Question for any pattern designers out there

#1

or anyone who might know.

I have been designing some patterns of my own. I have several stitch books. 365 knitting stitches calendar, the stitionary, etc and so on. Many of my books have the same stitches in them. I am assuming that that means they are common knowledge and I can use them in my own patterns, correct? I mean, feather and fan isn’t owned by anyone, right? I have just been going under the assumption that if you can find stitch information in several places, than it is not an original piece of work, and therefore I can use the stitches in my own original designs. Am I wrong?

#2

I am having a sock pattern in Debbie Stoller’s 2008 Page-A-Day Calendar, and I asked that very question. She said that stitch patterns in knitting books are not “patterns” (as in knitting patterns) and are for the use of everyone. No one ‘owns’ them. She said that I didn’t even have to include in the sock pattern the source of the stitch pattern. Hope that helps.

#3

Thank you! That is exactly what I was wondering. And that is what I had been able to figure out on my own too. Just needed a second opinion.