Various online craft tools exist, usually for colour planning or design generation. These are the ones I know about:

Needlework

Cross Stitch Charts from photos

My Photo Stitch a free service that takes photos you upload and gives you a cross stitch chart using (last I checked) DMC colours

Knots

Turk's Head Cord length calculator

http://turkshead.50webs.org/

Turk's Head Knot designer

http://data.oreilly.com/jallwine/knots/

Globe Knot Core Calculator

http://khww.net/gkcc.php

Kumihimo Braiding

8 strand kongo gumi colour planner

http://www.lythastudios.com/123bead/kumiplanner.html

16 strand kongo gumi colour planner

http://craftdesignonline.com/kumihimo/

A colour planner for the 7-loop Spanish finger loop braid

http://www.islandlife.heliohost.org/cgi-bin/fingertips.pl

I was wanting to get some inkjet shrink film and had gone to DeSerres but they only had the non-inkjet version. So, I checked with Opus and their nice online store where they had the inkjet version, but at 3 times the cost of the non-inkjet. So, I thought, give Michaels a shot.

You'll notice that I didn't start with Michaels because it is my unverified belief that they price all their products to give them a healthy profit even when using the regularly available 40% off coupon. In my humble (and unverified) opinion, this makes them evil so I try to give my business elsewhere whenever I can. But for $10, I thought, I can call them and check. That's what phones are for, right?

I just finished reading Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns, and Creative Spinning by Lexi Boeger of pluckyfluff and it is a wonderful, inspirational, gorgeous book. The author, Lexi, spins like she is a katamari, sticking anything from felted sushi to wire springs, shredded money, doll parts and hardware store detritus into her yarn.

The instructions warn the reader that you should have acquired the basics of yarn spinning on a wheel elsewhere and dive right into unconventional shenanigans.

Today I went to Fibres West. Part of Metro Vancouver (is that what they're calling the Greater Vancouver Regional District these days?) it was still a 45 minute drive from the eastern edge of Burnaby. At least there was free parking at the end of it. 8)

Friday, March 26th (10-8)
Saturday, March 27th (10-5), 2010
AgRec Building
Abbotsford Exhibition Park Grounds,
32470 Haida Drive, Abbotsford, BC
http://www.fibreswest.com/

Now, there used to be a show called Fibrefest International that was held close to the same place (the Tradex, I think) and apparently there still will be (see http://www.mail-archive.com/fibernet@yahoogroups.com/msg09426.html) I would point you at their website, but it looks like someone missed the domain name renewal and squatters got it. I thought that the two shows were related, maybe run by the same people, but now I'm not sure anymore. Certainly the same subject matter is being covered, although no live animals at this one to the disappointment of the offspring.

Show season here'bouts has just begun. The next 2 months has at least 6 craft-ish shows I'm very interested in seeing. In fact, I missed one 2 weeks ago which at least my wallet thinks was a good thing. (I'm sure I signed up for a mailing list, did you send me any email? No. *a dark cloud of disgruntlement hangs over my head*)

In any case, today I went to the Canadian Bead Oasis Show, Vancouver 2010
MARCH 26-28 2010
Empire Landmark Hotel
Lower Level, Coal Harbour Room
1400 Robson St.
Vancouver BC Canada

SHOW HOURS
Friday noon - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm
http://www.oasisshows.com/Vancouver/2010/

Went Friday noon-ish. No problems finding street parking (meters).

From 0-5 in the life of my firstborn, I was working on her "baby blanket". It was a knitted blanket and I got the pattern from a dyeing book. I'm fascinated by dyed works, but don't always have the confidence to tackle them. So I decided that I'd knit this blanket with store bought yarn. It wouldn't be that hard to assemble a rainbow from the store would it? Ha!

The annual Bead and Button Show competition and exhibit, Bead Dreams 2009, submission deadline is fast approaching.

The deadline date for submissions is April 6, 2009.

The entry details are below, follow the link for full details:

1. Lampwork / Glass - New category for 2009!: This category will include beads, buttons, components, jewelry, or jewelry-related objects that are 85% or more glass made by the applicant. Entries that use someone else's glass beads or components should be entered in the Finished Jewelry category.

2. Polymer Clay: This category will include beads, buttons, components, jewelry, or jewelry-related objects that are 85% or more polymer clay.

3. Beaded Objects or Accessories: This category will include a non-jewelry item or accessory, including, but not limited to, purses, shoes, sculptures, or wall hangings.

4. Seed Bead Jewelry: This category will include beaded beads, a piece, or an ensemble of jewelry, that is predominantly seed beads or bugle beads, including, but not limited to, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings.

I'm a wannabe sewer and one of my thoughts is if I can just understand seams really well I'll be half-way there. I'm most likely wrong. 8)

Here's some seam links that I've collected though.

CraftStylish talks about 4 seams: Hong Kong finish, flat-fell seam, French seam, and pinked seam.
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/41979/try-these-techniques-for-perfectl...

Hoppo Bumpo is doing a weekly series about seams. So far she's covered: Simple edge finishes, French, Bound, Flat fell, Taped (stabilised), and Overlocked seams.
http://hoppobumpo.blogspot.com/search/label/Follow%20along

Syuzi Pakhchyan blogs a conductive thread overview
http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/conductive-thread-overview. I have some idea for some tech textiles for figure skating for the offspring, but until I can find a rotational metering device that can handle at least 1080°/sec or better (without costing an arm and a leg!) that's likely to remain just an idea for a very long time (via)

The deadline for submission to be included in the 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse book by Gareth Johnson of ExtremeCraft.com has been extended to March 13, 2009. (via)