Should All Crochet Patterns Be Free?
By Rachel Choi – 79 CommentsIs it greedy for designers to charge for their work? Is it unreasonable to charge $4 or $5 for a pattern? Is it shameful for people to try and make a living doing what they love?
| Recently, I came across a blog post that really got my insides stirring. It discussed how crochet and knit patterns should be free, or should be sold at an extremely low price. What disgusted me the most was the disrespect and ignorance the writer had for designers and their work. Being a designer myself it was hard not to take it personally. Designers aren’t trying to take advantage of people. We aren’t trying to “get rich quick” by selling over priced patterns. In fact, most if not all crochet pattern designers I know spend lots of time creating their work and helping customers with questions. In my opinion, they deserve what they charge. If you would like to read the blog post that I discuss, click here. |  |
If you’ve been visiting Crochet Spot for a while, you’ll notice there are both free crochet patterns and for sale crochet patterns. Trust me, I like freebies as much as the next person, but should someone be expected to work for free all the time?
What do you think? Should all crochet patterns be free?
I really, really appreciate free patterns. But I want to support designers that make great things. All the designers I’ve seen who have free and pay patterns seem to make the more complicated (in terms of skill that the maker needs as well as the effort it took to make the pattern) patterns pay and put up patterns that are a more simple for free. I think it works out well. You get to show people what your patterns are like and let them test your work out. And we get something for free which is always nice 🙂 I’ve bought more patterns from people who have free designs than ones from designers who don’t.
All crochet patterns should *not* be free! If they had to be, we’d have very few nice patterns. There wouldn’t be much incentive for designers to write things down, rephrase it all consistently, format everything, and share what they do with the world. I don’t think people would design less. Lots of patterns come about because someone wanted to make something. That’s not going to stop. But why spend all the time working out the kinks and getting it ready to share–time and effort far beyond what it took to make just one item for yourself–if you’re not going to get anything in return? It’s like expecting someone to work for free.
Some people think that blogger put up that post just to get hits on her blog. Her blog that has all kinds of ads on it. I wouldn’t be surprised. No one can be that ignorant, can they?
I don’t think all patterns should be free, I have happily paid 4 to 6 dollars for patterns that were well written, taught me a new skill or was something really special. It does bother me however when someone tried to charge for a pattern that is something basic like a granny square or like a scarf that doesn’t even have special stitch pattern.
I don’t think patterns should be free as designers we spend hours working out all the kinks and making sure the pattern is well written. I know people want me to sell the things I make but I say that I won’t because people wouldn’t charge me for all the hard work that went into my services.
I love what I do. I offer patterns for free and for sale. I make enough from the sale of patterns to buy the yarn to develop new patterns for free and for sale. Maybe I should raise my prices. LOL
I absolutely agree with Anne above. I have recently purchased patterns online [which are non-returnable obviously] only to receive a very nicely turned out pattern[presentation etc] which frankly I could have done myself! I am definately weeding out the people not to buy from. In the same token, I have bought some patterns which were as much as patterns from yarn companies, but with much more detailed instruction, and usually no errors, which do seem to be commonplace nowdays with the bigger yarn companies!
If I try to create my own design I spend so much time crocheting and then unraveling and starting over. It is worth it to me to pay a few dollars to be able to follow a pattern and complete a project from start to finish. I have no problem at all paying for patterns.
It’s nice to find free patterns ,but I will purchase patterns as well.These designers put alot of their time and effort into these patterns,and I’m glad they do,because although I have crocheted for many years I appreciate a well written pattern.
I agree with all of you! 🙂 The people who put the work into figuring out a pattern should be paid for their efforts, absolutely!
Aitch, no!
If you don’t want to pay for someone else’s time and effort, use your own and design it yourself!
Coats & Clark, Lion Brand, Caron, and the other yarn manufacturers might be happy giving away patterns for using their yarns, but Leisure Arts, Annie’s Attic, etc., and the various magazine publishers would probably not.
Not all patterns should be free. I appreciate the time and work that designers spend on their unique patterns that allow me to make something beautiful. I will gladly pay for their pattern as a way of thanking them for sharing their creativity.
When you go to a fabric store for a sewing pattern, the patterns aren’t free. Simplicity, Vogue, Butterick, they all charge up to $12 for a pattern.
I am more than happy to pay for crochet patterns! Without them my work would definitely be blah!
I hardly ever buy patterns, but I have a rare few because I really wanted a difficult pattern, which does take time and effort for someone to work out so I pay for it. Fair is Fair.
But I do find there are so many old, traditional patterns on the internet for free, I try and make do with those when I can. Traditional patterns passed down by previous generations should be free if they have not been altered, it’s a copyright thing, no one owns those really very old patterns. If a pattern is not quite what I want, I often change it and make up bits of it myself.
Like I’ve heard said here before, this is crochet not rocket science. Pay for the tricky stuff if you can’t find it for free or make it up yourself. Not hard.
<3 <3
I agree with Teena! Also, I don’t know if the guy’s original post was in jest or not. He has his own site where he is planning on selling patterns of his own. Either he is a hypocrite or just joking. We will see.
I don’t think all crochet patterns should be free. Besides nothing is really free. There is always a cost. You have put the effort into making these patterns and for that I think you deserve something. I do thank you for our free patterns! I love them and have almost tried all of them.
I read the lady’s post and I disagree. Even though you may love to crochet and make patterns it still takes time. Time that you could do something for yourself yet you do it for others. I absolutely LOVE crochetspot. I check it everyday. Please keep going just like you are.
God bless
~Laneâ€
The post was ridiculous. He made himself sound so ignorant, and for that, I feel sorry for him. Every designer has the right to sell patterns to his or her work! Free patterns are a blessing and a privelege, but not a right.
NO, not all patterns should be free, I enjoy supporting people like you Rachel and I don’t mind paying a bit for the patterns you and others have created. I do not have the talent to create my own patterns so I depend on you and others like you to help me out in that department.
Thank you for everything you do!
Sure, it’s nice to find free patterns, they often give me a base to work off of and an learning experience which I use to create my own things, I definitely agree with the people here. Not all patterns should be free. Designers work very hard to make great patterns, and when I find a pattern I love I will always pay for the pattern. :3
Wowie … I clicked through and read the original blog post. By far the best writing on the page was from the 50+ commenters! I’ll admit, I enjoy and appreciate the occasional free and clever pattern (many of which I’ve gotten here, thanks Rachel!) – but I also understand those freebies may be offered as ‘bait’ to get you back to buy more! 🙂 Which is perfectly reasonable. Everyone needs to make a living, and for pattern designers their product IS the pattern, so they should be compensated for it. Too expensive? Then don’t buy it!
I can’t believe the original post is written by a crocheter… Of course, we can talk about different levels of crocheters – professionals and those whos hobby is crochet. It’s totally different audiences. Maybe that’s where this “only free” idea came from… who knows 🙂
I think there should be both types of patterns – for free and for sale. In free patterns people can see your pattern writting skills, and they can decide whether to buy some more difficult pattern or not.
And I can say for sure that time spent writting a pattern is not close to the amount of money it is worth. And 3-5 $ for a pattern – it is not much. 🙂
I appreciate the work of other designers, and I’m glad someone appreciates mine 🙂
Thank you Rachel for sharing your thoughts!
Whoever wrote that has obviously never designed a pattern before, much less, a collection/book. It’s a ton of hardwork (that I’ve never taken on myself) and I would gladly pay $20 for a great pattern! $4 and $5 for a pattern is already a steal in my opinion.
There are enough free patterns out there that if you want them, they’re there for the taking. Don’t like paying for patterns? Then don’t!! It’s all about supply and demand. Obviously the demand for paid patterns is there.
Keep up the good work- love your blog!! 🙂
To all the designers;
#1.Keep up with the great work,for the people like me who don’t have the know how.
that person whom wrote that blog is just jealous of all of you who do design patterns that she just has to get it out of her system.(personally I have a very long wish list of patterns i want,but in the middle of trying to buy a house)I know i’m jealous of you all,but at the same time I’m willing to pay for your service! SO KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
I think that designers have the right to earn money from their patterns.
But there is a thing I do not understand. Sometimes one sees a free pattern with the remark that the product is not to be sold.
This I do not understand! I buy the yarn, I do the work and then I cannot do with the result what I wish (I am talking in general, I am not such a good crocheter that I could even dream of selling my work). Why do some designers forbid one to sell the products?
I did not read the article because it would infuriate me!
Only the simplest patterns should be free. However, paying $7.00 for a pattern that is hard to decipher and full of mistakes is bad too. They should be well written and tested by people who are not afraid to make correction or comments.
As a designer myself, I see the need to charge for patterns. In the past you would have to go through a publisher to sell your patterns. With the advent of the Internet we can sell our patterns without going through a publisher. I’ve sold two patterns to publishers(pre-internet) and they gave me a one-time price for the rights to the pattern. Now I have to get permission to copy my own patterns! I’ll only go through publishers if I can get commission for them, or if I retain the copyrights.
I believe that designers should be paid for their ORIGINAL DESIGNS. However, to charge $6.99 for a scarf pattern or shawl (which requires nothing more than finding a desirable stitch pattern and deciding on the width & length involved) is RIDICULOUS. I also think that if some patterns are available for free elsewhere, they should be free everywhere. I can’t tell you how many crochet flower patterns I have accumulated from the internet for free, only to discover that on a web site, I must pay for them.
It’s all perspective, though. Designers feel they shouldn’t work for nothing, & crocheters naturally feel that patterns should be free. Differences of opinion.
It’s sad how many people haven’t figured out that Time IS Money. When they have to start thinking about buying a pair of jeans in terms of “how many hours I have to work to pay these off”, maybe they’ll get it. But I wouldn’t hold my breath…
That post was ridiculous. I do not make patterns. So speaking purely from the standpoint of not being a designer; I appreciate finding free patterns (who doesn’t?) but to say that someone should not be paid for their work is greed in itself. No, ALL patterns (crochet, knit, cross stitch, etc.) should not be free. That person spoke of ‘greedy designers’ but in reality they are a greedy person as well.
I read the blog post and not only was it badly informed and poorly thought out, it was terribly written too. This person’s grammar is worse than their sense of judgment! I’m glad not a single person took him/her seriously. Everyone who’ve read the original post and your post here has the right idea – it depends on the difficulty and time spent developing the pattern whether it should be free or not. Time is money, and so is effort. If it’s a pattern for a scarf or dishcloth that only uses single or double crochet rows, or an amigurumi that doesn’t involve lots of individual body parts or detail, it should definitely be free. But if you spend hours and maybe days experimenting with different stitches and design something with unique textures or patterns – then you take the time to clean it up, rewrite it so it’s clear and easy to follow, then take exceptionally clear step-by-step photos and photos of the finished product and then compile it all into a neat, organized PDF file, you have every right to charge $5. It’s like someone else said – an artist or a musician takes a lot of time painting or sculpting or writing and recording a song, and you wouldn’t expect them to just give that away.
I will admit I do go for free patterns more than paid patterns because it is important to save money when you can, especially when you’re already paying for yarn and other supplies and probably listing fees if you sell your finished work online. But some patterns are worth the cost.
I like people like Rachel who have a variety of both free and paid patterns. The free patterns act as samples of her handiwork. You can get a feel for her designing and writing style and know it’s worth paying for a pattern because you won’t get gypped paying for a poorly written or confusing pattern. She also gives free advice if you have any problems following the pattern. Isn’t the ability to directly ask the pattern-writer questions and get answers and direction at any time worth $5 alone?
Hello Gaz, I just wanted to say thank you for that comment about paying/not paying for patterns. In Rachel’s case, especially, the patterns are clear, concise, and detailed and the finished product is beautiful and functional. You can tell when someone’s work is better than most, and I have been looking for free patterns from the best designers for many years because I’m disabled and on a fixed income (not because I’m too cheap to buy them). If I could, I would pay for any patterns Rachel lists because I know that they are the best and she stands behind her work and helps you out if you get stuck. No one else does everything Rachel does, and I appreciate her! Thanks again. Dawn
Hello Rachel and Everyone, I am a disabled, older, student on a fixed income and I appreciate free patterns–especially from designers as gifted as you, Rachel. I design a little myself, more in sewing and embroidery than crocheting, but all three are difficult to work out the exact pattern. Then, when you have to clean it up and get it ready for publishing (not to mention the testing that has to be done by others), your costs can become very high. I don’t think charging under $10.00 for any pattern is too much when you take into consideration the time, effort, talent, and desire to help other crocheters do it right, like you, Rachel. I hope you keep up the web site for people like me–I love your patterns and tutorials and have downloaded them all for future reference. When I make an item from one of your patterns, your web site address automatically goes with the sale ticket. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your hard work, Rachel. Yours are some of the best patterns I’ve seen since I’ve been crocheting (about 30 years, now!). Please keep up the good work! Dawn
I fully understand charging for a design. Personally, I’m only working on the freebies, because I don’t feel I’m good enough to jump into the paid ones yet. I have purchased books and magazines with patterns. That’s paying. If I designed something, I’d have put my time and effort into it. I get paid to put my time and effort in at work. I would expect to pay for someone else’s work.
I don’t mind paying money for patterns especially if they are well written. I agree some paying five dollars for a granny square might be a bit much. The only thing I wish is that as along as credit is given we should be able to make the item in small quantities to sell. We would be able to do that if we were making the item from a craft book. I have recently bought a few patterns where the designer actually says she wants us to profit from buying the pattern. She wants us to sell the items we make from her pattern, just not the pattern itself, which I totally agree with. She doens’t even ask to be acknowledged as as the designer. However, if I do make something from her patterns, I will most certainly give her credit as the designer. She is one I will continue to buy from!
Of course I like freebies to.
I am a lower-middle class crocheter/knitter in a small town where the only craft store is Wal-Mart and they are phasing everything out. So I either have to drive an hour away to a decent craft store or order it online and pay the shipping. The basic materials are difficult for me to come by and I appreciate the free patterns available through the Internet. But I understand designers charging for their more elaborate patterns. There are even designers that over elaborate patterns for free that permit you to sell the items you make. That’s very generous in my opinion.
If the person’s purpose was to drive traffic to the web site, even if it was angry visitors, that worked. If the person was serious in the post I think it’s not necessary to repeat what everyone else has said. I am just wondering where all the money is that I am supposed to be making cos I sure could use it. 😉
One thing I didn’t read, though I haven’t read all the posts … people who purchase patterns (and I am one of those) sometimes will sell items (with permission from the designer) made from those patterns. They make a LOT more on the item than the pattern cost. Designers also generally offer help with the pattern along with the purchase. I know I answer a lot of questions, not only about my own patterns, but the patterns of other designers as well.
Linda, not all book publishers allow items made from their designs to be sold. Check the publisher’s web site or ask. For example, Leisure Arts does allow it, but has rules regarding selling. http://www.leisurearts.com/CustomerService/FAQ.aspx If you have a tax or business ID# you cannot sell items made from their patterns.
I would not mind paying for a suitable original pattern if I felt I had the skill for it. At the moment, I am using primarily free patterns to work up to ones that I’d like to purchase one day. However, I’ve also bought books of patterns for beginnings, which to me is the same as buying online patterns for practicing (I just lack a reliable printer)
I would love to pay for patterns, but to be honest my budget’s tighter than wet leather.
Patterns should not be free. People work hard on them and should be paid for their work.
Hello again Everyone, I just wanted to add that I agree with Cami that designers should be paid for their work, but I also agree with Liz D-M that she would love to pay for patterns but her budget is “tighter than wet leather” because I am in the same boat. Designers who allow us to use their patterns are angels in my opinion; without them some of us would die of boredom–I know I would. I appreciate designers like Rachel more than they will ever know!
Dawn
I have no problem or hard feels at paying for someones work, but when I get a free pattern I’m very thankful. thanks
I’m grateful when patterns are free, but I don’t expect it. Artists have a right to make a living off their creativity.
Some people do try to charge high prices for very basic patterns and I just pass them by.
I have bought patterns I thought were unique and will continue to do so if my budget allows. I will also continue to hunt for free patterns from the major yarn companies. It’s the best of both worlds.
Also, I refuse to click to that person’s site. I’d rather give the website hits to Rachel than that person because we know Rachel is coming from a sincere place with this discussion.
Of course crochet patterns should be free, and so should books, music recordings and scores, artist should give their paintings away, and the farmers should give away their produce so we can all eat for free. Of course, by extension we would then have to work without pay, and poof! Utopia.
In all seriousness, intellectual property is worth far more than the $5.00 or so being charged for most patterns. A little story, and then I’m out. On another site I have been discussing, with several other readers, a pattern from a Russian site. Yesterday I posted a link from the same site for a different shawl, and invited comments and suggestions. A member of the forum, a lady whose name many in the crochet community would recognize, perhaps because she has helped them when they asked for assistance, she really is that kind of selfless person we should all aspire to become.
Different minds work differently; we all know this to be true. For me give me a pattern using the standard stitch symbols chart (not a filet chart) and a written pattern, and I am ten feet tall and bulletproof. I don’t think there is any pattern beyond me with those two resources. Others run screaming from the room when they encounter one of these renderings. I drew an inference from what she wrote in the forum she might be a member of the second group. The pattern was, at least to me, stunningly beautiful. It looks intricate in the photo, but the stitch drawing, again, to me and a couple of the other members whose minds and the charts meld more easily, looks incredibly simple, just as the previous pattern turned out to be. This afternoon I made an attempt to write the pattern from the diagram. This was NOT easy, and I was just copying. It took me some time to accomplish the task, and all I wrote out was a single motif, and that not complete. It was, I think, sufficient for a crocheter of her skill level but it would certainly not be detailed enough for publication, if the pattern had been my own work. I am a news junky, if at all possible I will watch every newscast. I started my little effort about 4:00 pm, and when I glanced at the clock it was 5:48 pm. I had missed the local news and half of the national news. I’m not trying to pat myself on the back, this lady has been such a help for so many myself included, several times, the thought that I just might be able to help her in anyway was a rare privilege. My point here is not my paltry little tale; it is an attempt to explain how very much we owe to the designers. Of course they should charge for their creativity. It is worth far more than we pay.
I know for me, I don’t buy patterns because I just don’t have the money. I can understand using what skills you have to try to make some extra money (especially in times such as these, we could all use the extra money), though I have come across some patterns/designers where I did find myself thinking that they were pushing it with the prices they charged. Personally, I think my main issue comes with the designers who insist that items made from their patterns can’t be sold. That’s the one thing that kind of stumps me. Yes you created the pattern, but they bought the material and spent the time making it. As long as they don’t take credit for your work or try to sell your pattern as their own, I admit I don’t see the problem. *shrugs*
I use free patterns if I can find the designs I want to make. I also buy patterns that I find in the stores and occasionally online when I have trouble finding a particular design I want to do. I have learned though because of need better yet lack of funds to convert patterns to make something new. When I buy a pattern I hope the pattern has been thoroughly tested to make sure that there aren’t any errors in them. I don’t assume that when I get free ones but again that depends on what website I get them from. People that take time to write these patterns do have the right to be reimbursed for their time and trouble just like everyone else. I also agree with Bookworm above, what gives the designers the right to ban the sale of items that were made using the pattern. They did not make the stuff, you did! Protect your patterns yes, projects no! Now to get off of my soapbox. 🙂
I’ve found that free patterns are usually from the big yarn companies, where the only support you could hope for is from the other users who comment with their own modifications and “fixes” (if you’re lucky and the website has a review/forum section), or they’re just old links on a website. Someone like Rachel, who will personally answer each question you have about any of her patterns? There’s no sense that you’re floundering about in the dark and guessing about anything. That’s well worth whatever money she wishes to charge, imo.
Copied below is what I responded to the blog post that was mentioned above. It describes how I feel about the matter. 🙂 🙂 🙂
” I politely disagree with this post. As a crocheter, not designer, I don’t mind paying for new designs. I don’t know why the designer shouldn’t be able to make some money on her/his new patterns. There is a lot of work involved in designing (I would assume). I certainly wouldn’t do it for nothing. The only thing that bothers me is when people copy vintage transfers and then put them up to sell. I don’t feel I should pay for someone’s copying a transfer and selling it as a PDF. I do realize that some make the old transfers into iron-on transferable patterns. And that, to me, is a tad different as far as charging a fee for the pattern.
Thanks for allowing me to express my opinion. Lynn”
August 24, 2010 1:06 PM
As someone said above, “time is money.”
It’s obvious that you — Rachel — have put some thought into what you want to give away for free and what is fair to charge for. You wouldn’t have time to be making patterns for us (and testing them out etc.) if you were worried about money.
All the good knitwear and crochet designers I know of give some things away for free, and charge for some things. These designers would be working another job (or putting more hours into the other job) and have less time for designing if they didn’t charge for their work. Yes, it is work, even if one likes doing it!
I look around for free patterns (in fact I’m wearing a great sweater I made from a free pattern on knitty.com), but make my choices based on the best pattern for what I’m trying to do, and paying for something suitable is something I do often.
I have started writing this response 3 times, each time it came out sounding bigoted and pedantic. I didn’t want either of those themes to be conveyed. I have asked crocheters all over the world how they feel about designers selling their work. The answers were pretty much the same as what we found here on this site. Some think they should all be free, some think a designer has every right to charge for their work, some had no qualms about scanning a purchased pattern and sharing it with anyone who asked—though none said they would charge $$$ for them, some from countries with a long history of pirating intellectual property saw no reason to stop the practice but almost without exception; everyone felt if they bought a pattern, the ability to sell the items they made using the pattern should be allowed. That is a sentiment with which I agree, with this proviso, the designers name should be given and the buyers had no right to market or sell the pattern itself to anyone, nor may they represent the design as their own. Some likened their attitudes to that of lending a book you had to a friend, and I can’t find fault with that.
I think John expresses how I feel pretty well. Personally, I do feel we’re going in a very bad direction with copyright laws and intellectual property. Where we could once do as he said and share a book with friends, now we have so many laws, rules and regulations about how sharing can take place. I think we need to go back to the time where as long as you aren’t taking credit for someone else’s work and trying to make money off of it, then you should be able to share with others. We’re so worried with protecting what’s ‘ours’, we’re going a bit too far in the other direction. I can understand wanting to make some extra money, but when designers are attaching a pages long list of rules to go along with patterns, it start to feel like what’s the point.
*sigh* Money has become such a thing that it’s making our lives so much more complicated than it has to be. It would be nice if we could do away with the whole thing, but of course that’s unrealistic 🙂
I would gladly pay 5 dollars for a great pattern. I’ve tried crocheting and writing a pattern at the same time. It’s really annoying and not to mention having to modify it numerous times to make sure it’s PERFECT. This person obviously doesn’t understand how the world works.
‘This person obviously doesn’t understand how the world works.’
I will admit, comments like this always make me a bit sad. That may be the way the world works, but is it really a good way. Could a person not wish that things were different?