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Why Pinterest Beats Google Images

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In 1906, strolling around the local livestock fair, a man comes upon the crowd at a weight-guessing attraction. An ox stands on a scale as people guess its weight on scraps of paper. I avoided feeling like the ox in this game every summer at our local amusement park at all costs – including the best hot pink stuffed animals. Being livestock, this ox was just chillin’ and eventually the closest guess won a bag of hot peanuts, but our observer noticed another funny thing. Most of the guesses were off. Wildly off. Like, “haven’t these country bumpkins ever seen an ox before?” off. But he was one of those charming old-timey polymaths, so he had an idea. After the crowd shuffled off, he approached the man in charge and inquired whether he might have the scraps of paper guesses. This is one of history’s best data collection moments, by the way.

Long story short, our man, Francis Galton, ran the numbers and found that the average guess was one measly pound away from the ox’s weight. In fact, the average was much closer to the animal’s weight than the single best guess. Somehow, the unruly mob, who couldn’t be trusted with democracy, much less you life in a bar fight, could be trusted to know something no single member of the mob knew. This is also one of history’s best WTF moments, by the way.

Fast forward a century and we are using crowdsourcing every day. Sometimes it’s just another word for statistics, the field Galton helped birth. Sometimes it’s just another word for voting, and the result is no great WTF moment. We can use the crowd to answer questions in different ways. Anyone who researches their blog’s SEO knows that Google’s algorithm for search results uses certain data points from your blog more than others. And this is why I think Pinterest is better for images of interesting stuff. An image explodes across pin boards based on one data point: someone found it interesting enough to repin it. In 2010 when I started pinning, this didn’t happen much. Now, when I see an image in my Pinterest feed, someone either pinned it from the web, or – more likely – re-pinned it from another board. This means that the images I see are filtered through at least two iterations of interest, and usually way more. Interest sells, people. This is powerful stuff.

This is why I increasingly search Pinterest for trends, styles, and techniques to use in my art and products. Google images is good when I need a perfect amigurumi blue bird, but Pinterest is best when I’m looking for some cool amigurumi to make for my friend’s kid’s birthday party. Pinterest finds a more interesting result because of crowdsourcing. It hits the ox on the head. (Whoops! Poor ox.) The same applies to product development, inspiration, illustrating blog posts, or whatever iron you have in the fire right now.

Below the images are the best boards to follow for fiber art and other fun stuff. Show me your favorites with links in the comments.

If you’re not on Pinterest yet, leave a comment and I’ll send you an invitation.

Yours truly,

Lorna at Knits for Life

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Free Crochet Patterns and My Crochet Designs by Anne Marie’s Crochet Blog

Camp Crafts by Jill Watt of The Dapper Toad

Knitting Apps and other fiber art boards by knitomatic

CROCHET and My Projects by According to Matt

Techniques I Love and San Francisco Etsy Team Spotted by Lisa Spinella of Tickle and Smash

Scarf inspiration and Patronen en kleuren (Patterns and colors) by Mia Vandenbossche

Fun with fiber and textiles and DIY by Lorna Watt at Knits for Life

One’s Tea Cozies by Loani Prior, the Tea Cosy Queen

Eco boards by Team Eco Etsy

Sustainable Lingerie by Oceana’s Canvas

Clothes to Wear by Andrea of The Paper Sparrow

Fun boards by The Men of Etsy

Eccentric beauty and Imagination by Cody James

News

How to Electrify Your Weekend in San Francisco

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San Francisco’s two hour lightning storm and tornado warning kicks off an electric weekend. In his museum-like Martinez basement, my amateur archaeologist grandpa kept local Native American artifacts he unearthed, and lightning makes me fantasize how it sung out to them. Last night in my sixth floor huge-windowed apartment I lay by lightning light reading of the local tribe on whose shell mounds my building sits. Dreams of dance, green spring hills, and blossoms led me to today – Friday – more thunderstorms, and a fittingly electric weekend. Here’s the line-up and a sneak peek into my new project; come find me!

Photo by Tom Robinson
Photo by Ed via ABC Inc., KGO-TV/DT San Francisco
Photo by ABC Inc., KGO-TV/DT San Francisco

Friday

Need a hero? Try Alonzo King. After an interview on KQED’s Forum, his modern ballet company’s performances live on my calendar. Give it a listen for some serious artistic inspiration. Describing his approach to this visual art form brings up words like “deeply rooted cultural traditions…new expressive potential…ballet as a science…geometric principles of energy…a new language of movement…a profound sense of shared humanity.” To say my excitement for rivals last night’s lightning storm is accurate.

The deets: Triangle of the Squinches runs April 12-15 and Scheherazade runs April 18-22

Photo by Alonzo King LINES Ballet
Photo by Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Saturday

Yarn bombing a chair is my latest display of enthusiasm for street art. Snapping shots of stencils, slap-ups, graf, and murals while getting run over by locals is one of my hobbies. Amping up for another top secret project, Lo, my graphic designer goddess, and I will be students of the legendary San Francisco street artists at 1:AM, the First Amendment Gallery for street art and murals. I’m turning my love back on all of you soon with a tool to bring more adventure and creativity to our lives. But first – research! For three hours we’ll hear how graffiti’s changed through its history, practice lettering, and weild a spray can. Lo’s already been practicing her OG vector graphics skillz! You know you’ve always wanted to say something in color in public. Come join us!

The deets: Three spots are open in our Saturday 12:30 class. If you miss us, it repeats monthly. Other class topics include stenciling, toy modification, and team building workshops.

Photo by 1amsf
Photo by Steve Rotman

 Sunday

Get yer amigurumi on at this weekend’s 45th Cherry Blossom Festival, where your favorite hand made Bizzar Bazaar vendors pimp their hand made wares inside the beautiful sunlit building at New People. I’m looking forward to meeting Nerd Jerk, a fellow member of the San Francisco Etsy Street Team, and seeing her new neon plushies.

The deets: Both the festival and the bazaar are run this weekend and next, 4/14-15 and 4/21-22. Catch the San Francisco Taiko Dojo performance on Japantown’s Peace Plaza at 11:45 am.

Photo by Stephanie Cortez
Photo by Yuri Yoshida

Light up your tongue too!

Remember to squeeze in some time for noshes at Off the Grid (map & calendar) or catch up with one of San Francisco Magazine’s 10 food artisans to watch. Chocolate, cheese, bread, coffee, and charcuterie? Um, electrifying indeed!

Photo by Modern Luxury Media
Photo by Off the Grid SF

Yours truly,

Lorna

For every hand made item you buy at knitsforlife.etsy.com, Knits for Life plants one rainforest tree with The Nature Conservancy.

New Products, News

Yarnbomb Your Own Furniture

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Yarnbomb Your Own Furniture

Some graffiti artists use paint, some use stickers. We crafty types use yarn. If you haven’t heard of yarn bombing or knitted graffiti yet, get yer google on! If you have, maybe you – like me – see the world a little differently than most; a taunting swirl of shapes and structures challenging you to wrap them in bright, snuggly yarn. Ok ok, yes – I surrender! Let’s cover everything in textures and energy! Goodbye to plain statues and trees that don’t hug you back. Hello newborn graffiti artist.

And then the walls inside my apartment began to talk. Psst! Why bomb the bike rack down the street? You’ll only see it when you go for a walk. You could enjoy your graffiti every day in your own home.

Egads, I’m hooked, as the crocheters say. Five skeins of 100% recycled yarn and one reclaimed Ikea chair later, here’s my prettily “upholstered” chair. (Here’s a pic of it in progress.) It will soon be for sale online and in a local gallery, but I have three more pawing at me with their little legs – almost as inconveniently as the Sesame Street U laid in to Smokey Robinson. Wish me luck!

3/7/12 update: The yellow and brown chairs are done too! Come see them here: https://knitsforlife.com/2012/05/07/yarn-bombed-furniture-at-studio-gallery-in-sf/

New Patterns

It’s Here! Crochet Pattern for the Space Man Hat + Scarf + Pocket

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By popular demand, this crochet pattern includes the instructions for a the beanie with a panel for a nice timey wimey button AND for the hat with attached scarf and secret buttoned pocket.

I had tons of fun designing this ultimate warm winter accessory for the Doctor Who fan that is modern enough for any wearer. The lights are on inside the time machine with two stripes of creamy white. Tweedy navy blue yarn is crocheted in a raised stitch pattern to mimic a wood paneled police box all the way down the scarf to the secret pocket. The timey-wimey buttoned pocket stores your soul alongside headphones, phone, mp3 player or keys. This hat and scarf combo will really get your eco-geek on!

The directions for making this textured crochet pattern are easy to understand and do. I aim to design crochet patterns any knitter would envy. Two patterns in one, with directions for each in all four sizes. Each size requires just one size hook and is worked from the top-down in one piece with no joins. Includes color changes, front and back post stitches, and an adjustable loop.

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I’d love to see your finished products and customer action shots on the pattern’s Ravelry page or on Knits for Life’s Facebook wall! The finished items are also for sale in the shop.

New Patterns, New Products

November Giveaway: Alpaca Ear Flap Hat Kit

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Do you know about alpaca fleece? Yes, there’s an inside scoop here. If you know it, you’re likely to prefer it to merino wool and even cashmere. Be warned: asking an alpaca lover about it will launch a long list of qualities.

Oh, do ask! Alpaca fleece (and yarn spun from it) is warm as all get-out, squishy not stiff (unlike many wools), soft as cashmere (seriously), easy on allergies, and doesn’t pill up with wear. Plus, alpacas are enviable for their sense of style (above) and deliver adorable candid moments (see cats cuddling with baby alpaca below – wha???!).

This November I’ve teamed up with a family farmer in Alberta, Canada, A to Z Alpacas, to create your best winter hat.


You can buy it in my shop here or make it yourself from the pattern here and yarn here. Or, you can enter to win both in our giveaway here. Remember that all purchases in the shop plant one new rainforest tree.

Lucky you, swaddled in alpaca fur. I can’t be held responsible if this hat makes you run around your neighborhood with exuberant delight like the alpacas it comes from:

New Products

Customer request: OySpaceMan! Menswear Beanie (sans scarf)

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I got a request from a happy customer to make this hat without the scarf it originally came with. He also wanted something to wear in the summer, so I switched out the acrylic white stripes with organic cotton ones. The blue in this hat is entirely recycled in Europe. As always, it’s a custom fit and comes with a tree donation. Get one for your favorite Doctor Who fan here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/74224616/oyspaceman-hat-in-recycled-fiber