Indy Designer (s) Saturday: Knit and Crochet Daily.

Do you ruminate over finding that perfect pattern?  I do!  Looking to order the perfect handmade gift for a friend or family member but need a place to start? I know the feeling!  It takes me days to find that EXACT pattern that both expresses what I want and suits the recipient.  I ask a million questions, give my customers choices, talk about colors, yarn content, allergies.  If its a gift I find myself scribbling notes.  I try to do my research.  I visit their social networking sites, look at pictures, if its a gift I try to bear in mind everything I know about them.  In short, I drive myself crazy LOL  (For those of you who know me personally, its not a long jump)  Like baseball players, I don't always hit it out of the ballpark but I sure try.  That is why I really appreciate sites like Knit and Crochet Daily. 

Knit and crochet Daily is a curated site about knitting and crocheting patterns.  What is a curated site? "Curators, by modern definition, carefully and decisively choose among the best of all that's available and often create entirely new ideas and perspectives out of that information, all while using their own voice." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brittany-morin/the-curated-web_b_1096186.html  (best definition ever!)   Knit and Crochet Daily is a site curated by one person.  Here's what they say about the site: "Just love crochet. Just love knitting.
I used to knit and crochet a lot but, as I got older life changed and I’ve lost touch with it. Whenever I see pretty projects it makes me think about starting again.
Meanwhile, I love finding and sharing patterns that inspire me, if possible free patterns. You will find collections of my favourite go-to crochet and knitting patterns from baby patterns to adult.
But most of all I’m having fun with my hobby."  

No argument from me.  Fun is what hobbies are all about.  For those of us who have made the art of knit and crochet a profession its enjoying what we do every single day!  BONUS! 

I, personally, like the way that Knit and Crochet Daily is laid out.  The opening page is clean and easy to navigate.  Yes there are ads on the page but they do not clutter up the home page, in the slightest. The other thing I like about this site is that it is a mix of old and new.  Whether you are looking to crochet a doily to add the perfect vintage touch to a room or trying to find a pattern for hard to buy for teen, this site has it right up front.  Video tutorials and patterns for all skill levels.  This site has it all with a click. http://www.dailycrochet.com/

Projects, projects, projects,  I've always got something going! People who are fiber art fanatics like me are usually the same way.  Looking for home decor? Look no further than the navigation categories on the right side of the screen http://www.dailycrochet.com/category/home-decor/  Are you a beginner looking for a photo tutorial on how to make a cute face cloth for a shower gift?  Check out the "Beginner" category for the perfect idea: http://www.dailycrochet.com/photo-tutorial-crochet-for-beginners-how-to-crochet-reusable-face-washing-cloths/
​This site is a snap to navigate.  A REAL bonus if you are in a hurry. 

Whats a great knitting or crochet website without ideas on how to keep your work tidy?  I'm always at a loss for space.  I've said often I have enough yarn to open my own store and yet, I always end up buying more yarn for a customer's order.  Knit and Crochet Daily has a great page for just that need here: http://www.dailycrochet.com/best-yarn-storage-idea-ever-this-place-is-magical/ About 10 years too late there's this fantastic idea for helping to keep colors organized or EVEN to create a color sorting game for children: http://www.dailycrochet.com/clear-and-practical-way-to-select-colors-for-a-project-or-to-order-new-yarn/

Knit and Crochet Daily gives credit where credit is due which is the beauty of a curated site!  Original ideas are collected, sorted, given the once over for their clear instructions and usefulness then placed up on Knit and Crochet Daily for our use. (not abuse!) Please remember that these ideas are collected BY Knit and Crochet Daily carefully "The very internet itself was created on the foundation of linking, sharing, and recommending good content from other sources on the web. Curation means finding good, well-written, and highly relevant material for our readers.
By choosing content from your site, we are giving it our vote of approval. This not only means that we excerpt your content, we also give it our highest recommendation, and we encourage our readers to view your content on your website with a direct link back your source material.
Our curation is designed to send our readers to your site so you get new visitors exposed to your top quality content." http://www.dailycrochet.com/curation/ They do a GREAT job too!  But as curators they link BACK to the original pattern, design, tutorial, or article.  They have a very strict policy they follow.  Because they DO have a strict policy they are trusted to leave the site up and running.  This does not mean that others may copy the material and claim it as their own.  I LIKE the idea of a curated website and I think its BRILLIANT for people like myself who work very, very hard to find the perfect pattern.  

In short Knitting and Crochet Daily is a great place to find patterns in one place when you need them but you don't have to be a fiber artist to look around Knitting and Crochet Daily.  Its for everyone.  Grab a cup of tea or coffee, find a comfy chair and have a look around for a great project.  You'll be glad you did!