Posted via email from piebird’s posterous

There’s been a lot of chat in the internet craft community about the joy and power of FREE, as in sharing creative works for free to spread goodwill.  I love this idea, sharing tutorials and ideas, but I wanted to take it a step further.  So here’s my next big thing, a free online class where I’m not only sharing knitting knowledge, but giving you the opportunity to share some free, too.

Visit my class site to sign up for a completely free online video class on how to knit socks with the Magic Loop technique.  The class project is a teeny pair of toddler socks that can be (but don’t have to be, your choice, no pressure) donated to Children in Common.  CIC helps provide warm clothing and other assistance to children living in orphanages in Russia and the rest of the former soviet Union.

SIGN UP HERE

First, these sweet, tiny crocheted hearts from Kristen TenDyke; these puffy little hearts made me smile.  Pattern Here.

Julie Kundhi has these flat crocheted hearts, which would make excellent gift embellishment, or glue a pin back on for a quick brooch.

And for a non-knitting, non-crochet, but all yarn-love option, try these wrapped yarn hearts from Woolywotnots.  Wouldn’t they be great on a small scale glued to cardstock for a sweet crafty valentine?

While it may have been an unrealistic project goal with all the freelance deadlines creeping up on me, I cast on for a personal project, Snowden Becker’s adorable, wearable, classic Myrtle cardigan.  Lace, sock yarn, cardigan, SOLD.

So I dyed up 4 skeins of Merino Fine in a slightly lighter shade of Edgar (less black, more charcoal to show of the texture of the lace, because I’m the dyer and I can totally do that), and cast on.  Skipped the gauge swatch, which I would scold a student for doing, so naturally, it bit me on the butt, I ripped, and cast on again with smaller needles. Then I got to the lace charts.  Very clearly laid out, worked my way through row-by-row and realized: I am NEVER going to memorize this chart*.  Well, then.  Time to break out cheat sheets.

Lace cheat sheets (or flip cards, or reference cards) are one of my favorite tricks for making lace enjoyable when it could easily turn into “shut the %&$* up, I’m counting!!”.  While a lot of knitters may be capable of memorizing lace and texture charts, myself included, you don’t always HAVE to.  As Einstein once said, “Why should I memorize something I can so easily get from a book?”  Or some handy pocket-sized cards, for we knitters.  By putting it down into easily scannable chunks of the pattern, you can free up your brain from the stress of memorization and do other things while you knit, like say, think, daydream, converse with friends and family, or watch tv.

So first, grab some index cards, or cut some card stock into smallish-sized cards, say 4″x5″ or so.  Punch a hole in the upper corner (I go upper left, but do what works for you) of as many cards as you have “real” pattern rows.  As in, if it’s just a “purl all stitches” row, don’t bother.

I like to paste a copy of the chart onto an extra card, which I use for the “cover”, but this isn’t crucial.

On each card, write the row number, and then the written-out version of the stitch pattern for that row.  If you’re using multiple charts in a row, write the instructions for each.  If you like, write a reminder for your wrong-side row instructions for plain rows.  If you have varying stitch counts or special instructions, jot those down, too.

Use a binder ring to assemble, and use a paper clip or binder clip to keep the pages from flapping around in transit.

To use, simply flip to the page that correspond with your row.  When you’ve completed the row, flip to the next row card.  Clip the pages in place (every time, trust me!) so that if your little book of cards gets knocked over, the pages won’t flip on their own.

So now you’ll be free to watch tv, chat with friends, take your project to Stitch and Bitch, and enjoy your lace project, rather than have it languish in your knitting basket because it’s too fussy for public knitting.  And if I can get my other knitting work done, now I’ll be able to finish up this little cardi, too!

*This realization really hit home when I botched several rows while attempting to simultaneously knit this while watching the LOST premiere.  Bad move.  It took longer to pick out those rows than it did to knit them!

Social Media for your Crafty Business, by Diane Gilleland, Sister Diane of craftypod.com

To a crafty entrepreneur trying to navigate the often confusing waters of social media, Sister Diane is the Jiminy Cricket on your shoulder, offering gentle, but pointed advice on which direction to take to avoid peril on the seas of Twitter and Facebook (I’m assuming she doesn’t usually wear spats and a top hat, but one never knows…).

As Sister Diane writes in her e-book, social media can be a confusing prospect to a generation that have been steeped in broadcast marketing, i.e.-constant, repeating, self-serving advertising on tv, print, and radio.  Social media works beautifully for those who can understand the big shift in thinking toward engagement marketing, the mellower, relationship-based love child of advertising, social media and new internet outlets.  Here, engaging and providing value to your friends/followers/contacts/customers is the key to using social media in a way that helps both your business, and your online community, and Sister Diane lays out clear directions for building a healthy, happy relationship with social media.

“Social media space lets us filter the world through the eyes of people we trust…”
Diane Gilleland, Social Media for your Crafty Business

The e-book is divided into clearly laid-out chapters, with easily digestible bits of info on understanding how social media spaces like Twitter and Facebook work, analyzing what makes for engaging content in your updates, avoiding falling into old broadcast media habits, and time management.  The thread that runs through the book is that social media is NOT advertising, and although it can benefit your business, that it is a tool for gaining trust and building relationships.

With subchapters titled, “A sane way to build up your network of friends and followers” and “How to mention your business, appropriately”, Diane will teach you how to provide value and engage your audience, avoiding the running list of shop updates or the “I ate Cheerios for breakfast” schtick.  She provides plenty of checklists, clear examples, and food for thought on how to analyze your own content and reshape it into updates that real people will want to read on a regular basis, thereby gaining a group of readers that trust and respect your voice.  advice ranges from the basics of crafting an interesting personal profile and choosing and avatar to helpful tips on time management to avoid “time-suck” and keep your interactions fresh & helpful.

For the e-book’s modest $12.50 pricetag, it packs a solid punch of information that when utilized will help you walk the fine line between artfully promoting & engaging vs. unintentionally spamming your readers.

As a follower of @SisterDiane on twitter, long-time listener of her excellent Craftypod podcast, and a current student in her Craft Blog Tune-Up class, I’ve seen evidence time and again that Sister Diane knows how to use social media effectively.  She is a thoughtful, well-organized, and accessible instructor, every bit of which shines through in this well-crafted e-book.

For additional resources on social media, I recommend listening to her recent podcast on engagement marketing.  And for those that would like a more in-depth, interactive introduction to using social media, consider enrolling in Diane’s upcoming Twitter for your Crafty Business online course, coming up February 15th.

Buy Social Media for your Crafty Business over at craftypod.com.

So in my excitement and KAL inexperience (it’s my first time as a KAL organizer), I realized that while the Pavo Real KAL began yesterday on ravelry, I completely neglected to post about it HERE.  FAIL*.  Hopefully, it will sound like so much fun, some of you will still want to join in and forgive my gaffe.

So without further delay, here are the details:

The KAL’s homebase is in the KSD group on ravelry.  The only real rules are use KSD yarn (because it’s a KSD knitalong, right?) and check with me if you have any major pattern issues before freaking out mid-forum (I’m not expecting any real problems since the pattern’s been knit by several different knitters, but you never know.).

If you’re on twitter, tweet with the hashtag #PavoKAL to join in on the conversation there.

The KAL’s flickr group can be found HERE.

This is a month-long knitalong for February, so join in at any time and share your projects.  I can’t wait to see them.  We’ll aim for finished shawls by the 28th, but since life sometimes has other plans, just show us what you’ve got along the way.  It’s the journey, right?

And again, not to plug it too hard, except I think it would help new laceknitters, but if you love the look of these lace shawls but are intimidated by hole-y knitting and charts and markers, consider signing up for my online Pavo Real lace class.  I promise to make you more confident and capable with lace knitting, and you’ll get a lovely shawl to boot!

*I could blame it on the groundhog.  He is awfully compelling.

Wake up woodchuck chuckers, it’s GROUNDHOG DAY!!  Reports are in that the official groundhog meteorologists have seen their shadows, but not so much here in Alabama.  Desmond is recommending Keens and t-shirts in coming weeks.

I wrapped up this amigurumi project or the Groundhogalong in the nick of time, sewing up the last of the pieces and giving him a little embroidered schnoz just after lunch.  This project was a blast!

The details:

Remnants of two colors of KSD Merino Fine, dye-test skeins (available current colors-Dram and Mycroft).
Yarn was held doubled, two of the light brown for body, one of each for ears, tail, and limbs.
Size E hook
button eyes, embroidered nose, stuffed with wool roving

Desmond will be hanging out with me tonight on the sofa as we watch Groundhog Day on Blue-ray.  You can also see his cousins Phil over at Sister Diane’s, and Ned Ryerson over at Kim Werker’s, and if you want a cute little groundhog of your very own, head over to Planet June for patterns for the groundhog and a menagerie of amigurumi crochet critters.

And one more thing…BING!

Are you ready for the Pavo Real knitalong? We’ll be casting on for our shawls tomorrow, Feb. 2nd, and I’m super excited to see what variations y’all are working on!

The knitalong’s home will be on KSD’s ravelry group, and I’ve also set up a flickr group to share photos of your projects.

I’ll start a fresh forum thread tomorrow morning for you to post your progress, photos, questions, and ideas. And, because this everyone loves prizes, there will be random prize giveaways for KAL participants during the event!

Get out your needles and KSD yarn and get ready, this is going to be awesome!  Want to participate but feel a little out-of-your-league?  This project is much easier to learn than you would think! CLICK HERE for more information on the Pavo Real online class, where I’ll teach you step-by-step from cast on to bind off how to knit this fun (and addictive) lace project.

Bow Headband pattern from Sweatshop of Love

It seems everywhere I look right now, I find another sweet, clever headband (Or maybe I have them on the brain because I’m growing my hair out.).  These are easy accessories to make with a bit of scrap yarn and a small amount of knit or crochet time, and they’re lovely and flattering with almost all hairstyles, from buzz-cuts to Rapunzel locks.

Allyson Dykhuizen of Sweatshop of Love has just released a sweet, beginner-friendly bow headband that uses scrap sock yarn and would whip up quickly on size 5 needles as gifts or a last minute finishing touch for your wardrobe.  The one above was knit in Luxe Merino Fine in Trafford.

Feather headband from Mimi Boutique (want!)

These gorgeous feather headbands are also an inspiration.  Maybe try a simple knit or crocheted rosette with a few strategically hot-glued feathers?

Travel Headwear has a fun selection, some for free, of crocheted headband patterns, both skinny and wide, with a fun bohemian style.

And, if you love the look and want to treat yourself to some handcrafted love, check out Broken Hallelujah’s etsy shop for some lovely flower headbands (and cute mary jane slippers, too!).