Privacy Policy

At pinandpine.com, we know that people who come here for crochet patterns, amigurumi tutorials, and cozy home decor ideas care about their privacy just as much as they care about a well-finished seam. This Privacy Policy explains, in plain language, what information we collect when you visit our site, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what rights you have over it. If anything here is unclear, you are always welcome to reach out through our Contact page or by email.

Last updated: this policy applies to all pages of pinandpine.com and works alongside our Terms of Use, Cookie Policy, and Disclaimer.

What Information We Collect

We try to collect only what we genuinely need to run this site well. The main categories of data are:

• Contact form data: when you write to us — say, to ask about a pattern's gauge or report a broken link — we collect your name, email address, and whatever message you send.
• Comments: if you leave a comment on a post (for example, sharing how your amigurumi elephant turned out), we store the name, email, and comment text you submit, along with the time and, for spam-prevention purposes, a hashed version of your IP address.
• Technical and analytics data: like most websites, we automatically collect some technical information such as browser type, device type, approximate location, pages visited, and time spent on the site. This helps us understand which patterns are most useful and where the site could load faster.
• Cookies and similar technologies: small files stored on your device to remember preferences, support analytics, and, where applicable, display relevant ads. Full details live in our dedicated Cookie Policy.

Why We Collect This Data (Legal Basis)

For visitors in the European Economic Area and other regions with similar data protection laws, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Consent: for optional cookies (analytics, advertising) and for processing the message you voluntarily submit through a contact form or comment box.
• Legitimate interest: to keep the site secure, prevent spam and abuse, and understand overall usage so we can improve our tutorials and navigation.
• Legal obligation: in rare cases, where we must retain or disclose information to comply with applicable law.

We do not use your data for any purpose beyond running, securing, and improving pinandpine.com, and for the limited communications you initiate with us.

How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal data, ever. We do work with a small number of trusted service providers who help us operate the site, such as:

• Website hosting and content delivery providers
• Analytics services (to understand aggregate traffic patterns)
• Email service providers (to receive and reply to messages sent via our Contact page)
• Comment and anti-spam tools

These providers only receive the minimum data necessary to perform their function and are bound by their own privacy and security obligations. If we ever collaborate with brands or partners — as described on our Collaboration page — we do not share your personal contact details with them without your explicit consent.

Cookies

Cookies help remember your preferences and give us a general sense of how visitors use the site. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. For a full breakdown of the specific cookies we use and their purposes, please see our Cookie Policy.

Data Retention

We keep contact form messages and comment data only as long as reasonably needed to respond to you, moderate discussions, and maintain a helpful comment history under our posts (subject to our Community Guidelines). Analytics data is generally kept in aggregated or anonymized form once it is no longer needed individually. You can request earlier deletion at any time, as described below.

Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we hold, including secure hosting, restricted access, and regular software updates. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you ever suspect a security issue related to our site, please let us know right away.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data
• Object to or restrict certain processing
• Withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the basis for processing
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, simply email us at [email protected] with your request, and we will respond within a reasonable timeframe. You can also reach us through the form on our Contact page.

Children's Privacy

Pin and Pine is a general-audience crafting and home decor site not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or the relevant age of digital consent in your region). If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can promptly remove it.

Third-Party Links and Content

Some posts may link out to suppliers, yarn brands, or other resources, and may include affiliate links as explained in our Affiliate Disclaimer and Disclosure pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites, so we encourage you to review their policies separately. Details about images sourced from other creators are available on our Image Credits page, and our approach to Pinterest content is covered in our Pinterest Disclaimer.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices, tools, or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page, and significant changes will be clearly noted. We encourage you to check back periodically, along with our Editorial Policy, which explains how we create and review content on this site.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please reach out anytime at [email protected] or via our Contact page. We're glad to help, whether your question is about your data or just about getting that amigurumi octopus's tentacles even.