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Isn’t it weird…

Jul 7th, 2011 Leave a comment

Isn’t it weird when normally separate areas of your life join up.  This happened to me today when I was reading a colleagues copy of New Scientist.  This issue was a few weeks old but an article caught my eye which I thought you might be interested in.

It was about a 5 year project called Leapfrog (yes it’s an acronym, no I don’t remember what for) that has been working towards automated custom tailoring.  The basic idea is that you would be scanned by lasers that would then adjust various ‘standard’ patterns to your measurements.  Changes could then be made by you, to provide even more individuality, and then at the press of a button your info would whoosh off to an automated factory.  That’s where all the robots would make your made to measure suit or garment.

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I swiped this image off the Leapfrog website.

They had some pretty funky ideas in there as well such as metal mesh adjustable tailors dummies the controlling computer could easily alter to your exact size.  Then pins would pop out and hold the fabric in place (yes I had many macabre thoughts at that point in the article). 

It was all fascinating stuff but the guy they interviewed from Savile Row didn’t seem concerned by the competition.  He believed that lasers and computer software would never be able to replace the judgement of a good tailor.  I hope he’s right… if the robots get so sophisticated they can offer sensible fashion advice, I think we’re in serious trouble as a society.  I mean just imagine what a hacker could do!?!

Playing with a new toy

Apr 9th, 2011 2 Comments

Those who know me well will tell you I love my little do-dar’s, thing-me-bobs and uffa-doofas. In short little technological gadgets. Well I now have a new one, an iPod touch.

I’ve had an iPod Nano for ages but it’s becoming pretty obvious that it’s getting ready to go to silicon heaven. Enter the new iPod Touch.

I ordered it online from apple (to get the free engraving) and spent an anxious few days worrying about if I’d spelt the engraved message wrong and looking for deliverymen. Unfortunately it didn’t arrive before the weekend so I told few myself I could manage till Monday without something I’d never had!

Monday came and I scampered home from work as soon as I dared and there it was, the ‘we tried to deliver but’ card on the mat. Excitedly I picked it up and looked to find out where the depot was and if I had to call to tell them I was on my way to collect it. That’s where it all went wrong.

The card gave me a website to log onto to arrange to collect in person After what felt like forever trying to navigate a website so un-user-friendly it might have been designed by Martians, I discovered my ‘local’ collection point was an 80 mile round trip. Hmm, they must have a different definition of local. More time spent searching for how to change the delivery address – the card said I could do this online – led to more frustration. Eventually I phoned (premium rate number and kept on hold for ages) to be told they couldn’t do that and I had to phone apple.

I’ll admit that I was fairly grumpy by this point, but reports of stomping round the cottage ranting about it are overly exaggerated. I’m simply not able to stomp very well in my stocking feet!

So I phoned apple (0800 freephone number which helped to improve my mood) and the operator was really nice and happily changed the delivery address to my works address. My new toy would be with me the following day.

Except it wasn’t. UPS tried to deliver it to my home address again. Another call to apple.

Fortunately it did arrive the day after that. Then the playing began hehe….

So far I’ve added a couple of photography apps which fall into the ‘toy’ category and some geeky stuff. Then I added a rss reader for reading the blogs I follow. Which naturally led onto wondering if I can write and post blog entries from my iPod.

A search of the app store said yes, but checking the reviews suggested many of the apps didn’t do as they claimed. Eventually I found one that the reviewers agreed worked with blogger (it’s called blogger+) and I’m tapping away on it now. I hope it works….

So I’m hoping I’m using the app correctly. I’ve just tried to add one of the ‘manipulated’ images from last weekend which I’ve been using to play with the photography apps. Now it’s time to try publishing this post and returning to the serious business of searching for knitting apps….

Taking advantage of modern technology

Mar 16th, 2011 Leave a comment

Given my recent problems with my phone line it’s brought back to life all my anxieties of loosing data in the digital world.  All those precious photos lost in computer crashes and failures.  Photos of loved ones I’ll never see again…

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So fuelled by all these fears I’ve been doing some digging online for possible solutions.  My main concern is photos as these are what I get most upset about when lost.  I’ve tried various solutions in the past but none have really been able to quieten down that nagging little voice that sits on your shoulder whispering horrible things in your ear.

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Part of that solution (which I’m currently trialling, but fairly sure I’m going to stump up the cash for it) is called Smugmug.  This is an online site aimed primarily at photographers to store and display their work.  Thing is they allow unlimited storage and unlike some sites, will also store the full size image and allow you to download it again later.  As such you can use it as backup storage as well.

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Of course you need a user name and given I have Fantasia Yarns I decided to go for Fantasia Photos.  So I shall be spending quite a bit of my near future sorting through images and uploading them.  This will include quite a lot of photos of yarn!  (See I can make this craft related if I try).

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If you’d like to check out the site you can find it here.  Or if you’d like to check out my photos you can find them here they’re not all yarn related but an increasing number of them will be over the coming days…

Musings on a modern world

Mar 11th, 2011 2 Comments

fabric-4Earlier in the week my phone line went down.  It started with the voice line turning into cracklesville and I couldn’t get a dial tone.  This was quickly followed by the internet becoming more twitchy than a fluffy cat sat in the middle of a dog pound that had run out of food.

The result is no voice calls and the internet has become so intermittent its not really worth the bother.  At first – being a thoroughly modern girl – I fiddled with the connectors and, after assuring myself it wasn’t something I or the beasties had done, called the phone company.  One hour, two companies and six operators later they decided an engineer needed to come out because ‘I had a fault on the line.’  Funnily enough I seem to remember that being my opening comment to all 6 people I spoke to.  Still I suppose they’re just doing their job.

So you’d imagine faced with 4 days or so without modern communications (my mobile signal is terrible at home as well) I’d simply reach for my knitting and think nothing of the passage of time.  But not so.  Even if you discount the internet for work (yes I often work at home on an evening) I found myself all twitchy.  No Ravelry, No blogs, No Mysewingcircle…… NO INTERNET SHOPPING!

It’s not until we have something like this taken away that you start to comprehend how much it has infiltrated our lives.  Isn’t it silly that I feel aggrieved I can’t shop online for stuff at 3 in the morning.  These photos are all images of some fabric I bought recently on a late night shopping trawl of the internet from Gone to Earth.

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They’re designed by Tanya Whelan and I’ve not seen them in the local fabric shops.  Years ago I either wouldn’t have been able to buy these, or would have needed to do it mail order, possibly via a catalogue.

fabric-6The plan is to make them into a quilt for my garden hammock.  I love my hammock.  It’s wonderful and I could rave about it for pages on end.  Yet, for reasons I won’t go into, I couldn’t really to use it last year.  However I’m hoping a nice new quilt to throw over it will allow me to bask in the summer sun once more with a nice cold drink.

So it was I decided (flushed with the success of my quilted cushions) to add a garden hammock quilt to my list of things to make.  The hunt for the fabric was on…

fabric-3I’ve chosen these patterns as I want something floral but with a slightly vintage feel.  In my minds eye I see the primary colours as blue and white with just a little bit of another colour for accent.  While I was looking around I worried that many of the fabrics would be to bright, or the pattern too busy.  I want the quilt to be beautiful but not compete with the real plants and flowers close by.  Thanks to the modern world of communications when I found these beautiful fabrics I was able to order and pay for them at silly o’clock.  Within a few days they were delivered and now they are tucked neatly away in my blanket box waiting to be turned into my new garden quilt. 

It amazes me how much we come to accept and expect the convenience of technology.  How it has so quickly become the norm, and how much I miss it when it’s gone.  I really hope that engineer turns up soon and put’s me out of my misery…