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Thank you for tuning in to Episode 295 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Some Years Later Knitting in Passing In my Travels KAL News Events On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Some Bunny Loves You Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Some Bunny Loves You Colorway (Yarnable April 2023 colorway) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the colorway- cream base with speckles of purple, blue, rust. Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link. Get $5 off with coupon code BostonJen Belle the Butterfly #3 Pattern: Belle the Butterfly $4 pattern from Theresascrochetshop on Etsy Hook: C Yarn: leftover DK yarn from stash Ravelry Project Page On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Cold Goat Farm Spinning Project Fiber: Cold Goats Farm; believe it is a merino/mohair batt (8oz) in a natural, undyed cream color Ravelry Project Page Twist direction: singles = Z plied = S This means when I'm spinning, my wheel is spinning clockwise and when plying my wheel is moving counter-clockwise. Progress: 3rd bobbin done and onto the 4th. This is the batt that never ends! Getting closer but still not done. Calendula Christmas Quilt Pattern: Calendula Quilt by Elena Fedotova available on Ravelry for $7.50 US. Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids in Ivory, Deep Red, Varsity Green, Aqua, Medium Rose, Gray Hook: G (4.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page I used Canva to help me figure out color placement to extend out the quilt pattern. I am seaming squares using the Mattress Stitch. I had the 2 color (on the diagonal) granny square memorized but totally forgot how to do those. Here's a helpful video I found that helped refresh my memory. Goal: 6 per week Progress: 19 2 weeks ago & 12 last week (week 7 & 8)- 106 in 8 weeks- avg/13 per week 129 not attached and 48 attached. Current draft is 18 rows and 16 columns- 288 squares. 177 done/ 111 to go- 61% done Let the Mystery Unravel 2023 Blanket of Calm Pattern: Blanket of Calm by Casapinka (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Woolen Women Fibers- Let the Mystery Unravel subscription + Cascade Heritage Sock yarn in the Forged Iron Colorway Hook: 3.25 mm (D) Ravelry Project Page You can find my Let the Mystery Unravel Unboxing Video on YouTube in this Playlist I started in September 2023- due to finish in August 2024. This month, I finished the squares for the last month's kit. Let's Get Basted Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Let's Get Basted Colorway (Yarnable November 2024 colorway) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the colorway- cream with gray, purple, tan/brown and small blips or orange. Spiral pooling. Progress: about 2 inches away from heel of the first sock. David... Fold in the cheese socks Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz in the David...Fold in the cheese!!!! colorway (with cream/gray mini skein) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress- almost to heel on the first sock Brainstorming I was inspired by Jenna(716knit) at the Fiber Witch Festival, had on a marled scrappy shawl that was gorgeous! It got me thinking that I really want to start something with my Legacy Fiber Artz minis from previous year advents. Maybe a Granny Stripe blanket? Or perhaps another Recollections crochet blanket. I made one in the summer of 2022 (check out my Ravelry Project Page). It uses fingering weight yarn held triple and treble crochets. You work each row right to left and cut each time. between each set of clusters you use a main color. Debating using Fibernymph 10g minis from last year's advent for those rows (notes say it used- about 8g per row but that's held triple which might just be too annoying). I'm debating making a smaller blanket that will live on the backseat of my car, draped over. Mostly for the pop of color with my gray interior but I bet the kids would use it when they're back there. I'd also like to make a crocheted granny square tank top for the summer so I could potentially use some of my minis for that. Do you have any ideas for me? From the Armchair The Wandering Purl YouTube channel- I have a Gilmore Girls sock sized bag from Bethany and I know lots of you are fans of her, but I didn't realize she had a channel! Enjoying her content, check it out. White Lotus- Season 3: it was a slow burn of a season with some seriously cringy content but I loved how the finale came together. Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases. Some Years Later I wore my Construction Zone top April 4th. Construction Zone Pattern: Construction Zone by Heidi Kirrmaier ($7.50 US knitting pattern) Yarn: Tempting Ewe Yarns Luxe Aran (90% Merino/10% Silk) in the Grey Goose Colorway. 2 skeins 340 yards total Needles: US 9 | 5.5 mm Ravelry Project Page I've been wearing my handknit sweaters as April has been cold and rainy! Aurealis (Ravelry Project Page) Silverlining (Ravelry Project Page) Freewheeler (Ravelry Project Page) Mom's socks Knitting in Passing At a recent rehearsal for Kiss Me Kate, my fellow cast member, Janet, told me about this yarn company her friend Katie Aucella owns called Claws Out Yarn- here's a link to her shop. You can also find Claws Out Yarn on YouTube Channel & Instagram In My Travels Tune in to hear more about my trip to the Fiber Witch Festival in Salem. I loved meeting up with friends, Monique (Windswept Monique on Instagram) who brought me 2 skeins of beautiful wool yarn that she's allergic to, to sell/raffle off for FearLESS Living Fund. I met up with Ryan kollerskrafts and Jenna 716knit and shopped around with them and we grabbed lunch after. It's always a joy to see bag maker and podcast sponsor Jess of Stitched by Jessalu. Into the Whirled- Cris + James who were there selling jewelry which you can find under the shop name westand28. I believe they will be at Maryland Sheep & Wool. Check them out on Instagram too. They had beautiful handdyed silk cordage bracelets with sterling silver. Each color has meaning. I couldn't decide! Heart pendant (similar to this one). Mom- fine silver (.999) metal clay. Jess also introduced me to Fiber Witch Festival organizers Ana Campos (Circle of Stitches). Emily (Kitty with a Cupcake). I purchased a progress keeper that's a floppy disk in yellow w/ a rainbow on it. Dragon Hoard Yarn- Myth Fingering in one of her show special colorways- Gardens of Persephone I purchased a project bag (Gardener's Magical Craft Shelf bag) and beautiful sticker with hand drawn art from Dawn Kathryn I had lunch with Ryan and Jenna at Turner's Seafood I visited Circle of Stitches yarn store in Salem. I purchased a mini skein from Cryptic Hollow Fibers, 9 inch circular socks needles from ChiaoGoo. & 2 cute stickers. I was so happy to run into Val (valtherizzle) as I was checking out! I also shopped at Modern Millie's, Re-find (2 pairs of earrings) & Oak & Moss- where I purchased a lemon button fern. KAL News The Splash Pad Party kicks off soon! It will be our 10th year (even though yes we took last year off). Mark your calendars: June 1- July 31 Events Gore Place Sheep Sheering Festival- Saturday April 26 from 10a-5p in Waltham, MA. Connecticut Sheep & Wool: Saturday April 26 from 9a-4p in North Haven, CT Yarncentrick: May 2 in Fredrick, MD Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 3 & 4 in West Friendship, MD New Hampshire Sheep and Wool: May 10-11 in Deerfield, NH Sheep & Wool Festival at Coggeshall Farm: May 17 in Bristol, RI Massachusetts Sheep & Wool: May 24 & 25- Cummington, MA On a Happy Note I found old photos of theater and dance friends which I brought to rehearsal. My friend and I went to Gretchen Rubin's Q&A for her new book Secrets of Adulthood (Amazon Affiliate link). Dan and I went to the Oligo Nation Gala to support our friend John who was receiving an inspiration award. I wore a fun dress from Poshmark and Mom's jewelry. Kris' birthday dinner at a local mexican restaurant. Dad, Jeff and I enjoyed a video chat organized by my cousin Jimmy. Repotting some plants. Hoping they take. Dinner with Megg at Scutari in Hanover, MA I visited Vico Style on Charles St in Boston- found 2 dresses that could work for Kiss Me Kate & 1 just for me. Visited with my Dad, Millie and Garret over the weekend and we decorated for Easter. Rehearsal for Kiss Me Kate is going well! Quote of the Week Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one's voice. -Joseph B. Wirthlin ------ Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Kayleigh takes charge of this week's podcast as Carmen is away in Toronto at Knit City and is joined by Susan. They kick things off by introducing a gorgeous Sicilian wine from the show sponsor, Wolf Wine, before diving into the knitting talk! Kayleigh and Susan explore different yarns and patterns, focusing on the Fonty Super Tweed and make suggestions for various projects like the Esther Jacket and the Old River Road pattern. They review the Chiaogoo Forte knitting needle set and share personal anecdotes about their favorite wines and cocktails. Here's a breakdown of the episode--------------------------------------------------00:00 - 00:28: Introduction01:02 - 02:00: Wine Introduction05:58 - 09:12: Knitting TalkSusan shares a recent project: Andrea Mowry's broom pattern.Discussion on knitting patterns, yarn choices and personal experiences.Various patterns and styles discussed, including boxy and cropped designs.09:12 - 18:05: Current Knitting ProjectsKayleigh's and Susan's ongoing projects and knitting plans.Mention of specific yarns, patterns, and knitting techniques.Susan discusses her Petite Knit Cumulus V-neck project.Both share detailed experiences and thoughts on different yarns.18:05 - 32:42: New YarnIntroduction to new yarns in the shop from the Raw Wool Company (SUPER exciting!) including the yarn's origin, types, and characteristics.Recommendations for knitting projects using the Raw Wool CompanyKayleigh and Susan's personal preferences and future knitting plans.32:42 - 50:09: Q&A Segment - this week Kayleigh & Susan answer:What would you make with your Fonty Super Tweed?Do you have any yarn suggestions for the Old River Road pattern by Kay Hopkins?What's the best wine and best drink you've ever had?50:09 - 58:35: Knitting Patterns DiscussionYarn suggestions for specific patterns.Detailed discussions on pattern suitability for different yarns.Recommendations for using Fonty Super Tweed and Old River Road pattern by Kay Hopkins.58:35 - 1:11:30: Product Review: Chiaogoo Forte Needle Set-----------------------------------Ask us anything!Click here to submit a question for the podcast-----------------------------------Get In TouchSocial Media: Instagram | TikTokWebsite: www.ayarnstory.co.ukEmail: hello@ayarnstory.co.ukVisit us:A Yarn Story,128 Walcot Street,Bath,BA1 5BG+44 (0)1225 429239-----------------------------------Huddle Podcasting LtdThis episode was produced by Huddle Podcasting Ltd. Learn how you can harness the power of podcasts to grow your business at www.huddlepodcasting.com
Enjoying the ad-free show? Please consider supporting it! Patrons get monthly bonus episodes, perks, and priority on their knitting questions. Lots of lively conversation, too! www.patreon.com/verypinkknits Many thanks to Turtlepurl for supporting the podcast! Check out the self-striping yarns on their website - www.turtlepurl.com Coupon code information: For 10% off the total purchase *Excluding mini skein bundles or knitting needles* March Code: MAR24VP The needles we talk about - Knitter's Pride Ginger short circulars (16” for hats) ChiaoGoo “shorties”, larger sizes ChiaoGoo “shorties”, smaller sizes (good for socks) Addi Sock Rockets Our links Polly's Instagram Polly's Ravelry Notebook VeryPink Instagram Verypink.com VeryPink Knits YouTube Channel Staci's Ravelry Notebook
Loes en Jackie hebben weer veel te vertellen. Ze genieten met volle teugen van het mooie herfstweer terwijl ze breien wanneer ze maar kunnen. Jackie zette een buurvrouw op weg met een sjaalproject van @julijashop_breit, leerde één van haar vriendinnen breien om een rondbreinaald, ging op uitstap naar het gezellige Dordrecht en stopte (uiteraard!) bij @rebelwithatwist en werkte tot slot een kraamcadeautje af. Loes heeft alweer corona gehad, maar dat heeft haar niet tegengehouden een flink eind te breien. Voor een project breit Loes mannenkousen in Ijslandse Lopi en is ze vol overgave de Terrazzoneck van @petiteknit aan het breien. Daar zijn de breibabbelaarsters het over eens: zo'n "neck" is echt een must have in de wintergarderobe. Leuk om te breien en klaar in een wip! De dames deden zichzelf recent een breinaaldenset van Chiaogoo cadeau. Tijd om nog eens uit te weiden over het belang van goed materiaal en over het duurzame plezier dat je daarvan hebt. Hou je steken goed op een rij en veel luisterplezier!
Your hosts: Amy aka JKnitMa on Ravelry and Megan aka JustRunKnit on Ravelry This week we are sharing recent favorite things! Grab your crafting and join us!Jan Self-striping prizes drawn!Trough KAL through FebQueen City YarnMagpie Fibers - Magpie SocietyMitchell's Creations716knitSuburban Stitcher - Fade ClubDyacraft Interchangeable TC hooksChiaogoo small circumference needle setRokr 3D wooden puzzleUpcoming ZKN events and Sign-up info Join Discord
News: Join us on our Patron and Instagram for Socktober, where we will have sock content all October long! FO: Emily - Waxing Moon - Full Moon Version, pattern available in the Fiber Coven Discord https://www.ravelry.com/projects/kittywithacupcake/waxing-moon-shawl---full-moon-sample -knit in the Earl Grey Alice in Wonderland Advent colors https://earl-grey-fiber-co.myshopify.com/ WIPS: Emily - Vanilla socks in BaH Yarns, Problems with Porgs colorway https://www.brendaandheatheryarns.com/ - Waxing Moon - Half Moon Version, pattern available in the Fiber Coven Discord https://www.ravelry.com/projects/kittywithacupcake/waxing-moon-shawl---full-moon-sample -knit in the Power of the Full Moon colorways from Valkyrie Fibers Lauren - Aura Sweater by Gingko B https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aura-sweater in Valkyrie Fibers Suri Fluff - Waxing Moon - Full Moon Version, pattern available in the Fiber Coven Discord https://www.ravelry.com/projects/kittywithacupcake/waxing-moon-shawl---full-moon-sample , knit in the club colorways - Vanilla socks in Opal Sweet & Spicy, colorway 6755 Acquisitions: Lauren - Progress Pride flag from Pride Flag SD https://prideflagsd.com/ - From Wildwood Makers Market https://www.wildwoodmakersmarket.com/ : indie greeting cards, Avian Friends 1000 piece puzzle - From Knits and Knots Tahoe https://www.knitsandknotstahoe.com/ : Chiaogoo size 1 9” circular needle, Little Gems gold mini scissors, iridescent clear plastic notions bags, spooky themed Skein Coats - Pitchfork Fibers, Stalworth Sock base, Boogie Wonderland colorway pitchforkfiber.etsy.com Emily - two skeins of fingering weight from Alwan Sultan, in the ‘I Was Supposed To Be A Slutty Jellyfish' colorway https://alwansultan.com/ Occult Corner: The Black Paintings by Francisco Goya, which Lauren fell in love with on her study abroad in Madrid (not that it really matters, but Lauren can't remember when anything happened. She studied abroad in 2008, that was the epic summer of sports success in Spain, not 2010, that was the year she graduated college.) Shameless Self Promotion: Lauren is having a Spooky Season self striping update, a restock of Witch's Brew and new colorway C1-10P, its very autumnal... https://www.etsy.com/shop/ValkyrieFibersTahoe
Today we're talking about the counterfeit Chiaogoo needles currently being sold on Amazon and how to protect yourself when shopping online. *How to spot a fake: *Chiaogoo's guide to spotting counterfeit needle sets (http://www.chiaogoo.com/counterfeits/) The real deal: * Twist Mini/Shortie Set US 0-3 (Red) (https://www.scratchsupplyco.com/collections/chiaogoo-interchangeable-sets/products/chiaogoo-2-3-twist-mini-shortie-interchangeable-set) * Twist Shortie Set US 2-8 (Blue) (https://www.scratchsupplyco.com/collections/chiaogoo-interchangeable-sets/products/chiaogoo-2-3-twist-shortie-interchangeable-set-us-4-8) Sorrel Kits at Scratch (https://www.scratchsupplyco.com/collections/make-good-sorrel-kal) Spring Knitalong: Sorrel Sweaters! on Wool & Pine's website Spring Sorrel (https://www.woolandpine.com/spring-sorrel) Summer Sorrel (https://www.woolandpine.com/product-page/summer-sorrel) Sorrel (https://www.woolandpine.com/product-page/sorrel) Spring Knitalong: Sorrel Sweaters! on Ravelry Spring Sorrel (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spring-sorrel) Summer Sorrel (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-sorrel) Sorrel (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sorrel-15) Instagram live @makegood Sunday, April 11 #makegoodsorrel What's on our needles? Barnhardt (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/barnhardt), designed by Norah Gaughan, knit in Julie Asselin Nurtured (https://www.scratchsupplyco.com/collections/nurtured) Ripple Buttshorts (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ripple-buttshorts), designed by Jessie Maed, knit in Farmers Daughter Moon Sisters (https://www.scratchsupplyco.com/collections/the-farmers-daughter-fibers/products/blush-bashful-fingering-weight) Patterns mentioned in Dear Scratch this week Little Black Skirt (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-black-skirt), designed by Skeindeer Knits Alaska Skirt, (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/alaska-skirt) designed by Alexandria Wenninger Lotta dress (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lotta-12), designed by Marie Greene Send us your questions at dearscratch@scratchsupplyco.com
Finished Objects Erica The shawl!!!! Erica was so excited to finish her Half Pi Shawl. In Episode 1 she was swatching for this shawl! Erica has knit a few small shawls, but really wanted a really nice big shawl! She switched between Signature Needle Arts and Chiaogoo circular needles. Erica does love her Signature Needle Arts needles, but found the join on these difficult once the shawl got large and heavy. Erica would love to hear listeners tips for knitting from center pull balls. Do you knit from the center or the outside? Michelle Michelle has been going through some of her older hand spun yarn and setting the twist in it. She was particularly bad about wet setting a couple years ago and the wash is helping refresh the yarn as well. Some was balled up already so it had to be put back into skeins. She finally got the opportunity to use this beautiful Amish style swift that was made by a friend of her Mom's and gifted to Michelle. Works in Progress Michelle Michelle skirted and washed the fleeces she got from shearing day at Queso Cabeza farm. They are taking a long time to dry out in her garage in the cold weather. Erica Erica seems to have taken Michelle's spinning mojo, oops! Erica is back to spinning the Organic Polwarth in the Fractured Dawn colourway from Crafty Jax. Erica purchased 3 braids and decided to spin a 3 ply yarn. Fractured Dawn is a random colourway so each braid starts with a different color. So Erica split each braid into 3 carefully put each split into a ball, then put all 3 balls from the same braid in a bag together. Erica is spinning a single from braid one, then braid two, then braid three and will start over again to make up for not being able to randomize the singles when plying to help distribute any variance in the singles spinning. Erica is prepping the drawloom for her next warp. This will be a 4" warp sett at 60 epi (2/dent in a 30 epi reed). She is using the last of the Treenway Silks Bordello color yarn from her previous project. This will be woven into trim to use for her husband's garb, and probably some for herself too. Socks Erica currently has socks on the needle for everyone in her family! She is extending her previous sock study by trying toe up socks again and testing out different short row methods. She has cast on the second sock for Oli's second pair of socks. For this sock she used the toe up Ann Budd short row toe method. She cast on the first sock for TJ's second pair of socks. For TJ's sock Erica tried out the toe up German short row. Erica thinks TJ, yet again, picked the best color of all of us. Erica also cast on for her second pair of socks using the toe up wedge toe, which she was the very first type of toe construction she tried and did not initially fall in love with this method. She is enjoying testing out new methods and looking forward to finally settling on a method that she really likes. Finally, Erica bought the book Knitting Magic and plans to knit a Weasley Jumper for each member of her family. She started with TJ's jumper that is in Harrisville Highland Black and he chose Periwinkle for the contrasting color for his initial.
Show Sponsors Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. Find all your favourite luxury yarns and discover plenty more at A Yarn Story, Bath’s premier yarn store based in Walcot Street, Bath, UK. From gorgeous skeins by The Fibre Co and Walcot Yarns to a fine selection from Shibui Knits, La Bien Aimée, House of a la Mode, and Julie Asselin, there is plenty for the discerning knitter to enjoy. With friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you browse, there is plenty for the discerning knitter to enjoy. Visit the store at Walcot Street, Bath or shop online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk. It’s one of the most exciting times on the Curious Handmade calendar! The presales for Knitvent have just launched, and I am beyond excited to welcome you all for another season of surprises and gift knitting. So I’ve got that to chat about, of course, and also lots of stories from the magical rainforest retreat I attended last weekend. So get cosy and join me for a nice big catch-up episode! Show links: Presales for the Knitvent 2020 Collection have begun! You can get all six mystery patters for the Early bird price of £9.95 (over 30% off the regular ebook price of £15) when you join us before the first pattern is released on Thursday, October 29th, 2020! Knitvent 2020 on Ravelry Knitvent 2020 on Gumroad Kitch Kreative on Etsy O’Rielly’s Rainforest Retreat Reconciliation Australia NNK Yarns The Yarn Bowl 52 Weeks of Socks Snippet Socks Natural Fibre Arts Rose Hip Island Louie and Lola Get 20% off the Rainforest Shawl pattern with the code RAINFOREST when you check out until the 23rd of October, 2020 Rainforest Canopy Shawl on Ravelry Rainforest Canopy Shawl on Gumroad Stillness Shawl Get 40% off the Rewilding Shawl pattern with the code REWILDING when you check out until the end of October 2020! Rewilding Shawl Show transcript: Welcome to the Curious Handmade podcast. You’re listening to Episode 313. This podcast is all about crafting a life of happiness and creativity. I’m your host Helen, and you can find me on Ravelry as HellsBells and on social media as Curious Handmade. You can also find full show notes and transcript on my website at curioushandmade.com. Hello and welcome. Thanks for joining me today. I hope you’re having a good week and are finding some spaces in your days to do some knitting and stitching, crochet, patchwork, whatever takes your fancy and yeah, grab a tea or coffee or other beverage, and join me for a chat. I’ve had a very exciting week this week because I got to attend a knitting retreat and I have to say, after the year we’ve had and still having, it was an amazing experience to be able to join a group of knitters for the weekend. So the event was organized by Kylie Kenny, who is Kitsch Kreative. She has an Etsy shop selling beautiful project bags, and she organized this retreat at O’Reilly’s. I think we first discussed it last year, I can’t remember when. I think fairly early last year actually, maybe about halfway through the year. So a lot in the world has changed since then. But thankfully and amazingly, we were able to go ahead with it here. Unfortunately, participants who were going to be coming from interstate weren’t able to come because of restrictions on travel. But people from Queensland, which is the state that I live in and where the retreat was held, were able to attend. So the retreat was held in a very, very special location at a place called O’Reilly’s, which is a resort, I guess you’d say. It doesn’t quite feel like a typical resort. It’s more of a retreat in the mountains and there are really nice cabins, various sizes that you can stay in or a beautiful campground, which was sort of the original part of the retreat. But I think it’s developed into something bigger over the years. It’s up in the mountains in the Lamington National Park, which is the Gold Coast hinterland. So if you’re familiar with the Gold Coast, which is about an hour’s drive south of Brisbane, and then west from there. And Kylie’s family still own the place today and her parents and grandparents were part of O’Reilly’s as she was growing up, and she lived there growing up as well. So it was a very special location for her and it was quite a special location for me as well, because that’s where my parents had their honeymoon. And we went up there a little bit when I was little. And yeah, I’ve been back since for camping trip and just yeah, it’s just beautiful. Just so special to experience true rainforest and bush walking, and the views are spectacular. It’s just a lovely, lovely, relaxed place. The air is really clean and fresh. So we started the event with dinner on the first evening on Thursday, and Kylie greeted us and acknowledged the traditional custodians of the land. She said a acknowledgement of country and paid respect to the elders past, present and emerging. And we heard a little bit about the venue and about Kylie’s stories growing up there, which was just made it that extra bit special. And then over the course of a couple of days we had a room where we could sit up with our knitting and we had some vendors. So we had some yarn and project bags and other lovely things to buy. The vendors where Lisa from NNK Yarns. And she brought some beautiful hand-dyed yarns. She’s based in Brisbane. We discovered we had a connection because when she first started her business, she was knitting items for kids and babies. And my sister had purchased a little vest for, I think, Sophie, from Lisa and sent it to me in London, which was quite some years ago now. And then she purchased another one and sent that over. And so I think that it got handed down to Lexi, and Lexi still has the little vest that Lisa made in her wardrobe and she won’t let it go. She loves it so much. It’s a beautiful color. And so that was so funny to discover that connection from many years ago. We also had Fiona from The Yarn Bowl, which is a fairly new yarn shop in Brisbane at a suburb called Banyo. And Fiona said that they’ve just had their one year anniversary for The Yarn Bowl. And that was obviously a very popular yarn shopping destination and knit night for, most of the knitters were from Brisbane and were very familiar with The Yarn Bowl, and she had absolutely lovely things. Needles from ChiaoGoo. She had some copies of 52 Weeks of Socks from Laine, which was quite nice because I had my snippet sample there from the book. And she also had a amazing stand of yarn from Natural Fiber Arts, who is Cheryl, another local indie dyer, and Cheryl just lives a little bit north of me on the coast. So that was lovely to meet Cheryl. Cheryl was also there, the dyer behind Natural Fiber Arts. And then Kylie had a stand as well for Kitch Kreative. And she was selling her bags, her beautiful handmade project bags, as well as yarn from Rose Hip Island, who is a hand dyer in Tasmania, and that is Hannah. And Hannah does very, very beautiful romantic colorways and also some self-striping sock yarn in really fun colorways. And because of the restrictions I think Hannah would have had to quarantine for two weeks up here and then quarantine for another two weeks going back down to Tasmania. So she wasn’t able to attend, but she sent her yarn that she dyed for the up to Kylie and Kylie had it on her stand. So we were able to see her beautiful yarn, even though we were all very sad that we weren’t able to meet Hannah in person. But next year, I’m pretty sure. I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to meet the people that couldn’t come this year at the event next year. Kylie’s already announced that we’ll be doing it again next October. And I’ll be teaching some workshops again. So over the weekend we had two workshops, they were fairly informal. The first one was a sock cast on. So I brought a whole bunch of my samples from my sub collections and some one-off patterns. And we talked about making socks. A lot of people cast on some socks, and there are a few people there that were knitting some of my sock patterns already, which was really lovely to see and to see those projects happening, all righty. So thank you to all the participants that were knitting my patterns and brought some projects that they had knit. And then on the second day, on the Saturday, we had a shawl workshop, and I designed a special shawl for the event and as a gift for the attendees, which was the Rainforest Canopy Shawl. It was obviously inspired by the location in the Rainforest and Karina from Louie & Lola, also in Tasmania, had created a special colorway called O’Reilly’s. And she’s having an update for that this week, or it’s already happened. So check out Louie & Lola if you would like some of the amazing deep forest green colorway that she created for the cover shawl. And I also have samples in Rose Hip Island yarn in a beautiful pink rock orchid colorway, an amazing mustard colorway from NNK Yarns, as well as another sample in Louie & Lola in the S-colorway. So if you go to the pattern page for that, you’ll be able to see all those different colorways that I’m mentioning. And I’ve released the pattern for the Rainforest Canopy Shawl just this week after the retreat. And so that is now available and it is for sale at our launch price of 20% off with the code, RAINFOREST. And it’s an asymmetrical triangle with lovely lace panels that to me represent Rainforest Canopy and either stockinette or garter stitch sections in between the layers. And there’s also a rectangular scarf version available in the pattern as well. So two sizes of asymmetrical triangles and a rectangular scarf version, which can easily be adapted to be wider if you want to make a more of a wrap style rectangular version. So it was absolutely lovely spending some time with knitters. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a knitting retreat. I don’t think I went to one all year last year. I think that’s right. I think with the move and everything going on, I couldn’t do anything last year. And then this year has obviously been a little bit of a shambles in that regard with COVID happening. I don’t think I would have probably been going to anything before now anyway. But I was kind of hoping to get down to the Bendigo Wool Show at some point, obviously that was canceled. So it was, yeah, it was an amazing treat to be able to meet lots of local knitters, lots of knitters based in Brisbane and a little bit further south and a little bit further north. There was 16 participants altogether in the end. So that was amazing that that many people could attend. I met some ladies from Murwillumbah, it’s a bit of a tongue twister, and they had knit my Stillness Shawl. So that was absolutely beautiful to see. Vicki and Sue’s projects and we had some photos. And I got to meet Maureen who has been knitting my patterns for many years. And yeah, it was absolutely lovely to meet her and just everyone. Everyone was so friendly and it was just such a fun few days. The food was very good. We ate a lot. The meals were very generous and delicious. The coffee was excellent and a lot of the staff were quite young and just really friendly and energetic. And yeah, it was really nice. So I’m already looking forward to working with all the new Australian indie dyers’ yarn that I’ve discovered through this event, which has just been so fun and meeting up with the knitters that I met. And hopefully being able to see them at future events. So thank you to Kylie for organizing the event and reorganizing it several times as the rules and restrictions around COVID changed. I do not envy you trying to manage all of that, but she did it and it was wonderful. And if you listened to last week’s podcast, I was very nervous about the windy road and the road was in fact windier and longer than I remembered. But actually it was fine in the end. So yeah, I think being in the driver’s seat and just being able to take it at my own pace was good. And I had the lovely Lisa with me for the journey. I picked her up in Brisbane and then we drive down from there together and she was super, a super winged person and very calm copilot. So that was also really lovely. I did manage to do a couple of bush walks, which for me was unusual. I usually just manage to knit and not much else when I go to a knitting retreat, but I managed to sneak away and do a couple of walks. I did a lovely walk with Cheryl and we had a lovely chat about yarn and got to know her a little bit. So that was wonderful. We did the wishing tree walk. So we walked down to this amazing old tree that had split at the bottom and you could walk into it. So I’ll definitely be trying to get up there for a family trip at some stage. I think everyone would really enjoy doing some bush walks. There’s shorter ones and much longer ones. You can walk over to the next resort, Boonaburra. There’s a long walk, a 20 kilometer walk that you can do. There’s a tree tops walk with suspension bridges through the canopy of the rainforest, which was amazing. That’s just a really small, short one, just lots of different walks. And yeah, definitely love to go back. I’m not sure if we’d camp or stay in one of the lovely cabins. So the Rainforest Canopy Shawl is now available on Ravelry and I’ll also put it up on Etsy and it will be 20% off on Ravelry with the code rainforest until next Friday, the 23rd of October. And I’ll try and work out what I can do on Etsy as well. I might just post it at the discounted price on Etsy. I’m not quite sure what the situation with discount codes is there, but I’ll look into it. And amazingly, we are well into October now, which means that we are getting into Knitvent season. Every year for the past seven or eight years, we have celebrated Knitvent and it is a combination of a knitwear collection and an advent calendar. So each week for five weeks, I will be publishing six secret knitting patterns. One week we will have two patterns published on the same day, and the other four weeks there’ll be one pattern published. The presales for Knitvent are starting today, which is Friday the 16th of October. And so when you sign up for that, you’ll be signing up for six secret knitting patterns that will be revealed like an advent calendar as a surprise. It has become a very lovely tradition over the past years. And when I was thinking about the theme for this year, I just kept coming back to the idea of simplicity and simple pleasures. I was thinking a lot about the simple pleasure that bring us comfort and moments of joy. And so that is the theme for this year’s Knitvent is comfort and joy. I feel like we could all use a little bit of that at the moment. And I feel like it’s a really nice theme for this time of year, which I like to be a bit reflective and have moments of gratitude and relaxing, try and have some moments of relaxing. So that’s my ideas behind Knitvent is that we can share in the joy and comfort of knitting and have a knit along for the month of November and through to the holidays. The patterns are roughly designed to be suitable for gift knitting, but also designed to be suitable for yourself if you’d like to knit the projects for yourself. That’s also a very appropriate thing to do. So as I mentioned, you can purchase the collection as a presale on Ravelry, and I’m currently setting up an alternative to Ravelry, which I will post about. I’m recording this a little bit earlier in the week, so I haven’t quite finished setting it up yet. And I’m trying to find a platform that will work to deliver patterns. You know, one pattern per week, which is what I need. And some of the platforms I don’t think will do that such as Etsy. So I’m currently looking at an alternative and I think I’ve found one. But I will put a link to that in the show notes and on the blog and so forth. Otherwise it will be available on Ravelry as per normal. And I always do an early bird price for the presale period, which is roughly a third off the price that it will go up to after the first pattern comes out. So you get a discount as a reward for taking the plunge and trusting me. I think it’s nice to have little surprises. Not everybody likes surprises, so I understand if you want to wait till the patterns come out. But yeah, there will be a significant discount for purchasing them early. And the full price is also a significant discount on purchasing them individually. So the first pattern will come out on the 29th of October and the sixth pattern will be published on the 26th of November. And patterns two to five will be published each week in between. If you’re signed up to my newsletter, you’ll get some more information about it. And some reminders when the early bird time period is finishing. And maybe a few sneak peaks about some of the yarn that I’m using in some of the patterns possibly. I do tend to post some sneak peeks on Instagram as well. And I’ll also set up a spoiler thread in my Ravelry group for people who don’t like surprises and want to get prepared in advance with information about what yarn will be needed. I’ll do that a little bit in advance of the patterns coming out. So that’s Knitvent, and I’m really excited about this year’s collection. I’ve been working hard on it for a few months now, and it’s always so fun when I finally get to share it with you. That’s all the news I have for you today I think. Just one more announcement before I say goodbye. I do still have the promotion for the Rewilding Shawl running for the whole month up until the end of October. And that is 40% of the Rewilding Shawl with the coupon code, REWILDING. And we also have the launch code for 20% off the Rainforest Canopy Shawl available just for this week, which is RAINFOREST. I hope you have a wonderful week. I hope you’re staying safe and well, and having lots of vitamin C and vitamin D, keeping your immunity up. Happy knitting, and I’ll talk to you again soon.
Sponsored by Weavolution If you would like to support the show, become a Weavolution Patron and get access to exclusive Patron content from Erica. Where to find us: iTunes, please leave us a review on Podcast FB Page! E-mail! We have an e-mail account, please feel free to e-mail us! Podcast Instagram: fiberatthespeedoflifepodcast Michelle is Ravelry: MichelleTF Instagram: michelletfcrafts Facebook: Valdelia Maker Erica is Weavolution: Erica J, Jahanara, or Weavolutionary Ravelry: weavemage Instagram: weavemage Facebook: Intro and Outro Music: Sundown by Joseph McDade, thank you! Finished objects! Erica: Erica completely finished her 7th C Persian Cowl made from her handwoven damask silk! This has been a long term goal. This is one of the things she really wanted to weave when she decided to purchase her drawloom over 10 years ago! I turned out beautiful and she really feels like a Persian Countess when she wears it. :) The campervan arrived, finally!!! Erica and her family have also finished their first camping (or glamping) trip in the van! The top photo shows Erica in her Hogwarts camping pj's and the shawl she wove 8 years ago. She also enjoyed wearing her hand-knit socks on the trip! The second photo is Erica roasting a marshmallow over a camp stove, she really needs to get a small fire pit just for S'mores. ;) You can also see camping with her family includes a lot of art supplies, yarn, knitting, drawing, coloring, etc. :) Michelle: Michelle did a bunch of spinning and dyeing. She has been having fun dyeing gradient/variegated combed top using one color of dye. Here is a sample of one in the dye pot. Some of the colors she's dyed: Michelle has confirmed that she doesn't like spinning Merino wool. Targhee is enough like Merino that she wasn't really enjoying that either, so she's braided up what she dyed with a plan to sell it. She had lots of undyed Targhee top from her Washtenaw Wool days. Most of it is in the picture above. Some of her spinning: Here's a couple samples of how the gradient yarn spins up when 2-ply. Michelle loved the result of the first few she spun, so she kept up that style of dyeing. Works in Progress: Erica: Erica's glamping trip helped her get some good progress going on the second pair of socks for her husband. She finally feels like a sock knitter. Erica has set a long, long term goal of knitting about 5 pairs of socks for everyone in her immediate family. She is on round 2 and will keep a pair of socks on the needles until she reaches her goal. These socks are being knit on 2 mm/ size 0 Chiaogoo needles with a 37" cable. The socks are knit in Crafty Jak's Tough and Tender Pine Needle yarn. When the trip started Erica had only knit a few inches, by the end of the weekend trip she had knit over 3" and changed to the main gauge needle! Erica has also picked up knitting on her semi-circular shawl, which she also knit on her camping trip. The shawl was more van driving knitting than hanging around knitting. :) She has made it past the halfway point, in terms of the number of rows. However there is still 1 increase row left, which will double the number of stitches in each row, but we're not going to do the calculations to see if the halfway point in the number of stitches has been reached yet. :) Erica and TJ are now weaving the hem reinforcement band together! This long thing band of plain weave linen, will be used to finish and reinforce the seams on her handwoven 7th Persian wool jacket/robe. While handing out in the studio with Erica, TJ asked if he could weave on this warp. Erica was happy to show him how to weave this. Can you tell where TJ was weaving and where Erica was weaving? Erica is so please that TJ is interested in weaving on this warp! Erica is still weaving on her damask warp with the red weft. It is coming along and Erica is excited to be nearing the end of this weaving! Michelle: Michelle is spinning some purple Corriedale cross that she dyed and playing in her pottery studio.
EPISODE 62 - COVID ZOOM Introductions Karla - K-Rae on Ravelry and Karlacrafts on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest Emily - EmGemKnits, EmilyTheTechEditor - Instagram, and EmilyTechEdits Ravelry. Shout outs Introduce yourself in the Ravelry group or leave us a review on itunes or google play music or send us an email with feedback at mail@relentlessknitting.com We’d also love to hear from you in our “Meet a Knitter” thread. What's knitting now Emily - Yarn Harlot Socks out of mystery yarn. Karla - New design for the October Over the Moon Knitters Collection through Kelowna Yarn and Needlecraft Fleur Shawl by Espace Tricot Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s sock class on patreon Aeon Vest by Hilary Smith Calis FO’s - Emily - Moose by Susan B Anderson, A Joyful thread by Silvia McFadden in Sweet Fibre Merino Lace Singles in rose gold colour. Matching socks for the hoobs, out of scraps. Heart Warmer Cowl by Justyna Lorkowska out of yarn from Black Bar Farm (yay Robin!) Karla - My Wallflower bag by Katherine Paddison Hipster Shawl by Joji Locatelli Abbott Sweater by Knox Mountain Knit co Reknit/rewrote my Night Lights Mitts Design features Emily- tried a central double decrease instead of gusset decreases. I know. I’m wild. Karla - all good Knit-lit None Spinning Emily - I stare at my wheel everyday in the living room Karla - Spun a DK weight sock yarn for Jocelyn Crafternoon/Sew-what Emily - Made a few masks. I’ve been jammin. Karla - Sewing masks, embroidery Stash Enhancement Emily- A SQ of cascade heathers from Seasides closing sale. Also, hand carders. I got a new glass stash case. Karla - Sale yarn, marketplace yarn Best laid plans Emily - Hunting hats. Karla - 19 wips KAL! 2020 - focus -DONE Talky Talk Emily -Sill have commit to knit prizes in the back of my head. One day I will send out prizes. coming up. ← That. SPM - Patreon. Today I learned a 2.25 Chiaogoo needle can puncture flesh and denim. ‘][/* Karla - Are virtual knitting classes a thing? Adventures in Mommyhood Emily- The big 3. Karla - screaming/moaning/baby talk/general noise Inquiring minds Tell us about you! Join us on Ravelry or our Facebook page
Mastering the Knits S3E7: Share Knitting Welcome to the Mastering the Knits podcast! Natalie starts off this episode with some announcements and extras! Giveaway (1:16) November giveaway is a pattern of your choice from Paper Daisy Creations and listen to the episode to learn how to enter. Natalie shares the Socks of Wonka collection. Master Status (3:34) Natalie talks about where she is at on her TKGA Master Knitter Level 1. In my hands (4:13) Natalie talks about knitting and spinning on the following: Grandma's Argyle Sock Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in Red and White. Chiaogoo fixed circulars. Mentions using the Clover Leather Thimble Wonder Woman Wrap (knit) by Carissa Browning using Holly & Ivy Dyeworks Ivy Twist. Winterfell Cardigan by Katrin Schneider using Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in Indigo colorway bought at Bliss Yarns. She mentioned reading For All the Boys I’ve loved Before by Jenny Han and reading on her niece’s Kindle paperwhite. Masterpieces (11:54) Natalie talks about finishing a project and more! Punk Kid Mittens by Aoifa Anctil for my girl’s in leftover Knitpicks I had in my stash. Share the Love (12:50) Natalie talks about https://www.10000newknitters.com/ and how she taught three people at Stash a Place for Yarn. Comfort zone (15:49) Natalie talks about dating your spouse. Natalie mentions #weekendcraftgoals. Come join us and post what your goals are. Thank you for joining us for series 3 episode 7 of Mastering the Knits. You can find show notes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our Ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast. You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter at @MtKnitsPodcast and Instagram as @masteringtheknits
Mastering the Knits S3E6: Knit all the things Welcome to the Mastering the Knits podcast! Natalie starts off this episode with some announcements and extras! She mentions Shaklee Hydrate. Giveaway (1:59) Winner announced for Zip-Top Bag from RainStorm Studios! November giveaway is a pattern of your choice from Paper Daisy Creations and listen to the episode to learn how to enter. Natalie shares the Frosted Cardigan design. Master Status (6:03) Natalie talks about where she is at and how she is stalled on her TKGA Master Knitter Level 1. She mentions Arenda Holladay Youtube videos. In my hands (7:51) Natalie talks about knitting and spinning on the following: Coziest Memory blanket by Kemper Wray. Rainstorm Studio Spring Up basket. Spinning Treadle Hanspun Yarns tiddlybits using Pilar, Majacraft Pioneer spinning wheel. Grandma's Argyle Sock Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in Red and White. Chiaogoo fixed circulars. Wonder Woman Wrap (knit) by Carissa Browning using Holly & Ivy Dyeworks Ivy Twist. Winterfell Cardigan by Katrin Schneider using Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in Indigo colorway bought at Bliss Yarns. Masterpieces (18:11) Natalie talks about finishing a project and more! Holiday Sweater Ornament by Amy Munson using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport. Share the Love (20:12) Natalie talks about https://www.10000newknitters.com/ and how she is going to teach for this at Stash a Place for Yarn. Raise my hand (21:35) Natalie answers the question: How many projects do you work on at the same time? Comfort zone (25:36) Natalie talks about her Christmas tree and babbles on about her love of Christmas. Also mentions a Three kings day tradition. Thank you for joining us for series 3 episode 6 of Mastering the Knits. You can find show notes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our Ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast. You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter at @MtKnitsPodcast and Instagram as @masteringtheknits
Welcome back to the Truly Myrtle podcast! I hope you've had a lovely week :)Episode 53 is all about needles - new needles! I've been experimenting with short circulars from Chiaogoo and I'm in love!I'm using 4" tips and a 8" cable for sleeves - it's great!Don't forget the flash pop-up this weekend! Love my theme music? Check out Mr Roberelli and all their great songs :)
Show notes can always be found on www.stitchedtogether.co.uk by clicking on the Podcast button at the top of the page.Stuff and ThingsRandom Rummage CAL #STRRCAL Chat Thread. Made from Fibre FO Thread and Made From Yarn FO Thread are now open.Never Shall Meet Winners are announced.Done and DustedSocks No. 16 in Regia Design Line Ombre Stripe in 04484. I mention #operationsockdrawer, The Knitmore Girls Podcast and Susan B Anderson's Podcast.Sierra Sunset Cowl by by Kristen Ashbaugh-Helmreich in Artisan Yarns Silk DK. The buttons were from The Button Lady bought at a show.Cosy Colourblock Shawl by Sarah Knight (Crafts from the Cwtch) in Scheepjes Stonewashed XLNose to the GrindstoneSock Yarn Square by Shannon GeddesVanilla Socks (using Fish Lips Kiss Heel) in The Wool Barn Superwash Merino 75%/Nylon 25% in Poison.John Arbon Alpaca Supreme in Steel GreyMaren Cardigan by Ragga Eiriksdottir from Top Down Icelandic Sweater on Craftsy (affiliate link). Using ChiaoGoo TWIST Red Lace Interchangeable Needles and SPIN cables.PlottingFlamboyan by Stephen West using Posh Yarn Martha Sock in Ladies Don't Whistle and And Don't You Come Back No More for The Fabulous Posh Variegated C/W/KAL.Barley by tincanknits in Cascade 220 SuperwashSplashed OutKettle Yarn Co Twist in Old Smoke and Glacier and Islington in Blighty.Knit Pick Felici in Afternoon from Great British Yarns.Eden Cottage Millburn 4ply in Night SkyOnline CommunityUpdated the Recommended Podcast and Blog thread after chatting to Tish of Southern Girl Knits.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dizzy Blonde Studios. For beautifully hand-dyed yarns and inspired knit design, please visit DizzyBlondeStudios.etsy.com. Look for us at Stitches West in Booths 906 and 908! Podcaster Throwdown (1:18) We have at least 1038 hats contributed for the Throwdown total! We are in third place with 180 hats. It’s crunch time! There is virtual way to participate. You can now donate for your favorite team. Click here and choose your team. $5 is equal to one hat for your team! Each $5 lets Halos of Hope to ship 16 hats to cancer centers and hospitals around the country. The board is all volunteer, so all the money goes to shipping. Halos of Hope plans to send the hats collected at Stitches West to cancer centers and hospitals in the Bay Area. Check out Episode 8.5 for Throwdown information. Check out the Podcaster Throwdown group in Ravelry. There will be prizes for participating in the Throwdown group on Ravelry, courtesy of XRX. Check out the Halos of Hope website and Ben’s interview with Pam Haschke on Fiber Hooligans. The January incentive pattern is Assquack. Post your finished hats in this thread to get your incentive. There are prizes for donating to Team Knottygirls. Check out Episodes 10, 11, 12, and 13, as well as the Prize Page for prize listings. New prizes include a custom-dyed skein of Dizzy Blonde yarns. Send your hats to Purlescence Yarns, tagged for Team Knotty. Shipping information is here. Purlescence Address: Purlescence Yarns your name & the name of your team 564 South Murphy Ave Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Catching Up: (5:58) Laura and her husband took the weekend off to recuperate after having family visit. She's working to catalog her stash. She is also preparing for her last round of Nerd Wars for a while. And she's getting ready for Stitches West. Jen has been working seriously long hours because of Flu season (stay healthy). The only good thing is that the extra lab time has given her more podcast listening time. She saw several movies, including The Hobbit, American Hustle, and Nebraska. She's been seeing her friend's band play. She and Ron also had a Disney Day to see the Winter World of Color and the last performance of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. In the Knitting Bag: (17:08) Laura made a stripey hat out of acrylic remnants for Stripe it Up January. She's also making a premie hat for the Knitmore Girls Head to Toe collection. She's also working up the Olivia’s Butterfly Hat, reworking the pattern to be done in sport weight yarn for the Stitches West Passport Game. And she worked on her 22 Leaves Shawlette by Lankakomero, out of Mean Girls Yarn Club in Heart in a Box. She is still struggling with bead placement. Jen is working on her Sweetheart of the Rodeo sweater (her own design) out of Wollmeise DK in So Long Kitty (pink), Shalimar Breathless DK in Snopea (green), and Dream in Color Smooshy in Butterpeeps (yellow). She is also working on Twistygoo by Lisa M. Beamer in Knitpicks Brava in Wine. And she is working on a secret cowl. Finished Objects: (23:37) Laura finished two stripey hats. One was out of mystery acrylic and one was out of Dizzy Blonde DK mini skeins. Jen finished a Twistygoo out of Delicious Yarns Frosting Worsted in Blueberry and Pistachio, leftover from the gramps sweater she made for her nephew. She striped them for Stripe it Up January. She finished the California Poppy Shawl by Lydia Tsymbal out of Baah La Jolla in My Sweet Valentine for Melissa and a Gerri Hat in Peter Pan Wendy Yarn in the colorway speckled blue. And she finished her vanilla socks in very old Opal Sock Yarn (the Rainforest series, colorway Flamingo, which is pink). Frog Pond: (26:50) Jen had lots of gauge issues this week. She frogged her Kently Socks by Heather Ordover from Hitch: Patterns Inspired by the Films of Alfred Hitchcock because they were too big. She also had to completely frog her entire sweater, because her Wollmeise DK and her Shalimar Breathless DK do not give the same gauge on the same needles. She would have known that if she had swatched with both yarns. On Deck: (31:38) Laura is planning to do many stripey knit hats and crocheted hats and something for the Ravellenics. Jen will be making another stripey Twistygoo out of yellow Plymouth Encore Yarn and something else. She will also make other hats, she will make two pairs of Kently socks for the Knitmore Girls #matchymatchyKAL (a pair for her and a pair for Ron). She will also have her Ravellenics project. Knit Culture: (35:19) One of Jen's favorite Yarns We answer questions from our Knotty Talk Thread about stash and yarn. We talk about stash and how we store it. We also talk about our favorite yarns (Laura: Brooks Farm Primero (her oldest stash), Jen: Vice Yarn Paradigm in Drunken Cherries, also 1000 yards of white cashmere laceweight), needles (Laura: Hiya Hiya, Jen: partial to Knitpicks needles (affordable and sharp tips), Karbonz, and Chiaogoo, and Addi Lace), and knitting bags (Laura: Namaste Zuma Bag and Jordana Paige Bella Bag, Jen: Namaste Harlowe also Slipped Stitch Studios bags, but she also uses grocery totes and clear bags from Loopy Ewe). Don't forget to Flash Your Stash to win a digital copy of of Doomsday Knits courtesy of Cooperative Press. And post your stripey FOs for a chance at another TBD prize. We talk about the Ravellenic Games and Team Sasquatch. Knit for Ravellnics, Team Sasquatch, or both. Laura will be working on Down the Garden Path by Michele DuNaier and Jen will be doing a one-skein shawl of her own design. Geek Culture: (1:01:10) Neat Doctor Who baked goods picture gallery from a BBC America party. We want to know if you have thoughts on casting Michael Douglas in Ant-Man (which also has Paul Rudd). And we both love the Muppets Most Wanted trailer and are super excited! Events: (1:07:06) We will be at Stitches West, which is February 20-23 in Santa Clara, CA at the Convention Center. Dizzy Blonde Studios & Skeindalous Yarns are sharing a booth (booth 906 and 908). The Dizzy Blonde booth is a collection point for Halos of Hope hats for Team KnottyGirls (the final collection point!). With prizes! Shout out to the Purlescence Girls (who have the booth across from us) and we are right next to Halos of Hope (Booth 904). We will be doing a meet and greet Saturday 12:00-1:00 at the Dizzy Blonde Booth. We will be at the Friday Fashion Show and Banquet. Jen has a sweater in it (made with Laura's lovely yarn). We will be doing a World Wide Knit in Public event sometime between June 7 – June 15, 2014, location to be determined. Our next milestone prize will be at 1000 members, so join the Ravelry group! And don’t forget to knit hats and donate.
This week's episode has been sponsored by:This week: Call Purlescence Yarns today to place your order for Addi Click Interchangeable needles. Also new this week: Amy Butler's knitting bags. Crafted of heavyweight home dec fabric, they feature lots of pockets and slots for your knitting tools.All new subscribers receive a free gift from Eucalan as our way of saying thanks for supporting Verena Knitting!Use subscription code: KNITMGOn the Needles: (2:13)Thanks for all of your feedback about the Galina interview!Gigi has finished the first stage of her Carli. She has shortened the sleeves by an inch to compenstate for being petite. Jasmin has completed knitting the body, the first sleeve, and is nearly finished with the second sleeve of her Katarina.Gigi and Jasmin received a special package (from Rosemary Hill) of closures for the Knit(more)-A-Long. Here's what they look like:You can purchase them here.Jasmin used the crocheted provisional cast-on that she learned in Lucy Neatby's class (or at Tika's knee) when she cast on the sleeves. She notices that the sleeves will need to be blocked a little more agressively. Jasmin and Steamy will work on this.Gigi and Jasmin talk about the Knit(more)-a-long being at your own pace. Jasmin has cast on her Carli in Malabrigo "Little Lovely".Jasmin bought one of the Jade Sapphire "Cashmere Scarf For Him" kits (in "Five O'Clock Shadow") from Bobbin's Nest. She talks about purchasing habits that have changed because of the Social Pressure Experiment. Jasmin talks about using the ChiaoGoo needles.Gigi has completed the second ball of her Buffalo Gals yarn for the On the Vine scarf. Gigi talks about the intelligent, couture quality of the Marta sweater. (You can find the KnitScience episode that deals with couture here.) Gigi talks about a yarn acquisition that isn't red (Jo Sharp Aran Tweed in a plummy color).Mother Knows Best: (34:03)Gigi recommends alternating skeins of handpainted yarns to avoid color shock. Jasmin agrees that this is also a good idea for evening out handspun yarns. Jasmin talks about her handspun Ribbi Cardi, and how one sleeve has significantly more rows than the other because of the variation in handspun thickness.When Knitting Attacks: (38:59)Gigi miscounts on her Marta. Jasmin discovers a "bad bobbin", and it takes discussion to discover that it's not her, it's the bobbin.Review: (44:29)This week, Andrew joins us to review Cookie A's Sock Innovation. We give it six inspired thumbs up. Jasmin talks about Cookie's more acheivable socks (the Monkey socks, Hedera). Jasmin talks about using Dream in Color Smooshy, Regia Silk, or Tanis Fiber Arts sock yarn for these socks. Jasmin thinks this may be her "Little Box of Socks".Straw Into Gold: (54:41)Jasmin talks about spinning the Abstract Fiber 50% cashmere/50% silk roving (in Hydrangea). Jasmin talks about spinning both cashmere and silk at higher speeds to get it finer and tighter.For a really excellent definition of "woolen" spinning, go give this episode of Stitch-It a listen.To practice spinning cashmere, use cotton roving. Jasmin encourages you to spin your good stuff and not "save" it.Jasmin is nearly done spinning Tallulah.