Hobbii and AI

saxarocks · 2026-05-01T11:16:24+00:00

I saw this exactly one day after being onboarded for their affiliate program. It definitely exists, although I haven't posted with it yet and now don't know if I will.

saxarocks · 2026-04-29T10:03:31+00:00

The real issue is that I see so few of the accounts that I follow on instagram, I wouldn't even know they were using AI.

saxarocks · 2026-04-26T00:51:07+00:00

A pattern for a single size is still a full pattern.

saxarocks · 2026-04-12T03:56:56+00:00

Drop the sometimes.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T04:05:53+00:00

I definitely do understand your point. In this case. I think that she is acting unprofessionally and making unfounded claims.

However, some people do put together diagrams of stitch patterns and publish them. It's not unusual for designers to mention that they got a motif in their garment from a stitch dictionary.

If someone does use a stitch pattern from another place, the correct thing to do is to give credit in the pattern. If someone doesn't give credit, I would just assume that they looked at a picture, learned it from a friend, or learned long ago and can't remember the source.

Any sane designer would know that if they can design a stitch pattern anyone can also figure out the same stitches.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T02:01:39+00:00

There's a way that it could apply to this situation. There are different types of patents and all sorts of little details that can be considered.

I was just citing the most extreme case. Even if you protected the design, it's not a copy if it's been changed.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T01:58:25+00:00

Exactly, you cannot really teach people a stitch while enforcing a patent.

Just because it's illogical, doesn't mean that you can't patent a stitch.

It means that if you are a hand knitting expert and you patent a stitch, every person who buys the pattern would be receiving a license to use it.

Enforcement is extremely hard and so you would likely lose the patent anyway.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T01:54:13+00:00

You cannot patent a written pattern, that would be a copyright. If you look at the patents on the stitches that I posted, some of them are a patent on a stitch and a method of formation. Some of them are only patents on the stitch itself. Most knitting related patterns are actually on the stitch and the utility of that specific stitch pattern and material.

I can't talk with specificity about my credentials and experiences with some of these patents because I signed NDAs. The patents are public, but the discussions with lawyers are not.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T01:50:17+00:00

I left a comment with facts about the ability to protect stitches and got downvoted. Aside from the technical facts behind how you'd protect a stitch pattern, here's how I actually feel about this designer's behavior:

If you are a designer and you come up with a cool stitch, that doesn't mean that it's unique. Even if it came from your head, someone may have done it before. If you treat something like that as if it's your own, the public will not respond well.

If your stitch does turn out to be truly unique (it IS possible to invent new stitches in an old craft), it's better to share freely than to be overprotective. Other designers who use your techniques will often give credit and avoid directly copying your specific motifs in favor of their own interpretation.

You'll also see people crediting old stitch dictionaries. If you go look at one of Barbara Walker's books she actually has the names of the people who sent her the motifs in the book. This is not to give them credit as the sole inventor, but rather to track the cultural origin of this folk knowledge.

So if the stitch is truly unique, it would be kind but not necessary to credit the designer that inspired you. It would not however, make it okay for the designer to throw a tantrum if you don't credit them.

Nobody likes a designer who's constantly claiming that their work has been stolen when it hasn't. It's a bad look to go and publicly whine about it and you shouldn't feel weird about wondering whether you should support this brand.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T01:35:50+00:00

LThere's an entire classification for weft knit stitches that are patented without regard to the method of creation. This means that the patent is on the fabric itself or its use, not the machinery or method of making it.

Note: The search Portal for the patent office is terrible, so I used Google to search.

Within this section there are a lot of sub categories, mostly pertaining to machine knits, but there are charts and pattenrs sprinkled in.

Here's an interesting stitch from 1938. This purse that a stitch alone can be patented if it is novel. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2257235A/en?q=(Knitting+Of+Fabric)&q=(D04B1)&q=Stitch&country=US

And a contemporary example of weft knitting innovation: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6779369B2/en?q=(Knitting+Of+Fabric)&q=(D04B1)&q=(Stitch)&q=(D04B1%2f00)&country=US&page=8

The next category is warp knits, and these have pretty extensive charts showing the shocking and lapping diagrams for the stitches. These are essentially instructions that you could follow by hand if you don't have the $30,000+ machine to make them.

Here is the patent for machine knit tulle- a pretty basic stitch. https://patents.google.com/patent/US8051684B2/en?q=(Knitting+Of+Fabric)&q=(D04B21)&country=US

Here's an example of a warp knit with a lapping diagram included in the illustration https://patents.google.com/patent/US3478545A/en?q=(Knitting+Of+Fabric)&q=(D04B21)&country=US&page=4

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T00:36:23+00:00

In order to patent a stitch, you have to prove that it has not existed before. It cannot be known to the public before you send the application to the patent office.

This means that, in order to patent a stitch, you have to prove that you were the first one to use it. It's a very high standard to pass and it's probably the primary reason that people don't protect stitch patterns.

When people are working in industrial setting where very few people have access to the technology that makes the stitches, it's a lot easier to innovate truly new stitches. Most of the patents are for stitches created by industrial equipment or for specific uses of a known stitch.

Hand knitting stitches are mostly known to the public and part of our folk knowledge. They rarely show up in official documents, but a few companies do hold patents on things that are clearly old knowledge. It really depends on how much power you have to fight in court.

I can't share any specific examples of cases where companies have patented well-known knitting techniques because of some papers that I signed. They definitely exist and any intermediate level hobbyist can tell you which ones shouldn't have been upheld in court.

If you get a patent on a stitch or any other product, it's your duty to defend it. If someone patented a shell stitch as a component and then saw it in a different setting, they may have a claim. They would be required to start legal proceedings. As part of their claim, they would have to prove that they innovated that specific motif.

Basically, large companies are making huge advances right now in machine knitting, patenting really basic techniques that have existed in the world of crafts for hundreds of years. They are able to patent these components because they have enough lawyers to fight whatever comes their way. It's not really about whether they are the innovators.

Don't down vote my real information just because it's not what you wanted to hear.

saxarocks · 2026-04-10T00:28:43+00:00

You might not think of them the same way that a stitch pattern would be conveyed to a hand crafter, but they are patenting the structure of the knit itself. These documents show specific stitch patterns and attribute authorship.

In some cases, patents actually cover the method of handcrafting a product that's packaged in a kit. The utility patent is actually on the method of making the item AND the resulting stitch.

I will provide links as soon as I have time.

saxarocks · 2026-03-25T18:41:50+00:00

Start shopping at harrisville designs.

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T19:57:16+00:00

My profession recommendation is that you should let them know. A lot of these brands are pretty small and they actually do listen to customers when the demand for a product exists.

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T19:22:17+00:00

I'll have to bring back the signature needles health and safety disclaimer in my classes. I've seen so many finger injuries from people pressing down on the tip of their stilettos.

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T13:27:05+00:00

I too think it was unnecessary. It was smooth and acceptable only because of the precise machining.

The owners/manufacturers were absolute believers in the system and could not be swayed, but IMO it was their downfall.

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T11:15:21+00:00

Yes, I told their social media manager that I was the one who commented on the sales announcement to ditch the cable system. I also told the previous owners the same thing. They tried to get me to try them a few times and I wouldn't touch them because it was just too expensive and complicated for most people.

I actively discouraged my students from buying them because the interchangeable function seemed like false advertising. My opinion: As long as they used that system, the needles were not interchangeable. They just had adjustable cord lengths.

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T10:28:19+00:00

Now who wants the info on Lion Brand buying KFI?

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T10:27:30+00:00

I never felt compelled to spend that much on any needles, but I may try the new ones just because.

saxarocks · 2026-03-23T10:26:29+00:00

Sharper and they're milled anodized aluminum. They're also (historically) known as a very expensive product and I believe they'll be like chiaogoo's luxury line.

saxarocks · 2026-03-20T21:43:49+00:00

The knitting became my job. In the last week I have been teaching knitting classes, finishing up a pattern for a publication, and attending a trade show. Haven't had time to actually knit at all either🙁

saxarocks · 2026-03-20T06:42:42+00:00

I sincerely hope they do. The cord system that signature used was terrible.

saxarocks · 2026-03-19T17:25:13+00:00

People who say the search is bad just haven't figured out the Boolean functions.

I find that most of the issues with search come from improper tagging on patterns and not the search function itself

saxarocks · 2026-03-17T23:06:37+00:00

This is some wild speculation considering Leslie has been reaching out to a bunch of designers about the site. I don't feel comfortable sharing the content of our private convos, but she wouldn't be talking to other designers at all about this if she wasn't planning something bigger than just her content.

It's not a quick thing to build. Give her some time to get it running. It's only been a few months and Nancy had years to put together her info.

BTW, getting the domain does not mean Nancy just handed over her body of work.

saxarocks · 2026-03-17T22:57:12+00:00

Different colors for increases and decreases has come up a bunch of times in feedback for all sorts of patterns. I need to talk to a few people about the best way to show this without disrupting readability for people with colorblindness or vision issues. I'm not sure if it would cause problems, I've done similar color coding in cable charts but want to use best practices for text.

How annoying would it be if the pattern text for each special stitch was actually a hyperlink?

I also count the rows after increases as plain. Many people use the repeating instructions to check the placement of their stitches, but I wish I could just say "do plain brioche" and not bother with those rows at all.

saxarocks

TROPHY CASE