattern, consider that every sale denied the designer works to undermine their business--s/he cannot continue to create the patterns you love without pattern sales.
I've also heard of situations where people in the same knitting group freely share patterns with each other, or worse, photocopy patterns and distribute them to the entire group. This is not something anyone's going to go to jail over, but it's still theft. Or how about the posts on Ravelry, Facebook, and the like where someone says, "I really love XYZ pattern, but I don't want to buy it. Can someone help me figure out how the designer did such-and-such part?" Reverse engineering a pattern on your own is one thing (good for you!), but publicly crowd-sourcing information on how to copy a design is disrespectful. Not only are you denying the designer a sale, you're also publicly discussing the details of the pattern so other people won't have to buy it either. Not cool.
What about distributing free patterns? No harm, no foul--the designer won't make money anyway, right?
Sorry, but free or not, the designer still holds the exclusive rights to distribute that pattern. S/he may not make money from a free pattern, but it may direct traffic to a website, drive interest in other pay-to-download patterns, or be free only under certain conditions (for newsletter subscribers, for example). If you have access to a free pattern that you'd like to share, the right things to do is tell other knitters where or how you got it--not to just give it to them.
My patterns state "for personal, non-commercial use only." What does that mean? For me, it means I don't care if you make a few hats and sell them on Etsy, or knit up some socks to resell to your family and friends; what I would not be ok with is a business mass producing my design and commercializing on it (which happened to Kate Davies a few years back when a pullover that looked suspiciously like her owls sweater was being sold by UK retailer Debenham's). Now, is my little disclaimer going to stop anyone from doing that? Probably not. Is it going to afford me any legal protection? I don't know, and hope I never have to find out!
What about other designers? You'll have to ask them.
Literally, if you'd like to produce knits from a designer's pattern for sales purposes, write them and ask if it's ok. Technically maybe you don't have to do so, but it's still the right thing to do. Most designers probably won't have a problem with it because people buying patterns and people buying handknits are markets that overlap minimally, if at all. But if you're going to use someone else's work for commercial purposes, I believe the best practice is to let them know in advance.
Browse through our full library or click any the links below to jump to a category. Once you find a collection, click on the image or text to learn more and go to the page where you can access the free download. Enjoy and happy knitting!
Learning how to knit is easier than you think especially with the help of these step-by-step knitting patterns for beginners. Learn about must-know, knitting techniques, knit stitches, knitting needles and more!
Hi maker friends! I'm Emily, the designer and creator behind Hooked Hazel. Crocheting and knitting have been two of my favorite hobbies for as long as I can remember. I started Hooked Hazel in 2016 as a way to connect with the fibre community and to share my passion for design and making.
In this blog post I will show you how to modify a knitting pattern for a different yarn weight. Since I have gotten quite a few questions about this topic lately, I feel like this is a subject worth exploring in a dedicated blog post.
The question of how to modify a knitting pattern if you choose to use a different yarn than the one indicated in the pattern, is relevant for all kinds of knitting patterns. Whether it is a a garment, hat or other accessory pattern, you can adjust it to your needs. And we will discuss this topic in general down below. However, I would like to specifically focus on modifying sock knitting patterns for different yarn weights.
Does this mean that you are limited to choosing a sock knitting pattern that was written for DK weight yarn? Of course not. You can adapt any knitting pattern and make it work for the yarn of your choice. You simply need to do some calculations or make changes to the needle size you use.
What is the first thing you should do in order to be able to choose how to make the knitting pattern work for you, is to make a gauge swatch. And to take it one step further, this swatch should ideally be knitted under the same conditions as indicated in the pattern. In a sock knitting pattern, for example, the gauge is usually measured in pattern and in the round over 4 in or 10 cm, after blocking. Although a bit more time consuming, I highly suggested that you make the effort to knit such a swatch. It will save you from frustration and potentially unraveling and having to start over.
When it comes to sock knitting patterns, though, there are a few specifics that you should be aware of. Sock knitting patterns are usually written in a way that you need a stitch count that is divisible by four (e.g. 56, 60, 64 stitches). If you apply the rule of three and get a number that is not divisible by four, you can simply round up or down.
In the worst case, knitting a different size is not possible and you will have to recalculate the whole pattern. To do so, check the commonalities between the sizes of the pattern and see how many stitches they are apart from each other (for the cast on number). Then you can go up or down on the number of stitches in these increments to get the measurements you are looking for.
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I also share information on various fiber-related crafting projects including knitting, sewing, crochet and embroidery.
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Good Night, Day Minimalist Knitting Patterns
NEW Updated version with extended size guides to most patterns & new photos.
Ebook included. Once, printed book sells out will be available in my shop as a ebook, which is available as an ebook now on Ravelry.
"It has become a kind of mission statement of mine that these Good Night, Day knitting patterns be entirely accessible and attainable.
I feel it is just as important to offer easily approachable knitting patterns to everyone - at any knitting level. I am passionate about offering a knitting pattern that is straightforward and uncomplicated - still just as gratifying."