Technology and the Needle Arts

Tonight I gave a very casual talk at Westport Yarns Sit'n Knit about Technology and the Needle Arts. I thought I'd share what was discussed. It's by no means a complete list - it's what I have found useful in my experience or benefited by other people's experience.

Knitting Apps for Iphone/Ipad

Several of these icons are web pages that I've added to my home screen for quick access:
stitch...chat - my blog
ravelry
crochet symbols
yarn ydg
jeny’s bind off
yarnphone
Most of them are free, a couple of the were paid apps. The Vogue Knitting app is truly worth the $3.99, there are stitch patterns, knit/crochet help, and ways to manage your projects.

Yarnphone is great, it uses the gps in your phone to locate nearby yarn stores. Sometimes the information is outdated, so make sure you call first!

Yarnphone (and adding any website to your home screen): (knit map is another site you can use)
Go to Safari
Type yarnphone (or website or your choosing) in search bar
Click on that site
Click “add to home screen”
Click add in top right corner

Other Helpful Apps:
Convert Units ~ meters to yards -Free
Evernote ~ an organization app that you can use to upload patterns for easy access -Free
Snap Tell ~ take a picture of book or magazine you like and it will find it, tell you where you can get it, and more importantly, give you a visual note. -Free
Find My Iphone ~ uses gps in your phone to track it done for you. -Free
Knitting Daily -Free
KnittingHelp -Free

Online Magazines, Help Websites, and Pattern Sites
www.KnitchMagazine.com “Online Fashion Magazine for Knitters”
www.Knitty.com Excellent (free) patterns, articles
www.twistcollective.com (free) articles, patterns are available to purchase
www.patternfish.com patterns are available to purchase
www.youtube.com video demonstrations – I have some up there.
www.knittinghelp.com reliable resource for many techniques

Blogs can be interesting reading and a source for new ideas. I tried to include hyper-links to the blogs but it wasn't cooperating.
Some I follow:
Westport Yarns
Knit and Tonic
Never Not Knitting
Traveling Ann
Yarn Harlot
Wendy Knits
Knitting Central
Doris Chan Crochet
Major Knitter

Email Newsletters
Knitters Review
Knitting Daily
Vogue Knitting

Ravelry
We spent a lot of time going over Ravelry and using the pattern filters, checking out what other people have done with patterns you're interested in, using the forums, etc.

Feel free to add comments with any resources you've found interesting.

Remember to pace yourself so you don't get lost in the Internet and forget your knitting!