Blogger About to Change

Google's Blogger software for creating blogs (like mine) is about to change their format. Sometime in April everyone will be forced onto the new system. That's the problem of software--when the developers decide to "improve" things, you have no choice except to figure out how to cope with the new system.  Here's a bit about it--
http://buzz.blogger.com/2012/04/moving-to-new-blogger-interface.html

I've been using it for several months for the Loretta Spears Blog and find it harder to use than the old system, but that has no effect on the developers.  As long as they like it better, the rest of us have to fall in line or move our blogs to a new template like WordPress (which I also don't like).  So I bit the bullet and switched one blog over at Christmas.  It is not as easy to read (but all developers are under 35 and don't have eye problems) and the functions are spread out all over and hard to find initially.   It also wants us to use Google Plus (which I could care less about) and works as a blog reader (I prefer Google Reader so I ignore all the postings it automatically generates).  I would prefer that they fix widgets I could use (like Google Translate) that are currently broken.  The Loretta Spears Blog has a great deal of traffic from Europe, South Africa, South America and Russia, so a translation system would be a nice feature.  None of the available ones work with Blogger right now, though.

Warning:  once you click on Learn More on your old blog, you are switched to the new system and there's no going back, at least that I can find.  Not that this matters--we all are going to be switched automatically sometime this month anyway.  Consider this fair warning.  It'll take you a few days to get oriented, so get some postings ready to go under the old system, then make the switch and learn how to do this.  I did.  I didn't like it but it didn't kill me, either.

I could cheerfully yell at some Blogger developers, though.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Updated CH Stitch Guides Article

I've updated an article on the stitch guides available from Carolyn Hedge Baird on the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides blog.  Now the article has all the guides she currently offers.  There's also information about Carolyn's custom stitch guides.  Of course you can always visit there by clicking on the magic carpet photo on the right side of the page.  Click on the same photo to return to Blog.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2010/02/carolyn-hedge-baird.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Examples of Beading

Needle Bug has posted photographs of beading their customers are doing on various pieces. It's amazing to see the different things you can do with beads!  Click on each photo for a larger image.  I hope you find this as inspirational as I do.
http://theneedlebug.com/2012/03/beads-and-beading/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Newsletters and Clubs Combined

To save space and consolidate shop and designer news in one place, I often lump monthly club news with newsletter links. This time Needlepointer has a newsletter all about their clubs!  There's all sorts of class news but owl fans will want to see their exclusive owl club.
http://www.theneedlepointer.com/newsletters/Needlepointer_Spring_2012.pdf

In the newsletter only category is BeStitched's March newsletter, which is full of class news.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs006/1105463547987/archive/1109563141846.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com