Gather round
I really sort of want to just hide them all around the neighborhood and see if anyone notices…
And before you ask, yes, there will be a pattern (and quite soon too, but I want to knit a few more first). But I want to talk about something for a minute. This is a little scary, but here goes.
I strongly considered not putting this pattern out, because the last few times I’ve put out a pattern for something cute and tiny, I’ve gotten a few really distressing messages. There are a handful of folks who took time out of their day to write to me and say some version of ‘it’s ridiculous to have a pattern for something so simple’ or ‘it’s ridiculous to have a pattern for something so simple and charge for it’ or ‘someone else made something kind of similar and they didn’t charge for it.’
And those are always a bummer to read! But I get so much more good feedback from folks who love making stuff like this that I didn’t want to let the angry stuff win out. So, I’m going to take a minute to break those down, one by one.
Let’s start with ‘that’s so simple, it’s ridiculous to have a pattern.’ I feel that way myself sometimes. But when I posted a picture of these over on instagram, I had person after person after person asking me to write a pattern. Seriously, go read the comments on this instagram post (be sure you click through to see all of them, there are more than 200). People are saying, clearly and directly, that they’d like a pattern. So it seems like maybe what seems simple to some folks isn’t as clear to other folks. So, just because you wouldn’t need a pattern to make something, doesn’t mean everyone feels that way. And if you feel that way, that’s fine! But all it means is that the pattern isn’t for you, not that it shouldn’t exist for the folks who do want it.
Next up, ‘that pattern is too simple to charge for.’ So here’s the thing. This is my job, and I charge for my work. And writing a pattern like this is work. When I make a pattern like this, especially a pattern for something simple, I make it ridiculously detailed. This one, for example, will have pages of step by step photos and will include info on everything from how to cast on to when and how to weave in your ends to how to stuff them and what to stuff them with to how to find and attach the acorn caps. That’s because if you look at this picture and and think ‘yeah, I could totally use a pattern to help me make those’ (rather than ‘I could make those without a pattern’), you probably want a lot of detail to help you feel confident in making them. And writing a pattern with that level of detail takes a lot of work. I’ll spend this whole week creating, editing, releasing this pattern (and then more time after that supporting it). It’s ok for me to get paid for my work.
And finally, ‘someone made something sort of similar and didn’t charge for it.’ That’s probably true! I am certainly not the first person to knit anything, and would never ever ever claim to be. And the internet and ravelry make it really easy to write something up and share it for free (as of this writing, there more than one hundred and twenty thousand free patterns on ravelry). And if you want to use one of those patterns, you totally should! But, if someone else wants to use my pattern, either because they like my style or want that level of detail, that’s ok too (just like how it’s ok if someone else needs a pattern to make something you can make without one). There’s room for everyone!
Ok, all that sounded kind of grim for a moment. But as frustrating as they are in the moment, those tiny handful of angry messages are so far outweighed by the folks who write to say they love what they’ve made and had a great time doing it that I’m not going to let them stop me from making things that make me (or you!) happy.
So…go…start gathering up acorn caps (amazon and etsy both have them if you don’t want to find your own). And keep an eye out, because I suspect I’m going to sneak this pattern out in the next day or two (so you’ll have plenty of time to make and enjoy them while it’s still fall).
I think they are adorable! I just wish you would sell them because my fingers don’t work for something that small! Good luck to you!
Thank you! And they are kind of adorable. I’ve never seen knitted ones for sale, but lots of folks sell ones with little felted balls (instead of knitted bits). I’ve seen them on etsy!
Oh for heavens sake, who has time to write to complain that someone else made similar but for free? Go spend the time hunting that pattern down and knit it and feel smug, don’t complain! I saw a pattern very similar to scintillation that was so similar I wondered whether it was a rip off(it wasn’t, there were differences) These little tiny things you’re making are all common motifs, so of course someone else has been motivated to design similar. They’re all super cute. I like yours because they’re always so super neat and tidy, and the instructions are always super detailed!
Mind you, I’ve just found the time to write to complain about other people writing to complain. What does that say about me??!!!
You’d be surprised…folks write and complain about a whole host of things (apparently everything should be free, everything should be shown in the photos in the color you’re thinking about making it in, everything should be shown in the photos in yarn you have in your stash, and everything should be written in your size and only in your size).
But yeah, I sort of feel like ‘if you want to buy the pattern, buy it. If you don’t, don’t.’ Those are both great choices. But don’t write to me and tell me I can’t/shouldn’t make it (or that if I do make it, I have to give it to you for free). Because that’s just really not cool.
These are the most adorable knitted things ever. And yes, you absolutely should be paid for what you do. I can’t believe people would suggest otherwise. My only question is whether there’s a way to knit the acorn caps?
Thank you! And yes, I suspect you could knit acorn caps and it would be adorable!
If I find myself doing that, I’ll add them to the pattern and send out an update so anyone who has it gets the new info. But I wanted to get these out quickly (while fall is in full swing), so I went with the natural ones for now. I kind of love the combo!
Those acorns are super cute, and don’t worry about the people complaining. There are *always* people who just want to be mad about something. If you do hide those acorns around the neighborhood, I want to see pictures of the angry squirrels. 😉
Never in my life have I wanted a pet squirrel to pose for pictures so badly…how cute would that be!
Haters gonna hate…
So it seems…
And really, there’s *plenty* of stuff I look at and to ‘huh, yeah, don’t want to buy that.’ Which is fine! It’s just the taking time out of your day to reach out to the person who sells the thing and *tell* them that that seems…um…odd to me.
But, from what I can see, far more people love them and want a pattern than want to complain about it, so in the end it works out!
I don’t ever knit toys or little decorative things, but these have absolutely stolen my heart.
I’m usually terrifyingly practical and completely resistant to random decorative stuff. But this…this has overcome my natural defenses and I’m helpless in the face of the cuteness.
Whoa, what?? You can buy acorn caps on Amazon??? I had to look: $21 for 100 caps?? For something that literally grows on trees? Why would anyone buy acorns? It’s simple: bend over and pick them up. There’s lots of people (my kids) who will supply them to me for free. (I’m joking, I’m joking here. You are 110% right – you should get paid for your work no matter how “simple” it seems to others. “Women’s work” in particular is undervalued and underpaid. You worked out all the details (yarn weight, number of stitches, decrease rate, best practices for attaching caps). It takes a lot of time to write up a coherent pattern, no matter how small the item. I’m glad you published your pattern.
You can bend down and pick them up if you live somewhere where oak trees grow. Bit more difficult if they don’t! 😉 Well done those enterprising folk who realised there might be a gap in the market!
Plus, way less chance of ‘aaaaah, I touched a slug, aaaaah!’
I was surprised too, but my guess is not everyone lives near oak trees (or maybe people need more than they can find, or have health issues that mean they can’t get their own). Or hell…maybe people just really really REALLY don’t like spiders and don’t want to risk what they’ll find digging around under the leaves!
And I hear you. I think for a long time patterns were thought of as things everyone already knew, or were something yarn companies made freely available to help sell yarn, and so they didn’t have a lot of perceived value. That’s starting to change, but some folks don’t like that it’s changing.
Probably envious of your ability to have fun and take joy in making tiny things. Also they most likely DO want YOUR pattern because they can’t figure out how to make those tiny things; they just don’t want to pay you for your imagination, time, skill, and labour and so they try to bully you into a freebie. Bet they expect to get paid for doing THEIR jobs, the selfish, inconsiderate things.
Yeah, I sometimes think that’s part of it. Because when I (or anyone else) lists a pattern for sale, it’s not like it makes some other, free, pattern zap out of existence. So why get mad? Sometimes I think the only reason is if what they’re really saying isn’t ‘how dare you sell that’ but ‘I want that, but don’t want to pay for it.’ Which I get…there are LOTS of things I want but don’t decide to buy. But it seems weird to write me mad about it.
Good for you! Everything you said makes perfect sense. The acorns look amazing. I would be happy to pay for a pattern like that, assuming that no matter what I would learn something new. And that’s more than worth the price of the pattern. Thank you.
That’s very kind of you, thank you!
You shouldn’t have to explain why you expect be paid for your work. The people who demand that you give away your work would be outraged if they were expected to work for nothing.
I’ll admit, part of my motivation in writing this was to feel…hmm…prepared? To have something written out, carefully and thoughtfully, that I can send folks to when I get the inevitable message telling me I shouldn’t charge for my time. Because when I get those, I fell lousy. And I don’t want to write back when I’m upset. So having something I can point folks to and say ‘here, I explained a lot of this over here’ is helpful.
Sometimes whimsy wins out. A quick knit that makes something pretty and brings a smile, may be just what you have the time for. Not everyone has the time to make a larger project and this helps fill the creative side of your mind. Obviously, you have a very large creative side of your mind to be able to translate the idea into a workable pattern for everyone……which deserves to be compensated for! Keep it up. For those who don’t want to pay for it, you don’t have to buy it 🙂
And sometimes, you just need a quick win…a pattern you can cast on, cast off, and finish before that tv show is over. Because some days, that’s all you’ve got the bandwidth for!
I’ll buy that pattern in a heartbeat. I’ll even pre-order it. I hope to find it soon on Ravelry!
You’re very kind, thank you!
Well said….. just a shame something so obvious had to be said at all!! Great design and so totally cute!!
Yeah, I was sort of at the point where either I was going to say something, or I was just not going to release that pattern. And enough folks flat out asked for it that I didn’t want to not release it. And I’ve talked to enough designers to know a lot of them deal with the same sort of messages. So I figured it was ok to just go ahead and say something. And the response, both here and on IG, has been hugely reassuring!
Yup, I didn’t *need* to buy this pattern, I probably could have worked it out, but I LOVE the content you share on Instagram and your “These are perfect for you if:” notes on your pattern pages make me smile every single time I read them (honestly, I shared the Hoard IG post with friends today just to cheer them up on a crappy morning- one doesn’t even knit). I wish I had the guts and skill to design knitting patterns for a living, and if my $7.45 ($6.70 today!) supports you in doing that, that’s pretty awesome and totally worth it. Thanks!
That is so lovely to read, thank you! And I hope your friends are having a better day today (and if not…acorns hidden around their environment might just possibly do the trick)!
Ugh, the ‘this should be free’ messages are never fun to read. I get similar messages from time to time and I always wonder why they bothered to take time out of their day to write it :-/ Fortunately, you’re right that the positive feedback and happy messages outweigh the negative ones. I offer a mixture of free and paid patterns for a variety of skill levels and I’m always happy to get feedback, and I try to use the positive and negative feedback to help me grow and plan what to work on next, but I make no apologies for charging a few dollars per pattern for my work to put food on my table and keep the lights on 😉
I’m actually finding that I’m getting more and more comfortable just saying ‘yup, this is my work, it’s good, and I charge for it’ … very directly and bluntly. And that the reaction is very positive from the folks who like my work and want to use it (because let’s be real…it’s still less than the cost of a coffee and a pastry…or a movie ticket…or a bouquet of flowers). And people who want everything for free aren’t my customers anyways, so it’s ok if they don’t like that I’m charging for my work.
These are so lovely and I would love the pattern – look forward to it.
Seeing these made my day. They are lovely, cute, colourful and fun. Keep on coming up with creative ideas for those of us who appreciate the effort!