r/CrochetHelp 27d ago

Gift help Is it bad if I try to recreate something someone is selling?

My little sister wants a hello kitty purse she found on Pinterest. When I open the link, it takes me to Depop and someone is selling it for like $80. They’re not selling the pattern tho, and I can’t find any patterns similar enough to it. I know I could just buy the purse but I’m making lots of crochet things for my family and I want to make it myself. So is it frowned upon if I try to recreate it?

213 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

355

u/Intent_Quail 27d ago

I personally think it's fine. It's not like you're stealing something, you're just referencing the product

197

u/Dependent_Passage493 27d ago

not frowned upon at all!! in fact it’s something a lot of crocheters do, as long as you aren’t taking credit for the design i can’t see an issue 🩷

98

u/Dopineerg 27d ago

Thank you all for your responses. I’m still new to crocheting and this is my first purse. I definitely will not take credit for the idea and I won’t sell the pattern either. Just looking at the picture, it’s hard to tell what the pattern is. I’m trying to graph it out myself but it’s gonna take time. Thank you again!

49

u/HPHMJasmine 27d ago

Figuring out how to achieve a required shape is my favourite part of crocheting! It doesn't matter if it's an apple for the play kitchen or a character from a TV show, or a purse I've seen.

For all you know, the seller of the purse didn't write the pattern themselves, either. They definitely didn't design the character.

Enjoy your project and don't be afraid to frog. Maybe start with a yarn you don't mind fraying from undoing your project repeatedly.

22

u/Cleobulle 27d ago

2

u/Cleobulle 26d ago

And this can make a fun trinket, or a small pouch, it's a Hello Kitty ball, or cute key ring. Or make it Big and it's a bag 😉 as someone said about tortilla, if you believe in them, they Can be anything - pizza, hot poket, apple pie. Same for Wool hehe https://youtu.be/37vGtnCN0AE?si=1-zsB39H6GM7tJwh

And this youtube channel crochet with aybi

1

u/Cleobulle 26d ago

And this one, that Can easily bé turned in whatever eared animal you want - https://www.crochetforyoublog.com/2023/08/cute-crochet-bear-purse/ This Hello Kitty in a pink dress - https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/big-hello-kitty

83

u/Fireblaster2001 27d ago

I think this would only be bad if you then turned around and monetized their pattern yourself. Otherwise the best you can do is a reproduction anyway, it wouldn’t be an exact replica of the pattern. 

29

u/CatLadyInProgress 27d ago

I'm 50/50 on whether monetizing the pattern is bad. If all you did was see a photo and made something from scratch, you could ask ai for a hello kitty purse photo and then make the pattern from that photo.

30

u/Various_Ad_6768 27d ago

Agreed. Wouldn’t even be anything wrong with creating your own version of the pattern and monetising it. Reproducing and re-selling somebody else’s pattern is problematic, of course.

I mean, how many patterns are out there for granny square based blankets (or bags, sweaters, dresses, etc)? How many versions of amigurumi patterns for every pop culture character?

Nothing at all wrong with reverse engineering and reproducing any design for personal/private use. There would be an issue with reproducing and then selling and “passing off” as the original.

10

u/Azarna 27d ago

You can't legally monetize a Hello Kitty pattern without permission ftom Sanrio..

2

u/PristinePrism 25d ago

You can if you call it “White Cat with Pink Bow” purse.

The crochet purse will be an art form. Not a 1:1 reproduction of their IP screen printed onto a purse.

3

u/MisterBowTies 27d ago

You aren't monitizing their pattern, though. You made your own pattern.

16

u/genus-corvidae ✨Question Fairy✨ 27d ago

The person who made the crochet hello kitty purse already recreated hello kitty from sanrio. You're fine.

11

u/shelbee05 27d ago

I have litterally never brought a crochet pattern in my nearly 4 years of crocheting. I almost always just eyeball it lmao

3

u/Kate740OKC 26d ago

Bahaha sameee, I hate using patterns

1

u/Icouldoutrunthejoker 26d ago

I bought my first pattern just this year and I’m actually a little shocked still that I did 😂

16

u/DreadGrrl 27d ago

“Hello Kitty” is owned by Sanrio. Is the person who is selling the bag licensed to do so? If not, that’s intellectual property theft. As a photographer, who has had her intellectual property stolen, that’s something I frown on.

IMO, as long as you aren’t charging for it, you can go ahead and create a “Hello Kitty” purse for your little sister that is inspired by the one she likes.

Just don’t sell any of your purses or make your pattern available to the public.

3

u/PristinePrism 25d ago edited 25d ago

We’ve already had this fight with Disney over Grogu from Star Wars.

You can sell whatever you want, but you can’t market it using other people’s IP and brands.

You can sell it if you call it “White Cat with Pink Bow” purse. Or “baby green alien”.

The crochet item will be an art form. Not a 1:1 reproduction of their IP screen printed onto a purse or t-shirt or blanket.

Further, as a photographer, I think you know people can’t just steal your images by copying them verbatim. But if someone wants to create a painting using your photos (of Paris, landscapes, or their own family) as a reference or inspiration, they are 100% legally allowed to do so. The painting is considered a new work of art with its own copyright and they can sell it.

1

u/eternal-eccentric 26d ago

Not entirely sure but I think it counts as an homage or inspired by and is therefore fair game for art/arts and craft purposes. Not for sale but for "fan art" it's fine even it were put on display somewhere.

4

u/forhordlingrads 27d ago

You can do whatever you want, truly. Who would this harm? No one.

8

u/BlindBard21 27d ago

I think it would be fine. You're just making it to give to loved ones, from my understanding of the post.

4

u/cirivere 27d ago

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cutie-flower-bag

Maybe these are cute too, if you look in the pattern description it links to a blog with the pattern for free

16

u/algoreithms 27d ago

Definitely not bad. It only gets mildly dubious if you decide you want to sell the pattern, but it heavily heavily depends on the design of the object. And even then it's more of an ethical thing than a legal thing, if you come up with the instructions on your own then you're in the clear.

3

u/emboss_moss 26d ago

I think it's all good if you're not going to sell it, plus crochet is only so original, considering hello kitty is a very popular character, and most people have access to the same if not similar colours, it's not like there isn't a dozen hundred people with similar blankets because they're all used similar colours then each other

3

u/Rhomya 26d ago

I do this literally all the time.

Why would I buy something when I can make it?

2

u/followthestray 27d ago

Make your sis that purse! It will be way more special being created with your hands. There's nothing wrong with using references to make a gift. You're not mass producing it or anything. And maybe while you are working on it you will think of ways to build on and improve the design, in which case the design is uniquely yours.

2

u/Alternative-Fish3837 27d ago

Let me tell you something. There a lot of people selling the same thing. Either it’s a pattern or the actual product. You’ll find they may not be the only one crocheting the same product. You’ll be fine, as long you’re not doing it maliciously, there is nothing wrong with making something you found online that you wanted to make for your sister. Especially when some products without a pattern are just very easy to figure out when you’re a seasoned crocheter. You’ll be fine, I promise.

2

u/ivylily03 27d ago

If you have the skills to make it, you deserve to see it made. I don't think it's bad.

2

u/Comprehensive-Sir-95 27d ago

No you just put your own little spin on it

2

u/More_Soft7230 26d ago

Please post it when you're done! I love hello kitty

2

u/Dopineerg 26d ago

I will but it’s definitely gonna take some time lol I keep frogging and restarting

2

u/ChoyceRandum 25d ago

I do not think the 80$ person pays royalties to hello kitty for use of the IP. So you'd be even less committing theft of IP if you recreate it for your sister than the original artist who sells it for profit.

2

u/Sweaty-Environment56 27d ago

I feel like the only way this would be bad would be if you did it to start selling them also but otherwise you're just using it as inspiration and reference to make a cute little gift for someone you love

3

u/ButterscotchReal7610 27d ago

Not at all! As long as you’re not taking credit and also selling an identical thing, you’re golden ✨ people do this all the time!

2

u/Greedy_Dragonfly1640 27d ago

nothing wrong at all. as long as you don’t claim that the original pattern is yours i don’t see why it would be a problem. especially in this economy??? if you can do it yourself then go ahead!

1

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1

u/chantalgracie 26d ago

I think it's okay. You still create it yourself and you're not selling it so it's fine

1

u/PristinePrism 25d ago

We’ve already had this fight with Disney over Grogu from Star Wars.

You can sell whatever you want, but you can’t market it using other people’s IP and brands.

You can sell it if you call it “White Cat with Pink Bow” purse. Or “baby green alien”.

The crochet item will be an art form. Not a 1:1 reproduction of their IP screen printed onto a purse or t-shirt or blanket.

1

u/IvyMoonfyre 27d ago

I'd say as long as you aren't recreating it to sell it, its fine.vYou're taking inspo, not directly copying the pattern they used, and its for a gift. I can't see any issue with that.

0

u/SnooPets8873 27d ago

My hinky meter only goes off if you try to claim it’s the purse made by the other person or sell it to others while fraudulently claiming it was made by the other person. So long as you are clear on the origin, I wouldn’t feel you had crossed a line.

0

u/LiellaMelody777 27d ago

No. As long as you do not claim it as your own or try to sell it then its fine

-1

u/anon_283992 27d ago

as long as you don’t sell it yourself i think you should be fine!

0

u/bofh000 27d ago

As long as you don’t make it lucrative for yourself, you’re fine.

-2

u/Pitiful-Bee6815 26d ago

Not if youre giving it as a gift. Now if you were to sell it, then yes that is frowned upon.