Keeping up with the Knitting Bloggers

I wrote earlier in the week about podcasts and how you can listen to them on your PC or mobile device (Ipod, Zune, Zen or other) and keep up with events and issues surrounding the knitting community while you knit.

Today, I will tell you how you can keep up with all the blogs you like to read and how it can be done in one spot.

There are many stand-alone software programs used to collect, update, and display [tag]RSS feeds[/tag]. Many of these are free. Some work from within your [tag]web browser[/tag] or email client, while other work on your desktop. [tag]Yahoo[/tag] list many readers that you can try, some are application specific; that is just for outlook or just for blogs.

I use Google Reader. This is free software at the Google site and all you need to do is establish an account. The account and software are free.

After creating a Google account, adding your subscriptions is easy. You can click on the Add subscription field on the reader page, or you can go to your favorite blog and click on the orange RSS symbol next to the URL address. The click will take you to a page that will ask you Add to Google home page or Add to Google Reader. Click on add to reader and it will automatically add the blog to your reader. Each time you find another blog you wish to keep up with, just click the symbol.

Reading is easy as the blogs are all listed on the Google Reader page and you just click on the one you wish to read. If you click on the individual blog, it will list the posting from that blog.

This simple software helps you keep everything in one spot.You never need to worry about losing bookmarks to your favorite blogs or missing out on a new post due to time constraints.

Leaves more time to knit!

Next Pattern:

Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?