knitting with confidence & hope

In this episode, I talk about Thanksgiving, gratitude, knitting and recovery.Music credit: Ketsa Day Trips

It's Maryland Sheep and Wool Weekend! In this episode, I talk about the fun and overwhelm of fiber festivals and about the joy and lessons in learning something new (crochet!)Music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"For comments or feedback: mrsdefarge@gmail.com  

In this episode, I dust off the mic and talk about how knitting a box of socks is getting me through 2023.Music Credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode, I chat about wanting to cast on a million sweater projects, almost all of which are in Veera Valimacki's new book of knitting patterns called Stripes.  I also talk about knitting is providing me with a lot of comfort as I handle the stress of back to school and work transitions.Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I chat about summer, our new puppy, and the life-changing magic of stitch markers, which saved me on two of my summer knitting projects (the Lunae Shawl by moonstruck knits and the moss grid towel by modern daily knitting).Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I chat about seasonal shifts, Maryland Sheep and Wool, summer knitting plans, and learning to spin with a drop spindle.Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about my recent making, including how a knitting book helped me to find my making mojo. Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"mrsdefarge@gmail.com

In this episode, I talk about how I'm handling my fear about the state of the world by reminding myself of all i've learned during the past two years about knitting with confidence and hope through times of fear. It's a kind of reintroduction. I also talk about how I am learning to read Selbu mitten charts by knitting a "trash" mitten. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode I talk about the January blues, work stress, and the slow and steady progress i'm making on a stranded colorwork sweater vest.Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about steeking my first knitted sweater and knitting a whole lot of knitted gifts.Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

This is the 50th episode of the podcast! I'm celebrating today by going to a fiber festival with new knitting friends. I chat about this and about what I'm looking forward to in the season ahead. [Music Credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"]

In this episode, I talk about my current sweater project, knitalongs, and the joys and challenges of community.Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode I chat about sweater weather, a colorwork Lopi project, steeking and what it's teaching me about seasons, both in terms of this podcast and in terms of recovery. Music Credit: "Day Trips" but Ketsa

In this episode I talk about the importance of yarn management when knitting color work projects and what it's teaching me in this busy back-to-school season.Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode I talk about how all I can manage to knit right now is a super simple hat. (Content warning: death of a pet)Music Credit: Ketsa "Day Trips" 

In this episode, I talk about the pressure to find the perfect project for vacation knitting. Music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode I talk about the slower pace of summer and the joy of knitting brioche. Music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about the shift in the season and how it has me thinking about summer, knitting shawls, and the fun of brioche knitting (even when dealing with the ups and downs of addiction).

In this episode I talk about an AA slogan I heard in a meeting and how it applies to one of my notorious UFOs (unfinished object).Music Credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"Content Warning: I talk about depression and negative body image in relationship to sewing and fitting. 

In this episode, I talk about my goals for me-made May. My aim is to focus on making myself feel more comfortable in this time of anxiety and change, especially as things start to open up where I live. 

In this episode, I talk about how I treated myself to a class on knitting vintage sweaters and all that it brought up, including all kinds of inspiration (reminding me of my love for  Elsa Schiaparelli's Cravat sweater) and a reminder that it's okay to treat myself. Music credit, Ketsa "Day Trips"Knitting patterns referenced: Yuccaknits, "naname" and "emma" socks and Please don't eat the daisies "Hitofude" sweater

In this episode, I talk about how do the next right thing, in my knitting and in my life.  Right now I'm faced with two projects that are not going as planned and I need to decide whether to frog or forge ahead and I talk about how these small decisions connect to  bigger ones in my life.

In this episode, I talk about spring, hope, and about knitting neon-green socks, even as I deal with the hard parts of marking the year anniversary of social distancing. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about lessons I learned from knitting a fingering-weight Christmas sweater...in February.

In this episode, I talk about how my kiddo's super bulky scarf is bringing me joy on this Super Bowl Sunday, which can be a tough day for those of us who love someone who suffers from addiction.

In this episode, I talk about how I feel like I'm stuck on sleeve island both in terms of my knitting and in terms of life stuff and how I'm handling my feelings of frustration.Music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about how the many outside issues of this week overwhelmed me and so despite my new year's plans, I'm just resting and continuing to knit my christmas sweater. Music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode I talk about packing up the holiday WIPs and casting on new projects, the brighter the better!Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about joy and how it's showing up right now in my life... i.e. plans and research for making absurd, holiday-themed knitting projects in 2021.Music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about how improv quilting and colorwork knitting is helping me to stay focused this holiday season. When you love someone who struggles with addiction, the holidays are never easy and so i'm focusing on what's making me happy: improv, scrappy mini quilts and colorwork. Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about how more is more. Inspired by Kaffe Fassett's lecture at Vogue Knitting Live, I talk about why it's okay to have so many WIPs and what that tells me about where I am at in recovery.Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about two feelings that defined last week for me: fear and joy. Both presented different challenges for recovery. My making has been on the backburner a bit but I also talk about how mending and silly embroidery projects are making me happy. 

In this episode, I talk about trauma responses to outside issues and how that connects to the skills I've learned in recovery. Knitting is a comfort to me in these moments, more than anything else, so I talk a bit about what I've learned in this moment about my current WIPS. Ketsa, "Day Trips"

It's Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool festival weekend! In this episode I talk about celebrating it virtually and the joy and harmony of participating in a community, in this case by wearing my handmades and celebrating all the Rhinebeck sweaters. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about my anxiety about work and parenting and about how noticing the negative can often be the first step in changing attitudes. For me that meant unfollowing accounts on social media, unplugging from podcasts, and, yes, knitting a dumpster fire. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"Pattern: dumpster fire 2020 by Kino Knits

In this episode, I talk about my anxiety and how I found the exact pep talk I needed for overcoming fear of complete disasters, knitted or otherwise, in chapter one of Maggie Righetti's Sweater Design in Plain English. Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about crafting overwhelm and how tools of recovery are helping me to manage it and to celebrate small wins. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about the magic of gauge and how it's helping me to understand what I can and cannot change...about knitting patterns :)Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about learning a new way to cast on a knitting project and how it reminded me of all the different ways there are to start a path to recovery. Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about my latest round of yarn chicken and how that's helping me practice the skills of detachment even as I try to finish all the things. music credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about repetition in knitting (both of stitch patterns and of patterns) as related to "practicing" new skills of recovery. music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about the power of a singular focus, both in terms of 12-step groups and in terms of creativity, making, and knitting. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about the phrase "the pink cloud" both in terms of addiction and recovery and in terms of yarny goodness. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about three d-i-y fails and how they reminded me of how important and valuable tradition 8 has been in my recovery. Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about mending and repair and how these crafting tasks might be linked to step 8 and the process of becoming willing to make amends. Music Credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about lessons learned from a finicky sewing project and from my son's hobby...building a gaming computer! Don't sew (or build) when you're hungry, frustrated, thirsty or tired. (Okay, that's H.F.T.T. not H.A.L.T., but you get the point). music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about the role of rest in recovery. Maybe it's not ironic that my week's knitting project is titled the "careless" cardigan. Music credits: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

In this episode, I talk about giving and receiving (knitted and yarny) gifts. Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

I chat about knitting and how slow, daily progress leads to change...one day and row at a time.Music credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

I talk about tradition 10 of al-anon and how it connects to activism and protest this week and to the discussions about racism in the knitting community This podcast is about my personal experience of living with alcoholism (and knitting through it!) and you should, as always, take what you like and leave the rest.if you'd like to chat more about this: mrsdefarge@gmail.comMusic credit: Ketsa, "Day Trips"

Tradition 11 is grounded in attraction not promotion. In this episode I talk about learning this lesson in relationship to Harry Potter and teaching my daughter to knit.