Many yarnies start out using free patterns. Many knit and crochet designers create free patterns and receive their revenue via blog advertising. This act makes the fiber community accessible to all socioeconomic entry points. Free patterns are generally found in blogs where the designer makes their profit off ads and provides an ad-free version on a separate website for purchase I.e., Etsy, Ko-Fi, or Ravelry. However, the paid version may include contractual language. By purchasing a pattern, you agree to the terms and conditions that could not otherwise be enforced by existing copyright restrictions. A prime example of this is designers putting that you cannot sell the items you make with the pattern. In contrast, a designer could put the same statement on their free pattern, but it is not enforceable if they wanted to use their resources to stop people from selling what they create from their patterns since there is no contractual agreement between the designer and user.
Sulcoski, C. (2020, August 15). For personal use only: Restrictive clauses in craft patterns. Craft Industry Alliance. https://craftindustryalliance.org/personal-use-restrictive-clauses-craft-patterns/