There are more out there, of course, but this is the quick list I whipped up when I was asked "Hey, are there any useful knitting apps?" by a new iPhone owner. Hope this helps!
- Yarn Genie (by Yarnmarket, Free) - you have yarn, what can you make? conversions? etc.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yarn-genie/id453223920?mt=8- KnitMinder Lite (Free) - track your stash. Can be upgraded to full version for $2.99. I'm gonna have to upgrade now that the storage unit has been emptied (into my garage).
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knitminder-lite/id311943855?mt=8- Stitch Minder (Free) - keep track of stitches/rows. VERY HELPFUL.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stitchminder/id287491425?mt=8- KnitGauge ($.99) - an actual gauge. On your phone. (I use this the most.)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knitgauge/id302265332?mt=8
- iKnit Needle Sizer ($.99) - not perfect at sizing crochet hooks, but great for needles. Especially those little needles that manage to separate themselves from the herd, and might be size 5... or maybe 3.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iknit-needle-sizer/id304299218?mt=8
- Touch and Go Knitting (Junior version Free, upgradable to full for $4.99) - just got it myself, so no real review as yet.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tag-jr/id393535421?mt=8
- KnittingHelp Video Reference ($4.99; over 160 videos available) (Don't have this myself yet, but it's gotten good reviews from ravfriends)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knittinghelp-video-reference/id405889801?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
- JKnit Lite - does a bunch of things, FREE (Don't have it yet, but the "highlight where you are in a *.pdf file" will be wonderful if it works for the *.pdfs I already have)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jknit-lite-knitting-pattern/id489390903?ls=1&mt=8
- Vogue Knitting Knit Buddy ($3.99) is another project/yarn/needle tracking app that's gotten good reviews from ravfriends.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vogue-knitting/id355123249?mt=8
Showing posts with label internet resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet resources. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2012
iTunes Apps for Knitters
So, say you get an iTunes gift card over the holidays, and you need somewhere to spend the cash. Or, say you have someone you need to get something for, and have no real clue what, but they knit and they have an iPhone, and they don't have any knitting apps yet. There are some nifty knitting apps out there, and many are free. These are the internet links, so you can see everything on a big screen, and if you decide to try it, THEN go to the app store on your phone. Or you can give them a gift card, with a link here, and they can pick what they want, or get all of them. Not that expensive, these knitting apps.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Can acrylic be un-scratchified?
In the arena of "this is either brilliant or nuts", I was driven to an experiment by the following:
From a comment by "Kristal" (September 13, 2012 at 4:44 am) on the relevant day's Worsted For Wear comment section:
Then, fill a bag with water, get the air out, and put it in the fridge:
Now, in the photo on the right, the water appears to have a greenish tint - it doesn't really at this point - it's just refraction, reflection, and other neat tricks. Four days later, however....
Yeah, that water is pretty green. Next, we remove the yarn from the bag, carefully dump the oddly green water, and rinse the yarn.... and then hank it so it can dry. (My lack of tinker-toys is evident; I'd have a knitty-noddy else.)
Now, the test. Is it actually any softer than un-soaked Red Heart?
The answer: NO. In fact, the soaked yarn feels slightly sticky/tacky at this point, but the un-soaked yarn actually feels about the same scratchy-ness. I will continue the experiment later by knitting up one mitten from the soaked yarn and the second from the unsoaked, to see if there's any difference in how it feels as it's worn, but I'm thinking (at this point) that soaking Red Heart doesn't really do much. Possibly they changed the formulation of the yarn or chemicals - but this batch is no softer than it started, and feels slightly worse.
________________
PS, if you're not reading Rachael & Josh Anderson's Worsted For Wear webcomic, you should be!!
From a comment by "Kristal" (September 13, 2012 at 4:44 am) on the relevant day's Worsted For Wear comment section:
There's a secret to using Red Heart. Leave it in the skein, but remove the wrapper. Get the whole darned thing damp - all the way through to the core - then wrap it tightly in a plastic bag. Tie or ziploc the bag shut so no air or water escapes, then toss it in the fridge for a few days.So, we start with a partial skein of green Red Heart.
Boom.
The scratchy fades.
A lot of the scratchy, awful feel is from the sizing chemicals they put on the acrylic. The water and cold breaks these chemicals down, and gets rid of a surprising amount of that nastiness.
Then, fill a bag with water, get the air out, and put it in the fridge:
 |  |
Now, in the photo on the right, the water appears to have a greenish tint - it doesn't really at this point - it's just refraction, reflection, and other neat tricks. Four days later, however....
Yeah, that water is pretty green. Next, we remove the yarn from the bag, carefully dump the oddly green water, and rinse the yarn.... and then hank it so it can dry. (My lack of tinker-toys is evident; I'd have a knitty-noddy else.)
Now, the test. Is it actually any softer than un-soaked Red Heart?
The answer: NO. In fact, the soaked yarn feels slightly sticky/tacky at this point, but the un-soaked yarn actually feels about the same scratchy-ness. I will continue the experiment later by knitting up one mitten from the soaked yarn and the second from the unsoaked, to see if there's any difference in how it feels as it's worn, but I'm thinking (at this point) that soaking Red Heart doesn't really do much. Possibly they changed the formulation of the yarn or chemicals - but this batch is no softer than it started, and feels slightly worse.
________________
PS, if you're not reading Rachael & Josh Anderson's Worsted For Wear webcomic, you should be!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
More Ways to Get In Trouble
I don't remember exactly what I was looking for on iTunes - basic sewing books, I think - when I discovered that there is a Keepsake Quilting App. In other words, THERE IS A TINY CATALOG FOR MY PHONE!! It's pretty cool.
For example, say you're on this page of the catalog in the app:
"Oh, hey, that's a pretty cool table runner. It'd be kinda cool to make that. " So, stab the table runner with your finger... and suddenly you're on the Keepsake Quilting website, right on the page to order that table runner:
That's pretty darned cool. And it's probably going to get me in trouble before too long... For example, there's this bedspread...
Yeah. This is gonna be one of the more expensive Free Apps I've stumbled across...!
For example, say you're on this page of the catalog in the app:
"Oh, hey, that's a pretty cool table runner. It'd be kinda cool to make that. " So, stab the table runner with your finger... and suddenly you're on the Keepsake Quilting website, right on the page to order that table runner:
That's pretty darned cool. And it's probably going to get me in trouble before too long... For example, there's this bedspread...
Yeah. This is gonna be one of the more expensive Free Apps I've stumbled across...!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Random Internet Things...
First, some Slytherin Rules. And also, Slytherin Rules! 33 Crafting Commandments of Slytherin House
If you haven't seen it yet, you should totally check out Handmade Ryan Gosling. There's related twitter feed, @HandmadeRyan, and a somewhat-related twitter feed more aimed at knitters, @KnittingRyanG. This is my personal favorite from the images site (so far):
(There's also a version of Ryan for writers, @GoslingLitAgent.)
And there's more, just different. Say Game of Thrones was crossed with Downton Abbey. (No, really.) You'd get Abbey of Thrones!!
If you haven't seen it yet, you should totally check out Handmade Ryan Gosling. There's related twitter feed, @HandmadeRyan, and a somewhat-related twitter feed more aimed at knitters, @KnittingRyanG. This is my personal favorite from the images site (so far):
(There's also a version of Ryan for writers, @GoslingLitAgent.)
And there's more, just different. Say Game of Thrones was crossed with Downton Abbey. (No, really.) You'd get Abbey of Thrones!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
End of the World: Getting Ready
So, 2012, the end of the world, or something.
End of the world, illustration
BunnyBao.com has a cute little End of the World Countdown Clock App - I know this, because I have it.
Random screenshot from Monday.
It's available through the iTunes store. As is R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It". (Hint: if you get the version off the Document album, it's only $.69!)
And yes, once December 21 rolls around, I'll be playing that song on endless repeat in the office. (Just so that everyone I work with will WISH the world was actually going to end. Because they don't believe I'm actually going to do it. And they really should know better.)
End of the world, illustration
BunnyBao.com has a cute little End of the World Countdown Clock App - I know this, because I have it.
Random screenshot from Monday.
It's available through the iTunes store. As is R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It". (Hint: if you get the version off the Document album, it's only $.69!)
And yes, once December 21 rolls around, I'll be playing that song on endless repeat in the office. (Just so that everyone I work with will WISH the world was actually going to end. Because they don't believe I'm actually going to do it. And they really should know better.)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Limited Celebrity
Heehee! Okay, this little ad only ran in my HPKCHC group on Ravelry, but *squee*! (Click on the ad to go through to the iTunes site.)
I noticed the Yarn Genie app (through a normal ad without my name on it) on Rav, and thought "hm, that might be useful!" so I got it. I've been playing with it for about a week now, and run through each part of the program. (The official Yarn Martian on Ravelry, Deborah, asked if she could put me on the above; my fellow Snakes have loved it, and more than a few have downloaded the app.)
1. Yarn Estimator - "Select the project you want to make, answer a few questions about the yarn and the size, and Yarn Genie will calculate the yardage you'll require." This would have been SO useful during the Not Enough Yarn episode during the Evenstar Shawl. I had 10 balls (2350 yds); the pattern calls for 1500 yds (with the original mystery calling for 1700 yards). With my gauge, though, the Yarn Genie says I actually need about 25% more yarn - another 600 yards or so, so I was three balls short! (Right now, Yarn Genie doesn't do circle/diameter calcualtions, but it gives *area* calculations, so if you have a circular shawl/blanket with area X, you can get a similar area calculation, and do small math from there. If circular isn't your strong suit for math (it sure isn't mine!) there's an area calculator here)) Luckily, I managed to (with a LOT MORE MATH THAN I WANTED) to figure out the "three balls short" on my own - but it would've been SO much faster with the app!
I'm totally using it to find out how much yarn my lovely Potions project thinks it needs: I'm making something that's either 50 square feet or 63 square feet; given my gauge (crochet, 3st/in (approximate!)) a 20 sq-ft (48"x60") needs 1260 to 2170 yards - multiply by 2.5 to get 3150 to 5425 OR muliply by 3 to get 3780 to 6510. I have learned to ALWAYS use the high end of the range... so I'm going to need 6500 yards of something for my upcoming OWL. (Wow, that's a lot of yarn. Maybe it should be Transfiguration after all - I'll be vanishing a LOT of yarn!)
2. Hooks/Needles Size Converter -- "Use the converter to determine U.S., Metric and English sizes for needles and crochet hooks." It's like having the Craft Yarn Council Guide in your pocket, without actually having to carry a copy in your pocket.
3. Stash Basher -- "Instantly determine what you can create from the yarns you already have in your stash. Enter the gauge and quantity of the yarn you own and Stash Basher will provide a list of items to consider." I put in my calculation for my blanket above (3st/in, 6500 yds) and I think everything possible came up, including "one big huge honkin' 6'x5' blanket". I entered my new skein of Blue Ridge sock yarn (400 yds) and my estimated gauge (7st/in) and got a much shorter list of items to consider : hats up to 23" in circumference, socks up to a 10" foot length, a 20"x20" blanket, gloves/mitts up to a 10" hand circumference. So "I'd like to make these socks for my husband's 15" long feet" won't fly with this yarn, which is good to know!
4. About Us - handly links to YarnMarket.com, Knitch mag, the Yarndex, and BargainYarns.com. Between this app and Ravelry, I am now dangerous. Or at least more likely to be able to get through some of my (considerable) stash in 2012. Then, in 2013 (assuming the world doesn't end next December), I can run amok and get MORE yarn!!
In summary: Totally worth the download time for a small, free, and darned useful app!
I noticed the Yarn Genie app (through a normal ad without my name on it) on Rav, and thought "hm, that might be useful!" so I got it. I've been playing with it for about a week now, and run through each part of the program. (The official Yarn Martian on Ravelry, Deborah, asked if she could put me on the above; my fellow Snakes have loved it, and more than a few have downloaded the app.)
1. Yarn Estimator - "Select the project you want to make, answer a few questions about the yarn and the size, and Yarn Genie will calculate the yardage you'll require." This would have been SO useful during the Not Enough Yarn episode during the Evenstar Shawl. I had 10 balls (2350 yds); the pattern calls for 1500 yds (with the original mystery calling for 1700 yards). With my gauge, though, the Yarn Genie says I actually need about 25% more yarn - another 600 yards or so, so I was three balls short! (Right now, Yarn Genie doesn't do circle/diameter calcualtions, but it gives *area* calculations, so if you have a circular shawl/blanket with area X, you can get a similar area calculation, and do small math from there. If circular isn't your strong suit for math (it sure isn't mine!) there's an area calculator here)) Luckily, I managed to (with a LOT MORE MATH THAN I WANTED) to figure out the "three balls short" on my own - but it would've been SO much faster with the app!
I'm totally using it to find out how much yarn my lovely Potions project thinks it needs: I'm making something that's either 50 square feet or 63 square feet; given my gauge (crochet, 3st/in (approximate!)) a 20 sq-ft (48"x60") needs 1260 to 2170 yards - multiply by 2.5 to get 3150 to 5425 OR muliply by 3 to get 3780 to 6510. I have learned to ALWAYS use the high end of the range... so I'm going to need 6500 yards of something for my upcoming OWL. (Wow, that's a lot of yarn. Maybe it should be Transfiguration after all - I'll be vanishing a LOT of yarn!)
2. Hooks/Needles Size Converter -- "Use the converter to determine U.S., Metric and English sizes for needles and crochet hooks." It's like having the Craft Yarn Council Guide in your pocket, without actually having to carry a copy in your pocket.
3. Stash Basher -- "Instantly determine what you can create from the yarns you already have in your stash. Enter the gauge and quantity of the yarn you own and Stash Basher will provide a list of items to consider." I put in my calculation for my blanket above (3st/in, 6500 yds) and I think everything possible came up, including "one big huge honkin' 6'x5' blanket". I entered my new skein of Blue Ridge sock yarn (400 yds) and my estimated gauge (7st/in) and got a much shorter list of items to consider : hats up to 23" in circumference, socks up to a 10" foot length, a 20"x20" blanket, gloves/mitts up to a 10" hand circumference. So "I'd like to make these socks for my husband's 15" long feet" won't fly with this yarn, which is good to know!
4. About Us - handly links to YarnMarket.com, Knitch mag, the Yarndex, and BargainYarns.com. Between this app and Ravelry, I am now dangerous. Or at least more likely to be able to get through some of my (considerable) stash in 2012. Then, in 2013 (assuming the world doesn't end next December), I can run amok and get MORE yarn!!
In summary: Totally worth the download time for a small, free, and darned useful app!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Way too late to ship...
So, I'm a little behind on the Holiday Knitting, given that I'll probably mail the box to my nieces & nephews on or about December 23 - it's not getting there in time. Knitting still must be finished (and honestly - it may actually happen after Christmas).
I refuse to buy them knitted things, since much of the last year has been dedicated to knitting cool little braided ball hideyplaces, facecloths and washcloths, and strange little ornaments.
But you may not have my qualms (or strange mental investment in washcloths)... in which case, I present to you the first commercial referencing knitting in the US that didn't actually make my skin crawl (or make me fire off a nasty letter or six to the company/ies responsible):
Assuming I do actually get everything finished, I'm definitely posting pics before I send them out. Because nothing will guarantee online avoidance like the phrase "your aunt's knitting blog" - they'll never see 'em. Also, the cute yarncat in the commercial? WANT!
I refuse to buy them knitted things, since much of the last year has been dedicated to knitting cool little braided ball hideyplaces, facecloths and washcloths, and strange little ornaments.
But you may not have my qualms (or strange mental investment in washcloths)... in which case, I present to you the first commercial referencing knitting in the US that didn't actually make my skin crawl (or make me fire off a nasty letter or six to the company/ies responsible):
Assuming I do actually get everything finished, I'm definitely posting pics before I send them out. Because nothing will guarantee online avoidance like the phrase "your aunt's knitting blog" - they'll never see 'em. Also, the cute yarncat in the commercial? WANT!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Get Your Ears On!
So, you're off for a lovely month-long vacation in the Bahamas.
Oh, you're not? That's okay, I'm not, either! I do have some time off from work coming up, though, and as the majority of my plan centers around "relax and knit, possibly with a cup of tea", I'm going to need something to listen to whilst knitting, tea-drinking, and otherwise goofing off. Since holiday music started up well before US Thanksgiving this year (mid-November!), I'm fine with finding something else. So... how about a new knitting podcast?
The lovely Hoxton Handmade, she of the Electric Sheep Podcast, recently did a Special Crossover Episode with APlayfulDay. This is a fact. I have listened to it (and giggled quietly, and been glad I'm the one that opens the office and I'm alone for an hour or so each morning, since while it is possible for *me* to work as I giggle, my coworkers want to know what I'm listening to that's so darned entertaining, and then we all gather 'round and nothing gets done.)
So: I have now downloaded the entire run of APlayfulDay off iTunes, but you can listen directly through the blog, too, right off the internet! (That Holiday Crossover excitement I mentioned? It's Right Here. The blog has not only information for each epidsode, but lots and lots of other fun reading - the very first post, in fact, deals with something I see all the time: commuters freaking out because THERE IS A GIRL KNITTING RIGHT THERE OMG (it happens all over the world, it seems), and there are all sorts of Social Networking Contacts to keep you in touch with All Things Playful (or you can joing the Ravelry Group.
And if you haven't listened to The Electric Sheep? Oh, PLEASE do, it's wonderful! There's the blog, of course, with show notes and knitting and wonderment (Oh, look, you can subscribe to the blog! DONE!!... or I will be once I get my confirmation e-mail... hurry up, confirmation e-mail!), again, if you don't have iTunes (and on iTunes? Make sure you get The Electric Sheep by HoxtonHandmade... not the other one!), you can listen online, too. There's a Ravelry Group that's a HOOT (see the "Feed the Sheep" thread).
Because I was looking at Knitting Podcasts on iTunes, I also stumbled across NeverNotKnitting - which also has a blog with lots of lovely photos and interesting things, a listen on-line option, and... a map of the world showing all the places you can get the lovely patterns! (I'm rather fond of world maps involving Knitting Things.) Oooo, look, it's got a Ravelry Group, too!
Well. That should certainly give me a week of things to listen to. Possibly two. Or three... hm. Maybe I could slip off to the Bahamas for a month?
Oh, you're not? That's okay, I'm not, either! I do have some time off from work coming up, though, and as the majority of my plan centers around "relax and knit, possibly with a cup of tea", I'm going to need something to listen to whilst knitting, tea-drinking, and otherwise goofing off. Since holiday music started up well before US Thanksgiving this year (mid-November!), I'm fine with finding something else. So... how about a new knitting podcast?
The lovely Hoxton Handmade, she of the Electric Sheep Podcast, recently did a Special Crossover Episode with APlayfulDay. This is a fact. I have listened to it (and giggled quietly, and been glad I'm the one that opens the office and I'm alone for an hour or so each morning, since while it is possible for *me* to work as I giggle, my coworkers want to know what I'm listening to that's so darned entertaining, and then we all gather 'round and nothing gets done.)
So: I have now downloaded the entire run of APlayfulDay off iTunes, but you can listen directly through the blog, too, right off the internet! (That Holiday Crossover excitement I mentioned? It's Right Here. The blog has not only information for each epidsode, but lots and lots of other fun reading - the very first post, in fact, deals with something I see all the time: commuters freaking out because THERE IS A GIRL KNITTING RIGHT THERE OMG (it happens all over the world, it seems), and there are all sorts of Social Networking Contacts to keep you in touch with All Things Playful (or you can joing the Ravelry Group.
And if you haven't listened to The Electric Sheep? Oh, PLEASE do, it's wonderful! There's the blog, of course, with show notes and knitting and wonderment (Oh, look, you can subscribe to the blog! DONE!!... or I will be once I get my confirmation e-mail... hurry up, confirmation e-mail!), again, if you don't have iTunes (and on iTunes? Make sure you get The Electric Sheep by HoxtonHandmade... not the other one!), you can listen online, too. There's a Ravelry Group that's a HOOT (see the "Feed the Sheep" thread).
Because I was looking at Knitting Podcasts on iTunes, I also stumbled across NeverNotKnitting - which also has a blog with lots of lovely photos and interesting things, a listen on-line option, and... a map of the world showing all the places you can get the lovely patterns! (I'm rather fond of world maps involving Knitting Things.) Oooo, look, it's got a Ravelry Group, too!
Well. That should certainly give me a week of things to listen to. Possibly two. Or three... hm. Maybe I could slip off to the Bahamas for a month?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Got Presents?
Okay, it's only ten shipping days until Christmas, and you might be stuck for gift ideas and need something for the fiber fanatic in your life. Here are some nifty spots that have Cool Yarn-Related Things. (And if you run out of time, that's OK - that whole Twelve Days of Christmas thing? You've got until January 5. Which is good, because I haven't finished my holiday knitting yet.) You can click on any of the lovely banners below (none of the images for which I'm responsible for, which should be obvious but I just want to state it for perfect clarity, nor am I associated with any of the businesses/charities, I just like them) - clicking on a picture will take you directly to the storefront/information page in question.
1. The Accessory Lady. Cool bracelets with even cooler buttons, or other nifty things; either way, something fun and different!
2. Franklin Habit's fun ornaments (and by popular demand, they're all available), over on cafepress.com - here. And there's lots of other adorable things, too. Um, and take a look at the Doris collection. (Because she might, um, cause trouble if you don't. Don't get on Doris's bad side.)
3. Donate in a friend's name - or for yourself - to Knitters Without Borders, which fundraises for Doctors Without Borders. Knitters have raised over a million dollars!
4. Or, hey, there's always yarn, right? Soft'n'Shiny does some lovely stuff. I have two skeins of my own just waiting for next term to start, and she can always make more. Keep in mind, though, she's in Canada, so it may take a bit longer for things to arrive. Worth the wait, though!
And remember - even if you're not a knitter or stitcher or quilter, there are lovely ladies and gentlemen at all the local shops (look through your prospective recipient's stash - there will be bags with names printed on them to tell you the name of the store if you don't already know it) who can point you towards fun, interesting things... or gift certificates, if you're not 100% sure what to get!
1. The Accessory Lady. Cool bracelets with even cooler buttons, or other nifty things; either way, something fun and different!
2. Franklin Habit's fun ornaments (and by popular demand, they're all available), over on cafepress.com - here. And there's lots of other adorable things, too. Um, and take a look at the Doris collection. (Because she might, um, cause trouble if you don't. Don't get on Doris's bad side.)
3. Donate in a friend's name - or for yourself - to Knitters Without Borders, which fundraises for Doctors Without Borders. Knitters have raised over a million dollars!
4. Or, hey, there's always yarn, right? Soft'n'Shiny does some lovely stuff. I have two skeins of my own just waiting for next term to start, and she can always make more. Keep in mind, though, she's in Canada, so it may take a bit longer for things to arrive. Worth the wait, though!
And remember - even if you're not a knitter or stitcher or quilter, there are lovely ladies and gentlemen at all the local shops (look through your prospective recipient's stash - there will be bags with names printed on them to tell you the name of the store if you don't already know it) who can point you towards fun, interesting things... or gift certificates, if you're not 100% sure what to get!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Cloth Mag and WiseNeedle.com
So, I might have wandered into a bookstore over the weekend. And I might have wandered into the magazine section. Wherein I might have found this:
.... inside of which was this...
Now, I'm not sure about fashionable burlap, but there were several bags in the issue I just loved, and lots of nice technique hints. When I went looking for a good copy of the magazine cover to post (mine was oddly grainy), I found the magazine's site (yay!), which linked to their VIMEO uploads. For the current issue, there were two "behind the scenes" short videos. They were really interesting - and fun to watch. (Haven't quite figured out how to embed from VIMEO yet.)
All of that, combined with this (a photo of a robe taken by RandomKnits - I don't know if it's actually hers or not)...
... left me trying to actually *find* some fabric like that. (It's brightly colored, it's a crochet PRINT... yes, I'd make one for myself!)
No luck finding the fabric, but I did find a wonderful resource: String-or-Nothing.com, which is part of Wiseneedle.com, ANOTHER resource I hadn't known about. If you click through on the photo below (from the site - and another thing it would be cool to make!), you can read some really interesting stuff. And then click somewhere else on the page, and read more interesting stuff...
Yes, because I NEEDED another on-line time sink!!
.... inside of which was this...
Now, I'm not sure about fashionable burlap, but there were several bags in the issue I just loved, and lots of nice technique hints. When I went looking for a good copy of the magazine cover to post (mine was oddly grainy), I found the magazine's site (yay!), which linked to their VIMEO uploads. For the current issue, there were two "behind the scenes" short videos. They were really interesting - and fun to watch. (Haven't quite figured out how to embed from VIMEO yet.)
| Cloth Mag - Autumn Jackets | Cloth Mag - Plain White Tees |
All of that, combined with this (a photo of a robe taken by RandomKnits - I don't know if it's actually hers or not)...
... left me trying to actually *find* some fabric like that. (It's brightly colored, it's a crochet PRINT... yes, I'd make one for myself!)
No luck finding the fabric, but I did find a wonderful resource: String-or-Nothing.com, which is part of Wiseneedle.com, ANOTHER resource I hadn't known about. If you click through on the photo below (from the site - and another thing it would be cool to make!), you can read some really interesting stuff. And then click somewhere else on the page, and read more interesting stuff...
Yes, because I NEEDED another on-line time sink!!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Hipsters, Plaid, and Humidity
Ugh. It is hot and humid. AT MY DESK. (So, no, not glad to be back at work. The work I don't mind; the humidity can LEAVE ALREADY.) Since I am just back after a few days off (and it appears that Giant Project of Doom is waiting for me, just a quick entry today.
First, Obligatory Yarn Content: http://www.squidoo.com/hipsterknitting. A page with all sorts of content for Hipster Knitting. But by pointing it out, it's not obscure enough any more.
It's been raining a lot this fall. I'm really glad I got my new rainboots - much less clunky than the usual Wellies. (Okay, plaid harness-cowgirl boots? Didn't know they existed until the day I got them.) They're comfortable, with great traction, too - and don't scream out "rainboots!!"
Yeah, not really yarn related, but I really like these boots!
First, Obligatory Yarn Content: http://www.squidoo.com/hipsterknitting. A page with all sorts of content for Hipster Knitting. But by pointing it out, it's not obscure enough any more.
It's been raining a lot this fall. I'm really glad I got my new rainboots - much less clunky than the usual Wellies. (Okay, plaid harness-cowgirl boots? Didn't know they existed until the day I got them.) They're comfortable, with great traction, too - and don't scream out "rainboots!!"
Yeah, not really yarn related, but I really like these boots!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Anyone going to be tweeting during #knitchat tonight?
First - if you're on Twitter, Thursday nights from 6:30-9:30 PST (ie, starting at 9:30 on the East Coast), check out the hashtag #knitchat - there's, well, a Knit Chat happening! I haven't actually made it to one yet, but I'm hoping to tonight.
Second, for Charms, we could just make up a pattern as we went... which, let's be real, is what I tend to do most of the time. So, I had some pretty yarn that had barely survived the Innovations Knitting Machine Disaster of 2009, and grabbed one of the larger surviving balls. I did a modified Feather-and-Fan (over 13 stitches, with three in the middle) which looked like it had bamboo running up, since I purled every sixth opposite row. I like the way it came out:
I think you can see the pattern a bit better here, perhaps..... okay, maybe not, but it's the only other picture I have. This was the first thing I finished for the term, at any rate, even though I've posted my Herbology project (the Stop Sock bag) first.
So, that's Charms turned in. Woohoo!!
Second, for Charms, we could just make up a pattern as we went... which, let's be real, is what I tend to do most of the time. So, I had some pretty yarn that had barely survived the Innovations Knitting Machine Disaster of 2009, and grabbed one of the larger surviving balls. I did a modified Feather-and-Fan (over 13 stitches, with three in the middle) which looked like it had bamboo running up, since I purled every sixth opposite row. I like the way it came out:
I think you can see the pattern a bit better here, perhaps..... okay, maybe not, but it's the only other picture I have. This was the first thing I finished for the term, at any rate, even though I've posted my Herbology project (the Stop Sock bag) first.
So, that's Charms turned in. Woohoo!!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Gimme a "U"!
I've been noticing a lot of online housekeeping happening in the Snake Pit and environs, so I decided (whilst waiting between projects at work) to clean up and organize my queue so, in theory, I could easily find whatever I barely remembered I wanted to knit/crochet in the first place. Here's what it looked like to start: quite a few categories, but I'd slacked off on tagging things.
Thus, over the course of two hours, I went through every single thing in my queue. I deleted about two pages' worth of things (50+ items, I think), and added new tags/categories, like boyclothes (things for my very tall husband - long cardigans, kilthose, and other things that will take years to knit) and WANT (for all those things I keep thinking I should start, but forget about or can't find). Every single thing in my queue is now tagged.
And thus, I earned my "U"! (And I'm giggling that I now have an official "FU".)
Thus, over the course of two hours, I went through every single thing in my queue. I deleted about two pages' worth of things (50+ items, I think), and added new tags/categories, like boyclothes (things for my very tall husband - long cardigans, kilthose, and other things that will take years to knit) and WANT (for all those things I keep thinking I should start, but forget about or can't find). Every single thing in my queue is now tagged.
And thus, I earned my "U"! (And I'm giggling that I now have an official "FU".)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Ways to Count Stitches Without Actually Thinking
Not much today - swamped at work. But cool ideas for Row Counting - either make a nifty Row Counting bracelet for yourself, or (like I did) get a copy of Quilt2Go's StitchMinder for your mobile device. (I'm using it for a dishcloth right now; I'll be using it for one of the Massive Complicated Shawls once the term ends!)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Yarn Crawl Alert!!
Hey, Virginia Knitters - the statewide Yarn Crawl is happening! (Well, it started. Um. I'm blurry on the rules from lack of sleep. And I probably should have posted this earlier... but YARN!!!!)
Details here: http://getyourknits.com
Details here: http://getyourknits.com
Friday, July 8, 2011
A Learning Process, end of Week One
I was originally going to leave my yarn as Just Singles, but was reminded about the whole "Navajo Plying" thing. Which sounded pretty much like A Thing To Learn, and also keeps insanely long color runs (hello!) intact. Hadn't a clue how to do it, though, so once again, interwebs to the rescue! I found this GoogleVid which explained everything succinctly, with written words (which help me retain the knowledge better):
Thus, armed with my new knowledge, I put the royal & lavender yarn on my other bobbin (I have two... yes, only two at this time) and started to spin up the green. I figure this will be days six (yesterday) and seven (today) for my TdF. That gives me all weekend to figure out the whole plying thing once and for all. Taking advice from many lovely Ravelers, I'm putting the spun stuff on my spindle so it's not right on the whorl, and I'm getting a lot of yarn on there. I'm also getting more consistent with my thickness.
If I put the teal I spun up before TdF started in between the royal and the green, I should (hopefully!) wind up with enough yarn (300-400 yards?) after plying to Actually Make Something. Although that may not work - I think the green is coming out *much* thinner than any of the other colors, so the lavender/royal/teal may be one yarn, and the green may be spun onto some amber and yellow. But SOMETHING will be knitted with the lavender/royal once it's plied into Real Yarn, for sure! Like, perhaps, Jacquelyn Landry's Nereides? It says right in the pattern that it's good for handspun, particularly silk, which I am (actually, with my own paws!) making. And I'm still knitting lots, really. You just can't tell from this week's posts.
Thus, armed with my new knowledge, I put the royal & lavender yarn on my other bobbin (I have two... yes, only two at this time) and started to spin up the green. I figure this will be days six (yesterday) and seven (today) for my TdF. That gives me all weekend to figure out the whole plying thing once and for all. Taking advice from many lovely Ravelers, I'm putting the spun stuff on my spindle so it's not right on the whorl, and I'm getting a lot of yarn on there. I'm also getting more consistent with my thickness.
If I put the teal I spun up before TdF started in between the royal and the green, I should (hopefully!) wind up with enough yarn (300-400 yards?) after plying to Actually Make Something. Although that may not work - I think the green is coming out *much* thinner than any of the other colors, so the lavender/royal/teal may be one yarn, and the green may be spun onto some amber and yellow. But SOMETHING will be knitted with the lavender/royal once it's plied into Real Yarn, for sure! Like, perhaps, Jacquelyn Landry's Nereides? It says right in the pattern that it's good for handspun, particularly silk, which I am (actually, with my own paws!) making. And I'm still knitting lots, really. You just can't tell from this week's posts.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Bunnies... bunnies, it must be BUNNIES!
OMG... when I have bunnies, one of them may be a Show Jumping Bunny.
(Daily Mail article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381464/Bunny-rabbits-compete-jumping-course-Dressage-set-world-storm.html
(Daily Mail article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381464/Bunny-rabbits-compete-jumping-course-Dressage-set-world-storm.html
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Bunny Dressage!!
OMG... when I have bunnies, one of them may be a Show Jumping Bunny.
(Daily Mail article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381464/Bunny-rabbits-compete-jumping-course-Dressage-set-world-storm.html
(Daily Mail article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381464/Bunny-rabbits-compete-jumping-course-Dressage-set-world-storm.html
Friday, May 6, 2011
In Defense
So, it was looking like I might have do More Defense of my proposed History of Magic OWL - turns out I didn't, but I found some cool stuff, which I now share with you.
I'm going to be spending some time going through all the museum slideshows, myself!!
Dearest Examiners: as the pattern I am using does not qualify as "antique" under the US Customs definition (100+ years in age), I believe my proposed pattern counts as an heirloom piece, based on the construction of the design, the design motifs, and its intented use once completed. First, relating to the construction of the design, I would like to direct you to the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles Imagery in Lace Exhibit. The exhibit notes: "It was not till the early 16th century, that lace, as a conscious art form is recognized. The earliest designs were of a charted nature, where holes in a uniform grid could be left open or filled to create stylized images...And, just because they were cool and I found them whilst looking for the above stuff, I share other pretty examples of early lace motifs used as table ornaments, which can be found here: Lace, 1558; Lace d'oyley design by Lydia C Hammett, produced in 1899; Lace centrepiece design by Leipheimer, produced in 1904.
Lion - Romanian Lace:
Horse - Romanian Lace:
...Recorded in the earliest pattern books from the early 16th c. these patterns have persisted till modern times where the relatively new technique of crochet became the popular vehicle for representing these designs." The fillet-style of designing has been around for at least four centuries, thus is a traditional design framework.
Peacock motifs are traditional in both fillet crochet and Romanian lace:
Decorative lace accents (antimaccasars, tablecloths, curtains, etc.) flourished in the late ninteenth century In the almost-antique-give-it-five-years category, commercial crocheted fillet peacock patterns existed in the early twentieth century. (Filet crochet, to be precise, evolved from filet netting. The same netting that fishermen used was worked in a smaller scale then darned and embroidered, was extremely popular in the US in the 19th Century. It is common to discover filet crochet tablecloths in antique stores today! (See, it's *like* antique things!) This is from a vintage crochet lesson book from 1917:
A finished piece, dating from the same decade:
I'm going to be spending some time going through all the museum slideshows, myself!!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Whups...
Okay, two quick things. Fun site for Making Things, via Zazzle - Intentional Intelligent Humor - http://www.zazzle.com/wordsunwords
Wonderful new favorite Webcomic, Promises, Promises - http://www.promisescomic.com/. Since I'm getting into the whole "gym" thing, it's really helping me keep my sense of humor about it. (And the Public Service Announcements are actually really good things for newbies like me!)
Um, knitting tomorrow.
Wonderful new favorite Webcomic, Promises, Promises - http://www.promisescomic.com/. Since I'm getting into the whole "gym" thing, it's really helping me keep my sense of humor about it. (And the Public Service Announcements are actually really good things for newbies like me!)
Um, knitting tomorrow.
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