Muddy Sheep
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Patterns
  • Tutorials
  • About
  • Northern Flurries Shawl

Thank you for your help!

27/7/2014

0 Comments

 
I've had such a great response to announcing that Yarnsub is live. Lots of people have said that they've been looking for something like this for a long time, which is heartening to hear.

I am also grateful to the Designers group on Ravelry, who pointed out where some matches didn't seem right. Most of those discrepancies have already been fixed, with one requiring a change in the software. Sock yarns weren't showing up with the substitutes that people expected, but we've been able to fix this now.

Others have used our new 'Report an issue' links to tell us where there's a problem with the data. Every problem reported gives us the chance to make the site better, so keep them coming.


It's also been fun to find out how you've used the site to find just the sub that you need, it's great to feel useful!


Wendy
Picture
A gratuitous shot of some you-can't-leave-here-without-me Apples and Pears sock yarn.
0 Comments

New yarn substitution website! (And a request for help...)

23/7/2014

56 Comments

 
Picture
Our brand-new yarn substitution website - Yarnsub.com - is up and running! Type in the name of a yarn and you'll be presented with a list of substitution options, each one matched by gauge, texture, fiber content and fiber characteristics. You can also look for a kind of yarn - "cotton worsted", for example - and see a list of possibilities.

When looking for a substitution myself I had assumed there would already be a website to help. I found lots of articles on the art of yarn substitution, but I couldn't find anywhere that I could just enter a yarn name and receive accurate suggestions for a replacement.

I thought something like that might be useful.

Luckily for me, my husband is a bit amazing at writing software and he liked the idea too. While he was working on the tech side, I got to work on some yarn research. (It was a tough job, but someone had to do it!) I researched different fibers, swatched, experimented with gauge and tried out all manner of exotic and not-so exotic yarns. I looked at textures, drape, warmth, elasticity, absorbency, durability, luster and softness. And then we condensed the knowledge into a form that could be processed by the software to find accurate substitutes.

Eventually, we are aiming to provide "buy it now" links to retailers from yarn pages. This will help us cover our costs and allow us to keep Yarnsub available and up-to-date far into the future.

But for now, I'd simply like to start getting the word out. Currently the website doesn't come up high in Google searches. To change that I need more sites to link to it. Would you be able to mention Yarnsub.com on your website, blog or on Facebook or Twitter? I would be extremely grateful! Do you have any other suggestions about how to get the word out? I'm not in any way a marketing expert, so any ideas you have would be very helpful.

I'd also like to improve the usefulness of the website, so if you have any suggestions or if you have any problems, please let me know. Already I've had the suggestion that more images would be helpful - those are being added as fast as I can get copyright permission from yarn manufacturers.

I'd love to hear if you like the site and if you find it useful, but I'd also really appreciate any criticism or feedback about it. Are the notes on a particular substitution clear and do they give you confidence? Are there any matches you don't agree with? Have I missed an important brand? Please don't hold back! The sooner I know about issues, the better. 
Email me: hello@muddysheep.com

Thank you!

Wendy

56 Comments
    Picture
    Yarnsub
    Find your perfect substitution

    Subscribe...

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    follow us in feedly
    Follow on Bloglovin
    Muddy Sheep on Pinterest

    Blogs I read
    Attic 24
    Knitsofacto
    LIttle Cotton Rabbits
    Mason-Dixon Knitting
    Planet Penny
    Poppy in Stitches
    Purl About Town
    Woolwinding

    Archives

    December 2016
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013


    Categories

    All
    Cake
    Children Knitting
    Contoured Intarsia
    Garter Stitch
    Gift Knitting
    Intarsia
    Knitting Group
    Knitting In Public
    Technique
    The Cat
    The Fish Blanket
    Yarnsub

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.