Updating Blog & Website

July 11, 2009| Lindy| 0 Comment | 12:51 am

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Just finished importing my previous blog posts from Blogger. As part of my updating my website, I decided to switch to using WordPress via my hosting site, rather than have my readers go to the Blogger site to read my blog. WordPress provides me with more functions and features to better manage my blog.

I hope you like the new look for the blog and the updates to the website. The website will always be a work in progress — much like my knitting projects. Just spent quite a bit of time choosing a new color scheme and I am still figuring out how to modify my blog to match, so look for the color scheme to change.

One of the ongoing maintenance items for any website is the task of keeping links current. Links, particularly to individual knitting websites and blogs, seem to change frequently. It is always sad to discover that a site that I really liked and recommended on my website is no longer available. I found that I had several “dead” links when I went to check them. In some cases, I was able to find the updated link — in others, there is nothing to link to anymore.

The latter is the case with the Knit.with.us site. This site was really very nice when it was up and running. However, the owners of this site are no longer focusing on knitting and have moved into a completely different direction. Thus — no more Knit.with.us. I wish the owners well in their new endeavors — I will miss the content they offered.

If anyone reading this has suggestions for knitting related blogs that I can include in my links, please comment to this post and include the link. Thanks!

While I was away…While I was away…

May 10, 2013| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 5:57 pm

from this blog, a truly wonderful event occurred in my life — My DS and DIL had their second child!

A wonderful little baby girl that they named Charlotte Grace.

I, naturally, have fallen head over heels in love with this sweet babe. 😉

The little purple hat with the pink flower is one of several I knit her while awaiting her arrival.

She’s already making a fashion statement — don’t you think?

Pattern is a basic beanie with a rolled brim. I used “I Love That Cotton” from Hobby Lobby.

More on knits for Charlotte in my next post.

Nebraska Knit & Crochet GuildNebraska Knit & Crochet Guild

September 4, 2009| Lindy| 0 Comment| 5:29 pm

NKCG_logo
I recently joined the Nebraska Knit & Crochet Guild. It is a wonderful group of knitters and crocheters who meet at various locations in Omaha, Nebraska about three times per week. I have attended six “meet ups” so far and have found the women in the guild to be very friendly, supportive and willing to share their expertise with any and all.

It is a delightful experience to be able to meet up with a group of women who share my love for both knitting and crocheting. And the social interaction adds a wonderful new dimension to my pleasure at participating in these crafts. It does, however, pose some challenges as I find it difficult to concentrate on my knitting while busily chatting away with the other women around the table.

The Guild meets Wednesdays at Whole Foods from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. Saturdays at Willa Cather Library from 1:00 – 4:00 PM and at Panera on 78th Street on Sundays from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. I have been going to the Wednesday and Sunday meet ups. Saturdays are just too busy for me, so I probably won’t do any Saturday meetings.

Many of the Guild members are on Ravelry – so this is a good way to communicate with them. There is also a Yahoo group and I now get email updates periodically. If you are in the Omaha, Nebraska metro area and are interested, here’s a link:
http://www.nebraskaknitandcrochet.org/

Acquiring Needles over TimeAcquiring Needles over Time

September 9, 2021| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 9:58 am

When I started knitting decades ago, the choices and types of knitting needles were limited. I started out using the Boye brand of aluminum straight single point needles in US size 10.5 – I think they were about 8 inches long. My next set of needles were US size 8 and were 14 inches in length. I continued acquiring single point aluminum needles – buying them one set at a time as I needed for the project I was working on. I still have most of those sets and I don’t use them much anymore.

I also acquired double point needles(dpns) as I learned to knit in the round or circular. These were purchased generally from big box type stores that carried knitting supplies. I have a mix of aluminum. bamboo, and birch needles. Again, I still have these needles but I rarely use them.

My first sets of circular needles were also purchased at big box stores and are aluminum or bamboo with thicker cables. I eventually found a local yarn shop in my area and this opened up a whole new avenue for buying knitting needles. The needles carried by the shop were of a much higher quality than what was available through the big box stores. My first purchases of fixed circular needles were Addi brand. Over time, I acquired a collection of these needles in various lengths. Again, I bought the size and length of needles as I needed them for projects.

I purchased my first set of interchangeable knitting needles about 25 years after I started knitting. I still use this set regularly but I also have acquired additional interchangeable needles and cables over time.

What I describe above is a process that I believe most knitters go through as they progress in the craft of knitting. You start out with what you are introduced to as a beginner and go from there. Today’s knitter has a much wider array of choices in knitting needles.

There are many different brands available as well as many different materials, not only aluminum and bamboo, but different types of woods, stainless steel, nickel, and acrylic. There are also many different options for where to buy knitting needles today. Knitters now have the option of buying knitting supplies online in addition to stores/shops in their area. It is wonderful to have so many different choices – but it can also be challenging for the new knitter. In my next post, I will discuss tips for selecting needles that I hope will help you the next time you wish to buy a set of needles.