Asking Your Opinion

I have a question for all of you...

When is a pattern no longer the pattern and becomes your own design?Remember Haley's fingerless mitts? I heavily modified Louisa Harding's pattern from Knitting Little Luxuries. From the moment they were done, they became very popular. Okay, maybe not "very" popular, I only have three Favorites on Ravelry (you can fav it too, here. Not that I'm begging). But I was asked to make a couple of more pairs for someone else.

Then one of our members of the knitting group asked me what modifications I made. I showed her where in the book that I made changes, but made her buy the book. I did see her later that week and helped her out with the pattern a little bit more. She made hers more like the pattern.

Then I got an email from a knitter in the UK. She was wondering if I would sell her my version of the pattern. Of course, I said that I wouldn't charge her. It's not my pattern, or is it? I didn't think that I could help her through the modifications like I did the first knitter the same through email. So, I wrote out the pattern as I made it and strongly urged her to buy the book.

As I wrote out the pattern, I realized that I had an almost completely different pattern. Here are all the changes I made.

1. I switched it to knit in the round, not flat and sewn up. This is relevant is knowing when to purl and when to knit. I had to write out all of the individual rows when working the lace.
   
2. I changed the stitch count. Twice actually for two sizes.
3. Because of how I changed the stitch count, there is a decrease that is left out.
   
4. I shortened the 2x2 rib and the palm. (I feel like she can't have a copyright on the ribbing because this is a common look on many patterns).
   
5. I used a completely different thumb. She uses a gusset while I did what I call an afterthought thumb.
6. Then I changed the lace on the finger end and the thumb.
7. The lace on the cuff looks the same and the picot edges are the same.
   

So, is it really still the copyrighted pattern that inspired me?

Just because I have doubts about this particular pattern, I will continue to give Louisa Harding the credit. Though next time I might choose to use the "not available - this is a heavily modified version of a design" option on Ravelry.

It is something that I need to know, as I find myself making modifications in a lot of patterns. Though few are as heavy as this one was.

Of course, xeroxing a pattern out of a book and using it is like pirating a movie. But what if you loan someone your movie? You DID buy the movie and someone is just borrowing it. Are we able to do that with pattern books in this knitting world we live in?

Is heavily modifying a pattern like when you see Julia Roberts in a beautiful dress at the Oscars and then there are about 20 rip offs of the dress in stores later that month? Cause to me, that seems legal. Or is the fact that I read the pattern first and not just saw a picture of it, make it not count?

There are some modifications that are simply that. Like making a sweater fit you better because you are long wasted or big busted. I just want to know when a pattern is no longer the pattern?