Off Topic getting Patterns in braille!!

Hi again..
I have a question.. Does anyone in here knit that is blind or is
vissually impaired?? I recall that someone told me when I joined, that
there is someone that is blind.. Well, I am trying to find a place that
will do my patterns in braille. I sent some paterns to the Braille
Institute.. They did not get my email and I have to try again to send
it tomorrow.. I had hoped that someone was to be done and I could get a
quote as the cost of my patterns I found on the net that are easy for
me to try out..
Anyway, If anyone has any ideas as to where I can go and getting them
brailled, I will gladdly appraiciate any help you can give me..
I find lots of things on several sites, but a lot of them have to be
written out since there are so many steps for them..
I have a couple of tank patterns I wan to try out and make for myself
to wear for the well rest o the summer.. But, who knows how long it
will be before that happens..
Plus so other things I found that look easy to start before I am ready
for the more advanced technique in knitting..
Thanks so much..
Portia/California

David, who is blind, reads this newsgroup sporadically so he may or not see
your request. If he doesn't respond in a day or two, I could send him an
email to see if he has any ideas. Although he knows how to knit, he mostly
crochets and I don't think he actually uses patterns for his work. However,
he may still know how to get them brailed.

--
Jan in MN

"angel_crafter" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi again..
I have a question.. Does anyone in here knit that is blind or is
vissually impaired?? I recall that someone told me when I joined, that
there is someone that is blind.. Well, I am trying to find a place that
will do my patterns in braille. I sent some paterns to the Braille
Institute.. They did not get my email and I have to try again to send
it tomorrow.. I had hoped that someone was to be done and I could get a
quote as the cost of my patterns I found on the net that are easy for
me to try out..
Anyway, If anyone has any ideas as to where I can go and getting them
brailled, I will gladdly appraiciate any help you can give me..
I find lots of things on several sites, but a lot of them have to be
written out since there are so many steps for them..
I have a couple of tank patterns I wan to try out and make for myself
to wear for the well rest o the summer.. But, who knows how long it
will be before that happens..
Plus so other things I found that look easy to start before I am ready
for the more advanced technique in knitting..
Thanks so much..
Portia/California

Hi Angel Crafter,

As Jan wrote, I'm blind and crochet. However, Marjorie Arnott in Arizona
does knit plus has books in braille and conputer text format, plus she can
get patterns scanned and put into braille and computer format - books for
knitting, crochet, cooking and more. I've bought
several computer texts from her. Here's her website:

Linkname: MARJORIE'S BRAILLE KNITTING & CROCHET PATTERNS & RECIPES
URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rowan/marjorie-crafts.html

There are also several email lists for blind and visually-impaired crafters,
the ones I know about are listed on my website

http://www.shellworld.net/~davidsky/crolinks.htm

Best,

David


On Wed, 26 Jul 2006, angel_crafter wrote:

Hi again..
I have a question.. Does anyone in here knit that is blind or is
vissually impaired?? I recall that someone told me when I joined, that
there is someone that is blind.. Well, I am trying to find a place that
will do my patterns in braille. I sent some paterns to the Braille
Institute.. They did not get my email and I have to try again to send
it tomorrow.. I had hoped that someone was to be done and I could get a
quote as the cost of my patterns I found on the net that are easy for
me to try out..
Anyway, If anyone has any ideas as to where I can go and getting them
brailled, I will gladdly appraiciate any help you can give me..
I find lots of things on several sites, but a lot of them have to be
written out since there are so many steps for them..
I have a couple of tank patterns I wan to try out and make for myself
to wear for the well rest o the summer.. But, who knows how long it
will be before that happens..
Plus so other things I found that look easy to start before I am ready
for the more advanced technique in knitting..
Thanks so much..
Portia/California

Thanks Jan and David.. I will look at your links you have on your
webpage..
I have bought from Margarie... been sometime now.. And, I may do so
again.. I was hoping to find someone closer to me that can do them for
me..
But, if worse comes to worse, I will go back to her again.. Thanks
again.. BTW, I don't know how you are able to crochet.. I have tried a
little and my pieces don't come out right.. I had tried don't granny
squares, but the starting is a pain..
Portia
David R. Sky wrote:
Hi Angel Crafter,

As Jan wrote, I'm blind and crochet. However, Marjorie Arnott in Arizona
does knit plus has books in braille and conputer text format, plus she can
get patterns scanned and put into braille and computer format - books for
knitting, crochet, cooking and more. I've bought
several computer texts from her. Here's her website:

Linkname: MARJORIE'S BRAILLE KNITTING & CROCHET PATTERNS & RECIPES
URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rowan/marjorie-crafts.html

There are also several email lists for blind and visually-impaired crafters,
the ones I know about are listed on my website

http://www.shellworld.net/~davidsky/crolinks.htm

Best,

David


On Wed, 26 Jul 2006, angel_crafter wrote:

Hi again..
I have a question.. Does anyone in here knit that is blind or is
vissually impaired?? I recall that someone told me when I joined, that
there is someone that is blind.. Well, I am trying to find a place that
will do my patterns in braille. I sent some paterns to the Braille
Institute.. They did not get my email and I have to try again to send
it tomorrow.. I had hoped that someone was to be done and I could get a
quote as the cost of my patterns I found on the net that are easy for
me to try out..
Anyway, If anyone has any ideas as to where I can go and getting them
brailled, I will gladdly appraiciate any help you can give me..
I find lots of things on several sites, but a lot of them have to be
written out since there are so many steps for them..
I have a couple of tank patterns I wan to try out and make for myself
to wear for the well rest o the summer.. But, who knows how long it
will be before that happens..
Plus so other things I found that look easy to start before I am ready
for the more advanced technique in knitting..
Thanks so much..
Portia/California

Hi again Portia,

Regarding someone closer to you for printing out braille - is there an NFB
office close to you? I would assume they'd have a braille printer there
which they should help you to use or print out for you.

As for crocheting - granny squares were the first things I learned to
crochet thirty three years ago when I was still sighted, and I still find
them the easiest thing to crochet. Ask me about knitting though, I'd tell
you to ask someone else lol! What kind of difficulty do you have
specifically making granny squares? Is there someone close to you who can
show you? If not, I can crochet a small one for you and mail it to you, send
me your mailing address offlist if you'd like.

David
Vancouver, B.C., Canada



On Wed, 26 Jul 2006, angel_crafter wrote:

Thanks Jan and David.. I will look at your links you have on your
webpage..
I have bought from Margarie... been sometime now.. And, I may do so
again.. I was hoping to find someone closer to me that can do them for
me..
But, if worse comes to worse, I will go back to her again.. Thanks
again.. BTW, I don't know how you are able to crochet.. I have tried a
little and my pieces don't come out right.. I had tried don't granny
squares, but the starting is a pain..
Portia

David R. Sky wrote:
As for crocheting - granny squares were the first things I learned to
crochet thirty three years ago when I was still sighted, and I still
find them the easiest thing to crochet. Ask me about knitting though,
I'd tell you to ask someone else lol! What kind of difficulty do you
have specifically making granny squares? Is there someone close to you
who can show you? If not, I can crochet a small one for you and mail it
to you, send me your mailing address offlist if you'd like.


I found out in college that I could make granny squares in the dark.
I'm a major insomniac, so I kept a trash bag under my bed full of yarn.
For Christmas, I presented my roommate with an afghan and she had no
idea how I'd made it without her seeing it.

Tee hee, that'll teach her not to sweep under the bed when it's her turn
to clean!

Once you get the hang of them, Portia, they're not that difficult. I
can even make them when I'm totally brain-dead. If I were closer, I'd
run over and show you.

--
Karen C - California

Finished 7/4/06 - needlepoint calendar canvas for August
WIP: Getting all the UFOs done, July birthstone, Flowers of
Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!, Farmers Market (TIAG#8)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel
LTR: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn,
Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe

www.CFSfacts.org where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

See my designs exclusively at www.TyWolfeDesigns.com

Editor/Proofreader http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html

Hi David and Karen.. Well, let me begin with Karen.. I was sitting here
and laughing at your story on how you accomplished your christmas gift
to your friend.. I don't think I could do that without having to really
and I mean really hide the project..
David, I believe the closest NFB Office to me is about 30 mins from
where I live.. Just outside of Los Angeles..
Umm!! Crocheting anything that is a square form in either SC or DC, I
tend to start out with the right number of stitches, but after a while
lol, my piece loses the amount I had originally had in the beginning..
Comes out like triangels.. lol
My granny squares, I can't seemt o see the stitches to get the right
shape to form them right.. I seem to do beter knitting and still having
to re-aquaint myself with certain stitches if I forget them..
One of these days, I hope to have better patience with crocheting and
being able to figure things out...
My mom used to do a beautiful job of crocheting granny square b efore
she got very sick..
She made lots of afghans and lap throws forpeople the she corresponded
with online..
She now is unable to do these things as she has been sick for the last
couple of years now.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a total hysterectomy
done.. Bu now her memory and the fact that she needs lots of care and
taken away from a lot of things she used to do..
Chemo had done a lot of things to her and the medication that was to
help make her appetite stronger did not help.
Anyway, I miss a lot of her but she is still here and we still
communicate.. Just not having the mom I used to have gets me down.. So,
I try to find strength in my groups and my Boyfriend Robert..
Plus, my strongest outlook I try to find is God..
But lately things have been hard on me..
Oh god.. I am babbling again..
Anyway, I thank you for your support in helping me out here..
I wil let you know how things go with my quest in my patterns being
done for me..
God bless everyone..

Hi Karen,

lol! I take it from what you wrote that your roommate's not sweeping under
the bed was indeed paid! - with an afghan! *cackle* What colors?

cheers,

David



On Wed, 26 Jul 2006, Karen C - California wrote:

I found out in college that I could make granny squares in the dark. I'm a
major insomniac, so I kept a trash bag under my bed full of yarn. For
Christmas, I presented my roommate with an afghan and she had no idea how I'd
made it without her seeing it.

Tee hee, that'll teach her not to sweep under the bed when it's her turn to
clean!

Once you get the hang of them, Portia, they're not that difficult. I can
even make them when I'm totally brain-dead. If I were closer, I'd run over
and show you.

--
Karen C - California

Finished 7/4/06 - needlepoint calendar canvas for August
WIP: Getting all the UFOs done, July birthstone, Flowers of
Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!, Farmers Market (TIAG#8)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel
LTR: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn,
Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe

www.CFSfacts.org where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

See my designs exclusively at www.TyWolfeDesigns.com

Editor/Proofreader http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html

Hi Portia,

You lose count of the number of stitches doing a granny square? - do you do
clusters of dc3? If not, I can understand how it would be possible to
accidentally decrease - I've done it myself many times!

You could turn your knack of turning squares into triangles into some kind
of crochet art form - you know, like "squaring the circle" lol!

Best to you and your mom,

David



On Wed, 26 Jul 2006, angel_crafter wrote:

Hi David and Karen.. Well, let me begin with Karen.. I was sitting here
and laughing at your story on how you accomplished your christmas gift
to your friend.. I don't think I could do that without having to really
and I mean really hide the project..
David, I believe the closest NFB Office to me is about 30 mins from
where I live.. Just outside of Los Angeles..
Umm!! Crocheting anything that is a square form in either SC or DC, I
tend to start out with the right number of stitches, but after a while
lol, my piece loses the amount I had originally had in the beginning..
Comes out like triangels.. lol
My granny squares, I can't seemt o see the stitches to get the right
shape to form them right.. I seem to do beter knitting and still having
to re-aquaint myself with certain stitches if I forget them..
One of these days, I hope to have better patience with crocheting and
being able to figure things out...
My mom used to do a beautiful job of crocheting granny square b efore
she got very sick..
She made lots of afghans and lap throws forpeople the she corresponded
with online..
She now is unable to do these things as she has been sick for the last
couple of years now.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a total hysterectomy
done.. Bu now her memory and the fact that she needs lots of care and
taken away from a lot of things she used to do..
Chemo had done a lot of things to her and the medication that was to
help make her appetite stronger did not help.
Anyway, I miss a lot of her but she is still here and we still
communicate.. Just not having the mom I used to have gets me down.. So,
I try to find strength in my groups and my Boyfriend Robert..
Plus, my strongest outlook I try to find is God..
But lately things have been hard on me..
Oh god.. I am babbling again..
Anyway, I thank you for your support in helping me out here..
I wil let you know how things go with my quest in my patterns being
done for me..
God bless everyone..

angel_crafter wrote:

She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer


A blind friend of the family was dying of cancer, and tatted a bedspread
while she was in the hospital. (Yes, you heard me right. Double bed
size, hang to the floor on three sides, bedspread.) One of her doctors
offered to buy it for some fantastic sum, but she knew this was the last
one she'd make and refused all offers because she wanted her family to
have something to remember her by.

Unfortunately, at the time, I was only 7 or 8 and not particularly
interested in learning tatting. Ten years later, I wanted to learn but
couldn't find anyone to teach me, so set out to learn from a book. I
kept telling myself that if a blind woman could do it, I could certainly
figure it out. It took a while, but I did finally get it right.

Which brings us back to your problem with crocheting ... the same one a
lot of us had when we were starting out and finally got it right after a
lot of practice. You're getting a decreasing triangle because you're
forgetting to put a stitch into your turning chain of the row before.
You can figure out where you're going wrong by making a very narrow
practice piece with a number of stitches you can easily count (five or
six is good). On each row, count the stitches you're making, and you'll
quickly figure out which stitches should get a stitch in them to keep
the stitch count the same from row to row.

As for granny squares, just keep telling yourself that a sighted person
can do them with the lights out, and your fingers see better than mine
do, so you can do it, too.


--
Karen C - California

Finished 7/4/06 - needlepoint calendar canvas for August
WIP: Getting all the UFOs done, July birthstone, Flowers of
Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!, Farmers Market (TIAG#8)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel
LTR: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn,
Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe

www.CFSfacts.org where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

See my designs exclusively at www.TyWolfeDesigns.com

Editor/Proofreader http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html