Sigh. This. Again.

And, once again, I shall simply be transcribing the twitter thread with any truly egregious typos corrected and links/photos added in as needed. Because the format of tweets and the format of blog posts are slightly different and trying to jam one into the format of the other is a needless headache. You can see the original thread over here.

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Oh look. The ‘I’m scandalized you’d charge for your work, scandalized I tell you, how very dare you’ folks are at it. Again. Because of course. And to be frank, I don’t have the energy for that hot pile of nonsense today. So how about we do this instead…

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How about I link you to the most relevant post on specifically ‘this is tiny and simple, why are you charging for it?’ that I wrote back when I was nicer and less sweary and had more patience for this bullshit: https://tinynonsense.com/2018/10/10/gather-round/

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Then how about I link you to another post about all the awesome folks you’re supporting when you DO buy knitting patterns (instead of when you bitch about them being for sale), also written when I was feeling nicer: https://tinynonsense.com/2018/07/30/in-which-a-rant-morphs-into-something-else/

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Then I’ll link you to one I wrote much more recently, when I had MUCH LESS PATIENCE FOR THIS BULLSHIT: https://tinynonsense.com/2021/03/24/in-which-i-am-rather-firm/

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Then how about I show you more pictures of the pattern and link you to it. Because it’s cute as hell and a damn good pattern. (And it’s 10% off with the code PECK for one more day). rav https://ravelry.com/patterns/library/hatched ph https://payhip.com/b/LD4IR

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And if you don’t like it, or don’t need a pattern to knit it, or think the pattern is too expensive, that’s fine! There are So Many Things that I don’t like or don’t need a pattern for or can’t afford. The VAST VAST MAJORITY OF THINGS fall into one of those categories.

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But I have enough manners to not walk into someone’s store & say to their face that the thing they sell is too expensive. But well, if you’re comfortable saying that to me, I’m going to be equally comfortable telling you I disagree.

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Ok, there’s the tweety bits done.

I just wanted to take a second to add a note at the end about why I sometimes share when this happens and why I push back so hard against it.

It’s because, when I was newer at this, messages like that one up top messed me up.  They ruined my whole day, more likely my whole week.  They really truly made me thing I was doing something wrong by, you know, making a good product and making it available for sale to people who were then completely free to buy or not buy it as their budget and skill level and personal preferences dictated.

And they for sure do not mess me up any more! These days they elicit something between mild annoyance (‘huh, some folks really do have absolutely no manners do they?’) and general societal outrage (‘hey buddy, if you cannot afford an $8 pattern, that’s really and totally a bummer, but maybe all your screaming would be better directed at the systems that have you stuck in a poorly paid job with expensive health care, massive student loans, outrageous child care bills, and generally crap social services instead of at The Other Person who is ALSO stuck in that SAME system and trying their best to survive by selling…wait for it…modestly priced and totally optional small indulgences. Maybe you should be saying ‘why is my wage unreasonably low?!?’ or ‘why is my life sustaining prescription $800?!?’ not ‘why is this knitting pattern $8?!?’ Try that next time.’)

But I know there are lots of newer designers who are still in that phase where they get these messages and have their whole day ruined.  So I like to come along and talk about this, right out loud and in public, so that maybe they’ll see and feel less bad.

And, well, if some of the folks who might be inclined to send such messages in the first place see and reconsider?   Well that’s ok too!