Digital Poster Design

So this week I started a Poster Design class at Jessica Sprague dot com. I have taken several classes at Jessica Sprague and I have loved them all. For the most part they have been digital scrapbooking related classes. Some I have kept up and done well... others I still haven't finished the class and it's been a year and a half. The poster design class is a little bit different. We're still using photoshop, but it's different in that we're not using pictures. It still can be personal and I am sure pictures can be incorporated in some situations.

So there have been three lessons so far this week and of course I am behind. Life is crazy. I have one lesson done and here it is:




Apparently alphabet posters are all the rage. It's cute. I enjoyed making it. The next two lessons are a bit more complex. Not sure when I'll get to them (or the nine lessons that haven't happened yet), but I will post them when I get them done.

If you are interested in photoshop or digital scrapbooking, check out Jessica Sprague dot com.

Advice for a Beginning Knitter

Since I am still new at this knitting thing I thought I would do a post about advice for anyone considering starting knitting. I have been knitting all of 6 or 7 weeks and have completed 2 projects. I am working on a really easy shawl now and will probably make 2 more of those for Mother's Day gifts before I move on to something else. Anyway here's my advice:

First, find a knitting mentor. Find someone that has been knitting for a while and have her help you choose a first project. Have her help you choose needles. Have her take you to a quality yarn store and explain things. Maybe even choose a project and start it together. She will be right there to answer questions and critique your technique.

Don't bother buying cheap needles from a chain craft store. If you think knitting is going to be a lifelong hobby, then invest in good tools (your husband would do the same thing). If you are not sure if you are going to keep knitting, then borrow needles. Good yarn stores will have some to try. Try bamboo, wood, metal and acrylic and see which ones you like best, then buy a good set of needles. You will also need to decide if you want straight needles, fixed circular needles or interchangeable circular needles. Eventually you might end up with all of them, but hopefully not right away. I bought several sets of straight bamboo needles in several sizes from a chain store and I kinda' regret spending the money. I bought a moderately priced set of interchangeable needles that I wish I would have started off with right away. I also have an expensive set on order that will take 4 or 5 months before I get (because of the demand for these good quality needles).

Go to knittinghelp.com and watch lots of videos. Also download the app by the same name (for $5). Then you will have the videos right on your phone or ipod when you need them. I have used the videos several times to help me with a technique that I could just not remember. I love having the videos handy. Also they are on your phone, so you don't need wifi or your phone service to watch them.

When you have TONS of time to kill, go to ravelry.com and join. Then wander around the website. Did you see a pattern somewhere that you liked? Well someone on ravelry has probably made it and they have posted pictures. For the shawl I am making now there were about 60 people on ravelry who had already made it and posted pictures. I could get a nice idea of how it would look with different yarns, etc. Ravelry also has message boards, galleries, and groups. There are thousands of groups, including some where people are "destashing" stuff. You can get yarn, used needles and other knitting accessories at great prices.

And my last bit of advice would be not to choose a project with cables until you've been knitting for a while. Also know that even experienced knitters have to rip things out and start over.

Oh, one more thing... check your library for knitting books. That was another thing that I have spent too much money on so far... books (I have purchased 5 knitting books so far and got another for a gift). Check your library for books. If there is one pattern you like in it, just copy the pattern. If there are many patterns you like, then look for the book used on Amazon or half.com.

Happy Knitting!!

knitting a cabled purse

So here is my second knitting project. I found the pattern on Pinterest (linked from Ravelry). I have a thing for bags and purses. I have more bags, purses, totes, etc than any one person should have. So when I saw this knitted purse on Pinterest I knew that was going to be my next knitting project. The pattern even said that it was the perfect beginner cable pattern because it was a relatively small project. The original pattern had purchased handles instead of the strap that I knitted and sewed on. And since it had handles it did not need a closure. Mine needed a closure, so I knitted a loop and bought a cute button.

Now I probably ripped this out and started it over 6 times... at least. The first time I was about 2/3 finished and my knitting friend told me I had read the pattern backwards. I should have taken a picture of how much I had done, but I didn't. Then in starting it over I just could not get a hang of the knit, switch to purl in the same row thing. My husband's step mom showed me how to do that and it help immensely. Once I finally figured out what I was doing it probably only took me two weeks to complete it... maybe less. It was a great, small project to learn how to do cables. It's not perfect... there are a couple of mistakes, but I love it!!