What’s a netbook, you ask? It’s the new mini notebook that is taking the computer industry by storm. What does this have to do with crochet? A lot, actually.
Like many of you, I spend a great deal of my day working at my computer. I also travel quite a bit, which makes computing on-the-go an absolute necessity. I already have a laptop, but I wanted something that was even smaller and easier to travel with—something that I could tuck into my purse or crochet bag for easy note-taking, pattern writing or editing. I was certain that it would make my life easier, but since I count computers among my hobbies, I thought they also looked like fun. I was right on both counts.
I did some research, discovered what I did (and did not) want in one of these little computers, then persuaded my husband to take me computer shopping. Within just a few minutes of entering the computer store, I found what I was looking for and bought it on the spot.
As with anything else you buy, there are pros and cons to the different brands, and it’s not my intent to recommend one over the other. But, the Asus EEE PC 1000H had everything I wanted and needed at a price that I found affordable at less than $400.00 (that is if you don’t count the extras I bought that I didn’t necessarily need). So while I’m sure that there are plenty of other great buys out there, this one was right for me.
Because the keyboard on a netbook is smaller than on a standard desktop or laptop, I was a little worried that I would find it hard to get used to but that wasn’t the case. After stumbling through a few lines of text, my fingers soon figured out the smaller key spacing, and it has been smooth typing ever since.
With the smaller amount of memory a netbook has, I was also concerned whether it would be powerful enough to handle my Microsoft Office 2007 Professional suite, but I needn’t have worried. I installed it shortly after bringing the computer home and haven’t noticed any system slowdown.
One word of caution, though. Some of the netbooks are distributed with Microsoft Windows XP, while others are distributed with Ubuntu, a Linux operating system. I have no experience with Ubuntu, but I’m told that it can make installing new programs difficult if you aren’t familiar with Linux.
As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I am totally thrilled with this little computer. It does everything that I need for it to do and is much lighter and easier to carry around. If purchasing one of these minis is an option for you, I definitely recommend them!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Lattice Rose Set & Midnight Roses Tea Cozy
Several of my designs were recently published in Crochet! magazine. Midnight Roses Tea Cozy appeared in the January 2009 issue, followed by the Lattice Rose doily and rug in the March 2009 issue. All of these projects feature rose embellishments.
If you’re at all familiar with my work, you may already know that I design a lot of floral projects. My fascination with flowers dates back to when I was a little girl. My father was an avid gardener, and he particularly liked growing roses. He grew many other flowers as well, but the roses were always my favorite. Admittedly, I don’t have his green thumb, but the beautiful flowers that graced our yard have been my inspiration for designing floral projects for many years.
Lauren at crochetstitches.blogspot.com made the Lattice Rose rug as a birthday present and posted the photo on her site. If you would like to see it, check out her site.
If you’re at all familiar with my work, you may already know that I design a lot of floral projects. My fascination with flowers dates back to when I was a little girl. My father was an avid gardener, and he particularly liked growing roses. He grew many other flowers as well, but the roses were always my favorite. Admittedly, I don’t have his green thumb, but the beautiful flowers that graced our yard have been my inspiration for designing floral projects for many years.
Lauren at crochetstitches.blogspot.com made the Lattice Rose rug as a birthday present and posted the photo on her site. If you would like to see it, check out her site.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Weaving In Ends, Color Changes, Etc.
One of my least favorite jobs in completing a crochet project is weaving in the yarn ends. When I first learned to crochet, I saved them all to do at the end of the project, but I soon learned what a chore it was to face them all at one time. So, practically from the beginning, I’ve worked them in as I go.
There are different methods for accomplishing this, but I was intrigued by some of the tips in the following video I found at YouTube. It addresses several issues, including hiding the yarn tail at the beginning of your work, closing the gap that a beginning chain-3 at the beginning of a row or round can produce, color changes and working in the back ridge of a chain. Enjoy!
There are different methods for accomplishing this, but I was intrigued by some of the tips in the following video I found at YouTube. It addresses several issues, including hiding the yarn tail at the beginning of your work, closing the gap that a beginning chain-3 at the beginning of a row or round can produce, color changes and working in the back ridge of a chain. Enjoy!
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