DAK download for dummies

Hey, I didn’t mean to be offensive or call anyone names, but many of you have said you need this!! On our website, we offer a free download of the DesignaKnit stitch files used in each issue. They are there for each current issue, meaning you have 3 months to get them, but once the new issue comes out, the old files are gone, replaced with the new set. If you miss them, we do have a cd with all of them for you to purchase.
Many new (and not so new) DKers have had trouble downloading these files, and I’ve promised to help, so here it is. Now, you need to have DesignaKnit to use these files. They are usually only the stitch patterns that are part of the garment patterns in each issue, no shape files, unless the designer has included them as part of the pattern. If you are planning on getting DesignaKnit soon, there is no reason why you cannot download these files and save them for when you have the program.
So, here goes...please bear in mind, I am not a computer expert by any means and there are many different systems to consider and many ways to do things, but I’ll do my best to give you basic instructions.
I recommend the files be saved on an external drive, whether it is on a floppy - I still have one, but most new computers do not - or on a cd/dvd, so you may need someone to assist you here. This way, you will always have a backup file to go to in case you forgot to save the original. But here, I’ll tell you how to save to your desktop.
I like to install the files on the hard drive in an ‘easy-access’ place where you won’t forget where they are or how to get to them once you are in DAK. The one that makes the most sense to me is to put them in a separate folder right in your DesignaKnit program.
1. Make a new folder in DK7 (or DK6) whichever you have.
What I do - right click Start from the main screen of your computer, bottom left corner. Choose Explore with a left click.
Locate the folder that has DK7 (or DK6) beside it. Left click on it once to highlight it. At the top of the menu bar, left click File then New/Folder. Single click on the new folder which appears on the right side, to highlight it and, from the top menu, choose File/Rename. Type in the new name, something like webKW47. Now this is ready to hold the stitch patterns from KNITWORDS No. 47.

2. Go to www.knitwords.com , select Current Issue and scroll down the page, where you should see the DAK download for this issue. Click on it and you will have the option to open or save. Choose Save and where you want it saved to (desktop). Do NOT save it right to the new DAK folder yet. Then Close.

3. Exit the website and go to where you saved the download. Double click on it (you will see it on your desktop as a zip file with dak4747 under it) and a new screen opens with a file folder labelled dak47C. Double click this and the thumbnails of the individual patterns come up. Click/hold on the blue bar at the top of this screen and move it over to the side of your screen.

4. Go to 'Explore' (see 1. above) and open another screen to locate your new webKW47 folder. Click anywhere in the right screen where the downloaded files are, then highlight all the files and drag them over to the new folder. Check and see they are there. If they are, delete the zip folder from your desktop.

5. Go into DesignaKnit, click Stitch Designer/open and find your folder.

Most of the files will be in .pat format so DK6ers can use, so if you have DK7 and nothing comes up, click the bar above and select the .pat file extension to see the other files.
Hope this works out for you but if it doesn’t, print this out, call up a computer-savvy friend and get them to come over and help out!!