Thursday, January 31, 2013

Dragging my feet into the 21st century

I've never been accused of being an early adopter. I don't own a food processor, since my knife works perfectly well. I drive a 20 year old Toyota with a manual transmission. When I had a shop, I had a cash register, not a point of sales system.

So it should come as no surprise that I am accustomed to using an overhead projector when I teach. I like the immediacy of being able to write on my transparencies to illustrate a point. Besides, I don't own a laptop.
I'm headed to Kansas City this weekend to teach at The Studio Knitting & Needlepoint Annual Retreat. When the retreat organizer asked the facility representative about an overhead projector, she was met with peals of laughter. It seems I'm being forced into an upgrade.

Fortunately, I was given an iPad for Christmas. (Thank you, Susie). And contrary to popular belief, it seems the iPad can actually be used for more than Twitter and Words With Friends. A Google search for "best presentation apps for iPad" pointed me at SlideShark.
I've spent the past two days re-creating my visuals in PowerPoint (who knew I had this already on my computer? not me) and uploading them to SlideShark, from which I've downloaded them to my iPad. It has been a steep learning curve, but I'm ridiculously proud of myself. I should be able to project from the iPad using the LCD projector which seems to have replaced the overhead projector while I wasn't paying attention. Wish me luck.

What have I been knitting?
Entrelac samples. I've been asked to teach Basic Entrelac Techniques at FashionKnit in Walnut Creek in March. I haven't taught entrelac since I had the shop, so I've been making samples and developing an outline. Call FashionKnit to sign up - I'd love to see you in class.


And I started a new pair of socks last night, since I'll need travel knitting this weekend. Sitting in my chair watching PBS, I realized I was looking at David Attenborough while knitting with yarn in a color called.....David Attenborough. I know. It's Skinny Bugga from the late lamented Sanguine Gryphon. Merino, cashmere and nylon.

If you want some Skinny Bugga of your own, you can get it from Cephalopod Yarns

Have a great weekend.

Go Niners!

I'll miss the game because I'll be in transit, but my thoughts will be with them.