Being a "Gadget Girl", I'm always looking for interesting tools to make my creative life easier, more efficient or just plain more fun. I'm always amazed at all of the new ways to do what many people consider to be 'old fashioned' - sewing, knitting and crochet.
One of the coolest new tools for the technologically-minded knitter is the iPhone or iPod Touch. Did you know there are many knitting applications for these devices? I was amazed when I did a search for "knitting" in the "App Store". For instance:
- Yardage Calculator. How much yarn do you really need? I love these tools.
- Knit Counters. Keep track of rows, repeats and more.
- Needle Sizer. I have the "iKnit Needle Sizer" and it is a brilliantly simple way to find the needle size for both crochet and knitting needles, right there on your screen. From sizes00/1.75mm to 50/25mm.
- Knit Gauge - a gauge reader to automatically measure your swatch!
- Yarn Stash organizer tools
- and much, much more...!
If you are a knitter and already have one of these devices, you'll enjoy having these handy high-tech tools at your convenience. It makes yarn shopping much more fun when you can more accurately calculate your yardage and check your 'stash' to see if you already have that yarn and/or color on hand, or remember the name of the yarn that you'd like to use again in another project.
Another great online resource for knitters is shopping for knitting patterns. I love buying knitting books but there are also some handy free online patterns. Berocco yarns has a wonderful collection of exclusive web designs: http://www.berroco.com/pl_web_exclusive_index.html . They feature Berocco yarns (of course) but they are generally in easily substitutable gauges.
Another favorite resource is online knitting magazines and blogs. My favorite online knitting magazine is Knitty.com. Their summer issue was just released with great articles and of course fantastic patterns! This is often a good resource for unusual "designer" patterns that are a bit offbeat or unique. My favorite knitting blog is definitely the one belonging to Bonne Marie Burns - ChicKnits.com. I don't know how she manages to work full-time, have an active life and still knit at a prodigious rate. Plus, she designs her own knitwear! Amazing lady and fun to read.
Of course there are so many more...I could spend all day reading about knitting and not actually getting any knitting done!
So, I'd like to know - what are some of your favorite high-tech or online knitting resources?
Ravelry! I love ravelry as a source for patterns, tracking my yarn, needles, and projects, and keeping up with my knitter friends. It's a members-only website, but membersihip is free, and it's so cool! (My ravelry name is craftygrrrl99, so if you want to be my virtual friend, just drop me a line!
Posted by: Anna-Beth | August 20, 2009 at 01:49 PM