Information and Resources
Community
DesignsToLove
DesignsToLove is an online craft gallery and community dedicated to helping craft enthusiasts from around the world connect, showcase their work, share their passion, learn from each other and have heaps of fun
www.designstolove.com
ravelry
Ravelry is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools and pattern information and look to others for ideas and inspiration. The content is all user-driven; the a community make the site what it is
www.ravelry.com
Mailing Lists
All Fiber Arts: Mailing Lists
Mailing lists related to weaving, spinning, drop spindles, tapestry, fibre production and fibre arts
www.allfiberarts.com/cs/mailinglists.htm
anzweavespin Mailing List
This list is primarily for spinners, weavers and other textile lovers from Australia and New Zealand. It is intended to provide a forum to discuss projects, events, fibre and yarn resources and anything else connected with spinning and weaving in Australia and New Zealand
groups.yahoo.com/group/anzweavespin
Sprang Mailing List
This group is for discussion of Sprang, an old string craft that is used to make sashes, bags, hairnets, socks, even hammocks. People are invited to share information about sprang both modern and historical
groups.yahoo.com/group/Sprang_List
WeaveTech Mailing List
The WeaveTech list is designed to provide a focused, intelligent,and quality dialogue on structure, technical matters (including computers in the context of weaving), color, design, and professional pursuits related to weaving. This is a forum for serious weavers, both professional and avocational, who seek associates who are equally committed to the craft of weaving
groups.yahoo.com/group/weavetech
Marketplace
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. Their mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Their vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade
www.etsy.com
Podcasts
WeaveCast
Syne Mitchell's weaving podcast
www.weavecast.com
Cast-On
Brenda Dayne's knitting podcast
www.cast-on.com
KnitCast
Marie Irshad's knitting podcast
scifiville.typepad.com/knitcast
Knitting News Cast
Rhonda's podcast especially for knitters. Each episode brings you latest knitting news along with reviews of knitting web sites, knitting patterns, knitting books, yarn, stitches and more
www.knittingnewscast.com
Pink of Perfection
The Pink of Perfection is a great crafty video blog
www.pinkofperfection.com
Pointy Sticks
Christine's podcast is about life with pointy sticks and a lot of fibre
www.pointysticks.org
Sticks & String
A podcast by David Reidy, an Australian bloke who knits
sticksandstring.wordpress.com
Weaving
Weaving on simple equipment
For information and inspiration to use weave-it squares:
www.eloomanator.eloomanation.com
Publications
Craft Australia News
Craft Australia News is distributed free to subscribers every month. It presents information and news relating to the contemporary craft sector from a national perspective. Distribution within the sector is encouraged and new readers can subscribe for free on the Craft Australia web site
Craft:Blog
Craft Magazine has a blog of crafty articles
Creative Knitting
Creative Knitting is a glossy magazine, jam packed with all the latest knitting news as well as lots of gorgeous new patterns for you to try
Interweave Press
Interweave Press are the publishers of Handwoven and Spin Off
Kiddley
Kiddley is published almost daily and is brimming with bright ideas, fun projects, links to great web finds and quick tips for parents to take away and enjoy with their kids
Knitty
Knitty is a quarterly web published knitter's magazine
Make:Blog Craft Archives
Make Magazine has started a new crafting sub-blog
News Observer: Homespun
Homespun is a series of articles on spinning, dyeing and weaving
Southern Cross Knitting
Southern Cross Knitting is an online knitting magazine by Sarah Bradberry
Webside
Webside is an online weaving magazine
Whip Up
Whip Up was created in order to bring the best original and exciting crafts to the attention of many. To create a community of artists, crafters and makers and share ideas in a central space
Yarn Magazine
Yarn Magazine is a quarterly print magazine with a difference: intelligent, well-written articles, original patterns and a sense of humour threaded through. It is available via subscription, Australian yarn stores and in newsagents nationwide. The magazine's web site features a free 24-page sample issue.
Reference: General
Knitting at About
A large collection of links, including free patterns, as well as spinning and weaving sections
knitting.about.com
Textile Dictionary
Resil Chemicals have an online Textile Dictionary that makes an excellent resource
www.resil.com/otd.htm
Video Tutorials
Whip Up has collected links to some great crafting videos, anything from simple techniques to fun craft projects
Yarndex: The Yarn Directory
Yarndex, the ultimate yarn resource, features profiles of over 5,000 yarns. Yarndex is primarily a reference site
Reference: Braiding
Kumihimo
A commentary on braiding and Japanese textiles
jtex.wordpress.com
Weaving on simple equipment
For information and inspiration to use weave-it squares:
www.eloomanator.eloomanation.com
weavershand
An information page for weavers. Specifically for those interested in Tablet Weaving, Kumihimo, and Ply-splitting
www.weavershand.com
Reference: Colour
Choosing Paint Colours
Behr paints have an online tools for visualising interior and exterior colour schemes that can be useful for many other projects
www.behr.com/behrx/workbook/index.jsp
Colour Scheme Generator 2
Generator of colour schemes and palettes to create good-looking and well balanced and harmonic web pages. This is the new version of the previous colour generator
wellstyled.com/tools/colorscheme2/index-en.html
Online Graphic Design Degree: Color Theory and Application
Interactive Weaver Tartan Generator
House of Tartan's Interactive Tartan Weaver lets you experiment with colours and thread counts and produce an image
houseoftartan.co.uk/interactive/weaver
Random Stripe Generator
A script to generate random stripe patterns for knitting jumpers, scarves, blankets, etc
www.kissyourshadow.com/stripe_maker.php
Fashion
Fashion Link: a resource to support our fashion teaching and learning.
Reference: Crochet
Crochet at About
A large collection of links, including free patterns, as well as stitches and techniques
crochet.about.com
Learn to Crochet Video Series
NexStitch offers free crochet video tutorials to further the art of crochet, as well as aid the beginner crochet enthusiast in learning this craft. They currently have Traditional and Tunisian videos available
Reference: Felting
The Feltmaking Process
The Handweavers Guild of America has a complete feltmaking process with photos for every step
Needle Felting Tutorial
Betz White has a great needle felting tutorial up using one of those cool needlefelting tools from Clover
Reference: Free Patterns
Berroco
Cleckheaton offers free patterns and techniques
Berroco has a bevy of free patterns available on their site, including an extensive list of crochet patterns
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton offers free patterns and techniques
Crochet at About
Crochet at About has a large collection of free patterns
Dark Lilac
Dark Lilac has an online Counted Cross Stitch Chart Generator. You can see both recent and popular charts that have been created.
Glamarama
Glamarama has a heap of free vintage knitting patterns from the 50s-60s
Handweaving.net
Handweaving.net is a weaving draft archive containing more than 50,000 weaving drafts. Each draft includes the standard threading, tieup, treadling and colour drawdown. Drafts can be viewed, printed, and downloaded in WIF format
Interweave Press
Interweave Press have special projects and articles available online in beading, knitting, needlework, spinning and weaving
Knitting at About
Knitting at About has a large collection of free patterns
Knitting Pattern Central
Knitting Pattern Central is an online directory featuring thousands of links to free knitting patterns
Panda Yarns
Panda Yarns offers free patterns and techniques
Patons
Both the Australian and the Canadian sites have free patterns available and techniques
Straw
Straw offers free patterns
VIP Fibers
VIP Fibers offers free knitting and crochet patterns specifically for dog yarn
Reference: Spinning
I Can Spin
Provides video clips illustrating the use of drop spindles for spinning wool and other fibres, and fibre preparation techniques
www.icanspin.com
The Joy of Handspinning
Provides information on all manner of fibres and spinning, including videos, for handspinners
www.joyofhandspinning.com
Patty Lee's Guide... to Handspinning Dog Hair
The Merry Spinster has a tutorial on spinning dog hair
www.mdnpd.com/pd