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:

I happen to live in the Northern Hemisphere, but I know we have a lot of Southern Hemisphere friends, too, who are heading into the cooler months as we are warming up. Whichever one of the seasons you’re in, you might want to stitch up this sweet little hood.

This pattern by saskie&co is called snug hood and it uses two colors of yarn to make a close-fitting pixie style hood (almost a balaclava but it doesn’t cover your face, though there is a neck covering portion to keep you a little warmer). You can use the fingering weight wool and mohair held together that are called for in the pattern, or use a single strand of DK weight yarn.

The neck portion and the edging around the face are worked in ribbing in a single color, while the body of the hat includes an allover colorwork flower pattern. The project is worked both flat and in the round and there is colorwork that is knit flat, which means you’ll have to purl in colorwork (which some people don’t like; also, you can’t see what you’re doing as well on the back of the work).

The pattern comes in one size and the colorwork is charted. Testers noted this is a quick and easy project and a great way to learn some new skills (chart reading, working stranded colorwork flat) if you’ve never tried those things before. They noted the hood is cute, comfortable and warm, and a few said it didn’t take as much yarn as the pattern suggests, so bear that in mind if you’re trying to use stash.

Speaking of the pattern notes, check out all the cute color variations in the projects on Ravelry. From pink and red to blue and white to gray and cream, there are lots of great options to think about.

You can buy this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: saskie&co]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?