savannahchik.com » how to and tutorials http://savannahchik.com savannahchik knits, sews, cooks Fri, 02 Oct 2015 11:50:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38 Friday Faves: Ravelry Searching and Organization http://savannahchik.com/2013/08/friday-faves-ravelry-searching-and-organization.htm http://savannahchik.com/2013/08/friday-faves-ravelry-searching-and-organization.htm#comments Fri, 09 Aug 2013 13:09:34 +0000 http://savannahchik.com/?p=1377 We all use Ravelry in different ways.  Here are a few of my favorite ways to discover new designs and keep them organized.  That last part is key – discovering is easy.  Re-finding when you need it?  Trickier.

      1. Friends Activity – One of the simplest ways to see a random sampling of the happenings on Rav.  When I see the same design pop up a few times it draws my attention.  I’ve learned about new pattern releases and new issues of mags this way.
      2. Friends Sets – If you have a set of friends you like to monitor specially then this is the way to do it.  We all have friends who seem to be in the know – faving and queuing new designs the moment they come out.Friday Fave Rav #1
      3. Hot Right Now – See what’s hot on all of Rav.  I’ve found limited-time free patterns and new releases this way.  You can also search hot designs if you’re on the hunt for that new cardi pattern.Friday Fave Rav #2
      4. Pattern Recommendations – This feature is still in Beta but has highlighted several new designs for me.  Recommendations are based on your favorite designers, projects you’ve knit and queued.   I try to look at my friends’ favorite designers for ideas too.  Take a look at mine.Friday Fave Rav #3
      5. Advanced Search– I can get lost in advanced search for hours!  Some of my favorite searches are:
        • Search my faves.  You can also search anyone else’s faves too.
        • Search by yarn gauge
        • Search by project type – pullover, cardi, socks, shawl, mitts are the usual suspects for me.
        • Search by fabric characteristics – cables, lace, texture – but no garter!   I’ve searched for the keyword garter but it’s not a perfect search.  If anyone knows where garter is listed in advanced search please let me know!
        • Changing the sort order.  The default is Hot Right Now but you can also sort by Most Project, Most Favorited and a bunch of others.
      6. Remember and Compare – Once you find a design you like, remember it so you can pull together a custom list of designs you’re interested in right now.Friday Fave Rav #4
      7. Your History – How many times have you looked at a design and then couldn’t remember it?  One catch – this only shows you designs that you’ve viewed and doesn’t include projects.

One thing you may all be thinking I’ve missed is tagging.  Truthfully, tagging is not one of my favorite ways to organize.  I much prefer to fave a design and then use advanced search to pull up a list of items I like.  Tagging is an extra step for me, but if it works for you don’t let me stop you.

How else do you search and organize on Ravelry?

I’ll catch you on the purl side.

]]> http://savannahchik.com/2013/08/friday-faves-ravelry-searching-and-organization.htm/feed 6 Friday Faves: Video Knitting Tutorials http://savannahchik.com/2013/07/friday-faves-video-knitting-tutorials.htm http://savannahchik.com/2013/07/friday-faves-video-knitting-tutorials.htm#comments Fri, 19 Jul 2013 08:34:50 +0000 http://savannahchik.com/?p=1287 Sometimes reading instructions about knitting makes sense.  And other times you just need to see it.  Here’s a collection of some of my favorite video tutorials.


Magic Knot
Hands down the simplest way to join a new yarn.  No ends to weave in.  Did you hear me?  NO ENDS TO WEAVE IN.
Emily Ocker’s Cast On
If you’re starting a circular object from the center, this method is a clever way to cast on. Think shawls, hats and specialty garments.

Very Stretchy Cast On
I suspect this has another name, but I love this simple to execute cast on!  The video shows ribbing that stretches out as far as the ribbing.  You gotta try this one.
Long tail Purlwise Cast On
If you’re casting on ribbing and love the long tail cast on, this one is a simple extension on the traditional long tail.  I just used this last week and loved it – and really needed a video to get it right.

Lifted Increase (Right -Leaning)
One of my favorite invisible increases.  I use a lifted increase more than any other.
Lifted Increase (Left-Leaning)
If you want symmetrical increases, you’ll need this one too.

Knitting Videos

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