Pipe Dreams and Purling Plans

Chrysalis Video Tutorials

January 30th, 2008 by mel

This is rather belated, but I have been wanting to take a time out to say thank you all so much for your positive feedback and comments on Chrysalis. I appreciate it more than I can say - it’s one thing to come up with a design that you yourself are happy with, but it’s quite another to hear positive feedback from other knitters! I understand that a few folks have purchased the pattern (and I’m so thrilled at the thought of seeing other Chrysalises - Chysali? - out there!) and this post is in an effort to offer some support to you as you knit or simply to provide a little technique study for those who might be interested.

But first, a little sidebar - If you have considered making this pattern, or if you just love Gryphon’s gorgeous yarns, this is a great time to purchase. Through February 20th, she is generously donating 50% of all yarn sales to help a family who desperately needs it. She has some gorgeous new colorways of Gaia, the fabulous cashmere/silk yarn used in the Chrysalis pattern. This one’s all mine - Moss on Bark. I love it every bit as much as the original and perhaps more!

DSC04301.JPGGaia Wound.JPG

So here goes - Two videos. Increasing and decreasing in Brioche Stitch as used in the wrap is not difficult, but is challenging to describe with the written word. I have done as clear a job as I can in the pattern, but it’s hard to tell how another knitter will interpret these instructions and you may read it differently. I am a visual learner myself - so for any others of you out there, here are guides to decreasing and increasing in Brioche Stitch. The videos do assume a basic knowledge of Brioche Stitch itself as described in the pattern, which will be discussed here in greater detail at a later date. (These are up on my YouTube page as well if you should have trouble viewing them here, however the picture quality is not as nice.) *

The first video below walks through decreasing in Brioche Stitch, and the second walks through increasing.

 
icon for podpress  Decreasing in Brioche Stitch: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
icon for podpress  Increasing in Brioche Stitch: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(*)Although I’d like to just throw these clips out there and pretend it was no big thing - it actually was! The videos themselves weren’t hard, but figuring out conversions from my camera format so you can see them here without degrading the picture to the point that it was not at all helpful was something - if I told you how much time I (and, let’s face it, TAD - my in house tech support, what a guy!) have spent on it, you’d probably shake your head and tell me exactly where I could have found the easy answer! Anyway, I’m so glad we figured it out because I enjoyed the video-making process itself, Midnight enjoyed doing some voice-overs, and though there are things I would change or do over now that I see them here, I hope that they are clear enough to be helpful. I also think it might be a nice study for the PS Mitts when the pattern is ready or for future projects. So, this is a long way of asking - What do you think? Helpful? Not? Did you have any trouble loading or viewing them?

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Now playing: Garden State - Such Great Heights - Iron And Wine
via FoxyTunes

Posted in FOs, design, techniques, tutorials, yarn |

6 Responses

  1. Gudrun Says:

    I had no problems looking at the videos (actually I want to know how you got such a clear picture as I always lose so much quality when I upload to youtube)….I always find this kind of visual helpful so I’m sure your hard work won’t go unappreciated!…cute hearing the meows in the background too!

  2. Ruth Says:

    I didn’t have any trouble viewing the videos, and they look great! Glad to see the plug for Gryphon’s yarns. I’ve been eyeing the kettle-dyed Taiping, but so far I’ve managed to resist!

  3. fleegle Says:

    Firefox had no plug-in for your video format. I got a weird message about Mime types in IE and the page just kept reloading. Wish I could see them–you obviously spent a lot of time and effort making them.

    And the yarn is lovely! Thanks for the eye candy.

  4. Gryphon Says:

    No problem seeing the videos using Firefox. Very nice videos, very helpful! I’m going to include a link to them in the pattern.

  5. Christy / Not Hip Says:

    Oh, how did I miss that pattern. It is beautiful…and I’m impressed that you made videos.

  6. Mel Says:

    Oh man! I can’t get the videos to work on my laptop….maybe on my PC at work. Gorgeous though!

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