Alveare & advanced price change notice
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 12:34PM Sometimes you just want a quick knit, something you don't need to think about too much, and something that flows easily. The same happens with design - I needed something that I knit without ripping, something that had pleasant, simple elements, and something that wouldn't cause me a headache when pattern writing.
I knit this Hat during our drive down from the UK to Italy. When we take our long road trips I'll often work whilst Tom is driving - if Aran is asleep or content with his travel toys, I take the time to catch-up. I'd been reformatting a number of patterns and pattern writing, and the urge for a simple knit took over. I started playing with some of the Zitron Nimbus Merino in plain shades, the same yarn that I worked with for the Nimbus beanie, and this Hat grew effortlessly!
It's not quite a slouchy beret, not quite a slouchy beanie, more somewhere inbetween. I like how the wide rib of the brim reflects the horizontal rib of the body. I couldn't resist adding the bobble, which is more a teardrop shape than a ball - it is optional if you don't fancy that little bit of whimsy!
Alveare is the Italian for beehive - I played with lots of words to get the right name, something that explained it's texture, and thought this word had a rather nice ring to it. Here's the specs:
Materials:
100g/200m/218yds Nimbus Organic Merino Aran (100% Merino)
OR 100g/219m/240yds Araucania Nature Wool Multi (100% Wool)
Set 4mm DPN's
Set 4.5mm DPN's
Stitch marker as necessary
Tapestry needle
Gauge:
18 sts x 24 rows to 10cm/4" on 4.5mm needles over St.St
Sizes:
To fit sizes: S (M, L), 19 (21, 23) inches, 48.25 (53.25, 58.5) cm
Finished size: 16 (17.75, 19.25) inches, 40.5 (45, 49) cm
Format: written only
Alveare costs £2.50, and is already available for download. Enjoy!
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I've had to do a fair bit of restructuring with my prices over the last few months, and this is because of print distribution and the costs of paper and ink. There are now 2 price brackets for my patterns - £2.50 for those that fit one page plus the cover, and £2.75 for the others. I may need to introduce a 3rd one, £3.00, because most of the sideways designs with their more complex charts take up a lot of space, and I get virtually nothing from the print sales of those. I'm still thinking about this, though, and will see if there's another option open to me.
One decision that I have made hasn't been easy, and that's to change a few of my free patterns to paid-for. These patterns will be going into print distribution, and I felt it wasn't fair that shop customers would have to pay and online ones not.
There aren't many that will change, and I've thought long and hard about which patterns will, and what their changes will be. Here's the changes and how it will work:
Lucy - this was originally published in Magknits, now defunct. The charts have already been redrawn, and once the layout is finished it will be tech edited and a price added of £2.75. It will go up for sale from the end of November.
Arbacia - published in the now closed magazine, The Inside Loop. The free version will remain as long as the owners of the site keep it live. The charts will be redrawn and the pattern re-tech edited and offered for sale for £2.75 from the end of November. The link to the free pattern will remain on Rav and my website, and the pattern will have a note explaining that the old version is still available.
Spring Cap - this was originally published as a for sale pattern, then offered free - I took it down days after publishing it because I didn't think anyone would be interested in it. I will reknit the sample & rephotograph it, probably have charts added and have it fully tech edited. This won’t be ready before December, and will cost £2.50
I’m also considering adding Urbanista to my print line, although the free version at Knitty will remain. Haven’t fully decided on this one yet.
I appreciate that making free patterns into for-sale patterns isn’t a popular move, and it wasn’t an easy decision, but like any small business owner in this current climate, I need to keep the money coming in. I don't earn a lot and thankfully our lifestyle is incredibly cheap, but I am the only wage earner, and really, any designers should be paid for the time they put into a pattern. (I earnt a total of £25 for the 3 patterns above. That's not each, that's total!) Print distribution is a big move for me, which hopefully will make my business more stable. All of the patterns mentioned will be improved, to justify the cost.
There are still plenty of free patterns available, and the majority of them will stay as they, especially if they’ve been published in online magazines. There is also still plenty of time to download them before things change, and it's only fair to give an advanced warning!
I hope you can appreciate my reasons for making a few changes :)
Reader Comments (7)
Fully supportive. Although free is my favourite price, I'd prefer designers felt able to spend time doing quality patterns that are right, look good and (where possible!) error-free. For this they (you) should be compensated. And it's not like you're going for the big bucks, particularly, either - your patterns are still dead reasonable.
Sounds like a perfectly sensible move to me :-) Thanks for all the patterns you continue to provide for free, and agree the others are very reasonably priced (and very clear with good charts). Love the latest design, and happen to have some Nature Wool in stash, hurrah :-)
There really isn't much to add, except that any choice a designer makes about how s/he chooses to earn a living is their own. You do excellent work and we look forward to listing any and all patterns of yours sooner rather than later. Cheers!
I love the new hat design!! I will definitely be buying it once we've finished moving house this month! I agree with the others that you need to do what you need to do make a living with your knit- design -- I love your patterns and will continue to buy them even if I have to save up a little longer to do it!
Are you kidding me? You do terrific work and should be paid for it! Good for you for taking the step!
I'll be honest and say that the only pattern of yours I've ever made is Arbacia and I love it. The amount of work you obviously put into it makes me fully agree that it should be a paid for pattern and I'll defiantly be buying a copy when it's in print. I'll also be having to get Alveare as well I think, perfect for my sister.
I think 2.50 pounds is still peanuts for the amount of time that must go into designing the patterns! You've got every right to charge for your time.