Remember the ipod cozy… November 14, 2007
If you want to check out the pattern, it is in this post.
Thanks for stopping by NY Times readers
Crafts, Mice, and more December 22, 2006
I was luck enough to have my Ipod Tape Case chosen as a prize winner for the whiplash competition. My prizes were donated by tall poppy craft and are mostly purse making supplies, and are all fantastic.
Purse handles, magnetic snaps, ribbons and tags, and a quilt pattern
The cassette tape cozy was such a hit that I decided to make the Ipod Tape Case Redux. this one is crocheted from a VHS tape instead of knit from a cassette tape.
A VHS tape is essentially bulky weight, so it works up quickly. For inelastic materials crochet is certainly an improvement over knitting. I was motivated to craft this because of the Upcycle contest over at etsy. the contest is sponsored by the good people at Bazaar Bizaare, and some of the prizes include a free table at the Bazaar to be held at the Maker Faire this spring. I want in on that! I attended the Maker Faire last year and enjoyed all of it, including the bazaar. oh, to have my own table there….
Finally to indulge Helen a meme about how weird I am follows
(more…)
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Tape Case November 7, 2006
No one makes mixed tapes anymore. Everyone that I know has moved on to CD’s and iMixes. Most of my musical existence is entirely contained on my ipod.
In fact, when I wanted to find an audio cassette I had to trek myself out to my 13 year old car to dig around for one (it is a bit of a time capsule - with a cassette player). All of the tapes had made their way into the trunk, usurped by my FM transmitter and ipod and languishing in the sun in the back. But i did find one. I started eviscerating it.
And then i started knitting.
The theme for this month’s whiplash challenge is “Alt Craft” and i decided to focus on the ‘nontraditional materials used with traditional techniques’ aspect. I already knew that though I could post instructions for my project, I want mine to be entered in the design category.
Knitting with audio tape isn’t one of the most pleasureable knitting experiences (tips at the end of the post). First, I wanted to liken it to knitting with Red heart Acrylic… But a more evil ribbon form of the yarn that twists up. then i started to get the hang of it. The crackling and crunching of the tape, and the squeaking of it against the knitting needles is actually pretty cool if you think about how its job it is to make sound.
A few inches of garter stitch later, I was finished. I constructed a cozy for my ipod from the innards of an old audio tape. My old and new music together at last.
It knit up into a loose fabric and you can still see the ipod inside. the “fabric” is crackly and really really shiny. I can’t believe how shiny it is. I haven’t seen a metallic brown quite like it.
I added two buttons so it would look like an audio tape, and a loop closure that wraps around the button to keep the ipod snug inside.
If you are thinking about knitting with audio tape, here are some tips:
- Cast on with large needles - I cast on with 4’s and ended up knitting with 2’s the rest of the time.
- Knit loosely - Knit looser than you have ever knit. Take the time to pull each new loop through all the way without stretching the tape. Sizing up to larger needles won’t necessarily be effective because that would just increase the amount of tape in contact with the needles. you don’t really want that since the stuff is kinda sticky and crinkly.
- Try all of your needles - Plastic, wood, metal, give ‘em all a go. You might be able to tolerate the feel of the tape against one more than the others. I settled on metal myself.
- Audio tape is not elastic - and it is not forgiving. if you stretch out the tape when you knit a stitch, you probably won’t be able to get your needle through it on the next row. i found it to be much easier going once I stopped stretching out the tape.
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Ipods are nice June 8, 2006
I like mine quite a bit, even if it is an old 3G. I just had to have mine replaced (under my applecare warranty) because the battery was caput and the hard drive made a whirring sound. This makes the third one I have had, and when i got the first one replaced i transferred my wheel and screenprotectors over to the noew one. This time it didn’t go as smoothly. the “genius” at the apple store decided to try and peel them off for me while i signed papers. i looked up and he was all picky-scratchy at it with his nubby little bitten-off fingernails. so the edges got all chewed up, and his fingerprints got everywhere. not wanting to hate this “genius” every time i looked at the smudgy screen, i decided to order a new screen protector. I was happy to discover that the weird little place where i ordered the first one was still in business, still had ones for 3G models, and was having a sale (until June 30). If you have an ipod, head over to IpoDonut and get you some.
Updated to add an official review
The donut itself does an excellent job of covering the entire wheel and has a ton of glowing power. It is one of the better glow-in-the-dark stickers I have ever seen. The screen protector is durable, and not sticky around the edges. I can also verify that you can peel them off if you need to, and they don’t leave any residue behind.
for $3.95 i got a glow in the dark wheel protector, a screen protector, and shipping from japan (the protectors for the newer models are on sale for $6.95). The best part was following their instructions to install it.
- Please remove catching up and fingerprints from your ipod before installing iPoDonut. After that, pick up your iPoDonut like the picture under below. Peel the transparencie side film. (Do Not touch the adhesive side by your fingers.)
- Put on your iPoDonut on your ipod wheel and adapt the location
- Enjoy it!
and I am enjoying it!
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Ipod Tube Sock November 15, 2004
Here is my first attempt at a pattern for an ipod
cozy. I made this out of some 100% mercerized cotton yarn, which knits up to
look like the fanciest tube sock ever. Since the yarn was a little stiff, i
washed the cozy after it was complete, and it softened right up. I think this
pattern would also work well with self-patterning sock yarn.
needles: 4 double pointed US#4, 4 double pointed US#5
yarn: Endless summer collection lara - main color (MC) less than 50m, small amount of a complimentary color
(CC) for the stripes (currently available at
target="NewWindow">elann.com). you could use just about any sport
weight
yarn.
CUFF:
CO
40 stitches and divide among the 3
needles.
Rows 1-6: K2 P2 in
MC
Rows 7-10: K2 P2 in
CC
Rows 11-13: K2 P2 in
MC
Rows 14-17: K2 P2 in
CC
Rows 18-22: K2 P2 in
MC
BODY:
Knit
for approximately 28 rows in mc, or until the cozy is about 1/2 inch from the
desired
length
DECREASES:
Decrease
Row 1: K2tog K6
Decrease Row 2: K2tog
K5
Decrease Row 3: K2tog
K4
Decrease Row 4: K2tog
K3
Decrease Row 5: K2tog
K2
Decrease Row 6: K2tog
K1
Decrease Row 7: K2tog 3 times (do not
repeat this to the end of the row. only do it 3 times. this row is left
incomplete). 7 stitches remain.
Cut the
thread leaving a tail of about 5 inches. Using a tapestry needle, gather the
remaining 7 stitches and pull tight. weave in the ends and you are all
finished! I noticed that the whote color of this yarn is very stiff. a quick
hand wash in the sink softened it right
up.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
