Lunch at the Rogue brewpub, followed by a visit to Knit Purl, lots of lovely yarns, friendly service. I got some Baby Ull for a cardigan for my daughter that I’ll start after the New Year, it will be my first Fair Isle project - I’ve always been a little nervous of colourwork so I figured a size 3 cardigan was a good place to start. I also stopped in at the little needlework shop next door (The Playful Needle, no we address), also very friendly service, even though all I bought was a magnetic chart-holder for my needlework charts. Apparently they do blocking and make needlework into cushions, bags etc, so maybe I’ll do that with some of the needlepoint I’ve had languishing around the house for years, to finally get it into a form where it’s not just sitting in a cupboard.

Only one person knitting in the cafe where we had coffee; not many coffee shops around downtown apart from the ubiquitous Starbucks. And although I have nothing against Starbucks, I do like patronising the smaller places where possible. I must look on delocator before we go out tomorrow.

It’s still raining outside, but even so it’s time to venture out again.

I’ll hang around the rest of the time and watch people and go to the market etc. I’ve never actually been to a fiber arts festival before so I don’t know what to expect; fortunately I’m going with a couple of friends. It should be fun!

I’ll take a photo when it’s blocked and post it.

Now I’m wondering whether I’m using the right yarn. The LYS I went into to get yarn only really had Mission Falls 1824 wool in a light-coloured worsted weight superwash, and it doesn’t seem to hold the stitch definition very well. And it looks horrible if I need to frog or tink it. I don’t have anything light-coloured in worsted weight in my stash; it’s all darker or double knitting weight. Or something other than wool, and I want to use superwash wool as it blocks up nicely.

My current plan is to knit a couple more swatches and see how they look after blocking, and if need be I’ll redo in something else. And at some stage I need to take some photos and post them and see if I can get comments on how to improve them before submitting…

It’s called Lauren’s Knitting due to a lack of imagination on my part.

It’s interesting comparing Ravelry to Facebook, as well. Surface impressions: completely different crowd, they don’t ask for any information when you sign up except for an email address, username, and password. Of course, you can add info such as birthday or where you live to your profile, but it’s not needed. Lots of links to sites outside of Ravelry, thus the site feels much more open to the rest of the world than Facebook. And maybe because it’s more focussed, it will be more appealing long-term (there already seems to be quite a lot of Facebook ennui out there in the blogosphere).

If you’re a keen knitter or crocheter, don’t be put off by the fact you have to join a waiting list; it doesn’t take long to get the invite and it looks like a worthwhile resource. One neat item: the yarn listing includes people’s destash info.

Originally published on Anyway, my other blog.

You can think of a written knitting pattern as being the schema, with a set of instructions, just like the schema’s content model. Then each knitted item you make that conforms to that knitting pattern is like the document instance that conforms to the schema. Schemas can be restrictive or allow lots of instance structure variations, as can knitting patterns. And, to tie it into my previous post on knitting and copyright, a schema can be copyrighted (and often is). The analogy does have a few problems when you start trying to figure out the relationship of the set of tags in a document instance and the content within those tags; if you think of the knit and purl stitches as being the elements, then the yarn would be the content. Except for, yarn can’t really be original in the same way as the content in an XML document can be. Some people may disagree when it comes to hand-painted yarns, of course.

Originally published on Anyway, my other blog.

The issue was whether a knitting pattern can be copyrighted. I believe that the complete pattern with all the words can be copyrighted in the same way as all my other postings are copyrighted. If it’s original content that I created, and I haven’t assigned the copyright to anyone else, then I have the copyright. So the main question is, can the straightforward description of the stitches (i.e., the “k1, p1″ bit) be copyrighted? Mark claims it can’t, because you can’t copyright the design and stitches. A related issue is whether you can impose licensing conditions on someone making the article described in the pattern (in the case of the cushion I designed, giving attribution).

Traditionally knitting has been about people making variations on known ideas. Elizabeth Zimmerman, one of the knitting gurus, used the word “unvented” to describe techniques that she discovered. She was convinced that someone else had probably discovered the technique long ago, but not written it down, so what she was doing was re-inventing, or “unventing”. She also encouraged people to make variations on patterns, to make things their own. However, there are the legal aspects of copyright to consider. In the US, a knitting pattern falls under the Visual Arts category for copyright as long as it follows the basic rules. Copyright protects “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible form of expression. In the UK, I assume knitting patterns would fall under the written work category, as it includes instruction manuals (a knitting pattern is arguably an instruction manual). For Canadian law, it’s easier to refer to the web site written by an IPR lawyer. From there I read Section 5(1) of the Copyright Act specifies that copyright subsists in every “original” literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work. So my cushion pattern, since it is original in that sense, does have copyright protection. Including the arrangement of the stitches (or the basic “k1, p1″ stuff). The stitch patterns on their own, the modules that I built the cushion pattern out of, which are traditional, aren’t copyrighted, of course. It’s my arrangement of them to form the cushion pattern that is.

The other question is what conditions I can impose on someone who wants to copy the pattern, or make articles from it. In my pattern, I specifically said people shouldn’t copy the pattern, but should link to it instead. And that they can use the pattern to make articles, even for sale, as long as they give me attribution for the pattern. Most free knitting patterns contain the condition that the person not make the article for sale, but I decided I didn’t object to that.

From all my reading, it’s perfectly allowable (note I’m not saying anything about the moral aspects here) to impose such conditions on anyone wishing to copy the pattern or use it to make a cushion. You should not simply assume that because you have permission to make a copy of the sweater or afghan by following the pattern, you also have permission to deal with that work in any way, for example by selling what you made. In the knitting industry, it’s very common for people to say that the resulting article may not be sold, and this is basically a contract that the knitter agrees to in using the pattern.

In fact, the industry norm is that items made from any pattern that the knitter buys or downloads (even free patterns) may only be made for the knitter or as gifts. So in the absence of a copyright notice on the pattern, it could be argued that those would be the implied conditions of use. This is not universally accepted; here’s the starting point to one long discussion I read where this point was argued back and forth. I note, however, that even the person arguing that the knitted articles should be able to be sold also argued that credit should be given to the designer.

References

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wwp
http://www.copyright.gov/register/va-examples.html
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy
http://www.girlfromauntie.com/copyright/
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall03/FEATcopyright.html
http://community.livejournal.com/knitting/8179698.html

Disclaimer

I am not a lawyer, I don’t know any lawyers personally who deal with the issue of copyright in knitting, and thus although I have read quite a lot about the subject, any detailed questions you may have should be taken to someone who is properly qualified. And all of this legal stuff does vary with the country/state/province you live in. Most of my reading has been based on Canadian and US law; the laws in other countries may vary considerably. I do hope that people who know more about the subject than I do will comment.

Originally published on Anyway, my other blog.

I really must figure out how to take decent photos of my knitted articles; I never seem to be able to get the colour just right. This cushion, for example, is in a soft lilac; Sirdar Pure Cotton Double Knitting colour 30 to be precise. But then I look at online colour charts and they’re not much (if any) better.

The cushion is knitted in two pieces, at a slightly firmer tension (since it’s for a cushion) than you’d use for a garment. I used the cable cast-on to give a firmer edge as well, though if you’re more comfortable with another cast-on, use that. I used 5 skeins of yarn (double-knitting; 185 yds/169 m per 100g skein; 100% cotton; recommended gauge 21 st x 28 r on 4 mm needles) for both sides, with enough for swatching and seaming, and with some left over. It’s machine-washable, but should be dried flat. It blocked out nicely to a little over 43 cm (17 in) to fit an 46 cm (18 in) cushion insert.

Side 1: a standard almost-plaited cable stitch using 4.5 mm needles. You may want to try out cabling without using a cable needle for this one. My gauge over the pattern stitch: 36 st x 29 rows to 10.5 x 10.5 cm (4.1 in).

Cast on 146 stitches.
Row 1: k all st
Row 2: p all st
Row 3: k1, *6 st right cable (hold st to back so the stitches cross from left to right), repeat from * until 1 st left, k1
Row 4: p all st
Row 5: k all st
Row 6: p all st
Row 7: k4, *6 st left cable (hold st to front so the stitches cross from right to left), repeat from * until 4 st left, k4
Row 8: p all st
Repeat these 8 rows for 132 rows total or until the cushion length matches the width; for me that was (unblocked) 42.5 x 42.5 cm (16.7 in), with 16.5 repeats of the pattern. Bind off.

The result looks like this:

Side 2: a traditional Aran pattern flanked by cables, knitted on 3.25 mm needles. My gauge for stocking stitch on these needles was 22 st per 10 cm (4 in). “Cable 3 to right” means put 3 stitches on the cable needle, put the needle behind the work, knit the next 3 stitches, knit the 3 from the cable needle. “Cable 3 to left” means put 3 stitches on cable needle, put the cable needle in front of the work, knit the next 3 stitches, knit the stitches from the cable needle.

Cast on 99 stitches.
Row 1: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k7, p1, k7, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 2: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 3: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k5, p1, k3, p1, k5, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 4: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p4, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p4, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 5: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k3, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k3, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 6: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p2, k1, p2. k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 7: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k1, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k1, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 8: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p2, k1, p3, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 9: k16, p1, cable 3 to right, p1, k15, p3, k2, p1, k2, p1, k3, p1, k2, p1, k2, p3, k15, p1, cable 3 to left, p1, k16
Row 10: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p4, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p4, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 11: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k3, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k3, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 12: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p3, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 13: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k4, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k4, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 14: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 15: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k5, p1, k3, p1, k5, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 16: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p7, k1, p7, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 17: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k6, p1, k1, p1, k6, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 18: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 19: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k7, p1, k7, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 20: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16

Continue the pattern until the cushion is square, for me that was 135 rows. Bind off, then block to match the size of the other side. Pin together right side out, and either crochet around the edges, or stitch them together. Don’t forget to put the cushion pad in before you close the last side! I used the Armenian stitch (a variation on buttonhole stitch) from Montse Stanley’s Knitter’s Handbook : A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Techniques of Handknitting (a very good reference book, BTW, but probably a bit scary for beginning knitters); you can also find instructions on the web.

Feel free to use the pattern to make items, even for sale, but I do require attribution. Please don’t repost the pattern on any website; link to it instead. Thanks!

Originally published on Anyway, my other blog.

So I got some yarn in time for the trip to Hawaii, thinking it would be a good chance to get some knitting in. I tried two patterns, one from a book of my great-aunt’s, and one on the web; I preferred the web pattern (they’re the bootees on the right). Once the baby arrived of course, we rediscovered why we hadn’t used the bootees we had with our first child; they don’t stay on the feet! Socks or outfits with feet built-in are much more practical. Although I did discover that if you put socks on first, the bootees do stay on longer.

The results of the Hawaii knitting are here, showcased on a tablecloth I got in Hawaii…

The jacket is a seamless cabled jacket, knitted in Baby Soft by Lana Gatto from this pattern. The only slightly tricky bit was making the increases work into the cable pattern properly, that required a piece of paper and a certain amount of calculating. Other than that, a reasonably easy knit and the yarn is lovely and soft. I just hope she spends as much (or more) time wearing it as I did knitting it!

Originally published on Anyway, my other blog.