being a crafty person with lots of patterns scattered all over the place, i've been trying out and testing all sorts of cloud storage for my knitting and sewing patterns. the main things i look for are: ease of storage/accessibility, and the ability to access the files from any computer.
Evernote
I've been using a big fan of Evernote for a long time now, and is probably one of my favorite programs/sites ever. it's terrifically useful at instantly clipping something from a website (photos + text) and automatically adding it to your evernote account with the website intact. you can search, tag, organize, and even view by thumbnail.
Some of my favorite things about Evernote:
web clipper instantly files away any picture + text + link I want from any website
attach PDF files (patterns) right into your note, beside the picture of the pattern, and link to the site
browse your patterns by photo, which opens up your attached PDF or text pattern, or search by any keyword
share any evernote folder with others
free account has unlimited storage space, but you can only transfer up to 55MB per month (I've never come close to this)
sync's with your phone, online, and programs on all of your computers
Dropbox
I'm a little late to the Dropbox party, mainly because I thought there were other programs out there that offered cloud storage with more storage. I decided to try it out though, because one area where Evernote lacks some usability is when you're working with a work-in-progress file, and for handling documents other than word, excel or PDFs. since i've been creating digital sewing patterns, across multiple computers, I always need the latest file easily accessible and ready to update in my editing program.
Dropbox does this flawlessly because you actually have a folder on you computer which is constantly syncing with all of your other computers, the web, and your phone. it makes the process seamless so that even though I'm switching between computers, I'm still accessing the same exact file, like magic. i don't have to remember to sync or update or backup. Starting out just using it for my works-in-progress, I've started using it for almost all of my files.
with Dropbox, you get 2GB of free storage, but you can do all kinds of things to increase that to up to 16GB, like take a tour, let them know you're a student, or connect with your social media. also, here's a signup link, where you'll get an extra 250MB added.
i've recently re-discovered my pinterest account. and realized there is so. much. good. stuff. on there. here are some of my very colorful knit favorites. most of these are courtesy of the very wonderful knitter and pinterest extraordinaire, meredith.
p.s. don't you love these collages? since picnik is closing down (tear), all premium services are free. meaning, you're going to be seeing a whole lot of fancy collages until the ants carry away the picnik.
i discovered a few trompe l'oeil patterns and love them! trompe l'oeil is the 3D illusion created on a 2D surface. i think my favorite are these knit armenian bow sweaters (below)! they are adorable. although the hermes painted on cuffs and pockets (above) would be a much quicker and easier DIY to make a boring dress a bit more interesting.
hey guys, i'm working on a few digital sewing patterns and am looking for a few folks to test them out. if you're interested in the pattern, I'll send the pattern over to you, and in exchange you just give me feedback about what you liked and didn't like. easy!
the requirements
you have a sewing machine and the other materials necessary to complete the pattern
you'll need to take a photo of your finished product and email it to me within 7-14 days of receiving the pattern
you'll need to fill out a short questionnaire with detailed feedback about the pattern within 7-14 days
how to sign up
if you're interested, just sign up for the pattern testing mailing list below and as new patterns come available, I'll send out an email with a description of the pattern. if you like it, and decide you want to make it, just reply back to me and the first ones who are interested will receive the pattern.
p.s. those folks who have already participated, i've already got you on the list!
this is the finished rag bath mat for my new black and white bathroom, which is made from one half of a duvet cover, and 2 contrasting pillow cases. i created the 'yarn' from the duvet/cases using the rag bath mat tutorial then knit up the mat using the pattern below. you could just as easily use sheets or old tshirts for this project as well. in the end, the mat is super plush, and a great way to recycle your old linens. and, you get a fresh new look for your bathroom floor!
to make this, I only needed 1 side of a king size duvet cover and 2 pillow cases (and still had leftovers). when making them into 'yarn' i kept the pillowcases separate to easily make the fair-isle stripes, and 1 continuous ball for the main color.
to knit, i started with my main color, used 1 pillowcase for the first stripe, carried over my main color for the middle stitches, joined in my second pillowcase for the 2nd stripe, then again carried over my main color for the last set of white. since there is a fair amount of carrying over, i made sure to keep my yarn loose, and always carry over on the wrong side. the knitting on this is pretty simple -- just stockinette stitch with garter stitch borders (on all edges).
Striped Rag Bath Mat Pattern
Gauge: Varies - determine your own gauge to custom fit your mat
Needles: size 19
Yarn: made from sheets/duvet cover and pillow sheets
Finished mat size: 27" long
CO 22 stitches
Bottom Edge
row 1(right side): k2, k4 in main color A, k3 in contrast color B, k4 in color A, k3 in color B (by joining a second skein of B), k4 in color A, k2
row 2(wrong side): knit across row, making sure to knit with contrast yarn B as you come to it, and carrying your main A yarn in the back of your work
row 3(right side): knit across row, continuing your contrast yarn vertical stripes
Middle
row 4 (wrong side): k2, p til 2 sts remain, k2
row 5 (right side): knit across row, continuing contrast yarn vertical stripes
repeat rows 4 and 5 until about 1.5 inches before desired length
Top Edge
row 1-2: knit across row, continuing constrast yarn vertical stripes
row 3: knit across entire row ONLY using main color A (discontinue stripes)
BO all stitches
CO = cast on
k = knit
p = purl
sts = stitches
BO = bind off
