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Permalink Reply by mskitty on June 30, 2008 at 5:21am: Is it absolutely necessary to block all finished products? I am using Main Line yarn for a sweater and wonder if I need to block when finished.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on June 30, 2008 at 7:21am: Well, you could skip blocking, but we always recommend blocking your finished projects, especially cotton. Blocking helps to correct small mistakes, even out your stitches, and it makes seaming a lot easier. Main Line blocks beautifully, and it'll really improve the finished look and wear of your garment if you block it first. Here's Kelley's recent podcast on on blocking.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cristin on July 8, 2008 at 1:37am: Does anyone use their blog on knitting community for their blog on Ravelry? I've tried for weeks now and my RSS doesn't work properly with Ravelry's blog. Anything I'm doing wrong with my RSS feed? Thanks!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on July 8, 2008 at 7:19am: Nope, there's nothing wrong with your RSS feed! This is a known bug on Ravelry that they're working on. The Knitting Community RSS feed address is correct and works in other feed readers, but it hasn't been showing up in Ravelry. You could try running the Knitting Community RSS feed through FeedBurner, although we're still testing this work-around to see if it is effective.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by pindolllady1 on July 9, 2008 at 6:11am: I just got my sock blank and am ready to start dyeing, but I am not sure this old dog can learn to do the magic loop method-can I use dpns?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on July 9, 2008 at 7:21am: You could definitely use dpns, although you might still find it easier to knit two-at-once since the sock blanks are double-stranded. You can always knit one sock while winding the second strand of yarn into a ball, but make sure to re-wind the ball afterward if you want your socks to match!

(pssst...Magic Loop isn't all that hard! We're working on a Magic Loop tutorial for the Knitting Community, and I'll drop you a note when it's up!); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by mshinch on July 9, 2008 at 1:31pm: I've decided I would like to buy an iPod so that I can listen to Kelley's podcasts when I'm walking, gardening, etc. I know nothing about iPods, Can you shine any light on this subject so that when I go shopping I have some idea of what I really want?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alison on July 9, 2008 at 1:46pm: My husband Dan has a 1GB iPod Shuffle - it would hold about 30 of Kelley's podcasts. If you're trying to keep things inexpensive and don't mind changing its files every now and again, it's a great choice.

I have an 80GB iPod Classic. It has a video screen and can play little movies as well as playing audio. It's nice for carrying around your entire music collection and podcast library all the time - I have about 10,000 songs and podcasts, and I still have room for a lot more.

Basically, I think that you'll have good luck with whatever size iPod you choose. Kelley's podcast is a little over 30MB per episode, so you could store about 30 podcasts per GB. If you have less space on your iPod, it just means that you'll have to change out your songs and podcasts periodically.

There are also not-Apple mp3 players available, but I think that, if you're new to mp3 players, it might be easiest to just get an iPod and use iTunes as your podcast management system. All you have to do is plug your iPod into the computer and it will automatically update any new podcasts that are available - there's very little fiddling around.

You can also check out Apple's page of refurbished iPods - we got Dan's Shuffle through this page and got a nice deal.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by mshinch on July 10, 2008 at 5:16pm: Thanks so much for your input. I went to the "refurbished" site and I think I'm going to go that route. Sounds good to me. Tell me one more thing.....will I be able to download audio books as well as music and podcasts?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on July 11, 2008 at 7:17am: Yep! You can load audiobooks with a file extension of *.aa (Audible.com) or *.m4b (iTunes) and they will show up in your iPod's Audiobook menu. You can also play audiobooks that are saved as *.mp3 files, but they will probably show up in your iPod's music menu instead.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by zingaber on October 13, 2008 at 8:35am: I suggest buying a how to book for learning how to use your IPOD because they don't come with much instruction. I bought a book: Visual Quickstart Guide, Itunes 6 and IPOD; that's already outdated, but I'm sure you can find one that is the latest version at any of the usual booksellers. I love my IPOD and use it for photos, podcasts, and music, of course.

Zingaber; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by pindolllady1 on July 10, 2008 at 5:22am: I have purchased the sock blank, dyed it and am ready to knit, but I am not sure I want to do the magic loop toe-up pattern. Can I use my old, familiar double points and a favorite pattern instead?; ▶ Reply to This