Podcasts about carry yarn

When Alyson Chu spotted a gap in the market for a high-end crochet magazine, she decided to draw on her publishing experience and put one together herself. With Kick-Starter backing of over 600 individuals and the support of a group of crochet designers, Moorit was born this autumn showcasing beautiful crocheted garments to make as well as articles and a very cute sheep project too. A podcaster herself for more than 4 years along with her mother, Vivian, with Keep Calm and Carry Yarn, Alyson is well used to speaking about her ongoing projects and her love of crochet. I think you'll really enjoy hearing about how Moorit came into being, as well as Alyson's hopes for the magazine going forwards and whether she will be won over by the dark side (knitting) or not!My sincere thanks to Alyson for speaking to me for Making Stitches Podcast. You can find out more about Moorit Magazine here and Keep Calm and Carry Yarn Podcast here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

We have a Crochet-A-Long starting and project updates and we reconnect after a hectic month. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha's Projects Atlas (Ravelry link) by Jared Flood using Navia Tradition. The pattern is also available at his website. I have made the tiniest bit of movement. JoAnn (momdiggity) came to my house to offer help with my colorwork. She was a tremendous help and it was lovely to finally meet her. My plan is to knit a swatch with #10 needles and then determine my next steps.   Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). Nothing to report here. Still waiting for Brian to measure his teapot so I know when to start decreasing for the top of the tea cozy.   Garter Squish Blanket by Stephen West. I am obsessed with this project! Knitting with main color #7 of a total of nine and started repeating the contrasting colors. I'm knitting #2 of the second set of contrasting colors.   Cast on a pair of basic socks using Patons Kroy Socks in the colorway Meadow Stripes. Kelly's Projects Faye's Flower Blanket, made with the Persian Tile Blanket pattern by Jane Crowfoot is done and delivered.    Another finished project, already mailed and no pictures! Fennec hat by Alicia Weisberg-Roberts and worsted booties from a free Bernat pattern. Used Invictus Yarns Captain Superwash in the Driftaway color. From the Heavyweight yarn club, September. After I finished those I used acrylic scraps from the blanket to make a slightly larger striped hat and a pumpkin hat.    Dark Green Forest by Christina Korber-Reith. The yarn is handspun and overdyed. It's a 3-ply made from CVM fleece from deep stash (2005 ish). Crochet Crochet Along Dates November 1 through Jan 10. The new Crochet Magazine, Moorit Magazine, has launched! We're having a Crochet-A-Long to celebrate Alyson Chu's great adventure! (Alyson of Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast).    If you need Crochet Along ideas: Tiny Spider by Anastasia Kirs. Crocheted with thread on 0.4 or 0.5 mm hook! Postmortem by Ann Wanamaker. It's a coffin shaped piece of crocheted lace with a skeleton inside. Ana Wanamaker has some interesting Victorian creepy doilies. If you like Blue Willow or Calamity Ware, check out the Deathware pattern. Marsha should make it to hang on Mark's wall of Blue Willow. Pebblebrook Beanie by Wish Upon a Hook has an interesting stitch pattern and would look good with multiple colors.  Bees in Clover by Michele duNaier I wear my Habitat Cardigan a lot! Daydream Shawl by Toni Lipsey. An Aran weight big chunky fringed shawl in Tunisian crochet. Check out all her patterns!  Winter Weave Along Starts October 15 and goes through the end of March.  

Moorit, a new crochet magazine and the Garter Squish obsession are the topics this week. Plus, the Two Ewes are back at their respective homes and we talk about how it is going now that we are back to our “real lives”.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts We still have a 3 Green Sisters  coupon code EWES2 for 15% off.  Marsha's Projects Atlas (Ravelry link) by Jared Flood using Navia Tradition. The pattern is also available at his website. No movement on this project. Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). Bought shorter straight needles because mine were too long and kept hitting the arms of my chair. Bought needles at Seattle Recreative located in the Greenwood neighborhood that sells used crafting materials. I need to borrow Brian's teapot to know when to start decreasing for the top of the tea cozy. Garter Squish Blanket by Stephen West. Lots to report here! I am knitting with the third of nine balls of the background gradient and the seventh contrasting color. This blanket is so addictive! I needed to dye about 600 more yards of yarn of the contrasting color so bought 3 skeins of Cascade 220. I dyed them yesterday afternoon and I think the colors are gorgeous. Kelly's Projects Dark Green Forest by Christina Korber-Reith. I'm making progress on the second sleeve. Faye's Flower Blanket, made with the Persian Tile Blanket pattern by Jane Crowfoot is almost done. I have an October 6 deadline for the birthday girl! I have triangles to crochet onto the edges and then the border. New Crochet Magazine Moorit Magazine has launched! Crochet along to celebrate Alyson's great adventure! (Alyson of Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast) Winter Weave Along Starts October 15 and goes through the end of March. Three Green Sisters are offering Fiber Adventurers a coupon code EWES2 for 15% off until the end of the year. They also make custom loom totes, spinning wheel carriers and spindle and heddle bags, along with one of a kind styles. Take a look at what Suzanne and other 3 Green Sisters are offering in their 3 Green Sisters Etsy shop.

In a special edition of Keep Calm and Carry Yarn, we hosted a live episode to celebrate the start of this year's unravel... a festival of yarn. It's got all the same stuff you love: Buzzfeed quiz, WIPs, FOs and general banter. But we also hear (and see) a bit from our live audience too! Links to things we mention: Buzzfeed Quiz Folklore Cardigan by Amy Gunderson [Ravelry] Rainbow Blue Chullo Hat by Janet Stimson [Ravelry] Modern C2C Christmas Afghan by Jess Coppam[Ravelry] Aleï Wrap by Berangere Cailliau [Ravelry] Luteola by Rebbeca Velasquez [Ravelry] Show notes with photos Support and follow us: Instagram Etsy Our Website Buy KCACY merch Buy us a Ko-fi

We have a very special guest today and we are not cool about it. Alyson Chu, the crocheter on the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast, joins us to talk about her newest venture, Moorit Magazine, and all of the incredible community support she’s received for it. We also try to figure out if Danny DeVito is sexy?

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 55 – Harder Than you Think.    My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile.   In this episode, I cover: Old Dog New Tricks; Final Destination; En Route; Designs in Progress; Quick News Beats; Big Up and J'adore.    This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:     1 – General Update I am stood at my desk as I type this and it’s really difficult to find the ‘right’ words.  I’m not even sure there are ‘right’ words.  The world seems to be on fire.  People are being killed, simply because of their skin colour.  This episode was nearly called “Inconsequential” because that is how I felt about podcasting over the last few days – who cares about a crochet podcast when people are being killed, simply because of their skin colour.  This crochet podcast is also a platform for morals, beliefs, community and showing solidarity. So, instead, it is called “Harder Than You Think”.  Besides being the title for my favourite Public Enemy song (because it has lyrics that speak volumes to me (link)), it is also a reminder that life is harder than you think.  It’s particularly hard on people that face oppression, brutality, racism and inequality on a daily basis.  That is what hard looks like.  So, if you want to be part of the change, to support your fellow humans then know that there is hard work ahead and it will be harder than you think.  You will most likely take a step back at some point and think about your former actions and words and feel disgusted with yourself for not having done better.    You will make mistakes that you can learn from.  I put three actions on Instagram (link).  Three simple things that can be your starting point if you are now ready to be part of the change:  1 – Listen to the experiences of others and get angry about the injustices that they are made to suffer day after day and do something positive with that anger without being performative or centring it around you. 2 – Talk to your friends and family about diversity and inclusivity.  Keep having the conversations.  Keep pushing for solidarity over oppression. 3 – Your money makes a difference.  Donate money to organisations that make a difference such as ROTA in the UK (link) or National Bail Out in the US (link).  These are just two examples, there are many great organisations out there that you can donate to. Let’s be part of the change.  Complacency is not an option.   2 – Old Dog New Tricks I just have a quick one for you this month because time is utterly against me this week.  You may have the same issues I have when I go above a 5.5mm crochet hook.  I find that the hook gets too heavy and it can be difficult to manoeuvre and ultimately make your hands or wrist hurt. I have some large plastic hooks in my hook case but I really don’t enjoy working with them and I find it difficult to get my tension right.  Instead, have a try with bamboo hooks.  They are lightweight, slippy enough to tension with and I find them comfortable to work with.  So, if you have previously been put off working on larger gauge projects because of the hooks you, why not try a bamboo.    3 – Final Destination I have finished things! Scrapvent Blanket is finished and I love it!  I’ll be writing up this pattern shortly.  My lovely friend Bec is working up a DK version with an advent yarn calendar she got last year.  I have never been that fussed about crocheting blankets, but I think the flood gates may have been opened.  I definitely prefer thin fabric without holes. Image text: The left side of my bone coloured linen sofa has blue cushions and my Scravent Blanket draped over the arm.  A medley of 24 different coloured yarns with a peachy cream border. Matthew called my Scrapvent Blanket “fugly” – how rude!  So, to get my revenge I used loads of the yarns craps from the blanket in a pair of Fugly Socks that he has to wear.  The truth is that I didn’t want to add a load of little yarn scraps back into my stash and I used up all the remnants of nine of my blanket colours in his socks.  I will use some of the other scraps to also make myself a pair of Fugly Socks.      Image text: A pair of scrappy, hand-knitted socks in stripes of forest green, acid green, teal, navy, grey and aqua.  The socks are placed on bone coloured linen sofa seat pad. Last month I showed off some slubby/thick and thin yarn that my friend Claudia sent me from Germany.  I crocheted it into a cushion cover using a 10mm (bamboo) hook and linen stitch.  I chose linen stitch because it makes a nice flat fabric which has a decent amount of stretch which you need in a cushion cover.  Eventually, the cushion will go into my Stash Palace, but for now, Matthew is using it on his stool when her delivers training.  Who knew that metals stool seats aren’t that comfortable?!? Image text: A close up of my bone coloured linen sofa has blue cushions and my new slubby crocheted cushion cover at the front.  It has a light sky blue, olive green, spring green and white running through it and is nobbly because of the slubby yarn. I have also been trying out wood whittling, and I love it.  I have concentrated on shawl sticks so far. Image text: Five hand whittled shawl sticks are placed on bone coloured linen sofa seat pad.  The sticks have a skeletal quality about them because of the blonde wood and finger-like quality of their shape. 4 – En Route It is time to think about crocheting summer tops!  This has been on my to-do list for weeks now and I finally found time at the weekend to search for the right top. I was specifically looking for a top that had been designed by a BIPOC/BAME designer and was size-inclusive (up to a 60” bust).  So, where do you start?  Well, you go to the BIPOC in Fiber website (link) because it is an amazing resource that is easy to navigate and gives the details and links of BIPOC/BAME in all sorts of categories such as crochet designers, hand-knit designers, yarn retailers, photographers, podcasters – basically every element of our fibre community is covered and categorised, ready for you to search. There were three pages of crochet designers for me to go to and they all link to website or Ravelry pages where I could see their full designs line-up.  Because I was looking for a size-inclusive garment, that narrowed the field but I enjoyed going through all of the designer profiles, many of which I was familiar with because of the work that Claudia from Crochet Luna vlog cast had been doing.  So, I settled on the Zig-Zag-Zummer top (link) by Sandra at Nomad Stitches (link).  You definitely will have seen Sandra’s work before.  She is the designer behind the Taroko and Aztec Sweaters.   Image text: 1 - Boen coloured linen seat pad with a ball of olive green yarn to the right, the very beginnings of a top and an orange crochet hook.  The yarn has a sheen to it because it is pure linen.  Image 2 - White wall with Sandra's torso showing.  She is wearing her Zi-Zag-Zummer crocheted top which has filet zig zags at the bottom, working up to a plain v-neck top.  The top is a mid-dusky rose pink.   Image text: Dusky pink background with a white polaroid cut out and Sandra from Nomad Stitches as he photo held up with clear washi tape.  Sandra has mid-length brown hair and is wearing a crocheted top with love hearts at the bottom.  She is also wearing a big smile.   I plan on using my Rowan Pure Linen stash which is 130m/50g because it will ake for a nice cool summer top. I haven’t really made much progress on the top because life, but have a deadline of the 1st July because I am joining in the @promised.fiber (link) Make IT Inclusive MAL (link).  If you fancy joining in too, it is open to crocheters, knitters and sewers.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if lots of Crochet Clan people searched out a BIPOC/BAME designer from the BIPOC in Fiber website and joined in?  I also wanted to highlight a couple of other sources: 1 – Lisa (LisaRaspCrochet on Ravelry) has made a bundle which has 133 different size-inclusive garments. 2 – Yelley (Yelley on Ravelry) also has a bundle with 158 size-inclusive crocheted garments. Find the person on Ravelry, click onto their favourites and then you can search their ‘bundles’.   5  – Designs in Progress I have finished all of my Positivity Spiral samples and have updated the pattern.  If you have already bought it or buy it in the future, it now gives options form heavy laceweight up to bulky/chunky weight.  I have added in estimated circumference and depth measurements so that you can choose how many stitch repeats you do to get the measurements you want.  The updated version will be going out next week. I also have the rights back for Omni and that has already been uploaded onto my website and Ravelry.  Again, that works in all weights between heavy laceweight and aran/worsted.    6  – Feeding the Habit There is no Feeding the Habit this month.  I have been buying sewing books, but no yarn.  This will not last for long because this weekend is the John Arbon Textiles Mill Open Weekend.  I should have been vending and instead, we are doing it all virtually from Friday through to Sunday. I know I am going to buy yarn.   Especially because I got to design my own colour.  More on that in J’adore.  As part of the Virtual Mill Open Weekend, we are having an online crafting session – much like the Global Hook Up.  Do come and join us on Sunday 7th June at 2pm on Zoom (same joining details as below for Global Hook Ups).  It will be some of the Mill Folk form John Arbon, Katie Green, me and hopefully, lost of friendly faces joining us.    7 – Quick News Beats 1 - Global Hook Up – The June hook ups are on: Saturday 27th  at 8pm BST and Sunday 28th at 9am BST. The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join If you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance.  If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above.  Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session.  2 – Lots of yarn shows are moving to virtual events.  Obviously it is nice to meet face to face, but the beauty of a virtual event is that you can o to ones that were previously out of your reach.  Look out for Woolfest, Yarndale and others in the UK. 8 - Big Up This one has to go out to the BIPOC in Fiber team.  The website that has been created is a wonderful resource.  You may not be aware, but the person behind the website development is actually Alyson from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast.  Alyson has and continues to do an amazing job on the site.  7 – J’adore My love affair with John Arbon Textiles continues.  When I first started crocheting and getting into really lovely wool and yarns, I dreamt about having my own yarn colours.  I was asked to design my own for the Virtual Mill Open Weekend in their Yarnadelic range which is my current favourite wool of theirs.  Image text: Image split into two but features the same yarn, Another Friday Night.  The yarn is dark, dusky blue with slivers of silver through it.  It’s like the night sky when the starts just start twinkling but not all the light has disappeared.  In the left picture, skeins of the yarn are on a table with a chair tucked underneath.  On the right, the yarn is wound on colourful plastic cones and bundled inside a large white industrial bag.   Obviously, I was tempted to do a mustard but they already have an amazing mustard in that range.  Instead, I went for a dark, dusky blue with slivers of silver through it.  It’s like the night sky when the starts just start twinkling but not all the light has disappeared.  I LOVE IT.  If you want some too, be quick (link).    I’ll be back on the 3rd July. Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite

  Knitting Segments   Knits in Rehearsal   Mezzo Cardigan by Alexis Winslow   Knitting News, Notes and Events PalKal 2018 Basic Rules   Official cast on/bind off dates: June 15-August 15 One part of your project must be from a podcaster. The podcaster has to have produced an episode within the last year, so no retired podcasts, sorry. No yardage requirement. Your finished object can be entered more than once if more than one element is from a podcaster. You cannot reuse a project bag for multiple entries. The same applies for patterns, stitch markers, etc. Entries must be put into the finished object threads. Each element of the project that qualifies gets it's own entry. When you post an FO, please tell us what element qualifies for the PALKAL and which podcast you are supporting. Feel free to ask me questions on the Ravelry group forum for PALKAL Chatter. Check out all of the information and links to our sponsors in the Ravelry group!    For all PalKal related discounts, the code is the same: Palkal2018      Top Billing Sponsors:     Janis Ficker, Carolina Fiber Girls  CC and Dami Almon/JavaPurl Designs, Geeky Girls  Suzanne, Two Tangled Skeins  Knitting Daddy Greg, Unraveling Podcast  Sarah Schira, Imagined Landscapes  Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio  Monique Leonard/Windswept Designs, Knitting on the Run  Vivian and Alysin/Pearl and Plum, Keep Calm and Carry Yarn  Kristi, In a Sknit Podcast Cameo Sponsors Susie White/Prairie Girls Designs/Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Melinda, Yarnderwoman Podcast   Producing Sponsors:  Bijou Basin Ranch  Queen City Yarn  Never Not Knitting  Daizie Knits  Love Knitting   This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by Bijou Basin Ranch.         Bijou Basin Ranch is a family-owned ranch in western Colorado. In addition to fiber from our own herd of full blooded Tibetan yak, we work with other yak ranchers in the US as well as Asia to source top quality yak fiber for our luxury yarns. We also work with various indie dyers who create beautiful can't-get-anywhere-else colorways for yarn lovers! Use the coupon code on their website for 15% off in their online store (excluding qiviut or paco-vicuna) and free shipping! This generous offer will be good through September 6, 2018.     Knitting Podcast Spotlight This episode I put the spotlight on Knitting Myself Together, hosted by TheVioletPie.        Non-Knitting Segments   Instant Success Instant Pot Egg Roll Bowls   Love it or Leave it Love: I'm on Summer Vacation, Baby! Leave: Body/food issues     Other News and Notes My reading has hit a little slump lately, but I did finish and enjoy  The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore.      I'm still working out a running a bit. 

Special thanks to all of my listeners for waiting so long between episodes. As I posted on Instagram, I have been having a lot of vocal problems and I have been trying to rest my voice as much as possible outside of my job, where it's impossible to rest my voice at all. I'm going to do my best to keep up a regular schedule.   Program Mentions: Thanks to Knitting Daddy for sending me his Smoke in the City hat pattern. Special thanks to Vivian and Alyson from Keep Calm and Carry Yarn and the Pearl and Plum Etsy shop. Also thanks to the ladies from Tin Can Knits for sending me their Beloved hat pattern.   Show Ready Knits Chevron Baby Blanket by Rachel C Creations   Wee Lima by Taiga Hillard   Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure   Mae by Andrea Mowry     Knits in Rehearsal Rainbow Party Cardi by Telly Bean Knits   If you'd like to see my yarn choices, check out my project page.   I have swatched for the Mezzo Cardigan by Alexis Winslow    I have started a project page for this, but there's not much to see as of yet. Think I can finish it in a month?   Moderne Baby Blanket by Mason Dixon Knitting Thanks to the kind folks at Loveknitting.com for sending me this kit from Paintbox Yarns     Knitting News, Notes and Events #MadAboutMinis Sorry guys, I really dropped the ball on this KAL. Should we keep it going for a while? Call it?      PalKal 2018 Basic Rules Official cast on/bind off dates: June 15-August 15 One part of your project must be from a podcaster. The podcaster has to have produced an episode within the last year, so no retired podcasts, sorry. No yardage requirement. Your finished object can be entered more than once if more than one element is from a podcaster. You cannot reuse a project bag for multiple entries. The same applies for patterns, stitch markers, etc. Entries must be put into the finished object threads. Each element of the project that qualifies gets it's own entry. When you post an FO, please tell us what element qualifies for the PALKAL and which podcast you are supporting. Feel free to ask me questions on the Ravelry group forum for PALKAL Chatter.   The PalKal is coming up this summer! Are you interested in sponsoring the biggest and best Kal for the Actually Knitting Podcast? Here is where you can find information about levels of Sponsorship.   Fill out this Google Form and I'll get in touch with you about sponsoring the KAL. The PalKal runs from June 1-September 1, 2017 and it is all about supporting podcasters who are designers, indie dyers, bag makers, etc.     Color Confidence Class with Andrea Mowry at Black Mountain Yarn Shop.    ZK 2018   The Reviews Are In!  This episode I will be reviewing Vogue Knitting, The Ultimate Knitting Book.     Non-Knitting Segments    Meal Prep Madness Veggie and Beef Ramen   Other News and Notes   I finished several books since the last time I recorded.    Running updates:  I finished a 1/2 Marathon in March. I did not enjoy myself. 

Holy wow, it's been a year of Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcasting! Thank you for joining us both on this journey, and here's to an awesome year two! We're both making good progress with our Ultra Violet KCAL projects (Vivian has finished her Gris de Lin Cowl and Alyson is so close to being done with her Carloway Cowl). There are some awesome FOs being shared on the Ravelry group. And maybe the biggest accomplishment of all is that Vivian has finished the Maxfield Cardigan!! Wooo! Buzzfeed Quiz: Which Millennial Stereotype are You? Ultra Violet KCAL Janurary 15 - March 1 WIP Projects   Carloway Cowl by Rachel Atkinson Orkney Angora St Magnus DK Fiddlehead Mittens by Adrilan Bizilia Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted FO Projects Beltline Cuff-down Socks by Rohn Strong Patons Stretch Socks Gris de Lin Cowl by Berangere Cailliau Blacker Yarns Swan Falkland Islands DK Coins by Vivian Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport Maxfield Cardigan by Amy Cristoffers Knit Picks Hawthorne Sport and Stroll Sport Mommypedia: Marled, variegated and tonal yarns Nerdtastic: The Crown Ravelry: Alysonhere, Upstateviv YouTube: Keep Calm and Carry Yarn Podcast Instagram: KCACYpodcast Etsy: Pearl & Plum

Hello my lovelies! Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes from Episode 21 - For the love of socks.   In this episode I cover: Old dog, new tricks; FOs; WIPs; DIPs; Review of Step Into Crochet; Feeding the habit; Big up and What's good?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 - Quick news beats Crochet Cakes - I am very pleased and relieved to say the Clarisabeth and Caroline (and family) are well.  They live in Puerto Rico which was hard hit by Hurricane Maria. The news came via Alyson from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast.   I have just donated money to the Alianza Somos fund because they are concentrating on areas such as power and communications, two things that will help to get infrastructure back up which should make general aid relief easier.   It may be some time before we hear from Clarisabeth again, and it is just great to know that they are well.   Logging your projects - I am often asked how I log my designs and projects and at long last, I have pulled together a 'How I log my designs, WIPs and FOs' blog in case you are interested too. Setting up a craft group - I asked the good folk of Instagram if they were interested in finding out how I set up and run Woolgathering Sandbach.  The answer was yes, so in the November podcast, I will go through how I went about getting it off the ground, how it has evolved and how much time it takes me to manage the group. Vicki Brown giveaway - I finally got to meet Vicki face to face at Yarndale and she passed me a lucky bag for a lucky listener.  It has a temporary tattoo, gauge, wool needle, mini skein and 10% discount code.  If you want to win, head to the Ravelry thread 'Vicki Brown giveaway' and let me know what your favourite colourway is from her range.   #FridayisDyeDay - if you fancy getting involved on Instagram, a few of us are going to have a Dye Day on Friday 27th October.  Either use the # or follow it to see what dye creations have been made across the globe.  I am going to do some natural dyeing using conker husks/ shells and probably some professional acid dyeing too.  Claudia (Crochet Luna podcast) is going to use acid dyes, Charlie (Love Charlie podcast) is doing natural dying with avocado stones and skins.  You can even use food colourants, so you really don't have to go out and buy specialist equipment.  If you don't have undyed yarn, you can overdye existing yarn that you aren't that fond of.     A quick internet search will give you lots of ideas and thoughts on how to dye your yarn.  I will also be pulling together a blog post in advance to give details on how you can get involved.     2 - Old dog, new tricks It's amazing where you can glean information on crochet techniques from.  This month's Old Dog New Tricks is all about a little trick that I picked up from a pass away comment somebody made on Instagram.  It's a neat little way of increasing stitches without it being as obvious.  It doesn't make a huge amount of difference to your finished object but I do think it is a little less obvious. Instead of crocheting two stitches into one, crochet one on the front loop only and the second in the back loop only.   Give it a try and let me know what you think.    3 - Finished Objects  The sock theme has continued well into September as I pull together the review of 'Step Into Crochet' by Rohn Strong. I would love to say that I now have three pairs of finished socks but actually I have one pair and three singles.  The book review explains why...  I have been working on lots of other design projects that I am hoping to share with you shortly.   In the meantime, this is my other FO for September.  This gorgeous little cardi is called Crumpet and was designed by Erika Knight.  This is my new go-to baby cardigan; it's really quick to work up and the 6-12 month version took just over 100g of DK yarn.     There were two purposes to this cardigan.  The first was to have a crocheted item to send to Knit for Peace with the card to explain what Crochet Circlers had been up to during the summer with Festival of Finishing and helping me to raise funds.  The second was to show the journey of recording, washing, blocking, sewing seams and choosing trims as part of my Blog Hop for the Back to School Sweater CAL.       Last month I had made a start on my Basket Weave Cushion Cover by Jo Janes (AKA Jojotwinkletoes) and now it is an FO!  I was doing more stash diving and using up odds and sods.  This is Aurancania Milidon (no longer available) and was actually a shawl that I never wore and so frogged to reuse the yarn.  I really love the final effect and Autumnal feel of the cushion. It's going to be used outside when I am sitting crocheting and need extra squish and back support.  Thanks for a great pattern Jo, I definitely feel like I now have a good understanding of front and back post trebles!   4 - Works in progress I have one WIP on the go this month and it is a whopper!  It's my #BackToSchoolSweaterCAL.  I went all round the houses with this project - incapable of deciding what I was going to make.  I finally decided on the Aberdeen Castle Cable Sweater and after about seven rows I realised that I just wasn't enjoying the cabling process.    Back to the drawing board and a pattern that I have had queued up for a long time - Sicily.  It's a free pattern by Rowan and can be downloaded straight from Ravelry.  Although the pattern calls for a 4 ply cotton, I am using Shilasdair 4ply (lambswool, angora, cashmere) and it is working up very nicely.  It is light, warm and by the end of the jumper I suspect that I will have only used 350g of yarn.     Future WIP is going to be my second version of Criss-cross using Gym Nut from Green Elephant Yarns.  This is a CAL with Olann and which will start in November.  If you fancy joining in, you need a 2 x 100g of 4ply with at least 375m per 100g.  More details will follow on Ravelry and Instagram.     5 - Designs in Progress There are designs that I can't show you yet because they are for yarn brands and then there are ones that I put out for myself under Fay Dashper-Hughes Designs.   Whilst I always aim within the podcast not to bombard you with KNIT IT - HOOK IT - CRAFT IT shop updates, it occurs to me that you may actually be interested in the design process and how it moves on from one month to the next.  So, this month I am going to show you a design in progress and you can let me know whether this is something that interests you or not.    This design came to me at Yarndale when I bought the yarn from River Knits Yarns.  Their colours are just fabulous and instantly knew how I was going to use the colours in a cowl, mittens and possibly hat too.  I had put the puff stitch into a shawl that I was designing and it just wasn't right, so it got logged away for a couple of weeks, waiting for the right yarn/stitch combo to pop up.       I love how this pattern is working up.  It's going to be called 'Barley' and should be out later this year if all goes well.   6 - Review of Step Into Crochet and £5 discount code I am loving the fact that crocheted socks are getting more air time with more people making them and appreciating the warmth of crocheted socks on their feet.  I received Step Into Crochet as a gift from Claudia of the Crochetluna podcast.  She is a lovely! So, here are a few caveats before I get into the review proper: I have long, thin, pointy feet and thin ankles.  This makes hand crocheted and knitted sock fitting a bit harder.  Standard patterns don't fit me as well and I usually have to make changes to get something that fits well. I have an aversion to using anything below a 3mm hook. If you are starting a new crocheted or knitted sock pattern, be prepared to have a sacrificial first sock that is either going to be wonky or frogged. The three points given above have to be taken into account when you read the review because they are issues that I have to work around when making socks. The book is very detailed - which I love.  There are sections on understanding sock construction, the differences in sock yarn and working out your foot measurements.  This information is incredibly helpful, especially if you have never crocheted or knitted socks before.   There are 16 sock patterns in the book and two of those have been provided as cuff-down and toe-up options, so really there 18 patterns in total.  These patterns build up really nicely from plain one colour patterns through to cables, lace, stripes etc.  What I particularly liked was that different toe, heel and cuff patterns were given too, so you could learn different techniques and see what works best for your feet.  If you have a high instep, for instance, you may need to swap out for a different heel type that gives more stitches.     If you want to get to the point of having really good fitting handmade socks, it usually takes a few pairs and some chopping and changing of construction before you get there and that needs to be taken into account when you are working from sock pattern books.   I chose to work up three separate patterns from the book so that I could review it well and test out different sock yarns at the same time.    Gorman Toe-up was worked up over three socks and two different yarns.  On each occasion I used a 3mm hook and because of that, I had to rework the pattern over 40 sts rather than the smallest size provided which was 44 sts.  This wasn't a difficult task.     Things I loved about the book: The detail given on construction, sizing etc. The stitch guide for each pattern is given at the top of each pattern so you don't have to flick to a glossary at the back. The designs fit really well and are easy to adapt to your preferred length of cuff etc. Good photography which helps to understand the construction of the socks. Lots of ankle socks so you get patterns that can take you through more seasons.    Issues I had with the book: At times, small parts of the pattern were missing.  In Mordecai, the stitch guide for foundation double chain crochet (US) is incomplete.  If you didn't know that, you would struggle to get the sock started.  In the Azalea pattern, the written instructions are incorrect.  It says to repeat rnd 6 to complete rnd 7 but that is incorrect and I only know that because I read the accompanying chart.  These aren't big issues because I have used these techniques enough times but a first-timer coming to these patterns with less confidence may struggle.  It feels like a more thorough tech edit was required to check and double-check the patterns and provide better instructions in some areas.  Again, I managed workarounds and could understand where the problems were but only because I have knitted and crocheted quite a few pairs of socks now.     Would I recommend this book to others?  Even with the issues that I have outlined above, I would still recommend the book.  I would just encourage people to read through the pattern thoroughly, be prepared to frog or have an initial wonky sock until the perfect length, stitch count etc is reached.  It may also be worth heading to project pages on Ravelry where people like me have put up notes explaining changes and pattern work arounds.     There are currently no errata links for this book on Interweave's website or Ravelry.   In the UK the book retails for £16.99 and I think this is good value for money.  Eighteen patterns, loads of upfront information before you even start and loads of techniques to learn.  You just have to have the confidence to know when something probably isn't quite right and be able to work around that.   In the UK the book retails for £16.99 and I think this is good value for money. Eighteen patterns, loads of upfront information before you even start and loads of techniques to learn. You just have to have the confidence to know when something probably isn't quite right and be able to work.   FW Media have offered people in the UK a £5 discount code and free P&P, bringing the cost down to £11.99. All you have to do is call 01206 255777 and use code KHC117. The discount is available until the 15th December 2017.     7 - Feeding the habit Here are some of the things that I acquired at Yarndale:   1 - Yarn from Black Horse Yarns 2 - Dorset Button kit from Tania at TJ Frog 3 - Amazing yarnyness from RiverKnits 4 - More buttons from Textile Garden 5 - Vintage scissors from Eliza Conway 6 - Some paper yarn to play with.   That RiverKnits yarn in the middle is called Indian Giant Squirrel - just look at it unskeined and the the actual beast below!     And here is my amazing prize from Vivian and Alyson from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast.  This is an exceptionally well-made bag form Vivian via her Pearl and Plum shop.    8 - Big up I have a couple of podcasts for you to take a look at. Both are on YouTube.   Deanne from Addydae Designs is very well known for her crochet designs such as the Blurre shawl, but she has a podcast too.  She lives in Australia which gives it a different twist for me and is very open about her design process and sharing with the audience.    The second is the Thread the Love podcast on YouTube.  Amber has a couple of episodes out so far.  She is a crochet designer and so far her episodes are both under 30 minutes.   9 - What's Good Clarisabeth and Caroline are well - it is worth reiterating that this is very good news.  I am loving that Charlie from the Love Charlie podcast is local to me.  It is really nice to have a podcaster just down the road.      I have just interviewed Becci and Markus from RiverKnits.  I really enjoyed doing the interview with them and it reminded me how much I enjoy the process, so I need to get out on the road and get interviewing people again!  You can hear the interview or watch it.     See you all in November.   Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite  

Knitting Segments Show-Ready Knits   Vasa by Dianna Walla   Giant Crochet Blanket        Blocking vs Killing Acrylic      Five Common Crochet Mistakes and Tips for Beginners Knits in Rehearsal Find your Fade by Andrea Mowry   Crochet News I talked a little about some of the techniques I've been learning from the book above.   Let 'er Rip I ripped out 2 sweaters and it was very therapeutic!   Auditioning Knits  Country Garden Top  Knitting News, Notes and Events Special thanks to the Intermission Prize Sponsor for the month of July, Zombody Knits.     Check out the Ravelry group for details about all of the great sponsors for the PalKal2017.     Knitting Podcast Spotlight This episode I tell you about Keep Calm and Carry Yarn.    Non-Knitting Segments Love it or Leave it Love: I've been working with my brother on his business, managing his social media.   Leave: My lack of structure combined with this heat and humidity are making me exceptionally tired! Other News and Notes   Running I had to get new shoes which I was not happy about.   Reading   I finished reading:  I finished listening to:      For you, the listeners of Actually Knitting, Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service.You can try the book I linked above or any audiobook of your choice for free!    To download your free audiobook today go to audibletrial.com/actuallyknitting.               

Personality Quiz Which British Royal are You? WIP Projects  08:19 Carolyn Top by Joanne Scrace Valley Yarns Charlemont Kettle Dye Teal Blue  08:49 Fixing gauge height video Andean Chullo Hat by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence  15:10 FO Projects 17:38 Cat Nest by Hanne Katajamäki Syncopated Caps by Kate Gilbert 21:17 Momopedia  23:56 Our Favorite Things  28:05 Alyson Potter & Bloom-Emma Cherry Heart-Sandra The Crochet Circle-Fay (CAL March 3rd, Cobbled Street Cowl by Sol Rencoret) Crochetcakes-Clarissabeth Hooks & Books-Sarah Vivian 34:24 Nerdtastic 35:33 Walking Dead Doctor Who (Timey Wimey KAL by Bad Wolf Girl Knits and Crazy Sock Lady) Outlander (The Scot and the Sassenach) Shop Talk  41:17 Keep Calm and Carry Yarn is sponsored by our Etsy shop, Pearl and Plum.  To celebrate our new adventure in podcasting, we are offering coupon code for 15% off your total purchase. Thanks! Convertible bag Outro  44:28 Alyson is moving to Edinburgh (Update: The visa arrived!!!!!) -------------------- Ravelry: Alysonhere, Upstateviv YouTube: Keep Calm and Carry Yarn Podcast Instagram: KCACYpodcast Etsy: Pearl & Plum