Podcasts about garter squish

Kelly's restored 1950 Westcraft Coronado trailer, “The Club Car,” finally comes home after snow related delays. Plus, we have project updates and our Summer Spin in starts June 1st.   Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Jul Designs coupon code: 15% off with code TWOEWES Marsha's Projects:  Depth Hat by Talitha Kuomi I finished this hat. The yarn is The Fiber Seed Sprout Special Speckles DK, in the colorway Dirty Seahorse. I could not get the yarn to pool in the way that attracted me to the pattern in the first place. The colors spiral, but I still like it.  Meadow Stripe Socks using Patons Kroy Sock in the colorway, Meadow Stripes and Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash fingering for the heels and toes. I finally found the misplaced yarn for the toe and was able to finish these socks. Garter Squish Blanket On color fourteen of sixteen. I'm ready for this project to be done!  Unpattern Top Down Raglan Pullover by Karen Alfke. I finished the Fibonacci Sequence striping of the body except for the ribbing. I'm waiting for Ben to try on the sweater. Picked up and knit the neck band and started the first sleeve. Troyggja við Mynstur (Sweater with Round Pattern) by Tora Joensen (translated by Kate Gagnon Osborne: I knit my swatch and got gauge with size 8 needles instead of the suggested size 9. I plan to knit colorwork yoke with size 9. I cast on the sweater while at the beach and knit the ribbing, the colorwork and about an inch of the body. Decided the size was too small, frogged, and cast on the next size up. At about 9” I put the body on waste yarn and washed and blocked to be sure gauge and size are okay. The ball of red arrived for Navia that will be in the yoke. I'm spinning a 2lb bag of Manx Loaghton in my stash. This is a protected breed from the Isle of Man. I am using a woolen spun technique and have spun 5 skeins or approximately 400 yards. Spun three more bobbins that are ready to be plied. Kelly's Projects: Finished the Garter Squish blanket using handspun leftovers.  Mother Bear time!  Mielie vest using Schaeffer Yarn Company Little Danya mohair. This sat in the knitting basket for the last two weeks. Color is Rosa Parks and it was spirit yarn from NoCKRs retreat in 2018. Shortie socks out of Tomato and Mink Falkland handspun yarn. 3-ply chain plied yarn.  Suggested podcasts: Hooked and Booked podcast with AJ of KJKrochet, South Africa Crochet Conversations Inez and Mell from Singapore We Want to Hear You! Give us a call and tell us about your favorite LYS!  Go to speakpipe.com/twoewes and leave a message. It will take 90 seconds or less. Or you can use the voice memo app on your phone and email us the audio file. We'll put your voice feedback on the show!   Stash-Busting Blanket Along Ends May 31.  Summer Spin-In  Starts June 1. Goes until September 5. (US Labor Day) Black Sheep Gathering June 24-26 Albany, Oregon Saturday meet-up starts 3:30 Show Transcript Marsha  0:03   Hi, this is Marsha and this is Kelly. We are the Two Ewes of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures. Thanks for stopping by. Kelly  0:10   You'll hear about knitting, spinning, dyeing, crocheting, and just about anything else we can think of as a way to play with string. Marsha  0:17   We blog and post show notes at Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com. Kelly  0:22   And we invite you to join our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures group on Ravelry. I'm 1hundredprojects and I am betterinmotion. We are both on Instagram and Ravelry. And we look forward to meeting you there. Enjoy the Episode! Marsha  0:43   Hi, Kelly.  Kelly  0:43   Hi, Marsha.  Marsha  0:45   Okay, big news. Kelly  0:47   Yes. Marsha  0:47   Talk. Big news.  Kelly  0:49   Big news. So the trailer pickup finally happened.  Marsha  0:54   Yay.  Kelly  0:55   It was so much fun. It was so much fun. So we went up to, no down. South, south of us to Pismo Beach. They have the Pismo trailer rally. And it's Pismo Coast Village, which is an RV park in Pismo Beach. And, oh, it was so fun. It was all vintage trailers, you have no idea how many different varieties of vintage trailers there are.  Marsha  1:29   Mm hmm.  Kelly  1:31   It was amazing. You know, most of the park there was... there are some sections of the park that were just regular modern RVs. And probably the majority of the park was full of vintage trailers of all shapes and sizes. And they have...And one of them, I guess I should be more specific. And one of them was ours, because the people who worked on our trailer go to this rally every year. And it's kind of like NoCKRs, you know, like the retreats where if you go one year, then you have priority to get in and to actually get that same trailer spot the following year. And so, I mean, there are actually people who weren't there. But, you know, bought their spot, didn't cancel and get a refund. So they, so they'll have it for next year.  Marsha  2:25   Okay.  Kelly  2:26   So and there are people who have been going for, you know, 5 6 7 8 years. I don't know how long it's been going on. But you know, they've been going for a number of years and since everybody stays in their same campsite once they get the one they want, they're like neighbors you know. They they know each other there, they know the people camping around them. And so it's this whole community. I was talking to one man, I said, Oh, this is like a giant rabbit hole. And he's like, Oh, you you have no idea how deep this rabbit hole is! [laughing] Marsha  3:00   It's like a version of spinning learning to spin, right? Like they don't even want to drop spindle because they're gonna go down that rabbit hole. So this is this kind of the same thing. Kelly  3:06   And the people there had, like, this was the trailer that they bought to brought to the rally, but the one they usually bring is something else. Or the one they camp in or, or I was talking to one couple and they said, Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna be at the one in November. But we're not sure if we're going to bring this one or we'll bring our other one. So they have like trailer stash. Marsha  3:40   I was just thinking that. Trailer stash. Yeah. [laughing] Kelly  3:45   So yeah, and then people would talk about, well, this is my "forever trailer." So like, you have a trailer, but you have aspirations for a different trailer. And then, you know, you sell one trailer and buy another trailer. And anyway, it's a whole world that I didn't know, you know, we had not ever done rallies before. And so this is a whole world that that we are entering into. And the reason we got to enter into it. I mean, we had talked about going, you know, going to one or you know, getting a reservation or trying to get into one. But we got kind of thrown into the deep end because they were coming down, and they were going to be bringing a different trailer. But since we hadn't been able to pick up ours in April. They said, Well, what if we bring yours down and then we'll just stay, you know, stay in hotel and you can stay in the trailer? So that's what we did. And then they showed it during the open house, you know, so that the public could see it. But we were kind of mean, we didn't have the public traipsing in and out of our trailer.  Marsha  4:56   Well it's like getting a new car and everybody else gets to drive it, right?,  Before you get, right, like you, you don't want people driving it. Kelly  5:03   And so we had, you know, we had barriers. So, and a lot of people, a lot of people in the park did that or at least had one part of their trailer that had barriers. Or like they knew to have, you know, multiple rugs that are normally not on the floor when they are camping, but they use on the public day where everybody was coming in. You know, just to protect their floors and stuff. And we had none of that, because we were just, you know, literally just arriving with the bare minimum camping equipment, so that we could spend the night in the trailer before we brought it home. So anyway, but it was really fun. And so they spent a lot of time with the public and answering questions and all that and Robert and I didn't really have to deal with the crush of people. You know, coming to the coming to the site to look at the trailer, but it was like the belle of the ball. You know, it's the new trailer on the block the, you know, there aren't very many 1950 Westcrafts. And so when a new one is restored and comes out, you know, sort of like its debut.  Marsha  6:13   Yeah,  Kelly  6:14   There's a lot of excitement, there was a lot of excitement at the park. So we had a lot of people coming by. Not during the public open house, but the rest of it. Coming by and talking to us. And we met so many fun people and they, it was just it was a really nice event. So, and the trailer is nice. It's beautiful.  It's so big. I mean, it's not really that big. When I first saw it, I thought okay, good. In my head, it had grown to this enormous proportions. And when I saw it, I thought Oh, good. It is still kind of small. You know, it's way bigger other one, but it's not enormous. Marsha  6:53   Yeah. Yeah, way bigger. So your other one, you know, one person had to sit while the other person moved . Kelly  6:59   Right. Kind of you know, this one, you can both move around without... to me it doesn't feel too big inside.  Marsha  6:59   Like it's not it like those big fifth wheels that people have, you know. Those are huge things that stick... What do you  call those pop outs and stuff. Those become huge, right? This is still really small. Kelly  7:20   Yeah, yeah. Right. But it feels really open. Just like the other trailer, it feels a little more spacious, because of the layout. The other trailer felt more spacious because of the windows. And this one feels that way because of the light wood and and kind of the layout. But anyway, it was a lot of fun. And I think there's going to be there's going to be more trailer rallies in my future. You know, it's not the kind of camping I'm used to, but it was a fun event. Yeah, it's like a big party. Marsha  7:56   Yes. I'd say you're gonna have a whole new set of friends. Right? Yeah.  Kelly  8:01   Work friends.  Marsha  8:02   I'm your your one college friend. Like I guess I'm leftover from college.  Kelly  8:09   Leftover friends. [laughing] Marsha  8:14   you know, knitting-- your work people, knitting people, trailer people, bee people. I'm not sure. Anyway, Kelly  8:23   Just a whole new adventure. And it was interesting how much I learned talking to people who knew a lot more about this particular make of trailer than I did. Robert knew more than than I did. But but we we both learned a lot from people who came by and told us a little bit and and then the people who did their own work on the trailers. Oh my gosh, so impressive. All this work that that people did, you know, on their own in their garage?  Marsha  8:56   Yeah,  Kelly  8:57   You know, so that's a different-- that's a whole different aspect of it from from what we did when we bought it and had it restored. So yeah, it's a whole other world to enter. Which will be really fun. I'm looking forward to camp we're going camping in June. So I'm looking forward to actually camping in it you know, regular camping trip and, and, and just seeing what it's like to be in this trailer. The bed is nice. It's bigger. It's not as big as a regular double bed it's slightly smaller. But it's a lot better than slightly bigger than a single with two people and... Marsha  9:43   So your other was  was it the size of a single bed? Kelly  9:47   It was a little bit bigger than a single bed but not much. I couldn't get  a twin sheet on it.  Marsha  9:54   Really? Kelly  9:54   I mean I can--I could fudge it to get a twin sheet on it, but it was it was deifinitely too big for a twin sheet, but not much. So maybe maybe a couple of inches wider than a twin bed. But this one is is much more comfortable. Marsha  10:11   Yeah. Yeah.  Kelly  10:13   So that's nice. And we have a bathroom. Which is also nice. And the a shower. Which I didn't--I mean, that wasn't something that I really cared about, but Robert wanted the shower. And actually, I didn't know they did this in trailers, but it's like a, like on the train where the whole room, it's called a wet bath. And the whole room becomes the shower.  Marsha  10:36   Mm hmm.  Kelly  10:38   I don't know how that's gonna work. Exactly. But yeah. Marsha  10:42   Yeah. Well, and also you actually have a refrigerator, right? Where your other trailer was an ice box?  Kelly  10:49   That's true. I had forgotten about that. Yeah, that's the other upgrade that we have is from an icebox to an actual refrigerator. It's a small, you know, it's a small refrigerator. But I'm used to a small refrigerator at home too.  Marsha  11:03   Yeah.  Kelly  11:03   Yeah, it runs on the electricity. So if we don't have shore power--its called shore power, where you can plug in--we won't have a refrigerator, because it won't run with the 12 volt or the ... you won't get enough power from the inverter solar power to run the refrigerator. But that's okay. We're used to camping with dry ice and an ice box so we can manage with that. That's not a problem. Marsha  11:33   Well, very exciting. And then. And then I'll see it when you come up to Albany, Oregon for the Black Sheep Gathering the end of June.  Kelly  11:40   So yeah, yeah, we'll be having a get together for anybody who's going to Black Sheep gathering that Saturday. So Black Sheep is the weekend of June 24 through 26th. And so that Saturday, which I guess will be the 25th that afternoon, late afternoon, maybe 3:30 or 4 o'clock, we'll be having a meet up at the-- we're calling it The Club Car. You know, like the trains have a club car. So I... who suggested that... oh, the father of the woman who bought The Clubhouse. He asked me who is your new trailer? Does your new trailer have a name? And I said, No, we haven't really haven't thought about that. And he's oh, you should call it the... first he said you should call it The Caboose. And then he said, No, I know what you should call it, you should call it The Club Car. And so that's perfect. So we're going to be calling it The Club Car. And I've gotten train placemats and couple of train menus. So that stuff has been arriving in the mail. And so it'll have a little bit of a theme, a little bit of a theme. Not as much as as the other trailer was Giants themed but anyway. Yeah, we're gonna have a meet up at The Club Car at the Black Sheep Gathering. So come in, say hi and show us what you bought. And have some food and drink and gather with other crazy yarn people. [laughing] Who are on their way to maybe becoming crazy trailer people. [laughing] Marsha  13:22   Yes. Really Yeah. Yeah! Well, shall we? Should we talk projects or? Kelly  13:30   Let's go ahead and, and talk projects. Marsha  13:32   Do you want me to go first?  Kelly  13:33   Go ahead.  Marsha  13:36   I have a finished project. I wish I could say it was my garter squish blanket. It is not. I needed a break. Because I have to say you remember I think the last time we recorded I was struggling with some of my projects. It's been a couple... it's been months now that I've been struggling with my projects. And I think you said oh, just cast something on. So I cast on the Depth Hat by to Talitha Kuomi. And to remind people this was the yarn I bought at Stitches. And it's the Fiber Seeds Sprout Special Speckles DK and the colorway is Dirty Seahorse. And to remind people it's like they've taken the hank of yarn and dipped one half in solid, solid teal, and the other half is speckled with teal and brown and some black. And so when you knit the hat, it pools.  It's supposed to pool so you have you know, the dark sections going up the side of the hat and the speckled sections going up the front and back of the hat. So let me just say, that did not happen for me. And there's this whole technique that you're supposed to do about how you find the place where you start. You just don't cast on any random place in the yarn, there's description about how, where you're the point where you're supposed to find in the color, I think you're at the halfway point in the solid color yarn is where you cast on. They tell you what type of cast on you do, I did all of that. It's an interesting hat.  You knit I don't remember how many rows, but you knit and then you put in a purl row, and then more and then pick up the the cast on edge. So it becomes-- it's knitted into the body of the hat. I'm not describing Do you know what I mean? I'm not describing that very well. Kelly  15:42   Well, I I sort of saw the pictures. It's folded into a hem, right? Marsha  15:47   Yeah, yeah. So that looks really nice. I like that. I could not get the pooling to work the way they say it's supposed to work. The way I was so captivated by when I saw the yarn and the pattern at stitches. It spirals. And what they tell you to do is to go down a needle size, or up a needle size to control the pooling, so that it all stays in that one section. Kelly  16:17   So like you're switching needles in the middle? Marsha  16:22   Yes.  Kelly  16:22   Okay.  Marsha  16:23   And also and the other technique to do that, is to pull the yarn really tight. So if you're knitting along, when you get to the solid section, pull that yarn really tight onto the needles or go down a needle size, or the opposite, Kelly  16:40   But it didn't tell you to like pull out yarn. If you get to the part that's supposed to be solid, and you're still on speckled yarn, just pull it out to you have solid yarn and knit with that.  Marsha  16:50   No.  Kelly  16:51   Okay, Marsha  16:51   So I'm a little disappointed that I did not get that look. It's a spiral,  it's fine. I mean, it looks okay. Kelly  16:58   Did you swatch?  Marsha  17:00   Yes, because it also said in the pattern, they said you have to swatch and your gauge has to be accurate, because that will affect the pooling? And my gauge? My swatch and the gauge was correct. So I don't know what I did wrong? Kelly  17:15   Probably nothing. Marsha  17:18   Yeah, I don't know. It's like they are individually hand dyed. So maybe that has something to do with it. I don't think so. But possibly. The other thing I would say about this pattern, it does not say... there's no description on the print of the pattern about how the, it tells you how to finish the you know, to close up the top of the hat. But it doesn't give you a description of it. Like when it's talking about like, oh, this hat has a you know, a hem, a folded hem and there's nothing. So in the picture does not show the top of the hat. And the reason I'm saying all this is I had no idea how it was supposed to look. And so what it really is like, imagine you have you're on the top of your head, now you're gonna have 1990s pleated khakis. There used to be a pleat on khakis. And now that is out you know, now it's back. I think pleats are coming back. But it's basically-- it's like you have four pleats on top. So I'm not even explaining right because Kelly  18:19   It's kind of like, I mean, in order to keep the pooling happening. Right? And not change as you decrease, you really can't have decreases. So you have to make the top of the hat like the pussy hat. But then instead of having those points on the ears, on the sides, they have to do something to make it come to and end. Marsha  18:44   So when you get to the part where you're going to close up that hole. You put some of the-- you put  groups of nine stitches: nine stitches on 4 double pointed needles. So you go nine stitches, and then you put 21 stitches on your circular needles, nine stitches on the double pointed needle, nine stitches on a double pointed needle, another 21 stitches on the circular needle, and then another nine stitches on the double pointed needles. You then do a three needle bind off on the first and fourth double pointed needle. And this is where I got screwed up is you you continue on two needles, a double pointed needle number three and number two, excuse me two and three, and knit across to the end binding those off. So they become joined and then you have your 21 stitches on half of the circular needles and the other 21 stitches on the other half of the needle and you do a kitchener stitch too. Kelly  19:55   So that's what's covering up... Marsha  19:58   Yes so... These, these two sets of nine stitch bindoffs then are underneath that 21 stitch flap. I don't know if that makes sense? Kelly  20:09   I think that would be really challenging to actually knit without knowing what it was supposed to be doing. Like now that you're done, and you know what it did. But that would be a really challenging thing to knit without any picture to say, Oh, I'm doing a really thing weird here. Marsha  20:29   Yes, and it looks nice, you know, and to your point, they, it's a great solution to keep that patterning right. Otherwise, if you did, to your point, if you did the decreases, you'd throw off all of the pooling, of which I did not get but anyway. [laughing] But again, a shout out to Ravelry. And all the people who've made this hat who posted pictures of their hat is by looking at their pictures, I was unable to figure out what I had an a visual of what I was trying to do. Where the pattern there's no picture of the top of the hat. Right and no description of it kind of other than just the the instructions about how to close this up. So do you remember I call I think I texted you. Oh my god, this looks odd because I I bound it off. And it looked like a four corner hat kind of. It was terrible. It looked terrible. Kelly  21:27   Basically, it looked like yeah, you had you had like four points. Yes. And a really funky seam.  Kelly  21:36   And they were not even even  Kelly  21:39   Yeah,yeah, they were  Marsha  21:39   Yeah, cuz some were really tight because they were the three needle bind off, the two sets of nine and then the 21 stitches that were Kirschner was all kind of lose because they were kept... not Kershner, kitchener stitch. And anyway, I poured myself a beer got onto my bed with the dog next to me, and started looking at Ravelry to see and there was no notes. But just looking at people's the photographs on people's projects, I was able to figure it out. And so I made myself rip it out, and then re knit up a little bit and then thought okay, I think I understand the concept of what's happening. Anyway. So that's what beer is for. [laughing] Kelly  22:31   Yes, yeah. Oh, my goodness. Marsha  22:34   Okay. So anyway, that's done. But I have to say, again, it sort of goes into this. I was thinking, Oh, I'm just, you know, okay. It's not, I'm disappointed. It's not pooling the way it's supposed to pool. I'm getting this spiral. I can live with it. It's okay. And then that end of the hat, I thought, I really am struggling with a lot of my projects.  Kelly  22:54   Yeah.  Marsha  22:55   Anyway, I will then go on to the garter squish blanket, I have not a whole lot to report on that I am really ready for this to be done. I do apologize too. I was listening to the last episode where I was knitting on it while we were recording. And I was listening as I was walking Enzo and all I could hear with those needles, bang, bang. It's all like they were so loud. So I do apologize for that. So I'm not knitting on that. Now, as I'm sitting here. It is also too big for it to sit on my lap. But anyway, I'm on color 14, about halfway through color 14 of 16.  Kelly  23:31   Oh, you're almost done.  Marsha  23:33   I'm getting close. I'm ready for it to be done. I'm beginning to just hate this project. Because I really like it, but I'm sick of it. I want to move on to something else. So but we have, I'll just put there's a good time to put this in here that the our blanket along ends May 31. So what is today we're recording on today is Kelly  24:03   the 25th of May.  Marsha  24:04   So Okay, not quite a week. So I will get it done. I'm pretty sure I'll get it done. But I'm ready for it to be done. Okay, um, I have nothing new to report on the the unpatterned top down Raglan pullover by Karen Offski that I'm making for Ben. I have nothing to report except he's coming home today. This is the, you know, Memorial. This is the Wednesday before Memorial Day. So he has a long weekend. And so he's coming home today at some point so hopefully in the next couple of days he can put it on and I'm going to say... Kelly  24:40   Yeah, you can pin him down. Marsha  24:43   Yes. To see how it's how the body is and etc. So not much to report on that. Then my next project is the sweater that I'm making for my brother and Kelly and we before we started recording We looked it up on. We Googled that in the end it's "Tro-cha." Kelly  25:06   "Tro-cha minstur" Marsha  25:07    Troyggja Við Mynstur, which we believe means sweater. Kelly  25:10   sweater pattern. Marsha  25:13   sweater with  round pattern and which, I have to laugh because guess what it says in parentheses after Troyggja Við Mynstur, it says sweater with round pattern. So we finally figured out that that's what it is. And if anybody wants to give us feedback, if we're not saying this the correct way... Kelly  25:38   Our foreign correspondent could tell us how to pronounce that in Faroese a little bit better and maybe the translation but we did we did find a Faroese translation site, a pronunciation site online and we're probably not doing it justice but but we're trying! Marsha  26:03   So I just have to give you a little update on this. So I unravelled... Kelly  26:09    How many times have you start restarted this sweater? Marsha  26:15   Well, I will tell you! So. Okay, so we're not counting the Atlas anymore. So I knit the whole body of Atlas. And honestly, I mean, I pretty much knit the whole sweater, didn't I?  Kelly  26:28   Yeah.  Marsha  26:29   Did I do the sleeves? I didn't do all the sleeves I don't think but because he tried it on it was way too small. Moving Beyond that, that's how Cat actually inspired me to look at a Faroese sweater. Since the yarn is Navia Tradition which is a Faroese yarn. So I found this pattern and I did my swatch. I did not get gauge on the nines, it's supposed to use a size nine needle.I did not get gauge with that I got gauge with the size eight. So Kelly, I got gauge, okay! Yes. So I don't know. I don't know what my problem is. So I got gauge and when we went down to the beach, two weeks ago, I guess we were down there, I cast on the size I think it was going to make, I don't know, I don't remember now what size I was going to make for my brother. I've got the pattern right here, it'd be like I was gonna make the medium size. There was like an extra small, small, medium, and then a large and then it keeps going up. I decided I was gonna make it the medium because I thought that would be okay with the with my gauge. So I cast on and I did all the ribbing I did the color work that's just above the ribbing, and I did about an inch of the body and I started looking at it.  I thought, this looks awfully small. So I thought screw it, I'm ripping it out. So I ripped it out and I recast on the next size up. So I'm making the large. So I again did the ribbing, the color work. I knit about I would say probably nine inches of the the body. And when I was home, I decided to put it on waste yarn and wash and block it, which I did. And it's going to fit and be  roomy enough.  Kelly  28:19   Oh. That's good news. Marsha  28:20   Oh my gosh. So now I'm knitting on it. And I have knit about, I think I've knit about 13 or 14 inches on it. And I have to knit till about 18 inches, set it aside and then I'll do the sleeves and attach them. So it's been a bit of a nightmare. I have to say this, this whole project-- I don't know. Anyway. And then the other thing I'll say is that with this sweater, I need four colors. Where with the Atlas I needed three: the main color and two contrasting. With this pattern, Sweater with Round Pattern, I need the main color and three contrasting colors for the color work. And I have the color work as like a light robin's egg blue, and a navy. And the body of the sweater is like a bright grass green, kind of, so when we were together when I was down there, I think for NoCKRs, I think it was , I ordered just a natural color, a white or cream color,  which arrived. And Mark didn't like that. He wanted a color. So I think I have mentioned this before that I ordered that ball from Navia on the Faroe Islands, and it took about a month. But it arrived and he wanted red, it's a bright red. I'm not sure. I have to say I'm not sure I like the red with a bright kelly green. A robin's egg blue and a navy. He really liked it. Kelly  29:57   Havae you put the red in already? Or is it only in the neck color work? Marsha  30:03   I have not put the red in. It's only in the yoke. Yeah, just a couple of rows. It's not gonna be very much. So we'll see. I've got a ways. But I have to tell you about the the package from Navia. It came in an envelope, it was all when I got it, the envelope was wrapped with yarn, instead of twine, and a piece of Navia Tradition yarn wrapped around it and tied with a little bow on the outside of the package. Kelly  30:33   The part that went to the post office, still on there. Wow.  Marsha  30:35   And it stayed on nice. Yeah, it stayed on there all the way from the Faroe Islands. It stayed on there, that yarn wrapped around there and the bow and everything and then opened up and beautifully wrapped in tissue paper with a little sticker on it that said, thank you. It's just super, super sweet and very exciting to get that dropped off on my front porch. So that's what's going on with that. And then I go down every day, I spend for 10-15 minutes, just a little bit on that Manx Loaghtan. But I'm still spinning on that. So and I am Kelly, I am going to bring my spinning wheel to Black Sheep. Because I'm planning on doing... I've never been able to bring it because we've either taken the train or something. I've not had space, but I'm bringing that wheel so I can sit in the spinning circle, or sit by the trailer and spin. So anyway, that's all I have for projects, and I'm really hoping I've now moved past my problems.  Kelly  31:35   Oh, me too.  Marsha  31:36   Do you think? Because I've kind of gone through kind of a hard time. It's been around two months now. It's like, I've had some bad juju. I don't really know what that's about. But it's just,  Kelly  31:48   Yeah, it's been a little bit rough patch with your knitting. Yeah, maybe you need to do some crochet Marsha  31:59   Well, maybe it's like I just crochet placemats or something, you know, or Kelly  32:03   switch to another spinning project? Well, I don't know if you have enough bobbins. But you could get yourself some braids and switch to some different, you know, have a couple of different spinning projects going because it is going to be time for the summer spin in. Marsha  32:20   Yeah, so I think I am going to. I was thinking about that before we started recording. So I'm going to try and finish for the summer spin. And I'm gonna try and finish this Manx Loaghtan. I'll try and finish that, and then I think I'm gonna try and do a combo spin or I have some braids, two braids I was thinking of combining. So do something with that. Kelly  32:40   Yeah, nice. That might be a nice, that might be a nice way to kind of just put an end to the the bad knitting. By not knitting at all. Marsha  32:50   Oh, you know, I think part of it is... I'm gonna say is I think I'm making... It's all making stuff for other people. Yeah, I'm thinking about it. I'm making this sweater for Ben, the sweater for my brother. And then Kelly  33:03   when doing those tea cozies Marsha  33:06   Tea cozies. I have another tea cozy I have to make... and it's like this is knitting for other people. You know? Because like this, I have to say this Navia Tradition, this yarn. I have to put hand cream on when I knit with it, because it's so drying to my hands. It's and I'm not saying that in a bad way. It's just like, this is the type of yarn it is. It's not super pleasant. It's not like, you know that the handspun I was knitting with. I love knitting with it. This is a woolly wool. Kelly  33:36    Right. Right. Marsha  33:39   So it's, it's not a yarn I ever would have purchased. Yeah. So that's sort of part of it, too, I think it's I'm not really, not really into it.  Kelly  33:49   Yeah, I mean, the yarn. The yarn wasn't your choice. The original pattern wasn't your choice. No, yeah. And then with Ben's sweater, you had some challenges with your first pattern. And then you've had some challenges just having him try it. Like knitting for someone who's not there. And I know there are people who do that, you know, they knit for people that they don't have them try it on all the time. But I, I mean, I constantly try things on when I'm knitting for myself.  Marsha  34:19   Yeah.  Kelly  34:20   And so I think that would be really challenging to be knitting something that you know, especially when you're knitting it for the second time because the first one didn't work, and you really don't want to have to rip out again. So you want to make sure it's right. Marsha  34:35   So Mark's I've ripped out twice. So I'm on my third attempt at this sweater for him. Yeah. Okay, that is love or stupidity I'm not quite sure which it is. But anyway, Okay, nevermind my project. Let me hear about your projects, okay? Because you do have... Yeah, let me hear about yours. Kelly  34:54   Okay, it's going. So yeah, actually it's a good thing I have the trailer to talk about because I don't really have much to talk about in terms of my projects. So I can tell you that the garter squish blanket, which was already done, but I have it in the show this time because I actually slept under it. We used it. We used it in the trailer, I brought it for the trailer's bedspread. And I got lots of compliments on it. So some of the trailer people are also yarn people. Marsha  35:30   Of course, of course, there was some overlap. And, yeah, chicken and bees too. I bet. Right. Kelly  35:36   Well, yeah. I mean, I don't know how much of how much of that there is. But there were a couple of people who recognized that I had made it and asked me, Did you make that blanket? And some were working on their own.  Or saw me knitting while I was there and asked about it. So yeah. So yeah, we slept under. It was great. It looks, it looks really nice in the trailer. So I'm super, I'm super happy about how it turned out and being able to use it. I was... Oh, go ahead. Marsha  36:11   Oh, I was just going to say the picture you sent me. The colors work really well in there. Because you have all that sort of light wood with all the panels, the light wood, and then some of the burgundy kind of in there and the floor. And so the colors look really nice in there, I think. Kelly  36:29   Thank you. Yeah. I like it, too. I think it looks good. I actually think you know this, the thing about the Garter Squish, is that they can fit into a lot of different schemes, color schemes. Because you've got those, that one color going, going throughout with all the different colors that you add in. I have not finished the Mother Bear, the headless Mother Bear that I talked about a month ago. She's still headless, because I need to get some stuffing. And I started another one. So I have now have two headless Mother Bears. One flat one is totally flat, and the other one has some stuffing in it. So I need to get get some stuffing so I can finish those up. And what I'm knitting on right now is the mohair vest, which I like it, but then sometimes I look at it and I think is this actually really ugly. Marsha  37:37   And what have you decided, I mean, do you have a definitive answer? Kelly  37:40   No decision or I'm not really sure. I'm not really sure. It's not pooling or anything. I mean, there's a couple of places where it looks darker and a couple of places where the red shows through more, but it's not doing any kind of funky pooling. I'm about now maybe eight inches down from the armhole. And it's just-- it's very hairy. This is a very hairy vest. And I'm not sure what I'm gonna do about the collar. Because I seriously cannot imagine having this against my neck. Like my other vest I wear I zip it all the way up and I have like a turtleneck kind of. I don't think I would ever do that with this one. So I'm not sure. I've thought about using something that's not mohair. But I'm still not sure what I'm going to do I might just get a black yarn and do a, you know, do the border all in black. Which, knitting with black? I'm not sure I want to do that either.  Marsha  38:47   How much... I will say something. Do you think you'll ever wear this?  Kelly  38:54   Yeah, I  do.   Marsha  38:56   Okay. I'm sorry. That's so mean of me. I don't mean to be mean like that. But it's like, Do you love it? You don't know. I mean, you're unsure.  Kelly  39:04   I love mohair yarn. You know that. So I love the yarn. I'm not sure I'm loving how it's knitting up. But I don't hate it either. It's it's just, let's just say it will be unusual. It's not, it's not, you know, "on trend" exactly. It's not the, you know, a strand of kidsilk haze that you carry along with your other yarn. This is full on mohair.  Marsha  39:40   Right. There was a reason why it's in the destash. Kelly. [laughing] Kelly  39:44   Exactly. But I do like mohair and I have in my memory-- one of my fond memories of clothing. I have lots of good clothing memories from my childhood.  In fact I have more clothing memories than I have food memories. So we were talking about that. Aunt Betty and I were talking about that, and I really don't have a lot of food memories from my childhood but I have a lot of clothing memories. And I have the fondest memory of this vest. And I think it was an argyle type pattern that I got in the boys department. When I was in, I think seventh or eighth grade. And it was this kind of full on mohair. Probably not wool mohair probably that Orlon acrylic mohair, because, you know, it was a kid's vest. And I wore that thing all the time. And it was unusual. It was one of those things. It was not one of those things that all the kids were wearing, you know? Marsha  40:51   Yeah. All the cool kids were wearing it. Kelly  40:55   It was one of my, one of my many clothing items that was definitely not on trend. But I really loved it. So I have a feeling that I might, I might not feel quite the same way about this as I felt about that. But it has the same vibe to me. So I think that's why, why I decided to make this vest. And I think it would be good. Like, it'll be warm for sure. I think it'd be good for camping. It'll be good for walking the dogs when it's cold outside. So I think I'll get I think I'll get some wear out of it. I don't know that it will be my go-to piece. So we'll see. But I'm working on it. It's the Rosa Parks colorway from a yarn company called Shaeffer that isn't making yarn anymore. And the the name of the or the type of yarn was Danya mohair. And the really odd thing about it is that it's hardly taken any yarn to make this. I thought I had-- I mean I kind of debated whether I had enough to make to make the vest. But I also am making a vest that calls for, I think, DK and this is at a bulky gauge. So I had, you know, I had to reconfigure the pattern somewhat. So we'll see the, the jury will be out for a while on this one. And I may, it's so hot to knit on. It's not super warm here. But it's you know, it's kind of hot and sticky to knit on and mohair flies up my nose and stuff. So it's not the thing I grab and knit the most often either. I don't have that much to choose from. So that is my only project besides Mother Bears. That was my only project and I wasn't grabbing it to knit. And then I needed something for the road going down to pick up the trailer and bring it back. I thought I would have more time to knit but it was really kind of a whirlwind, looking at other people's trailers, talking to people about the trailer, finding out all the stuff and how it works, you know, all that kind of stuff. So I didn't have much knitting time, but I did bring some leftovers. I have a pair of socks there. Tomato and Mink or Mink and Tomato was the name of the the braid, and it was Falkland handspun and so I have a pair of regular socks out of it, but I had quite a bit of leftover yarn. So I grabbed that and cast on a pair of short socks. So just you know about maybe a maybe an inch and a half to two inch cuff. And then I started the heel and that's about where I am. I think I turned the heel. That's all I've done is a tiny tiny cuff and turn the heel that's all the knitting. And I never--I hardly took out the vest. So I really didn't have much.. Well and the dogs. we had the dogs with us and so I did a lot of walking the dogs at the RV park because they I wanted them to be good and they're a lot better if they've had exercise. And so we did a lot of walking and stuff. Yeah. So anyway, those are my projects, kind of just the vest. Some Mother Bears in the, you know, in the meanwhile. And then the barest start of a pair of shorty socks. So I'm kind of I'm kind of in that place where I don't know. I don't know what to do. I do think... So we sold the other the old trailer The Clubhouse. And this young woman came and she brought her dad because he had the truck with the hitch to pull the trailer home and her mom came too. Really nice people, super nice people. And we got to talking and her mom has this...she said, I have this sweater that I started, but I never was able to finish it, maybe you would be able to finish it. And I at first my thought was like, oh, no, this, you know. Marsha  40:55   Oh no! Kelly  40:55   But, but so I was kind of non committal. I said, Well, you know, I maybe...maybe I would be able to do that. I don't know. And, and then she brought it up again. And finally, I thought, You know what, I'm not super excited about anything I'm knitting. What the hell, you know?  Marsha  43:04   Yeah.  Kelly  43:04   And so and so I said, Yeah, you know, send it to me, and I'll see what I can do. I'm not gonna guarantee that I'll be able to, you know, finish it, but, but send, send me what you have. And I'll take a look at it and and let you know, and if I can't, I'll send it back. And if I can, I'll do it. And she's like, of course, I'll pay you, you know. And so anyway, I haven't heard from her since the trailer sold. And I'm wondering if maybe she feels like, oh, gosh, I was a little bit too forward to do that. Marsha  46:09   Yeah, she thought, Oh, yeah. This woman was just trying to be nice. She's thinking that about you like, Oh, she's trying to be nice, but... Kelly  46:17   One she got home. Or maybe her daughter after they left said, Mom, I can't believe you did that. So I thought, oh, maybe I'll text the woman who bought the trailer and say, you know, let your mom know, if she wants to send that to go ahead. You know, I'm happy to try it. So we'll see. I don't know, it. Just kind of something different. It kind of gave me an idea like, oh, well, maybe that'd be something different and, and fun to do so. And then the other thing that I did, this isn't a knitting project. But I just wanted to give a shout out. We have a new member who joined the the Ravelry group, AJ, and she introduced herself and let us know that she has the Hooked and Booked podcast. And she has a website too. It's called... her name is-- she she goes by AJ, but her website name is KJ Krochet. And the crochet is spelled with a K. And I'll have links in the show notes. But anyway, she's from South Africa. And she has just maybe three episodes, but it's just a cute, it's a cute show. And I listened to it. And I thought oh, this is fun. So I listened to all her episodes. And then she was talking about another podcast called Crochet Conversations. And she's interested, AJ is interested in having more people podcasting who don't have American accents. She said she feels like all of the podcasts, the knitting podcasts that she listens to, and maybe a lot of the other podcast she listens to also, you know, people with American accents, and there's not a lot from elsewhere. And so, so she was promoting this other podcast for these two women from Singapore. And so I went and listened to it too. And it's also very cute. It's called Crochet Conversations. And it's two women, Inez and Mell from Singapore. And the most recent episode, they're taking you through their house, like room by room talking about what crochet is in their house. And I thought that was really cute. So anyway, I'd like to give a recommendation for the Hooked and Booked podcast and Crochet Conversations and I've linked to both of them in the in the show notes if anybody's if anybody's interested. And I thought you know, that's maybe why I said to you, maybe you need to crochet something because I'm thinking maybe maybe it's time for me to crochet something because I'm just not super excited by anything that that I'm working on right now. So maybe I just need a new inspiration. And the trailer is a big inspiration. Because now I can think of all sorts of things that I could make for the trailer you know. So you know like the cover for your toilet paper [laughing] Well, I mean I'm  kidding. Kelly  46:17   Yeah, I got it. [laughing] You need potholders and  hand towels and yeah, and Kelly  49:41   and especially those potholders and like what your great aunt what your your Aunt Ruth made, you know.  Marsha  49:53    Oh yeah, Great Aunt Ruth  Kelly  49:54   1950s style of of crochet potholders, those are really kind of interesting. Marsha  50:02   She did those really cute potholders that I don't know how she did it but there's rick rack in there. So you see part-- you see one point of the rick rack but not the other point of the rick rack. So it makes all these little triangles kind of  Kelly  50:16   Yeah,  Marsha  50:17   yeah, I've never seen a pattern like that but and I was also gonna say too that I've seen I had not seen crochet patterns  for pillows, but knitted pillows I see, you know, covers with color work. And that might be kind of fun, too. Yeah. Because you're going to need some pillows on the sofa.  Knit something--a cover--or crochet something. Yeah, you did the bee pillow, but something like? Kelly  50:44   Yeah, so I think I think I might crochet or weave.  Marsha  50:49   Well, yeah, weaving too. Kelly  50:52    I think I might make -- Robert brought regular bath towels. And we used the shower at the at the RV park, not the shower in the trailer. But one of the issues with the towels is that they take up so much space. And then you have to get them to dry. And Hetti had been talking in the winter weave along about the spa towels that she made. Because in Santa Cruz, it's kind of damp where she lives and she wanted towels that would dry. She was experimenting with different weave structures to see if she could get some towels that would that would dry quickly. You know, be absorbent, but also dry quickly. And then also they take up less space. You know those heavy terrycloth towels. They--not that we don't have the space, but they take up more space. And so yeah, if I could, I could weave something that might be really kind of a cool idea. So So yeah, I have some I have some other inspirations that I haven't had in a while, or haven't ever had really, that's kind of fun. So maybe someone else's sweater and then maybe some crochet and we'll see. We'll see. Check with us next time, listeners, to see if we've improved our attitudes. Marsha  52:21   Yes, I know. Well, I'm hoping my I'm hoping it might... Well maybe it is all my attitude, hopefully my attitude will. It's funny thinking about my attitude because I made the comment that part of all these projects I've been doing have been for other people. It makes me sound so selfish.  Kelly  52:36   But you know it's your hobby. Marsha  52:39   It is my hobby. I've been doing this, but I was down working in the basement and I pulled out because I finished the the socks remember that I had lost the blue, the navy blue for the toe. And I found it in the last episode. So I finished that sock. Oh, I didn't put that in my finished projects. Yes, I completely forgot. I did not put that in my finished objects. But I did finish that. And so instead of putting the Navy away, I knew that I had bought a skein of yarn for my brother, he had picked it out. And the Navy would work really well with it for heels and toes. So I pulled out that skein of yarn and wound it into a cake to cast those on for him. And I'm thinking maybe I should not do that. Given that. Yes, I'm thinking that this is... I should have a conversation with myself. Kelly  53:35   Yeah, maybe you need to do something. Do some self indulgent knitting. Marsha  53:41   Yeah, yeah.  Kelly  53:43   To go with your, your projects for other people. Marsha  53:48   You know what I'd like to knit is I have a combo spin that I made Kelly  53:55   oh yeah, that's a pretty one with silk. Marsha  53:58   I've never knit that up. And I would sort of like to knit that but there you go.  Kelly  54:03   Start that one.  Marsha  54:04   Yeah, there's no, I don't know. Okay. No complaining. Everyone, everybody's gonna want me to finish these projects as soon as possible so they don't have to hear about it anymore. Anyway, okay, next order of business. Kelly  54:21   I'm in the process of getting all of the winter weave along gift cards purchased. So if you won in the winter weave along you'll be hearing from me or getting an email with your gift card information. Either already or very shortly. I also have sent out all of the prizes, finally for the stitches giveaway that we did. I sent them out today. And I think that's the only business that we have. We do still have the SpeakPipe. SpeakPipe, they need to change their name, no one can say it. All right,  Speakpipe.com/twoewes, you can go there and you can leave a message about your favorite local yarn store. Or you can send it to us in an audio file, send it via email. Again, that's twoewes@twoewesfiberadventures.com, you can email us an audio file from your phone, or your computer or wherever. And tell us about your favorite yarn shop. We'd love to hear all about your yarn shop in your area. So I think that's really all. The Blanket Along ends this week. We talked about that.  Marsha  55:51   Let's just say what's going on. So the Stashbusting blanket along ends May 31. So and then the summer spin in starts June 1, and that, and that will go all summer. So one ends on the 31st. And the next event, or along, or whatever--contest--starts the next day, June 1, and that will go the entire summer and it ends September 5, which in the United States is Labor Day. So we've talked about this before. Memorial Day is sort of the unofficial start of summer, which is in May, and then Labor Day is sort of the unofficial end of summer. And so the summer spin-in will be June 1 through September 5. And then again, we're going to be at the Black Sheep gathering in Albany, Oregon. And that's June 24 through 26th. And that Saturday, we'll have a meet up at the trailer. Yeah. And Kelly, Should we just pick a time? Yeah, Kelly  56:53   Let's say 3:30 or 4:00. Yeah. Marsha  56:57   Yeah. Kelly  56:58   It's not like there's a definite, it's not like, well, you know, it's a party, so come after 3:30. We might not be there if you come before 3:30. Marsha  57:13   Yeah. We know a few people are coming to black sheep.  Kelly  57:15   And maybe we'll see some people who we've met in previous years. Who are going to be there too. They haven't had black sheep for a couple of years. So it will be really good. It will be fun to be back to another fiber festival. Marsha  57:40   Yes. Okay, Kelly, I think that's everything Kelly  57:45    I do too.  Marsha  57:45   Or anything else.  Kelly  57:46   Oh, no, I think that's it. Next episode. I want to talk a little bit more about my plans for the summer spin in. What I'm gonna do with the fleeces in my garage, maybe. But yeah, that's for next time. Maybe I'll have a sweater to work. Yes. Maybe it'll arrive in the mail someone else's sweater.  Marsha  58:08   Yeah, yeah.  Kelly  58:10   Okay. That'll give us something to talk about. Right? Marsha  58:14   Yes, I know. Well, we'll talk in two weeks and we'll find out if you have a sweater. Kelly  58:18   Okay, sounds good. All right. Okay, Marsha  58:21   bye bye. Kelly  58:22   Thank you so much for listening. To subscribe to the podcast visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com. Marsha  58:29   Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundredprojects. Kelly  58:37   Until next time, we're the Two Ewes  Both  58:40   doing our part for world fleece Transcribed by https://otter.ai  

What a fun episode this week! Two listeners sent us reports on their travels to yarn shops from Ohio all the way to the Faroe Islands. Kelly and Marsha are together at Kelly's house, so once again this episode will not be edited so we have more time to play with string. Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha's Projects:  Meadow Stripe Socks using Patons Kroy Sock in the colorway, Meadow Stripes and Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash fingering for the heels and toes. I've “lost” somewhere in my house the navy yarn for the toe. Garter Squish Blanket On the seventh of fourteen contrasting colors  I frogged the Phrancko Designs crew neck from Phrancko.com by Frank Jernigan as it was too small. I don't think this is a problem with the Phrancko program but a problem with my gauge. I started a new sweater using Unpattern Top Down Raglan Pullover by Karen Alfke. Still knitting on cowl with four colors green (Amazon), blue (Cornflower), light blue (Rain), and mauve (Plum)  I'm spinning a 2lb bag of Manx Loaghton in my stash. This is a protected breed from the Isle of Man. I am using a woolen spun technique and have spun 5 skeins or approximately 400 yards  Kelly's Projects I'm still working on spinning (Oxford this time) so I can keep working on the Garter Squish blanket using handspun leftovers. So far there is only one yarn that was from a commercial braid of fiber. All the rest are small mill or  hand carded and dyed by me. We'll see if I'm able to continue that.  I also started a Mielie vest. I'm using Schaeffer Yarn Company Little Danya mohair. Considered bulky so I did some modifications to the pattern. Color is Rosa Parks and it was spirit yarn from NoCKRs retreat in 2018.  We Want to Hear You! Give us a call and tell us about your favorite LYS!  Go to speakpipe.com/twoewes and leave a message. It will take 90 seconds or less. Or you can use the voice memo app on your phone and email us the audio file. We'll put your voice feedback on the show!   From Janie- Stash 46:  Hear all about her LYS, Around the Table Yarns in Ohio.  From Cat-Catitude: Here is the last of the audio on The Faroe Islands. It's about Navia, the most visible yarn company both locally and internationally. They've done a neat thing: they designed vests and sweaters for a brand new detective series 'Trom' (available on viaplay.dk) which is set and filmed on the Faroes, the first of it's kind here on the islands. Scandinavia has a long standing tradition of thrillers and detectives, sometimes referred to as Nordic Noir.  Some people may know the Danish series 'The Killing' (Forbrygdelse) from 2011 which features a very popular knitted sweater worn by detective Sarah Lund. That sweater was designed by Faroese fashion designers Gudrun & Gudrun and can therefore not be sold as a pattern. (Although there are charts floating around Ravelry, and it's easy to make up your own version. I've seen at least 30 Faroese people this week wearing a homemade sweater just like it, including children.) The sweaters are still being sold in all sizes by Gudrun & Gudrun here in Torshavn. Navia wanted to get in on the action this time, and they worked together with the director and team who produced 'Trom'. One of the Navia-family members even wrote on the script.  There are only 60.000 Faroese people (in total!) so you can imagine that a lot of locals were involved in the filming. The Mayor of Runavik, the third city here, even plays a part as a security guard!  I talked at length with the lady in the Navia flagstore at the village of Toftir (in Faroese) about Trom. I included some short audio bits, might be fun to hear a totally different language! She pointed out that there are also a lot of older knitted sweaters in the series, which makes sense because everyone here wears wool all the time. Lots to look at, even for knitters who are not into murder mysteries! And of course you get a glimpse of this fabulous archipelago. She has also given permission for both the audio and her picture to go onto the podcast and shownotes, I told her about the Two Ewes and asked her permission specifically! Audio "Navia Toftir": english info by me Audio "What is Trom": she explains it's a detective series and Navia has designed vests and sweaters. Audio "Nerd": she explains we knitters can really 'nerd out' when watching the series, as you can look at all the sweaters and knit them at the same time! The patterns for Trom will be available in English on the Navia website shortly: www.Navia.fo Also, please see pics for the beautiful store.  Best wishes from your foreign correspondent :) :)  Cat The Wool Islands video about the Faroe Islands  Stitches West 2022 Celebration Giveaway: Instagram and Ravelry ends soon– April 15. For IG– Enter to win by commenting on Kelly's or Marsha's post announcing publication of Episode 180. For Ravelry there will be a thread with a prompt. Answer the prompt.  Stash-Busting Blanket Along Starts now, ends May 31. There will be prizes.  Two Ewes' Hand Dyed Cotton Yarn and Dishcloth Pattern Giveaway  Irene–Bluebirdsnest get in touch! You're a winner!

Kelly and I are together for this episode and recording in her backyard. We have lots of project updates and a discussion of our contests and an interesting podcast. Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwes.us Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha's Projects Quick Switch Hat by AbbyeKnits. My son liked the hat so much I cast on another for him using Meeker Street Olives Outerwear DK in the colorway Sage. I finished the hat and was worried it was too small but it fits well and he loves it. Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). I have finished both sides and am ready to sew together and make pompoms. Meadow Stripe Socks using Patons Kroy Sock in the colorway, Meadow Stripes and Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash fingering for the heels and toes. Working on gusset. Garter Squish Blanket I'm so excited to start another garter squish blanket for our Stash Busting Blanket Along.  Phrancko Designs crew neck from Phrancko.com by Frank Jernigan. I'm using my green and brown handspun merino. I finished the body and about half of the first sleeve when Ben came home and I was able to have him try it on. It is too small all over but especially tight fitting through the shoulders and upper arms. I will have to frog and find another pattern. The good news is he loves the Fibonacci sequence striping. I cast on for a cowl and am using the helix knitting technique with four colors green (Amazon), blue (Cornflower), light blue (Rain), and mauve (Plum) that our listener Rochelle (Reecreates) suggested. Here is a link to the Purl SoHo video. I'm spinning a 2lb bag of Manx Loaghton in my stash. This is a protected breed from the Isle of Man. I am using a woolen spun technique. Our listener UlrikaC recommended the Fiber Nation podcast episode about the history of the Manx Loaghtan sheep. Here is the link to the episode Manx for the Memories. Fiber Nation is an excellent podcast hosted by Alison Korleski. She examines the history of fiber production, sewing, crafting, and a few mysteries. Here are links to some of the episodes I listened to that I found fascinating.  Home Economics Versus Hitler: Sewing in WWII Hemp: The Fall and Rise of a Forbidden Fiber The Mystery of Gunnister Man The Donner Party ad the Doll: Patty Reed's Doll Kelly's Projects I finished a pair of socks (Ravelry link) in Bob Ross Happy Little Mistakes yarn from Weird Sisters Wool Emporium in Aberdeen. I used the stitch pattern from Blueberry Waffle socks.  I also started and finished a charity hat with sock scraps (including the leftovers from the finished socks) and I'm currently working on a Helix Hat with some vintage sock yarn.  I started a Garter Squish blanket to use the handspun leftovers from my tossing of the stash. I'm about to the halfway mark and I'm almost done with the natural white Columbia and Oxford that I'm using as the base color. I spun more Oxford and then I knit all of that (maybe 375 yards). So now it's stalled again. I have one more batt that is already carded, but I think I may need to card more. This blanket will be helping with my fleece stash, too. Finally doing some of the weaving in ends and blocking that I didn't do during the pandemic. A crochet shawl, a knitted shawl, the Rachel Sweater and the Dark Green Forest Sweater should all be ready to wear at Stitches this weekend! We Want to Hear You! Give us a call and tell us about your favorite LYS!  Go to speakpipe.com/twoewes and leave a message. It will take 90 seconds or less. Or you can use the voice memo app on your phone and email us the audio file. We'll put your voice feedback on the show!  Whidbey Weavers Guild Spin In: Saturday, April 2 and Sunday April 3 10:00-4:00 both days Oak Harbor High School Admission $20 for both days   Winter Weave Along Just about a month left. It ends March 31. There is an FO thread and a chat thread and prize winners will be drawn from both. Two Ewes' Hand Dyed Cotton Yarn and Dishcloth Pattern Giveaway  One day left to enter!  Stash-Busting Blanket Along Starts now, ends May 31. There will be prizes. 

Full notes with photos, links, and a transcript can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts We Want to Hear You! Give us a call and tell us about your favorite LYS!  Go to speakpipe.com/twoewes and leave a message. It will take 90 seconds or less. Or you can use the voice memo app on your phone and email us the audio file. We'll put your voice feedback on the show!   Marsha's Projects Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). I have finished both sides and am ready to sew together and make pompoms. Meadow Stripe Socks using Patons Kroy Sock in the colorway, Meadow Stripes and Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash fingering for the heels and toes. Ready to start heel flap on the second sock. Quick Switch Hat by AbbyeKnits. My son liked the hat so much I cast on another for him using Meeker Street Olives Outerwear DK in the colorway Sage. I finished the hat but I think it is too small. Phrancko Designs crew neck from Phrancko.com by Frank Jernigan. I'm using my green and brown handspun merino. Finished the ribbing but I'm waiting for Ben to try on the sweater before binding off. Frank says to use the invisible ribbed bind off, but with the warning that it is difficult to frog, so I want to be sure of the length. Started first sleeve Finished my spinning project with merino roving from The Weaving Works that I bought at a gathering of spinners on Whidbey Island several years ago. I have a one ounce ball of green (Amazon), blue (Cornflower), light blue (Rain), and mauve (Plum). I cast on for a cowl and am using the helix knitting technique with four colors that our listener Rochelle (Reecreates) suggested. Here is a link to the Purl SoHo video. Found a 2lb bag of Manx Loaghton in my stash. This is a protected breed from the Isle of Man. I am using a woolen spun technique. Kelly's Projects I'm still working on a pair of socks (Ravelry link) in Bob Ross Happy Little Mistakes yarn from Weird Sisters Wool Emporium in Aberdeen. I'm using the stitch pattern from Blueberry Waffle socks.  I started a Garter Squish blanket to use the handspun leftovers from my tossing of the stash. I'm about to the halfway mark and I'm almost done with the natural white Columbia and Oxford that I'm using as the base color. I'm going to have to spin more. Winter Weave Along Starts October 15 and goes through the end of March. Two Ewes' Hand Dyed Cotton Yarn and Dishcloth Pattern Giveaway  January 13 - February 28   Drop by our Ravelry thread and let us know your favorite dishcloth pattern and you will be entered to win a skein of our hand-dyed cotton and a Two Ewes' dishcloth instructions. Never made a dishcloth? Tell us if you are a dishcloth newbie.   Stash-Busting Blanket Along Starts now, ends May 31. There will be prizes. 

A stash busting Garter Squish blanket obsession, project updates, and after almost two years of online teaching, Kelly returns to the classroom. Lots to discuss this week.  Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Instagram post of Kelly's dogs as she leaves for work for the first time in almost two years. Marsha's Projects Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). I have finished both sides and am ready to sew together and make pompoms. Meadow Stripe Socks using Patons Kroy Sock in the colorway, Meadow Stripes and Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash fingering for the heels and toes. Finished the first sock and worked on the second sock. Quick Switch Hat by AbbyeKnits. My son liked the hat so much I cast on another for him using Meeker Street Olives Outerwear DK in the colorway Sage. Phrancko Designs crew neck from Phrancko.com by Frank Jernigan. I'm using my green and brown handspun merino. I have finished the body and am ready to start ribbing. Started a spinning project with merino roving from The Weaving Works that I bought at a gathering of spinners on Whidbey Island several years ago. There is one ounce each of green (Amazon), blue (Cornflower), light blue (Rain), and mauve (Plum). These are the fountain pens my brother found:  Waterman, chased hard black rubber from early 1900's Wahl, gold patented 1/23/04  Black desk pen no manufacturer name Kelly's Projects I'm still working on a pair of socks (Ravelry link) in Bob Ross Happy Little Mistakes yarn from Weird Sisters Wool Emporium in Aberdeen. I'm using the stitch pattern from Blueberry Waffle socks.  I finished the Sockhead Hat (Kelly McClure) using the 2020 NoCKRs retreat colorway and Nevermore from Invictus Yarns. I also used a little of the Vivid Wool from Iceland. These were leftovers from a pullover I still haven't blocked or worn. I started a Garter Squish blanket to use the handspun leftovers from my tossing of the stash. I'm about to the halfway mark and I'm almost done with the natural white Columbia and Oxford that I'm using as the base color. I'm going to have to spin more. Winter Weave Along Starts October 15 and goes through the end of March. Two Ewes' Hand Dyed Cotton Yarn and Dishcloth Pattern Giveaway  January 13 - February 28 Drop by our Ravelry thread and let us know your favorite dishcloth pattern and you will be entered to win a skein of our hand-dyed cotton and a Two Ewes' dishcloth instructions. Never made a dishcloth? Tell us if you are a dishcloth newbie.

Happy New Year to our listeners! Mother Nature had other ideas for how Two Ewes would spend the holidays but we still had fun. Listen as we discuss project updates and planning for future projects. Full notes with photos, and links can be found in the podcast section of  our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. We have a full transcript at the bottom of the show notes.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha's Projects Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I finished the tea cozy for Susannah in time for Christmas. I used Cascade 220 Yellow (9463) and Orange (9668) and she loved it.  Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). Brian left his teapot with me so I can properly fit the cozy. I have finished the first side and knit about an inch of the second side. Meadow Stripe Socks using Patons Kroy Sock in the colorway, Meadow Stripes and Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash fingering for the heels and toes. I'm knitting the second sock. Quick Switch Hat by AbbyeKnits. My son liked the hat so much I cast on another for him using Meeker Street Olives Outerwear DK in the colorway Sage. Phrancko Designs crew neck. I'm using my green and brown handspun merino. I measured Ben and submitted the information on Phrancko.com and printed the pattern. This is a top down pullover that looks like it has set in sleeves. I'm really interested to see how this sweater will turn out. Embrace Octopus Sweater This is the sweater that so distracted me that I slipped on the ice and took a tumble. My first knitting related injury. ;-) Kelly's Projects Dark Green Forest by Christina Korber-Reith is now finished! All ends are woven in and it is ready to be washed and blocked. The yarn really does need to relax into the stitches.  Pebblebrook Beanie by Wish Upon a Hook (Ravelry link). I've now made a total of 9 of these. And I decided to start a new one today with some of my Invictus club yarn from last year. It's a green and gray and yellow variegated yarn so this will be my first variegated version of this hat.  I'm still working on a pair of socks (Ravelry link) in Bob Ross Happy Little Mistakes yarn from Weird Sisters Wool Emporium in Aberdeen. I've finished the first sock and have started on the second. I'm using the stitch pattern from Blueberry Waffle socks.  So just two active projects.  Crochet Crochet Along Dates: November 1 through Jan 10. There is one thread for chatter and FOs. We'll draw prizes at our next episode.  There is a crochet bundle in the Ravelry group.  Winter Weave Along Starts October 15 and goes through the end of March. Full Transcript Marsha 0:03 Hi, this is Marsha and this is Kelly. We are the Two Ewes of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures. Thanks for stopping by. Kelly 0:10 You'll hear about knitting, spinning, dyeing, crocheting, and just about anything else we can think of as a way to play with string. Marsha 0:17 We blog and post show notes at Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com. Kelly 0:22 And we invite you to join our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures group on Ravelry. I'm 100 projects Marsha 0:29 and I am betterinmotion. We are both on Instagram and Ravelry. And we look forward to meeting you there. Both 0:36 Enjoy the episode. Marsha 0:43 Hi, Kelly. Kelly 0:44 Hi, Marsha. Marsha 0:46 Well, Kelly 0:47 yes, we are not together. We thought we would be together for this episode. But Mother Nature had other ideas. Marsha 0:56 Yes. So we did not announce this to people. But I was planning on going to visit you and Robert for New Years. My plan was to leave December 26 and drive to California. But yeah, Mother Nature had other plans. We were hit with a big storm here in Seattle, and very, very cold temperatures. And so I had the car packed on the 26th. And I got up and I went to get gas at eight o'clock in the morning to get onto the freeway. And I never even got onto the freeway! I went on to the on ramp and saw that there's cars just sitting there and people out of their cars looking at something and I... there's nobody behind me. So don't do this if there's people behind you, but I just backed up on the on ramp and turned down a side street and went home. Yeah. And, and I was had been looking at the weather and I knew there were storms in southern Oregon and northern California. And we talked and then I decided I was going to leave dry and go the next day. Monday the 27th and I got in the did the same... got in the car and I went out there and I just thought I can't do it. Kelly 2:16 Yeah, Marsha 2:17 Yeah, I don't want to do it. So I called you and I said I'm not coming down. So I'm really bummed. Kelly 2:23 I know. Yeah. But Robert was really glad you decided not to come. He was worried about driving in all that. Yeah. Marsha 2:34 Yeah, I was worried too, that I was gonna be doing it on my own and having spent time going to college going over passes to go after Christmas break to go to school and being stuck 10 hours at the pass. I can't I can't make myself do it. You know, well, my car's really good in the snow. But I just... it was too much. So I did miss Robert's last day of work he now has retired and I missed New Years and I missed... What I was really looking forward to is your co-workers did the tamale making party. Kelly 3:06 Oh, yeah, that was fun. Marsha 3:08 Yeah, so don't tell me how fun it was Kelly because it's just gonna upset me. Okay. [laughing] Kelly 3:12 I know, But the good news is... the good news is while it is a lot of work, and while there is, in certain circles, a lot of judgment about tamales, and how well you make them and how thin you get them and all of that... Oh, it is kind of a myth that it's so difficult. It's a lot of work. It's not difficult. And if you don't care, you know that you're making stained glass masa that you can see through when you hold it up. Marsha 3:47 Yeah, Kelly 3:48 You know and you don't have you don't have your, your grandma giving you rules about how the tamales need to be. According to my friends, you you know you can make them thick. You can pile on the masa, you can make them thin, you can make them inconsistent. Or some parts of them are thick and some parts of them are thin. It's not something... it's not like like... I had this idea that they were really hard to make. And that it was sort of like I don't know making one of those things on the Great British Baking Show where you know you're you're in danger of the whole thing just going awry and it doesn't taste good. It doesn't look good. It's just a mess. And it turns out that tamales are not like that. Marsha 4:38 No. I have watched people make them on cooking shows and I... you know I have cookbooks with how to make them. But what I was really seemed to me is one of those things that you have to make the commitment to make them because it is a bit labor intensive and you make large amounts of it and you you don't make just 12 tamales you make 100 tamales, is that right? Maybe that's an exaggeration. Make a lot because, yeah, Kelly 5:03 There is a lot of, there's a lot of prep work to do. And if you're going to it's kind of like weaving. You know, if you're going to do the prep work, if you're going to wind a warp and thread all those threads through the heddles, you know, people think to themselves, well, I'm going to put on a long warp and make multiples of whatever I'm making. But even that you don't have to do. I mean, I just made a baby blanket where all I put on the loom was just the yarn for that one baby blanket. Might not be the most efficient way to go, but it was...it was certainly okay, you know. So anyway, they don't seem as daunting to me anymore. They're delicious. Delicious. Marsha 5:49 So when I come down-- so next next time! Kelly 5:55 I've only had reheated tamales, I've never had them right out of the pan, you know, the pot. And oh my gosh, delicious. So well, next time you come down, well, maybe we'll even save some because I have some in the freezer that are not cooked. That's the other thing you can do that I found out. You don't actually need to steam them when you make them. So you know, I've had them frozen that you then reheat. But these are frozen in my freezer but not even cooked. Marsha 6:31 So you would just steam so they'll be steamed and they'll be freshly steamed? Kelly 6:36 Now, I don't know what the freezer...you know what being frozen does? Does that change? You know, is it different from the fresh ones just made? But anyway, it was a fun day. And I can definitely... we can definitely reproduce that. Next time you're here, you're here for long. Yeah. Marsha 7:00 Yeah, yeah. So that was a bummer. And I, but I thought to myself, I guess better to stay home. So I can go another time, right, than start out and have something bad happen so Kelly 7:15 Or even just be stuck. I mean, if you're going to be stuck, right? If you're going to be snow bound, better to be snow bound, surrounded by all your own yarn and, and food and drink, then to be snow bound in some motel somewhere. Right, right or snowed in your car on the side of the road... Marsha 7:36 Well, yeah, on the mountain pass. Well, and I'll tell you another reason. There was many, many reasons why I made the decision that I made. But one of them was you know, I had lighting that I was bringin down. Some was for the house and some was going in the trailer. And I thought, oh my gosh, what if I got like rear ended or in an accident and the car's totaled? It would total all the lighting. And I was like, yeah, so that was another reason why I thought, you know,I'm just gonna wait, just gonna wait. So, yes, but anyway, I've been home and I did take your advice, because you remember what you said to me is that the time that I would have been with you in California, what we had planned on doing was just sitting in the either your living room or the sunroom or someplace warm and just knitting and talking and eating and drinking. And then that was going to be speckled with trips to the beach, taking the dogs to the beach. So you said I had to sort of take this time to just hang out in it. So that's what I've been doing. And I've cast on some projects, and I've been working on projects and I didn't take the tree down. I did... and you told me I was not allowed to entertain anybody. Kelly 8:52 I did tell you that. Yes. Marsha 8:54 You did tell me that. And I didn't follow that. Not exactly. I had my friend Kim and Joanne momdiggity over for knitting. Kelly 9:05 Oh, that's good. I approve of that. Marsha 9:10 Okay, so that was fun. And and then last night, I was planning on spending New Year's Eve on my own. And then Kim and my brother just came by and we just ate leftovers. It was very, very simple. Nice New Year's Eve. Yeah, it was at the last minute they just decided to come over. So but yeah, it's been a good good time here at home too. So Kelly 9:33 Well good. Yeah, I've actually I mean, it would be nicer if you were here, but I have actually been enjoying myself with Robert home. Because he usually works the holidays, you know, when he works. So his last day of work was the 28th. And then Wednesday and Thursday are his normal days off. So Wednesday and Thursday he kept saying, Well, I'm not really retired. This is just like my normal day off. And then when the 31st came that was like his first actual...that was his actual retirement date and the first actual day that he would have had to be at work. But then he's like, well, but this is a holiday. So you know, I could have had the holiday off. So I'm not sure when he's actually going to start to feel like it's really retirement, not just days off. Marsha 10:21 Yeah. Kelly 10:22 But it's been... Yeah, we've been just kind of sitting. We went for a walk yesterday and took the dogs out and did six miles. And Beary was... he did great. It was on hills at Fort Ord and and he didn't have a sit down strike or anything. He went the whole way. He was. He was a lively the whole way. So yeah, so he's really, he's really come along. So anyway, we've been having a good holiday week. So with all your sitting and knitting, what have you been knitting on Marsha? Marsha 10:56 I will tell you what I've been knitting on. I finished something! Kelly 10:59 Yay! Marsha 11:00 I finished one of the nanny Meyer tea cozies the one I was making for my friend Susanna out of the yellow and orange. I finished that and I think I brought it over to her the day before Christmas Eve. So the 23rd I think I dropped it off and she made a pot of tea. We put it on the tea pot. Kelly 11:18 Oh, nice! Marsha 11:18 And do you remember I was talking about should I sew it up? Or should I not sew it up? When I got to her house, what I did is I sewed up what I thought was going to be the right size. And I left the ends loose. I didn't knot it or weave in the end. So when I got there, I could fit it on the tea pot. And it was pretty good. I think I just made a couple extra little stitches. And then I wove in the ends. So that worked really well. That's good. Yeah, so I delivered that. And then the other Nanny... to give everybody an update on other Nanny Meyer tea cozy that I'm making, the one for Brian. Because there's been all this discussion about Brian, like if you if you can't give me the measurements, you know, don't work on it, don't do anything. Don't call him. I have not called him and then he came. We got kind of..we've been sort of fouled up on our dates. It's been a while, you know, between episodes, but he came at some point he came and had dinner and he brought his teapot. And he left the teapot. So I have it and I today I finished the first side and I cast on I've knit about inch and a half of the second side. So I'm hoping to finish that in the next couple of days. Kelly 11:42 That's good is that the red and green one? Or the burgundy and green one? Marsha 12:34 Yeah, yeah. So I'm glad he finally brought that tea pot. I was I thought it was his only teapot. But he says he has another one. So that's good that I can just keep it for a while. Yeah, fit it on there. So and then what else I still working on my socks, the metal striped socks. And I got sort of, you know, involved in other projects. So it's kind of gone by the wayside a little bit, but I pick it up periodically and work on it. And then I did cast on another Quick Switch hat by Abby Knits. Kelly 13:15 I say that that's as bad as Garter Squish. Marsha 13:18 I know. In fact, I have to tell you, I was listening. Kelly 13:22 Garter Squish. Marsha 13:23 I was listening to our last episode when I was walking Enzo the other day. And I was trying to say, garter stitch blanket. And I couldn't say it and then I went to correct myself and I said... I listened to myself carefully. And when I'm trying to correct myself, I said garter switch. Even when I corrected myself, so garter stitch, and quick switch hat! Anyway, Kim and I had gone hiking, I guess it was the Wednesday before Christmas, I can't remember. Anyway, we afterwards we were near Issaquah and that's where there's a yarn shop called Nifty Knitter there and that's where I had seen the pattern for this hat. And so I went in there and I bought three skeins of yarn because my Ben he wanted a hat and then his friend, Ben, who also named Ben, I think I mentioned this... that I always refer to my... when they're together it's... my son is Ben the younger, and his friend Ben is Ben the elder because he's 31 and my son is 24. That's not his name. His last name is not Elder, but I always refer to them as Ben the younger and Ben the elder. Anyway, both Bens like the hat and want one of them. So I got yarn for both of them. And then my brother really liked the hat and I so I've got a color for him. So the one I'm making for Ben is Meeker St. Olives Outerwear DK in the colorway Sage, and let me grab the other two. I'm making... the one for my brother is Meeker St., the same yarn, and it's called Dragon's Breath. And it's like an orange. It's a very cool color. I love it. And then the other Ben, Ben the elder, I bought Dye House DK. It says here Serial Knitters Underground, and I didn't know what the color is called. Oh, Reindeer. And it looks sort of like, no, it's funny. My brother looked at it and says he sees purple. I think it's like fig. Marsha 15:36 Oh, Reigen Marsha 15:37 You know that...It's like it's brown, it's not really purple? Kelly 15:39 Yeah, that figgy, purpley brown Marsha 15:41 It's really nice. Kelly 15:42 Puce [laughing] Marsha 15:44 Puce I guess, yes. Kelly 15:47 I only say that because all those years that I had an Irish Water Spaniel. That's what they say in the in the breed standard. Something about puce as their as the color. It's kind of like... none of these dogs are puce. But then that yarn, the one I like that's been discontinued that I really want to get. Marsha 16:10 Oh, right Kelly 16:12 Druid Hill, right? Druid Hill, from neighborhood fiber company. It's that same that same kind of color that purpley brown Yeah, Marsha 16:24 You first think it's brown. But the more you look at you realize it has a little bit of purpley mauve tones to it because I made a sweater out of that colorway. Kelly 16:34 Oh, that's right. Yeah, it's not a golden brown at all. Yeah. Marsha 16:41 And I have to say, too, do you remember, and I was talking about this hat, when you are to create this pattern of the stitches leaning to the right. And then to leaning to the left, you knit through the second stitch on the left needle first, either through the front or the back, depending on which way the stitch is going to lean and then through the first stitch. And, and then you just keep going around. But when you get to your end of row marker, you keep moving it. You knit to one stitch before the marker, and then you move the marker, one stitch to the left, or excuse me to the right. And then that's when you start your new row. And remember, I was saying in the first hat, I could not wrap my head around that. It's like now it seems really simple to me, and I understand it. But the first hat I could not understand. It was so funny. And so now I understand. So this hat looks a lot better than the one I did. But the one I did is okay, but I can tell there's somewhere, that beginning of row, there's a little kind of funky stitches. I always put that in the back. But this one I'm making for Ben now is is much better. So I've learned what I'm doing. Kelly 17:53 That's cool. Yeah, sometimes, sometimes you have to, I don't know, you have to actually go through the process before you kind of understand the logic and the stages. And I feel the same way about weaving too. It takes me a few inches, at least, of weaving till I'm like, Okay, I see the system or the logic, the rhythm, the pattern of what's happening. Good. Marsha 18:17 I think I think my first hat is sort of like in sewing you do... you make a dress or something out of muslin first. Kelly 18:25 Right. Marsha 18:26 You know, I think that's how I'm considering my hat is the muslin. Kelly 18:29 Your muslin. That's cool. Marsha 18:33 So anyway. And then but the other thing I cast on, and I'm really excited about this, because I've been talking about this for a while. But the handspun, the green and bitter sweet chocolate that kind of barber pole handspun that I did. I want to start a sweater for Ben. And I've been searching because I didn't have enough of the green and brown. I bought more the brown and I spun that as a solid. And so I was going to make stripes to extend that yarn. So I've been looking at patterns. And I think I talked about this in the last episode that I went to phrancko.com. And that's P h r a n c k o.com. And Frank Jernigan is the designer, and he does a really interesting pull over where it looks like it has set in sleeves. But they're they're not they're all... it's knitted top down. And you just shape those quote unquote set in sleeves with increases. So it's like a raglan. It's basically a raglan sleeve really is the technique but the way he's designed it, it ends up looking like a set in sleeve. And I thought... I was having difficulty finding a pattern for the gauge of the yarn. And so I thought, this is great because you just you measure, I measured Ben. His site is is similar to Amy Herzog's site. The custom fit site is like that concept. And I don't think she's doing that anymore, I heard. But it's the same idea. So you just take these certain measurements of, you know, chest and arm length and neck and all this stuff. And then you do a swatch, and figure out your row height, and your gauge, or your stitches per inch, and your rows per inch. And you enter all of that into the the website. Also, if it's a standard yarn, say, for example, if it was Cascade 220, it has, as people have been putting in their yarn, he saves all that information. So if I had made the sweater out of Cascade 220, or think of another brand, and it was already in there, it can, it adds it, has the calculation about yardage. You can put all that in there. Otherwise, if you don't, then you have to put in your... if it's not in the system, you put in your own yardage. So this is nice, I could put in the, the, the number of ounces of yarn, I have either ounces, or grams, and then you put in the number of yards you have, or meters that you have, and then it will... And then with all of this information, it prints out the pattern for you. So I cast on I started it and I first I have to say I love knitting with my handspun. There is something about handspun. Yeah, that is very, very satisfying to knit with. And I can't explain what it is. Kelly 21:46 Maybe this is not the the part of it that's so satisfying. But it just has a life to it. That handspun yarn just has a vitality to it that, you know, a commercial skein doesn't have. Marsha 22:03 Yeah. And also, I guess, too, because I am... I'm not a very... What would I say, even spinner or something? It has a little... I mean, I can see where there's parts where it's a little thin and thick. You know, as we've talked about, once you knit it up, you know, it's not really a huge deal. Right? But it does give it some sort of textural interest, I think. Yeah, I like yeah, like I don't think it's a bad thing. Kelly 22:28 No, I agree with you. Yeah, yeah. Marsha 22:32 So anyway, but I was knitting along and I thought to myself, gosh this thing, it looks so small. I mean, it's supposed to fit him right. And I'm.. and I should also say, what I should say too is that you can pick if you want, like slim fitting, regular fitting, roomy, extra, like, how it's going to fit and how much ease you're going to have. And so for an extra dollar, you just get all three. You can get all the sizes. So I just thought I'll just do that. So I'm making the the size, the largest size, the roomiest size I can make with the amount of yarn I have, which should give him about four inches of positive ease because Ben's a skinny guy, right? So Kelly 23:20 That'll be nice. Marsha 23:22 So but I thought to myself, it looks so small. So and then on New Year's when my brother and Kim are they're, like it's too small Marsha. I'm like, but you know, math doesn't lie. Right? I'm going by the math. It has to be right. So, but Frank does... on Saturdays he does a Zoom meeting with all of these people. So anyway, I went today. Just before we recorded I went I showed up at the meeting and I said to him, I have to ask you a question because it looks like it's too small and two people last night said this is too, it looks too small. And everybody on the Zoom call started laughing. Kelly 24:02 Oh, really? Marsha 24:03 Yes. Because apparently, this is what everybody says. It's too small. It looks too small. And he said it will be fine. He... you know that it's because what I'm doing is he said you have to remember this is not like a like a raglan sleeve. Because the technique is like a I don't want to say that the technique is like a raglan because it's making it look like a set in sleeve. But the technique is basically a raglan sleeve, you just start making increases, right and that's what forms the shape. But that doesn't have a line on the top of your shoulder where the second sleeve is right right. Like where is the top of the shoulder there's no demarcation really where the on a raglan sleeve. This one actually has kind of a demarcation. I can't really explain it the right way. But he said that's actually further up on your shoulder and so as you start making the increases for the so called, he calls the sleeve cap at that top part over your that's where all your increases are going in. And he said it will work. They all were like, sort of not laughing at me. Not at all. But they're laughing with me like, no, they all have been through this. The first one they made like, small. So I'm really, really interested in seeing how this sweater turns out. Its fascinating. It's just a fascinating process, you know that. Kelly 25:23 Yeah. A custom design pattern is really a cool idea. Mm hmm. And his patterns are primarily for men, correct? Marsha 25:34 Yes. And I have to learn more. And I did not have a lot of time to stay in the on the call, because we were getting ready to record. I want to ask them, because on his Instagram account, he shows people who've made cardigans. And I don't know if it's from the website, if you can design a cardigan from the, the website, or if someone's just made a pullover and steeked it, you know Kelly 26:02 Interesting! Marsha 26:03 I don't know, And then he was showing us, too, he's working on a sweater that has cables going down the front like... Cuz, you can either pick a crew collar or a V neck, and the one that he was working on was a V neck with cables going, like around the neck and then down the front of the sweater. And I'm not sure how you I'm not sure how that works? How you get cables in there, how you design that? Or does he do that? Or is it something you get the basic pattern and then you figure out the cables? Or could you use this pattern for a color work project? Kelly 26:38 I think in the custom fit, the custom fit site, you could add cables, you could say you were adding the cable, and then you'd have to give some... I think you had to give some information about them. But there was like a formula for for how the gauge changed because of you know, pulled in because of the cables. There was something embedded in the embedded in the... how to make it. So I would imagine he has a similar thing. Yeah, Marsha 27:11 Yeah, I have to do.. I'm really talking about too soon because I need a little bit more research. And I'll find out more on the next call and kind of peruse around on the website. But I do remember with Amy Herzog's site, I made two sweaters, I believe, with her site. And the first one we made together. Remember, it was the Acorn Trail? Kelly 27:31 Yeah. Marsha 27:32 And that one is that she had the pattern, but then she would custom fit that pattern to you and it had the cables in it. And then I did another custom fit cardigan, like an open front cardigan kind of thing that had no cables in it. But I remember you could select the length, you could select the the length of the sleeves, the shape of the sleeves, because I did kind of like a bell shaped sleeve. Kelly 27:55 Yeah, interesting. Yeah. My second one, too, was freeform. It wasn't a pattern that she already had that was converted to the custom fit. It was, what kind of sweater do you want? What kind of features do you want? Kind of like yours? And I did something wrong and ended up with a pattern that was way too small. And then I had to end up recalculating, Marsha 28:22 And both of mine the sleeves were too tight. Yeah, right. We've talked about that. You know, Kelly 28:27 I think that's, that's a feature. I just really think that's a feature of women's pattern grading right now. Oh, well, maybe not right now. Because bigger sleeves are more in fashion. I'm seeing patterns with wider, with more puffier sleeves, wider sleeves. But I think there for a while. I mean, it was kind of like well, if you're doing this size, this is how many inches around you need your sleeve to be in. And to me, they were just too tight. Because I want I mean, I want a sweater to go over the top of something. And I don't want to have to like do the opposite of peel myself into it. You know, whatever that word is that's the opposite of peeling it off, where you're, you know, getting yourself into the sweater. Yeah, I have a few Marsha 29:18 You don't want to grease up your arms to get your sweater. [laughing] Kelly 29:20 Yes, I have a few sweaters that are like that. I feel like I practically have to grease my arms to put them in. Oh my gosh. [laughing] And then we've we've talked on it. I won't go on and on about this. But we've talked on and on about the depth of the I think it's called the armscye. And it's like okay, that is just unrealistic. But I also think I'm more sensitive to that feeling of having my arm my sleeves tight around my around the top of my arms too. So anyway, we won't go into my little... Marsha 29:57 Moving on! Well, anyway, I will report in how this turns out how this sweater turns out because I am really interested. Yeah. And I will join the group next time and, and talk to them. So that was really fun. Anyway, I have another story to tell you though. I have a... I found a sweater that I want to make someday. But I have to tell you about the sweater because I had a knitting related injury. Kelly 30:30 So that sounds ominous! Marsha 30:33 I'm fine, everybody's fine. But you know we have all this snow. And so I took Enzo for a walk. And I'm walking down the street and there's a young couple getting out of their car. And they're unloading some boxes, and this woman has on this most amazing sweater. And I started looking at the sweater and then slipped on the ice and fell down on my hip and my elbow. Marsha 30:56 Oh, no! Marsha 30:58 Because I was so... what is the sweater she's wearing? It's so cool. Anyway, it's called Embrace Octopus sweater. And it's... How would you...? Because you looked at it Kelly. It's very... it's so... it has an octopus that's like up on the right shoulder. Like the head? Is that what you call it? The bulbus part of the octopus? And then all the tentacles come down around the chest and they wrap around the back and they wrap around down the arms. And if you if you look at the projects, there are 599 projects. It's amazing. And it's really interesting to look at the projects because also the octopus is very much it looks like like a pen and ink drawing. Right? Kelly 31:47 Yeah, there's lots of detail, lots of little pixels of stitches that make it look... It kind of reminds me of, what is it, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Like that style of drawing. And I don't I don't know what type of drawing it would be. I don't know that the book even has drawings, but kind of that era, you know, that the movie was set? Marsha 32:12 Yeah. Kelly 32:13 In that era. You know? Sort of old times, and the sweater in the pattern page is black and white. It looks it really does look like a black and white, a black and white drawing of an octopus. Marsha 32:24 Yeah, so it's really so a lot of a lot of people have done the octopuses in the light color and then the bodies in like black or navy. But then other people have done other ones. Like okay, there's one here that she's done that the octopus is like white or cream. But then the body of the sweater is a brown kind of a chocolatey brown. That is really beautiful. There's one where the sweater's blue but the octopus is in like a gold. Kelly 32:53 Oh, I see that one, yeah, that's pretty. Marsha 32:56 CandyAndy did one. It's two shades of green. That's beautiful. Another one. MissMay. Hers is like teal and then the octopus is in orange. Do you see that one? Kelly 33:10 Yes. Marsha 33:11 Further down. Yeah, there's one where it's like a blue but a pink octopus. I mean, they're just really really what it looks like. It's a dark gray with an orange octopus. I just think it's a fantastic sweater. Yeah, Kelly 33:23 No, it is a fantastic sweater. You need to this sweater. Marsha 33:28 You need to make this sweater. You've got an octopus right? Kelly 33:32 Yes, I do. I yeah, I do. Marsha 33:36 I love it. I think this is just a fantastic sweater. If I get good at color work then I think I want to make this sweater so... Kelly 33:41 This would be is this like intarsia? it's probably... like it might be intarsia? Marsha 33:49 I don't think it is really. Kelly 33:55 There's quite a bit of patterning so I guess oh here it says it's stranded Marsha 34:02 Yeah, I'm looking at the details. It says it's worked straight up in the round using stranded colorwork on circular needles. Kelly 34:08 So there's enough detail all around the sweater and then at the back you've got tentacles on the back and tentacles on the arms and wow that's really something that would be akin to the detail of the the bee blanket that I want to make. Yes. With all the patterning. Oh, very cool, Marsha. Marsha 34:32 But it made me fall! But then I have to tell you something about this. So I fell and then this young woman she came over and she said to me, are you okay? And I said yeah, I'm fine. I said, I was looking at your sweater. And anyway, she said she had knit it and so that's why I went on Ravelry and found it and I thanked her for checking on me and everything. But the funny thing is I got home and I thought, Where's Enzo's poo bag? Anyway, I think when I fell it must have just gone flying. And then I just got up and walked off. So somewhere over there is this poo bag. [laughing] I, I went a different route today. I'll need to go retrace my steps and collect his bag. But anyway, that was kind of funny. So, but anyway, I think it's just a very cool pattern. Yeah, someday. But anyway, Kelly 35:27 Like one of the fantasy patterns I have in my queue. I have in my queue a tag called fantasy, all the things that I have illusions of making. But, but, but also know, I probably won't. You know. Marsha 35:40 I just realized I didn't say the name of the designer. It's must be Maiae-- M A I A E. Sirnes S I R N E S. In fact, I'd never... this is also really bad podcasting. I never looked...Oh, she only has one design. And it's this pattern. Yeah, and actually, if you click on her on the one of the photographs of her sweater, you could see the chart with the octopus design on it. And it's kind of amazing. Kelly 36:12 Oh, yeah, that's kind of scary. Look at the chart. Marsha 36:17 That's intense. But anyway, wow. Kelly 36:23 That's cool. Marsha 36:25 Anyway, how about you? Kelly 36:27 Well, right now I have in my on my project page, I was in a finishing binge. And the one thing I didn't finish was weaving in the ends of my pullover that's been done for months. It I called it finished a long time ago. But I still need to weave in the ends of that green striped Rachel pattern. That was the only thing that I was trying... thinking I would finish before the end of the you know, before the end of 2021. My sort of finishing frenzy that I didn't get done, but I got, I got all the ends woven in on a whole bunch of hats and I got my sweater, my handspun, the terracotta CVM handspun sweater that I've been making using the Dark Green Forest pattern. I got it finished! Marsha 37:25 Woohoo! Yay! Kelly 37:27 Finally! It's been lingering, lingering, lingering for a while. I think when I last spoke about it, I had tried to even up the sleeves and actually made the sleeve that was too short too long. Marsha 37:40 Mm hmm. Kelly 37:41 And so finally I just I didn't even bother blocking it. I just put it on I looked at it. I kind of said okay, I think it needs to go here. And I ripped it back to there. And then I just put in the ribbing. So it's great. It came out good. I definitely need to wash it and block it. The one I finished last year the the Targhee lamb, that Dark and Stormy? I never blocked it. I just started wearing it because I finished it and it was cold and I was out in the trailer. And so I just put it on and I've been wearing it ever since. So I never blocked that sweater. And it kind of didn't need it. It was kind of already you know, bouncy and relaxed. But this one is... it feels a little... You know how you say my sweaters are so light? Marsha 38:31 Mm hmm. Kelly 38:32 It feels a little dense to me. I think some parts of the yarn were a little thicker than what I used to make my gauge swatch. So there's parts of the sweater that feel a little dense, and they... So they feel a little tight like it just needs a little water to kind of go ahhhhh, you know and all the all the yarns kind of settle in with each other and Marsha 38:56 It needs a spa day! Kelly 38:57 It does! [laughing] It needs a spa day. There's a little bit of tension in that sweater that needs to be released. So it's sitting here right now but I'm really happy with it. I like the pattern. I like the size of it. I like the length of it. I like the pockets. So I you know had to sew the backs on the pockets and I've done pockets before but not like this. I like the pockets. They're really not large. Robert said, well do your hands even fit in there and I said these are not pockets for my hands. These are pretty much not pockets for anything. Because it looks frumpy, you know? If you... well, because what I stuff into pockets are my keys and Kleenex and then yes, big lump on the side of your body. So I don't think I'm going to use the pockets. And also, if you do use keys in your pockets in a knit sweater like this you wear a hole in the bottom of the pocket. So I don't intend to use these pockets very much at all, but they do look nice. There's nice detail on the front of the sweater. I love the square collar, the cable detail on the sleeves is nice. And it's just enough. You know it's not like... the Dark and Stormy had cable detail on the back and this one doesn't. It's just solid on the back. But it's nice. I like the cable down the sleeves and then a little touch of that same cable at the pockets. So yeah, I finished it. Very excited. Yeah, so that's done. And then I've also been... I just kind of gone...I've just kind of gone crazy on that Pebblebrook Beanie by Wish Upon a Hook. I made nine of them total, I think, Marsha 40:49 Oh, wow. Kelly 40:49 You know, I had started making them out of the leftovers from Faye's blanket the last time we talked and then I went on to use some of that German town. Super yarn Mart! with an exclamation point, German Town worsted. I used up... I had a I had a skein, like a skein and a half of that, maybe two more skeins. Anyway, it takes more than one skein to make a hat so so I had a skein and a little, at least a little bit more than that. So I made one hat in that solid. I made another hat with the yarn from the Dark and Stormy that's leftover. I have so much leftover handspun. So I did that. I found singles yarn that I had spun and dyed in this kind of ice blue color and I finished that hat. And then yesterday I just decided I was going to make one last one. And so I cast on. Actually I guess it was the day before yesterday. I cast on the one last hat of 2021 and it's out of the color, and my project page doesn't show it, but it's that teal green Chickadee that I have that I got from NoCKRs destash. I think I got it from Julie JChant. Yeah. So I used that up. I just was kind of going to town using up using up scraps. So I got a lot of those done and I'm now currently knitting on one more... Marsha 42:30 You're knitting? Kelly 42:30 Or crocheting, crocheting rather Yeah, crocheting one more out of a skein of Invictus worsted weight yarn that I got from the the yarn club that I was in. It's a gray and kind of teal, green, and yellow. Pretty color. And it's the first one that I've made out of a variegated yarn. So I've done solids, I've done stripes. I've done small stripes. I've done big stripes. Now I'm doing variegated. So yeah, I'm a big fan of this, of this hat pattern. And I just I mean, it takes about a skein to make one hat depending on the size of the skein. It takes about a skein, yeah, to make one hat and, and I've just been going to town! So I've got only two active projects right now. One is this hat that I just started today as we were getting ready to record and then I have a pair of socks that I'm working on that's out of that Bob Ross happy little mistakes yarn from the Weird Sisters Wool Emporium in Aberdeen. So those are my only two active projects that I have. Yeah, I pretty much cleaned out the project page. By the end of the by the end of the year, which was kind of fun. Marsha 43:48 Yeah, well, that's it for projects. We need to talk about our, our alongs we're having. Kelly 43:56 So yeah, Marsha, you're right, we do need to talk about our alongs. For example, our crochet along. It's ending on the 10th of January. Marsha 44:07 Yes. I better get going. [laughing] Kelly 44:15 I've knit, er, I've crocheted enough of these pebblebrook hats for the both of us I think. [laughing] Marsha 44:22 Well, my plan was that when I arrived--but my plan was to be down there in California to have you help me with the the mitts, the paving mitts but that didn't happen Kelly 44:34 And I didn't dig out my Tunisian crochet, double ended Tunisian crochet hook which I'm not sure where it is. But I will talk about this in our next episode -- I am doing sort of a tossing of the stash and reorganizing of all the bags with bits and bobs from previous projects and stuff. So I will find them at some point. But I don't even know where they are. So even if you were here, I'm not sure I would have been able to help you with the with double ended hooks because I don't know where I put them Marsha 45:10 The next crochet along, maybe then I'll get those mitts done, because I do like them. But anyway, okay. So shall we let's talk about the crochet along. Yeah, that's so that actually it started in November. And as you said it ends January 10. And should we talk about some of the things people have been doing? So yeah, because people have been doing some pretty interesting things. Kelly 45:35 Some kind of inspiring things too. I've got some ideas for after the crochet along is over of things that might do with some of my stash. There's been a couple of really interesting baskets. So SuperKip, she made a crochet basket. And then JoyLaine also made a crochet basket. She used scraps in hers and I was thinking, Oh, that might be kind of nice. A nice way to use them. A lot of my spirit yarn. So that might be something in my future, one of those crochet baskets. Marsha 46:13 Did you see PurpleDogwood and all the Santa hats? Kelly 46:17 Oh my gosh, yes. And she also made pumpkin hats. Yes, all those baby hats for the hospital! That was very cool to see her project. Yeah, the Santa and pumpkin has are super cute. Quite a lot of toys. We had KnitnAround make a rabbit toy. And the vbirdflies, she made a hedgehog. Super cute hedgehog and a dinosaur. Triceratops maybe? I can't remember now which kind of dinosaur but so that was cute, to see those toys. You know, I'm a sucker for crochet toys. In fact, on Christmas day, my my brother-in-law, he thanked me again and told me how much he appreciated the Star Wars characters that I made that one year. All those little Star Wars characters. So yeah, he... and and the funny thing is he he said, I don't think he listens this far into the show, but he did say that he likes to listen to our banter at the beginning. Marsha 47:25 Oh, yeah? Kelly 47:25 So Ron, Ron listens to the first like 10 or 15 minutes of our podcast. Enough time. He doesn't stay for the knitting, but he likes to hear the little, all the stuff that's going on. So anyway, I thought that was fun. But yeah, crochet toys are a lot of fun. And, and we got a few of them in the in this crochet along. So that was kind of cool to see. Marsha 47:51 Well, and super Kip also made the really cute activity cube. Did you see that? Kelly 47:56 Yes, yes. In fact, when she first started and she said she was making the Moses basket, and she was gonna make a baby toy. I'm like, Oh, is there an announcement? Do you have an announcement for? But, no, it's a friend's baby. But yeah, that's a really cute idea. With the little things hanging down and a little... like a little ring crocheted onto it and little rattle crocheted into it. It's very... Yeah, when she first talked about it, the activity cube, I've seen like puzzle cubes. That's what I was thinking she was making till I saw the the finished, the finished result. I've seen they have these like three dimensional puzzles, where all the pieces fit together into something you know. That like they make a circle or, or maybe they make a cube. I don't know. I just I when I was looking at baby toy at one point I saw all of these baby toys. Crochet baby toys where the pieces all fit together into a like a puzzle into a different shape. And I thought, Oh, that'd be kind of fun to to make, but I haven't ever attempted anything like that. And then yeah, Mary, she made a dog bed. Marsha 49:19 Mm hmm. Kelly 49:20 It ooked really super soft and cuddly. Oh, maybe Minnie would like that. Our cat would like that. Marsha 49:28 Yeah, there's a really cute things. Kelly 49:32 Oh, you know what else I need to mention. It's a Misnim. She's making a crochet cocoon, which is like a sweater. Kind of like my Habitat sweater. I don't even know how to describe it? As kind of like a big shrug? I guess it's a good way to describe it. Full size, you know, full sweater size shrug. Anyway, she's making it but she's making it out of the Stonehedge Crazy yarn. She has all the skeins in the picture and it just made me think of when we were in Eugene. And we had all that yarn all over. [laughing] Marsha 50:22 Yeah those... they were so sweet to us because they didn't... they said they knew that because no two skeins are alike. So everybody just basically pulls everything out of the shelf and lays it on the floor, which is what we did so. So I saw her picture, but I didn't realize that's what she was made. Yeah, so, Oh, yes. Very cool. Nice colors, too. I love that yarn. Kelly 50:24 I know, it kind of made me think about... kind of me think about going and buying some more of that yarn. Because that was really, that was really fun yarn to knit with. And then MimiFan, she made a bathroom mat that she's actually not sure she likes. I don't know, she was threatening to rip it out. And, I said, Well, you know, if you decide you don't like it, you could always just give it to the dog as , you know, a dog bed. To stick it on like a little blanket on the dog bed or a pad inside the crate if she crates her dog. Anyway, yeah, it was, um, it was kind of funny because she was like, I'm not sure I like it but I finished it. Not sure I like it. But at least it's finished. So that's good. Yeah, you can decide if you like it enough to keep it or if you want to do something else with it. But I have had projects like that. Not too many. But I have had projects like that where it's like, okay, I'm just glad this is finished. And I don't think I even... Marsha 51:48 I'm gonna, I'm actually gonna quote from her. She says, I've been working on this bathmat for 11 months. I hate it so much. That's more dramatic than the way you described it. [laughing] Kelly 52:03 I was trying to be gentle. [laughing] Marsha 52:09 She says I hate it so much. But it's done except for weaving in ends. And I used up every bit of yarn that I bought. My bathroom is small, and it's a weird shape. So many errors. I may just end up throwing it away. But I'll give it a few weeks since it took so long to make. It needs some ends woven and some washing to flatten it out. I'm so happy it's done. Anyway, that's funny to me Kelly 52:33 Yeah, I think everybody can relate. Everybody's got one of the projects that like just became an albatross, you know, after a while. And it really, yeah, it's so funny. I had a weaving project, a linen weaving project. And I forgot how furry the linen was because it's a real rustic linen. And so you know, there's a technique where you, you soak it in gelatin to kind of make all that stick down. Marsha 53:05 Oh, right. Kelly 53:05 So it doesn't rub on the heddles and stuff. And I had forgotten about that technique. So I got it all threaded. Now starting to wind on and the little threads were catching everywhere. And I thought oh yeah, I need to do this technique. Well, I didn't want to unthread it, right? So I soaked it in gelatin while it was on my loom. But I also didn't look up the real recipe for the gelatin that you make. I just use the gelatin packet like gelatin. And so when I got done and I like squeezed it all out, it became like these like solid... You know, like each group of maybe 20 or 30 threads became like this solid rope of stuck together. Marsha 53:54 Yeah. Yeah. Kelly 53:55 And so then it sat on my loom like that for about four months, maybe longer. And it's like, well, I have to do something with it because it was destash I mean, it was you know, it was spirit yarn. But like it's linen, you know. And finally I forget what whose project I read about, but it was like... I was like okay, yeah, I need to soak it in water. Get some of that extra gelatin out. Let it dry again. I don't want to pull it out because it's all threaded on the loom. Oh you know, so I'll just try to do it around my loom and then finally I thought you know what? I'm just done. I cut the thing off. I threw it all away and I felt so good. I felt... I didn't even try to salvage it. I just cut the thing off and threw it in the garbage or threw it in the compost. I don't know, probably the compost because it was linen but like, I felt so good. It was so such a relief to get that dog off my loom. I mean, it was terrible. That project was a terrible thing. And I was dumb. I should have, you know, I could have... I thought I was saving time by not taking it off and redoing it. I could have redone it 17,000 times in the time that it sat on my loom preventing me from working other projects. So anyway, I can feel for for you, MimiFan. I don't know what the status of your bathmat is now but I do understand the sentiment. Marsha 55:30 You have permission to throw it away if it'll make you feel right! Kelly 55:33 Exactly. It does feel good sometimes. Yeah. So yeah, the crochet along is going really well. I have to say, I miss Amy. We lost her last year. She died. And she's really missed in the the thread, GreenHook. She was always a big poster in the crochet along thread and just in the in the Morning Coffee and different threads, she would post her crochet projects. And that loss is... It was a year, a little over a year ago that she died. And yeah, I miss her right now. Marsha 56:05 That loss is felt. Kelly 56:15 Yeah, yeah. So, but our crochet along ends January 10. We'll be drawing prizes in our next episode. So you still have time to get a project in. So get out your hook and make a project. There's one thread. here's a chatter thread and I just I just added the FOs to that chatter thread. So if you've been waiting for a finished object thread to post in, you can just post in your pictures and your information in the chatter thread and we'll draw prizes from from that. It's small enough that... you know the the number of participants is small enough that I think it will just be better to draw from the from the chat thread. Yeah, so make sure you post your your finished object pictures in there. And come chat about people's crochet in the next couple...week and a half or so. Marsha 57:11 Yeah. And then we just have to mention that the winner weave along is still going on and ends the end of March. Okay, well, I think that's about it. Is there anything else we need to talk about? Kelly 57:23 i don't think so. Marsha 57:25 We could go on another hour. Kelly 57:27 knowing we could next episode, I'm going to talk a little bit about my sort of reviewing last year. And then some things that I want to do. Because I just started today with that tossing of my stash, you know, going through my yarn and coming to realizations about what I do have and the real truth about the yarn I have as opposed to what I think in my head when I'm not looking at it all. So so that'll be next. Now I'll, I'm going to do some reflection on that. And we'll talk a little bit about that next time. So I don't know you've, you've looked at your yarn recently and gotten rid of a whole bunch of stuff, so I don't Yeah, Marsha 58:17 I did a big I did a big tossing of the stash and that's another reason why I've been kind of fun to be down there is to help you do the tossing of the stash. Kelly 58:25 The possible tossing out of of the stash [laughing] Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. But right now I just... we'll talk more about it. But you know, you get inspiration when you look at it. So I've got it out so I can look at it all and see if I come up with some inspirations. And then I'm some of my inspirations might be similar to that bathroom mat and my gelatin weaving my gelatin linen weaving project. We will see! Marsha 58:58 You have permission to put it in the compost pile. [laughing] Kelly 59:01 Well, I will report. I will report back in two weeks what the status is of some of that. Of some of that stuff. I've already started throwing away the little like, you know, you have a walnut sized ball of yarn. Marsha 59:18 Oh, right. Kelly 59:19 Yeah, really? Do I need to save a walnut sized ball of yarn? Marsha 59:24 I don't know. Kelly. I have a whole box of walnut sized bits of yarn. [laughing] Kelly 59:30 Bits of string to small to use. Marsha 59:33 Yes. And and they're actually in a box labeled "too small to use." [laughing] Kelly 59:38 Yes. Okay. Marsha 59:42 All right. All right. We're gonna go. I really have to go now because Enzo is now sitting here at nudging me. It's dinner time. Yeah, it's dinner time. So all right. Okay. We'll talk in two weeks about what's going on with that stash. Okay. Kelly 59:55 And Happy New Year to you and Happy New Year to everyone listening! Marsha 1:00:01 Yes, Happy New Year. Alrighty. Bye! Kelly 1:00:03 Bye bye. Kelly 1:00:04 Thank you so much for listening. To subscribe to the podcast visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com. Marsha 1:00:11 Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundredprojects. Kelly 1:00:19 Until next time, we're the Two Ewes Both 1:00:22 doing our part for world fleece! Transcribed by https://otter.ai    

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.

Summer Spin-In winners announced! The Two Ewes are together for two weeks so this is a quick, unedited episode to announce the winners and give a brief update on our Washington adventures. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts We drew prizes for the Summer Spin-In. Also, the 3Green Sisters giveaway thread is still going! If you didn't win yet, go try that thread! You can also shop 3 Green Sisters with a coupon code EWES2 for 15% off.  Marsha's Projects Marsha bought a fountain Pen: we found the Pilot Metropolitan at the UW bookstore. We also found J. Herbin ink  and we try to pronounce. Finished the socks that I had been working on for awhile. Used Garnstudio Drops Fabel. Atlas (Ravelry link) by Jared Flood using Navia Tradition. The pattern is also available at his website. Kelly and I had a long discussion about the sweater while poor Mark had to wear it and listen to us try and figure out what I need to do.  Still knitting on the tea cozy pattern, Nanny Meier's Tea Cozy by Amelia Carlsen. I am using Cascade 220 Heather in Red Wine Heather (9489) and green Irelande (2429). Garter Squish Blanket by Stephen West. Wanted to use “spirit yarn” to make a blanket for my brother that he had seen at Close Knit in Portland called Noromania Blanket. Turns out we remembered the blanket very differently and he was correct. So, that will be another blanket project. Decided to go ahead and dye the yarn for my second Garter Squish. Kelly helped by dye all the yarn. The main color is a gradient of a terra cotta. The contrasting yarns we dyed with short color repeats and long color repeats.  While Kelly was in meetings I drove into Aberdeen, Washington and visited Weird Sisters Wool Emporium owned by Megan Blackburn and Chelsea Barr who dye all the yarn. Megan used to own Little Fish Stitches. I made a pair of sock and the Walk Along tee with her yarm. Bought a skein of sock weight yarn for Kelly from the “Bob Ross: Happy Little Mistakes” bin. Their shop is a little hard to find on the second floor of a business office but do persevere or check out their website. Also visited Harbor Bead and Craft in Hoquiam, Washington. A nice craft store also a bit hard to find but worth the effort. Kelly's Projects Dark Green Forest by Christina Korber-Reith. I am using a terra cotta yarn that is a dark red overdyed over the light brown color of the CVM yarn. Working on the first sleeve but I'm almost done. Spinning wheel came with me on the trip and I've gotten a little spinning done on my Oxford singles. I think they will become a two ply.  Patreon Pattern Giveaway! Patrons get a pattern of their choice up to $8.00. Contact Kelly with your pattern selection! This is going on until the end of September. 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.

Lots of travel knitting, a natural dye workshop with fiber friends and some listener questions about spinning and stash are the topics for this week. Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of  our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Come join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Save the Date for a Washington Coast Meet-up! September 20-22.  We'll be meeting to knit and chat at String Theory Yarn and Fiber. Find lodging for the weekend in Seabrook, Washington or in nearby Pacific Beach or Ocean Shores. Or join us for a day if you are nearby! Click here to RSVP so we can reserve your goodie bag! Here is a link to the Ravelry thread about the meet-up. We just spent a week together in Seattle! Kelly came up to join Marsha and some fiber friends for a natural dye workshop.  The dyes used were coreopsis, lichen, avocado, and cochineal. They were dyed on a variety of natural colored yarns using different strengths of dye. We also used an ammonia modifier to change the color of the dye. Very inspiring.  Marsha's Projects: I finished the Lace Market T-shirt by Marie Green using Schoppel-Wolle El Linio several weeks ago. The neck is too big and I had planned to re-knit picking up fewer stitches, small needles, and slightly less loose bind off. Where did the time go? I turned heel and worked gusset of  Schoppel-Wolle Das Paar socks. About an inch of the foot is completed.  I also finished body and neck band of Fine Sand by Heidi Kirrmeier, using Fibra Natura Unity.  Knot a long: Nothing!!!! But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enter. So far we have 38 FOs, our biggest along ever! Enter by August 31st. Remember, it's any fiber related item that is not knit,  crochet, spinning or weaving. We'll draw for prizes in our first September episode. Kelly’s Projects The most significant FO for this week is my 5th metatarsal! Bone is 90% healed and the boot is off. Now on to the physical therapy! I also finished Two cowls from Alchemy yarn 100% silk. The pattern is Simple Yet Effective from Tin Can Knits. I finished the first one on the road trip to Seattle and the second one I almost finished on the trip back home.   The Silk Cardigan from Dragonfly Fibers Dance Rustic Silk is also finished. The pattern is Koru by Aroha Knits. I got some good wear out of it during the trip to Seattle. The fit is good and the armscye works ok with some of my short-sleeved tees.  I also finished the Tarantula that I was making for my grand nephew. Did you know that Tarantulas have 8 eyes? Two larger eyes and 6 tiny ones. I tried to make this tarantula as realistic as possible. The grands are keeping the class tarantula for the summer, so they are a little tarantula-obsessed! Finally, I finished the miniature punch needle rug. The kit by J. Conner Designs was a gift from Tori (wideanglemind). It was so fun and fast to do and turned out so cute.  I will definitely try more of this mini-punch work. The fabric is thin and flexible compared to the regular punch needle. It is more like embroidery and is often called punch needle embroidery.  Questions from Listeners PegofmyHeart (Peggy) asked about keeping her handspun yarn consistent.  "When I returned to spinning I must have changed my gauge. Now I have a sleeve that needs to be ripped out. New fiber spun, hopefully at a better gauge, and knitted again. HELP!" Suggestions: Take a piece of freshly spun singles off the bobbin and let it ply back on itself to be stablized. I hang this on my wheel so I can keep checking my spinning against this yarn. Unply it so you can see the single if you need to. You can also make a “Spinners Control Card” where you wrap both freshly spun singles and the plied-back-on-itself yarn around a stiff card and keep that with your spinning. This will help with consistency in spinning. Don’t wrap it too tightly or it will seem thinner than it really is.  Other tricks are: Spin all the singles before plying and put them all on storage bobbins and ply them first bobbin to last bobbin, second bobbin to penultimate bobbin, etc.  This presumes that the most widely differing bobbins are first and last and plying them together will average out the inconsistencies.  Spin all the yarn before starting the project and calculate the yards per pound or yards per gram. This will help you see inconsistencies in the skeins and allow you to use the most similar skeins where gauge is important. Any that are significantly different can be used where it matters less or maybe they won't be needed at all. Cindy (CindyQ)  and Valerie29 (Valerie) asked about stash busting, and stash organizing. Marsha suggests: I organize my wool stash by weight and store them in labelled plastic bins I pick up at the Goodwill. I have a separate bins for cotton and handspun. Braids for spinning are stored in those plastic covers that bedding comes in. Yarn/fiber I buy at stores is listed in Ravelry. I tried posting yarn I pick up at thrift stores/destash rooms in Ravelry, but it honestly got to be too much. As for using up the yarn, I made a scarf called Mini Mania using leftover sock yarn. I also made a Steven West afghan called Garter Squish that used up about 5,700 yards of worsted weight yarn. I made a shaw called Sunny Delight using yarn from the NoCKRs retreat destash room. Socks and hats are another great way to use up stash. Here are some other patterns I have been looking at to use up leftovers. Lily’s Scrap Blanket Vintage Crocheted Throw & Afghan Briochevron Blanket  (not sure I can do that much brioche) Stashbuster Blarf Stashbuster Sweater   Kelly says: Right now I have yarn all over the place.  Larger weaving cones are on a shelf in the garage and the smaller cotton, linen, etc. cones are in boxes in the garage since my only available looms are out there.  Usually most of my knitting yarn is in baskets and bowls and sorted however I think looks nice. It varies.  Sometimes by color, sometimes by type, sometimes by weight. Because of the electrical work mess, some of my yarn is also in boxes/bags in the living room (where big piles of stuff are being stored).  After using an already created warp from a destash, I’ve been thinking that winding warps and storing them as warps would be a great way to have weaving projects ready to go. When the inside studio is available again I’ve thought of a system for threading cones onto chains that drape across one of the walls. I like to see my yarn in different combinations to get inspiration. The downside of this system is that there could be sun damage to the yarn if I don’t use it regularly. I’m also not quite sure of the system for getting yarn down easily without having the whole string of cones come down on my head! My stashbuster projects for using leftovers are bears for the Mother Bear Project , charity hats, and baby socks. I also find that having yarn out on display gives me other ideas for combining yarns that weren’t originally planned to go together. Another possible project for using up waste (thrums from weaving) and other leftovers are to make hot pads. One technique is to use multiple strands that are twisted and plied to create a square that is then sewn together and felted. Another technique is to wrap rope with yarn using a coil basketry technique to make a spiral the becomes a round hot pad. Both would be perfect projects for the (K)Not Along that is going until August 31).

Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan is finished and the Two Ewes are celebrating!  Project planning has begun for Marsha's next blanket and Kelly is once again making progress on the handspun Funky Grandpa cardigan. Join us for a fun episode full of fiber adventures! Marsha's Projects The epic blanket is finished!  Marsha finished Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan and it is fantastic!  The pattern is Garter Squish by Stephen West although it was made to be bigger than the pattern.  Finished measurements are 6'8" x 5'7" and it weighs 5 pounds, 8 ounces.  This blanket contains the memories of her father Frank.  It was made from yarn that she used to make him a sweater many years ago.  It also contains the Spirit Yarn from destashes, the Goodwill, and yarns from friends (including our listener HockeyRachel).  This blanket is filled with good karma! During the podcast we had another live bind-off.  Marsha finished another washcloth or dishcloth.  This one was the Atomic Washcloth pattern and she edged it with crochet while we were talking. Kelly's Projects Kelly is back to working on her Handspun Charlotte Cardigan.  She is using the Funky Grandpa pattern and knitting with early handspun from a sheep named Charlotte. She is now working on the second sleeve and is almost done.  Next is picking up the button band and selecting buttons from her button stash. Kelly talks about the joys of knitting with handspun and the importance of not waiting until your yarn is perfect or you have found the perfect pattern. Kelly has also made progress on the blue crocheted cardigan that she is making.  The Curious Case of the Crazy Stitch Cardigan by Michele DuNaier.  The interesting construction is more curious than the stitch!  "Advent-ewes" Kelly purchased yarn from The Woolly Thistle.  St. Kilda Lace by Blacker Yarns is a blend of Soay and Boreray wool.  Yarn from sheep she had never heard of was just too much of a temptation!  For those interested in the two primitive breeds, here is a link: Sheep of St. Kilda.   Soay and Boreray Sheep Society Claire of New Hampshire Knits podcast and owner of The Woolly Thistle interviewed a US shepherd at Rhinebeck who has Soay sheep in her episode number 52.  While in the Woolly Thistle shop, she also found Manx and Hebridean yarns, both with mohair.  They are sock yarns (a bit on the heavy side of fingering weight) and will probably be part of some argyle socks for Robert. Next episode check in to hear about a giveaway of some other varieties of yarn provided by the Woolly Thistle for Two Ewes listeners! Marsha had another call from the Goodwill. (No, not on her phone, she just has a "spidey sense" about these things!)  It resulted in the purchase of 22 skeins of one type of yarn and several other skeins of a couple other brands.  Plus, she found some cones of wool and a cone of cotton/linen that she sent to Kelly.  Wow! If you enjoy the podcast, share it with a fiber friend, or two!  Send them to the website or share the podcast link with them!  Help spread the word about the Two Ewes Fiber Adventures!

Our monogamous knitting continues, but the wool fleece auction, bees, and planning for upcoming fiber events has kept life interesting! Project Updates Marsha continues to work on Frank's Spirt Yarn Afghan using the pattern from Stephen West called Garter Squish. She loves how the afghan keeps changing with each additional color. The afghan currently is about six feet wide and about 36" long. The afghan is no longer very portable, so Marsha is back working on the Havasu Falls shawl by Alison LoCicero. It's pretty good social knitting right now. Marsha also washed the black Wensleydale-Cormo-Merino cross fleece she bought at The Black Sheep Gathering. Kelly continues for work on her Funky Grandpa cardigan that she is calling Handspun Charlotte Cardigan because she is using handspun from a sheep named Charlotte. She reports on her experience of redoing one of the sleeves. Kelly also discusses dyeing yarn for the her next project, Opus the Octopus by Cate Carter-Evans. She is motivated by the need to have a project for to work on while attending a conference. (Since recording Kelly has been on work conference travel and has made some good progress on the octopus!) "Advent-ewes" Kelly attended the Monterey County Fair and the wool auction. She sat in on the fleece judging, volunteer with set up, and attended the auction. She exercised extreme self-control and purchased only one fleece, but it is a beauty...a Santa Cruz Island fleece from Blue Oak Canyon Ranch! Here is a link to an article about these sheep to understand why we are so intrigued. Marsha will be attending some events this fall and wanted to remind people about the terrific website called Knitter's Review that lists world wide fiber events. Nice to read about the events and dream. :-) Bees Kelly is so happy to report that she had a bee swarm in her garden! Check out her Instagram account at 1hundredprojects to see videos of the swarm and how Kelly got the swarm into the hive. So interesting. Kelly highly recommends the book Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley and you can see a discussion of the book here. If you want to see a presentation of the research that was in the book, here is a really interesting video.    

Knitting monogamy and the fall semester have combined to reduce the yarn crafting of the Two Ewes this episode. Both are making progress on their Epic Adventures, though. View photos, and subscribe to the podcast at our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures blog! Kelly has finished all the squares needed for the quilt that she started over 30 years ago. Now on to the sewing together! Kelly also started a new sock project for meeting knitting. The Angler's Loop socks have an interesting cable pattern along the back of the sock. The pattern is designed by Andrea Mules. Marsha has been moving along on Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan. The pattern is the Garter Squish by Stephen West. She is on the third color now and, at the moment, is knitting on this project exclusively.  Marsha did something she never thought she would do. She bought a tie-dyed skirt! This is not your grandfather's tie-dye. She talked with the dyer about the technique (which includes dye removal as well as overdyeing) and is inspired to try some tie-dye. Kelly attended the fleece judging for the Monterey County Fair Wool Show. The judge this year was Richard Jacobsen of Jacobsen Ranch. The fleeces in the show were spectacular, as usual! A "chrome" silver merino fleece caught everyone's imagination. There are a few unusual entries this year. The most exciting was a Santa Cruz Island fleece. This is a rare, heritage breed that had been feral on Santa Cruz Island. The Livestock Conservancy page links to a detailed and interesting article on the history of the breed by Lynn Moody. I don't know if she is the source of the fleece at the show. Here is an excerpt from the article. "Jim and I acquired our starter flock of Santa Cruz Island sheep from Marion Stanley in July 2010. As an avid (though not particularly skilled) handspinner and knitter and beginning weaver, I was looking for a hardy, self-sufficient and fuss-free breed with nice wool, marketable to crafters and artists, and that were “endangered” and needed preservation and promotion. That these sheep were nearly indigenous in my adopted state of California, had an interesting history, and came from an environment similar to that of our ranch, were added attractions. I began this study wondering when exactly sheep were first brought to Santa Cruz Island–there seemed to be some conflicting accounts-and what kinds of sheep made up the ancestry of these unique and fascinating animals." There were also Montadale and Oxford fleeces, not often seen at shows, and two Shetland fleeces. Although Shetland's aren't rare at wool shows, I haven't ever seen Shetland fleeces at the Monterey show. The auction will take place on Labor Day, September 5, 2016. The fair opens at noon, but the wool area is open for pre-auction viewing starting at about 9 am. If you have questions or comments and would like to email us, we are available at twoewesdyeing@gmail.com Or you can find us on Ravelry as "1hundredprojects" and "betterinmotion."    

Math, over-dyeing, color theory, and an interesting discussion of the Faroe Islands join knitting and spinning in the topics of this episode. Kelly's Projects Kelly has won the battle with the first of the Civil War socks. Several adjustments for fit were needed, but the finished sock is now perfect and it is on to the second one. The only other knitting has been on the NoCKRs shawl. The desire to use as much yarn as possible of both colors has led to some pattern modification experiments. Kelly has been doing a lot of spinning with two different wool/angora blends. One is a dyed gray and the other is a natural white. She also continues working on the CVM fleece with both a fingering/sport 3-ply and a bulky singles yarns on the wheels. Marsha's Projects Marsha was doing really well on her Fairfield Cardigan by Michele Wang but discovered she knit past the point where she should begin decreasing for the shoulders. Ugh! She now needs to do some ripping back. She started a shawl call Havasu Falls by Allison LoCicero using Freia Handpaints Ombre Lace in the color way Ice Queen. Since the last episode's discussion of the Tour de Fleece, Marsha has been focusing on spinning. She has one skein done and three bobbins waiting to be plied of the golden Shetland roving she purchased last month at the Black Sheep Gathering. When that project is done she plans to start spinning a big ball of unknown wool roving from Pendleton Woolen Mills. The Two Ewes have a discussion on the planning Marsha is doing to make the Garter Squish afghan by Stephen West. There is lots of talk of math including the golden ratio! The Garter Squish afghan is knit using two balls of worsted weight yarn. One in a main color and the second in ever changing contrast colors. For the main color Marsha will use the repurposed blue spirit yarn from the giant sweater she made for her father. For the contrasting colors she will use odds and ends from her stash. She didn't love some of the colors which leads to a Fiber in the Wild adventure. Fiber in the Wild Kelly and Marsha met Maddy Wallace (appledappy) at the Jorstadt Creek Dye Studio booth at the Black Sheep gathering. Maddy invited them to Over Dye Saturday held at the studio in Olympia, Washington. Marsha was able to attend and over dyed some of her thrift shop yarn that she will use in her Garter Squish afghan. Over Dye Saturdays supports Click for Babies who educate new parents on preventing shaken baby syndrome. Jorstadt Creek Dye Studio is owned by Kerry Graber (jorstadtcreek) and she is focusing on fiber from local producers featuring Icelandic, Finn, and Gotland wools all grown in the Olympia area. Her yarns are sold at Bazaar Girls in Port Townsend, WA and Yorkshire Yarns in Lakewood, WA. An Etsy shop is coming soon. Kerry is also part of a design group call the BK Collective featuring Jorstadt yarns. Marsha met two of the designers, Kaia Petersen (cayennepepper) and Jann Hoppler (jmhknits) at the studio. They have some lovely patterns. A couple of Marsha's favorites are.... Traslov Hat by Kerry Graber Garrison Street Scarf and Cowl by Kaia Petersen Ebb and Flow Shawl by Jann Hoppler A huge thank you to everyone at Jorstadt Creek. Marsha had a blast! Here are some pictures from the day or visit her project page, Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan, for more photos. And finally, Marsha talks about a story she heard on the BBC World Service about sheep being used to map the Faroe Islands. Here are links discussed. Faroe Islands Sheep View 360 Free Faroese Sweater Pattern Free Sarah Lund Faroese Sweater Pattern For photos check out our blog.  

Knitting, some spinning, lots of yarn project planning, and some fiber processing are the highlights of this episode. Kelly and Marsha do some goal setting with two-week goals and discussion of long-term projects. Kelly happily finished two projects that have been on the needles 9 months or more. First, the Hoarfrost sock pattern by Louise Tillbrook was used to make the Frosty Mint Julep socks. Second, Kelly finished the Niebling Doily Herbert Niebling lace patterns have an Arts and Crafts era style that is very distinctive. The Doily Head blog has a great collection of Niebling eye candy for your enjoyment! Kelly started her doily on Christmas day 2014 and finished it just over a year later. It was a fun and challenging project and there will definitely be another Niebling on the needles at some point. Most of Marsha's projects have not seen much progress since she has been working almost exclusively on her Mystery Wool Cardigan (#241 Neck Down V Neck Shaped Cardigan) by Diane Soucy. The body is almost finished. She is also considering three T-shirt patterns for her next project.  Edie by Isabell Kraemer, Brandilyn Top by Quenna Lee, and Ricky for All Seasons by Veera Sanon. Marsha made two goals between now and the next Two Ewes episode. She will walk three times a week and add her training schedule to her calendar. Big Sur 21-Miler, here we come! Her long term project goal is to complete the Garter Squish afghan by Stephen West. This means unraveling the sweater she made for her father years ago to use as the main color. She has been collecting various colors of worsted yarn, plus some blank yarn to dye, to use for the second color. Kelly has two new projects on the needles. She is making a stockinette scarf for her husband. It is being made with a LUSCIOUS merino and silk laceweight yarn from Bumblebirch. Good thing the yarn is nice, because the project is on size 3 needles! She also started a sweater using deep stash handspun!  The Funky Grandpa cardigan, by Maison Rililie Designs, will be a perfect pattern for this handspun yarn in both natural gray and overdyed colors. Kelly's two week goal is to walk the correct mileage during the next two weeks. No cheating on the training schedule. She will also finish spinning 3 skeins of the Corriedale yarn that she is making for her Mom as a substitute for Shibui Pebble. Long-term, Kelly will be working on putting together the quilt that she started in high school over 30 years ago! Join our Two Ewes Ravelry Group to become part of the wonderful and supportive Two Ewes community and participate in knit or crochet alongs. Contribute to the continued running of the podcast and get batts or mini skeins by clicking the donate button on the right side bar of the Two Ewes Fiber Adventures blog and making a contribution of $15 or more.  

We have a guest on this episode! Say hello to chopkinsknits. Welcome Tangled Yarn! Awesome sponsor:We are thrilled to have Tangled Yarn joining us as our first YitC Podcast sponsor! Tangled Yarn specialises in hand-dyed yarn and natural fibres from smaller independent suppliers both here in the UK and further afield. They offer free UK shipping on orders of £25 or more, or free international shipping on orders of £75 or more.Tangled Yarn also carries a tempting and colourful selection of Jamieson & Smith yarns, which we'll be using in the Quotidian Colourwork workshop that we're hosting with Felicity Ford of Knitsonik. Some of the gorgeous yarns on offer at Unravel. These beauties were on The Fibre Co. stand. What's going on:We recap Unravel briefly and chat about the following upcoming events:5-8th March: the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show at Olympia Central, London8th March: the Muse Connection, hosted by A Playful Day and Curious Handmade. Sadly, this installment is sold out, but stay tuned for future events.15-16th March: EYF26th March: Felicity Ford is coming to London to teach her Quotidian Colourwork Class with us at Homemade London. Get your tickets on the Events page!25-26th April: the 10th anniversary of Wonderwool Wales in Builth Wells15-16th May: I Knit Fandango at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster, where we will be at the Porpoise Fur booth!In the works:Catherine is working on a the Vivid Blanket by Tin Can Knits, for her impending grandchild. She's also working on a pair of socks in SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock, doing them two at a time on two circs, and doing her best to incorporate them as an accessory at every opportunity.Rachel finished her Sooper Sekrit YitC Crafty Guide sample knit in gorgeous Eden Cottage Yarns Bedale (which we may have mis-identified as camel/silk -- it's actually yak and silk. Weep for us). Other then that, she's had a knitting fail as half-term was spent trying to prevent her kids from killing themselves on skis, eating too much cheese (is there really such a thing?), and falling asleep on the couch at 8:00 pm. On the spinning front, she's decided to jump on the Garter Squish bandwagon, and is spinning up some of her teensy wee fiber stash to get started. Allison's Munchkin Blanket by Amy Swenson Allison finished her Munchkin Baby Blanket by Amy Swenson, and it is gorgeous!!!! She's on stripe 8 of 13 in her Garter Squish blanket (by Stephen West) and has wound the yarn for her GLYC Not-A-KAL KAL project. Photo courtesy of Catherine Hopkins Six Items Challenge:Catherine is participating in a clothing fast called the Six Items Challenge to benefit Labour Behind the Label, a charity supporting garment workers around the world. For six weeks, participants wear only six items of clothing from their wardrobes (knickers, shoes and accessories are thankfully exempt). Money raised in the Challenge will be used both to directly support garment workers and to campaign for further awareness.You can follow Catherine's progress on her Six Items Challenge on her blog, and find her fundraising page here (as of this writing she's the leading fundraiser for the challenge - go C!!!). You can find Scrapianna's blog here.As always you can find us on Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback with us, and please come say hi at any of the events we're attending if you get a chance!Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade)Loneliness & Alcohol - Jars of ClayFierce Flawless - Ani DifrancoEverything You've Done Wrong - SloanDesperate Dreams - Jess Pillmore

Shout outs:Thanks to MindfulKnits, Whitehart, Scienceknitster, and Jen at the Purple Purl in Toronto for their support and feedback. Also huge thanks to Rockabella Crafts for leaving a review for us on iTunes!What's going on:1 February - the deadline to submit your entry to A Playful Day's Design-along contest! See all the details on her website, and the entry thread is on her Ravelry group.7 February - the Grand Opening of YAK (aka Yarn and Knitting) in Brighton.20-22 February - Unravel, at Farnham Maltings. We will be there on Sunday, with our mothers in tow. Come say hi!14-15 March - Edinburgh Yarn Festival in (strangely enough) Edinburgh. Allison will be around, and will be at the Podcast Lounge so go harass her and bring her pink yarn!26 March - Felicity Ford, fibre and sound artist, of the Knitsonik podcast and the Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook (which we reviewed in Episode 1, and you should get it immediately if you don't have it already) will be doing a workshop in Central London, hosted by yours truly. Stay tuned for more details and tickets coming soon.25-26 April - Wonderwool Wales, in Builth Wells, which we may be attending as another epic Girls' Weekend Away.In the works:Allison is still working on her Munchkin Blanket by Amy Swenson, as well as getting geared up for a quilt for the same baby. She started the Garter Squish blanket by Stephen West, but had to rip it out due to an attack of gauge goggles. She's also just started a sample knit for the YitC Crafty Guide - yippee!Alli is also participating in the Dryathlon, a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK. If you'd like to make a pledge you can find her team page here.Rachel is working on a super secret circular sample knit for the YitC Crafty Guide with some gorgeous yarn from Eden Cottage Yarns. She finished the knitting of the Heinous Ecuadoran Yarn of Doom, but now needs to dig out some yarn from her stash for the ribbing and button bands before it's all done and dusted. Her Insight Pullover is up to the armholes, and she's faffing around with stranded colourwork knit flat (booo!!!!!). Allison suggested trying out Norwegian Purling. Beth Brown Reinsel has a great video of the Norwegian Purl on You Tube.In spinning news, Rachel (ever the scientist) has been doing some experimenting with her equipment to determine which wheel is faster. The non-statistically significant sample size of one suggests that the Hansen miniSpinner, although it feels slower, is actually faster for singles then a single treadle Lendrum. Last, but not least, she has finally finished spinning up Alli's Christmas present from 2013: a sweater-lot of handspun sport weight yarn in three different shades of orange for the Gradient Pullover by Amy Miller. Watch this space for future swatching evidence!Annihilating your Comfort Zone:We talk about goals for the year, and the idea of setting CLEAR goals, rather then SMART goals. We talk about colour comfort zones, mystery knitalongs, and ways to push ourselves creatively, professionally, personally. There is a somewhat tricky analogy made by Rachel in regards to risk taking and skiing, and we admit that we've got some CLEAR goals coming up for Yarn in the City this year.Conclusions:Where you can find us: Ravelry, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Come join us for some stash-down knitting of GLYC-acquired yarns.Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade):Loneliness & Alcohol - Jars of ClayEverything You've Done Wrong - SloanLet Go - Toby Lightman