I try not to post negative or depressing information here or anywhere on the internet for that matter, but I just had to write a little something for myself and for so many other designers out there. I spent most of the evening looking at pages and pages of stolen pictures and patterns (with instant PDF Downloads!) on a website that has members who are happy about stealing and sharing designer patterns. After they upload our designs, they seemed thrilled to get comments and replies that read things like; "thanks for sharing", "great pattern", "love that designer". What surprises me most about the stolen patterns is most of them even list the designers and copyright information, so the ones downloading the patterns are just as guilty as the ones who posted them.
I could go on and on about this subject, but sadly there will always be a few who try to get something for nothing no matter the consequences. Sad...
With all that said, please keep in mind that if you see a designer's pattern on a website that you know they are not associated with, please don't purchase it or download it thinking it's some kind of freebie. It's stealing, plain and simple.
My patterns are available on: my website: http://www.tericrewsdesigns.com, Ravelry, Craftsy, Etsy, Annie's Attic and Elgin Knit Works, anywhere else you see them without me sending out a notice or posting it here has probably been stolen and is being used illegally. Besides patterns being offered for free, they are often used on fake websites with "buy now" buttons. These sites want your credit card information and your money.
Thanks for letting me vent. Sorry to have to have said it.