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Knitting-verse! Let's talk about inclusivity.
I have followed the whole pattern sharing/theft debate and found myself wanting. Wanting of a less moralizing view and one that factors in poverty (inside and outside of the global north). Also perspectives about what can be changed to actually include poor people in this craft.
@flips from a rhetoric point of view, this is an excellent post. I’m not sure it’s possible to answer “there are more completely free, high quality patterns than anyone could knit in a lifetime” without immediately qualifying as moralising.
@kerravonsen @venite I don't think that's moralizing. And I think you are right that they are a great deal of available patterns.
But it's also about access to the community in my eyes. Why shouldn't poor people be able to knit recent "trending" patterns only because they i.e. come from a country where those patterns cost two days wages? I am looking for ways to include those people and not just say they should not participate.
@kerravonsen @flips I get that some people get a kick out of making the same thing together and that it can scratch a social itch, but spending weeks or months of time plus yarn money on something that does not suit me exactly 100% feels like a waste to me. I will never do a Stephen West MKAL. But I will try to help anyone who asks a question in the knitting group and squeal over every finished object I find pretty or impressive or have seen the maker grow into. That’s community for me.
@kerravonsen @flips same, although I agree that someone can feel left out because it’s too expensive. I do hope they don’t feel like they don’t belong in the knitting community because of it, though.
@venite @kerravonsen I am not just talking about trends. But I am just thinking, why should everyone pay the same when the what they pay isn't worth the same? In my community there is a lot of flexible pricing: People who have more can choose to pay more and people who have less, pay less. I have only seen that on one knitting pattern so far. I think it should be an equal access so that it can be a choice to buy or use free resources.
I think that has an influence on who feels & is included
@venite @kerravonsen I hear a lot right now about how knitting is resistance, knitting is revolutionary - so I don't think it's too much to ask how we can take everyone with us
@flips @kerravonsen I think a pay-what-you-can model is to be applauded, and down with capitalism etc., but it makes me very sad that people think we “can’t take everyone with us” or can’t be revolutionary because some patterns cost money. That’s such a reductive view of the community and makes me think we should work much harder at enabling people to really express themselves with their knitting.
@venite @kerravonsen I just think events like this discord show that there is an interest in those patterns. and instead of saying "you shouldn't want that" we could think of ways to make that possible. and find out why the need is there. Imagine a new knitter who is fat. Most free patterns come in a smaller size range and they don't know yet how to adjust that themselves.
@flips @venite
Let me restate what I think you are saying:
1. SOME patterns are expensive for people in poor countries.
2. This is not fair. They OUGHT to be cheaper.
3. "We" ought to "do something".
So, what options are there?
1. Steal them. (not an option)
2. Buy them and "share" them (aka steal them) (not an option)
3. Pester the pattern-sellers (some of which are big corps) to change to a pay-what-you-can model. (Won't work. The big corps will laugh at you, and the individual pattern makers need to put bread on the table.)
4. Buy a pattern twice and give the second one away. (Might work, though there could be some tricky logistics.)
5. Set up a charity which essentially does (4) but on a larger scale.