It’s easily done. Finding and saving an image from a Google search, then the thought of searching for the original image, then getting permissions, just seems far too much like hard work. I seriously need to start smacking my hand and pulling my socks up over this.
I don’t think I mentioned my new little job that I got recently, I’m very excited, but also somewhat stunned. There’s a sense that someone is going to realise my lack of an English qualification and, well, my English teacher, if only she knew!
I guess all my years writing reports at work have taught me something.
Ok, so, I hope you’re all sitting down for this… my job title…
Dye Editor
Yep, you read that right. I’m the new dye editor for a magazine, the weavers, spinners and dyers guild magazine called “The Journal”.
I nicked the image from their website (No, this isn’t the way to credit the author if the image!) www.thejournalforwsd.org.uk.
At University we use the APA 6th referencing system, but at the journal we use the Harvard system, so not only do I have to get to grips with referencing, I have two ways of referencing to get my head around.
Thankfully, the internet isn’t just a source of images waiting to be nicked.
There are websites and apps called referencing generators where you fill in the details and it comes up with the reference to copy and paste.
Another useful tip is to adjust your image search settings for image copyrights. Even if you do reference an image you may still find you have no permission to use the image.
Then of course is finding the original author of an image. Just because it’s on someone’s blog doesn’t mean it was theirs. Yet again Google comes up trumps with it’s image tracing search. You can paste the image into the search bar and Google will find the image on the web for you, an advanced time search will show you when the image first appeared giving you a better chance at finding the original author.
Sounds easy right?
So, my images can be covered, but what about knitting & crochet patterns?
Probably my most popular pattern is the crocheted dolls, brought out around the same time as a book on making a similar crochet doll. Two similar dolls, brought out at the same time. 
Crochet patterns, amigurumi style patterns especially, often follow a mathematical system. 6 double crochet stitches in round 1, 12 in round 2, 18 in round 3. The basic pattern increases by six in each round. Decreases follow the same order with 6 decreases in each round.
Eventually, there comes a point where copyright must be irrelevant. A search on ravelry for a crochet beanie hat gives you 14,004 matches as of today. Most beanies vary in colour, stitch pattern, size. Some have added flowers and frills, but the basic beanie pattern, following the traditional mathematical pattern must bring up repeat patterns.
Who can put their name to a beanie hat and say they were the original author?
If you make a plain scarf can you say you created the pattern?
I’ve been looking at gansey and aran patterns recently, many of these patterns were passed down through the family, mother to daughter, If a person writes a book in gansey patterns, can they claim to be the pattern author?
If you’re sitting there reading this and thinking, “I don’t know, tell us, Can they?”
I’m sorry to disappoint. I just don’t know. But it’s something worth thinking about.