Have You Seen…

…the new online knitting magazine called the Twist Collective? What do you think about charging individually for the patterns? As I’m sure others are, I’m totally of two minds on this one: it’s great to see designers getting paid properly for their work but personally I’m much less likely to knit one of these patterns because of the fuss in ordering and downloading and paying for it. One pattern is nearly as much as an entire issue of Interweave Knits so I had better really want it first. I may not ever knit anything from my issues of IK but at least I can see the schematics and everything right there which makes it easier to decide if it’s worth my time to bother with a project. At least the TW’s general articles are freely accessible and the magazine itself is totally beautifully designed and interactive in a way that print can’t compete with. (I love the pattern details that pop up when you point at the photos.) It won’t replace Knitty in my heart but I hope it does well for Kate and all the contributors.

Have you seen a crochet hook like this?


It has a hook on each end. I got one of these when I bought a friend’s old stash of regular Tunisian crochet hooks, the ones that look like a straight knitting needle with a crochet hook instead of a point. So of course I had to go online to find out how to use the thing. Very interesting. Apparently it goes by several names, some trademarked and some not: crochetnit, Crochet on the Double, cro-hook, crochet-knit. They also come in several variations including ones with the hooks going in the same direction (like mine), opposite to each other, even connected by a cable like a cable needle only with hooks, made of metal or plastic, and with or without end caps. I even saw some beautiful turned wooden ones here (scroll down) and here. There’s a dishcloth pattern here that will give you the basics with a practice piece that is useful. Another more complex one is here. (Kim has other free patterns available too.) And some different stitch patterns using the cro-hook are here. There are even some video instructions here. (Check out both the Crochenit and the Crochet on the Double sections in the right column.) There’s also this (click on the sample link showing how to do the basic st) and a nifty way to do very wide pieces such as bedspreads here both by the queen of this technique, Mary Middleton. She also has free patterns as well as a gazillion booklets. Whew! See what happens when I follow my curiosity?

Yeah, I know some of that stuff is pretty reminiscent of church bazaar stuff, but use some imagination and nice yarns. It has possibilities.

Off to Spectrum to play with Shiva Paintsticks. I have snap peas from the garden in Japanese ginger dressing with sesame seeds for my potluck dish. Later, Gator!