Staci's Stitches and Skeins — Local services in Scituate

I do not take this review lightly. I have been epically disappointed in Staci’s Stitches and the unethical sales of at least one copyrighted knitting design and the lack of accountability on this matter.

When a local yarn store (LYS) sells a pattern there is a process for which it is done through Ravelry. This process entails buying the pattern through the LYS account for the customer and at the end of the month both the designer who created the copyrighted pattern and the LYS get a portion of the sales. In order to sell via a LYS the designer must enable the option in their account. Given the success and duration of Staci's Stitches it would be logical to assume the shop knows the process and follows it.

Of late it has come to light that at minimum one pattern that has been sold as a kit and was one of the featured and popular pattern for the yarn crawl (Sept ‘23) and continued to be featured until recently when copyright infringement was highlighted. While customers have been charged for the pattern only ONE copy was bought and it was since redistributed illegally. The copy was bought by the individual owner not under the yarn store account. The pattern was sold as part of a kit for $5, less than the cost it is sold when purchasing legally. In addition, it was not until late Dec ‘23 that the pattern in question was given the option to be sold by a LYS, and no yarn store had reached out to the designer asking for the rights to use. Aside from the single personal copy purchase of the pattern, the designer has not received any payment for the design, but she has spent time answering pattern questions from people who have unknowingly bought the illegally sold pattern.

Given the variety and quantity of kits with a pattern offered at this seemingly professional and established yarn shop there should be a process in place within the shop to comply with the procedure and not pocket money off of illegal sales. As this situation has come to light, in part due to a friend of Staci's reaching out to the designer with a question on yarn from her kit and accidentally tipping off the designer, it seems there has been some inaccurate stories told to employees and friends who have taken gone so far as to verbally attack the designer.

We all make mistakes, the lack of accountability here however, is appalling. I had been hoping Staci would have stepped up to the plate rather than playing sad pathetic victim and gaslighting friends and colleagues. This is a time when she can own her mistake, make amends and be a yarn store owner that works with and supports designer.

In addition, the kit for the pattern in question (and it looks like others) are sold using yarn that is not recommended in the pattern. For example in the light bulky kit for A New Leaf the yarn kit has a recommended yarn for the accent but the yarn sold for the base is not one of the recommended and has a larger gauge. Sharing photos of the kit, the beanie made with a kit (oatmeal colored one) and one made with recommended yarn. Both knit by the same person. One beanie fits the other is way too big. It makes me sad that a newer knitter would tend to buy a kit and encounter this situation and think it was due to their skills or lack of skills, or think poorly of the designer who created the pattern.

Photos show the kit beanie (Oatmeal color base) in yarn not recommended that kits up far larger than recommended yarn. Navy beanie with teal accents uses recommended yarn for all, the oatmeal one has a recommended yarn for the leaves but not the base. Not sure why a yarn shop would not set their clients up to succeed with yarns that are recommended

I hope other designers explore if their patterns have also been illegally sold, a few that have been shown in the shop are Find Your Way beanie, Sidewinder Beanie, and Looking Glass Beanie. Also, some of the kits offer a pattern that is available for...

I am an avid knitter and I also do some designing of knitting patterns and testing of other knit designer patterns. I have a sense of the efforts and time that goes into designing, editing and marketing a pattern. (answer is a lot)

Staci's Stitches has been selling patterns illegally. The New Leaf Beanie is the known pattern that Staci promoted on many of her lives, and FB and IG social medial posts especially Sept '23 - Jan '24. She has sold this pattern as part of a kit along with other pattern kits. She bought a single copy and has been printing off this lone copy to sell to customers. No portion of these illegal pattern sales have gone to the designer. The pattern is copyrighted, one purchased pattern for one person.

Most knitting patterns are available on Ravelry, this is where most designers sell their patterns as a one stop shopping experience. Staci, the owner of Staci's Stitches and head of the South Shore Yarn Crawl, also has her patterns on Ravelry so between her design work, owning a yarn shop, and being active in the fiber community she should know how to legally sell patterns, and also be respectful of other designers. I would assume she does know how to do it legally but has chosen to not do so.

There is usually a strong and supportive fiber arts community where makers and designer lift each other up. Staci's Stitches has been a staple of the Scituate community for awhile and has a nice selection of yarns and classes in a welcoming environment. Unfortunately, she is not giving any assurance she is legally buying patterns moving forward or admitting what weasel she has been. Life can get busy and full, yet if she has time to banter on endlessly about her life, dating, etc on Facebook lives she should have time to set up the store Ravelry to buy the pattern legally.

Staci - be accountable. There is strength and integrity in admitting a mistake and making amends. Pretending to be innocent with an "oh golly, I made a teeny weeny oopsie mistake and they are being so mean to little ole me" approach is unprofessional and a terrible reflection on you and the store. I hope other designers have the strength and willingness to confirm their patterns have been sold legally and to call you out if not.

Also, if / when you promote designers works, tag them, use your own images, not ones stolen off Ravelry, and lift the designer up ... not be...

If you go to Staci's Stitches please use caution in buying a pattern and in supporting a business that has chosen not to be accountable. Staci has sold patterns illegally, like The New Leaf Beanie which was a popular kit she sold during the 2023 yarn crawl. The pattern is not sold via the correct process in Ravelry so that 1) consumers do not have the digital copy in addition to the printed one, and will not get pattern updates, and 2) the designer of the copyrighted pattern receives no reimbursement, instead Staci gets it all. Despite her being called out and totally busted on this she has taken NO ACCOUNTABILITY. It is hard to accept it is just one pattern that was a "whoopsie" in the selling process.

If you go into her store it is very reasonable to ask how they store sells patterns so that everyone benefits (designer, customer, and Staci), not just Staci. Heads up, she might block you if you ask this on FB or IG, but in person I imagine it would be harder and maybe at some point she can simply address how the pattern purchase process has been revived to be legal which seems a very reasonable request of any yarn store, but especially one with a history or lining her own pockets with illegal sales of patterns.

Unfortunately, I cannot load in the ironic video of her stating "If I do the wrong thing, I will own up to it and fix it." - Staci If you want to see the hypocrisy in action go her her FB live video from 2/7/24 and at 9:50 in she makes this (empty and meaningless) statement.

If she takes some accountability and addresses how she is selling patterns in the legal manner then I would be happy to...