Introducing the Take 5 Blog Series: Mari Knits

I really like to make lists, and I've always enjoyed reading top 5 (or 10) lists in magazines, blogs, etc. One Friday afternoon not so long ago, I was wrestling with how to keep posting fresh and interesting content on my blog as I took on more and more work which had to remain top-secret. Since I my day job at Stitchcraft Marketing has put me in touch with a lot of awesome bloggers, designers and other industry folks, it seemed like a natural progression to spotlight these folks on my own knitting blog.

Then I dreamed up the perfect twist: invite each person to share a Top 5 List which somehow relates to the fiber arts. Here's the catch: every Take 5 list will be totally different than the next! Each person who agrees to participate in the series is given a list of 20+ topics to choose from; once they select from the list, that option goes away for any future participant.

We'll be covering all sorts of ground - from funny to educational and all points in between. I don't plan on editing or censoring anyone's answers for the purposes of this blog, even if it conflicts with my own beliefs; I think it's interesting to hear from people who have a different perspective than my own. Even if they don't win me over to their way of thinking, I think it's important to consider all sides of an issue (no matter how big or small); I hope my dear readers will keep an open mind for these posts, too!

It seemed appropriate to kick off this series with my friend and colleague Mari Chiba, since she helped me brainstorm many of the topics for this project when I Skyped her one Friday afternoon to tell her my idea. Mari and I have worked together at Stitchcraft for several years now, and outside of that she is a prolific designer whose work has appeared in Twist Collective, Knitscene, Clotheshorse, and Knitty (among others), plus she also self-publishes patterns such as the Laurelai Cardigan, shown at right.

She's a fun and funny person to hang out with, in person as well as via Skype, and I'm so glad she agreed to be the first person to take part in my little experiment.

Without further ado, I present to you....

Mari Chiba's Top 5 Instagram Pet Peeves!

1. Screenshots. Any and all of them, but this winter has really seen an unfortunate increase in weather app screenshots which have essentially turned Instagram into the Weather Channel. Note from Stefanie: our shared frustration resulted in my creating this meme to commemorate the occasion:

2. Photos of your feet. GROSS.
3. Photos of your food. Trust me, it only looks good to the person who's about to eat it - to the rest of us, it's not very appetizing. AT. ALL.
4. Any photo taken with the flash.
5. When you invade my feed with the same photo over and over. Either get one good shot, or learn how to sort through the many photos you took to post only the best one.

We both have a shared experience of spending WAY too much time on social media channels (as in, at least 8 hours each day), and that has caused us to commiserate about some of our biggest pet peeves via Skype many times over, but perhaps Grumpy Cat says it best (or at least, most succinctly):

To be totally honest, the above list is pretty similar to a blog post I have drafted called "the grumpy person's guide to social media" which I never got around to publishing. I'm sure that everyone has their own list of pet peeves when it comes to Instagram or other photo-sharing sites. I'd love to hear what you'd put on your own top 5 list of photo-sharing no-no's in the comments!

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

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