Knitography
In writing my own blog and in reading other blogs about knitting and crafting I always appreciate a really good picture of a project. I like to know exactly what it will look like up close, far away, on a person, on a hanger, the list is endless. I want to be able to see as much as I can before I committ to making something. Showing off your work, however is only one aspect of photographing your projects.
I also like to photograph my projects in order to keep organized and to make the gift giving process more complete. I think that if you are going to put so much effort into anything you knit you should always try to make it easier for you to repeat your success. I can’t remember the last time I knit something and I didn’t have some sort of alteration or helpful hint that I wish I’d had before I started. I like to leave myself little notes like: ‘perhaps this would be better knit in the round’, ’use longer double points, not the little short sock ones’, or ‘add 4 extra stitches’. This way, if I repeat the pattern or lend it to a friend they or I can benefit from my experience. This is where the photograph comes in: always take a picture of the finished product to keep with your pattern. This will help you remember how the project turned out and how you will alter it next time, especially if the finished product has been given away. It’s a great way to keep everything straight and organized.
Another great use for knitography is taking pictures of your own creations. If you are making your own patterns or greatly altering the ones you have you may want to type them out and keep a picture with them. This way you won’t forget your alterations or the pattern you have created.
Yet another great use of a knit-pic is to be used as a tag. This will also work for your quilts or other crafty gifts although you might want to use a smaller picture since you won’t need to attach any yarn or buttons. You can attach your 4×6 pic to a piece of cardstock that is 4.5×6.5 and on the back you can print the care instructions, materials (is it wool, cotton, alpaca, etc). This is also a good place to attach your little extra yarn (for possible *gasp* repairs) or buttons.
This way the recipient of the gift knows exactly how to care for the gift and which garment the instructions are for. It’s a really nice finishing touch if I do say so myself!