I've really become a more productive knitter in the past few months, thanks to my iTouch -- which has wonderful software for knitters. The iTouch is an iPod that uses the same operating system as the iPhone -- which means there are thousands of applications available in the iTunes app store. Many are free -- such as the StitchMinder (a great program for keeping track of rows completed, pattern rows, pattern repeats and increase rows). I became interested in the iTouch when I read of the KnitGauge program (ninety-nine cents!!) in one of the spring knitting magazines (I subscribe to a ton of them -- everything but Vogue Knitting because I dislike both the editor and the patterns). After my brilliant eleven year old godson demonstrated all the things he could do with his iTouch, I lusted for one of my own.
Within a few hours of purchasing it, I spent hours exploring the app store. I got a lot of free apps to access favorite sites such as the NY Times and the Huff Post plus I discovered a few others -- like the BBC Reader for world news. But my best find (and app investment) is the KnitBuddy. This clever program allows me to catalogue stash, needles, and crochet hooks. More importanly, I can document projects (WIP, finished, queue). For each project, I can include a photo, notes, and have multiple counters (rows, patterns, increases, decreases). Just looking at the list of WIPs (works in progress) provides me with an incentive to work on them so I can move them to the finished project category and replace the photo with one of the completed item.
Right now I have seven WIPS recorded in my KnitBuddy -- all started in 2009. (I'm not too anxious to uncover and catalogue all those started in previous years -- it might be too depressing!) But best of all, I have five projects in the finished category -- all of which I started after I bought my iTouch in April. This includes a pair of summer socks knit in purple Sunapee (a silk and cotton DK weight from Patternworks); the Knitted Triangles Shawl (shown on the Trinity Knitting blog), a fantastic doggie sweater and two kit projects from KnitPicks.
The doggie sweater is modeled below by the newest family member - Miss Tobie. She is a maltipoo puppy belonging to my godchildren. A true princess, the ruffled sequined sweater in Berocco Quest and Berocco Lazer looks like it was designed just for her....and it only took two days to knit. Of course, I've bought more yarn and patterns to make her more sweaters (and a stocking for her first Christmas). She will be one well dressed doggie -- and may possible need her own cedar chest for her sweaters!
Enough blogging for now -- I'll include shots of the other completed projects in upcoming posts.
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