"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

10/30/12

About Pattern Copyrights

There is a lot of misinformation being bandied about regarding knitting patterns and how copyright applies to them and the finished objects made using them. For a long time I've wanted to post something here about the topic with accurate information. I do not feel that my writing skills can do the topic justice, so I've asked someone who is knowledgeable on the subject to please write a guest post about it for my blog. Evelyn Uyemura, author of the blogs CopyKnit and Lost the Thread, very kindly obliged. Thank you Evelyn.



Some Thoughts on Copyright by Evelyn Uyemura
There are many controversies in the world of knitting about copyright and what rights it gives to knitting pattern designers. This article is written with US law only in view. Other countries have other laws. I am not a lawyer. The opinions expressed here are just that: opinions—hopefully well-informed opinions based on careful reading of copyright information from the US Copyright Office.
So, let's start at the foundation. Copyright law in the US is based on the US Constitution

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 says:
The Congress shall have power...

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries


This clause covers both Copyright and Patent, the first for authors and the second for inventors, and the purpose is that by passing laws that guarantee that authors and inventors can profit from their creations for a certain time period, they will continue to create, and knowledge will be advanced.

What Can Be Copyrighted?

Under US law, every work of writing is automatically covered by copyright as soon as it is written. This post, for example, is now copyrighted to me, whether I register it or not, and whether I mark it with a copyright sign or not.

In addition, songs, sculptures, architectural works, video and phono-recordings, and ship hulls can be copyrighted, among other things. But with the exception of ship hulls, utilitarian articles are not subject to copyright. Useful articles are exempted from copyright. And basically, all items of clothing and accessories are considered to be useful articles.

When it comes to knitting, what this means is that patterns (ie written instructions for how to make a sweater or pair of mittens) are copyrighted. Individual stitch patterns are generally agreed to be not copyrightable, in the same category as recipes, but the written instructions that tell you how to make a finished object are copyrighted, automatically. (Older patterns may have fallen out of copyright, but that's another subject.)

However, although a pattern is copyrighted, the actual item of clothing that it describes how to make is not copyrighted. No item of clothing, whether a Vera Wang wedding gown or a baby's diaper cover, is copyrighted. No one owns any look or style or combination of elements that make up clothing. Fashion designers who work for large-scale manufacturers do not own rights to their designs, and neither does a home knitter who has created a clever pair of booties.


If a fashion designer or sweater manufacturer publishes a picture of her design, or sells her item in a shop, there is nothing at all to keep you or me or another manufacturer from looking at it, figuring out how it was made, and reproducing that same look to the best of our abilities. This is often referred to as reverse-engineering, and the new article as a knock-off. Reverse-engineering and knock-offs are completely legal in the US. If you see a hat you like in a catalog, you are free to use all your skills to make one for yourself.

So far, so good.

Everyone seems to enjoy copying some high-priced hat sold at a fancy-pants store and making it out of even nicer materials for half the price.

The flip side of this coin is that theoretically at least, a high-priced store could see your cute little hat on your knitting blog or on ravelry.com and copy you! And mass-produce them! In China! And make a million bucks! And where's your cut???!!!

So let's say that you posted just a picture of your hand-knit original hat, and another designer liked your idea and copied it. And she is now selling a hat just like yours, whether through Walmart or Anthropologie, or in her etsy.com shop. Do you have a complaint? Has she infringed on your rights? Are you owed a cut? The answer is no. Why? Because fashion design is not copyrighted. You can copy the big boys, and the big boys can copy you.

But, But, But….
So right away, someone says, ok, maybe not copyright, but maybe something else applies here. Maybe I should have patented my hat. Short answer; not gonna happen. Long answer: get a lawyer and go for it (and it's still not gonna happen. Unless your hat turns sunlight into energy or something, it's not going to be patented. Patents are for processes. Not for ordinary items of clothing, no matter how cleverly put together they are.)

Maybe something else applies? Trademark? Trade dress? Again, the short answer is no, they don't apply to fashion design, or the design of clothing. Copying someone else's trademark, such as putting the label Gucci on a bag that is not Gucci's is trademerk infringement. Making a bag that looks like Gucci's is not. (Incidently, using the name Gucci, or even the name of a knitting designer, in your advertising is unwise, as you may be infringing on the trademark. Thus the desire to “give credit” may backfire.)

So, okay, here's what we know for sure:
  1. Anyone can copy anyone else's design, style, look, shape, colors, and so on, because the design of clothing is all public domain, no one owns any of it.
  2. Patterns (ie instructions) for how to make a knitted item are copyrighted, and the set of instructions cannot be copied.
So this is where the topic gets sticky.


Does Copyright Cover FOs (Finished Objects)?

So we know that the design of clothing is not copyrightable, and we know that knitting patterns, as written expression, photos, charts, etc, are copyrighted.

So what happens when I buy a knitting pattern and make a sweater or diaper cover or some other useful object by using that pattern?

Perhaps the pattern says: "Copyright Diana Designer, All rights reserved."

Does that mean that my FO (Finished Object: the sweater, or mittens or diaper cover or whatever) is somehow under the control of the designer?

When the designer says, "All rights reserved," what does that mean? Can the designer tell me that the pattern is for my personal use only? Can she tell me that I can make a limited number of diaper covers from it, or that I can make as many as I want but only for my personal use? Or that I cannot sell my sweater? Or that I can't sell a hundred booties from her pattern, on etsy, or at craft fairs?

This is perhaps the most controversial aspect of copyright as it applies to knitting. My answer is based on my own logic and my own understanding of what copyright law says. I am not a lawyer. I am an English teacher by profession and a knitter and small-time designer by hobby. I do not sell any hand-knits not do I ever intend to. I do sell some simple patterns. I believe that my answer is an honest attempt to apply what the law says to this question.

So let's take a step back. Every item of clothing that you own was designed by someone. Does that designer get a say in what you do with clothing you bought? Can she tell you that you can't sell it at a yard sale? What if you were a famous person and you wore a dress and then donated it to a charity and the charity auctioned it off and raised a large sum of money based on the fact that you had worn it? Would you need to contact the designer for permission?

I think we can easily say that no, the designer, once she designs and sells an item of clothing, has no say in what you do with it at all.

So how about a sweater that you bought a pattern for? In this case, you paid for the pattern and then you also bought yarn, and you made the sweater with your own two hands, using your own skill and creativity. Does that designer have a greater hold on the sweater than the designer of a store-bought sweater has on a manufactured one?

My answer is: of course not! In fact, if anything, she would have less of a claim, since you contributed as much (or more) to the Finished Object as she did.

But the more fundamental reason that the designer has no say in what you do with Finished Objects is that copyright does not apply to clothing. Not at all. Not to couture, not to knock-offs, not to hand-knit mittens.

If the copyright on the pattern does not extend to the actual knitted object in the first place (and it clearly doesn't), then the only Intellectual Property rights that the designer has is to the instructions. If she had made a sweater herself, with her own hands, using her own original ideas, that sweater would not be covered by any kind of copyright or other design rights. So how can the sweater you made give her some sort of rights?

The obvious answer, to me, is that it can't.

(Are we sure that copyright does not somehow subsist in the sweater? Is the sweater maybe a derivative work? I argue that it cannot be. If following the instructions were equivalent to copying the pattern, then it would be illegal to even make the sweater in the first place, which is absurd. And sweaters, no matter how they were created, are not ever copyrighted. So the designer's copyright cannot have been transferred into your sweater!)

So what does this mean? I think it means that if you have a legally-acquired pattern, you do not need anyone's permission to knit the item once, or a hundred times, anymore than you need permission from an author to read her book a hundred times.

And statements that say: "This pattern is for personal use only" do not carry any legal weight. Copyright law forbids you from making copies of the pattern, so if the statement is intended to mean "Don't give copies of this pattern your friends," it is true. If it is intended to mean "Don't give these mittens to your friends," it's not true.

And how about if the pattern directly states, "You may not sell objects knit from this pattern"?

Well, does the designer own rights to the mittens or diaper covers or sweaters you made using her pattern? The answer is no. She controls the pattern (ie the instructions) through her copyright. That copyright does not apply to actual items of clothing. So can she tell you what you can do with them? Legally, no, she can't.

But What About Licensing?
So far, we have discussed the fact that the design of items of clothing is not covered by copyright. This led us to the conclusion that, although a knitting pattern (words, images, charts, description, photos, etc.) is copyrighted by the designer, that copyright does not extend to the actual physical object that you may knit from it (assuming that it is clothing or a household item.)

Many designers, knowing this to be the case, have looked for a way to protect their design other than copyright. The most common work-around is to either simply tell you on the pattern that you must not sell objects made from it, or to formalize such a request as a "license," often referred to as a "cottage license."

The concept of a "cottage license" is that you, dear knitter, working at home in your own little cottage (or condo), are allowed to produce knitted objects, but the same permission would not be granted to a commercial manufacturer.

Here is an example of a designer who explains her "licenses." The designer is asking for a fee of $100 for "lifetime" permission to knit and  sell five items she designed: a Sheepy Sack (which is a free pattern that makes no mention of any restrictions on what you can do with the Sheepy Sacks you knit), Sheepy Pants (selling for $6.50), Sheepy Soakers, available for $5.75 as well as a skirt pattern ($12) and Bloomers ($5).

It appears that these are very nice, well-designed patterns, and there is no objection to the designer charging money for the patterns. This designer lives and works in the United States. Her patterns do not even include any pre-purchase information stating that she believes you need her permission to sell finished objects from them.

This is just an example, and this designer is no better or worse than many others out there. This was the first example that came up when I googled "cottage license."

The question is: does a designer have a legal (or ethical) right to charge you for a license allowing you to sell items that you knit, using a pattern that she gave you or sold you? Do you need such a license? Can she sell you such a license?

A person can only legally sell you what he or she owns. The old trick of selling some rube the Brooklyn Bridge is fraud for the simple reason that the guy doing the selling doesn't actually own the Brooklyn Bridge. Could he sell you a "license" that allows you unlimited use of the Brooklyn Bridge? A lifetime license to cross the Brooklyn Bridge? Not unless he owns the Brooklyn Bridge!

So here's the rub: Does the designer of baby pants own those baby pants that you knit? Does her copyright apply to those pants?

The answer again is No. Because clothing items in the US are not covered by copyright, there are no Intellectual Property rights that the designer owns except in the pattern itself. She could license you to produce copies of the pattern if she chose to. But she cannot avoid the implications of public domain (which applies to clothing design of every kind) by adding licensing language to it. She is attempting to sell you something that she does not own (the rights to a pair of baby pants.)

Still not convinced? Ok, well suppose that not just knitting designers, but actual manufacturers of clothing decided to "license" their clothing. They add a tag to your pair of jeans that says, "You may not sell these jeans. These jeans are licensed for your personal use only." Perhaps it bothers the designers and manufacturers of jeans to see their products sold at Goodwill for $7. They think the price should be higher, and they also think they should get 10% of it. Can they do that?

Of course not. (If they could, they would!)

Can the writer of a copyrighted book add a "license" that says that you may not re-sell the book? No. And this one has been decided by the Supreme Court. It's called the First Sale Doctrine, and it was decided back in 1908. In that case, a publisher attempted to control the price at which its books could be sold. The court said that Copyright did not give a seller any rights over what was done with an individual copy of a book that they sold, as long as the book itself was not reproduced.

But maybe making a sweater is making a "copy" of the copyrighted pattern? No. It can't mean that. Because sweaters are never copyrighted in the US. A copy of a pattern is still a pattern. A sweater is not a pattern, just as a map of England is not England.

So do you need permission or a license in order to make multiple items from a single pattern? No, you do not. And after you make those items, who owns them? You do. Does someone else own IP (Intellectual Property) rights in the items? No. They are not Intellectual Property. They are clothing. And you can sell clothing that you own, without any permission or license from anyone.


What Does the US Copyright Office Say about Selling Finished Objects?

Lest some think that I am going out on a limb by expressing the opinion that copyright protection does not extend to FO that are made from knitting patterns, I offer you an email from the Copyright Office in answer to a direct question on the subject. (I am not the original recipient of this email. It was posted by a knitter on ravelry.com):

Copyright in a pattern normally pertains to the pattern itself, i.e., to the written instructions, diagrams and/or pictures, not to the object that is constructed from the pattern.
If the pattern, however, includes original artwork that would be incorporated into the work that is made, then a person may need permission to use it commercially. An example of that would be a knitting pattern depicting original artwork. An example of the opposite would be a dress pattern: the dress made from the pattern is not subject to copyright protection.
Here are two examples where both patterns, i.e., the written instructions and artwork, are protected by copyright, but only one of the products made from the patterns would be protected.
1.) A pattern for a sweater made with standard knitting stitches, such as a cable stitch or a popcorn stitch, is protected by copyright; however, the sweater made from the pattern contains no copyrightable artwork because it consists of standard stitches, no matter how attractive the sweater is.
2.) On the other hand, a pattern for a sweater that depicts original artwork — let’s say a mountain scene with a deer — is protected both in the form of the pattern and in the form of the sweater. The artwork on the sweater is protected by copyright.
In the first instance, a person using the pattern can produce sweaters commercially, but not be infringing a copyright because the distribution of the sweaters is not distributing any copyrightable authorship.
In the second example, by distributing the sweaters, the person is also distributing copies of the original artwork and would normally need permission.

(I have added paragraphing, bolding and italics and numbers in order to make the distinctions a little easier to perceive. I have not changed any wording. Since this email was written in the course of employment by the US government, it is not itself subject to copyright.)

It is important to point out, as this reply does, that there can be copyrighted material in the form of knitwear. In the example given, an original image of a deer and a mountain created by a designer and then included in a knitting pattern would be copyrightable as artwork. That same artwork could be screen printed onto a t-shirt, printed on a mug, or made into a poster. Doing any of those things with another person's art work is an infringement of their copyright.

The distinction that Copyright law makes is that utilitarian objects, including all clothing design, is not subject to copyright, but artistic elements that are separable from, or at least conceptually separable from, the useful object can be copyrighted. So no one can copyright a mug, no matter how shapely. But they can copyright a picture that is applied to a mug.

Here's a legal document explaining the basic law and several cases drawn from it.

Here's another, slightly more light-hearted explanation of how current law treats clothing design and that discusses possible ways the law could be changed. (Until the law is changed--and it hasn't been as of 2012--no one should feel guilty for copying fashion design, which includes the design of knitted wearables.)

One more caveat: while sweaters, skirts, diaper covers, hats, mittens, socks, blankets, and so on are clearly not copyrightable in and of themselves, it is possible that some knitting, such as toys, could fall into the realm of sculpture rather than utilitarian objects, and so could be copyrighted as objects.

So where does all this leave us?

Patterns (instructions) for knitting are copyrighted, and should not be copied (except for making an extra copy for one’s own use). This is true even if the pattern is free. Only the owner of the copyright is authorized to make copies. Realistically, if you print out two copies of a free pattern from a website and share one with a friend, there is no harm done. But if you make a copy of a paid pattern for a friend, you are depriving the designer of income that is rightfully hers.

Once you have a legally-obtained copy of a pattern, you may use it as many times as you choose, and you may do whatever you want with the finished items of clothing or other useful items—including selling them. You do not need permission from the designer to donate them or sell them or anything else.

 Happy knitting!
Evelyn Uyemura


10/29/12

Simple Woman's Daybook for October 29, 2012

For today, October 29, 2012


Outside my window...
Wet and dark. There is a thick dark cloud covering today. We got lots of rain last night. All the leaves are off the flower plum tree now too. It's looking more like winter than fall.

I am thinking...
about my daughter and son-in-law a lot. They live in Rhode Island where hurricane Sandy is starting to cause chaos. They have prepared for the storm, but I can't help but worry about them. Their fence blew down earlier today.

I am thankful...
I'm thankful to my niece, Stacy, for giving us the tickets to see the Spokane Symphony. The concert was Saturday night and it was fantastic. The whole evening was wonderful. Sweet Hubby and I went out to dinner beforehand. We went to Black Angus in Spokane Valley. Their food was delicious. It was a very nice meal. Then on to the concert we went.

It was held in the Fox Theater in downtown Spokane. Sweet Hubby and I hardly ever get to downtown. So we don't know our way around there very well. It took a bit to find the theater and a good parking place. I was trying to use the GPS on my phone, but I couldn't figure out how to work the dang thing. To be honest, we stumbled on both places. Anyway, the Fox is a very old theater that was refurbished a few years ago. This was the first time we got to see it since it was finished. Wow! It is so beautiful inside now. The ceilings were fascinating with art deco style lamp fixtures and leaves and geometric shapes painted in shades of green, brown, gold, and silver. It was so very lovely.

The orchestra played 3 pieces. The first one was by Samuel Barber, then a Serenade by Brahms. There was a short intermission and then we heard Dvorak's 7th Symphony. I love Dvorak's style of music writing. I don't remember if I'd ever heard the 7th before. It was fantastic. The music was so full of drama and lovely melodies. You could tell the orchestra was having a lot of fun playing it too. I enjoyed it so much!

In the kitchen...
it's actually fairly clean. It was a horrible mess yesterday afternoon after hubby got done working on his hobby-making home brew. I plan on making an Asian style dish for dinner tonight. I'm thinking chicken in orange sauce and stir fry vegetables.

I am wearing...
My new black stretch jeans. I bought them last week at Sears. They are sooooo comfortable. I'm also wearing a grey satin top with crystals in a stripe pattern.

I am creating...
as always. I worked on the argyle sock last night. It's slow going because the yarns get tangled every so often. I'm enjoying the challenge.

I am going...
Nowhere tonight, but I did go to lunch with my friend Earlee this afternoon. We met at a restaurant called Fire. They serve pizza. It was pretty good.

I am wondering...
how long before we get our first real snow. Last Thursday we got snow mixed with rain, and the mountains have snow on their tops.

I am reading...
The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It's the 3rd of the Tarzan books. So far it's a fun read. Far fetched-but sometimes that's what fiction should be. For such an old book, it is still very interesting. Tarzans wife and infant son are kidnapped by an evil Russian. He sets out to rescue his wife, Jane, with the help of a tall African native, a group of gorillas and a panther. Quite a motley crew. He's just rescued Jane, but now they don't know where their son is.

I am hoping...
my daughter and son-in-law will be safe and the storm is not as bad as predicted.

I am looking forward to...
the glove class I'm going to teach. The first session is November 2nd. I'm pretty much ready for it.

I am learning...
what things are going to be on the ballot, besides President hopefuls, this coming election day. It's really hard to get information about it around here. We're in a rural area, so we don't see signs up in peoples yards or anything. We don't get the paper either-long story. They're never getting our business again. We did get a booklet in the mail about 5 different propositions that we'll be voting on. I plan to do some research via the internet on what positions are up for election and who's running. Still, despite my efforts, I know there will be a surprise that I don't know about. There always is. It really should be easier to find this information out.

Around the house...
Sleeping fur babies laying all over the living room.

I am pondering...
What does pondering mean? According to Dictionary.com, it means:
1. to consider something deeply and thoroughly; meditate

2. to weigh carefully in the mind; consider thoughtfully

Well, I guess you could say I'm pondering who and what to vote for on election day. I used to not vote. It was against the religion of the cult I grew up in. So, now that I can, I take it very seriously. It's a right and I cherish it.

A favorite quote for today...
Yes, it's okay to be fat.
~Ragen Chastain

One of my favorite things...
Prime rib. I'm a beef and potato kind of gal. My favorite meal is Prime rib of beef. Yum! It's what I had at Black Angus on Saturday.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Lets see... tomorrow I have Rathdrum Knitalong. On Wednesday I take the kittens in for their last set of shots. Thursday is the Yarnies meeting. Whew! I've got a busy week.

A peek into my day...
I went to lunch with my friend Earlee. Then I came home and made a grocery list. After that me and my daughter went to Steins Family Foods in Rathdrum and bought groceries. Now I'm sitting here writing this blog post. After I get done with this, I'll probably go start dinner.

Picture thought to share...
From the past.

Shooting Stars in Yellowstone National Park, June 2010

If you want to join the Simple Woman's Daybook, click here.

Live long and prosper. \\//




10/27/12

Caturday and a Bracelet

It's Caturday! A couple evenings ago my daughter was drinking some blue kool-aid type beverage (blueberry lemonade?). Cashmere, being the ever curious cat that he is, decided to give it a try. He liked it too-a lot. Getting to it, though, was a challenge.



I worked on the lace bead woven bracelet a little bit each day this week and finished it. Click on the photos to embiggen.



The pattern, written in French, is called Couvige and is posted on the blog Marie Noel Creations.



It's made entirely of 2 sizes of seed beads. I used a matte solid gold size 15 and silver lined a/b rootbeer size 11. But it's just as pretty using the same color for both size beads.



It's woven with a combination of Right Angle Weave and Netting stitches.



A little detail of the bracelet.



I used a button for the clasp that is just the right size to fit through the holes in the pattern.



There's a crystal in the middle of the button, but it refused to sparkle for the camera.



It was a very fun project to do.



Tonight is gonna be fun. My niece gave us tickets to see the Spokane Symphony. I am so excited!



They are playing Dvorak's 7th Symphony and a Brahms Serenade. It has been so long since I've been to the symphony. I used to go quite often. In fact, I used to play symphonies when I was in college. I was a music major at Western Washington University. My instrument is the violin, though I've also played percussion. I used to live, breath, eat, and sleep music. Those were fun days, but from another lifetime. Now I'm lucky if I get to see a performance at all. Tonight is going to be an awesome treat!




Love cats? Care to join in the fun? Go here: Tanya's Caturday

Live long and prosper. \\//


10/23/12

Bead Acquirement

I had a busy weekend. On Saturday we threw a big surprise party for my sister-in-law Kathryn's birthday. I was working on it last week but I couldn't blog about it because sometimes she visits my blog. It was a lot of work, frantically planned and put together, but it went off very very well. I am quite pleased with how it turned out. Everyone had a good time, and Kathryn was suitably surprised.

She is the one for whom I knit the Cats Paw Lace Scarf. I really honestly didn't know if she'd like it. Turns out she loved it, and so did her friends. They almost came to blows over who would steal it. (just kidding) I am happy.

On Sunday I took myself to Bead Stampede, a bead show held in October every year at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. I went by myself because I didn't decide to go until the weekend and I couldn't think of anyone I could call at that short notice. (Silly me. My friend Sandy would have gone with me.) But that was okay. I enjoyed myself anyway. In fact, I so rarely get to be just by myself these days it was kind of nice.

Anyway, I spent a couple hours browsing the booths and found a few things I decided I had to have. Got some great deals too cuz most of them were on sale. The first booth I stopped at was full of glass beads run by a very friendly fellow. He had a box of glass cabs he made that I took great pains to go through and found these two sets that are just SO gorgeous! This one makes me think of a bubbling brook.



This one sings Christmas to me. Literally. I found myself humming Christmas tunes the rest of the day.



I had a nice conversation with him. He told me he rarely takes his cabs to shows, but he always brings them to the Spokane show because they are popular here. I guess we inland northwesterners are more into the cabochon bead embroidery thing than other parts of the northwest. I found that interesting.

Speaking of cabs, I was in the market for something in stone, though I didn't really expect to find anything because Bead Stampede is predominantly about beads. But there was a booth that had this one and I fell madly in love with it.



 I do not know what kind of stone it is. I didn't think to ask. I will have to do some research.

Update edit 10/24/2012: The cabochon is Australian Chrysoprase.


They also had these strands that I decided I must have. The turquoise and tan rondelles are made of the same thing as the above cab.



I also have a strand of Labradorite, which is the grey beads with the iridescent blue in them, and a strand each of 6mm and 4mm of some Bronzite. I have larger 'focal' pieces in these two stones and bought these to go with them.

Eventually I made my way to the ZizzyZaza Beads booth, who hosts the show every year. I found some copper bead caps and an assortment of metal beads that I found intriguing enough to bring home.



When I go to Bead Stampede I'm looking for things I would not find in my local bead shops, for the most part. I found some of that.

I also look for what's New in the beading world. I didn't find any of that. I was hoping to find tila beads and the new twin seed beads, or the new kinds of dagger beads that I see a lot in the beading publications. I'm disappointed. I don't understand why no one around here is carrying them, well, except for the bead store here in Rathdrum. She has some of the Tila's.

I did get some horrible news at the show. I almost started crying. Beyond Beads Gallery in Spokane Valley is having a going out of business sale. After 21 years, Jody is closing the shop. She's moving to Maui (Take me with you!). It is the best and my favorite bead shop in the area. I am really going to miss it. Rats! I will have to make plans and take advantage of the great deals in her sale, which started yesterday. So I better get planning!

Yesterday I had to take the Camry in for it's first maintenance appointment. You know, changing the oil, rotating the tires, etc. I took along some knitting to keep me occupied while I waited. I worked on the lace cowl. Got a couple inches of it done. When I got home it was laundry and straightening up and cleaning the house to do. Then I beaded for a bit. I'm working on a lace bracelet in a fall colorway.


I'm on the third row of squares. The pattern has 5 rows. I'm thinking 3 is what I want. Anyway, I'm making progress on it.

Live long and prosper. \\//

10/20/12

It's Caturday!

Caturday 10/20/2012

Playing with a fish on a stick.


Cashmere is attracted to the game.

Merino jumps in.

Getting ready to spring.

Get that fish!

I got it!

Reach for it!

Almost got it.

Really Mom, hasn't this gone far enough?

And when did these guys get so big???




Love cats? Care to join in the fun? Go here: Tanya's Caturday

Live long and prosper. \\//

10/16/12

Conductive Mitt

I have finished the model for the gloves class.

Palm

Conductive Mitt

Pattern: Flashy Fingers Gloves by Shelley Mackie. (Made for Knit-n-Crochet)

Size: Medium

Yarn:  Schachenmayr nomotta Bravo Color in Madrid Print
Content: 100% Acrylic, sport weight

Yarn:  Conductive Thread

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in size 3.

Cast on: October 10, 2012
Bound off: October 15, 2012

Comments: I love the yarn. I had not used it before. It feels wonderful and is extremely nice to work with. One of the best quality acrylics I've come across. I hope to see more of this yarn in my future.

The pattern is okay. It runs a little on the snug side. Increasing a needle size should fix that.

I also found errors in the size medium, the size I knit. It was easy to fix. I don't want to go into details here. (You can find that info in my Ravelry notebook entry.) I added the conductive thread in at the last half inch of the index finger. Would have done all of the fingers and thumb that way but didn't have enough thread. It takes about a yard per finger. One finger is sufficient for a class model.

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I added the conductive thread in at the last half inch of the index finger. Would have done all of the fingers and thumb that way but didn't have enough thread. It takes about a yard per finger. One finger is sufficient for a class model.

Have I mentioned that we got something from our garden after all? I planted it late because we had such a cold and wet spring. I planted carrots, beets, corn, sunflowers, bachelor buttons, zinnias, and acorn squash. I did get some flowers from it in August. The corn grew about 18 inches tall, bloomed, then died. It never had any ears. The sun flowers got about 6 feet tall, then frosted to death. The squash never sprouted. The beets sprouted and then died. That is how my garden went this year. I actually gave up on the thing around the end of August.

Last weekend Sweet Hubby decided to roto-till everything under for the winter. He discovered the row of carrots actually had carrots in it! I pulled them all up. Got about a gallon of them. Most were fairly small, but oh so sweet! We've been eating them ever since. I should  have taken a picture of them right after I washed them all. Not many left now. I plan to make a carrot cake tomorrow.

We weighed the kittens today. Merino is 5lb 6oz and Cashmere is 4lb 9oz. They sure are growing fast!

Live long and prosper. \\//



10/15/12

Yellow Fuzzy Baby Hoodie

It's yellow and fuzzy.




Yellow Fuzzy Baby Hoodie

Pattern: Baby Yeti by the Berroco Design Team. (Made for Knit Wits)

Size: Newborn/3 Months

Yarn: Aldemir Yumos
Content: 100% Polyester, bulky weight

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in size 11.

Cast on: July 11, 2012
Bound off: August 14, 2012
Blocked and Assembled: October 14, 2012

Comments: This is actually a very fast knit. I just took my darn sweet time on it. The pattern calls for Berroco Plush. I substituted the Aldemir Yumos, which is very similar in weight and used one size larger needles. I had no problem getting gauge. There's a lot of sewing involved, but it doesn't take long. I steam blocked it just like I usually do.



Someones baby is gonna be warm this winter.



All in all, I'd say it was a productive weekend.

We got some RAIN yesterday. Just over half an inch! It cleaned all that smoke and dust out of the air. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow, then clear up. I can live with that.

I just looked back over last week's posts and it seems I've not mentioned the glove. Last Wednesday I got a call from the Knit-n-Crochet shop in Coeur d'Alene. They wanted to know if I would be interested in teaching a class on knitted gloves. Well, heck yes, I'm interested! I love to teach knitting. I drove into the shop to meet with the owner and figure out what I'm doing. She has some of the new conductive thread in stock and wants me to teach a class on making gloves using the thread in the fingertips so one can use their Ipad or smart phone without taking the gloves off. We decided what pattern to use, she gave me a skein of yarn and a little bit of the conductive thread and I've been working on a glove model for the class a bit each day. I've only got the thumb left, which I plan to do tonight. I only had enough thread to do one finger, so I used it on the index finger. I am looking forward to teaching the class. We'll figure out the date after I get the model done.

Knit-n-Crochet was Harmony Yarns until this year. It has a new owner and a new name now. The inside was completely redecorated and rearranged  They have a lot of awesome new yarns. I really like what the new owner has done to the place.

Today I started a batch of peach liqueur. I put it in the closet to age for 2 weeks. Then it's sugar adding time. I've done something different. I left out the cinnamon and added real vanilla extract instead. I'm looking forward to tasting it when it's done.



I have also started beading a bracelet. It starts with Right Angle Weave. When it's done it will be a rather lacy affair. This is how far I am so far. Barely put a dent in it.



The pattern is in French, so I see some time with Google Translator in my future. As you can see, I finally got away from blue. Heh heh.

Live long and prosper. \\//

10/14/12

Rainbow Cats Paw

Yesterday I blocked the Cats Paw scarf. It's all done now.




Rainbow Cats Paw Scarf

Pattern: Cats Paw Scarf by Elizabeth Lovick

Size: 70 inches by 10 inches

Yarn: Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace Yarns
Content: 80% superwash merino wool/20% nylon, worsted weight

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in size 10.

Cast on: October 1, 2012
Bound off: October 10, 2012

Comments: This is a very fast and easy knit. I'd recommend it for beginning lace knitters for certain. I love the way this stitch pattern looks in this yarn. I'd originally intended to use the yarn for and entrelac project. I like this better. It's going to be a gift. I sure hope the recipient likes it.




There is a randomness in the yarn as to what color came next as I was knitting. It made it extra interesting to work on.











Live long and prosper. \\//

P.S. It's raining! Hurray!

10/13/12

It's Caturday

Caturday 10/13/2012

Yesterday morning there was a regular ol' house fly buzzing around the living room window. It caught the attention of 2 very rascally kittens.

Hey Mom! Come see what we've found!

They stared at it for a long time, wishing they could get their little paws on it, but it was so high up. Further than they could reach!

Looking for the fly.

Merino couldn't stand it any longer. He had to get. that. fly! He came up with a 'solution'.

The daring young cat on the window edge.

The only problem was, he was standing on such a narrow edge that if he lifted one paw he would lose his balance, so he couldn't catch the fly. He could only stare at it longingly. He finally gave up and jumped down. The fly got away this time.




Love cats? Care to join in the fun? Go here: Tanya's Caturday

Live long and prosper. \\//

10/12/12

The Rose Quartz Cabochon

Click on the pics to embiggen.


I've had this rose quartz cabochon for several years.



It was given to me by the gal who taught me how to bead.



I've always considered it kind of a blah sort of cab so I decided it needed some serious embellishment to brighten it up a bit. I was inspired by 2 things. One is Jamie Cloud Eakins book Dimensional Bead Embroidery: A Reference Guide to Techniques. The other was a photo I saw here on the internet some years ago of a similarly treated cab. Unfortunately, I can't find that photo to link to now. The web site is gone.



After embroidering around it with some seed beads, I made a peyote ribbon.



I affixed the ribbon to one side of the cab twisting it around as I went, then added some bling. This is the top view.



This is the side view. I've used an assortment of pink, white, and blue beads, crystals,



and small rice pearls. This is the bottom view.



I finished it off by attaching a spiral rope stitch necklace and the toggle clasp I made last weekend.



I am very very pleased with myself. I made that blah cabochon downright exciting.



Now I need to get something to wear it with.

Live long and prosper. \\//