Thoughts on laptop covers - Are they a good idea?

I've been considering making a laptop cover.  I've seen some really adorable ones and I have an undying love for cozies whether they be kitschy or elegant or anything in between.  It's almost surprizing how deeply one can consider this question.  Go figure!

Are they practical?  If if's a means of keeping dust off of your laptop then yes.  I think they can be but I use my laptop pretty consistently throughout the day so for me - not really.

Do they really offer any form of protection?  I don't think so.  If I drop my laptop (God forbid!) I don't think a crocheted cozy regardless of how many post stitches or popcorns are on it will do much of anything to help cushion the fall.  A 5 pound laptop is just too heavy for a popcorn to save.


Are they pretty?  Of course.  I'm sure you'll get plenty of oooh's and aaahhh's when you take it out of it's carrying case.  Or it could be cute or silly or whatever a person's personal style would lead them to create.

Are they good for the laptop?  Hmmmmm - to me, this is the most important consideration.  I don't know but I lean towards probably not.  Yarn by it's design is made from fibers.  We've all experienced yarn that fuzzes.  I don't know about your laptop (or tablet or pad or whatever other doodads they've come up with that I'm not familiar with) but MINE has a bunch of holes (I believe they're called ports) on the sides of it.

There's places for usb cables, monitor cables, jacks for microphones and headphones and other assorted openings that i have absolutely NO IDEA what is supposed to go in them (but they come with the machine whether we know how to use them or not).

This is where my line of thinking has taken me.  I don't know of any yarn that doesn't fuzz at some point. Some are way worse at fuzzing at others.  Some, like mohair, are made fuzzy.

What are the chances that the fuzz from the yarn can get into the little port openings?

Do I really want to add another step to cleaning my laptop by having to remember to clean out each of the opening with compressed air because I added fuzzies to the situation?

Do i want to take a chance on these fuzzies getting into the openings and when I plug something in - it doesn't work because there's something in the way of the connection?

I find these thoughts to be really disappointing because I was looking forward to making a laptop cover.  I like pretty things.  I like to make pretty things.  I like to cover my stuff with pretty things.  (ok - I'm getting carried away with the pretty things thing here but you get my point, right?)

So - I find myself truly disappointed that I won't be making a laptop cover for myself.  My husband surprised me with a very boring and utilitarian laptop bag.  (It's an excellent brand and something that he wouldn't be embarrassed to carry unlike the red snakeskin shoulder bag I had my eye on).  I wanted something more 'me' for when I took my laptop out of the bag.

With all of the computer problems I've had recently including the loss of a year and a half's worth of photo's.  (I found a back up disk I made in Jan 2010 so I didn't lose 8 YEARS worth of pictures  - YES!!!)  I find myself not wanting to add any potential problems to my computer.

For those of you that have made laptop cozies or those of you that want to - by all means - do what makes you happy.  I believe that, as with most decisions in life, this is only a personal opinion and that we each need to decide for ourselves what we're going to do.  Unfortunately, I've decided not to make the cute little cover with the cables on it that I had already designed in my minds eye.

As with all my posts - comments are always welcome.  I'd love to know what you, my friends in yarn, think of laptop covers in general or in my thoughts on the topic.

Computer Problems

My dear friends in yarn,

I know I posted a teaser in my last post that this post would be a give-away.  I am sorry to dissapoint.

But I do have a really good reason!

I have been going thru computer hell!  I'm on my 3rd machine in 3 weeks.  I am soooo happy that Best Buy has a 2 week exchange period.  Technically, I'm on my 4th machine as my old laptop gave up the ghost, the first 2 computers that I replaced it with had malfunctions.  So far (cross your fingers for me) this one seems to be doing well.

Unfortunately, I lost quite a bit of personal files - pictures and documents and such.  It's not for lack of backing up.  The problem is - my back-ups failed also.  Fortunately, I did not lose any of my RoseRed Designs files.

I'll be back to my regularly scheduled postings soon.

~Michele

New Pattern Release - A Modern Heirloom baby/toddler/lap Afghan

I am so pleased to announce that my newest design, 

A Modern Heirloom

is being released today!  

You can find the pattern at either:

 (links are clickable)

RoseRed's Designs Etsy Shoppe

RoseRed Designs Ravelry Store

This is one of my most favorite patterns that I've come up with so far.  It is so versatile.  It can be used as a baby ghan, is large enough to be a toddler/ small child ghan, gorgeous enough to be a crib cover, or used as a lap or wheelchair ghan.  

The applications for this afghan are endless.  The only thing that needs to be changed for it's different purposes is the color.  Winter white or beige for the heirloom look, baby blue or pinks for infants, favorite colors for older children or for those of use that refuse to grow up :)

I strongly recommend making this afghan in Caron Pounders

or any other of the thicker 4 ply worsted weight yarns.  

Warning - Teaser Alert!  My next post will be the first ever RoseRed Designs Give-Away Contest!  I think you guys will be quite happy with the contents of the up-coming give-away.

So excited!!! Designer Profile at AllFreeCrochet.com

I am just soooooooo excited!

I have several patterns listed at AllFreeCrochet.  As if that wasn't exciting enough - I also have a Designer Profile!

I am so honored to be included in with these other GREAT designers!

All Free Crochet.com is an AWESOME website that lists tons of free patterns from across the web.  Make sure to check it out when you have a chance!

All Free Crochet.com

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Prayer Cloth in Filet - 5 inch sq

You can also download the pdf file thru Ravelry

Ravelry page for Prayer Cloth

 

 … so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.   ACTS 19:12 NIV

Finished size:

            Approx. 5x5 inches

Materials:

            34 yds Size 10 crochet cotton, white

            #7 steel hook Boye or

            #5 steel hook Bates

Pattern Notes:

            - Pattern is worked in 4edc blocks.

            - Entire pattern is worked in Edc.

            - Follow chart beginning at the bottom right corner of Row 1.

            - Chart is then followed back and forth until completed.

            - This pattern is symmetrical.

Pattern Stitches

edc  - Extended Double Crochet - yo and insert hook in specified st.  yo and draw through st (3 loops on hook).  yo and draw through 1 loop.  Complete as you would a normal dc. (Yo and draw through 2 loops, yo and draw through remaining 2 loops).

Mesh Block - Edc, ch2, skip 2st’s, edc in next st.  Each mesh block is made up of 4 st’s.  

Blocks that are next to each other share the center st.  Example - 2Mesh - edc, ch2, edc (shared),  ch2, edc.

Solid Block - 4 edc.  Each solid block is made up of 4st’s. Blocks that are next to each other share the center st.  Example - 2 Block - 7edc

Instructions:

Chain 52

Row 1 - edc in 4th chain from hook and in each chain across.

Row 2 - ch3, turn, edc in next 3 sts, *ch 2, skip next 2 sts, edc in next st*  repeat 2 more times, edc in next 3 sts,  *ch 2, skip next 2 sts, edc in next st* repeat 5 more times, edc in next 3 sts, *ch 2, skip next 2 sts, edc in next st* repeat 2 more times, edc in next 3 sts

Continue following chart through completion.  Finish off, weave in ends and block.

 

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 Copyright 2011 ~ Michele Shirley ~ All rights reserved.
This pattern and it's derivative works are for personal, private and charitable use.

Fitted Pint Canning Jar Cozy

Pint Canning jar cozy next to quart canning jar to show size.

Finished size: fits a 1 pint canning jar

Gauge:  4inch sq - 15 sts x 8 rows

Materials:

Caron One Pound worsted (medium) weight acrylic yarn- 30oz/1548 yds/ 850.5g

 1 ounce

Hook:  I / 5.5 mm / UK size 5

Finishing needle for weaving in ends

Pattern Stitches:

fpsc – (front post single crochet) -  working from right to left, insert hook behind the post of the next st, yo and draw through, yo and draw through both loops on hook

Instructions:

ch3,

Round 1 – working over tail 11 dc in last ch from hook, slst into top of ch2 to join, pull tail to tighten center (12 dc)

Round 2 – ch2, dc in same st, 2dc in each st around, slst to join (24 dc)

Round 3 – ch2, dc in same st, dc in next 2 dcs, (2dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts), repeat around, slst to join, turn (32 dc)

Round 4 – ch1, (sc, ch1) around post of same dc, dc around post of each dc around, slst to join, turn (32 dc)

Round 5 – (sc, ch1) in same st, dc in each dc around, slst to join, (32 dc)

Round 6 – ch1, hdc in same st and in each st around, st to join (32 hdc)

Round 7 – (sc, ch1, dc) in same st, (dc in next 10 sts, 2dc in next st) twice, dc in next 9 sts, slst to join (35 dc)

Round 8 – 13 – (sc, ch1) in same st, dc in each st around (35 dc)

Round 14 - ch1, fpsc in same st each in each st around.  Tie off and weave in ends. (35 fpsc)

Copyright 2011 ~ Michele Shirley ~ All rights reserved.

Items made from this pattern may be sold locally.

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Ravelry and forays into herbalism

I finally figured out how to post a pattern for sale to Ravelry!  Whoohoo for me!  Yes, I know - it took an awful long time but I did it.  I now have the 5-10 Point and the 20 Point Round Ripple Patterns for sale on Rav.  I know that a lot of you guys prefer Ravelry to Etsy because they have instant downloads and a pattern library.  I do plan to keep my patterns on both Rav and Etsy for now.

Some of you may know that I've become interested in herbalism.  There's just something so great about being able to care for yourself and your family naturally.  One of the things that I've come to love in herbalism is infusions.  Simply put - an infusion is a very strong tea.

Some of the reasons I like them so much is because 1) they are so easy to make, 2) they are sooooo very good for you, 3) I can actually get my family to drink them.

To make an infusion you'll use herbs like nettle, oatstraw, red raspberry leaf, dandelion or rose hips, to name a few.  1 ounce of plant material to a quart of boiling water and then you let them sit anywhere from 4-10 hours or overnight.  It's best to keep them warm as long as possible.  I got very tired of having my jars wrapped in towels sitting on the counter.  It just looked bad.  So I started crocheting little cozy's for my jars.  Being the dork that I am I even color coordinated my cozy's to what was inside them lololol. 

I started with a basic and very boring basic shape, turned that into the fitted shape of the green one above and of course, me being me, decided that simple just doesn't always do and created the Turtleneck Cozy above as well.

So, my dear friends in yarn, my gift to you is the pint size canning jar cover.  I use this to make smaller infusions like the dandelion and rose hips.  It really does make a huge difference in how long the teas/infusions stay warm while sitting on the counter.  And they look good too!

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