Privacy policy

This privacy policy explains what information YarnBloom ("we", "us") collects when you visit www.yarnbloomcrochet.site, how we use it, and the choices you have. We keep data collection to what we need to run the site, understand what readers enjoy and keep our patterns free.

Information we collect

Information you give us

• Comments: your name, email address and comment. Your name and comment are published once approved; your email is never shown.
• Contact form: your name, email address and message, used only to reply to you.
• Ratings: the star rating you give a pattern.

Information collected automatically

When you visit, our own analytics system records:

• your IP address and the approximate location derived from it (country, region, city);
• your device type, browser and operating system;
• the pages you view, the page that referred you, and roughly how long you spend reading;
• a random visitor identifier, stored in a cookie if you accept cookies, so we can tell new readers from returning ones.

We use this to count visitors accurately, see which patterns are popular, prevent spam and abuse, and keep the site secure. We do not sell this information.

Cookies

We use a small number of first-party cookies and browser storage (to remember your cookie choice, your star rating and your visitor identifier). Advertising partners may also set cookies. See our cookie policy for details and how to control them.

Advertising

YarnBloom is supported by advertising. Ads are served by third-party advertising networks, which may use cookies, web beacons and similar technologies to show ads and measure their performance, based on your visits to this and other websites.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visits to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings, or opt out of many third-party vendors' use of cookies at aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.eu.

Our advertising partners include Monetag and, where enabled, Google AdSense. Their use of information is governed by their own privacy policies. If you choose to allow browser notifications, our partner may send you notifications; you can turn them off at any time in your browser settings.

How long we keep information

• Analytics records are kept for up to 24 months, then deleted or anonymized.
• Approved comments stay published until you ask us to remove them; rejected and spam comments are deleted.
• Contact messages are kept for as long as needed to handle your request, and at most 24 months.

Who we share information with

We share information only with service providers who help us run the site — our hosting and database providers, and the advertising networks described above — or when required by law. Our providers process data on our behalf and may store it in the United States or elsewhere, with appropriate safeguards.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (for example under the UK GDPR, EU GDPR or California's CCPA/CPRA), you may have the right to access, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you, to object to or restrict its use, to withdraw consent, and to receive a copy of your data. California residents may opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information for targeted advertising — you can do this by declining cookies and using the opt-out links above. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

To make a request, email hello@yarnbloomcrochet.site or use our contact form. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority (in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office).

Legal bases (UK and EU visitors)

We process information on the basis of your consent (for non-essential cookies and personalized advertising), our legitimate interests (running, securing and improving the site and understanding its audience), and to respond to your requests.

Children's privacy

YarnBloom is written for adults and is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 in the UK and EU). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has given us information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Security

The site is served over HTTPS and access to our data is restricted. No method of transmission over the Internet is completely secure, but we work to protect your information.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top shows when it last changed.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email hello@yarnbloomcrochet.site or reach us through our contact page.