Pattern inspirations

Where do you get your project inspirations from?

If you're like me, sometimes they appear from out of no where, like a bolt of lightening. Other times they creep in in the depth of night. Occasionally, in the shower or the car.

Do you find yourself intently gazing on strangers in line ahead of you - desperately attempting to figure out the pattern before their needs are met or striking up conversations just to find out if they created the item themselves?

"Sorry for staring but I LOVE that sweater. Did you make it yourself?"

Do you find yourself noticing every person around you that is wearing a knit and proceed to critique the color choices and designs in your mind?

"I would have chosen royal purple and blue. Perhaps made the design start a little higher here. Oh, maybe some fringe there...yes, I like that..."

What do you do when the inspiration is no longer there?

These are some things that I've found helpful:

• I keep the yarn label from skein I use (if there is one). Most labels contain at least one project and many give website addresses for the company. A lot of companies provide free or economical projects through the web now.


• When browsing at the craft store I always pick up new project flyers. Even if the design doesn't appeal to me, sometimes it will inspire me to try new stitches or stitch combinations.


• I browse craft and book stores for new magazines and books each visit. My limited budget prevents me from purchasing all of the ones I like, so I make a list of the interesting ones for further research. Sometimes you can find them later at a thrift shop or online at a more reasonable price.


• Your local library is a treasure in itself! I've found many interesting books there. My favorites are the older books. Even though the pictures may not be as colorful or detailed, you may find design ideas that other people have forgotten over the years.


• Web searches for free patterns usually result in thousands of project ideas. Who can't find inspiration with that many options?


• Don't rule out books you already have. If you haven't used the books recently you may have forgotten all that they contain. Take another look. You just might be surprised!


• Try Ravelry. It's the best website, in my opinion, for these types of searches because you can search by yarn (that you may have on hand), by project style, by color, etc... This is a fantastic way to destash. The best part is that most of the projects will have comments by the maker. You'll know in advance to watch out for certain things or truly how difficult or simple a pattern.

Remember that if you're going to sell something it needs to be your own original pattern. It's okay to duplicate patterns for yourself or as a gift for someone, but once money becomes involved it needs to be your own personal creation.

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That being said, I do create my own patterns, mostly due to my own inability to willingly follow a written pattern. However, I was thinking the other day, some of my personal pattern creations are fairly simplistic in nature. A given considering that I'm new to the fiber arts world.

What are the chances that no one has ever copyrighted a basic knit stitched poncho or a double crochet dishcloth???? Very slim. So what would give someone the right to copyright such a basic design? Do you think someone has? (Probably, since they've been using these methods for hundreds of years...) Or would it need to be an intricate design to be copyrighted? How long are copyrights enforceable?

These are little things I've been thinking about over the past few days, since viewing a post about this on Etsy. Honestly, it's something I hadn't considered. Do any of you know the ins and outs of these laws or have any input? I'd love to hear about it...