Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to Melt The Ice Hat Pattern. At melttheicehatpattern.com ("we," "us," or "our"), your privacy is of utmost importance to us. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, use our free knitting and crochet tools, subscribe to our email list, or interact with our content.

This policy applies to all visitors and users of melttheicehatpattern.com, regardless of how you access or use the site.

Effective Date: February 7, 2026 Last Updated: February 7, 2026

Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways to provide, maintain, and improve our services:

Information You Provide Directly

1. Email Address (PDF Export & Newsletter)

   • When: You enter your email to download a PDF export from one of our free tools (such as the Crown Decrease Calculator) or subscribe to our newsletter.
   • What: Your email address, the timestamp of your subscription (ISO 8601 format), and the source page URL where you subscribed.
   • Purpose: To deliver the requested PDF, send periodic craft-related content (pattern tips, new tool announcements, knitting and crochet tutorials), and maintain a consent audit trail for regulatory compliance.
   • Consent: Email collection requires explicit opt-in via a checkbox. We use double opt-in — you will receive a confirmation email and your subscription only activates after you click the confirm link.

2. Contact Form Submissions

   • When: You reach out via our contact page or email.
   • What: Your name, email address, and message content.
   • Purpose: To respond to your questions about patterns, tools, or partnership inquiries.

Information Collected Automatically

3. Usage Data

   • What: Pages you visit, time spent on each page, links you click, tool interactions (e.g., calculator inputs and results), referral URLs, and session duration.
   • Purpose: To understand how visitors use our site and tools so we can improve content and user experience.

4. Device and Browser Information

   • What: Device type (mobile, tablet, desktop), operating system, browser type and version, screen resolution, and language preferences.
   • Purpose: To ensure our website displays correctly on your device and to optimize performance.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

   • What: Small data files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and understand site usage patterns.
   • Purpose: To maintain your theme preference (light/dark mode), language selection, and to provide aggregated analytics.
   • See the "Cookies" section below for more detail.

Information We Do Not Collect

• We do not require account creation or passwords to use any feature on our site.
• We do not collect payment information — all tools are free.
• We do not collect sensitive personal data such as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, or health information.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for these specific purposes:

• Deliver requested services: Send PDF exports, respond to contact form messages, and deliver newsletter content.
• Improve our website: Analyze usage patterns to refine tool functionality, add new features, and fix issues.
• Ensure compatibility: Optimize site performance across devices and browsers.
• Comply with legal obligations: Maintain records required by applicable data protection laws.

We will never use your email address for purposes unrelated to what you consented to at the time of collection.

Email Subscriptions and PDF Export

How It Works

When you use the "Export PDF" feature on any of our free tools, we ask for your email address. This is the only gate for PDF downloads — the tools themselves are always 100% free to use without providing any personal information.

What You Receive

• The requested PDF file (generated client-side in your browser and downloaded immediately).
• Periodic emails with craft-related content, including new pattern tutorials, tool updates, and knitting/crochet tips.

Your Email Rights

• Unsubscribe anytime: Every email we send includes a one-click unsubscribe link at the bottom.
• No spam: We send content emails, not daily promotional blasts. We respect your inbox.
• No selling or renting: Your email address is never sold, rented, traded, or shared with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Consent Record

For each email subscription, we record:

• Your email address
• The exact date and time of consent (ISO 8601 format)
• The page URL where you subscribed

This audit trail is maintained to comply with GDPR Article 7(1) and similar consent-tracking requirements.

Third-Party Service Providers

We use a limited number of trusted third-party services to operate our website. These providers only access your data as necessary to perform their services and are bound by data processing agreements:

When Google AdSense is enabled, Google and its advertising partners may use cookies, web beacons, pixels, IP addresses, device identifiers, and similar technologies to serve ads, limit ad frequency, measure ad performance, prevent fraud, and personalize ads where permitted by your consent settings. Google explains how it uses data from partner sites at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

We do not share your personal information with any other third parties except as required by law.

Cookies

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember your actions and preferences over a period of time.

Cookies We Use

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View what cookies are stored on your device
• Delete individual or all cookies
• Block cookies from specific or all websites
• Set preferences for first-party vs. third-party cookies

Blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality (e.g., your theme preference may not persist between visits).

You can also review or change Google ad personalization controls at adssettings.google.com. Users in regions where consent is required will be asked before analytics or advertising scripts are loaded. You can also learn about industry opt-out choices at YourAdChoices and the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page.

Data Storage and Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously:

• Email data is stored and managed by ConvertKit on their secure servers. ConvertKit maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance and encrypts data in transit and at rest.
• Analytics data is processed by Google Analytics with IP anonymization enabled.
• We do not store personal data on our own servers. Our website is statically generated and served via Vercel's CDN.

While we implement industry-standard security measures, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but take all reasonable precautions to protect your information.

Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

For All Users

• Right to Unsubscribe: One-click unsubscribe from any email we send.
• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data.
• Right to Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate data.

For EU/EEA Residents (GDPR)

In addition to the above, you have the right to:

• Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Object to Processing: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously given consent at any time.
• Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority.

For California Residents (CCPA)

You have the right to:

• Know what personal information is collected and how it is used.
• Request deletion of your personal information.
• Opt out of the sale of personal information. (Note: We do not sell personal information.)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete such information.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to outside parties, except in the following limited circumstances:

• Legal obligations: To comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.
• Protection of rights: To protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public.
• Service providers: To trusted third-party partners listed in the "Third-Party Service Providers" section above, who assist us in operating our website, subject to data processing agreements.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.
• For significant changes, we will notify email subscribers via email.
• We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Your continued use of the website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Website: melttheicehatpattern.com Contact Page: Contact Us Email: [email protected]

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.