06 Nov 2008

The ball is rolling.

It’s done. For better and, hopefully, not for worse, the new site is finished. What’s left are a few back end tweaks that you won’t notice, and a few new areas that will add to the fun. I’ve got a new area for knitting patterns in the works. The current one looks much as it did on the old site, and I’d like it to be better looking and have printable pages, sans headers and whatnot. I’ve also amassed a number of technique articles, from some of the wonderful designers it’s been my privilege to speak with over the years, and I plan on adding a special category for those in the coming weeks. So that’s the future; what about the present?

Features, reviews, and news have all been added. So many new things, it’s hard to know where to start. As you may be aware, I wrote for Interweave Knits Magazine for a number of years. I wrote features, mostly, and designer profiles, and some shorter pieces as well. (Although I find it difficult to say anything in fewer than 1000 words.) They’re not really suitable for the podcast, and I’ve long wished I had a place where I could share this work with people who missed seeing it in Knits the first time round. Now I do.

In the first of these I talk with designer Gina Pinnock, a woman whose work is routinely draped over some very famous bodies. Those stockings with the holes that so fascinated Harvey Keitel, in The Piano? Gina knit those. You can read more about her work here.

I’ve also made a place for reviews, like this one. I do get to see and lovingly fondle so many knitting books. They arrive in the mail by the score every month, but I feel guilty every time I look at the stack of them. Such an embarrassment of riches, and there never seems to be enough time in the podcast to do them justice. I plan on wading through the stack over the coming months and reviewing each one, before releasing them back into the wild.

I’ve made a space for miscellaneous bits and bobs, links that people send me, and news from the knitting universe. Instead of keeping them all to myself I can now pass these things along, so that you can enjoy them too. If you come across something that makes you drool or makes you think, and want to let me know about it, you can use my handy new contact form and easily share the link. Do be sure and leave your blog URL, if you have one, so I can link back to you.

Finally, to sweeten the pot even further, at the end of the every month I’ll draw from the list of trend-setting tip-passers-on, and swaddle the winner in knitting swag. Yarn! Notions! Books! Lots of books. I have got to do SOMETHING with all those knitting books.

Posted on November 6, in Blog

11 Comments

  1. Lee-Fay wrote:

    I love the new site design, and look forward to more features and book reviews and of course podcasts! Thanks as always for sharing.

    Posted on 11.6.08 ·
  2. Rebecca wrote:

    I love the new design! Crisp and clean, and lovely colors.

    And I have to say I really adore the photo of Myrna Loy as Nora Charles knitting (with Asta in the background) on one of the Reach Knitters sponsor images.

    Posted on 11.6.08 ·
  3. Alex wrote:

    Brenda,

    I love this new design! I hope you realize just how much you mean to all of us (your knit-sibs) and how much you taking the time and effort brightens our day. I look forward to more great things from you.

    Alex

    Posted on 11.7.08 ·
  4. Oooh! I’m going to have fun poking around and checking things out. *mwah* You’re a darling.

    Posted on 11.7.08 ·
  5. Siobhan wrote:

    Love it!!!!

    Posted on 11.8.08 ·
  6. Manisha wrote:

    Dear Brenda,

    I was so positively surprised when I visited you site this morning! What a change – clear and crisp (repeating the words of Rebecca). Would you tell me: Who makes the great intoduction music, the great guitar music?

    Lots of Love and thanks for the inspiration

    Manisha

    Posted on 11.9.08 ·
  7. Heather wrote:

    Ditto to all of that! love the new site, I’m excited to see what happens next.

    Posted on 11.9.08 ·
  8. Diane Hall wrote:

    The new website is very slick. So much to do, many things to see. Nice work. All of your readers and listeners appreciate all you do for us. Thanks.

    Posted on 11.9.08 ·
  9. Manisha, The opening track is called Merigan’s Reel, and it’s by Jim Fidler .

    Posted on 11.10.08 ·
  10. Katherine wrote:

    WOW! What a surprise the new site is. Looks great. Thanks for a few beautiful moments of knitting distraction.

    Posted on 11.10.08 ·
  11. Oh hey – there’s the site redesign! Very nice! Crisp, easy to navigate…the only thing I personally might change is the blob of dates under “Site Archives”, but I tend more towards delineated lists than cloud-like tags. Regardless, I’m glad to see all this information that wasn’t available to me when I first began listening to Cast On a couple of months ago. Awesome!

    Posted on 11.10.08 ·

Comments are closed.