Friday, June 19, 2015

Technology: the knitter's friend

One of the things I value most about knitting is its low tech nature, so it's with a small degree of grimace that I admit for the second time this news item: wifi + remembering my Ravelry password rescued me while I was on holiday.  I bought yarn and needles locally, then used my iPhone (best. birthday present.ever) to search the pattern database for a perfect fit.  And now I'm a convert.


Paper-based patterns are great especially if you're making notes and adjustments, but omigosh: the convenience of downloading a pattern .pdf to your smartphone!  If you're anything like me, and all the other people I see stopped in their tracks all over the city staring down at a tiny screen in their hands, you're probably carrying the thing around anyway.  And if your eyesight is not cooperating, it's super easy to enlarge the text to double check stitch count or needle size.

This week as I once again said No! to household responsibilities I said Yes! to casting on my long-longed for tea cosy.  I had settled into my chair with the bag of needles and yarn I set up ages ago, plus a pair of seriously exhausted legs from a ton of walking all day.  Only then did I realize I hadn't bothered to print out the pattern.  But I did have my phone.


Okay, admittedly: I had to get up and walk to the computer to e-mail the file to myself from my hard drive, but once it arrived in my phone's inbox, all I had to do was open it in the relevant app.  Now it's there any time I need it.


Wonder how long it'll be before that little virtual shelf is full of patterns in progress?

In other news: I'm looooving knitting the tea cosy.  


But I need to get a ruler app onto my phone as soon as possible because ugh...


I was only supposed to knit four centimetres before moving to the next bit of instruction, and I was so relaxed I went all the way to five.  Thanks for checking that for me when I was too scared to do it myself, Scruff.


First world problems, right?


Hope you don't have any problems from any world this weekend folks - see you Monday!



3 comments:

Linda said...

I don't have a phone, so I'd be in trouble - LOL! I do have a small Samsung Nook tablet - so I could take that with me!! And find some Wi-Fi somewhere and I'd be set!

Linda in VA

Mary Keenan said...

Tablets are even better - bigger screen ;^)

Mary Keenan said...
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