Saturday, January 08, 2011

Chat Back for January 8

Responding to comments left since the last time I did Chat Back.

Dorothy asked . . .
So how do they distinguish gourmet meal worms from regular meal worms??
I think it's the price. Gourmet mealworms come in a pull tab can and cost more than regular mealworms.

The gourmet mealworms were a Christmas gift. Once they're gone, the Bluebirds will have to settle for regular mealworms bought bulk at the pet store.

Can you hear me laughing as I write this?


Kathy asked . . .
My machine wash sock yarn from KnitPicks felted and I have not bought from them again. It has been a few years. Are they better now? Have yours felted???
The only Knitpicks sock yarn I've knit in the past few years has been two pair of Felici for Mom. They're still looking great and I know she machine washes them. Very colorful and fun to knit. You can see them here.

Be sure and buy superwash wool with nylon sock yarn. Once I bought some Knitpicks Gloss, fingering weight 70% Merino Wool, 30% Silk for socks. It was not machine washable at all and didn't wear well on my feet.


Judy S. asked . . .
That's one pretty sock! Looks hard though...... Is it toe up?

All Cookies patterns are cuff down.

With all the hundreds of pairs of socks I’ve knit, I’ve never knit a toe up. Keep thinking I’m going to do it and I even bought Wendy Johnson’s Toe-up book. It just hasn’t happened yet. I’ve got the fit of cuff down refined for myself and all the people I knit for, so I’m reluctant to try something new.

As for hard? Cookie’s patterns are very detailed and easy to follow, at least for me. She never tries to save print space by shortening her instructions. She does use charts, though. I know some knitters don’t think they can follow charts. Some of the socks like Pointelle have a left and right with different charts for each sock.


Kathy asked . . .
I am going to get out and buy a bird feeder tomorrow. I want one that is mostly squirrel proof.......are you laughing???

Yes.


NMjewel asked . . .
Please post a picture of your photography set up. I'd like to see what you use and where it is in the relation to the feeders.


Usually I'm sitting on a loveseat about twelve feet from this window with my laptop on my lap. Like right now. When I see something interesting at the feeders, I pick up my camera, turn it on, and take pictures.

I have a Canon Powershot S3 IS, 6.0 megapixels, 12 x 15 zoom lens, and image stabilizer - all standard with the camera.

Mine is four years old. It wasn't an expensive camera - about $300. I'm sure newer models and better models are available now, probably cheaper too.

I take lots of pictures, select the best and delete the rest.

I admit to not knowing how to use many of the camera options because I get such good results with the point and click. I do use the zoom, of course.

This picture was taken from the loveseat without using the zoom. Most of the bird pictures I post are taken with the zoom and cropped using Zoombrowser, the software that came with the camera.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:48 PM

    I too received Wendy's toe-up sock book but I continue to be reluctant to knit them toe-up. My thought is they can still be knit cuff down. I love Cookie's patterns and her new book is also on the way. Can't wait! I also have Stephanie van der Linden's new sock book. Sounds like lots of sock knitting this year is in he forecast (after I finish the Advent Scarf).

    My camera is similar to yours and I still haven't learned all the features. Why bother when the "auto" does so nicely - vbg.

    Squirl-proof bird feeder? (can you hear me laughing?)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm totally impressed: I expected a tri-pod and remote shutter action, and... and...
    Your shots are great.
    And do you mean there's no such thing as a squirrel-proof feeder? I have no squirrels to test mine.

    ReplyDelete

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