Knitting

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A Google Story about Knitting

by

yarn mountainI don’t know how long this video has been out there, but I just saw it so I wanted to share it with you.

Google has a series of videos showing how different people use Google+, and one of them features yarn store owner Christina Blount Presnell, who hosts knit night via Google Hangouts. She’s used the Internet and Google+ to help build her yarn business, Yarn Mountain in Harrisonburg, Va., as well as building a community of knitters far beyond those who are close enough to visit her shop.

Go check out the video and add her or the shop to your circles, if you want. (You can find me over there, too, but I’ll admit I update rarely. Maybe when the book is done!)

Comments

  1. Sarah, Thank you for posting this mini-documentary. It was a very fun project to make and an exciting opportunity to work with the Google Creative Lab. This film was shot in May 2012 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in and around the Yarn Mountain shop. The opening shot of yarn being spun was filmed at the Claudia Hand Painted Yarns studio, also located in Harrisonburg. The folks in the film are our actual customers, and they had a lot of fun being involved, too! Imagine my surprise when that phone call came, and the caller ID said “Google”. We were humbled that they asked us to be a part of this project and help bring the message of the capabilities of Google+ to other small business owners. We are very thrilled with the number of friends we’ve made around the world, yourself included. 🙂
    Cheers!
    Christina

Have you read?

Stitch a Simple Sack Hat that Looks Like a Turkey

If your family is the sort to do a turkey trot for Thanksgiving, or even just to take family pictures, you’ll want to get started knitting up some Turkey Sack Hats with this pattern from Underground Crafter. 

The pattern uses super bulky yarn and is rated easy. It’s knit flat but there are a few skills in here around the shaping of the eyes, which includes changing colors, working bobbles and doing a wicked purl 3 together decrease. Twice. 

But that’s all in one row, and the rest of it is pretty simple. The beak is worked separately and sewn on, and the side of the hat is stitched up to make it into a hat. 

What’s great about this one is that it comes in 10 sizes, ranging from newborn to adult large, so you really can make one for everyone in the family. And because it uses super bulky yarn you can knit a bunch pretty quickly if that’s a thing you’d like to do. 

It’s also fun because you could use this base pattern to make different animals or for different holidays. Make it all in orange and stitch on a jack o’lantern face for Halloween, or make a white one that’s a snowman, for example. 

In any style this would also be a fun gag gift for that person in your life who has everything or doesn’t want gifts, or if you do a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange at work or elsewhere. 

And make sure whether you’re making it a turkey or some other character that you include the pom poms at the top! They’re just so cure and a great way to add a bit more color to the project, and they’re easy to make. (See also: ways to make a pompom with yarn.)

You can grab the free pattern at the Underground Crafter website. 

[Photo: Underground Crafter]