knitPro

I know I've been on a tool kick lately, but I have one more that I'd like to share with you. knitPro is a cool graphing program for colorwork that lets you upload your own photos and turn them into a graph pattern. To give you an example of how well it works, I uploaded this picture that I took in college:

Here's the resulting graph on the "Regular" size setting:

Not too shabby! Let's try another.

Here's the graph.

Good attention to detail in this program! This is definitely a program I would recommend if you wanted to do highly detailed colorwork. Why not try it out? I think the biggest challenge would be selecting the colors necessary for the design. What do you think?

Crochet Coloring Page

Coloring pages have become really popular lately. I've always enjoyed coloring for fun, perhaps as a side effect of having a Master's in Teaching :) When I was a substitute teacher I always brought coloring sheets along for unexpected moments, even for high schoolers. Some of my favorite coloring books are authored by Ruth Heller. I have cats, flowers, and geometric designs. In fact, I once did an impromptu first grade math lesson with a cat coloring page when I didn't get any sub plans!

About a month ago I decided to draw up my own coloring page to give to you and I've finally gotten around to it! I'm not an expert at drawing, but I think it turned out pretty cute anyway :) Also, I'm allllllmost ready to tell you about all of the secret crocheting that has been taking up my time. Almost! In the meantime, here is a cool crochet coloring page for you! To print the picture, right click it and select "View Image." The image should pop up all on its own for you to zoom in on and print. For an even larger file size, visit this imgur link.

Qualities of Yarn and Fibers: Part Two

Hey there! This is Part Two of my yarn qualities chat. In the first part I shared a chart on fiber-specific qualities. Here's the accompanying chart about yarn-specific qualities. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments!

Qualities of Yarn and Fibers: Part One

On this blog I often highlight how important it is to choose the right yarn for your project. However, there are so many different ways to judge a yarn. Does it provide good stitch definition? A lot of luster? Halo? Some of these terms may be unfamiliar to you. I would like to help you out!

Although it is difficult to completely define and categorize yarns and fibers, I am going to attempt to focus on two main categories. The first category is made up of qualities that are mainly fiber-specific (wool, nylon, etc). The second category is made up of qualities that are specific to individual yarns (Berroco Comfort, Lion Brand Wool-Ease, etc). These charts are not going to be exhaustive (there is so much information to be gleaned through experience!), but I hope that they can serve as a preliminary guide.

Today's chart focuses on fiber-specific qualities with another chart to follow in my next post. 

More Fun with Stitch Fiddle: Repeating Patterns

I recently came across this fun blog post about repeating patterns. Anyone can make a repeating pattern by following the simple directions. How neat! I couldn't resist doing some experimentation since repeating patterns have obvious crochet applications. Stitch Fiddle provided the perfect starting tool. Here's the original design I came up with. It could potentially be used as a tile, but I wanted to see what would happen if I followed the repeating pattern instructions. Imagine each box as a single stitch of a crochet color chart.

I took a screen shot (command+shift+3 on a Mac and the Print Screen key on a PC) and then edited it down to just the design. Next, I opened a blank document and copy-pasted the left side to the right and the right side to the left. It looked like this:

Tip: You can see the change in position by following shift of the black highlight box. I zoomed in as close as possible and then took another screen shot. Finally, I took the top half and moved it to the bottom using the same procedure as before to produce my tile. I finished it off by changing the center stitches to black.

Now that I have a repeatable tile I can arrange it against itself as many times as I like to make a design.

This process could be used to create some super interesting crochet colorwork, don't you think? Here's another design process using an asymmetrical picture to start.

I am having WAY too much fun with this... Be sure to try it out!

Fans and Fishnets Scarf and Hat Set Crochet Pattern

I am so excited to unveil my newest design, the Fans and Fishnets set! Working with this yarn was a dream (thanks again, Toni!). However, any fingering weight yarn can be used for this project. It is available on Ravelry and Craftsy.

This sleek set is a little bit flirty and a little bit fancy. The Fans and Fishnets set joins the hipness of crochet mesh with delicate shells for a modern yet feminine effect. The pattern includes a simple chart, along with the written instructions, for extra clarity. It’s great for showing off tonal yarns. For a youthful look, choose a bright color and make it pop. For some sophistication, jewel tones will work well. Whatever color you choose, you’re sure to love this soft, pretty pair.

Didja Know? Interesting Crochet Facts

Sources:
http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/know.html
http://www.craftsy.com/patterns/crocheting
http://www.crochet.org/?page=CrochetHistory
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-crocheter/
http://www.ravelry.com/
http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/02_W_Education/curriculum.asp