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January 2019

Choices • Metadata • Repairs • Upcoming events • Wool advocate • Tidbit recap

Choices

Work continues towards making the user interface at Stitch-Maps.com available in multiple languages – although, at this point, the only visible change is the language-choice menu at the top-right of every page.
 

Soon, though, I hope to have a system in place where volunteer translators can provide translations easily – initially in German and Russian, eventually in other languages too. If you’d like to take part in this effort, or if you’d simply like to request support for a particular language, please speak up!
Join the conversation

Metadata

Putting translation efforts aside briefly, I added a new view option at Stitch-Maps.com: metadata. Select this option on any stitch pattern's detail page, and the stitch pattern’s name, contributor, and URL will be displayed at the bottom left of the stitch map image.
 

Seriously? I should’ve added this feature years ago. It’s already proving itself useful. Imagine this: you can print a pile of stitch maps, and have a way of figuring out later which one is which. Or you can post stitch map images to social media, and people can track them back to their source.

A key point to remember here is that this feature wasn’t my idea. It was suggested in the Stitch Maps group on Ravelry, just like improved current-row highlighting and many new symbols, such as the bunny ears decreases. Do you have an idea for a new feature? Share your idea on Ravelry.
Join the Ravelry group

Repairs

In the winter, I always take handknit fingerless gloves with me whereever I go. And I’m always in favor of repairing gloves that have started to show their age – if nothing else, it’s faster than knitting a new pair! So that’s why I recently sat down to make a couple quick repairs, one typical and one not so typical.

The typical repair was re-knitting a thumb that had frayed. It’s become rote: unravel the worn bits, put the stitches back on needles, knit for a bit, bind off, and weave in all the ends.
 

The not-so-typical repair was to a thin spot in the middle of a finger. The end of the finger was fine, so instead of reknitting the whole thing, I chose to reinforce with duplicate stitch.
 
 

I love being able to make repairs like these, to make my handknits last that much longer. It’s part of why I love teaching Disaster Recovery, which is on my schedule for Stitches West and for one more special event...
See my full schedule

Upcoming events

Stitches United is coming to Atlanta this May! I’ll be teaching seven classes, including the previously mentioned Disaster Recovery, the ever-popular Slick Set-in Sleeves, and the newly-popular Patterned Brioche. Registration opens soon! Sign up to be notified when it’s ready.
 
Get more info
Wool advocate
Have you seen the posts Clara Parkes has made on social media recently, in her role as “wool advocate”? (Her title ought to be “Wool Advocate Supreme,” if you ask me.) The story took off in mid-December, with eloquent posts in response to a ridiculous billboard and a ridiculous decision by the U.S. Navy, closely followed by the sad story of closure of the Woolrich mill. Clara then turned to science – in particular, why synthetics stink (literally!) and threaten your safety.


Please do take a moment to read these posts. Educate yourself against the flawed arguments of advertisers who try to tell you that wool is itchy, or that shearing is harmful to sheep. And if you want to go a step further, sign this petition to bring back the Navy peacoat.

Update! While I was writing this newsletter, Clara got quoted in a most excellent article by the Wall Street Journal. Go, Clara!
Follow Clara on Instagram

Tidbit recap

On a more lighthearted note... Every week I post a “Tidbit of the Week” on the Stitch Maps page on Facebook. It’s my chance to share whatever bit of fiber-related news that I think might pique the interest of stitch maps fans. In case you missed them on Facebook, these posts proved rather popular:

 
Want to get notified of new tidbits like these? Like the Facebook page!
Visit the Stitch Maps page on Facebook
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JCBriar Knitting
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Corvallis, OR 97330

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