Time Warp Fiber

As in, 'there's no such thing as.' I don't know if you read ravelry, my hypothetical readers, but I do. Probably more than I ought to. What I've noticed lately is a lot of negativity in the area of free patterns. Now, I'm not one of those people who thinks you should only say nice things. I think criticism has it's place, both in being constructive for those it's aimed toward and in helping air out the complainers feelings. We could do with a bit more honesty in the world, even if not everything is pleasant. However, there is a difference between this and spite. And spite is something I've seen a lot of, which is sad to my eyes.

When I started knitting, I was a student. An independent, financial aid fund student. That's right, no cash for knitting. However, I was (and am) pretty apt at research, so I turned to google. And found a world of free patterns. It was fantastic. Here was a place I could expand my knowledge (b/c classes were certainly out of the question) and be inspired. I owe a lot of my knowledge base to all those wonderful people who chose to share their talents freely. It is a beautiful thing, a bank of knowledge and creativity, shared and built upon by a huge community. If you're a programmer, as Butthead is, compare it to open source software.

On a personal level, I'm of two minds regarding knowledge and payment. Part of me, the greater part, feels that the restriction of knowledge, any knowledge, to those who can pay for it is wrong. I went to an underfunded public high school, and fought tooth and nail to pay for a good college. I know that there's a distinct difference in what is available to those with money. In my bohemian spirit, it seems that knowledge of art and of craft is a matter of heritage and creativity, which should be shared freely among us to foster the love of the work. 

That said, I do not inherently object to someone charging for their work. It's your perogative as an artist. If the work is good, people will pay for it. I certainly do. I have a small cache of books and patterns that have inspired me. I am glad to compensate the designer for their time when I am able.

What gets to me is when people rail against those who offer work for free. I heard this a lot in connection with LYSs, who worry about their cut of pattern sales. "Why would people pay for a design they could get for free?" Why indeed? I don't think we have a duty to buy something simply because it's for sale. It seems to me, as a designer, one can't expect to be paid for a simple pattern, such as a ribbed hat, when there are myriad free alternatives. For my part, I'd far rather design it myself. What a designer can do is produce unique and thoughtful work, of a high enough quality to make people glad to pay for it. If ever there were a good side to raw capitalism, this is it. 'Beat' the competition by doing better, not by whining about people 'stealing' your profits. 

This issue has gotten ugly, I think.  I've seen a lot of people sniping at one another. Last night, I read an article blatantly scolding the people who use free patterns. It's hard to respond to turmoil within the community like this, particularly when you are riled, without causing more mess. I will try to respond through my actions. I will continue to buy, as I'm able, those works which inspire me, and thus support the artists. I will also continue to knit from free works. In fact, I'm taking the time to thank specifically those who have made their work available to me, and all of the knitiverse, without charge. I would ask you to as well. Take a moment to send a message to the designer. Cash is not the only currency, and it seems payment in kind to thank those who share the love of the craft freely. Let's send a wave of love to our favorite designers, oh hypothetical reader, and hopefully counteract some of the negative feelings out there.