I'm aware that although many of you share my love for this technique, some of you are a bit put off by the above. Bobbin p0rn is disturbing. I'll give you that. However, if you can see fit to get beyond the inherent intarsia issues you will be rewarded with a wonderful garment, object, piece of fiber wonder that really will make you look like the most skilled needleworker on this here planet!
Unfortunately, I've been unable to tackle as much intarsia as I'd like as of late due to the fact that I like to create my own charts. Historically this process has been one wrought with LadyLinoleum's blood, sweat and tears. In other words, lots of manual labor. Me, a pile o' graph paper, pencil and eraser gettin' busy. Literally, I would spend hours coloring in thousands of little boxes, foaming at the mouth, wondering when or if I'd ever finish.
Not any more!
I've gone from this...
Copyright 2006 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.
...to this!
Copyright 2006 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.
Awesome, eh? And purty too!
How did your Lady of the Linoleum go from her Lascaux-inspired graphs to the technological wonder you see above? One program.
PCStitch
This program is my new favorite toy. It's incredibly easy to use and it's cheap! If you're a chart fanatic like me, you need to get this program...Now!
Don't have a spare $39.99 laying about? All is not lost. Ever heard of Pixel Blocks? It's an awesome new-fangled building toy that is based upon, you guessed it, the pixel. Well, the folks at Pixel Blocks want their customers to be able to build whatever they'd like out of as much as their product they can purchase. Enter their free online answer to imaginative building with pixel purchase power AND your free answer to PCStitch...Digital Stained Glass. This online gem allows you to upload an image of your choice, click through the wizard and presto! Your very own intarsia chart in pdf form! Just wait until you see the pork product I charted using this program...
14 comments:
you're cute.
Ok. So I go try this pixel program. I have a needlepoint project in mind, using rug yarn...anyway, I ended up creating a 427 page monster!!! good thing I didn't hit print!
Have i ever mentioned I am bad bad badddddd at math?
Ahh, I am no friend of intarsia, but I am a huge fan of charts, and making them and knitting from them and such. Despite the fact that most knitters I know, consider themselves "visual" learners, it's amazing how many people are scared of charts.
I use Adobe Illustrator and Excel, but that's because I have them already for work. :)
I have been meaning to try Intarsia-have the bobbins, etc. Thanks for the link-
Terrific t-bones and pork product promises, I can hardly wait.
Wonderful posting of your Dad. It made me miss him too.
More Mac discrimination ;> - actually, I fear intarsia, but I am attempting to overcome it.
I agree. Intarsia is fab but I prefer to do it without charts. Blind as a bat.
Lo! The joys of modern techonology.
I spent too much of my younger years coloring little boxes on graph paper to create beading designs (I created an argyle pattern and haven't touched the stuff since). I always thought there had to be an easier way.
intarsia scares me. i don't know why. i've got a drawer full of bobbins and ideas... but i'm a fraidy cat.
psst, the stained glass link went back to the pixel blocks - is that right?
that's one cool steak. great job!! I'm so new a knitter, I'm years away from plunging into intarsia. Or so it seems to me...
Hey, Regina, I'm flattered that you used the word "Lascaux" in your post!
Please help me!!!! I love to chart patterns but I am not sure hou to do intarsia. Is there a good book or online tutorial that I could learn from???
I, too, love intarsia for crochet but have always just used Microsoft Excel to create the pattern. I like using it because I have the option of changing the blocks from square to rectangle for a double crochet stitch. Whatever works for you, though.
I'm with you 150%!!!!! I LOVE INTARSIA!!! I also like to do my own charts, the problem is that I want to sell my patterns. Could you imagine trying to photograph a 5 foot chart!!!!! Thanks for the links these are going to come in real handy!!!! From one Intarsia Geek to another, We are the bomb!!!!!
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