The Truth about Vintage Knitting Patterns and Copyright

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Hello everyone,

Time for another blogpost, as I promised I would be blogging more often....

I became a member of the Knitting and Crochet Guild (KCG) since June last year and to be honest, apart from receiving their interesting and informative monthly newsletters and my membership card have not made proper use of my membership to actually feel part of this wonderful community.

For my £25 yearly membership I thought I should at least make good use of their huge library of vintage patterns – yippee, I was so excited and although I have amassed a huge collection of patterns myself, I thought it would be really great to have copies of patterns I don't have in my collection, thus avoiding having to purchase a copy from the various ebay and etsy sellers out there on the world-wide web, I really do hate buying copies but sometimes I see a copy of a pattern that I really want and I just have to buy it.  Any knitter with a passion for their handy artwork will agree and we have all bought copies at some time or other.

The Knitting and Crochet Guild are reputable so they would not breach copyright in providing me with copies from certain brands/names. Fair enough and to be frank and honest with you, it is the availability of copies of knitting patterns that is making it all so diluted and commercial and really does spoil the exclusivity for collectors, thus bringing down the value of original patterns. Why buy an original if you can get a copy at a fraction of the price?

I thought it would be good to share their response with my fellow knitters:- 

Patterns that are less than 70 years old are still in copyright.  KCG have permission from Coats and Thomas B Ramsden to copy their vintage leaflets which covers Patons, Scotch Wool shops, Copley, Coats, Bellmans, Wendy, Robin, Emu and Twilleys.  

Sirdar is a separate company still and Bestway are owned by IPC magazines. 

With regards to Bairnswear and Golden Eagle, they do not know who owns copyright so it would be difficult to get permission.  Does anyone out there know who owns copyright – seems a complete mystery….surely if no one claims copyright there can be no breach of copyright to sell or to photocopy them?

With respect to IPC magazines, they are not generous giving permission for copies to be available – so beware all you ebay and etsy sellers selling copies of Bestway and any other patterns, you are apparently breaching copyright if you are selling copies of patterns less than 70 years old.  Unless of course you have asked permission to do so and we all know the answer to that question don't we?  

KCG advised that anyone selling Bestway and Sirdar knitting pattern copies in particular, should not sell them unless they have the permission from IPC Media and Sirdar to sell them.

Well that certainly cleared up a bit of the myth, so basically 1930s patterns are already out of copyright.  1940-June 1944 patterns will be out of copyright by tomorrow, July 1^st and so on…

Happy Knitting one and all, I hope this information was useful!

Buttermilk and the Wood Violet

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Hip Hip Hooray I say, it is truly summertime at last and my Blog is active again.......my knitting focus is feminine knitwear for the lovely ladies who like a bit of femininity in their sweaters.

My latest creation is absolutely beautiful, even if I do say so myself.  It's the fabulous Wood Violet and this one is hot off the MM needles.  It's not going to appear on my etsy site just yet, as I will need to get a lovely petite model to wear it first so I can take some marvellous pictures.  It's lovely new owner could be you!

This style is most feminine and the vintage brooch just finishes off the neckline perfectly don't you think?  I will be selling this sweater with the brooch as they go so well together.

A beautiful brooch to compliment the elegant neckline, just the right size to keep focus on the main design of this charming sweater.

I knitted this sweater using some Patons Pure Wool 4ply, it is 100% wool so will keep it's shape when washed.

The back of the sweater looks just as nice as the front!  So pretty.

I used dark yellow vintage buttons which compliment the buttermilk colour in every way.  Remember ladies that each sweater is unique so I will pack a spare button and wool as well as washing instructions to the lucky purchaser.

What a swell profile, a sweater-girl's dream even in the modern world we live in......

For all your sweater girl needs, please visit my etsy site:www.etsy.com/shop/MicheleMarckKnitwear

Out with the old, in with the new

Michele Marck Knitwear is my new trading name, why you may ask?

Basically, all my knitwear designs are classic, timeless and bang up to date with what the modern man and woman would want to wear.

For the women, its feminine, durable, wearable and does not look out of date if worn in the office, at weekends, in every day life, for instance, you would not have to go to a Vintage Event to wear it so basically the word "Vintage" just had to disappear.

For the men, again its masculine and very wearable and many designer labels are selling items of the same designs based on traditional styles of the past, the difference being, most of it is highly overpriced and machine knitted as opposed to being hand knitted.

This year has been a very busy one for me as I changed jobs whilst still focusing on knitting and supplying the knitwear you all love, its been a tough and challenging one to say the least…..

However, I recently enlisted the help of my dear aunt who is a very keen and experienced knitter and she has been knitting the pieces of some of the knitwear whilst I focus on the sewing up and trimmings for each item of knitwear.  Together we work brilliantly and without her help I would not have been able to have produced many sweaters this year…….so a big big THANK YOU to my Aunt Val who lives in Derbyshire.

Here is a picture gallery of some of the sweaters we have created this year, with many more to come in 2014.

My Etsy shop is open for business…..click here to see more