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When I’m inspired,
I get excited because
I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.
[Dolly Parton]
Yesterday, I laid out and printed copies of a pattern for a class I’m scheduled to teach next Saturday. I used Adobe Illustrator to produce the chart, Adobe Photoshop to process the photos, and Adobe InDesign to lay out the pattern. I could easily save and distribute the layout as a PDF file.
I have been itching to try a layout in iBooks Author (Apple’s new, free software). Since I already had an assortment of images and text in a folder, I simply opened one of the templates in the new software, and placed my own content. With a little tweaking, I was ready to preview it in iBooks on my iPad 2. The images above are screen shots of the pages as they looked in iBooks (they were larger of course and quite readable). If I’d had a video demonstrating how to work this knitting technique, I could have placed it in the book as well.
For a number of years, I have been producing PDF files that can be read paperless (read that, on any PC or Mac that has a free Adobe Reader). In the past couple of years, I have been converting print books to ePub files for use on such devices as Nooks and Kindles. I’ve been researching ways to produce apps that include visually rich content, audio and video. I’ve learned the most from taking courses on Lynda.com.
Although I’ve learned a lot of technical stuff over the years, I am still a graphic artist at heart and have avoided crossing over into application programming. This new software opens a new world to me and it can only get better.
Knitting, writing and other joys 
Oh how fun! I was just thinking last night that you could make your handouts in iAuthor. I think to sell you have to go thru iBooks store but you can give away what you want so that would work for classes. You can charge for your class but give away your handouts. Now you need to get busy with more videos. Lucy Neatby and been exploring this also. Fun, fun, fun!
It looks excellent, Katherine! That’s exciting news. Can’t wait to see more from you and your patterns. Mary
I glad this is making you happy. Im still not sure what an ibook is. I havent seen one yet. I dont have an ipad either. I just put my first pattern onto Ravelry. Its “An Oven Mitt to Knit”. Im not even really good at Ravelry yet. Im not sure what all it is good for. I just thought i would try putting a pattern on there. I am writing up more of my patterns so hopefully i will have more on Ravelry soon. I see that a lot of designers just have 1 pattern.
I went to Glorias viewing last night. Allen had made up the coolest book of “Glorias life in pictures” with captions. It was a book in hardback and in color. I thought it was spectacular. There were a few of them so that many people could look at them at once. They had a display of her knitting too. Very nice.
The funeral was today. I couldnt make that.
I love your blog.