What a Life!

I just love that picture!

How did I take it? I used a piece of white posterboard, laid it on my bed, and arranged my knitting on top of it. For specific camera settings (aperature, ISO, shutter speed), click on the picture and then look at the exif data in flickr. I shot the picture in RAW which means I was able to adjust the white balance, sharpness, contrast, etc. in post-processing on my computer. [Usually cameras process the file and turn it into a jpeg – a RAW file allows the photographer to do the processing instead which tends to get better results than what you might get with photoshopping a jpeg file.] I actually have Photoshop now (finally) and am slowly trying to learn how to use it to make color adjustments – I must say that doing the same things with a RAW file is much, much easier.

The subject of that photo is the beginning of the second half of the front of the Nantucket Jacket I am making. A couple weeks ago I complained about being in a slump and wishing for a large project with a pattern to follow so I could be more of a zombie than having to think so hard about my knitting projects as I do when I design them. When Interweave Knits Winter 2006 issue arrived with that pattern on the cover, I knew I had to make it. But the design requires lots of manipulation in order to get it to fit a normal person (as you can tell by the wide range of “interesting” results shown on the knit-a-long blog). It took me a while to decide exactly how I was going to approach it, but now that I made up my mind, things seem to be going along quite smoothly. Hopefully it will be as much of a joy to wear as it is to knit.