KnittedDayDreams

Every now and then, I will google my name + knitting patterns. Or my name + knitteddaydreams. Just to see what comes up.

Not in a narcissistic way at all, but to see where my content comes up in the search results.

My partner works in SEO (search engine optimisation for those not in the know), so I know a little bit about key search terms and ways to boost your Google rating.

It’s allowed me to see two craft blogs that have featured my patterns in a pattern roundup – one for my Rocking Around The Christmas Tree skirt and one for my Mermaid Notebook Cover.

Both times have made me so joyously happy, as being a newish designer, I don’t have much traction yet in my design work. Seeing two separate blog posts from complete strangers, where they have found my designs and liked them enough to include them to highlight them to their audience, what a thrill.

So, I do occasionally google my name, just to see if it happens again.

Now, a new website comes up.

Someone has decided to upload my free pattern, Mermaid Notebook Cover, onto a third party document sharing website.

I know this is recent, as I updated the pattern in June 2025 to use my new pattern template, so all of my designs have a cohesive look to them.

And now, I don’t know how to feel.

Should I be flattered that someone has taken the time to upload one of my designs onto a new platform without my permission?

I’m not sure that I do feel flattered though.

That particular pattern has been live for over 7 years, and at the time of writing has 602 downloads.

That may be a small number to some, but over the past 7 years, I checked on that download number every once in a while, and seeing it going up, seeing people create projects on Ravelry, made me so happy. In August last year, I was tagged in a makers Instagram post which gave me the much needed push to start designing properly.

Something I had dreamed about for a long time.

Seeing those numbers go up gave me so much hope, when for years, I had a not too pleasant place to live. One of the main reasons that I put off designing my own patterns for so long.

Seeing those numbers go up, gave me hope that there were people out there that liked my photos enough to download a pattern. They liked them enough to actually knit my design, create a project on Ravelry and give my pattern a rating.

And yes, I know that anyone can sign up for a Ravelry account and download my pattern for free. Or they can click on my Payhip store and download my pattern for free.

Some people may ask, what’s the difference?

I think the key difference is that I created that pattern. I have chosen where to upload it.

That is my choice, and should always remain my choice.

I’ve seen so many designers online talk about discovering a Discord server where users freely traded patterns.

Without a care in the world, it seems.

And the anger, outrage and upset that it caused.

This is not my full time job. I have a job that pays my bills, and designing knitting patterns and doing all of the admin that comes with it, is something that scratches the creative itch I have in my brain.

For a lot of designers, it is their full time job, and how people can steal patterns and seemingly give them away so freely, is beyond me.

The website that my pattern has been uploaded to, is a US based website. I can report a listing, but then it comes up with some legal jargon which scares me a bit.

All I want is to create patterns other people will love to make.

It gives me so much joy to go through the design process, much more than I thought it would.

Getting everything just right so I am happy with how the final version ends up. Who knew I would love formatting my patterns so much?!

But should I be flattered someone has liked my pattern enough to upload it onto another platform without my permission?

I don’t think so.

Jen x

ps. The irony is not lost on me that I discovered this today, the same day that I scheduled a post talking about updating said pattern. So, two blog posts for today it is then.