Podcast appearances and mentions of jennifer lassonde

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 288 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Show notes with photos can be found on my website.   This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Cold, Cold Heart Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Yarn: June Pryce Fiber Arts Coventry DK in the Cold, Cold Heart Colorway Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Hattie's Scrappy Helical Socks Yarn: Random bits & bobs of fingering weight leftovers in pinks, purples and blues Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) US 1 (not 1.5), 48 sts. long cuff. Ravelry Project Page Check out my video tutorial for using Cate's Clasp Weft Join along with Helical Knitting.   Millie's Christmas Makeup Patterns from Etsy by Tugs & Stitches: Crochet Makeup Bundle Pattern: $15 Crochet Pattern Yarn: Worsted Weight Acrylic Yarns Hooks: C & D (2.75 & 3.25 mm)   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Wintermint Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh SW Targhee Sock in the Wintermint Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Working on both socks. First one is beyond the heel. Second one is ready for the heel.   Moosonee Sweater Pattern: Moosonee Sweater by Tara-Lynn Morrison. $6.50 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & good night, day website. Yarn: Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Deep Lagoon Needles: US 13, 17 & 19 (9, 12 & 15 mm) Pullover sweater similar to the Nanaimo Cardigan I like to make (Here's one of Megg's: Ravelry link).   103 Hat Pattern: 103 Hat by Jennifer Lassonde. $5 Knitting Pattern available on  Ravelry & LoveCrafts Yarn: Malabrigo Rios (worsted) in 845 Cirrus Gray Needles: US 5 & US 7 (3.75 & 4.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Peace & Light Mitts Yarn: Woolens & Nosh SW Targhee Sock in the Peace & Light Colorway Pattern: Soccer Mitts by Erica Lueder. Free Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry. Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the yarn: 6 stripes in blues/teals, 3 in creams/yellows Cast on with 56 sts like socks.   Brainstorming Calendula Christmas Quilt Pattern: Calendula Quilt by Elena Fedotova Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids in Ivory, Deep Red, Varsity Green, Aqua, Medium Rose Hook:  G (4.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page   KAL News Pigskin Party '24 #DCSPigskinParty24 Event Dates: Thursday September 5, 2024- Monday February 10, 2025 Find everything you need in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Official Rules Registration Form  (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes) Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc. Coupon Codes are listed in this Ravelry Thread Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread Questions-  ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com Our Official Sponsor for Q2 (November) was Twin Mountain Handcrafts. Check this Ravelry thread for details about the Button challenge! Tune in to see if you're the winner! Our Official Sponsor for Q3 (December) is Fangirl Fibers. Check out this Ravelry thread for details about the Colorwork challenge. Commentator Mary Klute's report- CONTAINS RAVELRY LINKS

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 283 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website.   This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitchin with Yarn, winemakerssister, Yumi Yarns & Fibernymph Dye Works   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins LFA Helical Socks Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes in the Portal Colorway & a Mystery Colorway (both 50g skeins: 75% SW Merino, 25% Nylon). Knit Picks Felici in the Beatnik Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Cast on in June 2023. Finished September 5. Forgot to share in the last episode.   Frozen Shake Cozy Pattern: Ball Band with a Twist by Jennifer Lassonde. $2 crochet pattern available on Ravelry | LoveCrafts Yarn: worsted crochet cotton Hooks: F (3.75mm) & G (4.0mm) Ravelry Project Page Yarn- mystery blue cotton on a cone that was from Aunt Rachel's stash. Made for mom during September hospital stay when the dietitians started making frozen shakes to get nutrients into her.   Ribbed Bobble Pumpkin Pattern: Ribbed Bobble Pumpkin by Breann Mauldin. $3 crochet pattern available on Ravelry. Free version available here. Yarn: KnitKraft Wintuk Yarn in the Tangerine Colorway Hook: F (3.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page Yarn gifted to me by my friend Heather. We became friends through the dancing school we went to. Her mother was the stage manager and my mom was the house manager for our recitals. We've all know each other since I was 12. Heather's mother Rita passed away a few years ago. When Heather heard my mom was in the hospital she dropped off a care package at the dancing school- chemo caps for Mom and yarn from her mom's stash for me!   Rita's pumpkins Pattern: Pumpkin by June Gilbank. Free crochet pattern available on Ravelry. Free version available here. Yarn: KnitKraft Wintuk Yarn in the Tangerine Colorway Hook: F (3.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page 5 finished Yarn is definitely 1970s/1980s squeeky acrylic, so not my favorite to work with, but it feels great to put it to good use and to bring a bit of life to Rita's old stash.   Farmhouse Pumpkin Pattern: Farmhouse Pumpkins by More Dreams Less Life. $4.25 crochet pattern available on Ravelry. Yarn: KnitKraft Wintuk Yarn in the Tangerine Colorway Hook: F (3.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page Worked in the round. Does use FP & BP HDC which I learned in my crochet cables class at Staci's! Love the look of this. Worked up in an evening of TV.   Pumpkin Patch Cup Cozy Pattern: Pumpkin Patch Cup Cozy by Kylee Keller. Free crochet pattern available on Ravelry & this blog. Yarn: KnitKraft Wintuk Yarn in the Tangerine Colorway, Knit Picks Brava Worsed in the Dublin colorway (green) & mystery brown acrylic yarn from stash. Hook: F (3.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page The pattern calls for thicker yarn and a larger hook than I had. It also calls for what's essentially a 1x1 ribbed look, but I liked the look of the ribbing from the front/back post crochets on the Farmhouse Pumpkins, so I used that pattern instead. I used the stitch count from my Ball Band with a Twist pattern (available on Ravelry | LoveCrafts).   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Farmhouse Pumpkin Pattern: Farmhouse Pumpkins by More Dreams Less Life. $4.25 crochet pattern available on Ravelry. Yarn: KnitKraft Wintuk Yarn in the Rust Colorway Hook: F (3.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page I initially grabbed the yarn from Heather and threw some in my bag for the hospital and rest (still in its plastic Thom McCann shoe store bag lol into my craft room). I though the other skein of Wintuk was red- but when I went down there again, I realized it was rust! and the pumpkin madness continued! Cast on Saturday 9/28 watching Season 2 of the OA with Dan on Netflix.   Static Musselburgh Pattern: Musselburgh Hat by Ysolda Teague (7 GBP Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry & Ysolda's website) Yarn: Knit Picks Static Fingering Weight Yarn in the Peppercorn colorway Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) & US 2.5 (3.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page Note- the pattern just got some updates About the yarn: blues, grays, cream and a bit of a salmony orange. Self patterning yarn. Progress: 15 inches. I will plan to add one more inch and then work the decreases.   Let the Mystery Unravel 2023 Blanket of Calm Pattern: Blanket of Calm by Casapinka (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Woolen Women Fibers- Let the Mystery Unravel subscription + Cascade Heritage Sock yarn in the Forged Iron Colorway Hook: 3.25 mm (D) Ravelry Project Page You can find my Let the Mystery Unravel Unboxing Video on YouTube in this Playlist This subscription is not available to new subscribers but there's a new one coming in the Fall. Blanket Pre-Orders for the Murder She Knit club are available now! Please consider using my Affiliate Link. Progress: I finished 9 my July squares & seamed them. I started my August squares and have 1 package waiting for me to open- the last batch.   Stranger Things 2 Socks Yarn: Desert Vista Dyeworks Viso base (75% SW Merino/25% Nylon) in the Stranger Things 2 Self Striping Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Cast on the morning of Thursday 9/5 for the Pigskin Party. I didn't get to join in the round until that night, but now its well underway. About the colorway- stripes of: orange, hot pink, purple, navy blue, medium blue and red. Progress- My first Pigskin Cast on using Snack Shack Sponsor yarn. I'm almost to heel of the first sock.   Rest Relax Recharge Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn: Plush Sock in the Rest Relax Recharge Colorway (from the March 2023 Yarnable Box) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Cast on both cuffs so I can try to work these up quickly. They'll match some of Mom's go-to pjs. Cute acrylic Pigskin markers from Twin Mountain Handcrafts on them. Thanks ladies for sending them to me. I love them.   Brainstorming Making the pumpkins has me itching to make toys. It would be great to make some for the little kiddos for Christmas. I need to start the Christmas stocking for my cousin Colleen's little boy Owen so I have that ready for Thanksgiving. The pumpkins also have me longing to crochet some hats.   From the Armchair Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing Talked to several nurses and other staff about my knitting and crochet while in with Mom. One PCA learned to knit before but said she never really full understood it. I told her I'd be happy to meet her for coffee and a lesson anytime. The staff all oooh and ahhh over Mom's handknit socks. One morning when Mom was really out of it from anesthesia the day before, I was putting on her handknit socks and I had them totally crooked, heel on the side, and she was busting my chops. I told her "hey, I said I was good at knitting them, not putting them on!" and she insisted on taking a photo for me to share! Little glimpses of her coming back to her real self were great- even if it was going to be a bit more time before she was back to normal. I recently saw a notice in my town's Facebook page that the senior center is looking for yarn they can use to make things to sell at holiday's craft fairs. PSA: even if your community hasn't reached out- see if they need yarn so you can clear out anything you don't need and know it will go to good use.   KAL News Pigskin Party '24 #DCSPigskinParty24 Event Dates: Thursday September 5, 2024- Monday February 10, 2025 Find everything you need in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Official Rules Registration Form  (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes) Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc. Coupon Codes are listed in this Ravelry Thread Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread Questions-  ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com Tailgate Talk Challenge- Click here for Ravelry Link Great way to get to know your team. There will be daily prompts from 9/5 through 9/16. Answer them in your Team thread in the Ravelry Group. If you answer them all, no more than 2 per day, you'll get 150 points (as long as you enter them on the Points Tally form by 10/1).  Our Official Sponsor for Q1 (October) is The Little Wolf Knits. This means you've got a challenge that can earn you more points and entry towards a cool prize. Check out the challenge details in this Ravelry post Commentator Mary Klute's report- One of the best things about the pigskin party is the community!  It is so much fun to get to know other players and the annual Tailgate Talk is a great way to do that. It looks like this year's Tailgate Talk was a great success--at the time of this report nearly 200 players had submitted for their Tailgate Talk points! But players aren't just chatting--they are also finishing projects!  So far there are 307 finished projects on the scoreboard, including 10 blitzes!  And it looks like players are really using sponsor products to rack up some extra points.  So far, finished projects have earned over 50 points on average by using sponsor products!  Symama09 is a great example of how to really maximize those sponsor points.  She earned 280 sponsor points on her recently finished gnome by using 2 proshop exclusive products, three proshop non-exclusive products, and two products from snack shack sponsors!  Her gnome is super cute too- check out the Ravelry Project Page here! Finally, don't forget to spread the word about the PSP!  You can join 14 players who have been earning points by drafting players! Tune in to hear if you're a September Participation Prize winner. I will be in touch with all winners via email.   Events Vermont Sheep & Wool: October 5 & 6, 2024 in Tunnebridge, VT Lambtown, Dixon, CA - Oct 5-6, 2024 NY Sheep & Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck): October 19 & 20, 2024 in Rhinebeck, NY Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival: November 9-10, 2024 in West Friendship, Maryland For more West Coast (US) event- check out the Seattle Knitters Guild Site.   Know of an event I should spread the word about? Let me know!   Contest, News & Notes   My friend Linda is looking for donations of warm handknit/crocheted items for adult and youth homeless in Massachusetts. They set up tables on Thanksgiving and put all of the handmade items on the fence outside the First Church in Woburn, MA. Calling for all makers who want to donate. PM me on Ravelry or email me at downcellarstudio at gmail.com and I'll give you the address to send them to. Any fiber type welcome. Hats, scarves, mitts, shawls, blankets. Anything warm is welcome!   Life in Focus Update on Mom: Diane is still in the hospital after being admitted on 9/12. Attempts at the bedside to put filler into her right vocal cord to bring back her voice didn't work, so they brought her down to the OR and did the procedure there. She has so much more volume now! She doesn't notice a huge difference but we all do. We thought about 2 weeks in that she'd be going home, bags were all packed and they decided to do a last minute CT which showed spots in her lungs. We were told it wasn't cancer but it took until Thursday to do a Bronchoscopy to reveal the cause of that issue- 2 different bacterial infections. Of course at first we were told it was just 1 and she could go home on oral antibiotics. 10 minutes later the other was found and now she has to stay for at least a few days of IV antibiotics.   How to make it fun in the hospital Get to know your caregivers; find out what you have in common. It makes it more interesting if you can actually have a bond with the people you're interacting with on a regular basis. Get some new pajamas- especially if that's all you get to wear. If your family can stay over with you- get matching PJs. It's a little thing but it can make it feel a bit more special. Find ways to make the little things into bigger things. Our first matching PJ night, we wore flamingo pajamas. In advance of that, I purchased flamingo decorations at the party store and bought light up necklaces, straws & ice cubes to turn the evening into a party. The next night, we planned to have an ice cream sundae party. The unit always has ice cream on hand. Mom ordered a peach puree from the daily menu and I saved M&Ms that my cousin Jenny brought and we had an ice cream party. As it turns out, I spotted fireworks out the windows of the elevator lobby that night and was able to bring Mom over to see. Made what could have been an average night - or a depressign one because we thought she'd be home, more entertaining. Have folks send in mail and bring it to the patient! Chellescraps- Michelle, sent a bouquet of paper flowers (I believe they're from freshcutpaper)- my brother's family also got her one early on in her stay (these are great because, you may not know this but some patients cannot have fresh cut flowers- burn patients, some immunocompromised patients etc); Sewrunknit, Suzanne, sent a funny card, ElsaandEm, Emily, sent a handknit/embroidered flower pin, my cousin Jenny brought a WonderWoman balloon and ironically on the same day, a friend dropped off a Wonder Woman pillow at the house (great to use to push into Mom's side when she had pain) Ask friends and family to text photos and videos! Hattie sent Mom the cutest video of a little dance/kartwheel which was so fun.    On a Happy Note Sharpie Rollerball Pens (.5mm)- available on Amazon. The only thing that would make it better is if it was a click top, but I'm totally willing to live without the convenience. Trader Joe's Honey Hydration Day & Night Cream Duo. $7.99 (dupe for Farmacy Honey Halo, which I've never tried) One day when my SIL brought Riley, Garret and Millie in to see Mom at the hospital, Millie said she wanted to see my office, so since Mom was still at her MRI, we took a detour. Millie did a full on simulation of me at work, drinking selzter, typing on my computer etc. My parents celebrated their 47th Wedding Anniversary. Thankfully Dan had more brain cells and time than the rest of us and got Mom flowers on his way in to visit. I picked up my grandmother to bring her in for a visit with my Mom. We had a lovely visit. My cousin Sabrina came up from Tennessee with her girlfriend Maria for a visit with my Mom. It was so great catching up with them. Watching The American President. I love that movie. Mom and I had been talking about it in the hospital that day- specifically the line from Michael J. Fox (as Lewis Rothschild) "I tell any girl I'm going out with to assume that all plans are soft until she receives confirmation from me thirty minutes beforehand." Robin McCall: "And they find this romantic?" Lewis Rothschild: "Well, I say it with a great deal of charm." I was able to use our John Deere tractor/backhoe to free myself when a tree fell in our driveway and I was trapped. Dan was in Vermont and I thought I'd have to call my nephew Oisin but it didn't come to that! I scored a $300 ski bag with a charging set-up for boot warmers for $15 at a yard sale this weekend. Trader Joe's pumpkin Kringle! with Cinnamon coffee.   Quote of the Week   Strive to be whole, not perfect, for in wholeness we embrace both our strengths and our flaws, while in perfection, we lose the beauty of our true selves. -Unknown   ------   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 275 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair In my Travels KAL News Events Life in Focus Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitched by Jessalu & The Yarn Sellar Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Thumper Hat Yarn: Berrocco Ultra Alpaca in the Light Grey colorway Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) & US 8 (5.0 mm) Pattern: Thumper Hat by Jennifer Lassonde- $5 Knitting pattern available on Ravelry & LoveCrafts The Thumper Hat is a worsted weight slouchy hat with a diamond lace pattern. For the size Large/XL, I used 66g of yarn (around 144 yards/132 meters) LFA Mystery Shortie Socks Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About 12 rounds of ribbing. 1 round of knitting before starting the heel I used 35 grams of yarn. Hair bow Pattern: Cottage Hair Accessories (Bow Tie) by Wool & Pine. $5 pattern available on Ravelry or on the Wool & Pine website) Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Glitz Toes- multicolor mini skein from Christmas 2023 Advent Calendar. Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page Pattern was a part of my May 2024 Woolen Yarn Box package. Watch my unboxing video here. If you're thinking of joining, please purchase using my Affiliate Link. It won't cost you any extra. I will make a small commission. On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Modern Classic Baby Blanket Pattern: Modern Classic Baby Blanket by Kristin Holloway ($8 crochet pattern available on Ravelry: free version w/ ads available on this website) Hook: I (5.5) Yarn: Big Twist Tweed in White (7 skeins) Size: Crib Blanket: 36 x 50” The blanket is worked in 2 halves that you seam together at the center to make it symmetrical. The pattern features some crochet cables. Woolen Camelot socks Yarn: Woolen Women Fibers Sock (80/20 SW Merino/Nylon) in the Woolen Camelot colorway from the May 2024 Woolen Yarn Box. Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Check out my Unboxing Video for this May 2024 Woolen Yarn Box. If you're thinking of joining, please purchase using my Affiliate Link. It won't cost you any extra. I will make a small commission. Let the Mystery Unravel 2023 Blanket of Calm Pattern: Blanket of Calm by Casapinka (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Woolen Women Fibers- Let the Mystery Unravel subscription + Cascade Heritage Sock yarn in the Forged Iron Colorway Hook: 3.25 mm (D) Ravelry Project Page You can find my Let the Mystery Unravel Unboxing Video on YouTube in this Playlist Progress: My January (Month 4) squares done and seamed and the border is in progress. My February (Month 5) squares are in progress. Be Fearless Socks Yarn: Area 51 Fibres Sturdy Alien Base in the Be FearLess Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) About the Yarn: pink, peach yellow, green and blue stripes to look like the colors in our FearLESS Living Fund logo. Pet of our February fundraiser. Progress: more than half way done with leg on the first sock Christmas in July Socks Yarn: Area 51 Fibres Sturdy Alien Base in the Christmas in July 2023 Colorway Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Ravelry Project Page Area 51. Snack shack sponsor. Progress: finished first sock. Beyond the heel on the second sock. Brainstorming Keeping a “creative projects” list in Evernote is really helping me. With everything going on, I don't always have the mental energy to decide on something but making feels good and I'm happier when I do it. Thinking ahead to upcoming birthdays and listing patterns out is working better for me this year than ever before. April Plans Crochet beer hat for Chris – Red heart gold + Lion Brand Homespun Yarn- Hepplewhite (May 31st  birthday)-  yarn purchased Mini Mock Neck Tank for Liz. Pattern by Jessie Maed Designs. $9 knitting pattern on Ravelry We bought yarn for this at Rhinebeck and in an over-tired state, lost ourselves in a fit of giggles over the description of this pattern. I need to take Liz's measurements From the Armchair I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy by Erin Carlson. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Women by Kristin Hannah. Bookshop Affiliate Link.Amazon Affiliate Link. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases. In My Travels On Sunday March 24, my friend Megg and I spent the day at Raffa Life in Cranston, Rhode Island. We did the 4 hour Urban Sweat in the morning. We took a Worm Moon Sound Bath Yoga Workshop in the afternoon. I left feeling loose, refreshed, and calm. Curious about what a Sound Bath is? Click here for an article that may be helpful. KAL News Splash Pad Party will be coming! Events The Yarn Seller's Fiber Marketplace– April 6, 2024 in York Beach, ME Shepard's Extravaganza: April 6-7 in Enumclaw, WA Whidbey Weavers Guild Spin-In: April 6-7 in Oak Harbor, WA Fiber Witch Festival: April 19-21, 2024 in Salem, MA (marketplace and classes) Connecticut Sheep & Wool: Sunday April 27, 2024 in North Haven, CT Yarncentrick Pop-up Event: May 2 & 3, 2024 in Frederick, MD Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 4 & 5, 2024 in West Friendship, MD New Hampshire Sheep & Wool: May 11 & 12, 2024 in Deerfield, NH Webs Fleece Market: May 18 in Northampton, MA (Tent sale May 16-17) Coggeshall Farm Sheep & Wool Festival: May 18th in Bristol, RI Massachusetts Sheep & Wool: May 25 & 26, 2024 in Cummington, MA Flock Fiber Festival– August 4-6 in Seattle, WA Adirondack Wool & Arts Festival; September 21 & 22, 2024 in Greenwich, NY Vermont Sheep & Wool: October 1 & 2, 2024 in Tunnebridge, VT NY Sheep & Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck): October 19 & 20, 2024 in Rhinebeck, NY For more West Coast (US) event- check out the Seattle Knitters Guild Site. Know of an event I should spread the word about? Let me know! Life in Focus I shared an update on my 24 for 2024 list 5) Organize a fundraiser for the FearLESS Living Fund 15) Purge at least 20 items from my wardrobe (March: nearly 30 pieces) 16) Go skiing- 2/24 with Rowans 20) Buy a new quilt and/or duvet cover for our bed. Ordered in march. 21) Buy a new blow dryer. March 21st ordered Dyson Ask Me Anything Rachel asked: How are you coping with your mom's health concerns and making time for self care? Going to bed early. Not scrolling on social media- it can be fun, yes, but too much makes me feel anxious. Talking with friends and with Dan. I started seeing a therapist. Making time- not having kids definitely helps with this, but as you all know, I can definitely over-schedule myself. I have been prioritizing family events and not much else. I don't enjoying saying no or seeing so much white space on the calendar- but I know I'll need it and I often do. On a Happy Note Friday night game night at my parents with my brother, Dan and the kids. We played a few spirited rounds of Skip-Bo and watched the Taylor Swift Eras tour movie on tv. Mom, Riley, Millie and I had a sleepover then spent Saturday doing some thrift and clothing shopping, went out for lunch and brought home Crumbl cookies to taste test (with my Dad/Pepere). My phone fell into the cookie with the MOST sticky frosting. It was hilarious! We all celebrated St. Patrick's Day at my cousin Susan's annual party. I had a blast catching up with cousins and especially playing with some of the little kiddos. Seeing the Girl from North Country (Broadway in Boston series). While Megg and I did not enjoy the show, its always fun to experience live theater and the music was beautiful. Monthly massage! Lunch with Mom, Dad, Kris and Aila. Garret's playoff hockey game! He got a hat trick, they won and got to the next round of playoffs (they won the second game too). Dinner with work friends. Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases. Quote of the Week “Spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush.” — Doug Larson —— Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out myDown Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -“Soft Orange Glow” by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 251 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. Click here.   This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins From the Armchair Crafty Adventures Knitting in Passing KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Shout out to Ultimate Insider Patrons: Aggie, Alexis, Alicia, Beth, Erica, Haidi, Kristina, Rachel, Rachel and Steph   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Grammy's 2nd Jean Marie Shawl Pattern: Jean Marie by Jennifer Lassonde ($6 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & LoveCrafts). Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) Yarn: Plymouth Yarn DK Merino Superwash in Black, Light Gray and White (2 skeins each) Ravelry Project Page   Own Two Feet Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Cloudborn Fibers Merino Superwash Sock Twist Tiny Stripe in the Own Two Feet Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page 56 stitches. Cuff Down. About the yarn: 2 round stripes of plum, lavender, brown and gray   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Musselburgh Hat   Pattern: Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague ($7.77 US/ 6 GBP knitting pattern available on Ravelry or on Ysolda's website) Yarn: fingering weight yarn from stash in a denim blue (can't find the ballband) Needles: US 2 (2.75) circular- 32 in (magic loop for beginning & end of project & US 2 (also called US 2.5) 3.0 mm 16-inch circular for the body of the hat Ravelry Project Page Size: Adult Medium Plan: Switch colors half way through. I have a lighter blue skein from On the Round that I purchased at Wicked Good Yarns in Rockland, MA that I want to use to make it a reversible hat.   Ninja Turtle Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Qing Fibre Dashing Fingering Yarn in the Ninja Turtle Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page 56 stitches. Cuff Down. Laura chose this yarn when we were shopping at Loop London in the Fall of 2022. About the yarn: it is the brightest, most neon yellow/green. Progress: Sock #1 is most of the way through the foot.   Carmen Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Gusto Wool Carmen Sock Weight Yarn (80/20 Merino/Nylon) in Colorway 1402 Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Cloudy + Rainbows Spinning Project Fiber: 4oz braid of BFL from Frabjous Fibers in the Rainy Day Rainbows Colorway Description- long stretches of light gray punctuated with shorter blips of rainbow colors Twist direction: singles = Z plied = S This means when I'm spinning, my wheel is spinning clockwise and when plying my wheel is moving counter-clockwise. I bought a new poly drive band for my Kromski Minstrel from Spinning Bunny on Etsy that I heard about on a Kromski Spinning Wheel Owners message board on Ravelry. Finished spinning all 4 ounces. I would like to ply with other gray fiber.   Wild Air Farm Fiber Fiber: 3.9 ounces of Shetland & Pygora from Wild Air Farm. Tag indicates "Melody & Cadence" which I presume are the animal names. 1 bump in green, 1 bump in blue Ravelry Project Page Twist direction: singles = Z plied = S This means when I'm spinning, my wheel is spinning clockwise and when plying my wheel is moving counter-clockwise.   From the Armchair   Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Crafty Adventures I finally got around to hanging up items to create a collage wall in the Down Cellar Studio.   Knitting in Passing While knitting on my Musselburgh Hat at Oisin's show, the women behind me asked me at Intermission what I was making because she's a "big knitter." I explained about the hat and what a sensation the pattern was. It was nice chatting with her.   KAL News   The Annual Splash Pad Party is ON for this summer. Save the dates for virtual kick off events Friday & Saturday May 26-27th Call for sponsors going out soon. Sign up for my email newsletter & check the box for getting Sponsor emails if you want to be the first to know about available sponsor spots.  Participant sign-ups will start in May.   Events Saturday April 1 from 10a-3p: The Yarn Seller's 10th Annual Fiber Marketplace in York, Maine. Click here for details. Saturday April 22 from 10a-5p Gore Place Annual Sheepshearing Festival in Waltham, MA. Click here for details. Connecticut Sheep & Wool: April 29, 2023 at the North Haven Fairgrounds. Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 6 & 7th at the Howard County Fairgrounds Mom & I are planning to attend NH Sheep & Wool: May 13 & 14 in Deerfield, NH Massachusetts Sheep & Wool: May 27 & 28th at the Cummington Fairgrounds Vermont Sheep & Wool: Sept 30 & Oct 1 at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds Check out some West Coast (US) Events on the Seattle Knitters Guild site (thanks Kristen- kips206)   Contest, News & Notes I will have a new shawl pattern ready for test knitters soon. I think I will run the test on Ravelry because it's what I know and is easiest and life is still a little challenging for me right now, so thank you for giving me a little grace.   Life in Focus   Tune in for my update on 23 in 2023. Any tips for brands/types of fake eyelashes to try? Skiing didn't happen this year. Sigh. I'm making good progress of reading, going to musicals, sending cards and going to the movies!   I celebrated the 11 year anniversary of the Podcast with a quick look back at Episode 1!     On a Happy Note Follow-up after Mom's recent scans show things look good. She & Dad headed off to Florida for vacation. Dan & I helped Dad replace their broken TV and we had a nice dinner together. My cousin Susan's annual St. Patrick's Day Party with birthday cake for my cousin Christopher whose baby I met for the first time that day and a Bailey's toast to my dear Aunt Florence. Picked up Riley and Millie to go meet Mom & Trish for mani pedis before Mom & Dad headed to Florida on Vacation. Seeing Oisin play Shrek in Shrek Jr. at his Middle School. Girls Game Night at my cousin Joanie's house Going back to Zumba before my old gym closes. I had my annual mammogram and thought there was cause for concern but ultrasound proved everything is normal! PSA: Get those boobies checked!! It's important.   Quote of the Week   I realized I was as happy as I'd ever been in my life. It was the happiness of the right-before, when everything is potential and no branch on the tree of possibility has yet been closed off by action. –Dawn Drzal   Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

    Thank you for tuning in to Episode 250 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website.   This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbin On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Crafty Adventures Knitting in Passing In my Travels KAL News Events On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsor: The Yarn Sellar and be sure to check out their annual Fiber Marketplace Saturday April 1 2023, 10-3 pm  at the Union Bluff in York Beach,Maine.   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Hattie's Ice Cream Pattern: Ice Cream Cone by Shannon Holding. Free Crochet Pattern available on the LoopholeFox website & on Ravelry Hook: C (2.75) Yarn: Knit Picks Brava in Cotton Candy (pink), Blush (pink), White. Loops & Threads Impeccable in Soft Taupe (cone) 2 scoops of ice cream (instructions include option for 3 scoops). 1st scoop is pink, 2nd scoop is white. Pink and purple sprinkles Ravelry Project Page   Hattie's Cupcake Pattern: Cupcake by Stitch11. Free crochet pattern available on this website & on Ravelry. Hook: C (2.75) Yarn: Knit Picks Brava in White. Loops & Threads Impeccable in Soft Taupe (cake), Big Twist Twinkle in Gray (wrapper) Silver sparkle yarn for cupcake wrapper, taupe for cupcake, white frosting with pink and purple sprinkles to match ice cream. Ravelry Project Page   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Mini Skein Hexagon Blanket Pattern: Basic Crochet Hexagon Pattern & Tips from Make Do and Crew Website & YouTube Tutorial Hook: F (3.75 mm) Yarn: Mini skeins from 2022 agirlandherwool Advent Calendar, 24 Days of Cheer Swap minis + other scraps/swap yarn Ravelry Project Page I've been closing the end of each hexagon with this join- link to Instagram post 4 rounds per hexagon. 3.75 inches each. Likely need over 300 Twin sized blanket is 60x80 inches. 17x22 hexis- 374. Over 160 full hexagons done now. I washed all of my finished hexis (that already had ends woven in), in the washing machine on delicate inside a lingerie bag. The lingerie bag is important because with small pieces, you can lose pieces into your machine and cause problems. Results: 5 of them came apart at the join on the final round. No bleeding or fading. No shrinking. I'm glad I did this so I could get the bad ones out of the mix before I seam them. Learned double magic circle from this YouTube video. The trick is to know how to pull both loops to tighten the loop.   Ninja Turtle Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Qing Fibre Dashing Fingering Yarn in the Ninja Turtle Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page 56 stitches. Cuff Down. About the yarn: it is the brightest, most neon yellow/green. Laura chose this yarn when we were shopping at Loop London in the Fall of 2022. Progress: Sock #1 is beyond the heel.   Own Two Feet Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Cloudborn Fibers Merino Superwash Sock Twist Tiny Stripe in the Own Two Feet Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page 56 stitches. Cuff Down. About the yarn: 2 round stripes of plum, lavender, brown and gray Progress: Just finished the heel of the second sock.   Benjamin's Christmas Stocking Pattern: Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Family Circle Magazine. Available in this web archive link. I've also saved it to my podcast Gmail Google Drive in case it disappears! web.archive.org-Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Our Archives.pdf Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, Hunter Green and White Hook: G (4.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: finished green panel. Almost done w/ the red.   Grammy's 2nd Jean Marie Shawl Pattern: Jean Marie by Jennifer Lassonde ($6 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & LoveCrafts). Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) Yarn: Plymouth Yarn DK Merino Superwash in Black, Light Gray and White (2 skeins each) Ravelry Project Page Just finished Section 2 of 3.   Brainstorming   I charted out elongated shawl design idea which feels really good.   From the Armchair   Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Modern Loss: Candid Conversations about Grief. Beginners Welcome. by Rebecca Soffer and Gabrielle Birkner. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Part of your World by Abby Jimenez. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Crafty Adventures I finished my January-June Covid Photo Book/Scrapbook that I made in Shutterfly and ordered it! I started working on second half of the year. I have notes about each day of the year that I'm mostly copying/pasting into Shutterfly and adding photos from Google Photos which makes it easier. So grateful I journaled during 2020 as it will likely end up being one of the wildest year of our lives.   Knitting in Passing Riley texted me that she's ready for her next knitting project. We purchased some Goosey Fibers yarn at Yarn's End during the Cape & South Shore Yarn Haul so she can knit the Riley Rose Cowl, which, yes, is named after her. You can find my pattern on Ravelry & LoveCrafts.   In My Travels Mom, Millie & I went to Russell's Garden Center for Farm Fiber Days Event. Blue Heron Farm set-up table for people to learn Needle Felting. Millie made a butterfly and then a bunny. We purchased a needle felting kit from them. Later Mom found cookie cutters. Millie got lots of snuggle time with 2 French Angora Rabbits that she wants to convince her dad to adopt. Thank you, Jessica. I purchased two batts of Shetland from Wild Air Farm in Bolton, MA. I also chose 3 minis from Sassy Black Yarns. Millie chose a skein of Making Tracks from Junction Fiber Mill Our marled variegated 2 ply yarn. Hand-dyed in small limited-edition batches. Made with 100% American wool.   KAL News I emailed all Grand Prize Winners and the sponsors who donated their prizes. Check your email if you haven't already. Splash Pad preliminary prep underway   Events Knit for Food Knit-a-thon 2023 Event: a Fundraiser for Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry and Meals on Wheels organized by Laura Nelkin is happening on March 26, 2023 Saturday April 1 from 10a-3p: The Yarn Seller's 10th Annual Fiber Marketplace in York, Maine. Click here for details. Saturday April 22 from 10a-5p Gore Place Annual Sheepshearing Festival in Waltham, MA. Click here for details. Connecticut Sheep & Wool: April 29, 2023 at the North Haven Fairgrounds. Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 6 & 7th at the Howard County Fairgrounds Mom & I are planning to attend Massachusetts Sheep & Wool: May 27 & 28th at the Cummington Fairgrounds Vermont Sheep & Wool: Sept 30 & Oct 1 at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds   On a Happy Note Getting more minis from Nicole in the mail! Met up with my friend Gary from college for coffee while he was in Boston. Hattie's first ever birthday sleepover for her 5th Birthday. I picked her up and then we picked up Millie, at Hattie's request. We had a low key night at home, and went to the Children's Museum the next morning. Hattie was overtired, so we drove her home and then Millie and I met up with my parents to head back into Boston for Riley's dance competition. Mom, Dad, Jeff, Millie, Garret and I all went to an early dinner between her performances. Monday night at a local Irish pub listening to live music for Megg's birthday. Last Saturday, Megg dropped off Oisín to work with Dan, and we all had breakfast before Megg and I went off for a hike. We got back to the car just as the rain started. Millie's Bucket List with a Twist item was to ride horses with Grammy in the snow. It nearly snowed on Saturday May 11, but it was too warm. Thankfully, the rain stopped while we were inside the barn at Nancy & Roger's house, meeting the animals. Our friend Terri is friends with Nancy and Roger who kindly and enthusiastically agreed to help make Millie check off her bucket list item. We met all of the animals, most of whom were rescued. They have a very silly goat, some miniature horses (Goliath, Delilah & Princess Buttercup), 2 Gypsy Vanners (Zoe & her mother Dulcie) and another large horse, Scooter. Mom and I each rode Zoe and Millie rode Dulcie. Garret's 13th birthday sleepover. We went to Altitude to jump on the trampolines, to Panera for dinner and then he taught me how to edit videos using the CapCut app.   Quote of the Week   In our concern for others, we worry less about ourselves. When we worry less about ourselves an experience of our own suffering is less intense.   –DALAI LAMA   ------ Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 248 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full Show Notes with links and photos can be found on my website.    This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Crafty Adventures KAL News Events On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Cascade Heritage Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Cascade Heritage Prints in Colorway 111 Aqua Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) I finished these before the last episode, but I didn't talk about the colorwork I did before each toe. One sock says "just" and the other says "breathe."   Mom's Jean Marie Shawl Pattern: Jean Marie by Jennifer Lassonde ($6 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & LoveCrafts). Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) Yarn: Section 1: Dirty Water Dyeworks Lillian in Sea Breeze with Knit PIcks Capretta in Colorway 27636. Section 2: Dirty Water Dyeworks Lillian in Mediterranean & Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in Clair de Lune. Section 3: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in Clair de Lune with Art by Ewe Signature Yarn in the Sapphire Colorway (70% Baby Alpaca/ 30% Silk). Bind Off: Art by Ewe Signature Yarn in the Sapphire Colorway with a 20g mini of a teal fingering weight yarn (no ball band). Ravelry Project Page Held fingering yarn doubled and went up a needle size from what pattern calls for. Result is a slightly larger size than the original which was exactly what I wanted. Cast on February 1. Finished on February 7. Blocked it, dry in time for Mom's birthday on the 9th.     On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Grammy's 2nd Jean Marie Shawl Pattern: Jean Marie by Jennifer Lassonde ($6 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & LoveCrafts). Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) Yarn: Plymouth Yarn DK Merino Superwash in Black, Light Gray and White (2 skeins each) Ravelry Project Page Nearly done with Section 1.   Mini Skein Hexagon Blanket Pattern: Basic Crochet Hexagon Pattern & Tips from Make Do and Crew Website & YouTube Tutorial Hook: F (3.75 mm) Yarn: Mini skeins from 2022 agirlandherwool Advent Calendar, 24 Days of Cheer Swap minis + other scraps/swap yarn Ravelry Project Page Check out this Instagram post that talks about the join I've been using for the end of each hex 4 rounds per hexagon 62 hexagons done as of now   Cloudy Rainbow Socks Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Yarn: Yarn Cafe Creations Biscotti Yarn (85% SW Merino/15% Nylon 4 ply) in the Thestrals Colorway (gray with blips of rainbow colors Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Cast on 60 stitches and worked 1/1 rib for 14 rounds. Knit about 2 inches and then reduced to 56 stitches (decreases like a toe- done at the beginning and end of each half of the sock). I am working on the 2 of them in tandem. Each on their own magic loop.   Brainstorming   No-Purl Ribbed Blanket by Purl Soho. Click here for the Ravelry Pattern or here for the Purl Soho website. I heard about this on the Knit Ink Podcast/YouTube Channel hosted by Natasha and her mother Petra.   I've been very tempted by the Leah Cowl by Susy Knotsosquare. Granny Stripe Crochet cowl with triangle point on front. Calls for DK weight yarn.  Crochet pattern available for a little more than $5 US. Check it out on Ravelry or Etsy. You can also check out her Padme Cowl which is similar but different. Details available on Susy's website.     Generally just thinking about how when a project doesn't have an imminent deadline, I'm far less motivated to pick it up. "What's the point?" is often what comes to mind. It's an interesting thing to consider because the very same project, given a due-date will often excite me to pick up. Does this happen to you?   From the Armchair   Movies   Tár The Banshees of Inisherin Check out these articles that talk about the handknits in this movie- Vanity Fair & Esquire. All Quiet on the Western Front (German) The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse (2022) Master (2022)   Books West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Crafty Adventures I worked with Millie on handmade Valentine cards for her classmates and teachers. Millie also made a cute Flamingo from a Plush Craft kit we purchased at Michael's. Here's an affiliate link to a similar one available on Amazon. I finished most of the border for the sheep punch needle project that I haven't picked up in more than a year.   Punch Needle Kit with pattern by Teresa Kogut Pattern: PN165- For Ewe Link to purchase pattern only on Etsy for $12. I purchased my complete kit from Tree House Fiber Arts. Click here for their website. Kit included: 7"/9" Morgan hoop, weavers cloth, floss, Ultra Punch Needle, Needle threaders, pattern, instructions. Kits no longer available but Rachel may have the other supplies available. Helpful resources: YouTube Videos by the Woolery & Kate Gillery   KAL News Pigskin Party'22: The Official Hashtag is #DCSPigskinParty22   Pigskin Landing Page on the Down Cellar Studio Website. Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Link to the Official Rules Player Registration- Google Form Check out our amazing Sponsors! Click here for the Google doc with their websites and Instagram profiles. Check out the list of available Coupons from our amazing sponsors- Ravelry Link. Google Doc. Check out the Pigskin Exclusive Items in this Ravelry Thread Important Updates in this Episode Tune in to hear if you won a January participation prize January Interception: Self Care Bingo by Fitness by Mara. Winner announced!   Events Sunday March 5 from 10:30a-3:00p Farm Fiber Days at Russell's Garden Center in Wayland, MA Check out this year's vendors on this page. Saturday April 1 from 10a-3p: The Yarn Seller's 10th Annual Fiber Marketplace in York, Maine. Click here for details. Saturday April 22 from 10a-5p Gore Place Annual Sheepshearing Festival in Waltham, MA. Click here for details. On a Happy Note Lunch with the girls, sundaes and popcorn and Tar at Mom's. Mom completed another 3 day round of chemo. We got good news that her January scans show the cancer remains the same. No new growth! My friend Laura came to visit for the weekend. We spent Friday night at my parents' hanging out and watching movies. We briefly lost power but it came back; cable did not, so thankfully we still had some more screener DVDs. Saturday, we hit some secondhand stores before going back over to Mom's for dinner with my parents, my brother and nieces Riley and Millie. The next day we visited Dan's friend Perry who was recently hospitalized and then to see his youngest brother Dave & our niece Gabriella and nephew Zachary. Mom & I each got a haircut (real hair for me, wig for Mom). On Thursday 2/9, we had dinner at Maggiano's for Mom & Hattie's birthdays before going to see Hamilton at the Boston Opera House. Millie came for her 11th Birthday Sleepover (even though her birthday isn't until 2/20). She wanted to record some videos to share, so look for that on the Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel soon.   Quote of the Week   If you have a good idea, use it so that you will not only accomplish something, but so that you can make room for new ones to flow into you. -Deng Ming-Dao   ------ Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 245 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins From the Armchair Crafty Adventures In my Travels KAL News Life in Focus Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Lucy the Fox Pattern: Lucy the Fox by Banga Vaicekauskienė ($3.90 crochet pattern available on Ravelry and Etsy) Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted in White, Black and Orange Hook: C (2.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Shrek Pattern: Improvised using the basic instructions from Lucy Collin's Han Solo pattern. Pattern no longer available for individual sale. You can find it in this book available from Amazon (affiliate link). Yarn: Green- Spunky Eclectic Victoria in the Ginko Colorway. Cream- Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Cloud. Brown- Cascade 220 Superwash. Hook: B (2.25 mm) Ravelry Project Page. I used the basic top down instructions from Lucy Collin's Han Solo pattern but made the face and belly bigger using increases and HDCs.   Abington Hat Pattern: Abington Hat by Jennifer Lassonde ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & LoveCrafts Yarn: fingering held double. Knit Picks Capretta in the Sagebrush Colorway & Friends in Fiber sock yarn. Needles: US 4 & US 6. Size- Medium Ravelry Project Page   Sugarplum Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Sugarplum Colorway (Yarnable Subscription Box) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Belt for Mom's Wave of Change Cardigan Yarn:  Battenkill Fiber Mill Yarn (from Rhinebeck 2019). No label or other details available Needles: US 8 (5.0 mm) Mock i-cord edging with garter stitch for the center. Small number of increases at the beginning and decreases at the end. Will have to see if we want to add some icords onto the sweater to hold the belt or not.   Wave of Change Jacket  Pattern: Wave of Change Jacket by Denise Bayron ($9 US knitting pattern) Yarn: Battenkill Fiber Mill Yarn (from Rhinebeck 2019). No label or other details available Needles: US 8 (5.0 mm) for body. US 6 (4.0 mm) for ribbing. Size 3, 45” bust because it calls for 2-4 inches of positive ease. Switch to Lykke Needles for body. Thought I was using 32”. Was maybe 24.  Ravelry Project Page   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Perry's Socks Yarn: Patons Kroy FX in the Cascade Colors colorway Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Woolens and Nosh Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh Targee Socks- 2022 Advent Calendar Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Megg's 2nd Nanaimo Cardigan Pattern: Nanaimo Cardigan by by Tara-Lynn Morrison Yarn:  Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Colorway: Abalone  (5 skeins) Needles: US 13 - 9.0 mm, US 15 - 10.0 mm, US 19 - 15.0 mm (body) Size XS/S Ravelry Project Page   From the Armchair   Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Crafty Adventures Vlogmas 2022! 3rd year doing this project on my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel. You can find the playlist here. Christmas Day video still to come.   In My Travels I went to Las Vegas with my parents, my brother Jeff and our friends Trish and Thayer from December 13-19th. We visited the Hoover Dam, went ziplining down Fremont Street, had a couple really swanky dinners out including one at the Paris hotel on the Vegas strip overlooking the Bellagio fountains, did a bit of gambling on the slot machines, attended a Gatsby themed wedding and my brother and I ended the trip with a heck of a Patriots/Raiders game at the new Allegiant Stadium. We visited Blind Center of Nevada.   KAL News Pigskin Party'22: The Official Hashtag is #DCSPigskinParty22   Pigskin Landing Page on the Down Cellar Studio Website. Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Link to the Official Rules Player Registration- Google Form Check out our amazing Sponsors! Click here for the Google doc with their websites and Instagram profiles. Check out the list of available Coupons from our amazing sponsors- Ravelry Link. Google Doc. Check out the Pigskin Exclusive Items in this Ravelry Thread Important Updates in this Episode Thanks to everyone who participated in our: December Hat Interception hosted by Cori Eichelberger (irocknits) & Monique Leonard (Windswept Knits). Check out irocknits patterns on Ravelry & Windswept Monique's patterns on Ravelry. Find all of the Challenge details in this Google Doc- December Hat Interception: Iroc Knits & Windswept Designs Gratitude WIP Bonus: finish up WIPs started 9/22/22 or earlier (with a finish date of 11/24-12/31/22) and you can earn some bonus points. Check out all of the details & rules in this Doc- Gratitude WIP Bonus Night Bright Challenge: ends 12/31 get your entries into the Ravelry Thread Tune in to hear if you won a participation prize for November THANK YOU to Wendy, our Umpire, and Alicia, Heather and Emily, our fabulous commissioners!   Life in Focus I'm starting my year in review process. In 2020 I recorded a video about that which you can find on my  YouTube Channel. Check out that video here Worksheets for Reviewing Your Year & Planning Your Year are available on my website: http://www.downcellarstudio.com/goals/ I shared an update on my 22 for 2022 list   Ask Me Anything   Tune in to hear the answers to these questions asked by listeners: How is your Mom doing? I'm praying for her. I want to hear about your advent knits Knitting projects What was the make you most enjoyed making? What memory makes you happiest? Your plans for 2023, how you're holding up with all that's going on in your world. New Years Cast On Plans   On a Happy Note Going to see Six with my bestie, Kris. My friend Liz came over on the Thursday before Christmas to help me wrap. It was a good thing we finished because that night the power went out. Friday morning I went to the ocean to see the waves crashing in after the bombcylone blew through. Christmas Eve at my cousin Susan's- visit with Santa, cutting Mom's hair and a funny exchange where Santa thought I was the mother of one of my cousin's kids. Sleeping over Mom's on Christmas night, watching movies and playing Tock with Mom, Riley and Millie. Christmas morning snuggles with my youngest nephew, Zachary. Silly Christmas games Gail set up at my parents- Cling Wrap Game and the bows game (new to us this year). Stay tuned for the video to come soon! 2 unexpected packages- one from Woolen Women Fibers and one from Suzanne, SewRunKnit, who sent three beautiful chemo caps for Mom/donation.   Quote of the Week   There are years that ask questions and years that answer. –ZORA NEALE HURSTON   ------ Thank you for tuning in. Remember show notes for this episode can be found at www.downcellarstudio.com/# If you have a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, I'd greatly appreciate it. I can be found on Ravelry as BostonJen and I'd love it if you came over to join our lively and engaged Down Cellar Studio Ravelry Group. Check me out on Instagram at BostonJen1 if you want to see what I'm up to between episodes. Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Email me at downcellarstudio@gmail.com   For website: Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 226 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News Contest, News & Notes On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Dotted Rays Pattern: Dotted Rays by Stephen West (Knitting pattern available on Ravelry  for 6 Euros ~$7 US. Also available on Gumroad.) Yarn: Knit Picks Capretta Superwash in the Sagebrush colorway, Knit Picks Palette in Wonderland Heather, Opal Heather, Caribbean, Seafaring, Spruce. Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) My Ravelry Project Page Pink Moon Sweater Pattern: Pink Moon by This.Bird.Knits. $8 US Pattern available on Ravelry and on the This.Bird.Knits Site. Needles: US 5 & 7 (3.75 & 4.5 mm) Yarn: Sweitzer Fiber Mill unknown (gray)- Rhinebeck 2019 Lisa Daschinger Wools (mustard)- Farm Fiber Day's Russell's Market January 2020 mur yarn merino cashmere fingering (pink)- Barcelona 2019 Rowan Alpaca Classic (pink) Staci's Stitches- LYS Marroon- Handspun Ravelry Project Page The sleeves were too long so I ripped back after the cuff, then did the kitchener stitch in the round to reattach to the sleeve.  Check out this video I used to learn how to do the Kitchener Stitch in the Round Vlog January 29 & 30th – shared a little bit of the process. Fear Less Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Emma's Yarn Practically Perfect Sock in the Knit & Stitch Colorway My Ravelry Project Page Story about the yarn: Shortly after my cousin Gayle listened to E222 that I recorded with mom where we talked about her cancer diagnosis, she was out running an errand and the only parking spot she could find was directly in front of a yarn shop. She took it as a sign and asked for something local that would be good for socks.  Knit & Stitch Boutique in Cocoa Village, FL I stitched Fear & Less just before the toes on each sock using stranded color work and a basic chart I made in Excel. Boujee New Years Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Yarnable by Hypnotic Yarn in the Boujee New Year Colorway (January 2022 Subscription Box colorway) My Ravelry Project Page Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Ball Band Cozy Pattern: Ball Band by Jennifer Lassonde (free crochet pattern on Ravelry & LoveCrafts).  Yarn: Aqua- Lion Brand re-up. Green- other kitchen cotton of unknown origin Hook: My Ravelry Project Page Citrus Hat Pattern: Citrus Hat by Laura Treadway (free knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Worsted in the Zen Colorway Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 6 (4.0 mm) Size: Adult small which is 96 sts. 20″ circumference but I know from experience this cast on count should work.  2×2 rib then a 6×2 rib Stripes- blues, greens, grays.  My Ravelry Project Page Gift for my brother's 40th birthday! Heart Garland Pattern: Heart Garland by Sarahndipities Designs (free crochet pattern available on this blog) Hook: G (4.0 mm) Yarn: Knitters Brewing Company Brewski Worsted Gift for my friend Liz. Mom's Card Heart Garland  Pattern: Heart Garland by Sarahndipities Designs (free crochet pattern available on this blog) Hook: G (4.0 mm) Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted & other worsted weight acrylic yarn from stash- blues, greens, yellows, white and silver.  My Ravelry Project Page Gift for Mom for all of the cards she's received recently.  February Yarnable Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Raspberry Creme Colorway (February Yarnable Subscription Box colorway) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) My Ravelry Project Page Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Garret's Nana Blanket My Ravelry Project Page Fixing Garret's Nana blanket. I shared more on a blog post on my Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Caribbean Blue Handspun Cowl- frogged Yarn: Handpun made with Merino Fiber from Beesy Bee Fibers on Etsy in Caribbean Hues Colorway. 5 colors greens/blues. 3 ply yarn Needles: US 7 (4.5) Pattern: None- playing around with stitch pattern for potential design. didn't love it.  My Ravelry Project Page Mr. Fezziwig Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Yarn: Woolens & Nosh Corriedale Sock in the Mr. Fezziwig Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) My Ravelry Project Page Click here for Wiki page on Mr. Fezziwig from A Christmas Carol Finished first sock! Brainstorming Check out this video from Ysolda on Instagram. It shows how you don't need to start with a slip knot to start a long-tail cast on and how that can help you avoid that extra little bump of fabric that slip knot creates. Mind blown! Millie's birthday gifts. Tip: Warm water and white vinegar worked perfectly to get slime off a commercial stuffed animal. It removed the thick, crusted on slime from her handmade but still left a bit of a pink color cast on them. From the Armchair The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases. Knitting in Passing Kris legwarmer sock. It fits. Now that I know that, I can make second.  Knitting at local brewery turned into a conversation! Finished up my Ice Time Hat Class. I visited Staci's Stitches for the Hypnotic Yarn trunk show last weekend. KAL News Pigskin Party '21: The Pigskin Party is officially over. Thank you to all of you who made it such a huge success! I will announce all of the rest of the winners on Episode 227 at the end of February! Contest, News & Notes Vlog– Vlog January 29 & 30th February Yarnable Unboxing Video.  On a Happy Note We got about 2 feet of snow in 1 storm during the last weekend in January Decorating my very boring laptop shell with stickers Netflix Series: The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window Mom's birthday. Sleepover. Spa day. Shopping lunch. Dinner. Presents every couple hours. So much fun! Some good news at mom's recent appointment with her Oncologist. My brother Jeff's birthday fun at Dave and Busters.  Rachel kindly sent me a gift card to try out Silk and Sonder monthly journal.  Wordle– I'm enjoying it! Are you? Quote of the Week “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”~ Albert Pike Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Music -“Soft Orange Glow” by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.

Episode 83 February 3, 2022 On the Needles 1:27 ALL KNITTING LINKS GO TO RAVELRY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.  Please visit our Instagram page @craftcookreadrepeat for non-Rav photos and info     Riley Rose Hat by Jennifer Lassonde, Fisher Girl Yarns in Ketchikan in Sockeye Spawning–DONE!!   Newspaper Pullover by Joji Locatelli, Biches & Buches Le Petit Lambswool in Light Grey, Isager Yarn Spinni in Charcoal   Hide & Peak by Maxim Cyr, SugarPlum Circus Merino Sport in Charcoal, Elphaba, Starling and Merlin's Beard On the Easel 7:27 Landscapes

Episode 82 January 20, 2022 On the Needles 1:28 ALL KNITTING LINKS GO TO RAVELRY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.  Please visit our Instagram page @craftcookreadrepeat for non-Rav photos and info     Anker's Shirt by PetiteKnit, knitpicks stroll tweed in barn door heather– DONE!   Newspaper Pullover by Joji Locatelli, Biches & Buches Le Petit Lambswool in Light Grey, Isager Yarn Spinni in Charcoal   Hide & Peak by Maxim Cyr, SugarPlum Circus Merino Sport in Charcoal, Elphaba, Starling and Merlin's Beard   Helix Cowl by Andrea Rangel, KnitCircus Greatest of Ease in Quoth the Raven and Impressionist Best Friend   Riley Rose Hat by Jennifer Lassonde, Fisher Girl Yarns in Ketchikan in Sockeye Spawning   Mentioned: Ali Edwards' mother's December Daily flip through. Sewing: everyday ponte pant (simplicity 9017) I add pockets. On the Easel 15:50 Landscapes On the Table 20:52 Words Mean Things — Recipe: Buddha's Jewels   From Simply Julia  eggplant and meatballs  chicken Reuben skillet over baked potato lentil and kale stew plus sausage   Pulled Chicken for the wrestling team (Making garlic butter & orange zest green beans + brussels sprouts with pancetta this week) DRIEST oatmeal biscuits ever Spiced Beef from Tuesday Nights Mission Impastable series from The Sporkful podcast Cascatelli from Sfoglini On the Nightstand 40:21 We are now a Bookshop.org affiliate!  You can visit our shop to find books we've talked about or click on the links below.  The books are supplied by local independent bookstores and a percentage goes to us at no cost to you!   Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire All the Feels by Olivia Dade The Sentence by Louise Erdrich  The Family by Naomi Krupitsky Olga by Bernhard Schlink

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 220 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. For full show notes & photos check out my website: http://www.downcellarstudio.com/220 This week's segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing In my Travels KAL News Events Life in Focus Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Anne Beady Designs on Ravelry & Etsy, Charming Ewe & Imagined Landscapes Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Static Socks Yarn: Knit Picks Static in the Neptune Colorway  Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Ravelry Project Page Mermaid Pattern: Melody Mermaid Amigurumi by Chiara Cremon (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Minis in Cream (body/face), Paprika (hair), Marina (tail) Hook: B 2.25 mm Ravelry Project Page Little Astronaut Pattern: Little Astronaut by Valto Ekaterina ($4.50 crochet pattern- also available on Etsy) Hook: B 2.25 mm Yarn: White & Black worsted weight acrylic yarn from stash Ravelry Project Page Work arms & legs. Put aside. work head, neck. great instructions on how to attach limbs as you go. Mended: Camp Out Fingerless Mitts Ravelry Project Page Free Knitting Pattern by tante ehm I used Berrocco Ultra Alpaca These would be great for the Nov Interception if you haven't already found a pattern for that! On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Costume Party Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh Sock in the Costume Party Colorway (75% SW Merino/25% nylon) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Ravelry Project Page Sweet & Sour Socks Yarn: hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Sweet & Sour colorway  Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Ravelry Project Page  Christmas Stocking for Peyton Pattern: Granny Square Christmas Stocking by Family Circle Magazine 1977 (not available online anymore) Yarn: Patons Classic Worsted in Bright Red, Red Heart Super Saver Solids in Hunter Green and White Hook: F (3.75mm) Ravelry Project Page Pink Moon Sweater Pattern: Pink Moon by This.Bird.Knits. $8 US Pattern available on Ravelry and on the This.Bird.Knits Site. Needles: US 5 & 7 (3.75 & 4.5 mm) Yarn: Sweitzer Fiber Mill unknown (gray)- Rhinebeck 2019 Lisa Daschinger Wools (mustard)- Farm Fiber Day's Russell's Market January 2020 mur yarn merino cashmere fingering (pink)- Barcelona 2019 Rowan Alpaca Classic (pink) Staci's Stitches- LYS Marroon- Handspun Ravelry Project Page Brainstorming Little Toy Frog by Julia Ka. Ravelry Link. Etsy Link. $2.60 Crochet Pattern.  Dance Shoe Legwarmers by Sherry Katherine Vernon- Ravelry Link (free knitting pattern). Check out the Pigskin Sponsor Ravelry Bundle ideas for gifts. Tip (sort by Yarn used) Dinosaur Tails Fidget Toy ($1 crochet pattern) Ravelry Link by Knitty Natty Go Fun like Gnome Fun by Sarah Shira- Ravelry Link. Website Link. Ball Band Cozy by Jennifer Lassonde (free crochet pattern)- Ravelry Link. LoveCrafts Link. Cashmears by Sarah Jordan ($4 knitting pattern) Ravelry Link- cabled DK headband Do or Do Not Hat by Cassandra Cruikshank of Eat Knit & Dye- $5 knitting pattern- Ravelry Link. Bulky baby Yoda hat Trail Mix by Lisa K. Ross- $4 knitting pattern- Ravelry Link- fingering weight cable mitts- 6 mo to 6 years Without a Paddle Hat by Mary Hull Kino Knits-$6 Knitting Pattern. Ravelry Link Phishing Mitt(en)s by Jesie Ostermiller $6 knitting pattern- Ravelry Link. DK weight colowork mitts/mittens inspired by Phish Foods Ben & Jerry ice cream Rambler cowl by Lisa Cannon (Fibernymph Dye Works- Ravelry Link. $5 Worsted weight twisted stitch and lace cowl Muskoka Cowl by Brenda Castiel- Ravelry Link. $6 Knitting pattern. Dk weight- non-traditional Fair Isle designs such as checkerboards, diamonds and chevron stripes. From the Armchair The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan Bookshop Affiliate Link Amazon Affiliate Link The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan Bookshop Affiliate Link Amazon Affiliate Link Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases. Knitting in Passing Riley wore her Nanaimo Cardigan to play rehearsal and texted me to say her Director really liked it! KAL News Pigskin Party '21: Official Hashtag: #DCSPigskinParty21 Important Links: Official Rules (Google Doc) Register to Play! (Google Form) Points Tally Form (Google Form) Sponsor List (Google Doc) Questions: Ask in the Ravelry Thread or email Jen (downcellarstudio @ gmail.com) Prizes- see details in this Ravelry Thread Coupon Codes: find details in this Ravelry Thread or on my website (coming soon) Pro Shop Sponsor Exclusive Items: find details as they're posted in this Ravelry Thread or on my website (coming soon) Use the Points Tally form for official entry but celebrate with everyone in the End Zone Dance Ravelry Thread and using #DCSPigskinEndZoneDance Check out your standings (and others') on the Players Stats Sheet (Google Sheet) Fumble your entry on the Points Tally form? Use this Support Form (Google Form) Pre-Game Chatter on Ravelry can be found in this Thread. This episode: Congrats to October Interception Winner- KarensAdventures Check out the details of the November Interception hosted by Shanalines Designs. Find details in this Ravelry Thread or this Google Doc. Cast on 11/1/21 or later. Deadline to post is 11/30/21. I teased the December Interception: Cozy Up Challenge with Knitty Natty Live Event: 12:00 PM EST on Wednesday, December 1st on the Knitty Natty YouTube Channel.The event with be a live cast on party + a live tutorial with tips for the knit Yarn Cozy Lite pattern Monthly Scavenger Hunt: Figure out these fun clues and earn points each month. Check out this Ravelry Thread or this Google Doc. Events Indie Design Gift-a-Long coming up: November 28-December 31, 2021 The sale period will run Tuesday, November 23 at 8 pm (US-EST) through Monday, November 29 at 11:59 pm (US-EST) Check out the Indie Design GAL Ravelry Group I'll be teaching Ice Time Hat Class at Staci's Stitches starting in January.  Karen & Jessica of the Make Good Podcast are hosting a Sock KAL. Check out their website for details.  Windswept Monique of the Knitting on the Run Podcast is hosting her annual Be a Helper Craft-a-long. Check out her website for details or Monique's Instagram Page. Vogue Virtual Knitting Live– December 9-12.  Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January 2022 has been canceled. They're currently planning for: February 9–12, 2023  Stitches West: March 3-6, 2022 (proof of vaccination + masks will be required) in Sacramento, CA Life in Focus I checked off another of my 21 in 2021 list items. #18 Do something spontaneous and delightful. Whisked Aila and Riley off to Great Barrington to see Emelyn! Craft Fair Rooster made from dyed eggshells and silicone. Button Earrings from Caren Kinne Studios. Website. Instagram: carenkinnestudio Fiesta Bar and Grill Bistro Box– great outdoor lunch. Long line but worth the wait. Even the hungry girls agreed. Patisserie Lenox on Main Street in Great Barrington Even more delightful- in brainstorming what they want for Christmas the kids looked through my Rav pages at what I've already made them which was delightful in and of itself, but then we found a cute photo of Eme at age 10 w/ a pair of mitts and a cowl I made her. She had that set with her, so we did a recreation photo!   Ask Me Anything Dorothy asked about Thanksgiving Plans.  On a Happy Note Halloween pics of the kiddos. Fun mail: my Advent Swap & my Legacy Fiber Artz calendar! Teaching sock knitting classes. Switching up the path of my morning walks. Playing games with the girls on vacation. Relative Insanity & What do you Meme.( All variations on Apples to Apples/Cards Against Humanity) Yarnable Subsription Box- November box contained an awesome Apple candle and mulling spices for apple cider. Delicious! I got to see my cousin Jenny at work 2 days in a row! Doing a bit of work on the side with my first boss at MGH. Quote of the Week “I love repetition. Repetitions turn time into a place, turns the days into a house, where the repetitions form the walls, floor, and ceiling.”– Karl Ove Knausgaard Thank you for tuning in. Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Music -“Soft Orange Glow” by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.

Kelly shares happy news about adopting Bear, a big, sweet, eight year old shepherd. And Marsha has a surprise finish! Show notes with full transcript, photos, and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha’s Projects Walk Along tee by Ankestrick (Ravelry link) I finished my Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde (Ravelry link) just in time for the end of our Extremities Knit/Crochet Along.  I started the gusset on the second sock of a pair of socks for myself using Drops Fabel Print that I bought in San Luis Obispo.   I ordered another 8 oz of the dark brown roving for the green and brown three ply. I plan to spin the brown separately and make a striped sweater. Kelly’s Projects  I finished the Huck weaving sampler from the Jane Stafford Guild. I'm now ready for May and episode 4.  Faye’s Flower Blanket. I now have 16 octagons Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah The KAL ended on April 25, 2021 and the winners are: jacquiemari--Jacqueline. She made legwarmers. Wins the Abington Mitts pattern by Jennifer Lassonde JillMabelina--Jill. She made a pair of Bernie mitts. Wins the Coffee Socks Collection by Dots Dabbles Designs. Summer Spin In May 31st - September 6th Get ready to spin! Our Summer Spin In takes place again from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Transcript Marsha 0:03 Hi, this is Marsha Kelly 0:04 and this is Kelly. Marsha 0:05 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. Marsha 0:36 Enjoy the episode. Marsha 0:43 Good morning, Kelly. Kelly 0:44 Good morning, Marsha. I just had to look to see if it was actually still morning and it is. It's technically, it's technically morning. I am very tired. Marsha 0:58 Well, you have big news. Kelly 0:59 I do. Yeah. Anybody who follows me on Instagram... And if you don't follow me on Instagram, you should! 1hundredprojects, the number one, hundred projects, you will have seen that we have a new addition to the family. And I, you know, I know that raising a baby--that type of new addition to the family is much more difficult than what I'm doing. And I... it's only actually been two days and things are already getting better. But I am totally exhausted. We adopted a new dog. So his name is his name is Bear. I call him Beary. He is,... well... I don't know if I told you Marsha. I'll tell everybody how this actually happened. We were not looking for another dog. I mean, we do... Marsha 1:52 Yes, I actually, I don't and my brother asked me. So why did they do this? Why did why did you this? Kelly 1:57 Yeah. So I mean, we miss Nash, you know, we lost him in the fall. And he was kind of nice to have around. And then Betty liked having a dog when we would go off. To have a dog to stay home with her. But we weren't really looking for another dog at this point. And I actually think a one dog household is too few dogs. But again, we weren't really thinking about another dog at this point. Bailey still young. And I still got a lot of work to do with her. So. But anyway, my friend Paul is interested in getting a dog and he's been talking about it for I don't know, maybe two years. And first he wanted to get a lab and he was asking me about lab breeders that I knew. And then he was thinking maybe he get this breed and maybe that breed. And just for listeners, he's a friend that I've had since I started at Hartnell. And I helped him find his first dog, which was a boxer that I co owned with him and trained and did obedience got her got her CD title. And then he got--I helped him find his last dog, which was a wirehaired pointing griffon. So anyway, now he's looking for another dog. And so and I just you know, I said you know, you're you're working so hard at this trying to find a dog online and feeling concerned. Why don't you look at maybe a rescue? Oh, I don't know, I think I want to raise a puppy. I want to know what it's gonna be like, but you know me, he was kind of not really open to it. But Marsha 3:32 but but he didn't say no. Right? Kelly 3:35 So periodically, over the last couple of months, because every time I talked to him, he's like, I need to get a dog. What do you think about this breed? What do you think about that breed? So I just thought, you know what? I'm going to go on, look at the shelters. So I did and I did this about three months, three or two months ago, I guess. I went to look at the shelters, and there really isn't much. In fact, that's an interesting thing that the shelters all have shortages. But anyway, I saw this German Shepherd male who it was very overweight. And I saw about two months ago and I thought oh, he's the old guy, you know, a senior and I thought well, he'll be, you know, he'll be adopted because everybody's being adopted now. This is how it's working. And then I went back and he was still there. And then the third time I went back, he was still there. I texted Robert and I said what do you think? It'd be like... His situation just reminded me of Nash coming to us later in life after a kind of somewhat unknown background, you know, to just kind of be the lay-around-the-house dog. And so Robert said, Yeah, okay. I think that might be okay. And so I contacted the SPCA. Well, it was so much faster than Bailey! Marsha 4:54 Because Bailey was a really long time. You had to pass a lot of hurdles. Kelly 4:58 Yeah. mmmhmmm. Marsha 5:00 It took a couple months, right? Kelly 5:00 They had to inspect my house and, and she had an injury that had to heal too. So that was part of it. But, you know, I was at... we were out at the boarding facility, I don't know, for 10 days going every day to see her, you know, before she was able to come home. So I contacted them on Saturday. I emailed or filled out the form on Saturday, I got a phone call. I thought I wouldn't hear back until Monday. But I got a phone call on Sunday, saying, Do you want to come meet him? Can you come on Monday? So then Robert's, like, they're just trying to get rid of him? What's wrong with this dog? And I said, well, what's wrong with him is he's you know, low thyroid, and he has a lot of weight to lose. And, you know, he's eight. And they just want to send--he's been there a long time. They just want to get him a home, you know. If we're interested, they're gonna take us up on it, but, but he was really suspicious about how fast it went. And then we went and met him. And they had, you know, they asked us to bring Bailey so Bailey met him too. And, you know, they kind of didn't really interact, they just kind of did their own thing. in the, in the area where, where they meet. We, you know, we walked them together kind of on leash. And then, and then she was-- they were able to both go off leash together, but they pretty much just kind of ignored each other mostly. Sniffed a little bit, but that was it. So then, you know, is like, are you? Well, what do you think? Are you interested? And I said, Yes. And so like, 20 minutes later, we were leaving with a ramp because he didn't like getting into the car. And you can't lift him up because he, he doesn't like being poked or prodded or pushed or lifted, or anything like that. And he turns around and grabs you, not biting you. But he does, like let you know that he doesn't want you doing that, which we're working on. So anyway, we've had him for two days. This is the third, this is the third day. Marsha 7:10 I just, I mean, it's such a shock, because, well, I just think it's amazing that you can just go and get a dog that fast. Kelly 7:18 That's what Robert said. He said, how do they know that we're a good home? Like they talked-- They talked to us for half an hour. You know, we brought Bailey and they saw how Bailey was with him. And then they sent him home with us. Like, how do they know we're gonna be good? Marsha 7:34 You know, it's like when I gave birth to Ben, I couldn't believe the hospital was gonna let me take him home. Don't they know I don't know what I'm doing? I mean, it's kind of amazing that anybody can have a baby and you can just Kelly 7:48 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, Marsha 7:50 But it's the same thing. And I, I've told you this too. About my friend that had moved to Spokane, came to visit Seattle and got a dog and And literally, he just filled out the application paid his fee and left with the dog. And then the poor dog came to my house and met Enzo and we had lunch and then got in the car and drove across the state. Kelly 8:14 Yeah. Marsha 8:16 And it worked out fine. That dog adores Darryl, you know. And Darryl adores the dog. It worked out fine, but it's like, they just let the dogs go with anybody. It's just so... strange. Kelly 8:27 When I volunteered there I never wanted to let any dog go with anybody. Marsha 8:31 Yeah. No owner was good enough. Kelly 8:34 Anyway, but he's, he's great. He, he's hard. It's really hard. I mean, basically, I'm used to having dogs that, you know, they they, they communicate. I know how to communicate with them. You know, we had to work on it with with Bailey. And you forget how much you had to work. I had to kind of remind myself of how hard it was when she first came. Because now she seems so easy. But yeah, like he didn't know how to be in the house. And the first day, it was great because the weather's been really good. So we've just been able to spend all day out in the backyard. And I've gotten, I have to admit, very little work done. But you know, I can set my computer up on the table in the backyard and I can work and I can be in the... I've been able to be in the trailer and talk to him through the window of the trailer. He can come and look in the door of the trailer. But he can't he can't get in because he's too big. He can't lift himself, you know, into the . Marsha 9:35 So I know like Well, let's just let's talk about some of his issues. Kelly 9:40 Okay. Marsha 9:41 You said he has, is it? He has hypo thyroid? Because I don't-- I can't say it.. Kelly 9:46 Yeah, hypothyroid he's low thyroid, and he's on thyroid medication. And he was at the SPCA for three months. He came in with a wound from being attacked by a dog. And he was surrendered. And then they stitched him up that was kind of on his shoulder and they stitched him up. And then they discovered that he had this low thyroid problem. Marsha 10:14 Well, and also doesn't he have...He's had, like you said, a chronic ear infection, which has damaged one of his ears. Didn't you say that, too? Kelly 10:20 Yeah, he had... They didn't realize at first but but after, you know, they fixed him up, and they realize his ear had a problem. So then they had to go in and clean out his ears. And they cleaned them and then they came back, you know, got really bad again, and they so they put him on antibiotics for his ears and ear medication. And...but the one ear bothers him, he shakes his head a lot. Even though it's clean. The vet said it's clean. It's just the ear canal has kind of a lot of scar tissue. And it just... she said it just feels funny. And I Marsha 10:22 Yeah, Kelly 10:51 well, when he got to the... he's he lost 30 pounds. I think she said. Yeah, he lost like 30 pounds. And I think, I mean, he should probably be more like 90 pounds. Unless, unless he's just a bigger dog than I think in terms of his body structure. I'm thinking probably he should be around 90 pounds. So he has another like 40 pounds to lose. Marsha 11:25 So he should be about 90 pounds. He is did you say he's like 137 pounds? Now? Kelly 11:31 He's 133. Yeah, when he came home. Marsha 11:33 133 when it came home? And he'd lost... Kelly 11:38 almost 30 pounds. Yeah. Marsha 11:40 30 pounds. So he would have been like 160 pounds. Kelly 11:44 Yes. Marsha 11:46 And he should be around 90. Kelly 11:48 Yeah, like a large German Shepherd would be... a male German Shepherd would be like around 90. Marsha 11:54 He was like double what he should be. More than double what he should be. Kelly 11:56 Yeah. And you know, I don't know, do ear canals get fat? [laughing] I have no idea. But he's, he's very, he's very. He's very sweet. But he just he does whatever he wants. He's like a 130 pound toddler. And he doesn't really understand the word no. Right? I mean, he's not probably had a lot of interaction. He probably was a backyard dog, you know? And so he doesn't really... Like I'm just so much blah, blah, blah, blah, when I talk, and so he doesn't really understand the word no or anything. Yeah, you know, and he goes where he wants and he weighs a lot more than most dogs. Marsha 12:09 He can just go where he wants, because he is so big. Kelly 12:47 So I'm gonna say something that is probably controversial to a lot of people. But he came to us on a buckle collar. And, like, I can't control him. Right. I'm not that--I mean, I'm not as strong as I used to be when I had the wolf hounds. But also the wolf hounds, they thought I was stronger than them. You know, I mean, I knew them since puppyhood. So Marsha 13:14 but at 137 pounds, 133 pounds. Kelly 13:21 He weighs more than I do. Yeah, Marsha 13:22 He outweighs, you. Kelly 13:23 Yeah. And he's also he's used to doing what he wants, you know. So I couldn't I mean, I could barely walk him. So after one day, we got out the the chain collar that Nash had used and, you know, I wasn't jerking him around or anything, but it just gives me a lot of, a lot better control. And we were able to go for three walks yesterday, three short walks yesterday. And you know, he's not dragging me around now. Literally, he was dragging me through the house to get to toys. The first night it was like, every time he saw one of Bailey's toys, which, you know, we didn't know he was coming, so I had not dog proofed the house. And so he'd see one of her squirrels that she has--the squirrels in a tree--and he'd like take off. I was like flying behind him. Cuz he was on leash. Oh my gosh, it was so hard that first night. Marsha 13:33 Wow. Kelly 14:02 He just, you know, he went where he wanted and, and, and he's surprisingly fast for a big guy. If you if he's got something on his mind that he wants, he's surprisingly fast [laughing] Oh my goodness, but so so that that has made it a little bit easier to to have some control when he has the leash on. But he's still I mean, he still... he wants what he wants when he wants it. And but he's very... Marsha 14:48 Just like a toddler. Kelly 14:49 Yeah, exactly. Exactly. 130 pound toddler. But he learned he does learn how to sleep on the pillow the first day-- the first night. He can't be crated, because we don't have a crate big enough. And I tried the ex-pen, but he just walked pushing the ex-pen. So the ex-pen is just moving around the room as... Like, Okay, this is not gonna work! [laughing] Marsha 15:22 Well, cuz you were saying because he's a backyard dog he's not housebroken either, right. So how is that? So I have a couple questions. That was the other issue he had. There's really no training. Not housebroken. He really is not comfortable in the house. Right? You said he was... He's used to being outside. So he sort of anxious being inside and having to spend the night inside. So what other issues did he have? [laughing] So I guess I'll just ask my question. So he seems to be doing better being inside, right. The first night you said was sort of challenging, but so you picked him up Monday? Kelly 16:01 Yeah. Marsha 16:01 So it's only two nights. Kelly 16:02 Yeah. And since Robert works, swing shift, I was by myself in the evening. During the day, we were out in the yard, and it was fine. You know, he he had, he was able to go around the yard, we took him off the leash. And he was able to go around the yard and, you know, do things and-- but then when it's time to come in and got cold, and I needed to come in for the night, I brought him in, and we we sat up in the spare room. And I put the two dog pillows in there. And Bailey, he and Bailey were both there. And I told Bailey to lay on her pillow. So she did. And then I just sat and crocheted while he paced and paced and whined and whined and paced and whined and paced and whined. Until, luckily, he's so big! Because he can't stand up for that long, right. At a certain point, he had to sit down. And then once he sat down, he can only sit for so long before he has to lay his body on the ground. So, so finally he lay down. But you know, I would try to be as still as I could, so he wouldn't pop up. But you know, it was only going for like 20 minutes at a time. And then he'd be back up pacing and whining. And that was from about dinner, like 6:30 after dinner, until I finally thought you know what, okay, he's getting a little more comfortable in this room, but we have to sleep in the other room. Maybe this wasn't such a smart idea. I should have probably started already there. So then I got the bedroom ready and put the pillows down and closed the door. And so then I just let him pace around in the bedroom while I sat in the bed and did more crocheting. And again, same thing, you know, pacing and whining and pacing and whining until he finally laid on the pillow and, and fell asleep. And then Robert got home. I stayed up until Robert got home. And then once Robert got home, Robert took him out one more time. And then we--but we were up a couple of times during the night that first night to take him out and stuff. But last night he slept all the way through the night. I mean, Robert gets home around midnight. Robert took him out then. But he slept the whole rest of the night. So he was tired. We were both tired. Marsha 18:14 Yeah. And and then what about the diet? Are you... how are you going to approach that because he obviously needs to get off additional weight? Kelly 18:23 Yeah. The vet actually said she doesn't think he'll lose any more. I think maybe because of his thyroid issue? I'm not really sure. That surprised me when she said that. But she told me you know how much he was eating. And we're going to keep him at that amount for a while with just the extra activity and see what happens. So and then, and then we'll kind of gauge how he's going. I don't want to give him too little. You know, you don't want him to lose weight too fast. Right, like people so, yeah. So anyway, right now, it's just kind of the same amount, trying to feed him the same amount as what they were giving him but you know, watching... using a lot of that food as treats. You know, to teach him things. Marsha 18:44 So and then the housebreaking do you think? Kelly 18:51 They said he was clean in the kennel. Like he didn't go in his kennel. At the SPCA they would, you know, they take.. they try to take the dogs out and, and let them go to the bathroom outside of their of their pens. And they said, you know, he would hold it so that he could go when they let him out. So that was good. So that, you know, that's good. That makes it a lot easier to housebreak. So just making sure that he goes out often. You know and we've been spending... I mean, it's only been there's only the third day and it's been gorgeous. So we've been able to be outside, which is nice. But when we do go out, you know when he is in the house he's on he's on the leash or inside of a closed room. Marsha 19:56 And then you just have to keep track of a time too like... You know, I got Enzo as a puppy. You know, like, I was like, every 30 minutes or 40 minutes. Yeah, I was taking him and giving him the opportunity. Kelly 20:08 Yeah,yeah. And it doesn't have to be that often with Beary because he's, he's older and he does have control. It's not like he doesn't have any control. It's just he doesn't know that, you know, that room over there that we're not in is not the right place. So. But he doesn't have access to... he doesn't have access to any place except right where I am. Which is why it's so tiring, you know, Marsha 20:33 Yeah. Kelly 20:34 I'll just tell one more story. And then we'll get to get to the the podcast topics. But the first day, every time... So I have to take him in with me when I went to the bathroom, right? Because nobody was home. It's just me. So I'd take him with in with me on the leash into the bathroom. And he would spot the wastepaper basket, and like dive in headfirst and eat something out of the wastebasket. So every different bathroom, we went in, of course, has a wastebasket, and it's still on the floor. And here he goes diving into the wastebasket to eat something. And so yeah, so now all the waste baskets are up off the ground. In all of the bathrooms. [laughing] Marsha 21:19 It'll be interesting to see as the months go by, if you're able to get some of this excess weight. If he starts feeling better, you know? Kelly 21:27 Yeah, yeah. I think like some of the issues of not wanting to be lifted into the cars just like okay, that hurts. You know, and, and, and then... Yeah, so we'll see how that goes. Yeah, but it's a it's a fun. It's a it's an exciting thing. It happened super fast. It was totally unexpected. And it's been really exhausting. [laughing] But it's good. It's really good. Yeah, yeah. Marsha 21:57 All right. Well, So I'm excited to hear about it going forward. But should we talk project? Kelly 22:04 Yes, we should. Marsha 22:06 I have no, I have no dog updates. Enzo is just sleeping here on the floor next to me. Okay, seriously now, projects? Yes. Would you like to go first? Kelly 22:16 No, go ahead. Marsha 22:18 Okay. So, um, well, I don't really have a lot to report. Walk Along, still working on it. By Ankestrick the T shirt. Still working on that. I'm alternating working on that and spinning. I ordered another eight ounces of the dark brown Merino roving. And we talked about this in the last time that I'm running out. I'm not going to have enough of the fiber that I had to make a sweater quantity. And so I decided to order more of the the dark brown to finish plying with the green, but also to have extra so I can just do three ply of this... of just the brown Yeah, so then when I... So I should have enough for a sweater I'm Fingers crossed! So then I can do stripes or something to have enough for a sweater. That's what I'm hoping. I'm just going to throw in there... I'll finish about my projects, but before I talk about my other things that are going on. About roving, remember the last time we talked about when you're plying the singles and a single breaks and how you find the end. We did have...we talked about you know ideas. We did hear from Jolene Jojocraftsalot in her comment was a tip on when you apply breaks and you can't find it try a piece of tape and tap it around on the bobbin of yarn to see if it will find the elusive end. That's an interesting idea. Kelly 23:44 okay. Yeah sort of like a lint... like getting lint off your sweater but with tape and you hope instead of lint the end of the yarn will stick to it. Marsha 23:54 Yeah, so that's a good tip. And I'm working on my socks. I think last time we were talking I was working on the heel flap I've now have finished the gusset and I'm moving on to the foot. Not a lot there to report but I finished something! Kelly 24:11 Yay! Marsha 24:12 Guess what I finished! I finished my mitts my Abington Mitts! And you remember the last time we talked I said I was not going to promise that I was going to finish them that evening because I never do? Guess what I did that night! So I posted them in our thread which, we will talk about this later, but our extremities knit and crochet along. I posted that and that has ended and we'll talk about that in a little bit. But I did finish those and that's all I have to report. All right. Nothing. I'm not a lot of progress on anything. Just just steady. Kelly 24:51 Well, you've had a lot of stuff going on at your house. A lot of cleaning and painting and the house projects. Marsha 25:00 yeah, I think I mentioned this contractor finished at the the rental house, finished the basement. Well his part of that. Now it's my job to go in there and paint it. So I've started I was over there Monday and Tuesday washing down the woodwork on the main floor, which the contractor wasn't there, but it was just dusty and I'll just be honest, dirty. I guess I'm not that great a housekeeper or I guess I didn't routinely wash that. [laughing] Well, I don't think I've ever washed down the woodwork in the living room and the dining room. I've washed down the kitchen and the bathroom before but I didn't routinely wash down woodwork. And so guess what? It was a little dirty! It needed to be washed. So it looks great and the good thing is it was a good paint job I did years ago and it's held up. And just a good cleaning and it's ready to go nice. So yeah, anyway, but... But what about your projects? Kelly 25:56 Well, um, I had that... I had the Huck weaving sampler from the Jane Stafford guild and I think it was on the loom last time. I don't exactly remember. I think I had tied it on to the loom. But I hadn't started weaving or maybe I had started weaving and I... Oh no! I had woven the first part of the sampler and cut it off the loom and washed it. And then I wove the last part of the sampler and I only got... I was thinking I would have another like yard length and with the loom waste and just the shrinkage and stuff I only ended up with about maybe about 18 inches, but I wove it off. So the first one I wove, the same silk that was in the warp I used as weft, and I made a small shawl that I actually have hung up in the studio. It'll probably be a sample, I probably won't wear it as a shawl. I'll just keep it in there to kind of look at what I did. And then the second part of it, I wove with this linen, I have some cones of linen. And they're stained. This was like a porcelain blue color, pale porcelain blue. And it's a really rough spun linen. And I had used a cone of dark gray with that purple silk to knit a sweater, that Cherry Vanilla sweater that I made years ago. And this one was a porcelain blue color. And I thought oh, I'm gonna weave with it and see how it weaves up. And also, since this is just a sample, if the stains don't wash out, you know, that are on the cone, then I'll know. First of all, it's not stained... like the outer edge was stained, right. So just the first few yards, but the top and the bottom also have stains on it. So you know, as you go into the cone, you're going to pick up those stains at the top, that dirt right at the top of the cone and at the bottom of the cone. And so I was, you know, wondering if that was going to be worth using or not. You don't want to make a really nice project and then it doesn't wash out. So I thought, well I'll weave with it and see if it washes out. And it mostly did, there was a little bit of the kind of rusty looking stains that stayed. But small enough that you really can't, you really can't tell if you really... You know, if I didn't know it was there and go looking to see if didn't wash out, I don't think I wouldn't have noticed. So that gives me an idea that I can use those cones which, most of them are dirty in that same way. I can use those linen cones for other things which is which is kind of nice because I think it's really it's yarn I picked up when the weaving program at Hartnell stopped and there was a lot of yarn in the in the weaving classroom. And I managed to score. It felt like a score to me! I managed to score all these you know, rustic linen cones. But if they were you know, too dirty to use then I needed to know that. So anyway, I wove that and I have it sitting on my vanity in the bedroom just for you know, just to use it for a little while. But I think it's probably just going to be a sample that I'll keep downstairs near the, you know, near the loom and do something with it in the studio. So that was fun and got all the huck weaving done now. I'm waiting for the Jane Stafford guild. They have switched over on their classes. And I think they might have had been having to switch over on their website too. I was having a little bit of trouble accessing their website Anyway, once that switchover happens and they're in the new their new site, she's supposed to release her next her next episode for the month of May. So I'm all done. I'm keeping up again. I have my April project done and my May project we don't know what it is yet so I can't get started. Kelly 29:50 And then I have been working on... I mentioned sitting and crocheting and saying, Good, good. Good boy! Like the calmest voice I could have is what I kept doing as I crocheted.So I did get some crocheting done. And I am now up to... let me just look. So I need 20 octagons. For this blanket, I'm going to make it 4 octagons by 5 octagons, a rectangle instead of a square. I've got 15 of them. No, I've got 16 of them done because I finished one last night. So I've got 16 out of the 20 octagons done. Marsha 30:37 Oh, getting there. Kelly 30:38 Yeah, I'm close on the octagons. I'm close the squares. I need 12 and I have eight done. And then the half squares, which would be triangles, I need 14 and I don't have any of those done. And then I need four corners, which are also triangles, but they're smaller triangles. And I don't have any of those four corner triangles done so. So I've still got some... I've still got some work to do. Kelly 31:07 I'm going to end up with a lot of extra yarn, the the number of balls of yarn that they call for for this kit for the kit that you know or the for the pattern I think was so you had enough colors, but you end up with a lot of leftovers. So I'm going to have a lot even though I'm doing... Well I bought extra because I ended up buying the kit of mini skeins, the package of mini skeins. So I bought more yarn than I thought I needed. And I even needed less than that. So even with the extra octagons I'm gonna, I think I would have a significant amount of this yarn leftover but you know, Mother Bears work good in acrylic. And, and charity, charity hats in acrylic. Yeah, there's lots of things I can do with it once I'm done. So yeah, I'm making good progress on that, again, it's really been the only thing I've been working on. I don't have a knitting project. Well, I have those socks that I started that were going to be the Matcha socks. And then I started calling them Not Matcha socks because I couldn't even see the pattern. But I haven't picked those up. And I do think I'm going to... At first I thought I can just start where I left off. And no one will ever know that it was a pattern and it was supposed to be a pattern and and now I'm just doing them plain. But right now I think I'm just gonna rip them back and start over. So, but I haven't done that. So yeah, I have just the one crochet project going and that's really it. That's the only active project I have. Marsha 32:42 So we've got a lot going. To me, it seems like a lot, you know, Kelly 32:45 And well, the last couple days for sure. [laughing] But school, you know, school has been busy and, and, and starting a project there's always a little bit of friction, right? You have to figure out what you're going to make and you have to get the yarn balled up and you have to find the right needles and you have to do the thing-- the, you know, the kind of fiddly parts of getting going and I just haven't really had a chance to do that and the crochet has has been inspiring me to keep going because I'm so close now. Marsha 33:17 Yeah, Kelly 33:19 I've been pretty monogamous there. So yeah, that's that's it on my yarn projects. I now have a big, big furry project. But it's not, it's not yarn. [laughing] Marsha 33:33 So we did have the extremities knit and crochet and macrame along. I was waiting for some macrame socks to show up but we never got any! Kelly 33:46 But we did have some nice entries. What about 50 of them I think. 50 entries into the extremities knitalong and there were some crochet things I do believe if I'm remembering correctly. Anyway, we're gonna draw prizes for that and then we'll talk a little bit about some of the some of the projects that people that people submitted to that. So we have two prizes. One is the pattern for Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lasonnde. And then the other project, the other prize is a pattern, actually a pattern collection. The Coffee Socks Collection by Dots Dabbles Designs. Marsha 34:30 Earlier we did the random number generator and pulled our two winners. So do you want announce who they are? Kelly 34:37 Sure. Yeah, so the winner of the Abington Mitts pattern is Jackimarie, Jacqueline, and she made leg warmers. She actually made two pairs of leg warmers or boot cuffs, really cute! And we drew her name for one of those pairs. And so she's gonna win that Abington Mitts pattern. So congratulations, Jackie Marie Marsha 35:03 Congratulations.Yeah, yeah. Kelly 35:05 And then our second winner. Our second winner is Jillmabelina, Jill. And she made a pair of Bernie mitts. Marsha 35:16 Yes, she actually made two pair. Kelly 35:17 Oh, did she? That's right. I remember that now because it reminded me when I read it, that I had downloaded the pattern to make the crocheted Bernie you know, Bernie at the... it's a little amigurumi of Bernie at the inauguration with his mitts. And I, someone had posted a picture of it in one of my texts, you know, in one of my text groups of work friends had posted a picture of it. And I said, Oh, yeah, I saw the pattern. And somebody said, Oh, I'd love to have one. And I said, Oh, I'm downloading the pattern now. And then I never made it for her. So it reminded me that I had kind of promised to make a crocheted Bernie. I think probably that ship has sailed, but... Marsha 35:26 I know. I think that meme is is done, but then it may come back. Kelly 36:14 But the mittens are really really cool. And she made a really nice couple of pairs of those. So Jill, you win the Coffee Socks Collection, by Dots Dabbles Designs. Marsha 36:27 And then I was just gonna it's always fun to see what people make. I mean, I'm always intrigued by the patterns. And, and so just a couple things. I just, well, I just... I tallied up, we had 25 pairs of socks, 17 mitts or mittens, or I'm putting it all in the same category, the fingerless mitts mitts or like wrist warmers. And the two leg warmers, and one set of puppets that go on your hands. So that's so anyway, Superkip, Natalie, she made panda puppets, and they're crocheted and they're adorable. They look like little mittens and they're puppets. Kelly 37:09 I think she said the intention is for that to be... to actually be used as like oven mitts or like barbecue grilling. Marsha 37:19 Oh, okay. Yeah. And the other one is, UlricaC. She did socks. And the pattern is called Vanilla Is The New Black. And I comment on this because it was such an interesting heel. Did you look at this one. Very interesting heel. Kelly 37:38 It has kind of a diagonal? Marsha 37:41 Yeah, they're like, their like a Chevron on the back of the heel kind of and then I guess, a couple stitches of stockinette that go up. Anyway, they're an interesting heel, so I just wanted to comment on that. And then FerretSue, Sue, did the Hilja, that's probably not how it's pronounced, but the Hilja wrist warmers by Alex Bird. And I went to look at the pattern and it's it's called an Estonian inlay technique called Roosimine. And did you see this one? It's very interesting. It looks sort of like... I don't think this is what it is. But it sort of looks like the the backside of stranded knitting. Forming a pattern. It's very, very interesting. And so I wanted to comment on that Kelly 38:35 I always love to see the different techniques that people use. Mm hmm. Yeah. Marsha 38:40 And then the other one I commented was both knitnaround by Patty and bikesbrewewes by Kelsey. They both did mitts that are colourwork mitts with birds on them. And Patty did Springboard mitts. And Kelsey did Providence mitts. And they're really, really pretty, but it just was interesting that they both did mitts with birds. Yeah, very nice. So that was just some comments. Well, a lots of socks and lots of nice sock patterns. Kelly 39:16 Yeah, there's one sock pattern, the U-turn socks by, that were made by Joylaine. Those are so interesting. I have to get that pattern. Because the socks... like the front of the sock is is done, you know side to side, like if you were knitting in the round. And the back part of the sock is knit lengthwise. So like you're knitting like from the... from the top of the sock down to the heel. I don't know...by looking at them... Because they're striped, you can kind of tell the construction, but I don't know how it was done. Like I kept looking at their pictures and like, oh, how did that... how does that work? So I think I might have to try that. That looks Very interesting. And, and maybe a self striping yarn. I don't typically knit with self striping yarn because I don't make plain stockinette socks. But these look like a lot of fun. So maybe I can get a fun sell striping in and try the U turn socks. And then thinking of socks. Michelle, MichEmbrey on Ravelry. Marsha 40:24 The monkey socks? Kelly 40:26 Yeah, she made several pairs of socks, actually, because she's doing-- Have you heard of sock madness, Marsha. Marsha 40:33 I've heard the term, but you'll have to explain it. Because she's got about three pairs of socks Kelly 40:38 It's a contest on Ravelry where teams of people knit socks, and I think it goes along-- I'm gonna, I'm gonna go out on a limb because I don't know all that much about it. But I have a feeling it has something to do with March Madness. But it's sock madness. And so there's some competition aspect to it. Where people get eliminated, teams get eliminated like they do in the basketball tournament. And so you have like two weeks to knit the socks. And your team has to knit the socks faster than the other team or something. Anyway. I remember hearing about it when I was going to a knit group over in Pacific Grove at Monarch. And a woman there was doing it is like, oh my gosh. And basically she would put her vacation around this sock madness, like, you know, kind of plan vacation days and things for her her work so that she could participate in sock madness and kind of maximize her knitting time. Because she was so into this sock competition. And it just sounded it sounded so crazy that it was fun, right? [laughing] Like, oh my gosh, maybe I'm interested in this. Oh, I probably shouldn't be. Marsha 41:55 You have another project a big project! Kelly 41:57 Yeah, well, yeah. And I'm not that fast of.... I'm not that fast of a knitter, either. So. But anyway, very interesting to see all her socks and you know, the different patterns and they're not. They're not plain patterns. I mean, these socks that people are racing to finish are complicated, complicated patterns. So and then the one last project that I've mentioned thinking of, of socks and interesting methods, is Lisa Casson. She made yoga socks, and she used a knitting loom. And I thought that was really interesting. I mean, I know about knitting looms, but I really never think of them as a way to actually make a project like a pair of yoga socks. I mean, it is actually a tube. But I wouldn't have ever really thought about that. So she used her knitting loom and made a nice pair of yoga socks with the you know, cut out for the heel and the toe. Marsha 43:02 Well, and I just now I'm looking at all the projects, and I realized I made a mistake on something. I thought they were mittens, but they're... because they were felted. Oven mitts by FinnElliknits. Did you see those? Oh, and that's Ellen. Yeah, they're oven mitts. It's a... Kelly 43:19 That's a really good idea. I need some potholders! Marsha 43:21 Yeah. Kelly 43:22 Oh, I'm looking at them right now. Yeah, Marsha 43:23 yeah. And then there's a pot holder in the back. And I just, I was just glancing at it and thought, Oh, they were mitts. But now that I realized I made a mistake. It's actually their oven mitts. What a great idea! Kelly 43:33 That is a good idea. Yeah. Marsha 43:37 When you said about you're gonna go out on a limb about what the sock madness is? I was gonna say you're gonna go out on an extremity. [laughing] Kelly 43:50 Oh, that's good. I like it! [laughing] Marsha 43:55 Anyway, congratulations to... Well, first of all, thank you to everybody for participating. This is really fun to see what people did. And then congratulations to our two winners! Kelly 44:07 So go ahead and get in contact with me and I will pass along your name to to our donors, Jennifer Lassonde and Debbie from Dots, Dabbles Designs. Marsha 44:19 Just last two things. We have the summer spin in starting. And that's gonna run Memorial Day through Labor Day. And for those people who are not in the United States where we celebrate Memorial Day and Labor Day, that'll be May 31 through September 6. And traditionally, Memorial Day is sort of the official start of summer and Labor Day is sort of the official end of summer. So that's why we pick those dates and we'll talk more about that. We've done this in the past. And we'll talk more about the the summer spin in in the next episode. Anything you want to add about this ? Kelly 45:01 I'll put up a thread, a chat thread, where we can start talking about our spinning aspirations. For the summer. Fiber prep, washing fleeces, buying braids of fiber to spin, all that kind of stuff. Marsha 45:17 We can start buying fleeces. Kelly 45:19 Yeah. So we can start talking about all the all the stuff we're planning to do in the summer with our spinning. Marsha 45:28 And then I just had one last thing. One of our listeners Jolene, I'm sorry, wrong person. I'll read my list here, Sarah, Salpal. There she had asked in the thread what overshot weaving is. And I had tried to answer the question, just looking at, you know, doing a Google search of a definition of overshot. And then her response was okay, maybe this is a question for Kelly. But how the heck do you do it? Do you alternate the background color and the contrast color so the plain weave is happening behind the overshot? Does that? I did not answer your question, because I don't know how to answer her question. Can you answer that? Kelly 46:08 Yeah. Well, and actually, she got... she got some good answers. Cindy Q answered her in the thread also. But that is what happens. You have the kind of a background that's tabby. And then, so every other pick, that's when you throw the yarn across the weaving or you know, weave it in and out, every other pick is plain weave. So you do a plain weave, and then you do a pattern, which means you'll have like a float, the yarn will be floating over the top. Marsha 46:39 Okay, so when you say pattern, that's the what? The overshot? That's got the floats. Kelly 46:44 Yeah. And so those all those floats stacked together to make designs. And this is... snowflake type designs is the way I would describe them. That might not be exactly right. Or, or like I'm looking at a quilt that's hanging on the door behind me to absorb sound. And it's like a star shaped design, you know, that they have in quilting. So that kind of sort of star shaped design. There's different... there's all different designs, but they're made from these layers of threads that are going across, they're going across many threads, just like a float in stranded colorwork and the floats in stranded colorwork are usually on the back. And these floats are on the front creating the pattern, but it wouldn't be stable. You wouldn't have a stable fabric without those tabby or plain weave threads in between each of them. So and normally, too, the threads that you--that are the pattern are a thicker yarn, and then the threads that make up the the ground, the plain weave that goes in between are thinner thread so you don't really see the plain weave that much you mostly see the pattern threads, but the plain weave is there to stabilize. Okay, so all right. Yeah. It's really an interesting pattern. And I think Sarah is interested in maybe trying it on her rigid heddle loom, which that would be an interesting, an interesting thing to try on rigid heddle. Marsha 48:15 Well, I think that is everything. Do you have any last bits of housekeeping? Kelly 48:20 No, no, I think I better go rescue Robert from watching the dog that I wanted. Marsha 48:29 Yes. Well go take him for a walk. He's on. He's on a training program now. Kelly 48:36 Right. Marsha 48:39 We should all be on a training program. Kelly 48:40 That's what Robert said. They're going to get in shape together. So Marsha 48:44 Okay. Keep us posted and keep posting pictures because I love seeing the pictures. Kelly 48:50 Will do! Yeah, he's super photogenic. Bailey's hard to photograph, but he's really photogenic. And and yeah, I have some really good pictures of him already. Marsha 49:00 And he doesn't move as fast either. [laughing] Kelly 49:02 That is true. That's a good point. [laughing] Kelly 49:09 All right. Marsha 49:11 Okay, we'll talk in two weeks, Kelly 49:12 bye bye. Marsha 49:13 Bye bye. Kelly 49:14 Thank you so much for listening. To subscribe to the podcast visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com. Marsha 49:21 Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundredprojects. Kelly 49:29 Until next time, we're the two ewes doing our part for world fleece! Transcribed by https://otter.ai  

Recorded on April 27, 2021 Book Talk starts at 29:49 Virtual get-together via Zoom on Saturdays, 12 noon  PST - Details here   There are a few weeks left in our Anything-But-Wool KAL!  From You have until May 15 to complete a project of at least 200 yards of any yarn that does not contain wool - that means cotton, linen, cashmere, silk, soy, steel, milk, corn - even acrylic!  Join our very active chatter thread here, and post your FOs here.   Stay tuned to the end to find out if you won the Abington Mitts pattern by Jennifer Lassonde!   Giveaway for fans of The Office!  Tracie has made an The Office-themed project bag to give away.  Post in the giveaway thread telling us what your favorite episode is and why.  The thread will close May 15.   Andrew of the Fruity Knits podcast has passed away due a brain tumor.  The podcast was the family’s only source of income, so please help if you can.   How to contribute to Fruity Knitting:   https://fruityknitting.com/contribute/KNITTING   KNITTING Tracie finished Tulip Tank Top by Purl Soho in Newton’s Yarn Country Linen Tweed - Brown Barberpole.  This one is a miss for a variety of reasons and has gone into the donate bag! 2 Mother Bears (230 and 231), both in Louisa Harding Mariposa   Barb finished Alaska Hat by Camille Descoteaux, using a kit from Knit Circus  Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde in Lil Weasel DK in the Porcelain colorway   Tracie has cast On: Confetti by Veera Välimäki in Kelbourne Woolens Mojave - Sky Blue   And continues working on: Color Stacking Cowl by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee in Blue Heron Rayon Metallic in the Mossy Place colorway Snake River Poncho by Katy H. Carroll in Western Sky Knits Aspen Silk 600 in Downtown Colorway   Barb has been working on Zephyr cardigan by Celia McAdam Cahill, using Malabrigo Rios in the Solis colorway One Splendid Skein shawl by Fredi Baker, using Hedgehog Fibers Sock in the Budgie colorway   And has cast on Pioneer Braid Scarf by Catherine Ryan, using Elegant Yarns Kaleidoscope in color 27  Purl Strings tee by Heidi Kirrmaier, using Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton (Skinny) in the Sprout colorway   She frogged Building Bridges Cowl by Gretchen Tracy in Elegant Yarns Kaleidoscope in color 27  Cool Hemp Ponchette by Lana Hames, using Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 in Green   BOOKS  Tracie read A Cold-Blooded Business: Adultery, Murder, and a Killer's Path from the Bible Belt to the Boardroom by Marek Fuchs - 3 1/2 stars The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - 4 1/2 stars The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale 3 1/2 stars The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver - 4 1/2 stars You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar - 4 1/2 stars   Barb read Dead in the Water by Penny Farmer - 5 stars The Scandal by Nicola Marsh - 3 stars The Coldest Case by James Patterson - 2 stars The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Hamel - 3 stars   Barb recommends: RABOM (Ribbons and Buttons Oh My!) for all your grosgrain ribbons needs      

Lots of ends to weave and finished objects to discuss this week. Plus we announce the winners of our Winter Weave Along.  Show notes with full transcript, photos, and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha’s Projects Walk Along tee by Ankestrick (Ravelry link) Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde (Ravelry link) Almost done.  I started the heel flap on the pair of socks (Ravelry link) for myself using Drops Fabel Print that I bought in San Luis Obispo.   Spun three more skeins of merino green and brown three ply. Have a total of five skeins and 716 yards Kelly’s Projects  Finished! Iced Matcha socks (Ravelry link) from the Coffee Socks Collection by Dots Dabbles Designs. I used Invictus Yarns Seraphic.  Finished! Frog and Toad (Ravelry link) from frogandcast.com.  Finished! Reading in Bed blanket (Ravelry link) Started the Huck weaving sampler from the Jane Stafford Guild Winter Weave Along The Weave Along is over and we drew winners! Listen to see if you won! Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah It ends on April 25, 2021. Knit anything for your extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet). Full Transcript Marsha   Hi, this is Marsha Kelly    and this is Kelly. Marsha   We are the Two Ewes of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures. Thanks for stopping by. Kelly   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   We blog and post show notes at to Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com Kelly   and we invite you to join our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures group on Ravelry. I'm  1hundredprojects  Marsha   And I am betterinmotion. Kelly   We both look forward to meeting you there.  Both   Enjoy the episode. Marsha   Good morning, Kelly.  Kelly   Good Morning, Marsha. Marsha   How are you today? Kelly   I'm doing all right. The sun is finally coming out. I would say if you want to travel to my neck of the woods don't come in April. April's not-- I don't think April is that good of a weather month for the Monterey Bay Area. It's cold. It's very coastal feeling this morning that cold ocean breeze and overcast and the sun is now finally coming out. So maybe I'll get my hat and my fleece vest off att some point today. Marsha   Well, we are having beautiful weather in Seattle. Kelly   That's good. Marsha   I haven't checked the temperature but warm, you know, Sunny blue sky. Yeah, no rain in the forecast. I think it's gonna be up to 70 Kelly   Oh, nice. Marsha   I'm sorry. I don't know what that is in Celsius for those who are on Celsius. Kelly    30? Somebody in the Ravelry group posted and they said they have like milestones, like body temperature is 37. Marsha   Okay, Kelly    I think they said 30 degrees was like a 70 degree day. Now, I may be totally wrong on that. But but that's-- I'm just doing that from memory and then you know, zero is freezing. And below zero is nobody wants to, nobody wants to feel that! Marsha   Anyway, Well, anyway, it's beautiful. So I have Mark came up and helped me move the patio furniture app onto the deck. So we've been sitting in the furniture and we got the umbrellas out yesterday  Kelly   Wow! Marsha   and, we've had so and I'm... you probably saw my Instagram post that I painted the south side of the garage. Well, primer and first coat yesterday. I have to do the second coat today Kelly   You and Robert so I just have to ask. Did you vacuum it before you primed it? Marsha   Well, Ben power washed it for me. [laughing}   Kelly    Okay. Because I looked out at one point when Robert was... and he's got the vacuum up on the roof of the garage and a paintbrush, like to brush off cobwebs and stuff like that. Oh my gosh, he is meticulous. Marsha    He is meticulous but he's doing it the right way.  Kelly   Yes, yeah. No, I have no complaints. I just laugh when I see. I mean like, Who in the world looks out the window and sees someone vacuuming the garage wall? [laughing] Marsha   Well, I have to say I did not vacuum it but I, as I say Ben went out and power washed the south side. And then what started this whole thing, I probably talked about this but what started the whole thing is he was super excited about power washing and he powerwashed the driveway and I said well why don't you power wash my pots, my the planter pots, which he did. And then on the south side of the driveway where I have the tomatoes, the neighbors have a fence so it creates shade like from the pots down. And so it's super mossy, there was like an inch of moss over there. And he was--can hardly wait to get over there and attack the moss. He powerwashed that whole walkway, power washed the pots. I said Well then, if I'm pulling the pots away... Because they're so heavy, I take all the soil out, which is now piled up in front of the garage so I can't get my car in the garage. If we're going to do all this I should paint the garage because the garage has not been painted in, I don't know, 15 or 20 years? I don't know. A long time. I don't remember when it was painted. Kelly   Well that's what led Robert to paint was that the he wanted to get the garage painted before the grape came back. You know, he pruned it. So it was all pruned back and you can actually see the garage wall. And, and he knew you know, within a couple of weeks that was all going to start leafing out again and so he's like Okay, I gotta get this garage wall painted. Yeah. So so good to do it while the pots are out of the way. Marsha   Yeah, but then I have a tendency, well I was like, just put the paint on there. It's okay. And it's like no, my father was a painter. And I can't, I can't do that. So I, as I say Ben power washed it, I primed it. I put my first coat on. So and I'm gonna go put the second coat on. So that's the right way to do it. Now, all of this, that was just one side of the garage. I have, you know, it's a rectangle. So I have three more slots. [laughing] Kelly   Yeah, that's the west side. So that's one of the sides that gets the most Marsha   No, it's actually south side.  Kelly   Yes. The South Side. Yeah.  Marsha   But I, you know, my parents built that garage. And my father taught me how to put the shingles on it. So it has cedar shingles from probably 1968. And he showed me how to nail shingles onto the side of the garage. So when I was-- okay, let's see. I was probably 10. And I sided, at the age 10, I sided the south side of the garage.  Kelly   That's cool.  Marsha   Yeah. Anyway, and he told me how, like you put a double row at the--the first row at the bottom is a double row, double thickness. And then and how to use the now I don't even know what they're called. Is it a snap line? Chalk line?  Kelly   Oh, yeah.  Marsha   You know, to to get a, to, so that they're all even. And so I was out there painting them. I thought I did a pretty good job at the age of 10. Kelly   That's nice. Yeah.  Marsha   Child labor.  Kelly   Exactly. Exactly. Marsha   But I remember as a kid thinking, it was really fun. It was, yeah, it was super fun. So he left, he showed me how to, he showed me how to do it and then he left me on my own out there one day, and I just did the whole thing. But I will say, I'm not 10 anymore. [laughing] And  painting, so you know, primer, and then the first coat, my right hand holding the brush. I can't hold-- I in fact, I intentionally did not buy as big a brush as my dad would have used. He had like an eight inch brush, they would use like my hand can't hold that you know. So I have a smaller brush. But by the end of the day, my right hand was really sore and my left elbow. I pinched a nerve or something in their, I--or done something. And I think what it is now with my left hand is or my left elbow is from holding the paint pot. You know, just imagine holding something in your hand.  All day,  Kelly   Right Marsha   So it's-- I think it's affected my elbow. Yeah, I'm a wreck. Kelly   Well, even with all of that you still are able to knit right? Marsha   Yes, I'm working on socks right now as we're recording. So I'm still able to knit. Yeah.  Kelly   All right.  Marsha   Anyway, enough home improvement. Should we talk knitting?  Kelly   Yeah. What are you working on? Marsha   Well, I'm working on my socks. Just the you know, vanilla socks. In fact, I don't even have it in the show notes. It's the What yarn is this? It's the Fabel yarn that I remember we bought it down-- I reaching over to my bag to grab a label--when we went to San Luis Obispo years ago for the yarn crawl. Kelly   Oh, right. Marsha   And this is Drops Fabel Print. I've talked about this before, but not for a while. This is the second sock and I'm just starting the heel flap. It's you know, it's an easy project.  Kelly   Yeah. Marsha   So since I'm talking about these should I just talk about my projects? Kelly   Sure! Yeah, that's a good idea. Marsha   Because I don't have much to report. Marsha   I've been periodically picking up the Walk Along Tee by Ankestrick. And I have-- I really have not progressed much since we last talked. In fact, I have to tell you, I listened to the last two episodes while I was painting the garage. And knowing that we were going to record today, thinking Well, there's not much more to report. I think I've knit four more rows since we last talked. So but as I say, there's been so many projects here. Oh, and I should say too. Not much knitting got done last week because Ben had his wisdom teeth taken out. And so,last Wednesday, a week ago, so there was a lot of up and down the stairs changing ice packs making milkshakes and getting him to take pain meds. He alternated between ibuprofen and Tylenol. So yeah, I have not made a huge amount of progress on that and then the Abington Mitts also haven't... Kelly   Oh no! You jinxed them when you said you hope they're not like your skull. [laughing] Marsha   They are like my skull but as I said, again as I'm out there listening to the podcast the last episode while I was painting, we reiterated the deadline for the extremities, extremities knit crochet, macrame along. And I need to get going. Kelly   Yes. April 25th, right? Marsha   Yeah. So I need to get going. So I'm so close. I just have to do the thumb. Kelly    Right! So yes, Don't jinx yourself. Marsha   Yeah. You know what I also, when I listened back to myself, I always, this is what I always say. "I'm going to do that tonight." [laughing] I'm not saying that. That seems to jinx me too.  Kelly   Okay. Oh my gosh. Marsha    But the one thing I have been working on though, is the spinning. So I plied... have made three more skeins, I plied three skeins of yarn. So I now have a total of five, which is a little over 700 yards. And I think I'm going to get at least two more skeins, and maybe a bit more. But I had the idea that I was going to make a sweater out of this the green and brown three ply. But I'm not going to have enough. So I do think I will have more of the brown left. And even if I don't have enough of it. I can order more. Which I should probably do that sooner than later. So I was thinking well maybe I would just add stripes to the sweater. Kelly   Yeah. Marsha   To to extend it. So I think that will look okay. If I have like that barber pole yarn mixed with a solid but it's that same, the same color. I think it will be okay. Kelly   Yeah, I think that would be really pretty. Marsha   We did have a conversation though. Just thinking about spinning. We did have a conversation. I called you. Do you remember I called you last week, I think or this week that?  Kelly   Oh, right. I want to know how that how that went. Marsha   Yeah, well, so I'll tell people what happened. So and this probably happens to a lot of people, is that you're single is-- you're plying and one of your singles will break. And then you can't find the end on the bobbin. And that's what happened. And so I called you and I said because you know, you have been spinning a lot longer than I have, you've probably had this experience too. And you said a couple of things to do. One of them is put the bobbin back on the spinning wheel and spin the opposite direction that you plied it. But, and but loose. I mean, you don't have the yarn coming--well, because you're trying to find the end, right. So you just let it spin on there. And it will sometimes just fly out. Kelly   Right Marsha   That didn't happen. Kelly   I don't have too much luck with that. I haven't had too much luck with that technique either about Marsha   that didn't happen. But I think what it did is it must have loosened it some way because I finally took it off. And I just took it out in the sunlight. And I actually found the end Kelly    Oh, nice. Oh, that's good. Marsha   So because I had done that before I took it outside in the light and I could not find it. So I do think that that spinning, did must have jarred it some way that I could find it. But just the other advice you gave me too. And this is not-- this doesn't help find the end. But just when you're spinning, don't let the singles pile up too high as you're spinning across the bobbin and keep moving at across the hook sooner. Because I sometimes you know, as I'm watching TV, or I'm talking, I lose track of what I'm doing. And sometimes they get a little too high and then they can fall down onto the next row is that the right way, how would you describe it? Marsha   Kind of like the next layer the way I would... Marsha   Layer,  right.So I'm going to keep that in mind for next time. Because that has it's happened to me more than once that Kelly   And a lot of people use something called a Woolly Winder. And Robert from the very beginning, when I first got my spinning wheel, he was like this needs to have something where it's you know, laying the laying the thread down or the yarn down, going evenly all the way across and then coming back. Like you know, like a fishing reel. And I said, No, you just move the yarn on the hooks. And then I discovered, you know, this was back in 98. And then I discovered that there was this thing called a Wooly Winder that I think that's what it's called, that does do that it it winds your yarn onto a bobbin more like a fishing reel would do so you're not moving the hooks yourself.  Marsha   Make sense. Kelly   Yeah. I like to move the hooks because it helps me remember not to sit in one position. Not to put my hands in one position. Not to, you know, not do things that could give you a repetitive stress injury, the more adjustments that you make to your body, the better. But a lot of people like to have that and just be able to get into that rhythm. And, and it, you know, people think it helps, and it probably does helps them make a more consistent yarn to, because every time you stop and start again, you have the possibility of your yarn not being, not being consistent. But I'm old school enough to think that that moving the yarn from one hook to another is, is good for you. But I also am guilty as you are forgetting and then, Oh, no! And the finer you spin, the worse it is, the more careful you have to be about that happening. Marsha   Yeah, and I also think, too, is if you, if you have the the single on the bobbin. And you  just went and decided that you were going to wind it into onto another bobbin or something. Not that you would do that. Like so you're just going to take it from the one bobbin and put it onto another bobbin...  Kelly   People do that. They put it onto like a storage bobbin. Marsha   Right, I think then you might not have as much of a problem. But when you put it on the the lazy Kate, it has to have some tension on it.  The bobbins that you're plying off of have to have some tension. Otherwise, if they move too fast, then it all starts twisting back onto itself.  Kelly   Right, right.  Marsha   And so I think that tension also then forces the single down into the layers.  Kelly   Yes. Marsha   And I don't know how to get around that other than, as you said, spin... change more frequently.  Kelly   Yeah. And the other thing that I have done with my lazy Kate, when I wanted to make a super, you know, try to be super consistent in my plying, I was taking a class and I was trying to follow you know, the instructions of the class. And so, on our wheel, the lazy Kate on the little Herbie, is connected to the wheel. And I mostly ply from the Kate on the wheel. But if I have a yarn that I think is going to be really temperamental, what I learned in the class I took a while back, is that if you have the Kate away from you, it gives you the chance, it gives the yarn a chance for the twist to even out in the singles. And so if I have something that I think is not going to behave nicely, I'll take my Kate off. And, you know, put it behind me, like four or five feet. Kind of prop it up behind me four or five feet. And that does, that does help. Because it doesn't get so tight. You know, you know that that that tightness when you're when you're trying to pull it up, up from the bobbin instead of out from the bobbin. Marsha   Yes and I--and so we have the same wheel and I find that I tried plying with the lazy Kate attach to the wheel the way it's designed. It was a nightmare, because I, it kept...Yeah, I was not able to do it. So you had shown me that trick. And so now I always like I sit in my chair in the study, you know watching TV,which is probably part of my problem [laughing]  with my applying and then I put the lazy Kate behind me and I block it with the table leg to try and hold it up. So, because you want it to stay upright and not have the bobbins hit anything. So that stops them. The other thing is Kelly, you remember when I got the Ashford wheel?  Kelly   Yeah, Marsha   It came with a lazy Kate.  Kelly   Oh okay. I don't remember that. Marsha   And so I tried that too. And it's, it's basically it's like two posts that stick up. Wood posts that stick up and then the bobbins go in there. Ours are put in perpendicular to the ground, right?  These bobbins are parallel. But there is nothing to slow them down. So they just--and I tried I thought, well maybe it'll be easier. No. It did not work at all. It's-- I think that's just going to be for storing bobbins because they look pretty. Kelly   So my my Wyatt wheel has a Kate like that built into the wheel and it does not have a tension--any tensioner on those bobbins. And so what I've done is I've taken the springs, the springs that do the tensioning for the Herbie and I just put them on there so you might try it. It might not fit the same springs or those springs might not be long enough. It depends on how long the, what are they called, the sticks that go through the bobbin are. But if you can find springs to go on the end of them to provide a little bit of tension.  Marsha   Yeah, I could just go to the hardware store probably and get something.  Kelly   That might be a better Kate because you're not pulling up from the bobbin you are actually pulling out from the bobbin. And it's a little bit, it's a little bit easier to keep your attention even in that case. But you have to, you really need to have some tension on the bobbins in the Kate. Marsha   Right. I think I'm going to, I'm going to bring that lazy Kate from the Ashford to the hardware store, because what I've discovered? Men love anything to do with spinning wheels. They'll be like, oh! Yeah, they're gonna love it. It's engineering, right? Kelly    Yeah. Get some assistance with those springs for sure. Marsha   So that's it for me with projects. Kelly   Okay. Well, I'm glad you didn't have to waste yarn, you know that you didn't have to cut through your yarn. Because just to finish that conversation, the last resort to try to find your end is really just to cut the yarn and start spinning, or start unraveling. I've just cut the yarn and then started plying, from that, you know from that section just to wait to see what happens. And sometimes it makes a tangle. And then you have to cut even more off. And sometimes you found the end and sometimes. And sometimes you end up, you know, your cut end you ply back to the one that was hidden. And then you can find where you need to start up again. So but that's not much fun, because you often will end up having to unwind a lot of yarn. Marsha   Yeah. Before and put it in a compost pile. And that's and I was really hoping and I'm glad it didn't happen because I want to use every bit of yarn... Kelly   your already short Marsha   ... that I can  Kelly   Yeah, yeah. Marsha    In fact, I even like I've had some sections that have, you know, when you're plying, and you get the twist in one of the singles, but you can't get it out, it ends up just plying into the three. And that's not nice. I cut some of those out but I saved them. Just in case I need it for some something and then also when you skein the yarn on the niddy noddy, and then you have to tie it in four places. Well you don't have to, but I do tie it in four places. I have some waste yarn of some other commercial waste yarn that I tying the little... because each one say it's four inches, right? How many stitches how many knit stitches is four inches? You know, like maybe I could get the maybe that four inches what I'm gonna need, you know,  Kelly   Your yarn chicken stitches.  Marsha   Yeah, so I have my little stash set away.  Kelly   Yeah.  Marsha   And also, you know, on the niddy noddy, too, it doesn't always-- as you're winding, it doesn't always make-- two ends don't always meet so sometimes you have to unravel a bit and so that'll be 18 inches, 20 inches or something. And so I've been saving all of those.  Kelly   Sometimes what I do there is I'll take waste yarn and tie it. It depends on how precious the yarn is. Most of the time, I don't do this, but if I'm trying to keep as much yarn as possible, I'll tie waste yarn to the end of my handspun and then use that waste yarn to finish the, to finish the loop around and then tie it to the starting end. Marsha   Oh, that's a really good idea too. Kelly   That saves you. It saves you, you know, a yard  or less than a yard. Saves you Marsha    yeah  Kelly   Saves you from having to throw that little piece away. So so you maybe haven't had a lot happening with your knitting, Marcsha, but I had a Finish-a-Palooza! I'm sure you can see it in the in the show notes finished, finished finished! Marsha    Mm hmm.  Kelly   So the biggest finish of all was Frog and Toad. Frog and Toad are finished and delivered. Marsha   Well, and I want to ask you about that too. Yeah. So Kelly   they turned out so cool. I was so happy with how they turned out. And I I definitely have somewhat of a desire to knit them again. We'll see if that actually comes to comes to pass but Marsha   so and will... and were they a big hit? Kelly   They were a big hit. Yeah, so I had my I've had my second vaccination. And that was right before Easter. And then so I was gonna deliver them on Easter but I didn't feel well. So I just stayed home that day and laid low. And you know, the reaction wasn't fun, but it only lasted a day and I think if I had been--if I had been a little more, a little less stubborn, the nurse at the vaccination site, she said, you know, if you're not feeling well after the vaccine, you know, go ahead and take a Tylenol or, you know, go ahead and take Tylenol or Advil, you know, that's fine. And, and I know when they did the trials, they didn't tell people, you know, don't take anything after you have the vaccine. And so I'm sure people did who didn't feel well. And, you know, the vaccines are 95% or 90%, something like that, effective. You know, in the trials with people possibly taking something afterwards, but I had gotten it into my head that you, you know, you want your immune response to kick in, and I don't I, in talking with one of my colleagues, she said, You know, that's not really logic. That's not really that logical, even though it seems logical. It's not, it's not really the way the body works. But I had kind of thought, Well, you know, when you're sick, you kind of want that response to happen.  Marsha   Mm hmm.  Kelly   And, and so you know, as much of your immune, letting your immune system deal with the problem as you can is good. And so, you know, maybe not take something right away. So I didn't, and I think I would have felt much better if, as soon as I started feeling a little sick, I had taken something and for some reason, I thought, No, I should probably let my body just do this. Anyway, I don't think that's, that's not really good biological logic, according to my biology teacher friend at school, and the nurse at the at the vaccine clinic. So if anybody has their next vaccine coming, listen to what they say.  Marsha   Yeah. Kelly   And they tell you if you don't feel well, to take something, I would say take something. But anyway, enough of that. I didn't get to deliver them on Easter. But on Tuesday after Easter, we were, my mom who has been vaccinated fully and met her 14 days. She had like her freedom... what my aunt Pat calls her freedom day when her vaccine was, you know, fully the 14 days afterwards after her second vaccine. And Aunt Betty had passed her Freedom Day and Dennis had passed his freedom day. And Kye, who who runs the Post No Bills brewery,  my nephew, he'd had his freedom day. Anyway, so we all met at Post No Bills. Even though I really hadn't had my freedom day. We all met at Post No Bills, and Sarah brought the kids. Of course Post No Bills is a is a, you know, brew house. So we sat outside, they couldn't even come up on the patio. So they were down. They were down, out, you know, out from us a little ways. But I went out there with them and gave them their presents. And, and Faye was really happy with her Frog and Toad. She had never read the books before. So she was excited about that. And and then, of course, there was a little bit of throwing of Frog and Toad between her and her brother. Which I knew was gonna happen, I mean, their stuffed things. So it doesn't really matter. But it was kind of funny. That's the first thing they do is start throwing them back and forth. And then, you know, taking off the clothes, putting on the clothes, she was having a good time with them. So So yeah, very big hit. This Frog and Toad project was a very big hit. So she's now taking them to the grocery store to teach them how to grocery shop, according to Sarah. Because they've never been to the grocery store before.  Marsha   Mm hmm.  Kelly   So anyway, she's having fun with them Marsha   very cute  Kelly   Yeah, yeah. And I had a great time making them so. Lovely pattern Really well, really well done. Yeah. So. Marsha   So I'm looking at your picture on Ravelry. They're very cute. And their mouths, their mouths and their eyes it's very... well and their little toes and it just.. Kelly   Yeah, there's every little detail about them is fun. And every time I do a little detail, it was just, it made them even better. So it's a really-- I think they're really fun. It's a really fun knit. And there are just so many things. I just kept telling Aunt Betty, Oh my gosh, I'm so delighted by this. She's like, I don't think I've ever seen you so delighted by your knitting before. But the little knees and fat little calves and anyway... Very cute project and well received. So I finished that. I finished the Iced Matcha socks last night. So they're done and I did have to redo the toe on one of them. Thinking of sock toes and Robert, it kind of made me laugh. I decided I was going to just follow the pattern and not just do the toe I always do. And it's slightly different. I mean, it wasn't wildly different. So I don't think it was the pattern. I think it was more that I jumped the gun on how... Well I think there's two things. I think I jumped the gun on how soon to do that first toe, which often happens to me. It's like, Oh, yeah, they're far enough. I'm ready to do the toe. And really, they couldn't use another quarter inch of length. And then I want to say,  I can't remember exactly in the pattern, but the number of stitches that people typically decrease to before they Kitchener I've actually found that I like to have more than that. So like I'll use at a minimum 16 stitches on my needles when I Kitchener. So and I think like when I was first making socks, I want to say they were having me go down to like 10 or something.  Marsha   Yeah, Iusually leave 10. So what is, why, what was your thinking? Why? Kelly   [laughing] It just, it cramps my toes. Marsha    Oh, okay,  Kelly   They just seem a little smaller. I just like the I just, I just like to have a more blunt end to the toe. Here we back... Marsha   You don't like looking at the pointy toes in your drawer. The dresser drawer. Kelly   Yeah. Except it's, you know, my eye. For some reason, it just feels more comfortable on my foot to have a little bit wider. Like they're not, I don't think of myself as having particularly wide feet. Especially when I was younger, but I do have now on one foot a pretty good size bunion. And so maybe that's why, you know, maybe that my foot is just wider at that. At that.  Kelly   Yeah,  Kelly   Now and so. So anyway, I took that one sock out and added to the toe. And now I'm and now I'm done. So the pattern's very cool. We talked last time about how I was gonna-- thinking about making a pair of them inside out.  Marsha   Right.  Kelly   But the thing I didn't think about is when you stretch them over your feet. That ribbing doesn't look the same... that wobbly ribbing isn't wobbly anymore. Okay, so if you stretch them over your over your leg, it would just look like a one stitch stockinette ribbing. So I don't know I would use... I would use that reverse pattern on something that didn't have to stretch. Because then you could actually see how that ribbing wobbles in and out. But the right side of my socks, I really liked that. I really liked the pattern. I think it would be a good one for a highly variegated yarn. Mine is a little bit variegated. It's a little more variegated than tonal. But it's not--it's not a really wild variegation. But I think in a you know, pretty wildly variegated yarn, this would make a good pattern for that too, because it would break up that, you know, it might break up the... not that pooling is bad, but it just kind of gives another texture to the way the yarn is is changing. So those are done in time for the Extremities Knit Along. Kelly   And then I finished the reading in bed blanket.  Marsha   Oh, nice.  Marsha   Correct. Yes. Kelly   Yeah. And Robert will say it's not entirely finished. Because, I'll tell you why. Because I washed it. And this is a little bit of a cautionary tale for people who want to weave with different yarns. Like when I do the blanket with the Gotland yarn that you bought, I really won't have to worry about this so much. Even if I'm doing wide stripes. It's all the same yarn.  Kelly   It's dyed different colors, but it's all the same yarn. But as you know, different yarn felts in different ways, right. And I always like to full a blanket so it doesn't feel like and look like burlap. I like the all the yarns to kind of snuggle together and I maybe like it a little more felty then fulled. I don't know. I just I like that look of you know, nice well fulled blanket. And what that means is that some of them had the tendency to shrink in more than others. So the one of the yarns in there was the Tasmanian Comeback and that shrunk up more than the other yarns did. And so I have a stripe--well, I have different stripes, but like I have a five inch stripe and a two inch stripe of the Tasmanian Comeback. A couple different stripes. And those stripes shrunk in so on the edges you could see it pull in. So I laid it out on a table and I stretched, pulled those out. So they were even, you know, I did a pretty significant like block, you know, stretching that part out. I tried to get all the edges as even as I could. And I did a pretty-- I thought I did a pretty good job. But I didn't want to leave it on the table to dry. It was a nice breezy day. And I thought I'm going to hang it up. So I took it out and I hung it up in the tree and then it blew. And so anyway, it ended up with like hanger marks. So  Marsha   Oh  Kelly   Even though I had made the edges straight, once I hung it up, now my edges... One edge is kind of wobbly. So it's not permanent, I have to just wet it and do that blocking process again, let it dry flat, so it'll be straight, and it won't have little bumps where the clothespins were.  Marsha   Right?  Kelly   But so that's what Robert was saying is, well, it's not done because did you rewet it and straighten it out? No.[laughing] But I'm really happy with it, it's got a nice drape to it, I used a twill threading, a point twill threading, so  that it's like denim. Right, twill is like denim. So the the diagonal goes up and then turns around and comes back down for a point twill. So it's got some diagonal interest in it. And then I have the, you know, the horizontal stripes of the different colors. And if I wanted to avoid that, that differential shrinkage, what I think would have been a good strategy would be to, first of all have more shuttles than I have. So that I could stripe the yarns in a small, smaller section. So like to, you know, throw two weft picks of one color, throw two weft pics of another color, throw one or two weft pics of a third color. You know, just alternating like I did in the warp. The warp doesn't have any one thread more than a few times in a row. Marsha    Yeah.  Kelly   And if I had done that with the weft, I wouldn't have had any worry. But because I had a limited number of shuttles. I thought I'll just use this one, I'll just use this one shuttle. And you know, fill it with one color, use it up, fill it with another color use it up. And so that's what I did. So in stripes, but super happy with it. I twisted the fringe. That took a while. But I you know I did like, you know, a certain number of strands twisted one way, another group of threads twisted the same way, and then ply them back on each other and knot it. So I have, I don't usually do things with fringe. But I have a fringe on this blanket. So yeah, I'm super happy with it. I have not yet used it to read in bed. But maybe tonight. Marsha   And you don't have a finished picture of it. Kelly   I know. I don't! I have to take a picture of it.  Marsha   That's funny. I guess he's using that as you know, all the last little bits that you have to do before the project is actually finished. That's funny.  Marsha   And then I also, I thought when you were talking about Robert about like saying that it's not really completed. I thought he said something the other day and I thought what was it about weaving in ends and I looked and it's on Instagram. He said the front the garage is complete and complete is in quotes. And then in parentheses, he says "I do have a few ends to weave in." Marsha   Yeah, yeah. Anyway,  Kelly   That's a good, it's a good expression. Marsha   Yeah, no, it is. Kelly   At least we all know what he means when he says that. His family's probably What! Marsha   Yeah. Anyway, so yeah, he's picked up he's picked up our jargon. Kelly   Yeah, just a few ends to weave in Marsha   And, and then anything else? Have you started anything? Kelly   I haven't started any... Well, I haven't started any new knitting projects. I still have the crochet blanket and I've been off and on working on that. You know, nothing really new to say there for a while. I'll just be working on squares and octagons. But I did start, once I got the blanket done, I thought okay, I'm gonna put the  next Jane Stafford project on my table loom. So I had already wound the warp for it. And so I put it on, and I did a little weaving. I did a little weaving of the sampler. In fact, I'm knotting, I'm knotting ends right now. It's a seven yard warp. So I cut off I think about it's a little more than a yard that I've woven so far. It's a purple silk. It's the same purple the coned purple yarn that I used for that sweater that Cherry Vanilla.  Marsha   Yeah Kelly    that I made, I held a strand of this, along with a strand of gray linen. I think those were the two yarns I used for that sweater. And I love that sweater. And I've had this yarn, my God, for a long time. I think I bought it in the early 2000s. And I thought, Oh, I'll just, I think I'll use this. The the sample that that Jane is weaving is a purple bamboo. And it just reminded me that I had this yarn, so I went got it. And that was the yarn I wound for the warp. And I also used it for the weft. And it's the the weave structure that I am practicing is called Huck. And it's a lace weave structure. And I don't have a picture of it either. I'll take a picture for you to see while we're talking here.  Marsha   Oh, yes,  Kelly   Huck lace is related to Canvas, we, which is the last week the last episode. So it was kind of similar. It has kind of a similar look, there are some differences. But this was you know, just a little experimental piece that I've done. And so now I'm knitting the fringe on this. I'm not actually sure I'm going to leave it with fringe or if I'm going to hem it. It's just a sampler. It's long enough that it could be a scarf, but I don't typically wear-- I don't typically wear scarves. I mean, I may give it away to somebody at some point, but I think I just might keep this as a sampler and hang it on the wall in the studio.  Marsha   Yeah, yeah. It's nice.  Kelly   So I have a lot of... maybe, six more yards, I think. Yeah, I think was a seven yard warp so I, I have five to six more yards to play around with. I don't have enough of this yarn to continue using it for very much longer as weft. So I'm going to have to get creative with what I use as my weft yarn, which could be kind of fun. So but yeah, I'm keeping up with the Jain Stafford Guild, which is, this is a first. I've never... This is the first year I've ever woven along and not just watched the videos for you know, while I was knitting or you know, before bed or whatever. So yeah, I'm actually doing what the what the video is talking about. So that's been fun. But that's it. So I have a kind of alarming status have nothing on my knitting needles. I do have ends to weave in and pictures to take for a couple of projects. my sweater, for example, that striped sweater, the striped pullover. I still have ends to weave in there.  But yeah, nothing is actively on the needles. That's a little odd. Marsha   Yeah. Kelly   So well, stay tuned. There'll be something next time. Marsha   Yeah. Well, since we've covered projects, we should talk about the Winter Weave Along since we've been talking about weaving.  Kelly   Yeah, Marsha   It actually ended. And should we say anything about it? Before we talk about our prize winners. Kelly   Well, just that it was really fun. And we had, I think over 600 posts in the chat. Of course it was going on since, you know, November. But lots of really good discussion in the chat. And some people that... I always like it when like an episode will strike a chord with somebody and somebody who's never posted before will post in the episode thread and say, Oh, I was just listeni ng. And you said such-and-so.  It's always fun to hear from people. I mean, of course, it's fun to hear from people that  I feel like I know online already. But it's it's fun to see new faces show up. And this year, in the Winter Weave Along, there were a lot of new faces who showed up. And that was fun. It was nice to get to know some people that you know, have not participated in the Ravelry group until now. So that's been fun. Marsha   So should we just start with our prize winners then?  Kelly   Yeah, let's do that. Marsha   Okay, so I'm going to go first. Before we go on, we should just say, too, that we pick names with the random number generator. Kelly   And mostly from the finished object thread, although I did, I did also select one from the chat thread. Marsha   Yeah. So this is gonna--The first three are from the finished objects. And our first winner is number two, which was JoanneCarol. Joanne from Santa Cruz. And I want to make a comment about this too, that she made woven potholders with a potholder loom. And I had one of those as a child and I had a huge bag of the... they kind of remind me like, hairbands kind of there, that you stick on that loom and then I think you crochet around the edge to finish them. And I remember I had one of those and I made so many of them that I started walking around the neighborhood knocking on doors, trying to sell them. You would never let your child do that now. But anyway, that's what I did. Kelly   Did you actually sell any?  Marsha   Yeah, I did but I can't believe that, you know, in this day and age, you would never let your child just go and walk around the neighborhood and knock on random, I mean, neighbors we didn't know.  Kelly   You know, we did that all the time selling Girl Scout... you know. Well I wasn't in Girl Scouts, I was in Bluebirds, Campfire. Selling campfire Mints. Oh my gosh. And then the number of candy bars that we sold for school things. Yeah, we did that all the time. Marsha   Yeah. So I was in Campfire, and we sold Campfire Mints, and we actually literally just went knocked on people's doors. And  now nobody does that at all. They're all you know...Anyway, but that's another rabbit hole conversation that we won't go down. But anyway, so congratulations, Joanne. Yeah. And Kelly, do you want to announce the second winner? Kelly   Yeah. So the second one is a weaving book. And I haven't, I haven't purchased it. I'll go ahead and and purchase it and have it sent directly. And since we had quite a few Weaver's using rigid heddle looms, it's a choice one of two books, either the Marguerite Porter Davison red paperback book, which is the paperback version, newer version, of the one that I always use to find interesting weave structures. So that's for a four harness loom. And then or there's a  Liz Gipson rigid heddle book that has 17 projects in it. And so depending on which kind of Weaver you are, and which book you would like, I will send you one of those two books. So the winner of that number 40. Teaandknittingtoo is Colleen in Ohio. And she made napkins as her first double heddle project. And I think she has rigid heddle loom and bought a second heddle is what she did. Because I did see she was weaving on a Cricket in one of her project pages. And then she also made a scarf later on in the weave along and has  posted that as well. So congratulations, Colleen and just let me know what which book you would like and your address and I'll get that sent along. Marsha   And I have to just interject I made a mistake on the first prize winner. Joanne I didn't say what she won.  Kelly   Oh, how do they do that on the on the game shows?  Well tell Joanne what she won!  Marsha   Yes, Joanne, I do apologize. I'm sorry. I actually am reading notes believe it or not. [laughing].  So a pair of Christmas dish towels that Kelly that you wove. Joanne, also I know you'll contact us and send us an email or through Ravelry and we will get your address and get those to you. So okay. And then I will... the third one is a class that was generously donated by Erica at Weavolution. And she has a great website for weaver's with projects and discussions and classes and lots of resources. And the winner of that is number 51 Heddicraft and she is also in Santa Cruz. We have a little bit of a Santa Cruz... Kelly   We had a large Santa Cruz contingent in the weave along this year, I have to say. Marsha   But Heddi made, she made, she entered a lot. She had quite a few projects but the number 51 was some spring tea towels that she made. Kelly   So she was a weaving machine!  And I think she's new to having a floor loom if I'm remembering correctly, she's a relatively new weaver and and maybe it was weaving with a rigid heddle at first or or maybe last summer and then started and then got... I'm, I'm mistaken. I think she has a table loom that she bought a stand and treadles for because I was asking her about her stand and how she liked it. Because I have also a table loom and I was trying to decide do I want to buy a stand or do I want to put it on just a card table or do I like having it on the six foot table that I just cart in from the garage when I need it. But yeah, I think I do think she's a relatively new weaver as well. So all right. And then the next prize is a gift certificate, a $70 gift certificate for the Jane Stafford guild or for the Jane Stafford website. You can use it toward whatever you like. You can use it toward a guild subscription. You could use it for yarn or kits. She has equipment on her site has quite a few different things on her website. And so I'll give certificate for her site is going to CindyQ, our friend in Washington, yes. Now CindyQ, she made a queen size blanket. She had had a large collection of handspun. Sounds familiar. And over the years, you know, had just been spinning and you know, certain handspun she didn't have a purpose for and so she just been collecting it. And she put them all together and made a beautiful blanket. Sort of, I want to say purples, blues, grays all from her stash. And yeah, that was a fun project to see. And she finished it fairly early in the Weave Along. If I'm remembering correctly, she talked about it, you know, from the, from the stage of getting out all the yarn and identifying what she had, and then planning the project and everything. But but once she got going, she really got that done quickly. And yeah, it's beautiful. Yeah, it's really nice, huge. Marsha   It's huge. Yes. Kelly   Queen size bed blanket. So, very inspirational there. So Cindy, let me know, I, I actually I think I have your your email address, but just confirm for me your email address so I can get that gift certificate. It's like an E, you know, an E card, gift certificate that will be emailed to you. So all right, congratulations.  Marsha   We also have a drawing for the chat thread, we're going to pick out-- we've picked one person from the chat thread. And they're going to also win a pair of Kelly's Christmas dish towels. And the number we drew is number 538. And that's Cian also known as Suzanne in Florida. And she posted a canvas weave sampler. So congratulations to everybody who participated. A couple things I just wanted to note about I went through, you know, I've been following everybody and noting what they were saying about their projects. And it seems like a lot of people were new, that was like the first time waiting on their new loom. In fact, it sounds like Suzanne, that she just got a floor loom and that's what she was weaving on, her new loom. And there was also making things I hadn't thought about making out of handspun-- or I'm not-- sorry, out of hand--excuse me. Hand woven material. Sorry. Um, the one thing is a lot of people made dish towels, right. And I was struck by Kelly11 that she made potholders where she doubled up the fabric and then put an edging around it. And really cute potholders and they are... Kelly, you told me this, it's called overshot is the technique. Kelly    Oh, yeah,  Marsha   Really beautiful! And the other thing she did too, was she made tote bags, a tote bag out of the dish towels. Which I thought was a really clever idea. Kelly   Really clever. I have a dish towel addiction. And that means that my dish towels take up two drawers in the kitchen, plus a part of a shelf in the upstairs linen closet. And so yeah, that's a really  good idea for a dish towel warp, if I feel like making dish towels, but I don't I don't find another drawer to put them in. Yeah, that's a good idea.  Marsha   And then the other person that was was interesting, too, was MissIssabel. And she made shawls using an elongated hexagon pin loom. Kelly   Mm hmm. Marsha   And those were really interesting too. And a pin loom is something that is not a huge investment. You can just make one. I actually watched a YouTube video about how you can make your own pin loom, so that was interesting. And then oh, and then Seine1. She talked about was the first time seaming a weaving project. I never really thought about that as I am assuming, Kelly, you know more about this. It's where you're taking two pieces, I guess. And you're seaming them together to make a larger... Kelly   right.  Marsha   Then to make like a blanket or an afghan Kelly   Something wider. Yeah, like Stella last year made a baby blanket seaming the two strips. Well Heddi made panels that-- she didn't seam them, but she hung them as a as a closet door.  Marsha   Yes, Kelly   That was interesting. But yeah, even when you have a narrow width loom, you can still get a wider width piece of fabric by seaming them, by seaming them together.  Marsha   It was, it was very interesting what everybody was doing. I enjoyed seeing all the finished projects.  Kelly   Yeah, I did too. I have to say this year... I've never I've never really been a big fan of overshot. I always think... Well, I have some scraps, some overshot quilt scraps or you know, coverlet scraps that I bought at the quilt show. Gosh, a number of years ago, the Pacific international quilt show. They had a booth that was selling all kinds of things, but one of the things that they were selling, they had this big bin of, of cut up pieces of old coverlets, hand woven coverlets and that those are traditionally done with overshot and I like, I like it for that look, right. For the sort of bedspread, old fashioned colonial style coverlet look. But I had never really thought Oh, I would love to weave something in overshot. But the projects! There were several overshot projects this year. I think there was a class going on that people were taking And out of those several projects it's like okay, this is kind of inspirational. This is not, this is not your grandmother's overshot.[laughing] So I I'm like, Okay, I'm looking forward. I don't know when we'll do overshot in the Guild, but I may just put something on the lumen and work on overshot. The only overshot that I've ever woven was some potholders, some Christmas potholders. So real small project that, you know, just took me a couple of weeks at the weaving class. I wasn't really studying it or anything, I think the loom was actually maybe already even warped. You know, I was just weaving off an old warp from someone else. So it wasn't like I really learned anything. I mostly just followed the directions. But I was really impressed with the kind of versatility of overshot that I didn't really think of. So, yeah, it was fun.  Marsha   Another year. We'll start  Kelly   And now we're ready to start our, uh... not quite yet. But pretty soon we'll be starting our summer spinning.  Marsha   Yes. We'll talk more about that later on. But we're planning on doing that again this year. Kelly   Thank you to everyone who participated, it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. I think a lot of people learned a lot. It was really informational and educational, and fun to get on the thread every morning and read what people were doing and making. So thanks to everyone!  Marsha   And so just a reminder, we talked... we touched on this briefly earlier, but our Extremities Knit Crochet Along or any other type of crafts you want to do for your extremities. And that is underway and that ends April 25. And the prizes are the pattern for the Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde and the Coffee Socks Collection by Dotsdabbles Designs. Marsha   So get your finished objects in I and I'm saying that to myself. [laughing] Kelly   Let's see what's today? Today's the 14th so you have 11 days Marsha.  Marsha   Yeah,  Kelly   And how many rows? Marsha    Five Kelly   And how many stitches?  Marsha   12.  Kelly   So 60 stitches in 11 days. You all you have to do is six stitches a day.  Marsha   Well, maybe tonight.[laughing] Kelly   All right. You officially jinxed yourself. [laughing] Marsha   I know! It's not it's not happening tonight.  No, you know what I need to say is I am not doing that tonight. Right? Kelly   That's right! I have too much going on. I'm not doing that tonight. Marsha   I am not doing that tonight. So we'll see what happens now that I've put that out there. We'll see what happens tonight. Kelly   Oh my gosh!  Marsha   Anyway, Do we have anything else? I don't think we do. Kelly    No, I don't think so either.  Marsha   Well, I will get off the phone and I will go put that final coat of paint on my garage right? Kelly   Yeah, I have papers to grade Whoo hoo. Marsha   Put on your...put on some latex gloves. Kelly   Well, actually, yeah, no, they're not really papers. But yes, I have  Marsha   Oh, they're not real actual paper.  Kelly   I have virtual papers. I have grading. okay. That's what I should say. Yeah, integration practice to grade. So. All right.  Marsha   All right.  Kelly   It's been fun.  Marsha   We'll talk in two weeks! Kelly    All right.  Kelly   Thank you so much for listening. To subscribe to the podcast visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com/ Marsha   Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundredprojects. Kelly   Until next time, we're the Two Ewes Both    doing our part for World Fleece!

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 206 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. www.downcellarstudio.com/206  This week’s segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Reminder: All Links that lead to Ravelry are labeled as such. Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Eme’s 17th Birthday Rainbow Pattern: Rainbow Crochet pattern by AmiMami Doll on Etsy. $3.74 (on sale $3).  Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted Minis + Big Twist soft from Joann’s Hook: C (2.75 mm) Interesting in picking up some Brava Worsted Minis? Consider using my Knit Picks Affiliate Link Riley’s Nanaimo Cardigan Pattern: Nanaimo Cardigan by by Tara-Lynn Morrison Ravelry Project Page Yarn:  Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Colorway: Storm Front (5 skeins) Needles: US 13 – 9.0 mm US 15 – 10.0 mm US 19 – 15.0 mm Size XS/S Used 4 full skeins (not the 5 that I purchased) Tag from Beam City with my logo on it. Sidewalk Stripes Socks Yarn: Patons Kroy Stripes  in the Sidewalk Chalk Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 US knitting pattern) Ravelry Project Page Whale Song Socks Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Whale Song Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 US knitting pattern) Ravelry Project Page Link Hydrangea Stripes Blanket Yarn: Sprighly Acrylic Worsted in Silver Grey, Suede and Misty Pink. Vanna’s Choice in Grey Marble, Charcoal Grey & Oatmeal. Knit Picks Brava Minis in assorted colors. Hook: H (5.0 mm), Cast on with K (6.5 mm) Pattern: Hydrangea Stripes Blanket by Lucy of Attic24 (free crochet blanket) Ravelry Project Page Chained 118 to start with J hook. Used that for first sc row too. Then went to H hook. Finished blanket. 34 wide by 50 inches long. 53 rows plus set up and finish row. 692 grams used. On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Hydrangea Stripe #2 Pattern: Hydrangea Stripes Blanket by Lucy of Attic24 (free crochet blanket) My Ravelry Project Page Hook: I  (Cast on with K hook) Yarn: Vanna’s Choice in Shadow Ombre, Orion Blue, Burgundy & Sea glass, Sprightly Acrylic Worsted in Suede & Big Twist Soft in Rose & Charcoal Chain 86 to make this one a little smaller. Fibernymph Spinning Three 2 oz natural Shetland Finished the first 2 oz Ravelry Project Page Freewheeler Sweater Pattern: Freewheeler by Kristen Finlay (Ravelry Link) $11 AUD (~$8.35 US) Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) Yarn (held double): Holiday Yarns FlockSock (Badger Black Colorway); CeCe’s Wool Yarn Baby! 1120 yards fingering weight Superwash Merino (Cherries Jubilee Colorway) Ravelry Project Page Dan’s New Year’s Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 US knitting pattern) Yarn: US 2 (2.75 mm) Needles: Goosey Fibers in the Stay out of the Forest (not final dye version) & Lock Your F*cking Door (brown) Ravelry Project Page Cast on 52 stitches. Gram’s Mother’s Day Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 US knitting pattern) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Knitting Fever Indulgence 6-ply Color 102-Green, purple, blue, red stripes. Ravelry Project Page Cast on 64 Ribbed down front of the leg Brainstorming Excavation Blanket by Jana Pihota (free knitting pattern- Ravelry download only. Inspired by by friend Melissa.  Link to Pattern on Ravelry I’d love to make another Hydrangea Stripe Blanket (for me). I’d like to make a Nanaimo for me using the same Storm Front Colorway I used for Riley’s. From the Armchair Finished reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perservence by Angela Duckworth. Bookshop.org Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link Finished reading The Evening & The Morning by Ken Follett- Amazon Affiliate Link. BookShop Affiliate Link. Loved it!  Finished reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley- Amazon Affiliate Link. BookShop Affiliate Link. Loved it. Finished reading and absolutely adored: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Bookshop Affiliate Link, Amazon Affiliate Link. Still reading Column of Fire by Ken Follett Bookshop Affiliate Link, Amazon Affiliate Link Knitting in Passing When I visited with my Aunt Florence during her chemo treatment, I took out sock to show her. We got talking about how colorwork is done and the difference between intarsia and stranded colorwork. Just then, a nurse walked by and admired Dan’s sock. We got to chatting with her. She said she knits but hasn’t in awhile because of some joint pain but is looking forward to getting back into it. KAL News Splash Pad opens Friday May 28 You can sign up on May 1st. Stay tuned for the link. Save the Date: Virtual Kick Off Weekend May 29 & 30, 2021 Sponsor spots open. Click here for details. Rules will go up soon but as a reminder, WIPs are eligible for this KAL so if you want to get strategic and save stuff consider this your heads up.  Pro Shop Sponsors are given the opportunity to sell exclusive items before & during the KAL. This is the paid option ($50 for Splash Pad Party). There are a max of 20 spots per KAL. Pro Shop sponsors receive 1 free 30 second promotional ad on the Down Cellar Studio Podcast, and first selection of Virtual Vending Spots for the Kick off Weekend Saturday May 29 & 30th. Snack Shack Sponsors will donate prizes but will not be able to sell KAL Exclusive products. This is free option and there are unlimited spots. Snack Shack Sponsors may sign up for any available Virtual weekend spots available after Pro Shop Sponsor Sign Up. Note: All Sponsors are required to contribute at least one prize with a minimum suggested value of $20. Sponsor List (subject to change as we are still inviting sponsors) Pro Shop Sponsor AdoreKnit agirlandherwool Anne Beady Cookie and Bees Fibernymph Dye Works Geektastic Fibers Into The Woods Irocknits Designs Knit Style Yarns Knitters Brewing Company Prairie Bag Works Sunsoaked Yarns YumiYarns Snack Shack Sponsor 19stitches Bonnie Baker Etsy Shop Cragen Cottage Designs Hyacinth Creek Designs Kino Knits Knitosophy Designs KnittenKristen Designs Legacy Fiber Artz Nicole Simmons Knits Precision Athletic Training Windswept Designs Events Know of something? Let me know. NJ Wool Walk– April 17th through April 25, 2021. Mostly in person event but they’re also having a lot of virtual events. Vogue Virtual Knitting Live– April 14-18. I am taking 3 classes & a lecture. Contest, News & Notes Check out the new Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Details about each tier is listed below or tune into this video to hear Mom & I chat about it. $2/month: Coffee Club 2 Episodes of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast each month (24/year) Several YouTube Videos per month on the Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel. Access to my public BostonJen1 Instagram Feed (NOTE: You do not have to be a patron to continue to enjoy these offerings. They will always be free) $3/month: Passionate Podsters:  Access to all blog posts in my Patreon feed. Behind the scenes in my making and more lifestyle details, tips etc. Reviews and other notes about finished projects. Lots of photos, sneak peeks of upcoming designs and more!  Access to private vlog video (approximately once per month) And everything in the previous tiers. $5/month: Stitchin’ Squad Monthly Group Zoom Knit Nights during the Splash Pad Party & Pigskin Party MALs (make-a-longs). Access to a private Instagram Feed with even more behind the scenes and lifestyle goodness. And everything in the previous tiers $7/month: Invaluable Insiders A coupon to use in Jennifer Lassonde’s Ravelry Store each Quarter good for 1 free self-published pattern. This tier will evolve depending on the group’s interest. I’ll take polls and see what you’re interested in. Perhaps we’ll do periodic Zoom chats focused on a specific topic with some Q&A at the end. Will record for those who aren’t available to attend live.  And everything in the previous tier. $10/month: Ultimate Insiders A coupon to use in Jennifer Lassonde’s Ravelry Store each Month good for 1 free self-published pattern. Patron shoutouts on the podcast Even more behind the scenes looks at designs in progress + the opportunity to help me name new patterns And everything in the previous tiers Special Offer: Sign up in April- any tier- and be invited to submit your questions in advance and to join Jen live on a Zoom all to discuss, time management, efficiency, goal setting or anything else you need help or motivation with. Zoom will be scheduled in May and will be recorded for those who can’t attend live. On a Happy Note I enjoyed my first time inside our local library in a long time. Got 3 books and snagged a great deal on some zoo passes for Riley and Aila’s birthday adventure. First time decorating for Easter here using hand blown eggs from my family. Easter festivities. Check out this vlog for some silly Easter dinner shenanigans. You can also see Millie reminding me how to latch hook. Trying something new- daikon radishes my friend Melissa gave me. Experimenting with going gluten free which seems to be helping my digestion… The Last Blockbuster on Netflix Quote of the Week Never say anything about yourself you don’t want to come true.― Brian Tracy Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Music -“Soft Orange Glow” by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/

Recorded on April 7, 2021 Book Talk starts at: 35:50 Virtual get-together via Zoom on Saturdays, 12 noon  PST - Details here Our Anything-But-Wool KAL is ongoing!  From February 15 to May 15, knit or crochet a project of at least 200 yards of any yarn that does not contain wool - that means cotton, linen, cashmere, silk, soy, steel, milk, corn - even acrylic!  Join our very active chatter thread here, and post your FOs here. Would you like to win a copy of the Abington Mitts by BostonJen? This lovely pattern is designed for DK weight yarn and would be a beautiful addition to anyone’s winter wardrobe.  Post on the giveaway thread to be entered to win! New Giveaway for fans of The Office!  Tracie has made an The Office-themed project bag to give away.  Post in the giveaway thread telling us what your favorite episode is and why.  The thread will close May 15. KNITTING Barb has finished: Mother Bear #235 Tracie has finished 1.  Sea Turtle by Galina Fedtchenko in ArtFibers Houdini Barb has frogged: River Ripples by Yumiko Alexander, using Hemp for Knitting Allhemp 3 in the Green colorway Barb continues to work on: 1.  Alaska hat by Camille Descoteaux, using a kit from Knitcircus 2.  Zephyr cardigan by Celia McAdam Cahill, using Malabrigo Rios in the Solis colorway. 3.  One Splendid Skein shawl by Fredi Baker, using Hedgehog Fibers Sock in the Budgie colorway.   And has cast on:  1.  Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde, using Lil Weasel DK in the Porcelain colorway 2.  Cool Hemp Ponchette by Lana Hames, using Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 in the Green colorway Tracie has cast on: Tulip Tank Top by Purl Soho in Newton’s Yarn Country Linen Tweed - Brown Barberpole And continues to work on: 1.  Color Stacking Cowl by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee in Blue Heron Rayon Metallic in the Mossy Place colorway 2.  Snake River Poncho by Katy H. Carroll in Western Sky Knits Aspen Silk 600 in Downtown Colorway   BOOKS Barb read: 1.  The Guest List by Lucy Foley - 4 stars 2.  A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult - 4 stars   Tracie read: 1.  Smart Women by Judy Blume - 4 stars 2. Beshert by Erin Gordon - 5 stars 3. Faithful Place by Tana French - 4 stars 4.  The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson - 3 stars 5.  What Lies Between Us by John Marrs - 4 stars                  

Tree removal competes with Spring Break weaving and the stuffing of Frog and Toad for the content this week. You never know what you'll hear about on the Two Ewes show! Show notes with full transcript, photos, and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha’s Projects Walk Along tee by Ankestrick (Ravelry link) Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde (Ravelry link) Almost done. Just the thumb to finish. In the evenings I've been spinning the green and brown merino. Kelly’s Projects  Iced Matcha socks (Ravelry link) from the Coffee Socks Collection by Dots Dabbles Designs. I’m using Invictus Yarns Seraphic. It is a merino/cashmere/silk yarn in a gray blue purple tonal color. I want to knit more with this yarn base! I started stuffing Frog from Frog and Toad (Ravelry link) from frogandcast.com. I’m using the crushed walnut and it is staying inside and not coming through the fabric. Frog is currently sitting in a tumbler with a funnel in his head! I realized I should put the needles into the provisional cast on before I start filling them so I will be ready to kitchener the top. I anticipate it will be somewhat messy.  Canvas weave sampler (Ravelry link) from JST Online Guild. Throughout spring break I spent time weaving and watching the Canvas Weave videos of Season 5. I used the warp that I wound at Christmas and adapted the sampler threading to fit the number of threads I had. I wove a dresser scarf for the linen cupboard, 5 dishtowels, and a small hand towel.  I had Cesar Chavez day off and I got the Reading in Bed blanket (Ravelry link) threaded onto the loom and ready to start weaving. This is all using my handspun yarn. With 6 epi compared to 22 epi  and a 3 yard warp instead of a 7 yard warp it went really fast! Like the difference between a fingering weight sweater and an Aran weight sweater.  News/Other Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah It ends on April 25, 2021. Knit anything for your extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet). Transcript Marsha 00:03 Hi, this is Marsha   Kelly 00:04 and this is Kelly.   Marsha 00:05 We are the Two Ewes of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures. Thanks for stopping by.   Kelly 00:09 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 00:17 We blog and post show notes at Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com.   Kelly 00:22 And we invite you to join our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures group on Ravelry. I'm 1hudredprojects   Marsha 00:29 and I am betterinmotion. We are both on Instagram and Ravelry. And we look forward to meeting you there.   Both 00:35 Enjoy the episode.   Marsha 00:43 Hi, Kelly.   Kelly 00:44 Hey, Marsha. How's it going?   Marsha 00:45 Pretty good.   Kelly 00:47 Good.   Marsha 00:48 lots going on here.   Kelly 00:49 Yeah, nothing noisy, though. We waited till late enough that all the noise is gone.   Marsha 00:54 Yes. We were actually.. were scheduled to record yesterday but moved it to today because yesterday, I had the Alaskan yellow cedar   Kelly 01:06 bonsai!   Marsha 01:07 Yeah, the former so I just the former bonsai. So I think I talked about this. But in case I didn't a really quick story about this is when my parents bought this house in 1962, there was a Japanese garden between the two houses that actually belonged to the neighbors. And in that Japanese garden was a bonsaied Alaskan yellow cedar. That was maybe four feet tall. And years have passed.   Kelly 01:38 Yes, I can say because I was born in 1962. So yeah, 59 years have passed   Marsha 01:44 yes have passed. Anyway, it was about 40 feet tall, and had grown. There were originally five trunks. And two are removed. I was able to remove two of them a few years ago, because the reason I wanted to get rid of this tree is it had damaged the sewer line. And we had to put in a new sewer line, irrigation line, the new deck, and a new roof. So it does so much damage that it was-- it had to go. And here's the real reason. Last summer sitting on the new deck, I got hit twice by bird poop! Because the crows would hang out in the tree. That's the real reason. [laughing]   Kelly 02:28 Well, the palm tree next door, the date palm or? Yeah, I think it was like a date palm next door, was taken down yesterday, also. So we would have had tree work at one of our houses regardless. And Robert saw the owner of the house this morning. And he's like, what happened to the tree? And he said, Oh, it was old it had to go. Which there was nothing wrong with that palm tree. I'm not a particularly big fan of palm trees. But it was it was a nice--I mean, it was a pretty nice specimen. If you like palm trees. In your case, you really actually did have a good reason to get rid of the tree. Not just yeah,   Marsha 03:11 It had done so much damage. Yeah. And it is just, I mean, I'll put on it... I have not posted any pictures yet on Instagram. I'll post pictures and when people see... Yeah, you know what it was like, but it was kind of a an emotional day, just because I don't like cutting down trees. I mean, this was a, it was a spectacular tree. It had been beautiful at one time, but it's just so big and in completely the wrong place and cutting off light. So my bedroom is much lighter, the kitchen is much, much lighter. But mostly it was just the damage. And then, you know,   Kelly 03:49 Well and the fact that it was right next to the neighbor's garage, and pulling up things that it shouldn't   Marsha 03:55 Yeah, it's about a half inch from the neighbor's garage, you know. So anyway, it's been a long process, I won't go into the whole thing. But have you have to get a permit in the city of Seattle to have a tree taken down, especially a tree this size. And it was it was a long, a long journey. But they finally got the permit. And they came yesterday and cut the tree down. I got the estimate and signed the contract in August, last August. And I can-- got the -- I think was on Thursday or Friday of last week. I got the email from the company that was going to cut the tree down that they had received the permit and they had scheduled me gave me the date that the tree was scheduled to come down. I said that's great. And so then I call them on Monday to confirm because it's in the contract and I confirm, I confirm once again that they are bringing protection for my new deck. Because this tree is sandwiched between my deck, it's, it's about four inches from my deck, the base of the tree. And so I had confirmed that they were going to bring protection and put something down on the deck. And they arrived at nine o'clock in the morning with nothing, no plywood to put on the deck. And the guy who was-- I found out later was the manager of the crew was a little snippy with me, a little rude. And I was like... and I kind of have that feeling of like, What do I do? And I decided, you know, WWRD, what would Robert do? And Robert would go out there and tell him to stop until they got the plywood. So I went out there and I told them to stop. And they said, okay, and they stopped for a few minutes. And then I went back in the house, and I saw they were dropping branches again. So I went back out and I said they have to, I said, I told you to stop, you need to stop. I've called the company. And they are sending plywood and you need to-- I'm telling you--you need to wait until the plywood arrives. So they stood there on my deck. And I went and made a cup of coffee and I sat in my breakfast nook, which is right overlooking and I just sat in the window so they could see me and then they just stopped. They dropped--put all their tools down at that point and went and sat in their trucks.   Kelly 06:40 Cursing out Old Lady Failor   Marsha 06:42 Yes. But I, you know, like in the end, I want to say something sort of sexist. I... it... there's moments like this when I wish I had a man. But you know that because I sometimes feel being female. And now, you know, when...when I was... Well, I think it's always been this way, just being female, that I think that I'm discounted in some way and especially when I was younger. And then when you get older, you're discounted in another way. Right? And I...and it's...and so I just thought, you know, Robert would go out there and tell them no, you're stopping! Because they all said to me, Well, we have insurance to cover any damage to the deck. But my point is, I don't want to have any damage done. I don't want to go down that path of having to deal with it. I don't even want to deal with having a damaged deck.   Kelly 07:36 Why? Why would you want.. Yes. Why would you not take precautions rather than just say, Oh, I have insurance in case something happened?   Marsha 07:42 Yes!   Kelly 07:43 That does not make sense.   Marsha 07:45 Yeah. So yeah. So I'm glad I did it. And then I did go out afterwards... So I'm not gonna say the name of the company because they ended up being great. And the we had a rough start. But they once the plywood came, the guys got to work, there was a crew of five. And I was watching them. And it really is remarkable what they were doing because they have to climb up into the tree. And it's 40 feet. They're up there. 40 feet with rope. You've had tree work done. So you know   Kelly 08:14 my tree work, yes,endless tree work.   Marsha 08:17 And then they, you know, they tie every branch. Before they cut it it's tied onto a rope and then it's lowered down. So there's..it's not like they're just up there dropping wood, you know, they're very careful. And such a tight area that they had to work in with two houses and a garage and the infamous deck. So I went out at the same time they're doing all of this. First Mark and then later on Ben and I were working on the garage roof because we've had to do some patching because it was leaking. And so we were...that's another whole story for another episode of the podcast, but we're up there working on this roof. And I came down at one point. And while I was up there working, I got to thinking, I wonder if there was just like... Oh, I know what it was! It was when the the young woman from the company arrived in the pickup truck with the plywood. She then said to me, okay, now we're grinding out the stump, right? And I said, No, we're not because first of all, it was too expensive. But also, they couldn't.. if now that the deck is built, they can't get the machinery in there. And just to grind out the stump was going to be the same price as removing the tree. And it doesn't matter. It's an area once the my fence is up it's like a no man's land. Nobody goes over there. So I wasn't going to do that. And so then I started thinking about that. I thought, how come she didn't remember that I'm not having the the stump removed?   Marsha 09:43 So the young man who was the foreman of this group, this team that removed the tree I said to him, you know, when he had a quiet moment, he was smoking a cigarette, and I said, Hey, can we just talk for a minute? And I could just tell he's like, Oh my god, what's this woman want now? But I went, I said to him, I said, I just want to talk about this morning. And I said, I think we were both a little irritated with one another. And I said, I got to thinking, is it perhaps you were not getting any inf...? Were you given any information about the job before you arrived? And he said, No, I was given your address and told to cut down the Alaskan yellow cedar. He said, I had no idea that there was a deck. I had no idea that it was sandwiched between these two houses. I had no idea that it's like an inch from the the garage and three inches or four inches from your deck. He's had nothing. Yeah. So and he said, I came in you know, it's a dangerous job. And so his adrenaline gets a little up, which I understand after having watched them.   Kelly 10:43 and especially if you arrive and find all these obstacles that you have to be worried about.   Marsha 10:48 Exactly. And then he said, you know, and he said me, I apologize to you, too. He said, I was kind of rude to you. And he...and he was he was very rude to me! And I said, you know, I accept it. I said, that's fine. I said, I think we were both a little frustrated with one another. And he said, Yeah, yeah, he was not given any information about what his job was going to be. As I say, we figuratively, not literally, kissed and made up. [laughing]   Kelly 11:14 There was no kissing. [laughing]   Marsha 11:16 Yeah, there was no kissing   Kelly 11:17 No actual kissing that occurred!   Marsha 11:19 And he was a very... and, he started talking. He's a very interesting man. He's actually a certified arborist. And so we started talking about the other trees in the back garden and things that he said he would like to come back and, you know, work on them, because he said they they need some help, which they do. Yeah, they definitely do. They've, I mean, the whole garden needs some work. So anyway, it turned out fine.   Kelly 11:43 Well, and I, I can vouch for having an arborist do the work as opposed to just a tree service with the trees in our yard. But But I have to , you know, you said the tree was in the wrong place. So there was one arborist that we had that-- he's actually too busy now and working mostly on the Monterey Peninsula side of the county--and so we haven't been able to use him, but he was really good. And, and so one day, he was talking and he's like, you know, this... Robert had planted... We have Monterey Cypress, really large ones in the yard. And there were some babies. And so, you know, thinking sentimentally as you do, like, oh, we'd like to grow one of these babies to replace them. Because our cypresses are at the end of their life. And you know, the death of a tree could take 100 years, but they're definitely in the, the death side of their-- not necessarily tree hospice. But you know, they're on the downward slope of life, most. And some of them are gone, and have had to be removed. So anyway, Robert had planted one of these babies, and he's like, you don't want this tree here. You really don't want this tree here! Because by the time it gets to the point where it needs work, I'm going to be too old and you're going to be too old. So I started talking to him about like, well, what tree should we plant? And we have a lot of space. You know, there's quite a bit of space. Like, well, what tree would work?. And he reminded, he reminded me of me in the summer that I volunteered at the SPCA where people would come in to adopt a dog. And I would be like, read their application. Like, in my head. I knew they were going to adopt a dog. But in my head, I was like, No, no, this is not a good enough family. No, this is not good enough! And basically, there was no tree that was right for the space. He cared so much about the trees having the right habitat, that he he practically couldn't tell me a tree that I could plant to replace the cypresses because it would, it would like physically hurt him to be in the wrong place, right? To not have the habitat that it deserved, like the Monterey Cypresses deserve the habitat of highway one, where the wind is pruning them, and they can break all they want and they can have all these broken hangers. And you know, it doesn't matter, but the wind keeps them pruned. Anyway, it's just like, I couldn't get him to tell me like he was so so so... I don't know, just so reluctant to tell me a tree that would be right. I really can vouch for having an arborist. They do a great job making sure that the trees in your yard are not just cut right but that you know information about them.   Marsha 14:59 Yeah. So I even gave him cuttings. So he was excited about something that's in the garden. Yeah. So I gave him cuttings. So   Kelly 15:12 You know the other thing about about that job that I think about whenever we have...Here again, 15 minutes in, and we're still talking about trees! [laughing]   Marsha 15:21 More than that!   Kelly 15:24 But when I, when when we have three work done, I'll always think about, you know, like, as a job. Anybody who likes to climb, like Ben likes to climb. I don't know if he would like to climb trees, but you know, people who like climb, who like to work outside who like... I mean, there's there's some science involved to the arborist job. But there's also the working outside and the climbing and it just seems like an interesting... It seems like it would be an interesting career choice that people wouldn't necessarily think of.   Marsha 16:00 Well, and there's a there's a real skill set, because you have to know how things are going to fall.   Marsha 16:07 Right.   Kelly 16:07 How to cut so they grow the right direction.   Marsha 16:10 Oh, yeah.   Kelly 16:12 What to cut to make the tree not grow in a funky way?   Marsha 16:17 I was thinking, Well, I was just thinking, Yes, that's true. Yes, you have to... In fact, Ben has said that he is interested interested in that, too. You know, the, the being an arborist. But just watching these guys with the ropes, you know, going up there that you've got a chainsaw, so you have to be strong. But a lot of it is, is I think, sort of like what Ben, how Ben talks about rock climbing. It's not so much about strength, but it's about skill, you know, using using your body the right way and, and, and using your tools to um... what's the right word... is like leverage. Yeah, that's not the right word. I don't know. But you know, to, like, block and tackle.   Kelly 16:59 Right, right.   Marsha 16:59 If you just had a rope you couldn't move it, but if you have the block and tackle you can move something. Yeah, I was so thinking that way.   Kelly 17:05 It was a real problem solving.   Marsha 17:07 But the other thing is funny is like you were talking about, you know, it always hurts you a little bit to take a tree down.   Kelly 17:12 Yeah. Yeah, even the palm tree that I didn't like, I was sad to see it go.   Marsha 17:16 Yeah, and so it was, it was just, it was a difficult day, in a lot of ways. Because I had to go I had to channel Robert and and... you know. Or, as I say, pull up my big girl panties. And go out there and tell him to stop. It was kind of emotional, too, just because I don't like that--cutting down a tree. And honestly, if this tree had been in a different spot in the garden, it would still be there. Right? It just it was in the wrong spot. And I have another, that deodar cedar out in the front yard, which I will never get rid of. It's beautiful and I've spent a lot of money you know, having work done to it to make it..to keep it. And so it does hurt to get rid of it and so I was kind of emotional and when Ben finally arrived to help me with a roof and I said to him you know I'm just kind of emotional about the tree and I was all... And he says to me, Oh My God, grow a pair! [laughing]   Kelly 18:27 Someday he'll be sentimental about something.   Marsha 18:29 Yeah, he's not sentimenal now, he's too young. Right now he's too young to be sentimental about anything   Kelly 18:35 That's right.   Marsha 18:36 Mostly it's just the idea that I don't like cutting down a tree. Well, anyway,   Kelly 18:40 Well, you could plant another one.   Marsha 18:42 No, I'm not going to plant another one. [laughing]   Kelly 18:43 No, I don't mean in that spot. I mean you can plant another tree somewhere.   Marsha 18:48 Oh, I can plant another tree. Yes. Well actually what I really like to have is an apple tree   Kelly 18:54 so there you go.   Marsha 18:56 Okay, so Kelly!   Kelly 18:58 Knitting!   Marsha 18:58 I'm now looking at this is 20 minutes and 40 seconds of tree talk. So let's get on to   Kelly 19:08 There's fiber in wood!   Marsha 19:10 That's true. [laughing] So let's go on about projects. So I don't have very much so I think I'm just gonna go first.   Kelly 19:19 Okay. Do it.   Marsha 19:20 I don't have very much. So I have really nothing to report on the walk along tee. I've knit on it a little bit but I've not made very much progress because other things have been going on. And mostly I've been spinning. So every night I've been spinning on the the Merino in the green and then the bitter chocolate. And so I almost have enough now that I can start plying it.   Kelly 19:48 Oh cool!   Marsha 19:49 And then I am almost done with the second Abington Mitt by Jennifer Lassonde. I bound off the second mott. And I just now have to go and pick up the stitches for the thumb.   Kelly 20:07 Oh, you just have one thumb left to do that's it?   Marsha 20:10 One thumb. And it's only... I only have to pick up 12 stitches.   Kelly 20:13 Oh my gosh. Yeah.   Marsha 20:14 And and knit five rows. So yeah, I'm so close. Very hoping this will not be the like the skull. [laughing]   Kelly 20:24 Don't jinx yourself by saying that! [laughing]   Marsha 20:26 Yeah, so maybe tonight, I should just finish it so...   Kelly 20:30 Nice.   Marsha 20:31 Anyway, I like them a lot. So anyway, that's all I really have. Oh, that's it. I don't have much to report.   Kelly 20:39 All right. Well, I have a lot because last week was spring break. This week we have Cesar Chavez day. So I'm not sure why... I'm not going to get into a whole calendar and union discussion on top of the tree discussion, but I am not really sure why the union decided not to give us Easter week off as our spring break, because then   Marsha 21:05 Yeah, that's odd.   Kelly 21:06 Cesar Chavez day would have been in the middle of spring break, and not an additional holiday. But instead, they split the 16 week calendar into halves, and gave us spring break after week eight, which was the week before Easter week. So I had spring break, came back, now I have Cesar Chavez day off, and then go back to work. So weird. But anyway, the end result of it is great, because I got a lot of stuff done. So I have been working. In fact, I'm working right now on the Iced Matcha socks from the Coffee Socks Collection by Dotsdabbles Designs, and I finished the first sock. And I've got the... I'm at the top of the second sock, I've got the cuff finished. And then I'm starting on the pattern. And I think I mentioned this before, it's not really cable either way I thought it looked. It's more purl stitches. But it's really fun, really easy to memorize. And I also, I should take a picture of it showing the inside. Because even though it's... even though it's just done with purl stitches, that the design on the inside makes these ribs that are curvy. So you have this like, I don't know, they're like wobbly ribs. I really like the inside, I think I might make a sock that was wobbly ribbing. The outside is a three by one rib. It's...that's the base. And the pattern is a three by one rib. So the top of the sock is a three by one rib. So if you look on the inside, you have a one, one stockinette stitch going up, right. When you get out of the ribbing that one stockinette stitch curves in and then curves out and then curves back in and curves back out. And so you've got this really interesting, ribbed pattern on the inside that I would not have expected based on what's on the outside.   Marsha 23:12 Oh, that is so pretty.   Kelly 23:14 You would not expect even though it's just purls and knits on the backside makes that sort of wobbly rib.   Marsha 23:22 Mm hmm.   Kelly 23:23 So I think I might use this again and make socks inside out. Well, you know, inside out from this pattern. Yeah, and have that wobbly rib pattern. It's really pretty. So and I love the yarn. It's a it's got some heft to it because of the silk and maybe because of the cashmere. Nice and soft. And I love the color. It's a bluey-purple color. So anyway, Iced Matcha socks, Invictus yarn, Seraphic. And it's a Merino, cashmere silk yarn. And it's really nice. The other thing that I've been working on, I've basically finished all the knitting for Frog and Toad. And I got excited and started stuffing Frog with the crush walnuts-- walnut shells, and I figured out Okay, I'm gonna use a funnel because I don't want these things all over the place. And I put them into one of my really tall glasses. So he's sitting inside of a glass with a funnel in his head, like   Marsha 24:25 Like a specimen, right?   Kelly 24:26 Yeah! And he has a funnel, the open crevice of his head. Then, you know, his provisional cast on and I start stuffing him and I'm poking this stuffing down into those legs and poking into the arms and suddenly I realized, Oh My God! When I get the stuffing all the way up to the head, I have to be ready to knit him closed. You know, do my, my kitchener stitch. I haven't even picked up the provisional stitches. So I thought okay, Kelly, just stop. put this aside. Come back to it. Pick up all those stitches. And then you know, do the job, right? Don't just get excited that you can stuff...start stuffing him. So he, right now he's sitting in a glass on my kitchen table with a funnel in his head.   Marsha 25:15 I say like Doc Ricketts. [laughing]   Kelly 25:18 Like Doc Ricketts lab. [laughing] Yeah. So anyway, but all the clothes are done, I just have to fill them up, fill up Toad and kitchener the the head together. And that's, I think I might do that outside. Because that seems like it could be a very messy job with all those crushed walnut shells. So yeah, but they have to be done by Sunday. So I don't have a lot of time. But I have a little bit of time to get that finished. Because I'm gonna take them over to, I'm gonna take them over to Faye and take Kye his books on Easter. So drop those off. Do a drive-by, drive-by drop-off because I still-- I will have my second vaccine because I have it on Saturday. But you know, I mean, the full immunity doesn't happen for 14 days. So I'm still going to be careful when I see them. But I will drop it off on Easter. So that's Frog and Toad. And I'm already starting to forget how fiddly they were and thinking, Oh, I could make another set. I have a colleague whose daughter is the same age as Faye. And I thought, Oh, you know what? I should get another set of those books and make another Frog and Toad. I don't know if I'll do it, but but I am kind of forgetting the pain of the fiddly-ness. Oh, and then I have weaving!   Marsha 26:43 Mm hmm. I saw your post on Instagram. You've been busy. Mm hmm.   Kelly 26:48 Spring Break I declared myself a weaving retreat. I cleaned house Saturday and Sunday of spring break. I edited the podcast on Monday of spring break and did a little bit more housework. And laundry, I think. And then I declared the rest of spring break to be a weaving retreat. And so basically all I did was weave. The last day I didn't stop for lunch. I just wove. Like all day long, I wove. Dinner was on our own. You know, there was just me and Robert here and we just ate while we wanted. And I just wove all day the last day of my of my designated weaving retreat. So I did the canvas weave sampler from the Jane Stafford guild online. And what I turned it into was instead of doing just one long sampler I made the first part of it... was a... I called it a dresser scarf, like a little table runner, but for a dresser. And so I made a little and I don't know, is there another name for it?   Marsha 27:57 Well, runner, I guess but I don't know.   Kelly 28:00 Yeah.   Marsha 28:01 I don't know,   Kelly 28:02 Like a like a, a woven doily, you know. So anyway, I made a cover, a top table topper, dresser scarf for the cabinet that Robert has for the linens in the dining room.   Marsha 28:17 Mm hmm.   Kelly 28:18 And so it's a little wider than I would like it. And he expected it to, like, flow over the edges. And I didn't do that. I made it like stop at the top not hang over. So I did that first that was just plain canvas weave. And then it was bright white because I used the warp that I had put on--the warp that I had a wound at Christmas time that was white with red trim. And I wove it with white and then I tea-dyed it. So now it's beige and looks a lot better. So that was the first thing and then after that I made towels, and I made I think six towels altogether. Five dish towels and a hand towel and did a whole bunch of different experimenting and used a whole bunch of colors. I had just a fabulous time! I got them washed, washed them up, hemmed them up. The only thing that's not quite finished is I'm going to hand hem the thing I made for Robert and that's not--that is not done but the first hem is done like the the sewn... you know to get the raw edge out of the way and then I'm going to turn it and hem it by hand the last hem so.   Marsha 29:35 Wow, impressive.   Kelly 29:36 Yeah, it was.. that was a lot of weaving. I was tired.   Marsha 29:41 And it--was it sort of cathartic to just to do that after all of the the first half of the quarter?   Kelly 29:49 Oh yeah, I totally. I totally felt like making things is my mental health. Like just the ability to just stand there at the loom and just make stuff was... Yeah, it was it was so... rejuvenating, I guess would be the word. Yeah, it was! It was great. And I watched the Jane Stafford videos and I watched my, the knitting men video podcasts that I that I started watching a little while ago, I caught up on those and... Sweet Tea, No Shade and Needles at the Ready. And then I watched all the, you know, some other knitting podcasts, and I watched Netflix. And you know, just standing there at the loom with a computer going, and thinking, and just making, I just felt really, really good. So that was fun. And then I thought, Okay, well, weaving's gonna be on a hold for a little while. But I had a little extra time. So first, I wound the warp for the next Jane Stafford guild thing. She put out the information about what it was going to be and it was small, it's a scarf. And, and I thought, well, maybe I'll make it into a dish towels. And then I thought, No, just make a scarf, because it's not wide. It'll be fast. And you have yarn, so I wound the warp for that. So that's all ready to go as soon as she publishes the next episode, which is huck weaving. And then the Reading in Bed Blanket, I had the time to actually thread the loom with it. I yeah. But the reason is, after you know, weaving something with 300 and some odd ends, you know that you have to thread twice once through the dent and once through the hetal. And then you have to tie them all. There's a lot, there's a lot of threads, right?   Marsha 32:03 Mm hmm.   Kelly 32:04 The the blanket is, you know, like worsted weight yarn. And it's only six ends per inch as compared to 22 ends per inch. So that's a lot fewer threads. And then the warp is only not even three yards long. Because the blanket is going to be three feet wide, and five feet long. So it's not even two, the blanket is not even two yards long. And then you need a little bit for waste. So I think its like a two and a half or three yard warp. So really short. So I was able to thread it, Robert was able to help me wind it on it went really smoothly. It didn't take hardly any time at all. It felt like making you know, an Aran weight sweater after making a fingering weight sweater,   Marsha 32:58 a lace weight sweater?   33:00 Yeah, yeah. Going from size zero needles to size nine needles or something. It was really, it was really easy and fast to just do an evening. So a couple of evenings. So I got that I got that accomplished. And so I've got something to... I've got something ready to go to start weaving tomorrow, which I won't because tomorrow is a work day. But you know, I have something ready to weave on the loom and then I have something warped and ready to thread on my table loom once I get the instructions from the the Jane Stafford guild on how to weave it, so   Marsha 33:42 Okay,   Kelly 33:42 yeah,   Marsha 33:43 That's very nice   Kelly 33:44 My projects!   Marsha 33:47 Well, I was looking at Ravelry at your reading in bed blanket.   Kelly 33:51 I'm so happy with it.   Marsha 33:53 The colors are nice.   33:54 I did make a rookie mistake. I will, I will admit to a rookie mistake, even though I've been weaving for a while. When I was counting, I was organizing my-- I was doing it in three parts. And I thought, okay, I've got I've got 24 ends in each section. I knew how many ends I needed. But I was counting in a place where when I count once it was actually two warp threads. So I got about two thirds of the way through it. I got two sections done before I realized that every thread I counted was actually two warp threads.   Marsha 34:38 Mm hmm.   34:39 And I didn't need to go any further. In fact, I had already gone further than I needed to be because I went further than half. You know what I mean? If I was going to count everything, if I was going to count every two as one, I only needed to have half of it. So anyway, I won't explain how that happened it's kind of embarrassing that I even made that mistake but but so I you know so I stopped. And I have a little section of the warp that that I didn't use at all that I'm going to use for my weft I'm going to save it and if I have to use it for weft threads I will. But yeah it's really pretty on the loom I I'm really happy with the way it turned out.   Marsha 35:27 yeah. Well the colors are pretty, really nice   35:30 and it's all handspun   Marsha 35:32 mm hmm   35:33 and not all dyed by me. I think two of them are dyed by me and three of the-- three of the colors came that way. You know came dyed and two of them I dyed but it's... I'm going to be really happy with it when it's done. So I'll keep you posted once I start weaving   Marsha 35:50 Yeah. Really nice. And what else   Kelly 35:56 the Weave Along is ending!   Marsha 35:59 Oh no... well, is that it?   Kelly 36:00 Yeah, that's that's my projects   36:04 yes the weave along is about to end so quickly go in there and put your projects in there.   36:10 Yeah, actually by the time this gets posted it will be over   Marsha 36:15 Yeah, yeah,   36:16 By the time this episode is up and published it will be over. In the next episode we'll announce prizes and talk about... talk about sort of the highlights of the Winter Weave Along.   36:29 So um, we should also then talk about our Extremities Knit and Crochet Along. I'm making the Abington mitts for that and that ends April 25. So and that's it. Anything for your extremities which we've talked about in every single episode but we'll just briefly say it's hands, arms, legs, feet. So you can... and it does say even though it does say knit crochet along, you can weave you can macrame, you can...   Kelly 36:59 I haven't seen any macrame socks or hats or anything in there! [laughing]   Kelly 37:05 Or those friendship bracelets or I mean...Jewelry.   Kelly 37:08 Yeah, jewelry. Would work   Marsha 37:10 Yes, anything. So   Kelly 37:13 an ankle bracelet? Oh yeah, I need an ankle bracelet. I have beads. I should make myself an ankle bracelet--crochet an ankle bracelet with the beads I have.   37:25 So anyway, we will draw the winner after the 25th of April and I will have two winners. One will receive a copy of the Abington Mitts pattern and the other person will win the Coffee Socks Collection patterns.   37:41 So yeah, so thank you! Shout out to Jen, Boston Jen for the Abington mitts pattern and Dots Dabbles Designs, who is Deborah, for offering us the Coffee Socks Collection prize.   Marsha 37:58 Yeah. So Kelly, is there anything else we have to talk about?   Kelly 38:04 I don't think so. This was an amazingly short episode.   Marsha 38:10 Most of it was talking about trees. [laughing]   Kelly 38:17 Well, you know, sometimes you just don't have a lot. You don't have a lot of knitting going on. It has been I mean, I had a lot because it's spring break, but you've had a lot of construction stuff going on. So   38:30 yes, cuz I yeah, cuz I've got the Ballard house under construction right now or you know, the remodels. So I have a lot going on. So   Kelly 38:39 I do have one question.   Marsha 38:41 Yes.   38:41 I just thought of this. Have you been able to find a or been able to sign up for an appointment for a vaccine? Do you know?   38:52 No, I have not. I've actually I signed up for the... in Washington State, they have the Washington, what is it now?   39:02 Find your phase.   39:03 Oh, find your phase, find your phase dot wa dot org. I think it is anyway, the point is, I signed up for that. And I have received three emails. And so they send you an email and so for the... and it says, you get it. I got it like at nine o'clock in the morning, and there's there's a there's ... over the next three days, there's appointments available at these locations. And then you get in and you just start clicking on it and but nothing's available. There was nothing available at all. So then the three days pass I get another email for over the next three days. There's spots available at at all these locations. Go in there, nothing available. Got my third one. Their spots, they'll but all these locations and nothing's available. So I don't know. So you know, you were talking about your experience. It's sort of like getting concert. tickets. And so I've heard today that even though my medical insurance is not Kaiser Permanente, you can go to Kaiser Permanente and get a...go to their website and schedule an appointment. Okay, so I was going to... I was... Tonight, that was something that I was going to do is see if I can get an appointment. So what I'm finding is I fit the criteria now I'm eligible, but I can't find an appointment. And I think it's one of those things, you have to just, I think, really, what I need to do is just sit down and just start in the morning and just early in the morning and just start looking.   40:38 Yeah, where to get them? Yeah, ours, I mean, I always just looked at the county, the county website, that's where I started looking at the COVID data, because I was interested in, you know, how bad it was in Monterey County. And I started looking at that, and that's where I was looking for the vaccination information, but there's getting to be more and more supply. So   41:00 I think so. And I think that it's one of those things when you get the email, you can't wait three hours. Like I saw the email and well, I mean, when I looked at my email, when I first looked at my email, I saw Oh, I have an email and I realized it had been sent like, three or five hours before. That's just too late. Yeah, I have to just like every morning, like, just start checking my email.   41:19 Yeah or check the site that they tell you to go to, like, just bookmark the site and just go to it.   Marsha 41:26 Even when I... After I get the vaccine, I don't really think that I'm going to be going to restaurants and   Kelly 41:30 Rght. No.   41:31 I don't honestly, like sitting here right now, I have no idea when I'm gonna be going back. I mean, I feel like once I get the vaccine, I'm probably not going to go back. When am I going back?   Kelly 41:41 I don't know. Yeah.   41:42 Not really. I don't really have. I mean, I would like to go somewhere on a plane. I mean, because I want to go someplace. But I'd like to go back to the life the way it was when we got to travel and stuff, but I can't see myself getting on a plane.   Kelly 41:55 Right.Well, that'll take a while. Yeah,   41:58 So yeah. Anyway. Well, so yes, it's something that I need to work on. I think I need to be at be a bit more proactive or more on the ball with it, too. And I'm going to, you know, as soon as I get the email as soon as I, I mean, I need to start searching for the email, instead of just like, Oh, look, I got an email.   42:16 Yeah, well, and I had, you know, emails from colleagues. It'd be like, Oh, I was on the website. So I saw there's this many appointments available. You know, I had I had that sort of network.   Marsha 42:27 Yeah, yeah.Okay, well, um, since we have nothing else to talk about. I'm sure we could go on forever.   Kelly 42:34 But let's not. Yeah. [laughing]   Marsha 42:39 Okay, my dear. We will talk.   42:41 Yes. Bye, everyone. Bye, Marsha.   Marsha 42:43 Bye.   42:44 Thank you so much for listening. To subscribe to the podcast, visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com.   Marsha 42:51 Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundred projects.   Kelly 42:59 Until next time, we're the Two Ewes   Both 43:02 doing our part for World Fleece!

What's blooming, tomatoes, Frog and Toad, and lambs join in with the knitting content this week. It must be the start of Spring, or even Spring Break!  For full show notes with photos and links visit our website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com If you’d like to become a patron and support the show financially, visit our Patreon page.  Transcripts at bottom of post. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Kelly’s Projects  The Iced Matcha Socks by Dots Dabbles have been restarted with a more appropriate yarn. The handspun I had originally planned was abandoned because I thought I would run out of yarn. So then I cast on with Bear Brand Caprice--a vintage sock weight wool yarn that is very stretchy. But it also had textured bits. So I found the pattern wasn’t showing up. So those will become my Not Matcha Socks! I’ll just continue them without any patterning. Even in plain stockinette these socks will be ultra-stretchy.  So what about the Matcha socks? I restarted them with Invictus Yarns Seraphic--a lovely merino, silk, and cashmere blend. Yummy! Most of my knitting has been on Frog and Toad from frogandcast.com. I just have Frog’s jacket to finish and then I will stuff them with crushed walnut shells from PlumEasy.  Mending socks: I found a bag of socks that needed work. So I fixed one pair of (pre-Ravelry) cotton/wool socks that had gotten a hole. I’ve started to fix a pair of (pre-Ravelry) purple wool/silk socks that I really loved. And I rediscovered the CoBaSi Socks that I made in 2017. After one wearing I discovered one toe was too short. I’ll be ripping it out and making it about ¼ inch longer.  Marsha’s Projects I have knit about 9” of body of the Walk Along tee by Ankestrick. I am still worried if I will have enough yarn but I’m assured by other knitters I’ll be okay. Stay tuned... I finished the first of the Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde  and knit to the thumb gusset of the second. Love the mitts and the yarn is perfect for them...and free! News Livestock Conservancy released a press release about their Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em campaign. You can see more about the project and a video at rarewool.org. The Finnish artist Liisa Hietanen is a crochet sculptor extraordinaire. Check out her lifesize replicas of people in her town.  Lambs!  Twinsetjan has an Instagram feed full of lamby cuteness! Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah   Extremities K/CAL ends on April 25, 2021. Knit anything for your extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet). Winter Weave Along Ends on March 31. Transcript: 1:02:00 Marsha 00:03 Hi, this is Marsha   Kelly 00:04 and this is Kelly. We are the Two Ewes of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures.   Marsha 00:08 Thanks for stopping by.   Kelly 00:10 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 00:17 We blog and post show notes at Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com.   Kelly 00:22 And we invite you to join our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures group on Ravelry. I'm 1hundredprojects   Marsha 00:29 and I am betterinmotion.   Kelly 00:31 We are both on Instagram and Ravelry. And we look forward to meeting you there.   Marsha 00:36 Enjoy the episode.   Marsha 00:43 Good morning, Kelly.   Kelly 00:44 Good morning, Marsha. I'm celebrating. I should be having champagne.   Marsha 00:51 No, you don't like champagne. You need to have something you like.   Kelly 00:54 Well, I'm having coffee. which is which is fine. This is perfect. It's exactly what I want. And I'm having it in my mug that I got at the thrift store. The downtown-- the same downtown shop where I got the Niebling tablecloth. That same day, I bought two mugs and they're sort of Mexican pottery style with a lot of flowers, a blue flower with a pink center and then a pink bud and green leaves. Well, they're restaurant china. And I think they would have been like Mexican restaurant china. But I thought since it's not only just the first day of my spring break, but it's also the actual first day of spring. That would be appropriate.   Marsha 01:39 Yes and things daffodils are up here in Seattle and trees are you know like cherry trees are beginning to bloom.   Kelly 01:48 Yeah, we're on kind of the same the same flower schedule this year. Because all of our the plums have already-- the the earliest plums are already done. The Santa Rosa plum is, the new one, is fully bloomed. The apricot has started. And then just the other day, the cherries that are later, the cherry trees in our the little orchard area of our backyard. The cherry trees have now just have a few blossoms opening. So yeah, and I have one last batch of daffodils that are kind of in a more shady area in the yard. And I think they're also a later a later variety because they haven't come up yet. Yeah. But all the rest of them are done.   Marsha 02:37 I was as you know, all last week, we were down at the beach. But the week prior to that I did a cleanup in the backyard you know and all the ferns like I cut off the fronds from last year. So then there's space for the new ones to come up and, and I cut down a bush and I did a bunch of cleanup in the back garden everything. But what I'm really excited about is, you know, I always have the pots on the deck with all the just the annuals in there. And that's the real color in the backyard is the pots. And last year, I was not able to do that because I didn't have a deck!   Kelly 03:17 Right.   Marsha 03:18 So I'm very excited this year to plant those pots one of my favorite things to do so. Anyway,   Kelly 03:28 Yeah, you usually do that, what like in April?   Marsha 03:32 Yeah, April, May, sort of depending on... well. And then the other thing-- I'm in a different house than I used to be in, the vegetable garden at the other house was a great spot. It was on the south side of the house. I don't have as much space. And so this last summer, I put tomatoes-- there's a three or four foot wide concrete path on the south side of the garage. And so I put tomatoes out there last year, I guess I've had them for the last two years. And they do really well because they're up against the house. But I always remember I would go to the nursery near the house and they always would have the tomatoes in the in the greenhouses and they were really particular that they didn't really want you to buy the tomatoes until all danger of frost had passed and so that the nights didn't drop below 50. Well in Seattle, that's a little hard. I mean, you're really putting them in July, late June early July for the nights not to drop below 50 and so when you're... I got impatient and I just went and I bought some tomatoes at Fred Meyer and they'd had them sitting out there since March, you know sitting out in their Garden Shop. And then I also bought some from the nursery that and I put them in late June, early July. Guess which ones did better?   Kelly 04:55 The Fred Meyer.   Marsha 04:59 And I think that they So the theory the nursery said is you take they've been grown in a hothouse. And then you shock them by putting them outside, right? And so then it--they don't produce, grow as fast and produce as much. My feeling is that they must have been shocked so early...   Kelly 05:13 They'd gotten over it! [laughing]   Marsha 05:15 Th ey got going, then, you know, I don't know. It was just funny that   Kelly 05:18 They recovered!   Marsha 05:19 Those cheap tomatoes from Fred Meyer that have been sitting out in the cold and march did fantastic. So...   Kelly 05:25 That's funny! Yeah, by the time you bought them, they had gotten over their shock or all the weak ones had died. And you got the strong...   Marsha 05:33 Yeah. Yeah,   Kelly 05:35 The Darwin tomatoes.   Marsha 05:37 Yeah, my Darwin tomatoes   Kelly 05:38 My mom says, she always said, you know, she has a really warm backyard. She lives just north of San Jose. And it gets pretty, gets pretty warm there. And she lives in Fremont, which is where I lived growing up, you know, where I grew up. But she lives in the different part of Fremont with a little different climate and is much warmer. And she even still says you don't plant tomatoes until May 1, because the soil has to warm up. Yeah, you know, even if that even if the exterior temperature the air temperature is, is fine. It's the soil temperature that needs to be right for tomatoes. And if you plant them early, you don't get any benefit from that.   Marsha 06:09 Yeah, that's exactly what they were saying.   Kelly 06:25 But you did clearly benefit from your Fred Meyer tomatoes! Well, one more plant thing here. This is a knitting podcast. But one more plant thing related is we have a company called Annie's Annuals in the, the San Francisco Bay Area. Now I would dearly love to actually go up there, they have a nursery, and mail order business and they have a beautiful catalog. And I always get tempted, I bought a lot of things from them. And I do like, I do like their, their plants. And they, they pack them really nicely. And you know, they ship really well. And but I do find like I have some of the same varieties that I've bought at native plant sales. And then I'll buy you know, another one. Like, Oh, I want another one of these! And Annie's annuals has it. And so I order it and it comes in They're kind of wimp!, They are used to being in this really lush, well-cared-for environment. If you look at the the nursery, and you look at the, you know, their catalog, the pictures of their nursery on the website, and, and everything in their catalog, everything is just really lush and beautiful, and thickly planted, and you just get the feeling that these plants are really well cared for. And then they come to my yard where, you know, a native plant has got to hold its own, you know, I don't do supplemental watering and in much of the backyard at all, you know. They get what they get in spring, and then they have to make it all the way. They have to make it all the way till the rains. And there have been a lot of times where the things that I bought from Annie's annuals, you know, they haven't they haven't made it. So yeah, I would... now when I buy from them, I treat the plants a little nicer, and I kind of slowly wean them off of care.   Marsha 08:17 Yeah. Yeah, you can't just throw them into the desert.   Kelly 08:30 No, I have to. I have to give them a little bit of pampering. But it is true. They do seem to. They do seem to be more used to fertilizer and water. And so their little princess plants.   Marsha 08:47 Yeah. Well, before we move on to knitting, I just have one other thing I just want to mention is some feedback from Kelly, from you, and also from our listeners. So you know, I was talking about Enzo and how he seems sort of bored and everything. And so I've been doing a lot of playing with him. And we've been trying to work on tricks. And of course, we had I just had a week at the beach where he had, you know, three and a half hours a day on the beach and was just exhausted, you know, when he come back to the house, which is great. You know, that was I think there's nothing better for a dog than just being off leash running on the beach. That's so much fun. And then he got, you probably saw the pictures too where he, we met up with Jean from String Theory Yarns in Seabrook and her dog Cooper, who is an English setter and you met him as a puppy.   Kelly 09:38 Right! When we had the meetup there, must have been a couple of years ago.Yeah, he was --she had just brought him.   Marsha 09:48 He's just like the sweetest dog. He's very super chill. very chill dog and, but very happy to be on the beach. But we were laughing because he's he's black on white spots and he has all these, you know, feathers or pantaloons, you know. But we didn't realize how dirty our dogs are because he's, you know, Orkney's brown and Enzo is black.   Kelly 10:13 Oh, yeah.   Marsha 10:14 Cooper is black and white has a lot of white on him and his legs because of the, like the, you know, the foam on the beach, it's kind of green? His legs were green when he's, when he's done on the beach, it was very funny. Anyway, no but here's the thing. So it was very good and sort of therapeutic I think for Enzo to be on the beach. For this to get him out of his his doldrums and h is funk that he's in. But, here's something that I've discovered about Enzo, in the last couple of months. The other thing he does is like I for example, I this morning, I went to type, the show notes on my laptop, and he was asleep on the bed. As soon as I get the computer out and I start typing on the laptop, he gets up and he runs down to the basement and gets in his crate. Every time! And every time I get out the computer to type an email or type anything on the laptop, he gets up and goes and hides--I say hides--he goes down and gets in his crate in the basement. What is that about?   Kelly 11:12 I don't know.   Marsha 11:14 Like, and I thought, am I like, typing in an angry way? You know, because he is so sensitive and soft, you know?   Kelly 11:21 Yeah.He knows that the computer makes you tense, like, Oh, she's on that computer again. She's gonna be mad.   Marsha 11:27 Have anyof your dogs done anything like that? Or does Bailey? Are they sensitive in that way? Are they just,   Kelly 11:33 I'm not sure I would notice this because I'm not sensitive in that way. I think one thing I have noticed with Bailey, and I find it really irritating, but it is kind of funny. She'll be in the trailer with me and she has learned what the end of a zoom call sounds like! So when I'm in a meeting, and you know, doing my Zoom thing, she'll be fine. She'll, she knows to lay on her pillow. And now I rarely have to, you know, wrangle a dog while I'm in a meeting. But whatever it is that I say when, you know, when people are leaving, when the meeting is over and when I'm leaving, she knows what that is. Because she'll immediately get up and come over and start pestering me. As soon as I start the Okay, bye, you know, whatever I say at the end of it at the end of a zoom call--suddenly, she is up and she's poking at me and prodding at me and trying to get me off the off the bench. And and sometimes it's not the end, right? Sometimes somebody has to leave the meeting. Or like if I have, if I have a student, like I'll have office hours, drop in hours, for students. And I'll have a couple of students and then one of them will be done. And so I'll say goodbye to the one student. And then here's Bailey like being a real brat. And I still have a student on the call that I'm helping. So anyway, that was just I just noticed she has discovered what the end of Zoom call sounds like.   Marsha 13:12 Yeah, yeah, well, and I also Enzo is similar to that. I have these cameras at the front door back door. And then I have one out at the garage. And I get an alert on my phone that makes a little sound if there's any-- if the cameras detect motion, an animal, a person or vehicle. And so Enzo has also now connected that sound that it might possibly somebody at the back door that he wants to see. Ben coming in or my brother coming in. And so a lot of times, not always, but a lot of times he'll hear the phone make that little sound because there's a there's an animal, a squirrel will set off the cameras or the wind blowing a branch or something. And he jumps up and runs to the back door all excited. And then his tails up and then there's nobody there and his tail just slowly drops down. So sadly, so sad.   Kelly 14:06 Well and that tail of his is like a flag. If you could see it, you can see it like does kind of sink sadly. It's so funny,   Marsha 14:17 We will get to knitting, but just thinking about those cameras. I can see what's going on when people come to my house or they leave the house and you know Ben always says like, oh Enzo, like he's always teasing me about Enzo like, you know, he's, he's not that smart. And it's always to get my goat, you know. And I saw him on Saturday night Ben had come to dinner and he'd been playing with the dog and everything and then he leaves. And I can and then I can see the video after he left that he actually calls Enzo to the back door and Enzo's still standing there. And then he goes and he gets down on his knees and he hugs him and he kisses him on the top of the head. So when I'm not around, total love is shown to this dog.   Kelly 15:01 Yeah.So you're spying on private moments between a boy and his dog?   Marsha 15:04 Yeah, but it made me feel good!   Kelly 15:07 Yeah.   Marsha 15:08 I mean, I know he loves him, that Ben loves Enzo, but he sometimes -- I think for me, he tries to-- I just like the dog so much, just to sort of put me in my place about him.   Kelly 15:18 And tease you about him.   Marsha 15:21 Anyway, anyway, on to knitting. I think you should go first because you have a lot to report.   Kelly 15:26 Okay.   Marsha 15:26 Well, you have a darling thing to report.   Kelly 15:28 I have some fun things to talk about. So first of all, I am currently, right now this minute, knitting on the Matcha socks. And I have a long, it's kind of a, it's kind of a story. But before I get into the story of the Matcha socks, I just need to say that this yarn is so luscious. And compared with the yarn and I you know, it's a different yarn from what I'm using to knit my other projects. And so it's really a treat. So this is Invictus yarns, Seraphic. And the colorway is Endless Night. So it's a purple. It's a it's a kind of a blue gray leaning purple. Tonal. Yeah, mostly tonal, not really variegated, more tonal.   Marsha 16:18 Mm hmm.   Kelly 16:19 But the yarn is 70%, superwash, Merino, 20% silk, and 10% cashmere, so it's nice, really nice! And I'm using it for the Matcha socks. So this is the story because this isn't what I was originally planning for those Matcha socks. Remember, I was gonna use my handspun   Marsha 16:43 Mm hmm.   Kelly 16:43 So I was gonna use my handspun. And I got it out. And I looked at it and it's a little short in yardage. And it's a little thicker than fingering, a little short in weight, and a little thicker than fingering. And sometimes handspun is more dense or has you know, has more weight per yardage, even if it's the same thickness. And it's a little sticky too, I mean it was that old fleece that I had. So the yarns a little sticky, so there's probably some lanolin that could wash out of it. That would make it less, you know, a little less weight. But I just started thinking I'm going to--this is going to be short of yarn . It's already short of weight of a sock, you know of a sock yarn skein. Some of that weight is the probably the lanolin that's making it sticky. It's a little thicker, I'm not gonna have...I'm gonna run out. So I changed plans. And so I grabbed something called Capri. Let me just, I have to look   Marsha 17:51 Is this in your in is this in your project page?   Kelly 17:54 Uh, yes, I have a project and that is called now Not Matcha Socks because because they were I   Marsha 18:00 was looking for your Matcha Socks. And now I see there's Not Matcha Socks.   Kelly 18:03 Yeah, so these are, these are not well...So let me just say this. It's Bear Brand Caprice It was one of the vintage spirit yarns that I have, sock yarns that I have. And I thought oh, this would be so cool. So I grabbed this blue kind of a navy color and I thought these will make really nice navy blue socks. So I started looking...you know and the -- Let me just talk a little bit about the yarn before I go on. It's the label says "Magic-Skein. Ready to Knit. No balling or winding. Draw yarn from center." So, you know, this is that type of commercial skein but I guess at some point in time, in history, that was a big deal. There was a new a new innovation not to buy your yarn in a hank. And so   Marsha 18:55 okay, well, it's funny I'm just gonna say, interject-- I always thought this was the old way of doing it. What they were the way these were wound this Caprice is wound and that the idea of buying the hank was a new thing. But maybe it's the other way around.   Kelly 19:08 I have a feeling it's a Back to the Future thing. Okay, that originally it was in hanks, and then somebody came up with this preskeined idea. I don't know. I'm just saying I'm just thinking, why would they make such a big deal on the on the band, calling it a magic skein and ready to knit, draw yarn from center, blah, blah blah. Also made in the USA. So I don't know what the vintage of this is. I could probably find it online. I've done that with some of my older yarns, figured out when, you know, when they were for sale. But it's Bear Brand Caprice. And I got this--I'm pretty sure I got this from the destash room at the NocCKRs retreat one year. And then it also says all virgin wool. Now I don't think it's 100% wool yarn because it's super stretchy. And there it looks like there's a thread, a ply of something that's not wool in it. So I think all virgin wool means all the wool is virgin wool. Not everything in it is wool, but there's no other thing on the label telling the content. And I think that's also an old, an old-fashioned thing. I think now they have to, I mean, I think it's a requirement that you have to label. You have to label with what's with what's in it. So anyway, this yarn is really stretchy. And I thought this would be cool. I really want to knit the socks. What I didn't realize is that it has a little like a little nub or nep every, I don't know, like every inch or so on the skein is a little slubby part. texture. So I'm knitting along and I'm like, Oh, this texture is really cool. This is this is going to make really nice socks. And then I get to the patterning. And it's like realization hits me. I'm not even going to be able to see the pattern because of the texture. And I can't read my, I can't read my knitting very well, because it's dark blue in and the texture of the yarn. So it's like, wait, was that a purl stitch? I'm taking my glasses off, and I'm looking to see okay, was that a purl stitch or a knit stitch? Because there's a lump there, but I don't think that's the purl lump. Anyway, finally after about two inches of ribbing, and then a little bit of the pattern. I thought this is ridiculous, Kelly, you cannot continue these socks with this pattern. This a very bad marriage of pattern and yarn.   Marsha 21:53 Yeah.   Kelly 21:54 So but I am going to continue them. I'm just going to rip back a little. Actually, I could just, I could just keep going you you'll never be able to tell that one sock had some purl texturing in it from the Matcha Socks pattern and one sock didn't. You'll never be able to tell that I should just keep going. So I have about three inches. And so I just left them there and then I dug through the spirit needles collection that you brought.   Marsha 22:23 Oh, right.   Kelly 22:24 Last year right around this time when you came for our... No. Yeah, when you came for Stitches. You brought it because we were gonna bring it to the NoCKRs retreat. So I've actually had a pretty good time with that bag of, of, honestly, there must be over 100 sets of needles in that bag.   Marsha 22:43 Yes. In fact, I because I needed the--My shirt, my t shirt I'm working on is on threes. And I don't really have a long enough pair of threes. And I thought oh, I should have called Kelly and have here send it,   Kelly 22:55 Yeah. So I dug into that. And I grabbed out another. I used to have multiple... Well, I had a birch set. I really liked the birch needles. I can't remember the name of the company that makes them but I had two sets of the birch needles. And over this--and I had them for years. But over this last year, or maybe maybe the last two years. So the year of broken foot and the year of pandemic did a real number on my wooden needle sock needle collection. I think I had a little bit of stress going on.   Marsha 23:37 Yeah,   Kelly 23:38 Because I broke, I broke a lot of them. So now I'm just down to one set. And so the the Not Matcha Socks are on the remaining birch needles. And then I dug out a pair of size zero bamboo needles from that, that bag and that's what I'm using for the actual real Matcha Socks with this beautiful, luscious Merino, silk , cashmere yarn.   Marsha 24:05 So that you don't have in your project page though.   Kelly 24:07 No, I haven't actually, I haven't put that. I'll put that in before before we go to publish.   Marsha 24:12 While you've been talking. I have been listening! But I've also been looking at Bear Brand on... Oh, well I just googled it and then it just referred me to Ravelry and so I'm looking at Ravelry there's all kinds of yarn on there but I do not find Caprice. And what... and it's a bit...there's all kinds. There's Angel Crepe and there's Petite Knitting Worsted. I don't know what that is. It says it's sport weight.   Marsha 24:43 But there'ssomething called Deluxe Crepe Vilain.   Marsha 24:49 Wow,   Marsha 24:49 Casa Laine. There's all kinds there's three pages of yarn. There's something called Ever Match. Ever Match Baby Zephyr? There's something called Gigantic. Feather Glow, Lady something whether I can't read it. Heather Laine. Anyway, there's all there's a ton. There's three pages of yarn on there. Okay, but there's no information about, you know, when it was made it might be okay. I have to find a...It's just interesting Ravelry has everything on there all kinds of.   Kelly 25:26 Yeah, well, in one of the yarns I have I have some silk yarn that I bought from somebody who was destashing when I was in the weaving class. And it's, I was able to find a newspaper ad. I just googled and was poking around trying to figure out, you know, how old this yarn really was. And I found a newspaper ad and I don't remember now what the year was. But, you know, I was able to find out how old how old the yarn might have been. I mean, that doesn't give me... that doesn't tell me that it wasn't sold after that date. But, but it was kind of fun to see the newspaper ad for, for that particular yarn and know, you know, at least when it was being advertised in a newspaper. So it gives you a you know, it gives you an idea anyway, so But yeah, I'm so I, It's weird to knit with because it's so stretchy. But it's going to be a nice pair of socks that that Caprice, lumpy, lumpy sock yarn. It's fairly thin. It's a light fingering, I would say it's a light fingering but with the texturing it works with the size with the size zero, the size zero needles, so it reminds me a lot--nd this brings me to my mending part of the episode--do you remember the CoBaSi sock?   Marsha 27:00 Yeah,   Kelly 27:00 it reminds me a lot of the CoBaSi sock. And I was-- I don't remember why I was poking around. Maybe I was digging around for things to use for the frog and toad, which I'll talk about in just a bit. But I uncovered... You know, I think I'm so virtuous with no unfinished objects. And, you know, I don't have like, piles and piles of things that need to be mended or projects that I haven't woven in the ends and they're just sitting there waiting. Not true anymore. Or maybe it was never true. [laughing] I just had this idea. Anyway, I dug out, I found this bag of socks that needed to be mended. And, and in the socks in this bag are my CoBaSi socks. So, they are like a turquoise and a red orange. And I striped them opposite. So like I started one of them with the red orange cuff and I started the other one with the blue cuff, turquoise cuff. And then I striped them. And I did toes and heels also in the same colors. Really fun. I enjoyed doing them. I really liked knitting with the yarn because it was so stretchy. But once I wore them, I thought one of the toes was too short. And then when I when I looked at it, I realized Yeah. I had , I don't know, probably a quarter of an inch less in one toe than another toe. I'm not sure how I did that. But maybe when I lined them up to measure them against each other. I lined the stripes up evenly. Yeah, and they were alternating stripes of about a quarter inch. So that's probably what happened. So anyway, when I wore them and found that one of them was uncomfortable, I put them away to rip out the toe of the one sock... three plus years ago! I don't even, I don't even know. It was a long time ago. Anyway, I found this and I have to repair them. I haven't started. I did start to take apart the toe of the one sock but I haven't done any of the knitting. But the CoBaSi is not quite as stretchy as this Bear Brand Caprice. It's it's more stretchy. It's got to have elastic in it. I can't imagine how it's 100% wool. So yeah, it just doesn't say that on the pattern. And then the other thing I found in this bag, were a pair of cotton socks that needed to be mended. So I mended those. And those I made Oh my God, my niece's were... They're all in their 30s now, I think even the youngest one. And they were   Marsha 27:08 OK, that's shocking   Kelly 28:07 I know. They were in high school. I think they were in high school.   Marsha 29:48 I remember when the oldest was born.   Kelly 29:51 I know. I know. It happens.   Marsha 29:52 Okay, let's not let's not go down that path.   Kelly 29:54 Children grow up. Your own included!   Marsha 29:56 Gosh darn it.   Kelly 29:58 Yeah, so anyway, The cotton socks I found needing repair I made for myself a long time ago. So I repaired those. And then I have a pair of wool and silk socks pre Ravelry think this is Hazel Knits. And so I have to repair the heel on on one of them but the other one is going strong. So I haven't... I started with a duplicate stitch and I think I'm going to actually, I think I'm actually going to cut out the heel and like just pick up stitches and just re knit the whole heel because the the threads are real it's really threadbare. I can't remember now if it actually had a hole or if it had just become so threadbare that I put them in the mending pile. But I... these are one of my favorite pairs of socks all ribbing all the way down on the top of the foot. And super felted I mean, I you know I that's it's washable wool but they've been around a long time. So, so they're kind of they're kind of filthy but they're really comfortable. And I remember I remember really liking them and that's why I didn't just toss them I put them in the mending bag. So I have one pair mended one pair started and then the CoBaSi socks, the CoBaSi socks are not they don't need mending they just actually need finishing. That's, so that's all the socks that's happening a lot of sock stuff is happening. And then the other thing is   Marsha 31:28 I'm going to I'm going to interrupt for just one minute. I'm going to go back to your your the other sock, the Caprice   Kelly 31:37 Oh yeah.   Marsha 31:37 So while you're talking I, You know I said I had just googled and so one thing is kind of interesting this answers sort of two questions. Because you remember I had when I made the the Christmas tea cozy and I was using some yarn from Sears that actually said it was like a C grade or something? Having saying it was like worsted weight it said it was C? I just what popped up in here is for 10 cents you could buy an interchangeable yarn chart from Sears and it says what are interchangeable yarns it says interchangeable yarns are yarns that when knitted by the same person on the same size needles will have the same gauge. Anyway, they are all have groups ABCD and E   Kelly 32:24 Oh sort of like that yarn-- craft yarn council like one two, like what they have now.   Marsha 32:29 Yeah. And then it has about how to use this chart. Blah blah blah it goes on. But then on the second page it has the interchangeable yarn chart group A lightweight and it says recommended needle size two three or four and on there is Bear Brand. Oh, and there's... Let me see if I scroll down. What you have is you think is its fingering weight?   Kelly 32:53 Yeah.   Marsha 32:54 Well anyway, this just says okay, here's also Bear Brand and or, and, or Fleischers. And there's baby Germantown, Casa, Laine, Crepe Velain, all these ones we were talking about. So I think this is a Sears...Well, maybe it's not a Sears brand, but it was something that was sold by Sears I should say.And I'm just looking down here to see if I find Caprice. I don't see it   Kelly 33:22 Well, and it may be that, it may be that someone listening was the donor to the destash room.   Marsha 33:33 Anyways, at the top on the very first page where it has, you know, the whole description of what are interchangeable yarns? This has got to be from the 60s because there's a woman and she's knitting and she has a knit suit on and she has the, you know the bouffant hair? You have like a braid that went around the front and then you had your hair all puffed up and hanging long. That's so this is clearly the 60s.   Kelly 33:55 interesting.   Marsha 33:56 So there you go. That's my little bit of research while we were talking.   Kelly 33:59 All right, well, the yarn that is in the same bag with this, actually, I don't think it came in the same bag though. I think I put it there. But I have another batch of these tiny little magic skeins, called Spinnerin and it's actually finer than sock weight. And it's it says it's 6% nylon, but again, it feels very much like... it feels very nyloney. It kind of reminds me of... Do you remember like the the knit shells? Yeah, older ladies would wear really fine, fine gauge knit. And storebought is what I'm thinking now. I'm not thinking of a hand knit one but that that kind of crepey feeling. nylon knit shell. So anyway, that's what that feels like. And I'm not sure what I'll use that for. I don't think I'll make socks out of it because it doesn't feel wool enough. And it's very thin. I think. I think even with the size zero needle, it will have a lot of holes in it. So it may be relegated to a weaving project. Yeah. Or it might be relegated to the trash. I don't know. That's hard for me to do so probably not, but I don't see much use of that. It just it feels really?   Marsha 35:18 Yeah.   Kelly 35:19 Synthetic. In a way that I don't think I would find... in a way that I don't think I would find a use for. We'll see.   Marsha 35:27 Enough. Enough of that searching on the   Kelly 35:30 Antique Socks. Yes.   Marsha 35:31 Yeah. Yeah.   Kelly 35:33 So with with that yarn experience of the Not Matcha Socks compared to the yarn experience of this cashmere silk Merino. Oh my gosh! I might have to buy more of that. That's just really lovely. So, but my other thing that I've been working on and I am in love with is Frog and Toad.   Marsha 35:58 Yeah.   Kelly 35:58 And I talked about them before. And at that time, I think I was still working on Frog. My goal is to get them finished by this Sunday, which is Easter. And, I have the set, the four book set, of the Frog and Toad books for Faye and then I'm gonna, I'm gonna have these, and then I have a set of books for Kye as well. Not frog and toad. He likes   Marsha 36:20 Okay, you just threw me into a panic. I'm sorry to interrupt again. Tomorrow is Easter?   Kelly 36:24 No, no. Next Sunday, the following Sunday.   Marsha 36:27 Okay. Oh my god! Okay, deep breath. Okay. Yes, continue!   Kelly 36:35 Marsha, if it even if it was Easter tomorrow, nobody in your family seems to know. You could just like   Marsha 36:42 that's true.   Kelly 36:43 Just like keep going right past it.   Marsha 36:46 I don't have to panic. Just, maybe I'll do that next week.I'll just do it next week and pretend that it is.   Kelly 36:53 So it's, I think it's the fourth of April. Okay. I don't remember exactly the day but it's at the end of our spring break. So it's next week, okay. But I'm almost finished. So Frog is finished and Toad. Well, they're not stuffed, so their heads are still open at the top. But you can see on my project page that they have their clothes on. Toad has his bathing costume which I made out of kind of a pale turquoise and cream color. And then Frog is a really kind of yellowy green color. And he has these gray brown like taupy natural color wool, light gray pants, and they're ribbed. So they look like little corduroy pants. They're so cute. Oh my god, they're cute! Last weekend, I had my vaccine. And I could, I worked on, I was a little nervous. I don't know why I was nervous. But I was just a little bit nervous. So I just I like focused totally on getting the eyes done and putting the eyes into frog and toad. And then and then I had a headache after I got my vaccine but it felt like a headache from like doing all this really close, close work. So I don't think my original headache wasn't that you know, the headache that I had as I drove home from getting my vaccine was I'm sure not from the vaccine. I did feel a little bit sick the next day but but all this little tiny close work to make the eyes-- I did that last weekend. I made the pants and now I have the jacket. I just have one more sleeve to go on the jacket. But then you have the details. So like I thought I was done with the the bathing costume but then you need to do, like, edging, you know around the sleeves?And I skipped the edging around the neck because I thought the neck looks pretty good the way it was. But this little jacket is gonna need all its edging so it doesn't roll. You know, so the stockinette doesn't roll. There's just all these little tiny details that are exactly what makes them perfect in terms of matching the books. And I just keep getting the books out and comparing my little Frog and Toad with the Frog and Toad in the books and yeah. So I'm having a lot of fun with this. The jacket's almost done I actually bought the crushed walnut shells that she recommends for the stuffing. I mean it's one of the things that she has on the on the pattern for the stuffing is crushed walnut shell so I bought those and I bought the ones that have lavender. So it will smell nice and, but it's very fine. So I'm really glad I decided to go down to the size zero needles with the yarn I was using. Because if you if you didn't have really really bulletproof fabric, that little walnut is like sand. That little walnut sand is going to come out. And I might, I might just test a little bit of it with mine. I think Toad is a little bit felted because I washed him kind of vigorously to make sure that he was nice and tight. Frog might have a little bit of gap, but I think he's pretty good. But if he-- if the stuffing, if the sand, you know, the walnut shells look like they're going to come out. I think I will just wash him just a little bit more.   Marsha 40:34 Mm hmm.   Kelly 40:35 And get him more fulled.   Marsha 40:37 Yeah,   Kelly 40:38 so that he's a little stiffer.   Marsha 40:40 They're, darling. They're... their expressions... Their eyes are so cute.   Kelly 40:45 I can't wait to put their mouth on.   Kelly 40:48 You know, you do that last. I don't know why. Maybe because it's easier to follow the line with them stuffed. I'm not exactly sure. But yeah, very, very cute. So those are, those are my projects.   Marsha 40:48 Yeah,   Marsha 41:06 Very cute. So Kelly, my projects, I'll give you an update on what I'm doing down the beach. I worked a little bit on my sweater that the T shirt that I've been working on.   Kelly 41:16 Oh, I have a question about that. Okay, did you need to buy more yarn?   Marsha 41:20 Well, I was gonna talk about that. Oh, not buy more yarn. It's the Walk Along Tee by Ankestrick, and I've made about nine inches of the body. And I have probably two two inch balls of the second skein.   Kelly 41:36 Oh, well, yeah.   Marsha 41:37 And remember, I divided them so. No, I have even less than that. They're probably about an inch. So I have about two one inch, say I have like a two inch cake left. And then I have one more skein and I did not buy more, she has lots down there. Worst case scenario, I can call Jean and just ask her to send me a skein. But Kim said she, she's making the same sweater and of course was there with me at the beach. And she said she's still doing the increases of the Raglan. So she's not gotten to the body yet. But she did say that the pattern, a friend of hers made the pattern also and the sleeves are quite slim. They're not loose baggy sleeves. So she said you're not going to be using that much yarn on the sleeves. And I have to remind myself too, that I've knit because of the Raglan shaping, you know, it goes down the shoulder down off the shoulder down to about armpit level,   Kelly 42:32 right. So a good portion of the sleeve is done.   Marsha 42:35 Right. And then I'm planning on making three quarter length sleeves. So and then the cuff, I'm going to make like the collar which is the contrasting blue. So that's my plan, to just wait and see how I do. And then also the bottom of the sweater, I'm going to put the contrasting edging on. And I don't want to make it very long. I want it to be sort of mid hip, or a little above mid hip kind of. And so I can wear maybe wear a sweater over it or short jacket or something   Kelly 43:10 Right   Marsha 43:11 So I'm going to take a wait and see approach.   Kelly 43:13 That's Yeah, I sometimes panic, or worry too much about running out of yarn. And then I end up with extra.   Marsha 43:23 Right? Yeah. So, and I did check my row gauge. Because remember my last sweater that was one of the issues I had. I was using so much yarn because of the the row gauge was off-- was not the same as the pattern. And this is correct. So I should be okay. Yeah, I'm also not putting in all of the increases, they're supposed to be for increased rows, where you increase four stitches per row? I'm only going to put in two because I don't want it-- it would be--otherwise it'd be I think too much fabric around the hips. And so I've knit I think, I don't know if I said this, but I've had about nine inches of the body. Okay, so you know, another I don't know how long I will have to figure it out.   Kelly 44:07 Yeah, but not that much. But not not that much longer. Now because of the bottom edge.   Marsha 44:14 Yeah. And I think you know, I was saying earlier that I don't have very long needles. So I think what I might do is put it on waste yarn or get another set of needles that I can put it on. So I can try it on and see how it's fitting. That'll give me a better sense. But at the beach mostly what I worked on was the Abington mitts. That is the pattern that -- one of our prizes for the extremities knit   Kelly 44:47 Yeah.   Marsha 44:48 Knit along and or crochet along or weave along or macrame along or fill in the blank along. Anyway so I finished one and I've knit to the thumb gusset of the second one.   Kelly 45:05 Oh, wow.   Marsha 45:07 So, but they were pretty quick because I'm using DK weight on size six needles. So the only thing is on these, so when you do the thumb gusset, put the gusset on waste yarn, then knit, continue knitting the rest of the hand as long as you want it, and then you do ribbing, then you go back and pick up the thumb gusset, pick up two stitches. And then just knit in the round, you pick up two extra stitches, and then the first row after that you decrease two stitches. And it does say in the pattern, if you have fat thumbs.. Apparently I have fat thumbs! [laughing] No, she doesn't say if you have fat thumbs. But if depending on it, you may want to not put in those two decreases. And I think I'm going to go back on the second one, I'm not going to put the decreases in. And on the first mitt I made I'm going to-- I think I'm going to rip it out and redo it without the two decreases. I think it'd be a bit more comfortable.   Kelly 46:07 Yeah.   Marsha 46:09 So, but they're really nice. And it's a fun pattern. It's really easy. Even though you have to use a cable needle needle for all the cabling on them. It's pretty easy to memorize the pattern. And it goes very quickly. And there's so little you know that I knitted a whole mitt down there at the beach practically so   Kelly 46:29 nice.   Marsha 46:30 A mitt and a half and six days. So did you see my picture on Instagram that I did sit a lot at the beach? Yes.   Kelly 46:38 The butt shaped divot in the couch? [laughing]   Marsha 46:42 Yes, I had a butt divot in the couch. So that's it for me on projects. I don't have a lot going on.   Kelly 46:50 All right.   Marsha 46:51 That's it.   Kelly 46:52 Okay.   Marsha 46:52 Oh, and I actually, I did not bring my spinning wheel. But when I got home before I left for the beach and then when I got home yesterday, we got home you know mid day. I worked on spinning on the yarn that I've been spinning-- the olive green or pine green and the bitter chocolate the dark brown. I spun on that a little bit. So I've got, now I have two bobbins of green and one bobbin of brown. Yeah. And so I've made two skeins, but then I had to you know reload the bobbins. So I'm almost ready to-- I have one more bobbin to spin up more yarn and then I'll I'll finish plying.   Kelly 47:30 All right,   Marsha 47:31 Yeah, but that's, that's it for me.   Kelly 47:33 Okay, well, we had a couple of other, just let's just do business, get the administrative business out of the way. And then there's a couple of fun things that I just wanted to share. So we have our Extremities Knit Along/ Crochet Along/Everything Along that Marsha just mentioned, just want to remind people that that ends on April 25. And so you can get anything for your hands, arms, legs, feet, lots of good stuff going on there. And we have two prizes. One is a pattern for the Abington mitts that Marsha mentioned. And the other one is the pattern Coffee Socks Collection by Dotsdabbles Designs, and that's where this Matcha Socks pattern that I was talking about. That's where the Matcha Socks pattern comes from. The winter weave along is quickly coming to an end. It ends on March 31. And so that's just a little more than a week away. So not much time there. But I'm hoping to at least get some something on the loom. I won't-- I probably won't even get it all the way threaded. But I do have a project that I want to, that I want to get on the loom during spring break. During this week, what I really should do is housework but no. So   Marsha 48:48 It can wait   Kelly 48:49 That's ending on March 31. And so if you're weaving, I hope this inspires you to get your weaving finished and get your your last woven projects into the, into the thread. So but then I had something I wanted to talk about, that came across our email, Marsha and I thought, oh, let's just talk about this for a little bit. The livestock Conservancy sent me a press release. And it was about their campaign, Shave 'Em to Save 'Em. And the idea is that people have this passport, and they make projects out of all these different wools that are from critically endangered sheep breeds. So I just wanted to let people know about that. And we'll put a link to it in the show notes. So how it works is you buy wool from one of these rare breed fiber providers. And you get a stamp in their passport. And then you earn things. You can earn prizes. They have a Ravelry group and you can sign up for to the Ravelry group. They have prizes that they're giving away. You share your pictures either on Facebook or Ravelry. And you can earn things for completing projects. And the more breeds you use, the more stamps you collect, the more things you can earn. And I think some of our listeners maybe are participating in this. And then they have a list of fiber providers and a little online directory. 180 breeds. And I don't know of all the breeds are sheep breeds, because the livestock Conservancy has poultry and other kinds of livestock in it as well. So the online directory might be all the breeds, you know, not just for the shave them to save them. It's for people who want to buy, you know, who want to buy a sheep for their flock, or who want to buy a particular breed of chicken for their flock of chickens, and so on. But anyway, I thought it was kind of an interesting little thing, and they have a video, and we'll link to their site. rarewool.org is one quick way to get to their project. And then they have a video and stuff. So I'll put that in the show notes.   Marsha 51:08 I thought interesting. Very cool. Yeah. It's really fun.   Kelly 51:11 I know, I heard about it. I think it's been going for over a year. I want to say I originally heard about it. And I did go on their, their Ravelry group, and then I kind of forgot about it and then got this email. And I thought, oh, I'll just remind people about this. Yeah. Here's an interesting little fact. It says fiber providers are seeing an uptick in their sales for the past two years, so must be going on for two years. A recent survey of those fiber providers indicated that 37% of shepherds had sold 50% to 200% more wool than before joining the initiative.   Marsha 51:48 Oh, very cool!   Kelly 51:48 That's Yeah. That's pretty...that's pretty impressive.   Marsha 51:52 Yeah, no, this is great. I mean, I, I've been looking at the page, and I'm gonna look a little bit more at it.   Kelly 51:59 it's almost it's a fiber buying time. Right? It's almost the time where I start thinking about, I want to buy some spinning fiber and maybe the summer spin-in will, you know, come along at some point. So   Marsha 52:15 I'm thinking this is, this is a little off topic, but it's lambing season, and we follow several shepherds. But have you been following TwinsetJan?. And so yeah, so if you are on Instagram twinsetjan is the account name and it's Jan and she is has Fair Winds Farm in, I believe it's in Pennsylvania, I think. Anyway, she had a ewe that delivered four lambs, which is I think, very unusual. And four or excuse me, three males and a little female, and the female. I don't know what her initial weight was, but she's only like, maybe three pounds now. Or maybe she's up to four pounds. She's a tiny, tiny, tiny lamb so she's brought her into the house. And she's doing these darling Instagram posts, you know, all in first person in the lambs perspective and all the things that she's doing. And very cute and she's named Pikachu. And she's so cute because she just has black around her eyes. Her eyes are black but then she has all this black fur. No, it's not fur, what do you call it?   Kelly 53:31 Wool! [laughing]   Marsha 53:31 Wool wool around her eyes. She's darling. She's so delicate and tiny. Yeah.   Kelly 53:38 Yeah, they're Finnsheep and apparently they have large--twins and and triplets and quadruplets or multiple   Marsha 53:50 Oh, really? That's not unusual?   Kelly 53:52 multiples are common   Marsha 53:52 Okay. So it's not unusual. I thought in general sheep. It was too you know, they would have   Kelly 53:57 Yeah, finnsheep are known for having-- I want to say large litters. But for having multiples.   Marsha 54:06 Okay, yeah,   Kelly 54:09 Yeah, she's really cute. You should definitely.. I'll put her Instagram in the shownotes as well. Because it's really worth following.   Marsha 54:17 Yeah, she's very, very cute. And, yeah, anyway, but it's lambing season. So we follow two other shepherds that it's just been really fun to see all the lambs and, and in the business of it, yeah, there's the business you know, and just what's involved with trying to keep them alive and healthy. Because this is their business. So   Kelly 54:41 yeah, well, one of our one of our friends Kathy straightfork, she has lambs. She has sheep for the first time this year and she has lambs and she's been sharing. She shared pictures of the the lambs that she had one ewe that gave birth to twins. And was not really happy to take care of the little girl twin. And so she's been, you know, dealing with that situation trying to get the mom to at least feed her. And then she has another you who is due pretty quickly. I want to say she has blue faced Leicester and they have the biggest like satellite ears! Kind of like Bailey's ears, you know, real big and so it's been fun to, it's been fun to see her pictures, too. And hear you know what's going on. So it's a busy time for for those people with sheep.   Marsha 55:37 But these lambs are so cute.   Kelly 55:39 They really are. And baby goats too. I want to say it was probably early April when we when we found out that my niece in Seattle had COVID. So I started sending her Instagram pictures of baby goats. Just to you know, say okay, here's your here's your bright spot for today. And I sent her all such funny little videos of these goats like flying around the pasture or like just like walking along and then all of a sudden just leap in the air and skitter away, like for no reason. So funny. So yeah, it's a good time of year to be following sheep and goats on Instagram. Yeah,   Marsha 56:19 yeah. Yeah. So I think that's about it. Do we have anything? There's   Kelly 56:23 one more thing and that is the Finnish artist. I just wanted to -- it was shared in the 2 Knit Lit Chicks Ravelry group and I saw it and then I started digging around and looking, looking for more information. So her name is Liisa, Hietanon, I should have looked it up--the pronunciation for that--and in Finnish. But she's an artist, a Finnish artist, and she crochets all sorts of things. But the thing that brought her to my attention was an article about how she had crocheted life-sized replicas of the people in her town. And they're amazing. You can barely tell who's the real person and who's the crocheted version. And you know, thinking of doing these frogs and all the little details that you have to select, to make them actually replicate Frog and Toad in the books. I can only imagine all of the different things that she's thought about to make sure that these crocheted replicas actually, you know, mirror the features of these people in her town. It's amazing. So I've linked to her in the show notes as well, her artist's website, in the show notes as well, and you can take a look. Pretty amazing.   Marsha 57:38 Yeah, they are. I'm looking at them now. They're very amazing. They're really yeah, they're very cool.   Kelly 57:42 Pretty fun.   Marsha 57:43 So with that, I think we're almost at the end, and I just have to let you know that Enzo, when we started to record, he came up and got on the bed, and he's been sleeping on the bed. So the typing sent him away. But the recording brought him back.   Kelly 57:59 So you must not be tense when you record, Marsha! It 's all that uploading of your tax documents that has traumatized poor Enzo.   Marsha 58:16 Yes. I don't know if we talked about did we talk about that. But   Kelly 58:19 you and I talked about it.   Marsha 58:20 You can imagine that I've always just, would fill out like a little paper workbook that the accountant sent me and this year, you know, as as you know, Kelly, how much I love being dragged into the 21st century and having to use technology. But I did it. I finally figured it out. It took me two solid days probably. Yes. All that scanning. And and as I say we had a conversation about this. And I realized what they're doing is they probably have to scan all those documents themselves. So normally, I would just send them copies of everything, what they're doing now is they're putting the work on the client, right? They're just foisting it off on-- that sounds too negative, but they they're just making us do the work at this end. So they don't have to I think is what they're really doing.   Kelly 59:08 I don't know how much of it is is safety but it I have to say when I when I grade going forward, when the pandemic is over and I'm back face to face or when the pandemic has ramped down, I think I will still have a lot of my students assignments just be uploaded. I don't really prefer grading online. There are some nice features to it. There are some things that are are easier to grade online. But I would always when I got stacks of papers, I would know that you know there was a potential cold coming on, because I just collected a whole bunch of tests that I had to grade. And you know, I would always joke about how I was going to spray my papers with Lysol. I wonder too if that's part of it. You're not having all of that stuff arrive from everybody   Marsha 1:00:00 Yeah,I didn't even think about that. And I that makes sense. I didn't. Yeah. And honestly, I didn't think about that.   Kelly 1:00:06 I know that the pandemic, I mean, they've said, I've heard different places that actual transmission by, you know, touching objects of COVID is not the real transmission mechanism. It's still important to wash your hands and stuff, but, but that's not the real transmission mechanism the way they originally thought, but it is definitely a disease transmission. Maybe it's just my imagination, but I have experienced that, you know, the the colds come when the tests come and I have to grade papers. So,   Marsha 1:00:39 yeah, so maybe it is really not just like they're trying to make us do the bulk.They're trying to protect it. So it's probably...   Kelly 1:00:46 it's probably many fold the reasons for doing it. But that, but that's one, you know, you sharing things, sharing objects is something that people are trying to prevent in the pandemics. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be opening a whole bunch of other people's mail.   Marsha 1:01:01 Yeah, yeah, that's true.   Kelly 1:01:02 I wouldn't want to be collecting a whole bunch of student papers. If I were you know, actually in class, I'd be like, No, you can leave that right there.   Marsha 1:01:12 Yeah,   Kelly 1:01:13 All right. Well, I'm glad Enzo is no longer traumatized by your typing.   Marsha 1:01:20 I will I will try and type lightly and test it and see if. After we hang up, I will try typing on the computer so he gets up and runs to the basement.   Kelly 1:01:31 Oh my gosh.   Marsha 1:01:32 All right. We'll talk   Marsha 1:01:33 Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundredprojects.   Kelly 1:01:33 Okay, Marsha, bye. Bye. Bye, everyone. Thank you so much for listening. To subscribe to the podcast visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com.   Kelly 1:01:50 Until next time, we're the Two Ewes doing our part for a world fleece!

More discussion about shots (not from a glass) and needles (not for knitting). Sorry! We finally get down to knitting, bored dogs, and new projects. We end by laughing at own ridiculousness when read in a transcript.  Show notes with full transcript, photos, and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. If you’d like to become a patron and support the show financially, visit our Patreon page.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha’s Projects I’m still working on the pair of socks for myself using Drops Fabel Print that I bought in San Luis Obispo. I’ve knit about 6” of my Walk Along tee by AnkeStrick and I’m using Little Fish Stitches fingering. Beginning to worry if I will have enough yarn. Spinning on and off with olive green merino roving. We had one beautiful sunny day this week that I could sit on the deck and spin. Heaven! I’m combining it with another merino I ordered from Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington in a dark brown called Bitter Chocolate. Making a 3 ply with two green and one brown single. I’ve spun two skeins. Swatching to make the Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde as part of our Extremities Knit/Crochet Along. Using Dale Garn Helio that I got from Kim’s bag of yarn headed to the thrift store. Enough yarn for a brown and a burgundy pair. Kelly’s Projects  I finished the pair of socks for Robert!  And another Ice Time Hat! The Ice Time Hat is a pattern given to me by BostonJen of Down Cellar Studio podcast. I used two different yellow and purple variegated skeins.  Check out my project page.  Started the Iced Matcha Socks by Dots Dabbles. I’m using handspun wool mohair yarn that I spun from batts I carded. The wool is Charlotte (a gray sheep whose fleece I bought twice in the early 2000s). The mohair is a similar vintage mohair fleece that I bought and dyed.  Both of these patterns are from the designers who have donated prizes for the Extremities K/CAL.  I also started Frog and Toad from frogandcast.com.  I’ve finished Toad and now need to start Frog. Then there are clothes to make. Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah It ends on April 25, 2021. Knit anything for your extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet). Winter Weave Along Ends on March 31. We will have prizes, including a class generously donated by Erica at Weavolution. Ep 157 final Mon, 3/8 5:41PM • 59:38 SUMMARY KEYWORDS yarn, knit, socks, laughing, transcript, marsha, appointments, pattern, talking, extremities, vaccine, people, thought, podcast, weaving, hat, crochet, pair, fun, vaccinated SPEAKERS Kelly, Marsha   00:03 Hi, this is Marsha and this is Kelly.   Marsha 00:05 We are the Two Ewes of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures. Thanks for stopping by.   Kelly 00:10 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 00:17 We blog and post show notes at TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com.   Kelly 00:22 And we invite you to join our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures group on Ravelry. I'm 1hundredprojects,   Marsha 00:29 and I am betterinmotion.   Kelly 00:31 We are both on Instagram and Ravelry. And we look forward to meeting you there.   00:36 Enjoy the episode.   Marsha 00:43 Good morning, Kelly.   Kelly 00:44 Good morning, Marsha. It's Friday. Yeah. I'm not sure Friday means much to to a lot of people during a pandemic, but it means a lot to me.   Marsha 01:01 Yeah, it doesn't really mean... it doesn't mean... Friday, in fact, well, yeah. Friday doesn't mean that much to me anymore. But yeah, if you're retired, yeah. And you know, Ben does his own school thing. Idon't... I'm not involved in that. And and   Kelly 01:14 I hope I should hope not.   Marsha 01:16 I know at the age of 23. I should not be involved in it. I'm not. Such a relief.   Kelly 01:23 I have students whose children are involved in their college education, helping them but   Marsha 01:31 Oh, yeah, yeah,your children appearing in zoom meetings and stuff. Zoom.   Kelly 01:35 That too. Yeah. I have a couple of students that come to my office drop in hours, and their children are usually in the background, or you can hear you can hear the schooling going on in the background, while the children are on their own zoom, their own zoom meeting. So. So yeah, I have a class for kind of a beginning level math class, you know, basically no prerequisites. You know, anybody can take it. And some of those students have their kids helping them. "I got confused, and I watched your video, and then I got my kid to help me."   Marsha 02:14 So yeah, it's a family, a family affair. Sweet.   Kelly 02:20 When parents talk about, you know, having school and kids and all of that, I always, I always tell them how, how much I think it's great. Because it's such a role model for their children, you know, that you continue to learn, but it's rough. I can't imagine the students I have, who are, who are parents who are going back to school, who are working, who are helping their children do their school, I always admire, you know, the parents who are coming back to school and the amount of work that they have to do. But in this pandemic, it's just been, like magnified. Yeah, very impressive. Yeah. their commitment to education.   03:01 Oh, yeah.   Marsha 03:02 It's a struggle, but it'll be worth it in the end, you know?   Kelly 03:07 Yes. And some of us in the struggle, I'm not including myself in that us really, some people in the struggle will be able to talk about it in the same way that, you know, of the sacrifices that people made during war time. Or, and some people are not, are not stepping up in that way. I sort of wonder what it would be like if they were having to live through war time, or, you know, like, the Greatest Generation they talk about, that, you know, lived through World War Two and made all those sacrifices. And our society is not quite measuring up, I don't think, to that standard.   Marsha 03:47 Well, I don't know. I mean, well, you mean, in terms of wearing masks?   03:52 Willing make a..? Being willing to make a sacrifice?   Marsha 03:55 Oh,   Kelly 03:56 for the good ofeveryone.   Marsha 03:59 It may sort of depend on where you live.   Kelly 04:01 Yeah. Yeah.   Marsha 04:02 You know, because if you're talking like masking specifically, everybody masks up. In fact. I mean,here...   Kelly 04:10 what I'm specifically talking about here, I guess I should I should be clear. What was specifically talking about here in California, is all of the complaining about teachers not going back and the teachers unions not wanting to go back and parents can't get their kids back in school. And, like, I understand that, I understand that it's hard. But you don't get to have your same old life. Right? I mean, this is what I want to say to people, right? You don't. None of us gets to have the same life we had last February, none of us does.   Marsha 04:16 My mind was going... Well. And I say even with the vaccine, it sounds like we're not going to have our same lives, right?   Kelly 04:55 For a while at least.   Marsha 04:56 it's going to be a different version of our of our of our same You know, yeah, so,   Kelly 05:02 I think I talked about the whole, you know, push to get teachers vaccinated which is happening, and that's really good. But what was being said about what was happening and what was really happening were two different things. And so it makes it seem like, you know, well, all of you teachers are all vaccinated. So why aren't you wanting to come back? Well, we're not all vaccinated. I have my appointment, though.   Marsha 05:26 That's good.   Kelly 05:27 Yeah. Quick shift of the subject to be more positive. Okay. Just to be clear, I was finding myself going to an ranty place and I don't want to do that. So   Marsha 05:45 well, just before you shift, let me just say here, like, I think that where I live in Seattle, everybody's wearing a mask. And so like, it seems to everybody's very compliant. I'm not going to restaurants. Stores that I've gone to, I always go in and say like, you check, how do you want me to do this? Everybody seems very on board with this in my world. In fact, so much so like, when I take Enzo for a walk, I always bring a mask with me. Because even though I don't come in contact with anybody, everybody's masked up even walking through the neighborhood. Yeah. Which I don't even know how necessary that is. But I think it's sort of it's becoming kind of a sign of solidarity, you know, but anyway, yeah. Yeah. But yes, on to more positive things. You're getting your vaccine. Yay.   Kelly 06:27 Yeah, yeah. So my first dose is the 13th. And honestly, it felt like I was trying to get concert tickets. We had multiple alerts coming out on the faculty email at work, saying, Oh, I just checked the site, and they've got vaccine appointments, and then I go and no appointments. And when I got up in the morning, I get on the computer, I always check and I go through the whole thing. And the dumb thing is that you had to go through the whole process of putting in all this information. Not all of your information, but you had to click a whole bunch of places, just to be told that there were no appointments available. Like, okay, I'd rather on the very front page, right when I, you know, right, when I click on to the front page, you tell me there's no appointments available. But anyway, I do that every morning, and nothing would be available. And then the other morning, the other morning, I got on and I checked, and there was nothing. And all the dates were old. And I mentioned to Robert Oh, they haven't even updated this website yet. You know, they've still got all the old, all the old dates, they don't have the newest dates. And so then I went on to do my you know, play on the computer, read Ravelry, read my email, that kind of stuff. And I'm reading my email and one of my colleagues had emailed that there were now-- there was-- our county office of education was hosting a vaccine site. And so I went to that. So get this. She, she so it came on, it came on the screen, sometime in like a 10 minute timeframe of when I had looked and when I got the email that it was there. So I went there. It was I mean, at most 10 minutes after it had been live on this website. They had multiple appointments, like six to eight appointments every four minutes, from 10 until 4pm.   Marsha 08:32 Mm hmm.   Kelly 08:32 So that's a lot of appointments.   Marsha 08:34 Yeah.   Kelly 08:36 And I made mine. So I got it. I was like, Okay, I'm going to pick a time that has, you know, five appointments available as opposed to two because I don't want to be cart-jacked. You know, I don't want to get to the end and find out my appointment was already taken. So I do that. And then I texted some other people to let them know. And then I went back to look and they were all taken.   Marsha 09:01 And you were cart-jacke? I mean they took that one.   Kelly 09:05 Oh, no,no, no, I got mine. Okay. But I I texted and then I went back to check on it to see to see like, how many more appointments there still were, and nothing! Okay, so like within 15 minutes. All those appointments, you know, eight, five to eight appointments every four minutes, from 10am to 4pm. All of those appointments were taken within probably 15 minutes. Wow. It felt like I was... or like I was trying to get yarn from a super super popular dyer! Wake up in the middle of the night when the update happens and like in the early days, the Wollmeise I think was one of them. Yeah. You know, people used to get up in the middle of the night to try to get Wollmeise yarn. And anyway, I felt like that as I was trying to get my point. I've never been this excited for a shot in all my life, not even a shot of bourbon!   Marsha 10:07 So then, so you'll have, I'm assuming this is the two part vaccine.   Kelly 10:14 Yeah, yeah.   Marsha 10:15 So then how do you know when you get your second one?   Kelly 10:18 I don't know. Yeah.   Marsha 10:20 Okay, how that's gonna work?   Kelly 10:22 I'm not sure how that's gonna work. Yeah, I'm assuming that the same site will have the second round. And then all of us who got appointments for that first site will go to the second site, go to the second round at that same site, but I don't know for sure. I don't think we know for sure.   Marsha 10:41 I was gonna say the thing about the websites, too. So let me just say, you know, in the state of Washington, I don't know what this is, all states have this. But we have Find Your Phase where you can go and find out. And you know, I'm not...I'm not eligible yet. But I went back. They say, well, they will, they will email me when I'm eligible. And I've not received any notification. So I thought, well, I'll go back and to see where I am. Maybe there's more. Because it said, when I when I registered for it, they said they don't know when my category would be eligible. No information, check back. So I thought I'll go check back. You have to register again, there's no way to go in and just log back in and find your own status, even though I've registered. And so this is a long way of saying I think they've... they've thrown these websites together as quickly as they can. And they didn't have I think... Normally with websites don't they go through for companies, they go through testing, right? Everybody uses them to check them all out. I don't think they've had any time to do that. And so there's problems in the system. Yeah Because I have no idea. You can't... Right now, I'm sure if anybody lives in the state of Washington, any of our listeners, they can tell me what's really going on but I couldn't find my status in there. I just had to reregistered again. So and then just add to all of this hearsay, rumor, confusion. Um, my brother registered in Find Your Phase and never got notified. But he's he has medical insurance with Kaiser Permanente. And so he went to the website, and he just started poking around and, and he was able to make an appointment through their website to get the vaccine. And he's never been notified that he was eligible by the state of Washington. Yeah. So I don't know. And he said, also their website, too, again, I think that they are doing the best they can sort of getting something in place, right? But he said that there isn't, like, on the website, if you want a vaccine, click here and make your appointment. He said, You have to dig down through the site, you actually have to say that you want to make an appointment to get like a flu shot or any kind of shot. And then you have to go through the and then it gets you to the part where say what I want is the COVID-19 vaccine.   Kelly 12:33 Yeah, like they should have just a big button right on the front, a big button that you push to...Yeah, right. So I bet you're right. I mean, I'm complaining.   Marsha 13:08 No, I mean, I mean,   Kelly 13:10 it's something that had to be put together quickly.   Marsha 13:13 Well, and I should say cuz I'm not... I have no idea. Now. The President came out two or three days ago saying that pretty much everybody who wants a vaccine will have it by May. So I think I will get it soon. I mean, I just it's just a matter of being patient. But I will say again, rumor hearsay, guessing, all this. It is interesting like people posting on Facebook or Instagram that are getting the vaccine. There's somebody who posts on Facebook, I know who posted that she was getting the vaccine. And as far as I know, she doesn't meet any of the criteria-- multi generational household, age, underlying health, as far as I know. And so like, how did she get it? I don't know. It's like, you know, let it go. Just let that go.   Kelly 14:08 It's possible there's something you don't knowabout?   Marsha 14:10 It's possible there's something I don't know. Because like, it could be an underlying health condition that I don't know about. So. So it's not about-- you can't sit there going like, well, how come they got it? You know, but yeah, that's-- Yeah, we're human. And that's where our mind goes, right? But it really, you know, vaccinate as many people as possible it doesn't really matter even.. you know?   Kelly 14:33 I'd be and in my thinking,...Gosh, we've been on this topic for a long time. Sorry, everyone.   Marsha 14:39 Yes, I know.   Kelly 14:40 But my thinking you know, at first was well, I'm not in contact with anyone. I'm not teaching face to face yet. I don't really need to get the vaccine. You know, I wasn't too worried about jumping.... I wasn't sitting on the computer like it was a rock concert that I wanted tickets to or you know, Hamilton or something big. Cuz I thought well I'm home, you know, I'm not teaching face to face, I'm not going to be teaching face to face in the fall. I don't have to rush. But what you want is everyone, everyone who can, to get it.   Marsha 15:13 Yeah,   Kelly 15:14 Everyone who can get who can't who can, by whatever means really should get it because that's how you get immunity in, you know, community wide, right. So in the mathematics, there's an interesting-- there was an interesting article about mathematical modeling. And the mathematical model was, what if we do it in phases versus what if we do it as whoever wants it, come and get it? And it actually was more effective in the mathematical modeling, to make it available, you know, to make whatever was available available to whoever wanted it.   Marsha 15:52 I know, that's what I was kind of wondering if that would actually make more sense.   Kelly 15:55 It was, mathematically, it was more effective. Yeah. But politically, you know, like, I'm getting the vaccine, even though I'm not going to be back in the classroom. Robert goes to work every day. He doesn't work directly with the public, but he goes to work every day, and he's not eligible yet. Yeah. But politically, I mean, they're not distinguishing between educators who are going back to the classroom and educators who are not, it's just easier not to do that. And they, you know, and the the political reality is they needed to make sure that educators got vaccinated because there's such a pressure for our schools to reopen the K 12 schools to reopen. So anyway, yeah, this is a long topic. We're probably, we're probably, we're probably treading on the boundaries of what our listeners are wiling to listen to   Marsha 16:46 people are gonna be listening to this walking the dog driving the car going. "Oh, for goodness sakes, stop talking!"   Kelly 16:53 Where's the knitting?   Marsha 16:54 Where's the knitting? Well, yes, while we wait... So anyway, patience is a virtue. I will get mine soon. I I'm looking forward to it. My vaccination. I'm excited. So anyway, and grateful that we have one. Yeah, pretty speedy the process.   Kelly 17:12 Yes,so...and apparently CVS, this part of the email I got this morning. The CVS website is already doing appointments for the Johnson and Johnson one shotvaccine. So all right. That was cool to see. Yeah. That's a lot of very fast science.   Marsha 17:30 Yes. Yeah. Okay. Ah, so we talk knitting?   Kelly 17:37 Yeah. That's what they're here for. Right?   Marsha 17:43 Yeah.Let's give...   Kelly 17:43 Sorry, you guys!   Marsha 17:44 Let's give them what they want!   Kelly 17:46 Yes.   Marsha 17:48 Okay, so how about you? Do you want to talk about your projects?   Kelly 17:51 Sure, yeah. Okay. So I finished Robert's socks. They turned out really nicely. I'm actually Oh, I'm calling them finished. And I'm actually weaving in ends right now. But, but they're finished. And I've marked them as finished in the project page. He hasn't worn them yet, because I haven't woven in ends. But he tried them on. I did end up making the toe of the first sock bigger than I had done before. The look so funny! I, I have a picture of them. And because of the toe is made from my hand spun it's thicker. It's a little-- it's not quite fingering weight. It's a little bit heavier than that. Plus, it's a, it's a denser yarn. They have the most bulbous toes, but they're not pointy. So he loves them. And I'm like, they look so big. And he said, No, no, they look perfect. So   Marsha 18:51 yeah. Are they comfortable? The   Kelly 18:52 Yeah, he likes them.   Marsha 18:53 The big poofy toes. Yes, he has room for his for his toes. So they're not   19:00 pointy, and they and they are big enough, but they do kind of bulge out while the sock is ribbed. So that's part of it, too. So the ribbing sucks in the foot of the sock. And then I added stitches when I made the toe because it was too dense and stiff and tight. So anyway, yeah, it's they're interesting looking.   Marsha 19:25 Well, you'll have to share a picture of them.   Kelly 19:27 So I will Yeah, the leading men fiber arts yarn is really nice. I'm gonna get myself some more of this. Maybe not this color. I don't know. I like this color! But it's just a really nice sock yarn. This is-- I think this one might be bfl sock, I can't remember now. But it just it feels nice. It was nice to knit with and the put up is very large. You get a lot of yarn in a skein of this.   Marsha 19:59 [Laughing] Okay. Sorry, I'm interrupting. I'm just looking at the   Kelly 20:04 you see what I'm talking about?   Marsha 20:05 Yes. Yeah.   Kelly 20:10 The toes are quite bulbous.   Marsha 20:11 Yeah, but they look comfortable.   Kelly 20:14 Yes. And they aren't--I mean, they aren't baggy when he wears them. They actually do fit it. Yeah, it's really more of a function of the, the ribbing on the foot, making the ribbing skinny   Marsha 20:25 It's when they're lying in repose. [Laughing]   Kelly 20:31 But they don't have pointy toes when you fold them top to bottom. [laughing]   Marsha 20:36 Yeah,   Kelly 20:37 Speaking of starting socks, I did start the Iced Matcha socks by Dots Dabbles. And the yarn I'm using is a handspun. It's a gray. It was... the sheep was Charlotte and I bought her fleece a couple of times. It's the same fleece that I used for the funky grandpa sweater.   Marsha 20:56 Okay.   Kelly 20:57 And I finally had used both. I bought two of her fleeces two different years back in the early 2000s, late 90s. And I finally spun up the end of it a couple of years ago with some mohair. So these are mohair wool. It's only a two ply. So I don't know how hard wearing they will be. But the mohair should help. It's probably a little bit thicker than a fingering weight. But not not, not so much bigger that I won't be able to use like a size one needle. And I usually use size zero, I'll probably use a size one. And anyway, I decided to make the iced matcha sock pattern. It's like ribbing, you know, has kind of a ribbing effect, which I like. And then it has a little bit of detail, but not so much detail that I won't be able to knit on them during school meetings and that kind of stuff. So and then I'm going to start another pair of of socks. I don't know which ones. I think maybe one of the cabled pairs from either from this collection, or maybe one of the Louise Tilbrook. I have quite a few of her patterns. And I have one pair of socks that I really like that was one of her patterns. So I might make one of hers. They're very involved. So, so the the Iced Matcha of socks will be sort of a medium-involved. Not not super involved, which will be good. So I'm enjoying, I just barely started those. So that's there's not much going on there. Except basically a cast on. I did also finish another Ice Time hat. The first one that I made I don't remember if when I talked about it last. But the first Ice Time hat that I made her pattern. This is from the pattern is by Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar studio, BostonJen. And she gave me as a gift, a copy of this pattern. And so I thought, oh, I'll try it. And I mean, I used two variegated yarns. And I looked on the pattern because it came out a little small, my gauge, you know, I usually knit pretty tightly. And so I thought, Oh, this is a little small. But then I looked on the pattern, and she has as the head circumference 18 inches, I think, which is smaller than what I normally do for a hat. Plus the cross stitches, I think have a tendency to make it tighter. Yeah. And plus, it's like a beanie.   Marsha 23:41 Yeah.   Kelly 23:42 And so, so I thought, Okay, well, this is good, because it's the size for a kid and that was my plan. But I want to make a bigger version. So first, I was gonna, I was gonna just add, you know, like, one pattern repeat or two pattern repeats. And, and then I thought, well, it's when -- when you do the decreases, you divide it into fou. Into four groups to do your decreases. And so like the decreases make an X on the top of the hat. And I thought, okay, that's going to make those four groups different sizes.   Marsha 24:18 Yeah.   Kelly 24:19 And I just thought, you know what, I'm just going to add four repeats, because 18 inches is small to me for hat circumference.   Marsha 24:26 Mm hmm.   Kelly 24:27 So that's what I did made it a lot easier to do the decreases and then made the slouchy version, which is more like the kind of hat--again, this is nota hat that I'm going to keep-- but more like the kind of hat that I wear. Doesn't smash your hair as much, you know, hat head. So anyway, I really like it. It came out really great. And so now I have a pair like a mother and daughter a pair of hats.   Marsha 24:57 Sweet   Kelly 24:58 Yeah, in purple. purple and yellow.   Marsha 25:02 So I don't they're not in your project page yet, though, right?   Kelly 25:06 Oh, you know, the first one I finished a long time ago. And I just put the second one in the same. So it's farther down on the project page. Oh, I'm, I'm suddenly distracted, because there's someone on the roof right outside.   Marsha 25:19 Oh, really?   Kelly 25:22 We had the roof put on. And then they had to replace some flashing and replaced--we have these like scupper boxes that the water goes down. They replaced those. And so apparently they're here to do something else with with the flashing. So I suddenly looked up, and there's a stranger on my roof. Right outside the window. Because the   Marsha 25:49 and he's wondering why you're talking to yourself?   Kelly 25:51 Yes. [laughing] Because the kitchen window or the kitchen roof is right outside the vanity area where I record so anyway. Life at the Locke household!   Marsha 26:03 Yes.   Kelly 26:05 So both of the designers, dots dabbles of the Iced Matcha socks and Jennifer Lassonde from this Ice Time hat have donated prizes for our extremities KAL that we'll talk about. So it's fun to be using. It's fun to be using their patterns. Although a hat does not count for the extremities KAL.   Marsha 26:25 Yes.   Kelly 26:27 I looked it up. It's not an extremity. several I looked actually I looked at several dictionaries. When you you know, I looked at I put in extremities and then I looked under several online dictionaries. And none of them included heads. So   Marsha 26:46 it's a headless knit along.   Kelly 26:50 Exactly! I started something really fun.   Marsha 26:54 Oh, yes.   Kelly 26:55 Yes. Frog and Toad. Oh my gosh. So cute. And you know, I was talking about socks. The socks being only medium-level involved. Then I started with toad. that's involved! Okay, that kind of knitting is involved, right? I mean, it's kind of sorta like your rabbit.   Marsha 27:20 Yeah, lots of increases, decreases. And it's just like a blob until you... it starts. And then they begin to take shape. But originally, initially, you don't really know what you're making,   Kelly 27:31 Right!   Marsha 27:31 you know, it's the legs but what?   Kelly 27:34 It's pretty much one piece, you do have to go and add the arms at the end. It's pretty much one piece. So that was good. You don't have a lot of sewing to do for the extremities. But you do have to do sewing for the eyes. Okay, and you do, you do like afterthought heels where you cut your knitting to make the holes for the eyeballs.   Marsha 27:58 Oh, Dear!   Kelly 28:00 Yeah, so it reminds me of... I looked at the pattern and it reminds me of when I did the afterthought buttonholes. Because it's a real small thing that you open up, you know, you cut open a piece of your knitting. And   Marsha 28:14 so this type of knitting I have to say I'm, I always think the same thing. The mind that can think this way. , To create these very--just adorable and just so creative. I mean, to think like, they can figure out you have to put your decreases here, your increase there and your short rows here and like how they can do all that? How many frogs did the designer make to get the final pattern? You know?   Kelly 28:45 Right.A lot of experimentation.   Marsha 28:47 Yeah.   Kelly 28:48 In the creation process. In fact, her website is frogandcast.com. So as of today, March, what is it March 5 2021. The front page of her website is this little bear and the whole article is about about how she, how her design process for this bear worked. So I highly recommend it as a very interesting read. And it's also a cute pattern. But I'm not going to make this bear I'm going to stick to my Frog and Toad. So I've made toad. And I'm going to.. I want to start on frog soon. I'm gonna wash him, the toad, because I'm using the Ruama. Now I can't remember how that is pronaunced. Finnulgarn   Marsha 29:42 Oh, right, right, right   Kelly 29:43 that we bought. So this is yarn that Marsha and I bought at stitches one year because we, I was taking the Argyle sock class and so at lunch during my class, during a break, and Marsha and I went down to the floor of the marketplace. And we just started putting color combinations together. And it's Ruama Finnulgarn is what I'm using. The frog is going to be our Toad is in a brown color. And then I have another one of these Ruama Finnulgarn that is alpaca and I have a green, like a limey, goldie... Lime is not the right word, kind of a goldy, green color, kind of an avocado. You know, like 1960s, avocado, refrigerator look or something. Anyway, it's kind of a goldy green that I'm going to use for Frog. And I have the books. And I've been getting the books out and comparing the pictures on the book to the My yarns and stuff to to try to get the right combination. So but this yarn is the the one I use for Toad that doesn't have the alpaca in it is a little bit. It's toothy. You know, it's a woolly wool. And so I know those soften up when you wash them, so I'm going to block him before I stuffed him. And also the yarn will kind of bloom and help keep the anything is stuffed, you know, help keep the stuffing from showing. So yeah, but I'm using size zero or size one needles. I think I'm using size zero and the let me just double check. Yes, it calls for size one. And I'm at I'm using a size zero needle because my yarn is a little thinner. The pattern calls for a DK yarn. And I'm using a thinner yarn its more like a sport.   Marsha 31:43 I'm sorry, it calls for DK and size zero needles?   Kelly 31:47 It calls for size one needles.   Marsha 31:50 Oh one, ok.   Kelly 31:50 and it has a I mean,   Marsha 31:52 that's still that's really small. Because it's you want to have a really dense, right?   Kelly 31:56 Right, , so the stuffing doesn't show. Yeah, so anyway, I went down to size zero. And actually it was worked out well, because the size zero needles that I have are short. And the size one needles were longer. And it's so tiny, that it's really nice having the I don't know, they're just like maybe four inch needles, double points. They're they're small. They're small double points. And, and I don't use them. I can use them on socks. Like I bought them for socks. And I use them for socks for me. They're not my favorite sock needles, because I like using the wooden ones. But I can use them for socks for me. But for socks for Robert. With 72 stitches. They're just too, they're too short. Yeah, but they're perfect for this. I think magic loop would work. You know, you just have to keep track of where where she says to place the markers. Yeah. So that you can make all the all the little adjustments. Yeah, but super fun. His little fingers! You do little you do on his on his on his hands. You do little PicoT bind off. So you get little fingers. It's so my gosh, so cute.   Marsha 33:20 Again, Igo back to what I said. It takes a certain kind of mind. Yes, like amazing mind. This kind of stuff   Kelly 33:27 His little knees. He has nice has a little frog legs have little knees. So very fun. Very fun. I can't wait to start Frog this weekend. I'm hoping I'm hoping maybe I can have I can have them done by Easter would be kind of a fun thing to do for to give to Faye for Easter. So yeah, that's kind of my that's kind of my plan. We'll see if I am able to do it. But but that's what I'm hoping. fiddley definitely worth it. So that's my, that's the extent of my projects Marsha.   Marsha 34:08 Well, and I just have to ask the the, the Afghan the Oh,   Kelly 34:14 I have been working on it. The last the last time we recorded I hadn't done any significant work on it at all. But I have been working on it. Now I've made probably maybe five of the squares. Not the big octagons. But the smaller, the smaller ones that can connect and kind of... I made about five of those. And then I made another I have I have done one of the octagons but then.. I was... One night I was just focusing on something simpler. And so it's basically just a granny square. And then it has an edge that has a little bit of detail something a little more complicated. So I was just doing the basic granny square part and I did about I did about five of them and then I started...Another day, I picked them back up and started doing the outer edge of each of the squares. So yeah, I made made some progress on that. So maybe sometime in the late spring, I'll be done. I'll be done with that one. But I'm not going to make any promises.   Marsha 35:15 Yeah. Yeah. Never make promises.   Kelly 35:20 So what about you?   Marsha 35:21 So my Walk Along Tee, I've knit about six inches of the body. And I love the technique that we have discussed the Helical, right, we discussed? It's, it's great. There's some times when I get to the... there's fake side seam on the sweater and where you do you hold the yarn in front, and then slip the stitch through the back loop. And sometimes if you have any details, something like that, that's just not straight stockinette then you have to do a little fiddling around. Yeah. So like, as I said, in previous episodes, you know, this would not work for cables, or Yeah, this technique, it just has to be stockinette. But so I'm, that's just sort of my knitting when I watch Netflix. I just go around and around and around and around on them. I think you do about... you start doing increases on the way down. And I think I talked about this before, I'm not sure if I'm gonna put all of them in it. It ends up being a total of 20 stitches, which is fair amount, so I may not put all those in. I'm also beginning to worry about if I'm going to have enough yarn.   Kelly 36:37 Oh. Another one of those   Marsha 36:41 I know. It could be just illusion.   Kelly 36:44 Yeah, yeah.   Marsha 36:46 Because I have now... I had three skeins which I divided into half, right. So I had six cakes. I've used up two cakes. And I am probably halfway through the second set of two cakes. And I'm six inches of the body. And then I also have to do sleeves. So I-- but I'm going down to-- we're going down to Seabrook. I think we leave the 13th. So and that's where I bought the yarn at the string theory yarns in Seabrook, Washington. So I'm, when I'm down there, I'm going to have a better idea and I can maybe pick up another skein. I'm hoping I don't have to, but we'll see. Anyway, so I'm making progress on that. And I've been spinning on and off on the olive green Merino roving that I have that I'm combining with the dark brown, that's called bitter chocolate. And I've I had made two skeins and now I'm just filling up the bobbins again, so I filled the two green and now I'm filling up the brown bobbin. So I had-- it was-- we had a couple of nice days this week. And so I think it was Wednesday. It was nice. And I just sat on the deck. My new deck.   Kelly 38:13 Yeah.   Marsha 38:15 And spun. By the way, thinking that I was sitting out there spinning, Did you see my Instagram post of Enzo, staring at the dog.   Kelly 38:26 Yes. Yes.   Marsha 38:27 Isn't that the funniest thing that was so cute. Anyway, if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to my Instagram. And you'll see the picture of Enzo looking at the neighbor's dog. But the neighbor's dog is in the window peering out and they stare at each other for a good 15 minutes. It was pretty funny.   Kelly 38:45 I feel bad for Bailey because I think she's, I mean, she spent a good a good part of her life before she came to live with us living at a dog boarding kennel right? Doggy daycare and boarding kennels. So, so she was around other dogs all the time. And now it's you know, it's just her. And we have neighbors and they have... one of our neighbors has dogs that they fence fight, which I don't like so I keep her away from that. But the other neighbor has a lab that sometimes I can't find her in the backyard and I go looking for her and she's down at the fence and they are just like nose to nose at the fence talking to each other. Like, you know, not barking. Just like somehow communing. They're like keeping company with each other next to the fence. I feel like ohhh.   Marsha 39:36 I was gonna ask that, put this question out to people and to our listeners later on in the podcast, but since we're on this topic, I'm just going to mention it. Because Enzo has been acting really weird recently. I've been doing long walks, I take him out and he just drags towards the end of his walk. I have to pull him along to get him home. And he's very lethargic. So I thought and I was like.. I wonder if I had to take him to the vet, you know, he's not it. Maybe there's something wrong with him. I finally thought, I think he's bored.   Kelly 40:08 Mm hmm.   Marsha 40:09 His life is basically sleeping around the house while I do things. One long walk during the day, and then back to sleeping around that house.   Kelly 40:16 Yeah, he doesn't want the walk to end.   Marsha 40:19 Yeah, that's what I'm kind of wondering. And so I, I'm varying the route. I also am playing with him every day because I realized I wasn't playing with him. And Ben doesn't live with me now who would have time playing with him. So I, every day I take, I either chase him around the house, chase him around in the backyard, which he loves. Or I, the other thing I do, which he loves is that down in the basement, I take the ball and he stands at the top of the stairs, I throw the ball up to him, and then he kicks it, he knocks he pushes it down the stairs. And then I throw it back until we do that for about 40 minutes, 45 minutes, depending on how long we want to do it. And then I also decided to get him back into agility. But I'm having a difficult time getting him into class because I think so many people have dogs now. I went like all of the... We've done all the obedience classes, but they're all full till April or May. And so I signed him up for agility, but I can't get in until I think the end of April. Yeah. So I'm going to put it out to listeners if you have any ideas what to do to keep him... because he does seem depressed, kind of or bored.   Kelly 41:30 I'm going to give a suggestion. I am interested to hear what people have to say, but I'm going to give a suggestion. tricks. Teach him tricks.   Marsha 41:40 Oh, yeah.   Kelly 41:41 Well, you took a class, right? You did a trick class.   Marsha 41:44 Yeah. But I can't get into it now. So. Oh, but I can just do it on my own.I don't need to go.   Kelly 41:51 Yeah. So I mean, yeah, you know how to, I mean, you have some ideas for how to teach some of this stuff. But it's kind of fun. Is it a little more entertaining? I'd do that, at least for me, it'd be a little more entertaining than throwing the ball up the stairs for 40 minutes. Yes, for the human part of the partnership, it's more interesting   Marsha 42:13 well and use his mind more you know, I because that also, you know, he just needs to use his mind. But like, my brother came by yesterday said what's wrong with the dog? And so like he saw I was like, okay, you're here. He's usually excited. He's super excited to see Mark. But he was excited and then like, laying on the sofa. And then Mark came back in the house and he didn't even get up off the sofa. I have a towel down on the basement sofa and doesn't even get up to the greet him. He's like, That's weird. I mean, cuz he usually... Like they say poodles are smart. I sometimes wonder because he's super excited to see you. You go out to the garage, you come back into the house, and he's like, Oh, you've been gone. He's so happy to see you. Like literally two minutes, but, okay. Yeah, so anyway, people, listeners, if you have suggestions for how to get my dog, I don't think he's really depressed. But I think he feels like he's depressed and bored. And like the rest of us in the pandemic, you know. But anyway, yeah, so I'll go back to projects. so I've been spinning and I'm enjoying that I just find the spinning so meditative. And just that one day where I was able to sit out there on the deck was so nice in the sun. It just sort of gives me hope that spring is on its way. And then I, as we're talking I am swatching to make the Abington Mitts by Jennifer Lassonde and as we talked in... that's our segue into our, the knit along. But I just tell you, the yarn I'm using is Dale Garn Helio.   Kelly 43:53 Is that like a Dale of Norway yarn?   Marsha 43:54 Oh, I'm sorry. It's it's a Heilo. It's H E I L O, and it's a, I believe it's DK weight, which is what is required for the mitts.   Kelly 44:04 Something from your stash. Okay. Your Spirit yarn.   Marsha 44:07 No, no, it's not from my stash. It's from Kim's stash. I went and had dinner with her one night and she had a bag of yarn that was going. She had gone through her stash and she had yarn that was going to the Goodwill. And I said do you happen to have anything that's this weight because I don't need a lot for the mitts and I don't really want to go out to a store so... and I didn't have... I have DK weight but I didn't have anything that was not painted. I want a solid or semi solid. I thought it would look better with this pattern. And so she had this yarn, a whole bag of this yarn in two colors. The one I'm going to use is kind of milk chocolate color, brown, like a natural color. And then also she has another color in here a kind of a burgundy. So I think there's another yarn I can make two pairs, one in each.   Kelly 44:59 Oh, that's fun!   Marsha 45:01 So anyway, I'm swatching for that. And so for our knitalong, so we should talk about the knitalong   Kelly 45:08 So we are having an extremities knit along, and it was inspired by two offers of prizes. One is the Coffee Socks Collection that I already talked about, by Dots Dabbles Designs, Deborah. And the other gift that we got-- offer of a prize--was the Abington Mitts that Marsha is making. And so with these prizes when they came at the same time, and one was for feet, and one was for hands, and so we just decided, oh, let's have an extremities knit along/crochet along so you can knit or crochet anything for your hands, arms, legs, feet.   Marsha 45:45 We've had lots of discussion about this, but it's not your head. Because Kelly did lots of research and your head apparently is not   Kelly 45:55 according to the authorities on the internet [laughing]   Marsha 45:58 Yes. According to the internet, your head is not an extremity!   Kelly 46:02 That's no no hats in this time. Yeah, but legs, feet, arms, hands, you know, there's lots of lots of possibilities there. Mitts, socks are the most...   Marsha 46:15 And even though we're saying it's called a knit/crochet along you can weave, you can macrame.   Kelly 46:24 Okay, I don't know macrame sock? That   Marsha 46:28 Yeah. Interested in any you know, like any? We were also talking in the last episode, what is it called the   Kelly 46:35 Nalbinding. Now, that's how you say it? That's a that's a close facsimile of how it's pronounced at least. Oh,   Marsha 46:45 you know what I think would be really cool. Do you know those lace the little lace gloves that Ruth Bader Ginsburg would wear?   Kelly 46:53 Yeah,   Marsha 46:55 That'd be really fun to make.   46:56 Oh, you know, as we're sitting here, I'm sitting in the vanity area of our spare bedroom. And at the vanity table normally... not right now because I move everything when I want to record. But at the vanity table, I have a little, one of those little vanity mirrors with perfume bottles. And then I have a pair of crochet gloves. Do you remember Marsha when I bought those at the antique store?   Marsha 47:24 Yeah,   Kelly 47:25 I have no idea how old they are. But they're teeny tiny still little crochet stitches. And they have the little buttons. They're long gloves though. They go up your arm and they have the little ...they have the little buttons and the buttons are crocheted. And the little button loops are all crocheted. The button holes don't go all the way up the gloves. Like the whole gauntlet part of the glove doesn't open up. There's just a section of buttonholes. Yeah, that would be fun. A knit or crocheted set of fancy, old fashioned.   Marsha 48:01 They were kind of like fishnet kinda.   Kelly 48:04 Yeah. Like afternoon tea gloves.   Marsha 48:06 Mm hmm. I'm as we're speaking, this is bad podcasting, but I'm just looking at online and there's like a, there's a crocheted pair. From J and P coats. It looks like it's very old because it's a black and white photo with an old car. Okay. I don't know if they're Yeah,   Kelly 48:25 that's a that's a company that makes like the crochet cotton. Yeah. Oh, that would be fun. Well, and you know, the other thing that I thought of is our we had bought the silk to make silk socks. Last year at Stitches. I haven't started those yet either. But I'm gonna-- I'm gonna stick to the socks that I have for right now. But yeah, the mesh gloves. There's there's a lot.   Marsha 48:50 We'll search, Yeah. And apparently you can buy this on on Amazon. It's not that old a book. It was published in 2009. I guess that is old. Well, no. That's right.   Kelly 49:03 I'm thinking of like, gloves from the 1950s or something.   Marsha 49:08 Yeah, that's what it kind of looks like but it's a it's like those lace gloves like she wore in that really fine cotton. And so and there's other patterns here too. So   Kelly 49:15 cool.   Marsha 49:16 Yeah, I don't know. Okay, well, we went we went down a rabbit hole on that. Okay.   Kelly 49:23 But you know, you can have a, you could have a nice pair of gloves for Easter. So lots of possibilities. Join us. There's a chat thread and there's a finished object thread. Quite a bit of chat going on about the projects that people are doing not very many finished objects yet but there are a few I noticed.   Marsha 49:42 So,   49:43 and then our Winter Weave Along, not much time left. I have hopes of getting at least something else started if not finished. But we'll see. The only reason I still have hope is because I have spring break. Coming the third week of March, so two weeks, two weeks from now I have spring break. Yay. So maybe I could do something during spring break in terms of the weaving, but otherwise, I'm almost, I'm almost sure that I don't I, I'm almost sure I won't get something finished. But I might get something else on the loom. Because it ends March 31. So another year of weaving coming to an end for us. But if you're in the Jane Stafford Guild, her year of weaving is just starting. So that's kind of fun.   Marsha 50:37 Okay, one ends and one begins so you get you get to truly a full year. Well, I guess it's been a full year.   Kelly 50:44 I haven't ever kept up with hers. And like woven the thing, the projects in the guild, at the time that everybody else, you know, at the time that the the videos come out? I wanted to do that this year, but I'm not sure. I don't know. This might not be the year teaching online. It's getting better. I have to I have to admit it is getting better. But well, you know. It's it's not my favorite thing.   Marsha 51:11 Well, we should not end the podcast on the same vein as it started. Listening to Kelly rant about stuff she doesn't like! Yes. So anyway, the winter weave along is, is ending March 31. So get your projects in, put them in the finished objects thread. Then we'll be doing a drawing and one of the things that we have as a prize is a class that was donated by Erika from Weavolution. So. And then the other thing that I just wanted to say, before we end is I wanted to thank our new patrons! We have three new patrons. Jane, Heddi, and Jan since the last time I mentioned new patrons. So if you'd like to be a patron, how you do that is you go to patreon.com/twoewes. And you'll see our... I guess it's a channel or a page. I don't know, our account. And then and you can you can become a patron and support the show. So really, thank you so much Jane and Heddi, and Jan for for contributing to the show. It allows us to provide, you know, the podcast hosting and prize mailing and all those kinds of things and something new, Marsha! Something really exciting that we're able to do because of the patrons. Transcripts. Oooh! Oh, yes.   Kelly 52:41 So we now have a transcript of our podcast. Having used the transcription service for my classes, I learned a little bit more about the company that's powering the transcriptions for our for work on our classes. It's otter.ai. And so I went to their website, and they have regular accounts for regular people. And not you know, not just education and and such. And so I found out a little bit more about it. And so we just when the when the podcast is done, you submit it, it creates a transcript. You have to edit it because it's not entirely... It's not entirely accurate. It doesn't always understand when Marsha and I talk over each other. So there is a little editing to do for that. But But now we have a transcript that is attached. It's in the show notes at the end. So we have our regular show notes posted on the blog. And then at the end of that show notes post is the transcript. Okay, I have to say it is almost as an nerving to read as my math. My teaching transcript. I don't know if you read if you had a chance to read?   Marsha 54:06 I didn't read it. And now actually as you were talking about all this I was sort of thinking to myself, I don't know that I want to read it because...Oh, here it is. Okay. Here. I'm sorry. I think this is what we say every every episode. Kelly: hi Marsha. Marsha: Hi, Kelly. Kelly: How's it going? Marsha: Pretty good. Kelly: Good.   Kelly 54:28 Yes. It doesn't... I have to say, yeah, it made me laugh to read how it sounds, but it makes it available to people that wouldn't be available to otherwise.   Marsha 54:41 So Kelly, we need to edit this. Because you say you know "good," and then I say "had pretty exciting weather here in Seattle. A little unusual for us that we had a huge snores" Oh! This is what I said "Excuse me, snore a huge snowstorm came through. [laughing} I did actually say that! Okay, [laughing]   Kelly 55:06 yeah.   Marsha 55:07 Okay, This is terrible. This is embarrassing. I'm gonna have to do a much better.   Kelly 55:14 So now remember when we talked about how I was like, Oh my god, how could I have been teaching this long and not make any sense?   Marsha 55:23 Yes. Well, what I'm just laughing about is is that it was not the episode where I'm trying to explain helical knitting. Yeah, and I'm waving my hands around in the air trying. Yeah, but so   Kelly 55:39 it's been an interesting process, we'll probably get better. The transcripts will probably get better as we go along. But, you know, I become more aware, it would never have occurred to me a year ago, two years ago, it would never have occurred to me that you would need a transcript for a podcast. My thinking would have been well, why would someone who can't hear even think to listen to a podcast? Right? And, and my, my eyes have been opened, you know, having to make my class accessible to my students. And then other things, you know, the conversations about racism and structural, structural racism. And all of those conversations have just kind of opened my eyes and made me think about things that, that I didn't think about before, I would not have thought about a reason for making a podcast, an audio experience, available to someone who couldn't hear.   Marsha 56:40 So I'm not.[laughing] I'm sorry, I am not laughing about what you're saying. Just so you know, I'm sort of chuckling because I'm listening to what you're saying. But I'm also kind of scanning the transcript. So I'm sorry, I am not laughing at all at what you're saying.   Kelly 56:52 What are you laughing about now?   Marsha 56:54 Okay, so um, so it was very pleasant to sit out there on a snowy day because you have heat but anyway, period. Then that night, it just started coming down and it snowed all day period. I mean, all Friday night, Friday morning, or excuse me, Saturday morning, all Saturday into Sunday. Just It never stops. And we have I mean, eight someplace about eight inches probably at my house. Snow, that's a lot of snow for us. We don't usually get that much. But of course then Sunday, late Sunday afternoon or evening. It just turned around. [laughing]   Kelly 57:36 Marsha, this is what we talk about.   Marsha 57:38 Oh my gosh. [laughing] And then it just became soup out there. You know? Kelly? We have to do a better job. This is terrible! So eye opening what sounds okay in normal conversation is not okay. The transcript it's unreadable. Pretty much. Oh, my gosh, it's too funny. [laughing] Well, anyway, I have work to do. On clarity,   Kelly 58:15 We both, we both do, I think, having having read through it last last time to do the editing. Yeah, we both do. So anyway, now we have transcripts. And I'm very happy that we're able to do that. And it's thanks to the contributions of our patrons. So thank you very much for contributing to the podcast.   Marsha 58:41 I'm still laughing I'm sorry. I will stop laughing.   Kelly 58:48 Okay, Marsha. [laughing] Are we done?   Marsha 58:54 This reminds me of those times over the course of our friendship where we'd have those laughing attacks.   Kelly 58:59 Yes.   Marsha 59:00 And have accidents. So I better get off the podcast. We better get off the phone before I have an accident.   Kelly 59:07 All right. Bye! [laughing]   Marsha 59:13 Okay, bye bye. [laughing]   Kelly 59:16 To subscribe to the podcast visit Two Ewes Fiber Adventures dot com.   Marsha 59:21 Join us on our adventures on Ravelry and Instagram. I am betterinmotion and Kelly is 1hundredprojects   59:29 until next time, we are the Two Ewes doing our part for a world fleece!  

Knitting and fitness in 30 min or less.  Shownotes can be found at windsweptknits.com.  You can find me on IG and Ravelry as WindsweptMonique and on Facebook and Twitter as WindsweptKnits. Ep 92 recorded 3/5/21 Segments this week include: Be A Helper Craftalaong, FOs, Wips, Out and About Virtually, On the Run, and I’ve Got Sunshine Note on Ravelry – all links to Ravelry are clearly labelled as such. So it’s been a month.  I was intending to record every other week, as has become my new normal, but we’ve had some family stuff going on here and I have just been completely mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted.  I’ve hardly knit anything in the last month.  But the end is in sight, and Spring is trying really hard to arrive here in New England, so while I have a few spoons left in my jar I am recording this episode. Be A Helper Craft-a-long Update Deadline extended to 5/1/21 to make up for my lack of participation. New prizes!  Jennifer Lassonde from Down Cellar Studio podcast has graciously donated 2 patterns to the winners of Be A Helper Craftalong!  A huge thank you to Jen for her generosity in supporting us again this year. Short reminder on the rules Anything you make for any charity counts, doesn’t have to be knit/crochet/woven or spun. ANYthing you make for ANY charity. • One FO submission of the Google Form https://forms.gle/QdJuQUSr8uM7GoiF6 • Donating blood counts too • Wips are welcome Link to submit your Finished Object/blood donation: https://forms.gle/QdJuQUSr8uM7GoiF6 FOs Galliatt (Ravelry) by JimiKnits – Knitting is done!  I finished it just in time for the end of the pigskin party – literally the last night - I just need to add the decorative buttons on the sides. WIPs Slice of Summer – my New Year’s caston using BaH yarns watermelon shawl ball.  I’m nearly done with the pink and on the white/green at the start of the watermelon rind. Pull  Me Over sweater – did a little more of the collar Boxy – a tweaked Joji Locatelli pattern worked in hand dyed laceweight bamboo from Spinaway Farm.  I finished the front and am now up to the shoulders on the back. Tunisian Express – I’m learning Tunisian Crochet and practicing using this pattern.  It’s simple and easy to memorize and also includes a great tutorial with photos.  I’m using leftover yarn from my Belle blanket and the boys’ dragon blankets.  I’ve added a few rows. And that’s all I’ve done in an entire month. Out and About Virtually Lots of fiber events happening online this winter Vogue Knitting Live Upcoming Vogue Knitting Live @ Home Mar18-21.  Stitches At Home this weekend, Mar 13,14, 20 & 21 Fiberworld is running an online march madness event, visit their website to vote. If you have any events you’d like me to share please email me windsweptmonique@gmail.com On the Run I am back in physical therapy and learned a lot about how your brain reacts to pain.  It's fascinating.   I’ve Got Sunshine Happy news this week is that I stopped composting right around the last episode 3 weeks ago.  The happy part isn’t that I’ve stopped composting, it’s that I didn’t have to stop composting until February!  

We talk about captions, speaking clearly, vaccinations and our pitifully small batch of knitting projects. Full show notes with transcript, photos, and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha’s Projects I’m still working on the pair of socks for myself using Drops Fabel Print that I bought in San Luis Obispo. I’m making progress on the Walk Along tee by AnkeStrick and I’m using Little Fish Stitches fingering. I’ve put the sleeves on waste yarn and knit about an inch on the body. I lost the tags on the half cakes of yarn that I had set up so I could alternate skeins and avoid pooling. I think it will be ok, but I spent so much time documenting my strategy.  I started a spinning project with olive green merino roving I bought at the Whidbey Island Weavers meet up in April 2019. I'm combining it with another merino I ordered from Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington in a dark brown called Bitter Chocolate. Making a 3 ply with two green and one brown single. I’ve spun two skeins. Kelly’s Projects  I’m almost finished with a pair of socks for Robert. I’m using leftovers of Leading Men Fiber Arts Show Stopper, Independent Will colorway. I had 90 grams left after using it for argyle socks for my brother-in-law. I’m using gray handspun leftovers from his Civil War Socks for the toes and heels.  I also started an Ice Time Hat. The yarn is Lady Dye craftivism kit singles (19th Amendment colorway) in cream, purple and yellow, held double with Duren Dyeworks fingering in a brownish purple and gold. The pattern is really fun and it’s looking great! Check out my project page.  Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah It starts now (February 2021) and will end on April 25, 2021. Knit anything for your extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet). Some examples include socks, leg warmers, mitts,  mittens, gloves, and wristlets. There will be a giveaway thread in the Ravelry Group for you to post your FOs.  Winter Weave Along You can join in with your weaving projects anytime until March 31. We will have prizes, including a class generously donated by Erica at Weavolution. Check out this great website for weavers with projects, discussion, classes, and lots of resources. The website has a handy Weaving Calculator that you can use for project planning.

I'm off to a slow start this year... and that feels right. I've also got a giveaway for Jennifer Lassonde’s new Abington Mitts (Ravelry link), which coordinate with her Abington Hat (Ravelry link) and my Providence Station cowl (Ravelry link) from Point/Counterpoint, Vol. 5. Take 20% off the collection in the KinoKnits.com/shop or Ravelry through February 28, 2021, with coupon code FRIENDSHIP. Recorded Monday, February 15, 2021. See full show notes and photos at KinoKnits.com/blog/089.

Recorded on February 15, 2021 Book talk starts at 25:00 Virtual get-together via Zoom on Saturdays, 12 noon  PST - Details here Announcing our Anything-But-Wool KAL!  From February 15 to May 15, knit or crochet a project of at least 200 yards of any yarn that does not contain wool - that means cotton, linen, cashmere, silk, soy, steel, milk, corn - even acrylic!  The chatter thread has opened here.     Katy H. Carroll aka Katinka Designs will be hosting a KAL for her cowl designs!  Use the promo code COWLABUNGA to receive 50% off any of her cowl designs for the next few weeks, and then plan to knit along in March.  Check out Katy's cowl designs here, and look for details in her Ravelry group here.     Our friend Fredi Baker has released the latest pattern in her one-skein shawl series!  The One Splendid Shawl is now available on Ravelry, and we have 3 copies to giveaway.  Post here to be entered to win.   KNITTING Barb has finished:   1.  Mother Bear #233 2.  Ran House Book Hat by Jennifer Lassonde, using scraps of leftover Caron Cakes 3.  Bankhead Hat #14   Tracie has finished: Vanilla Socks in Apple Fiber Studio McIntosh in Happy Hammock   Barb continues to work on: 1.  Sunset Highway pullover by Caitlin Hunter, using Brown Sheep Wildfoote Lusury Sock in the Vanilla colorway, Cloudborn Fibers Highland Superwash Sock Twist in the Magenta and the Ocean colorways 2.  Hearten Cowl by Helen Stewart, using scraps and mini-skeins from her stash 3.  Vindaloo shawl by Melissa Shaschwary, using Cloudborn Fibers Highland Worsted in the Winter Sky colorway    Barb has cast on 1.  Heart Scarf by Jacques Cartier Clothiers, using 100% Qiviut (217 yards of lace weight) in a blue-purple colorway   Tracie has cast on: 1.  4 Cats by Kath Dalmeny using Alexandra The Art of Yarn Pendleton and Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, etc. And continues to work on:   1.  Table runner in my handspun (Chameleon Fiber Co Merino/Silk) 2.  Snake River Poncho by Katy H. Carroll in Western Sky Knits Aspen Silk 600 in Downtown Colorway 3.  Noble Hill by b. Woolens in Plucky Knitter Sophisticate in Sugar Ribbon   BOOKS Barb read: 1.   The Widow's House by Carol Goodman -  2.5 stars 2.  Out of the Silence: After the Crash by Eduardo Strauch Urioste - 4 stars   Tracie read: 1.  The Playground Murders (The Detective's Daughter #7 by Lesley Thomsen - 2.5 stars 2.  Squeeze Me (Skink #8) by Carl Hiaasen - 4 stars 3.  Possessed: The Infamous Texas Stiletto Murder by Kathryn Casey - 4 stars 4.  Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - 4 stars 5.   Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman - 4 stars   Tracie recommends the Easy View Anti-fog Cloth - it really works to keep your glasses from fogging up when you wear a mask!    

Lots of tangents and a new KAL/CAL inspired by some new patterns for your hands and feet generously donated by the designers as prizes. Full show notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android or Subscribe on Google Podcasts Marsha’s Projects I’m still working on the pair of socks for myself using Drops Fabel Print that I bought in San Luis Obispo. I’m back to working on the Walk Along by AnkeStrick and I’m using Little Fish Stitches fingering. I was having problems where I was alternating skeins at the beginning of row which was at the back of the sweater. A huge thank you to MyBlueGirl and Sarahjhill for suggesting Helical knitting. This solves the problem of the messy looking change. I started a spinning project with olive green merino roving I bought at the Whidbey Island Weavers meet up in April 2019. Combining it with another merino I ordered from Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington in a dark brown called Bitter Chocolate. Making a 3 ply with two green and one brown single. Kelly’s Projects  Finished!  I hemmed the Christmas Candy dishtowels and put them away!  I also finished With Friends Pullover using the pattern Rachel by Josée Paquin.  It still needs ends woven in and blocking. I’m really happy with how it turned out and I’m looking forward to wearing it.  The Persian Tile Blanket is coming along, but I didn’t work on it as much in the last two weeks. Instead I started a pair of socks for Robert. I’m using leftovers of Leading Men Fiber Arts Show Stopper, Independent Will colorway. I had 90 grams left after using it for argyle socks for my brother-in-law. Not sure I’ll have enough but I’m planning to use toes and heels of a different yarn. Extremities Knit/Crochet Along This KAL/CAL was inspired by the generous donation of these patterns: Abington Mitts, Jennifer Lassonde, Down Cellar Studio Coffee Socks Collection, Dotsdabbles Designs, Deborah   It starts now (February 2021) and will end on April 25, 2021. Knit anything for your extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet). Some examples include socks, leg warmers, mitts,  mittens, gloves, and wristlets. There will be a giveaway thread in the Ravelry Group for you to post your FOs.  Winter Weave Along You can join in with your weaving projects anytime until March 31. We will have prizes, including a class generously donated by Erica at Weavolution. Check out this great website for weavers with projects, discussion, classes, and lots of resources. The website has a handy Weaving Calculator that you can use for project planning.

Recorded on January 28, 2021 Book Talk starts at 23:29 Virtual get-together via Zoom on Saturdays, 12 noon  PST - Details here Our Fall Sweater KAL has ended - listen to the end of the episode to find out if you are a prize winner! Announcing our Anything-But-Wool KAL!  From February 15 to May 15, knit or crochet a project of at least 200 yards of any yarn that does not contain wool - that means cotton, linen, cashmere, silk, soy, steel, milk, corn - even acrylic!  The chatter thread has opened here. KNITTING Barb has finished: Multidirectional Scarf #10 by Karen Baumer using a Caron Cake Create Your Own Adventure shawl by Fredi Baker, using an Invictus Yarns Beyond kit bought at Stitches 2019. Tracie has finished Vanilla socks in Western Sky Knits Smooth Sock in Concrete Sunset Scintillation by Hunter Hammersen - just playing with this, making stars in different yarns and sizes Barb continues to work on: Sunset Highway pullover by Caitlin Hunter, using Brown Sheep Wildfoote Lusury Sock in the Vanilla colorway, Cloudborn Fibers Highland Superwash Sock Twist in the Magenta and the Ocean colorways Hearten Cowl by Helen Stewart, using scraps and mini-skeins from her stash Vindaloo shawl by Melissa Shaschwary, using Cloudborn Fibers Highland Worsted in the Winter Sky colorway  And has cast on Tan House Brook Hat by Jennifer Lassonde, using Caron Cake leftovers for a color blocking effect.   Tracie has cast on: Noble Hill by b. Woolens in Plucky Knitter Sophisticate in Sugar Ribbon Vanilla Socks in Apple Fiber Studio McIntosh in Happy Hammock And Continues to work on: Girl Cat by Julie Williams in Alexandra The Art of Yarn Pendleton and Paintbox Yarns Simply DK Table runner in my handspun (Chameleon Fiber Co Merino/Silk) Snake River Poncho by Katy H. Carroll in Western Sky Knits Aspen Silk 600 in Downtown Colorway BOOKS Barb read: Drowning with Others by Linda Keir - 3 stars A Keeper by Graham Norton - 4 stars Tracie read: Lakewood by Megan Giddings - 4 1/2 stars Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5) by Robert Galbraith - 4 stars To learn about the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, check out the American Scandal podcast Verizon Call Filter

Knitting and fitness in 30 min or less.  Shownotes can be found at windsweptknits.com.  You can find me on IG and Ravelry as WindsweptMonique and on Facebook and Twitter as WindsweptKnits. Ep 90 recorded 1/22/21 Segments this week include: Be A Helper Craftalaong, FOs, Wips, Stash, Spinning, Out and About Virtually, On the Run Note on Ravelry – all links to Ravelry are clearly labelled as such – if a link does not say Ravelry, it does not go to Ravelry.  Links to yarn are directly to manufacturer’s pages and should be safe for those still having rav accessibility issues.  So it’s been a month since I last recorded and what a month it’s been.  2021 definitely told 2020, “hey hold my beer”.  With all the craziness happening the last few weeks here in the US and the terror attacks on the Capitol Building I had thought of skipping the Be A Helper Craft-a-long this year because my anxiety levels were hovering around vibrating-chihuahua-on-espresso for a while there, but after some reflection I think that we need it now more than ever. Welcome to our 5th annual craftalong! Inspired by the famous Mr Rogers quote that in times of trouble you should look for the helpers, I'm encouraging folks to BE the helpers.Be A Helper Craftalong5th Be A Helper Craft-a-long has begun! We keep the rules simple.• Anything you make for any charity counts, doesn’t have to be knit/crochet/woven or spun. ANYthing you make for ANY charity.• One FO submission of the Google Form https://forms.gle/QdJuQUSr8uM7GoiF6• Donating blood counts too • Google Form closes when I wake up April 15th.• Wips are welcome One change this year - due to the ongoing accessibility issues at Ravelry, finished objects can be submitted via a Google Form.  I have pages set up to share your beautiful work on Ravelry, but if you want to win a prize, please submit the Google Form. I will link to the Google Form repeatedly over the net few months here in the shownotes, on Ravelry, on IG, on FB and anywhere else I can think to post so you'll be able to find the link when you're ready to submit. Link to submit your Finished Object/blood donation: https://forms.gle/QdJuQUSr8uM7GoiF6 FOs Tan House Brook Shawl (Ravelry) – this is a pattern by Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studios in the Sekhment base, an alpaca/silk/linen yarn from A Hundred Ravens in the Nevertheless She Persisted colorway that I bought during the virtual Maryland Sheep and Wool.  I’m doing a few rows each week The Opposite of Strict (Ravelry) hat by That Metzbower Girl Designs and it’s a ponytail hat designed to use scraps.  I used up the leftovers from the two RBG Dissent Cowls I made earlier this fall. Princess Blanket by Carol Hladik – wearable crochet blanket.   WIPs Wenlock (Ravelery) from Tin Can Knits.   Knitting done.  Need to weave in ends Galliatt (Ravelry) by JimiKnits – pattern also available on LoveCrafts, using discontinued Longmeadow by Webs.  I finished the front and am about 7” in to the back Willowbrook Shawl (Ravelry) – pattern by Brenda Castiel in my own handspun cotton.  Fiber from HipStrings.  I used 2 braids, pulled apart the colors, spun them in rainbow order then chainplied it to maintain the rainbow.  I am nearing the end of orange – there’s a lot of orange. Pull Me Over sweater – This was my Christmas Day cast on, though I haven’t picked it up at all since then!  Pattern by Andrea Black, using leftover Universal Yarns cotton that are leftovers from knitting my husband a sweater many, many years ago.  Slice of Summer (Ravelry) – my New Year’s caston using BaH yarns shawl ball Ozone crochet top (Ravelry) – restarted it now that my crochet skills are better; already half way through the band of hexies that go around your ribcage Stash My family got me a subscription to Hipstrings Cotton Club!  I am so happy to be a member again, I looooove her colorways.  I got 2 2-oz braids (technically it was the December shipment) that are beautiful blends of purple, blue, brown, mauve and brown called Moody and On the Horizon.  I’m thinking of pulling these 2 apart and making a chain ply, but not sure. For Christmas I got 3 colors of Nomad Yarn’s hand-dyed Gelato series.  This time I got the green, blue and purple to go with the pink, orange and yellow that I bought during a virtual fiber event last summer.  Now I have a whole gorgeous rainbow and I need to decide what to do with it! Spinning Buchanan Fiber gradient spin – the 4th color is done and plied I’ve been spinning 10 min a day Out and About Virtually Lots of fiber events happening online this winter Pigskin Party now through the Superbowl Ravelry Group  I’m sponsoring for the 3rd year and also participating. Vogue Knitting Live Upcoming Vogue Knitting Live @ Home Feb 11-14, Mar18-21.  I got tickets for my birthday am taking classes with Bristol Ivy and Alisdair Post-Quinn and I’m very excited. Stitches At Home Feb 5-7 GGKCS podcast is running their annual winter craftaong starting now through the end of Feb 2021, more details on their Facebook page. Spa 2021 is virtual, sign up for their mailing list for further details. If you have any events you’d like me to share please email me windsweptmonique@gmail.com   On the Run We took our annual New Year’s Day hike.  It’s normally a big group event in our town – groups of 30-ish people led by a guide on trails in our town.  Of course it was a bit different this year.  We hiked by ourselves on a new-to-us trail behind our local agricultural high school.  Lovely trail plus the kids loved seeing the cows and horses.  Other people on the trail but everyone maintained a safe distance and wore masks. Belly dancing - great for bad knees and so much fun!  

Knitting and Running in 30 min or less.  Shownotes can be found at windsweptknits.com.  You can find me on IG and Ravelry as WindsweptMonique and on Facebook and Twitter as WindsweptKnits. Ep 89 recorded 12/3/20 Segments this week include: FOs, Wips, Out and About Virtually, On the Run Note on Ravelry – all links to Ravelry are clearly labelled as such – if a link does not say Ravelry, it does not go to Ravelry.  Links to yarn are directly to manufacturer’s pages and should be safe for those still having rav accessibility issues.  FOs I ended up with lots of FOs this week because I finished my Christmas gift knitting!   The Acadian Shawl (Ravelry), a Christmas gift for my mom in the approximate colors of the Acadian Flag (nous sommes fiere d’etre Acadienne!)  I’m using the Goldberry crochet pattern and working it in blue, white and red with accents of yellow.  I’ve put a photo of the Acadian flag in the shownotes so you can see it. Star Wars scarf (Ravelry) for Thing 1 – One section left, plan to finish later today.  Still loving the new hexagonal needles from Indian Lake Artisans.  I’m using Truboo by Lion Brand, a 100% bamboo yarn in white and dark gray.  Pattern is a series of free charts by Jessica Goddard. Thing 1 Dragon Blanket (Ravelry) – all the pieces are finished, I just need to assemble it.   WIPs Tan House Brook Shawl (Ravelry) – this is a pattern by Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studios in the Sekhment base, an alpaca/silk/linen yarn from A Hundred Ravens in the Nevertheless She Persisted colorway that I bought during the virtual Maryland Sheep and Wool.  I’m doing a few rows each week Wenlock (Ravelery) from Tin Can Knits.  I used a bunch of scraps in pink, white and yellow for the star pattern at the top, now I’m on to the body and I’ve using a variegated yarn, Cayenne by Feza Yarns, in cool-toned peach-pink-green variegated colorway. Started a new winter tunic for myself, Galliatt (Ravelry) by JimiKnits – pattern also available on LoveCrafts Started a new hat as part of the Fasten Off YAL (more on that a little later), the hat is The Opposite of Strict (Ravelry) by That Metzbower Girl Designs and it’s a ponytail hat designed to use scraps.  I’m using up the leftovers from the two RBG Dissent Cowls I made earlier this fall. Out and About Virtually Lots of fiber events happening online this winter The first-ever Fasten Off YAL is going on right now.  It’s an inclusive yarn-a-long for anyone to join.  It is NOT being run on Ravelry so it’s safe to join for those of you having issues with the new site.  There’s a website, a Facebook group, a Discord server to chat on and you can post on IG with the hashtag #fastenoffyal  More than 90 knit and crochet designers from around the globe are participating.  All the included designs are 25% off through 12/5 using code FO2020 and the crafalong portion runs through 12/31/20.  Pigskin Party now through the Superbowl Ravelry Group  I’m sponsoring for the 3rd year and also participating. Vogue Knitting Live Upcoming Vogue Knitting Live @ Home events will be Dec 10-13, and Jan 14-17.  I will be attending the January VKL Stitches At Home December 5,6,12,13. GGKCS podcast is running their annual winter craftaong starting now through the end of Feb 2021, more details on their Facebook page. If you have any events you’d like me to share please email me windsweptmonique@gmail.com   On the Run I was doing really well then I tweaked my knee again last Saturday.  Meh.  Lots of icing and ibuprofen and I’m staying off it as much as possible.  It’s starting to be less cranky.  

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 197  of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming Knitting in Passing KAL News Events On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Prairie Bag Works & Irocknits Stayed tuned to the end for a bit of bonus audio with my niece Riley! Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Holly Cozy Pattern: Ball Band by Jennifer Lassonde (free crochet pattern). Hook: F (3.5 mm) Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Up in the Ecru Colorway. Rowan Designer Collection DK Handknit Cotton in Hastings Green & Cherry.  Ravelry Project Page Link Link to Holly Berry Pattern (non-Ravelry link) Lotion Cozy Pattern: Ball Band with a Twist by Jennifer Lassonde (free crochet pattern). Hook: F (3.5 mm) Yarn: Rowan Designer Collection DK Handknit Cotton in Hastings Green & Cherry.  Ravelry Project Page Sweet Stripes Socks Yarn: Patons Kroy Stripes in the Sweet Stripes Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Ravelry Project Page Oisin’s Christmas Alien Ravelry Project Page Pattern: none Hook: D (3.25 mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Acrylic. Christmas is Here! Cookie Pattern: Cookie by Philomena from the Christmas is Here! eBook Hook: D (3.25 mm) Yarn: worsted weight acrylic yarn from stash.  On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Wave of Change Jacket  Pattern: Wave of Change Jacket by Denise Bayron ($9 US knitting pattern) Yarn: Battenkill Fiber Mill Yarn (from Rhinebeck 2019). No label or other details available Needles: US 8 (5.0 mm) for body. US 6 (4.0 mm) for ribbing. Size 3, 45” bust because it calls for 2-4 inches of positive ease.  Ravelry Project Page Check out Week 45 Video on my YouTube Channel to see Mom try it on. Rainbow Ripple Bralette Pattern: Ripple Bralette by Jessie Maed Designs ($9 US knitting pattern). Click here for my Ravelry Project Page. Needles: US 2 ( 2.75 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm) Yarn: Spunky Eclectic yarn purchased at MA sheep & wool (I think)  Spinning  Fiber from Wound Up Fiber Arts Base: Corriedale Colorway: Prim I have 2 other similar colorways so I’m spinning all of it and will ply them together for a 3 ply yarn. Riley’s Charcoal Afghan Ravelry Project Page Pattern: none Hooks: US N/P (10.0 mm) to cast on. US M/N (9.0 mm) for body. Signs of the Season Socks Yarn: Fibernymph Dye Works Bounce base in the Signs of the Season Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Ursa Ravelry Project Page Pattern: Ursa by Jacqueline Cieslak Needle: US 11 (8.0 mm) Yarn: Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky in the Juji Fruit Colorway  Yarn provided to me free for review. Tune in to hear my initial thoughts. Hippo Disco Socks Ravelry Project Page. Yarn: Lemonade Shop Simple Sock. Hippo Disco Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Brainstorming Christmas is Here! Introducing 8 free patterns written by 8 Latin American designers! Check out this link to Christmas is Here Pattern Page on Ravelry. Gingerbread Man, Nutcracker, Elf Doll, Mouse, Bear, Angel, Cat with a Santa hat, Reindeer. Each of them are absolutely adorable! Crochet patterns in Spanish and English Garret asked for a crocheted wig. I’ll be using the Afro Hair Wig by Weiyan Huang as a guide. Ravelry Link to Pattern here. Knitting in Passing Chatting with Riley about knitting on Zoom and seeing how her projects are coming! KAL News Quarterly Quests! Get all of the details here. Quarter 4: October 1- December 31, 2020: Slay The Stash. Of course we still want you to slay your stash so we added it to the very end. Use up any skein purchased prior to 2020 all the way down to the last 3 yards. Again, older than 5 years (as of the start of 2020) gains you an extra entry. Check out the Ravelry Thread.  Thank you Quarter 4 Sponsors: APLCrafts, AdoreKnit, Jennifer Lassonde Designs- Ravelry Link/LoveCrafts Link Pigskin Party ’20 heck out all of the details you need to know either in the Start Here Thread  on Ravelry or on my website.  Important Links: Rules– see what’s new and exciting this year.  Sign up Form– get your name on the Roster! Points Tally Form– earned some points? Get credit! Support Request Form– mixed up something when entering points. Let us know. Scoreboard List of Pigskin ‘20 Sponsors Pro Shop Sponsors Exclusive Items Coupon Codes Prize Thread Questions Thread End Zone Dance– come celebrate each other’s finished projects (this is not where you enter your FOs for points in the 2020 season. See Rules for details) Check out details for the November Interception here & our newly announced December Mini Skeins/Maximum Spirit Interception hosted by Yumi Yarns. Extra Point Challenge: Give yourself and your team 100 points for each small project (min 25 yards: less than 100 yards) you complete. To be eligible for extra points, a project must be started no earlier than 11/1/20 and completed no later than 12/25/20. Limit 5 projects per player (500 total bonus points). Check out the details on my website or on Ravelry. Events Dramatic Knits Podcast is hosting a KAL October 1-December 31, 2020 where I am the featured designer! Check out this Ravelry Post for details.   BIPOC Make Along: Runs 10/1-12/18  Festive Sock Along with Amy Florence of Stranded Podcast. Stay tuned to her podcast Ravelry Group for details. October 1- December 1, 2020. #Festivesockalong2020  Beth MDQuilter (Instagram) and Abigail Covert_Knits (Instagram) teaming up for gilmorealong2020. Started 9/22.  Knit All the Yarn Podcast  #stockingstuffersmal2020 Check out the details in the Knit All the Yarn Podcast Ravelry Group. Runs from October 1 – December 31, 2020. No wips. Any craft is welcome! The Indie Giftalong is running! Check out their Ravelry Group.The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is a 5+ week long KAL/CAL of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by a rather extensive list of independent designers. From November 24th, 2020 at 8:00 pm US EST to December 31, 2020 at midnight US EST there will be fun games, contests, and 8 KAL/CALs that will help you get your holiday knitting and crocheting done with companionship and fun! Please use #giftalong2020 and #GAL2020  On a Happy Note My daily Theragun use is making a noticeable difference. I decorated the house for Christmas the weekend before Thanksgiving- except for the tree.  Emelyn came home from school! Hugs! So rare these days. Thanksgiving weekend. Dan and I spent the day together. PJs day (and putting up the tree). I finally put up the photos I had printed on Wood Panels from Walgreens months ago. Impromptu Christmas shopping with Mom! I did some Christmas shopping at Savers. Video coming soon to my YouTube Channel on how I thrift. Put tree in diningroom bc having windows done.  Riley coming for a sleepover! Quote of the Week “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Music -“Soft Orange Glow” by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 194 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Crafty Adventures Knitting in Passing KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode’s sponsors: Cookie and Bees, Knit Wit Yarn Shop, Fibernymph Dye Works & AdoreKnit Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Bella Cosa Shawl Pattern: Bella Cosa Shawl (free crochet pattern on Ravelry) by Stitch with Passion Crochet Hook: J 6.0 mm Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK. No colorway listed.    Autumn Garland Acorns: Ravelry Link, Website Pumpkins: Ravelry Link, Website  The September Leaf: Ravelry Link  Oak Leaf: Ravelry Link, Website  Materials: Yarn: DK & Worsted scraps Hook: C (2.75 mm) or D (3.25 mm) Gnoel Gnome Pattern: Gno Fun Like Gnome Fun by Sarah Shira, Imagined Landscapes (Pigskin Pro Shop Sponsor). Ravelry Project Page Link. Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm). Hook: C (2.75 mm) Yarn: leftover worsted & DK weight from stash. Crocheted the body (dusty pink yarn), and stuffed. Knit hat top down as written using a mustard color from Gale’s Art (DK). Stuffed and sewed to body. Knit beard and arms per pattern and sewed on. Gnori Gnome  Pattern: None; crocheted. Improvised Hook: C (2.75mm) Yarn: Leftover DK weight yarn in stash Link to my Ravelry Project Page Pumpkin Jar Cozy  Pattern: Ball Band by Jennifer Lassonde (free crochet pattern)- Ravelry Link or LoveCrafts Link. Hook G (4.25 mm) & F (3.75 mm) Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Up in the Ecru & Orange Colorways Sewed on crochet appliqué I’d already made. Check out the Ravelry Project Page for that FO. Nanaimo Cardigan (Ravelry Project Page) Pattern: Nanaimo Cardigan (website link) by Tara-Lynn Morrison US 15 (10.0 mm) US 19 (15.0 mm) Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick  I saw Arthella from Best Day Ever Crafting Podcast working on hers. She saw it on the Knit State of Mind Podcast (Episode 16) when Wanda recently finished hers.  Declan 1st Socks (Ravelry Link) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Patons Kroy in the Grey Brown Marl Colorway with Flax for heel Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Christmas with the Gilmores Socks Yarn: Area 51 Fibres in the Christmas with the Gilmores Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Ravelry Project Page #gilmorealong2020   Black is the New Orange Socks- Ravelry Project Page Link Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: White Birch Fiber Arts 80/20 SW Merino, Nylon Self Striping in the Black is the New Orange Colorway Nanaimo Cardigan (Ravelry Project Page) Pattern: Nanaimo Cardigan (website link) by Tara-Lynn Morrison US 15 (10.0 mm) US 19 (15.0 mm) Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick in the Blackstone Colorway Brainstorming Tara, Arianrod on Ravelry, PMed me about the Continuous Mitered Square Blanket by Kara Gunza. DK weight crochet blanket. Looks like knit mitered squares. Ravelry Pattern Page / Direct website link Scandinavian Gnome by Lizz Jelsma. Crochet pattern available on Ravelry & on MakeItSewCrochet website. Starting kids Christmas toys. I need silver glittery yarn for Oisin’s custom alien. Ideas?  From the Armchair Brenda Dayne– The Cast On Podcast is returning after 5 years!  I met Brenda at Web’s Yarn Store in 2012 which I discussed in Episode 6 of this podcast. You can listen to back episodes of this podcast on The Podcast App– available for Apple + Android. The Home Edit. Netflix & their Master the Mess series on YouTube Obsessed. Crafty Adventures Rubber Stamping & Embossing. Made some gift tags and Christmas cards. They all need some finishing touches and parts are for a surprise gift so I’ll share later in the season but it felt great getting back into a hobby that I started 25 years ago!  Check out my first ever Day in the Life Vlog on my Down Cellar Studio Podcast YouTube Channel   Knitting in Passing I wore my Ninilchik Swoncho to Joann’s. The cashier at Joann asked if I minded sharing where I bought my sweater because she loved it and wanted to buy one. I told her I knit it. She’s just learning to crochet. I told her, she could definitely do this. Just keep learning. Dan got a nice text from his friend for whom I crocheted a baby blanket when their first granddaughter was due this summer. He thanked us again for her blanket saying it’s her favorite. So sweet. KAL News Quarterly Quests! Get all of the details here. Quarter 4: October 1- December 31, 2020: Slay The Stash. Of course we still want you to slay your stash so we added it to the very end. Use up any skein purchased prior to 2020 all the way down to the last 3 yards. Again, older than 5 years (as of the start of 2020) gains you an extra entry.Check out the Ravelry Thread.  Thank you Quarter 4 Sponsors: APLCrafts, AdoreKnit, Jennifer Lassonde Designs- Ravelry Link/LoveCrafts Link Pigskin Party ’20 Check out all of the details you need to know either in the Start Here Thread  on Ravelry or on my website.  Important Links: Rules– see what’s new and exciting this year.  Sign up Form– get your name on the Roster! Points Tally Form– earned some points? Get credit! Support Request Form– mixed up something when entering points. Let us know. Scoreboard List of Pigskin ‘20 Sponsors Pro Shop Sponsors Exclusive Items Coupon Codes Prize Thread Questions Thread End Zone Dance– come celebrate each other’s finished projects (this is not where you enter your FOs for points in the 2020 season. See Rules for details) October Interception For this Interception you’re going to blend two (or more) colorways together in one project. You can marl them, use stripes, use one as an accent against a main color. You decide how to pair them up. A 2 color shawl, socks with contrast cuffs/heels/toes, a striped hat. As long as it’s at least 100 yards, it counts for this challenge.  To be eligible to win Complete a project of at least 100 yards that uses the 2 colors. If you want to make multiple small projects, the total must be over 100 yards. Project must have been cast on on/after 10/1/20 and completed by 10/31/20 Post your FO with a description and/or photo that shows how you’re meeting the challenge. 1 entry for your FO (or group of small FOs). Post your FO in the October Interception Thread in the Ravelry Group.  Players not on Ravelry can post on Instagram with #DCSPigskinComeTogether. You may only enter in one place- Ravelry OR Instagram.  1 additional entry in each place if you use one or more colorways from Holly Press Fibers.  Total of 2 entries Max per player (1 for your FO + 1 for using Holly Press Fibers Yarn) Prize: $30 Holly Press Fibers Gift Certificate (note- no additional points will be offered for completing this Interception. You can still enter for points for this project as usual). Pop-Up Events 30 Day Tailgate Talk Challenge Over on Friday! Did you like it? Should we do it another? For points? Or not for points? Kick Off Challenge- 50 pts for each FO you cast on in first 2 weeks of Pigskin Party. Limited time to enter for these points. Check out Details on Ravelry or on my website. Ravelry User VTKimmyKim is hosting a Netflix Party Movie Night on November 7th at 8:00pm EST. Movie TBD. Check out this and other pop-up events in this thread in the Ravelry Group— or host your announce and share it here. Events Tune in to hear about my classes with Virtual Vogue Knitting Live– October 9-11 Virtual Kick off event Thursday evening with Josh Bennett and London Kaye. Lots of fun.  Keynote on Saturday with Jared Flood. Friday, October 9, 2020 Beginning Brioche- Faina Goberstein. Saturday, October 10, 2020 Brioche and Beyond- Olga Jazzy. Sunday, October 11, 2020 Inclusive Size Shawls – Kim McBrian Evans. Operation Sock Drawer Book Launch Zoom Party hosted by the Stockinette Zombies. Jasmin & Gigi of the Knitmore Girls came on and talked about how the book came together and selecting the patterns, and then several of the designers shared more about themselves another designs. Watch the replay on YouTube. Shetland Wool Week. Replays on their Youtube Channel. Asking for donations if you find them valuable. Kino knits. Dumpster Fire 2020 Ornament & KAL along. BIPOC Make Along 2020 Festive sock along with Amy Florence of Stranded Podcast. Stay tuned to her podcast Ravelry Group for details. October 1- December 1  #Festivesockalong2020  Beth MDQuilter (Instagram) and Abigail Covert_Knits (Instagram) teaming up for gilmorealong2020. Starts 9/22. I bought yarn from Area 51 Fibres. Can’t wait!  Knit All the Yarn Podcast #stockingstuffersmal2020 Check out the details in the Knit All the Yarn Podcast Ravelry Group. Runs from October 1 – December 31, 2020. No wips. Any craft is welcome! Contest, News & Notes Call for Testers-want to knit a sideways fingering weight shawl that calls for 20 calls/ 200g total? Message me! Life in Focus I’ve had a tough couple weeks with pain. Lessons learned: Listen to your body. Adjusting your plans/goals to be kind to the only body you get is absolutely OK. Don’t skip stretching. It’s important! Adjusting my routine can and often is a good thing. Waking up early to walk in the summer because it was light already and would be too hot later was a good idea. Now its dark at 5:45a… Its time to adjust. It shouldn’t take THIS hitting me so hard to get me there, but it sorta did. I’m just getting back to things now but I’m going to start thinking about what my routine looks like. I’ll be active and I do like having a routine. Habits work well for me… but that can look different in different seasons.  On a Happy Note A 2 hour deep tissue massage with my favorite massage therapist. Ordered a Theragun Pro with permission of my Rheumatologist using Flex Spending money. Not sure what a Theragun is- check out this article from CNet.  Home delivery from our local dairy Hornstra Farms! Outdoor get together for Dad’s birthday at my brother’s & watching Riley and Millie in their neighborhood production of Our Little Mermaid. I checked my ballot status- it has been mailed to me! I look forward to submitting it! Go out and Vote! Quote of the Week “Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again, and if those priorities begin to show up in the polls.” -Peggy Noonan “Not Voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.” -Keith Ellison Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!

Episode 49 Sept 17 2020 Special thanks to Kelly C. for her guest appearance while I was with family.  On the Needles 4:09 Abington Hat by Jennifer Lassonde, Olann Hand Dyed in Ireland Donegal DK in Temptress-- DONE!   Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure, KnitCircus Opulence in badger tracks stripes-- DONE!   The Sharon Show by Casapinka, A Hundred Ravens Iachos in Bad Wolf (pink), Forbidden Fiber Co. Superstition in Wedding Dress, Three Irish Girls Adorn in Deep Blue Sea, Yarntini Sock in Ginger Ice   Te Whēnua by Francoise Danoy (aroha knits), Lady Dye Yarns Superwash fingering in ??   Toe up socks, Must Stash Yarns Perfect Sock Self Striping in Hook (summer concert tour)   Bautista by Celia McAdam Cahill, YakLux by Invictus Yarns 2020 NoCKRs colorway On the Easel 13:29 Limn + Latitude : Japan!  Connecticut sketchbook On the Table 18:23 Foodstyling 101  with Pineapple Collaborative    Beans! Garbanzo beans in the Instant Potbroccoli chickpea & avocado pita sandwiches White beans on stoveTomato, wild rice and bean salad (rancho gordo salad) shrimp/white bean tacos   Strawberry cake from Smitten Kitchen-- didnt use almond flour https://tasty.co/recipe/macarons Broma Bakery for rabbit hole of macarons and other baked goods Mississippi mud pie this is not exactly what my friend makes, but pretty darn close Toffee poke cake   Apple fritters from Iambaker.net Claryssa’s Zucchini Bread with Walnuts Morgann’s Stuffed Mushroom Caps: Bulk sausage, cheddar, fresh parsley, garlic powder, onion powder. Press into mushroom caps, and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. This version looks great for vegetarians!   On the Nightstand 41:15 Tall History of Sugar by Curdella Forbes  The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (audio) Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev  If I had your Face by Frances Cha Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (audio) Turning Darkness into Light by Marie Brennan Life of Pi by Yann Martel Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, mentioned & currently reading Devotion, a memoir by Dani Shapiro, mentioned & currently reading Bingo 1:01:45 Vacation cooking: apple fritters Vacation sketching: CT sketchbook Did not achieve a BINGO blackout—missed the “Kitchen Dance Party”

Episode 48 September 4, 2020 On the Needles 2:28 Lambtown classes Textile Traditions of Peru - Abby Franquemont Dyeing with Lichens- Judith MacKenzie   July Hat by Courtney Kelley, cascade 220 in silver grey-- DONE!   The Sharon Show by Casapinka, A Hundred Ravens Iachos in Bad Wolf (pink), Forbidden Fiber Co. Superstition in Wedding Dress, Three Irish Girls Adorn in Deep Blue Sea, Yarntini Sock in Ginger Ice   Te Whēnua by Francoise Danoy (aroha knits), Lady Dye Yarns Superwash fingering in ??   Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure, KnitCircus Opulence in badger tracks stripes   Abington Hat by Jennifer Lassonde, Olann Hand Dyed in Ireland Donegal DK in Temptress On the Worktable 15:52 Macrame plant holders Wall hanging Crochet top On the Table 23:51 Food styling class with Pineapple Collaborative & Elle Symone Scott   Salmon salad from DInner: a Love Story   Disney World Recipes You MUST Try -- Dole Whip   Squash sandwiches from Vegetable Kingdom-- made broccoli-dill spread, pickled peppers   Instant pot sweet potato tortilla soup from Pinch of Yum   More beans!-- sheet pan nachos   Eating with the Seasons   https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/spanish-green-beans   Julia Child & Jacque Pepin green beans   chopped salad with feta, lime and mint from Smitten Kitchen   NYT Carrot Tart with Ricotta and Feta   The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book by Loren Bouchard and the Writers of Bob’s Burgers On the Nightstand 42:00 Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer Darwin Affair by Tim Mason Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan  Dear Girls by Ali Wong   The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou In Her Studio Spaces and Stories of Creative Women Volume 2 Issue 4 inherstudiomagazine.com Bingo We have a winner!  Listen to the episode to find out if it’s you!

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 187 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming KAL News Events Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode’s sponsors: Yumi Yarns Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins C2C Blanket Pattern: Corner to Corner Start tutorial by Lauri Bolland Hook: I (5.25mm) Yarn: Vanna’s Choice 3 skeins each of (pink) and (light gray) Border- I used the first round from this tutorial.  858 meters Red Thumper Hat Pattern: Thumper Hat by Jennifer Lassonde ($5 knitting pattern) Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 8 (5.0 mm) Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca 128 meters Pan the Alien Pattern: Allen the Alien Amigurumi by Abby Sy (free crochet pattern) Hook: C (2.75 mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Superwash Wool, blue white and green. 44 meters Demic the Round Plus Alien Pattern: Round Plush Alien by Janet Carrillo (free crochet pattern) Hook: C (2.75 mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Superwash Wool, blue white and green. 38 meters Misfit Scrappy Sock  Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Mint Rain Hand Dyed Yarn Twist Sock in the We R All Misfits (self striping). Holly Press Fibers Sheepish Minis in 2 colors of green 241 meters Paton’s Kroy Socks for Gram Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Patons Kroy Green Stripe Ragg Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) 212 meters PrideSockathon2020 Socks Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Rainbow Colorway & Paton’s Kroy (coal) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Cast on for Abigail of Covert Knits Video Podcast Pride Sockathon 2020 runs through June 30th. #pridesockathon2020  Abigail is donating money to The Trevor Project for each pair she finishes. I donated $60.60 when I finished this pair. 272 meters  Stash Dash Total to date: 8,463 meters (20K here I come) On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Summer 2020 Wash Cloths Round 2 Pattern: Solid Granny Square by Lullaby Melodia Hook: J (6.0 mm) Yarn: Lily Sugar n’Cream 30+ in second round so far! Goal is to use up all of this stash. Chevron Scrap Blanket Pattern: Chevron Scrap Blanket by Maria’s Blue Crayon Yarn: Various acrylic worsted weight yarn from stash Hook: J (6.0 mm) This is a great stash buster. I need at least 16g to make one stripe of 7 rows & 10g to make a corner Spinning Corriedale to ply with BFL 8oz of corriedale (natural cream color) First 4 oz done. Brainstorming The Crochet Luna Podcast is hosting an August MAL for these Soap Sacks. Fortune’s Shawlette crochet pattern by Tamara Kelly $4.00 Hatching Alien by Kayte-Did’s Free crochet pattern KAL News Quarterly Quests! Get all of the details here. Check out the Quarter 2 Thread April 1-June 30 – Free the Favorites Thank you to our Quarter 2 Sponsors: Prairie Bag Works, NahSt Designs, Yumi Yarns Designs, agirlandherwool, Holly Press Fibers Quarter 3: July 1- September 30 – Lessen the Library– check out the Ravelry Thread here. Quarter 3 Sponsors: Sunsoaked Yarns, Apple Fiber Studio, Cookie and Bees Don’t forget to post on Instagram #QuarterlyQuests you can also add one for the Quarter: #FreetheFavorites #LessentheLibrary #SlaytheStash Splash Pad Party  Check out the Start Here Thread for Details & Links to everything you need Pro Shop Sponsors: 2 Guys Yarn Company Adoreknit agirlandherwool BedeSisters & Blueberry Chick Yarn Fibernymph Dye Works Jennifer Lassonde Designs Prairie Bag Works Rising Tide Fiber Co Sunsoaked Yarns Yumi Yarns Designs Snack Shack Sponsors Anne Beady Designs Apple Fiber Studio Cookie and Bees Fair Winds Farm Irocknits Designs Keegan Lane Designs Kino Knits Knitters Brewing Company Legacy Fiber Artz NähSt Design Pearl and Plum Progress Keepers by Meliabella The Sensible Stitcher Tune in to hear if your name was randomly selected for a June participation prize. Keep posting in Poolside chat thread and use #splashpadparty20 on IG.  Events Stash Dash, hosted by the Knit Girllls, runs May 22- August 22, 2020. Check out the Chat Thread & the Rules in the Knit Girllls Podcast group Tour de Fleece runs from Saturday June 27 to Sunday July 19  Life in Focus Goals for year- 7 patterns- 3x week workouts 3x week workouts are still going strong. Design- I finished the knitting and most of the writing of another pattern (which will be #5 for the year).  Continuing work on Me & White Supremacy workbook. I need to revisit my 20 for 2020 list because some things like visiting 2 new cities just won’t be realistic.  On a Happy Note Walking with my BFF while kids worked in yard with Dan.  Two tiny fawns and their moms who are hanging around our property a lot right now.  Father’s Day at my parents with my brother’s 3 kids. Outdoor movie night. Seafood. Swimming. Judging jumps off the diving board using the score cards Riley made (0.0, 1, 2 and 3)  Oisin’s birthday. Dan playing guitar again. Date night at the Drive In to see the new Lion King.  Quote of the Week “There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear.” — John Cage :Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 185 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming Crafty Adventures Knitting in Passing KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode’s sponsor: Adoreknit Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Shy Little Unicorn  Pattern: Shy Little Unicorn by Ana Paula Rimoli Hook: C (2.75 mm) Yarn: Loops & Threads Impeccable Solids (white), Knit Picks Brava Worsted (various solids) + acrylic stash yarn scraps Happiest Blanket Ever Pattern: Happiest Blanket Ever by Tamara Kelly (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love (white) for Main Color. Worsted Acrylic partial skeins for accent colors. Hook: K (6.5 mm) Cast on for Baby Size. Chain 154. 1082 meters Pint Sized Blue Ball Band Pattern: Ball Band by Jennifer Lassonde (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Ip in the Navy & Sky colorways Hooks: F (3.75 mm) and G (4.0 mm) 41 meters Staci’s Stitches Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plus Sock in the Staci’s Stitches colorway Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) 280 meters Cozy Classic Raglan Pattern: Cozy Classic Raglan by Jessie Maed Designs Needles: US 3 for Ribbing. US 7 for body Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK in color 547 Sunny Knitting Size Medium. Short sleeved. Full length 350g of yarn. 805 meters.  My 1st Spinning Project Wool: 4 oz Gray undyed Corriedale from purchased BeesyBee on Etsy.  $6.75  Wheel: Kromski Minstrel  2 plies spun Z twist. Plied S twist 166.4 meters. Stash Dash meters x3- 499.2 meters  2707 meters for Stash Dash to date On the Needles, Hook or Bobbin Happiest Blanket Ever 2  Pattern: Happiest Blanket Ever by Tamara Kelly (free crochet pattern) Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love (Pastel Green) for Main Color. Lion Brand Ice Cream Big Scoop in the Tutti Fruitti Colorway  Hook: K (6.5 mm) Summer 2020 Wash Cloths Lily Sugar and Cream Hook: J Pattern- various crochet patterns 12 done so far. Goal is at least 1 per day. Fill up the gift bin and replace our old ones. Misfit Scrappy Sock  Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Mint Rain Hand Dyed Yarn Twist Sock in the We R All Misfits (self striping). Holly Press Fibers Sheepish Minis in 2 colors of green Mixed BFL Mixed BFL: Call Me Row-Bear from 2GuysYarn Wheel: Kromski Minstrel  Finished the spinning. Not sure if I’m going to 2 ply or try my first chain ply.  Brainstorming I want to use some leftover Aran weight cotton yarn to make a dress for my 2 year old niece Hattie I’m thinking of the Infant Darling Danger Dress by Charissa Pray. $5 US Crochet pattern. Crafty Adventures Painting rocks at Mom and Dad’s  Kids made flowers. Dan made a turtle. I made a butterfly.  Knitting in Passing I did a video chat with my 12 year old niece Riley. Thought she needed help to bind off but really just needed to close up the last stitch. Riley used a video I sent her to cast on a new cowl to teach her friend to knit. Millie (8 years old) can’t find kit from Christmas and wants to knit, so I sent supplies directly to their house and Riley agreed to cast on for her. Here are photos of Riley’s first cowl and headband. KAL News Quarterly Quests! Get all of the details here.  Check out the Quarter 2 Thread April 1-June 30 – Free the Favorites Knit any projects you have “hearted” over the year with the hopes of knitting them someday. That day will arrive. Knit as many as you can. You will receive extra entries for any pattern that was favorited over 5 years. It can be something you’ve made before. Thank you to our Quarter 2 Sponsors: Prairie Bag Works, NahSt Designs, Yumi Yarns Designs, agirlandherwool, Holly Press Fibers. Don’t forget to post on Instagram #QuarterlyQuests you can also add one for the Quarter:#FreetheFavorites Splash Pad Party Starts May 30th! Check out the Start Here Thread for Details & Links to everything you need Click here to see details for our Virtual Kick Off Events Pro Shop Sponsors: 2 Guys Yarn Company Adoreknit agirlandherwool BedeSisters & Blueberry Chick Yarn Fibernymph Dye Works Jennifer Lassonde Designs Prairie Bag Works Rising Tide Fiber Co Sunsoaked Yarns Yumi Yarns Designs Snack Shack Sponsors Anne Beady Designs Apple Fiber Studio Cookie and Bees Fair Winds Farm Irocknits Designs Keegan Lane Designs Kino Knits Knitters Brewing Company Legacy Fiber Artz NähSt Design Pearl and Plum Progress Keepers by Meliabella The Sensible Stitcher Events Stash Dash starts May 22 Check out the Chat Thread in the Knit Girllls Podcast group Contest, News & Notes Point Counterpoint Volume 5 is on sale for $5 through May 31st with code COLLAB. 4 patterns- 2 each from Mary of Kino Knits and me. Life in Focus I checked off 2 things on my 20 for 2020 List. I finished a Bluprint Class: Plying with Jillian Moreno (loved it) Dan & I went kayaking at Jacob’s Pond. On a Happy Note Dan made a new banner for my cousin’s 10th birthday parade. Dan & I celebrated our 16th Anniversary and his brother’s birthday with a socially distant visit in their backyard. We had a visit with my parents, brother and his family. I was delighted to see my cousin Jenny at work.  I enjoyed a one on one chat with my friend Petrina and a Bingo game with her friends. Doing my morning Zoom workout outside on the deck in the nice weather.  Quote of the Week If you want your life to be different, you have to start reacting to life differently. – Bryant McGill Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!    

In Episode 80, Greg and Pam discuss sourdough, experimenting, and hexes. They also discuss Chapter 1 in Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Special thanks to Chasing-Rainbows Karen for the intro! SPONSORS We are Knitcrate Ambassadors! Are you the kind of knitter who would enjoy receiving a surprise package of yarn in the mail every month? Then you need to sign up for a Knitcrate subscription. Every month, you will receive a selection of curated yarn, a pattern specifically paired to use with the yarn, and a treat. Use code KD20 at checkout for 20% off your first package when you sign up for a subscription. FiberCrafty's  independently owned shops are stocked with yarn, fiber, project bags, stitch markers and more. With filter terms specific to yarn and fiber, the ability to save favorites, and a secure checkout process, it's better than a 24 hour fiber festival! For shop owners, our easy to use interface makes selling online easy. FiberCrafty is owned by one woman that has a crazy love of yarn and knitting. Greg's favorite feature? Pants are optional. Shop for your next project at FiberCrafty. NOTES Dear Listeners We would love to have YOU record and introduction to the show! You can find details in the Ravelry Group Pages. Greg's Projects Greg is working on a pair of socks for his mom that doesn't have a project page yet. Yarn is form Camel City Dyeworks. Greg is working on a hat design. Greg is continuing experimenting with weaving. Pam's Projects Pam has been working on her daughter's college blanket, Swirly PoP by Marken of the Hat & I. She is using Knit Picks Chroma Worsted and Mighty Stitch. Pam has also been working on her Interplay Shawl by Jo-Anne Klim with Dirty Dyeworks yarn. Pam worked on her socks with Patons Kroy Sock FX. She's not really following a pattern, just knitting toe-up. Pam started a finished a hair wrap from the pattern Beach Hair Don't Careby Melissa Kemmerer. She used some leftover Anzula Dreamy. Pam finished the weaving on a scarf with some acrylic. She needs to tale it off the loom. Knitting Rules We finished Chapter 1 Knitting Rules! The Yarn Harlot Unravels the Mysteries of Swatching, Stashing, Ribbing & Rolling to Free Your Inner Knitter (affiliate link). You can find her blog here and her books here. Here is a great video of her knitting style. You can read her wikipedia page also. Current/Upcoming Unraveling Events The #KnittingMagicKAL is in full swing. Knit anything from the Knitting Magic book (affiliate link) and join the fun! Miscellaneous Pam fell down the sourdough rabbit hole. She didn't start with this technique yet but it's the one that most appeals to her. This is the recipe for overnight sourdough bread. Pam bought too many strawberries and made Strawberry Jam and Strawberry Caramel Sauce. Pam mentioned the OttLite Floor Lamp (affiliate link). Greg mentioned that Bob Dylan has a new album coming out next month. Greg mentioned Korean baseball. Pam and Greg talked about Point/Counterpoint Volume 5 by KinoKnits and Jennifer Lassonde. There is a giveaway going on in the Unraveling Podcast Ravelry forum — check it out! You can also listen to the Kino Knits and Down Cellar Studio podcasts to hear the designers talk about the process of this collaboration. Check out the Knitty SOS page for updates on spring and summer shows that have been cancelled and how to support the vendors who were planning on attending. Greg and Pam talked about the death of TNNA. During the discussion, they mentioned Craft Industry Alliance and Stitchcraft Marketing. Pam talked abut her new phone case from KnitSwag. Affiliate Link Disclosures This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link to Bluprint Premium, Cooperative Press, Amazon, or Knitcrate and subsequently make a purchase, we'll receive a small commission from the sale. You pay the same, and the commissions will help cover our podcasting expenses. Our opinions are always our own, and we're never compensated to endorse any particular product or service. Find us all over the Internet Subscribe in iTunes: The Unraveling Podcast Podcast RSS Feed: Unraveling Podcast Twitter: @UnravelingPod Facebook: Unraveling Podcast Instagram: @UnravelingPodcast Ravelry Group: Unraveling Podcast Greg is KnittingDaddy on Ravelry, @KnittingDaddy on Instagram, and also writes the KnittingDaddy blog. Pam is pammaher on Ravelry, @FiberCrafty and @pammaher on Instagram, and owner of the FiberCrafty  marketplace.

It's a loooong episode to keep you company in quarantine! I'm continuing to craft all the things and am excited to chat this episode with Jennifer Lassonde of the Down Cellar Studio podcast, my collaborator for our new Point/Counterpoint, Volume 5 collection. Full show notes and photographs are at kinoknits.com/076. Recorded Thursday, April 30, 2020.

Episode 32 January 22, 2020 On the Needles 2:42 103 hat by Jennifer Lassonde, Yarn Loving Lady Hand Dyed Superwash Merino Worsted in American Robin   Vanilla is the New Black by Anneh Fletcher, white birch fiber arts 80/20 sock: Hellbent Feminist She-Devil colorway   Elton cardigan by Joji Locatelli, waverly neighborhood fiber co rustic fingering & loft (mohair & silk lace)   Qiviut shawl, fir cone lace pattern from up, down,all-around stitch dictionary by Wendy Bernard   Scheepjes yarn (yarn from the Netherlands) Stephen and Penelopes in Amsterdam (beautiful-looking yarn shop) On the Easel 9:58 Limn + latitude—call for surveys. Still working on the Netherlands. Made a list of strategies for when I fumble. On the Table 15:51 Dry Rubbed Cauliflower Steaks with Kale Pesto and Browned Butter Breadcrumbs   Instant pot risotto   Lamb stew from Delish.  My guys LOVED it, but I’m not into lamb.    Gevulde Koeken  Dutch shortbread with almond filling Milk Street Tuesday Nights from Christopher Kimball On the Nightstand 44:21 Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory The Other Windsor Girl by Georgie Blalock The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth (audio) Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell The Guardians by John Grisham The Dutch Maiden by Marente de Moor Midnight Blue by Simone van der Vlugt Giveaway! 1:04:21  

Episode 72 1/22/20 Be a helper, wips, knitting fail, wearables, pattern stalking, out and about Be a Helper Craftalong 4th Be A Helper Craft-a-long has begun! We keep the rules simple. Anything you make for any charity counts, doesn’t have to be knit/crochet/woven or spun. ANYthing you make for ANY charity. One FO per photo in the FO thread Donating blood counts too - post a photo of your bandaid or of you drinking OJ afterwards, something like that. FO Thread closes when I wake up April 1st. Wips are welcome One more new prize to announce, a pattern from Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studio!  Thanks so much, Jen! Wips – lots these last 2 weeks! Preemie hat – about half way through my first for the year. Aggregate Shawl – I’ve reached the end of the shawl as written, but I have more yarn left.  I’m continuing in the pattern as established until I run out of yarn. Matchy Socks – nearly to the cuff Dress – The handmade dress I’ve been working on is coming along nicely.  I’ve split for armholes and I’m nearly done with the front left strap.   South Woods – started a new sweater for myself, South Woods by River Road Knits .  I’m using some old stash yarn for the lace underlayer and my handspun for the main body of the sweater, which leads me to… Kitting Fail Be careful not to twist! Wearables My birthday weekend was incredibly warm, topping out at 74F (23C) whereas our highs should hover right around freezing.  So I wore lots of warm-weather handknits, like one of my Mommy’s Tunic samples and the Lace Sweater 01 from Vogue Knitting Magazine designed by Brooke Nico.  Knit this in a cone of 5/2 bamboo from Webs years ago.  The pattern is a lace coat, nearly knee-length, and I wore it as a jacket out for my birthday dinner. Since then, it’s been COLD.  I’ve also worn Frosted sweater by Paper Daisy Creations and lots of shawls, including Changing Staircases, Pont du Marais and Use Your Stash Shawls, both designed by me.  Also my boys and I have all worn some handknit socks, all made using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel.  I;m wearing my Twist and Shout had by Michele duNaier nearly every day.  My youngest has worn the Monomoy Sweater several times and wears his Bermuda Hat every day.  And I’ve worn the Dancing Dragons Coat – it makes a great indoor layer on super cold days. Pattern Stalking Thing 2 want’s a new sweater, another hat, Halloween socks and Christmas socks and I keep thinking about knitting another Hitofude.  Out and About Wayland Winter Farmers Market Fiber Days – Jan 26 & Mar 1 Boston Farm & fiber Fest – Feb 9 Stitches United - March 26-29, 2020

Episode 68 recording on 11/20/19 today’s segments include New Patterns, Wips, FOs, Wearables and Rhinebeck Recap. Pattern Release Send Me That Horizon launched on Monday.  I’ve always loved the sea. I grew up near the ocean, with both sets of grandparents living a few dozen feet from the water. Playing on the beach, listening to the waves, sailing on a boat, hiking along ocean-side cliffs – I love anything involving the sea. But nothing is the same as being far from shore with no land in sight. I love seeing the horizon taper off to meet the ocean waves; so when I first watched the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie and Captain Jack Sparrow looked into the distance and murmured “Send me that horizon” under his breath my heart sang. I know that feeling, I love that feeling, and with this shawl I want you to experience it too. While working on the waves, I wanted to create something easier than I’m perhaps known for.  Yes, I realize that I’m known for patterns with complicated sections, because that’s what I like to knit.  But with this pattern I wanted something that you could take on an airplane or to a retreat, or that a beginning knitter could knit and learn new skills.  One of my test knitters was even a beginning knitter and he did a great job! Use code PODCAST to get 25% off the pattern on Ravelry, that’s coupon code PODCAST and that is  bigger discount than the one listed in the pattern.  Enjoy! Wips Just started a new pair of socks for mom for Christmas, still on the toe of the first sock. I’ve started a new project just for me.  2nd Aggregate Shawl by JimiKnits, this one in Tencel yarn from Rhinebeck 2 years ago from Artisinal Yarns. FOs 3 socks, Christmas socks for Thing 1 and Thing 2 and also a pair for my maid of honor all from Regia's Tutti Frutti II Hitchhiker by Martina Behm.   Wearables All The Shawls.  SO cold and wet – “Novembruary”. Both of the Changing Staircases, by Dragon Hoard Yarns, Hitchhiker by Martina Behm.  At Rhinebeck I wore Frosted by Lisa K Ross with my Pont du Marais shawl, and day 2 I wore Second Grace by Bristol Ivy with my Taking Flight Captain Marvel shawl. Related – I’m mad that I can’t find my Tan House Brooke Shawl, a pattern by Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studios.  I’ve looked everywhere and just cannot find it.  Maybe I’ll have to knit another. Rhinebeck Recap All the fun for 2 whole days!

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 169 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website.    This week's segments included:     Off the Needles On the Needles From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors: agirlandherwool & Jennifer Lassonde designs     Off the Needles   I finished a new version of a hat design I’m working through. DK weight yarn from Goosey FibersSquish Base. So squishy and soft. Highly recommend. Also realized that this base is a 75% super wash merino wool 25% nylon which I think is hard to find. But if you’re ever wanting to make DK weight socks this is a great option.   On the Needles Watayuki Pullover Pattern: Watayuki by Natsuko Iida $6.34 US at time of checking Yarn: Sweitzer Fiber Mill Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) #myRHINEbipoc sweater #2 for me. This also counts for the #BIPOCMAL   Flamingo Yarn Bombing Project She needs a name! Suggestions on Facebook: Flora, Flo, Rosa, Penelope, Florence, DANielle (because I said she was going to replace Dan), Flossy, Peggy, Paulette, Fifi, Mango, Frankie for Francesca, Fran,Felicia the Fab Flamingo, Ethyl,  Phyllis, Fabriana, Robin, Fiona, Flora, Fantasia, Fleur Will be on display at the Mansfield, MA Fall Festival at Fulton Pond October 4 + 5, 2019   West Yorkshire Spinners Christmas Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: West Yorkshire Spinners in the Fairy Lights colorway Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)   Mystery Spirit Yarn Christmas Socks Yarn: Unknown Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: Non-Euclidian Heel by Sarah Jordan (Knit-Wit Designs— Pigskin Sponsor) To Knit or to Hike Socks Yarn: Holly Press Fibers Sheepish base in the To Knit or to Hike Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) First Pigskin Party 19 Project. Holly Press Fibers is a Pro Shop  Sponsor (8pts) and I'm carrying it in a fun woodland themed bag from Kitchen Counter Crafter- Snack Shack Sponsor (4 pts)   Kaylee’s Christmas Stocking Pattern: Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Family Circle Magazine Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Red, Everglade Heather and White Hook: F (3.75 mm) From the Armchair Hoopla App for Library books (loving it) Do Overby Jon Acuff. Check out the summary notes from Actionable Books. Audiobook read by the author. Knitting In Passing  I shared a story about chatting with a man on my train about knitting socks (and then found out Lisa was on my train the whole time but we didn't see each other). KAL News Slay the Stash 2019 Each month you can declare a skein of yarn to knit/crochet/weave to its very end. Let’s use up those older special skeins (purchased before 2019) - and maybe win a new beautiful skein of yarn from one of our sponsors along the way! Check out the September Post Use and follow #slaythestash2019 on Social Media Slay the Stash Sponsor List- 2019 Official Rules for 2019  January- Fish Belly Fiber Works February- KnitCircus Yarns March- Holly Press Fibers April- Fibernymph Dye Works May – Another Crafty Girl  June- Flying Finn Yarns July- Sponsored by WindsweptMonique August- Knit Style Yarns September- Artistic Lilly  October – Infinite Twist  November- 716 Knit  December –  Hypnotic Yarn Pigskin Party ’19    Not familiar? It's a ridiculously fun make-a-long that runs all through the NFL football season. We typically have a couple hundred participants each year. For each FO you finish, you earn touchdown & field goal points. You also earn points for using sponsor products & fulfilling other challenges. For every 100 points earned, you get an entry into our Grand Prize drawing. We also have lots of prizes reserved for participation on Ravelry and Instagram to keep it fun and light.     Everything you need to know is linked in the Start Here Threadin the Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group including the Rules, Questions Thread, End Zone Dance Threadwhere you post your FOs, Coupon Code Thread, List of Prizes, Exclusive Items from our Sponsors!     September Interception is posted! Presented by Pigskin Sponsor Woodsy & Wild   Prize: A Woodsy & Wild signature Birch Bag You can also find a video of me talking about it on my Instagram profile page listed as #1 Interception or find it on YouTube.   Pro Shop Sponsors  2 Guys Yarn Company Abstract Fiber AdoreKnit agirlandherwool Designs of Acadia(Pigskin Logo Bag) Fibernymph Dye Works Holly Press Fibers Imagined Landscapes Designs Infinite Twist JDStudios480 Jennifer Lassonde Designs Knitosophy Designs Knitters Brewing Company Knit Style Yarns Prairie Bag Works Progress Keepers by Meliabella Sunsoaked Yarns Yarn Love Snack Shack Sponsors Anne Beady Designs APLCrafts Birch Hollow Fibers Brenda Castiel Designs Designs by Meliabella Geektastic Fibers IrocKnits Designs Kino Knits Kitchen Counter Crafter Knit/Wit Designs Leading Men Fiber Arts Lilliput Yarn Lolodidit Love in Stitches Nicole Simmons Designs Queen City Yarn Remade By Hand Designs Shanalines Designs Tangerine Designs Teal Torch Knits The Project Bag UNICORN CLEAN Wild Branch Design Windswept Designs Woodsy and Wild Events   Greater Boston Yarn Crawl- October 3-6, 2019 October 4 & 5th: Fall Festival at Fulton Pond in Mansfield, MA. Come check out the yarn bombing. VT Sheep & Wool- October 5 & 6, 2019 NY Sheep & Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck)- October 19 & 20 (new hours Sat 9-5 and Sunday 9-4) Needles Up !Friday October 18, 2019. VIP tickets sold out. General admission 1-6p  Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center Indie Untangled (sold out instantly) Contest, News & Notes #BIPOCMAL: Started by DesamourDesigns on Instagram. Click here for a link to her website with all the details.   Life in Focus Health: Focusing on drinking more water and eating breakfast later. Skipping snacking and working through urges to eat. Time to get off the summer pound or two I put on. Design- got a huge stack of stitch dictionaries from the library! Psyched to pour through them. On a Happy Note I shared stories from Labor Day weekend. Yes, Mom and I made another trip to Savers. Last Saturday, we hung out at - Vitamin Sea Brewing. Then I saw a friend in fundraiser musical- the Bridges of Madison County. Applepicking at Applecrest. Quote of the Week "To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something; to be inspirational is to be crazy enough to live a little." ― Criss Jami   ------     For website: Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram:BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletterto get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!    

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 167 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes can be found at: www.downcellarstudio.com/167    This week's segments included: Off the Needles On the Needles Crafty Adventures Knitting in Passing In my Travels KAL News Events Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Off the Needles  Holden Cable Crochet Hat  Pattern: Holden Cable Crochet Hat by Lakeside Loops ($5 crochet pattern) Yarn: Sugarbush Yarns Dawson (Bulky weight; 50% llama, 50% merino) in the Wandering Vine Colorway (red) Hook: K 6.5mm 157 meters  Rainbow Hexagon Blanket  Hook: K (6.5mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Acrylic from Stash Saw IG post from knitmom2one Pattern: Free Tutorial from Make Do & Crew for Full Hexagons & Half-Hexagons Meters: 1395 Ryan’s Rainbow Cozy  Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Up Hooks: F (3.75 mm) and G (4.25 mm) Pattern: Ball Band with a Twist by Jennifer Lassonde Meters: 56  Pink & Purple Cozies  Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Up Hooks: F (3.75 mm) and G (4.25 mm) Pattern: Ball Band by Jennifer Lassonde 208 meters   Deja Blue Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Deja Blue colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Meters: 262  I'm designing a hat using Goosey Fibers: 131 meters   Stash Dash KAL: 11,528 meters to date   On the Needles   Coffee Break Socks  Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Coffee Break Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)   Gina’s Messy Bun Hat Yarn: Sugarbush Bold in the Dover Sand colorway. blue Hook: H 5.0 mm Pattern: Gina’s Messy Bun Hat   Holly Press Fibers Boxy Pattern: Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) and US 8 (5.0 mm) Yarn: Holly Press Fibers - Sheepish (fingering weight) base in colorways:  Flower Petal, Rambler in the Wilderness & Seeking You + 3 mystery skeins from stash. Using fingering held double.   Sandbar Cardi Yarn: Berocco Summer Silk in the colorway 4006 Boardwalk Hook: K (6.5 mm) Pattern: Sandbar Cardi by Toni Lipsey (crochet pattern $7) This will likely be a #RhineBIPOCsweater for me  Crafty Adventures I learned some basic Embroidery from my friend Beverly. On the way home, I ordered this tracing light box for use in future projects.   Knitting in Passing I shared a story about meeting a man in Baltimore who told us a story about how he learned to crochet during recovery from surgery. In My Travels Tune in for stories about my recent trip to visit with friends in Baltimore I got out walking - cool park trails on Sunday morning We enjoyed Paper Moon for breakfast. We visited a cute plant store B.Willow and I purchased a Tinted Lip balm (with no plastic container) from Priya Means Love.  KAL News   Slay the Stash 2019 Each month you can declare a skein of yarn to knit/crochet/weave to its very end. Let’s use up those older special skeins (purchased before 2019) - and maybe win a new beautiful skein of yarn from one of our sponsors along the way! Check out the August Post Tune in to see if you're the July winner!  Use and follow #slaythestash2019 on Social Media Slay the Stash Sponsor List- 2019 Official Rules for 2019  January- Fish Belly Fiber Works February- KnitCircus Yarns March- Holly Press Fibers April- Fibernymph Dye Works May – Another Crafty Girl  June- Flying Finn Yarns July- Sponsored by WindsweptMonique– yarn TBD August- Knit Style Yarns September- Artistic Lilly  October – Infinite Twist  November- 716 Knit  December –  Hypnotic Yarn   The Splash Pad is closed for the season! Tune in to see if you won a prize.     Pigskin Party: the 6th Annual Pigskin Party kicks off on September 5, 2019 and runs through February 3, 2020   Not familiar? It's a ridiculously fun make-a-long that runs all through the NFL football season. We typically have a couple hundred participants each year. For each FO you finish, you earn touchdown & field goal points. You also earn points for using sponsor products & fulfilling other challenges. For every 100 points earned, you get an entry into our Grand Prize drawing. We also have lots of prizes reserved for participation on Ravelry and Instagram to keep it fun and light.   All of the details you need can be found in Pigskin '19 Start Here Thread  Want to sponsor? Details for the Sponsor options can be found here. Tune in to hear more about this year's Team option Get your Pigskin Party Logo Bag here! Don't forget to use #DCSPigskinParty19 on Instagram!    Pro Shop Sponsors (so far) Abstract Fiber AdoreKnit agirlandherwool Designs of Acadia (Pigskin Logo Bag) Fibernymph Dye Works Holly Press Fibers Imagined Landscapes Designs Infinite Twist JDStudios480 Jennifer Lassonde Designs Knitosophy Designs Knitters Brewing Company Prairie Bag Works Progress Keepers by Meliabella Sunsoaked Yarns Yarn Love   Snack Shack Sponsors (so far) Anne Beady Designs APLCrafts Birch Hollow Fibers Brenda Castiel Designs Designs by Meliabella Geektastic Fibers IrocKnits Designs Kino Knits Kitchen Counter Crafter Knit/Wit Designs Leading Men Fiber Arts Lilliput Yarn Love in Stitches Queen City Yarn Remade By Hand Designs Shanalines Designs Teal Torch Knits The Project Bag UNICORN CLEAN Windswept Designs Woodsy and Wild     Events   Online Events Knit Girllls annual Stash Dash KAL will run from May 24-August 24, 2019 Watch the friendly competition with Jasmin and me on Instagram: #teambostonjen #beatcuteknitter The Blanket Project- the Art Division and other groups throughout the country have begun knitting and quilting blankets for children at the border. Social Media:  Feel free to share your pictures/videos with us using the hashtags #theblanketprojectla #artdivisionla Instagram: @artdivisionla    Facebook: @artdivision.org  Twitter: @ArtDivisionLA Knitted, Quilted, Crocheted and Fleece tie/knot Blankets are welcome.  Local Events August 31st- Lexington MA- 12 – 4 PM, Lexington’s Spinning Protest Harrington Road (across from the Battle Green) Cape & South Shore Yarn Haul- September 12-15- Friday September 13 6p-8p I'll be hosting a trunk show and cast on party at Yarn's End in Hanover Friday September 13th from 6-8p Greater Boston Yarn Crawl- October 3-6, 2019 VT Sheep & Wool- October 5 & 6, 2019 NY Sheep & Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck)- October 19 & 20 (new hours Sat 9-5 and Sunday 9-4) Needles Up! Friday October 18, 2019. VIP tickets sold out. General admission 1-6p  Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center   Indie Untangled (sold out)   Ask Me Anything This episode I answered two questions from Instagram. MegsDuffy- How do you stay motivated when you have so much going on??? ProudfootK- Plans for fall sweater knitting? Tips on curating your stash/or curbing stash acquisitions?  In my answer I mentioned the Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter & Stash Fit workbook by Cate Carter Evans. Check out my review in Episode 156 of the podcast.   On a Happy Note Old friends: my friend Laura visited the first weekend in August. I spent last weekend with friends I've know for more than 12 years- originally met through scrapbooking. Cooler mornings. Long walks outside.   Quote of the Week There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” -- William Shakespeare, Hamlet   ------   Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!    

Episode 60 – Thank yous, FO, Wips, Wearables, Out and About, On the Run, Fitness Talk, Knitting Talk Apologies for sound – laptop died.  Recording this on travel mic in my car.  Need to get an amp to get my mic to work with old laptop.  Hopefully I’ll have it all sorted before next recording. Thank yous Thanks for bearing with me during this last delay.  Turns out the antibiotics did not get rid of strep throat, I was sick again a week after they ended and back at the doctor to get something stronger.  Feeling better now! Big thank you to my test knitters!  I have one test knit winding up in the next few weeks, with pattern ready to release in early April and I’ve lucked into some amazing test knitters this time.  You ladies are wonderful!  Also, if you have any interest in summer knit tops, I have 2 coming out in the next 2 months, so be sure to visit WindsweptKnits.com and join my email list for access to the best discount codes.  I promise to only email once or twice a month at most and to never, ever share your data with a 3rd party.  No spam, no selling your data, I promise.  That’s a personal pet peeve of mine. FO Rhinebeck Shawl – Changing Staircases pattern by Dragon Hoard Yarns knit up in bamboo/cotton fingering yarn from Great Adirondach Yarn Co Wips Matchy-matchy socks 2 preemie hats, 1 held single, 1 held double 2 new patterns, a shawl and a cowl Wearables All the shawls – Rhinebeck, murder mystery knit along, tan house brook, changing staircases, Sweaters - Frosted, Second Grace Boys wearing star wars adaptation of Nordic Yoke pullover from Patons, Thing 2 grew into Thing 1’s Monomoy Sweater, still fits in an ancient sweater I knit for Thing 1, pattern no longer exists, I forget the name. Pattern Stalking Ice Time Hat and Cowl set from Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studio.  Full disclosure – Jen gifted them to me for free, but I’d seen her photos and loved this hat even before she sent it to me.   Knitting Talk Fiber allergies.  Out and About Wayland Farm and Fiber, met Boston Jen again. Wearing her Tan House Brooke shawl! CT sheep and wool April 27 Vernon, CT – not sure if I can make it Sheepshearing festival, Gore Place, April 27th, Waltham, MA NH SHeel & Wool May 11-12 Wool Days, Old Sturbridge Village, May 25-27 MA sheep and woolcraft fair, May 25 Cummington, MA On the Run Actually ran!  Well, run-walk-run 1 mile Jeff Galloway-style, when the pool closed suddenly on Monday.  Swam 20 laps Wednesday, a new record for me .55 miles (.88km) Fitness Talk Tennis ball used like a foam roller on deep/fleshy muscles

Episode 54 – 12/5/18 Knittin & Running in 30 min or less I am WindsweptMonique and today’s segments include: Be A Helper KAL, FOs, Wips, Pattern Stalking, Wearables, On the Run and Running Talk about wearable fitness trackers and accuracy. Be A Helper KAL Started on December 5th but I didn’t record last week because Christmas shopping (had to buy all presents by last Saturday – long story) and laryngitis.  If you finished a WIP for charity on or after December 5th go ahead and enter it. Any thing made for any charity – not just ravelry crafts Donate blood Wips count FO Thread is here Prizes Free pattern from Jennifer Lassonde of Downcellar Studios 1 skein Cascade 220 in an orangey peach color from an anonymous donor and a mini skein of merino – thank you very much, donor! I’m offering up 1 skein of Shibui Reed FOs Kippah made from handspun cotton from Hipstrings, in the Break Of Day colorway, blues and orange using the To Life pattern by Sarah Jordan, aka PAKnitWit Wips Tan House Brooke Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studio in my most recent handspun, Midseason Cliffhanger and Recurrent Theme cotton slivers,  from fiber from Hipstrings Icon Dress by Kari-Helene Rane in some very old stash that I want to get rid of.  Reached 6th set of decreases in Front of dress New hat for Thing 2 (not xmas gift) – in Valley Yarn’s Southwick.  I’m using the green as the contrast ribbed brim, then the purple that Thing 2 chose as the body of the hat.  No pattern, just knitting to his head size.  Folded brim so it will grow with him.  About 3/4 way through folded ribbing Find Your Fade shawl.  I’m on section , the 2nd lace section and still in color #1, the raspberry-dyed handspun cotton that I’ve mentioned in past episodes New socks, these are an un-Christmas gift that I will mail to Maura in January.  I’m knitting these up in CoBaSi, which is a cotton, bamboo, silk, nylon blend that is super stretchy and breathes beautifully on sweaty feet.  The toes, cuffs and heels are a blue/gray blend called Wave Caps, and the foot and leg in a gray named Seattle Sky. Pattern Stalking I bought 4 patterns during the Indie Designers Gift-a-long sale: Tan House Brooke, mentioned above by Jennifer Lassonde Willowbrooke shawl by Brenda Castiel Heroes of Yarnia RPG Scarf from last year’s MKAL by Tania Richter Harry Potter and the Strange Persistent Font by Mary Annarella Wearables Twist and Shout cabled hat by Michelle DuNaier Frosted sweater by Paper Daisy Creations Changing Staircases by Dragon Hoard Designs in Fiber Lady’s Mousou bamboo Dahlia by Brenda York for Berocco Yarns On The Run I’ve run a few times in the last 2 weeks.  I’ve also gone for a few swims and boy do I need a swimming cap!  Last time I went swimming it was 25F out (-4C) and that is just too cold to have soaking wet, long hair. Running Talk – Fitbits and other trackers On my last episode I mentioned that I like having a fitbit because it keeps me honest and a listener, Marie, wrote in saying she’d heard that the data isn’t accurate and wanted to know how I used it.   Thanks very much for writing in Marie.  If you have a question about fitness, running, knitting, patterns, GALs or anything else feel free to write in.  You can reach on Ravelery or Instagram as WIndsweptMonique or email me at WindsweptMonique@gmail.com.  My website is windsweptknits.com and you can find this podcast and shownotes there as well as all my designs and a few other fun projects I’ve worked on, like how to make the R2-D2 sweater I knit for my son last year.

Episode 49 – 10/17/18 - Knitting and running in 30 min or less Wips Dancing Dragons Coat Thing 2’s Christmas Socks - in Plymouth Yarns DIversity in the Pizazz colorway Mom’s Christmas Socks - in Plymouth Yarns DIversity in the Stormy Skies colorway Pattern Stalking Asked last week about a Gray Shawl, especially something that would work with gray gradients.  Heard from several people Influence Shawl by Kelene Kinnersly, off-center triangle, kind of thin, mostly garter st with an eyelet lace edging. Tea House Brooke Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde, aka BostonJen, triangular shawl starting with stockinette and working through different simple textures to keep  it interesting Curious Collective 2014 by Curious Handmade, aka Helen Stewart, half-circle shawl alternative garter st and lace Crossflower Shawl by Katinka Designs, new larger version for gradients.  Garter st and lace columns, large off-center triangle Ilumine by Num Teasdale – gorgeous lace, but not sure I have the brain power for it just now Wearables Mommy’s Tunic – I wore my sample out of Be Sweet Bamboo fibers and promptly spilled something down the front.  I think I wore it for 2 hours total.  Soaked and washed it, it’s fine.  Still kicking myself. Linen Butterflies – the ¾ sleeve version Addition By Subtraction Shawl – an mkal pattern by TryStitchual Designs Changing Staircases in FIber Lady's Mousou bamboo yarn On the Run I ran a 5k!  All 4 of us ran a race :) Out and About Rhinebeck on Saturday!  I'm on the Webs Bus. Orleans, Cape Cod craft fair, Nov 3  

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

Episode 26: Before The Injury… In Episode 26, Greg and Joey talk about swatching, injuries, and sailors. Sponsors We are Knitcrate Ambassadors! Are you the kind of knitter who would enjoy receiving a surprise package of yarn in the mail every month? Then you need to sign up for a Knitcrate subscription. Every month, you will receive a selection of curated yarn, a pattern specifically paired to use with the yarn, and a treat. Use code KD20 at checkout for 20% off your first package when you sign up for a subscription. Special thanks to our sponsor: Coveted Yarn! Coveted Yarn is a local yarn shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is an authorized dealer of our favorite knitting needles: Karbonz, by Knitter's Pride. In addition to a great variety of widely distributed yarn, Coveted Yarn offers their own signature line of yarn — Flat Rocks Yarn, which is dyed by the shop owner's sister. You can also find McPorter Farms knitting accessories and buttons at Coveted Yarn. World-wide shipping is available. Contact them via their website or at 1-978-282-8809 for more information and to place an order. Notes Thank-Yous MartaShmarta (aka Marta) sent Greg a package full of preemie hats and outfits. He's going to donate them Family Support Network of Central Carolina and the Women's Hospital of Greensboro. Projects Joey describes a hand injury that has kept him from making good progress on his fiber projects. Joey has been swatching in Tunisian Crochet. He is being mightily encouraged by Twinset Ellen of the Twinset Designs podcast. Greg finished his Halcyarn Socks (project page). He loves the contrasting cuffs, toes, and heels in black, but he hates weaving in the ends with black yarn. Yarn is custom-dyed by Dr. Kelly from the Ewe University podcast. Greg is working on the Old Shale Shawl (project page) with yarn from Knitcrate. It's super lacy and he's excited about it. Greg is working on a pair of Allons-y Socks (project page) with yarn from Knitcircus. The gradient yarn from Knitcircus is awesome to work with. In order to use the entirety of the gradient, he is knitting these socks toe-up. He's using a 9″ circular needle for this sock and loving it. Greg is working on the Emelyn Mae Shawl (project page) by Jennifer Lassonde. He's really enjoying the side-to-side construction of this shawl, as well as the mock i-cord edging. Giveaways We gave away a copy of the Caius sweater pattern by Kino. We gave away a copy of the World Of Difference shawl pattern by BostonJen. Reviews Greg received new issues of both Taproot and Rib, which he hasn't had a chance to look at yet. Look forward to reviews in coming episodes. Podcasts We Mention Kino Knits Twinset Designs Down Cellar Studio Ewe University Yarns At Yin Hoo Actually Knitting Events We're getting ready for the County Fair KAL. Prize contributions are coming in: 1 medium size zipper wedge project bag, provided by KnitasaurusWrecks Kristi of The Crafty Hive podcast 1 copy of the Emelyn Mae Shawl pattern, provided by the designer: BostonJen Jennifer Lassonde from Down Cellar Studio. 1 hank of Scribbles And Knits yarn, provided by they dyer: ScribblesandKnits Jason from Scribbles And Knits Fibers. 2 Knitters Against Swatches unofficial Cards Against Humanity sets from Robin at ReBelle yarn shop. 1 set of KNIT/PURL temporary tattoos from Robin at ReBelle yarn shop. The PALKAL2017 is in full swing, hosted by Michelle from the Actually Knitting podcast. Knitting Greg's Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat or Amplitude Shawl will count as entries for the KAL. SAFF — October 27-29, 2017. Greg is planning on attending. Ol' North State Knitting Guild — Greg is scheduled to speak at the September 11, 2017 meeting.  Misc Bodhrán — a small Irish frame drum Ukulele World Congress (UWC) — Joey had a great time again this year, and gathered several field recordings while he was there

Backstage Knitting Podcast Show NotesEpisode 17 “World Domination!” •Shout out to Josephine in Germany. •On The Needles: oAnna is working on the Close to You Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska in the “Hecate” gradient from A Hundred Ravens. She is also working on a vanilla sock for her Hubby out of Magpie Fibers Swanky Sock in the “Empty Night” colorway.•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/close-to-you•http://ahundredravens.com/product/hecate-mini-set/•http://www.magpiefibers.com/shop/empty-nightoBethany is working on a Seahawks colored shorty sock in two different Seahawks colorways from Fancy Image Yarn. A Boxy sweater by Joli Locatelli in the “Winter Jewels” colorway from Fancy Image Yarn. And a shawl of her own design in yarn without a label. •http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boxy•http://www.fancyimageyarn.com/store/p10/Seahawks_Fingering_Wt._machine_washable_merino_wool_yarn.html•http://www.fancyimageyarn.com/store/p132/New_Seahawks_Uni_Fingering_Wt._Merino.html•Off the Needles:oAnna completed 1 Hexipuff for her Beekeepers quilt!!oBethany completed the Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure in a Seawhawks colorway from Fancy Image Yarn (see link above), Seahawks shorty sock #1 (see yarn links above), Game Center Dice Bag design by Bethany. She also blocked her Hamilknit hat by Emily Straw and the Coffee Date Shawl by C.C. Almon. •http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sockhead-slouch-hat•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hamilknit•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coffee-date-shawloIn Time Out: •Anna has placed her Hogwarts House Scarf in timeout. •Bethany has sent her Peace de Resistance mittens by Bristol Ivy to the frog pond. •http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-de-resistance-mittensoSew A Needle Pulling Thread:•Anna has been working on repairs. Mending some jeans and Bethany’s knitting bag. •Bethany derailed the segment and talked about the things she has ordered so here are those links. ohttps://www.etsy.com/shop/aneedlerunsthroughit?ref=pr_faveshopsohttps://www.etsy.com/listing/386513440/deluxe-disney-princess-sampler-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_1ohttps://www.etsy.com/transaction/1265244627oSpinning and Weaving: •Bethany did some spinning this week. She is using up the last of her fiber from the long draw class she took in September. •She did not do any weaving but is starting a book about women in textiles. •https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Work-First-Years-Society/dp/0393313484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490054024&sr=8-1&keywords=women%27s+work+the+first+20+000+years•Here is also a link to the book club hosted by the Woven Road Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1261394850617378/?fref=nfoKnetflix and Knit: •Anna is watching Star Trek Voyager: Season 7, Ep. 22•Bethany is watching Friends, Parks and Rec, Season 2 of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Gilmore Girls. •Bethany finished watching the West Wing. She going to rewatch it with the West Wing Weekly podcast. She will be starting a thread in the Ravelry group for anyone who wants to watch along and chat about it. ohttp://thewestwingweekly.comoHealing Hands: This is a new segment where Anna and Bethany can talk about massage. •Anna has started massage school at the Cortiva Institute in Seattle and is loving it. o#BSKPHAMILONG WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!•Winners of a pattern from Jennifer Lassonde are:•Theaterkind and ThriftyKnitter. Please go to Jennifer’s pattern page and pick one. PM Bethany on Ravelry (Bizzle87) with which one you want and Jennifer will gift it to you. ohttp://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-lassonde•Winner of a digital copy of the Hamilton Mixtape:•Madiobrien. Please PM Bethany (Bizzle87) with your email address so she can send you the gift. •Winners of the Hamilton inspired project bags goes to: •AshleyKnitsAlot, Roocmc, and EmilyStraw. Please PM Bethany (Bizzle87) on Ravelry with your mailing address so we can get those out to you!!oTHANK YOU for participating!!!oEvents:•PNW Yarn Crawl May 4-7, 2017•http://www.pnwyarncrawl.com•World Wide Knit in Public Day June 10, 2017•Mariners Stitch N Pitch July 20, 2017•You can find Backstage Knitting Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope. •Show Notes can be found at www.backstageknitting.weebly.com •Prize winners should contact Bethany (Bizzle87) on Ravelry ASAP!!

Backstage Knitting Podcast Show NotesEpisode 17 “World Domination!” •Shout out to Josephine in Germany. •On The Needles: oAnna is working on the Close to You Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska in the “Hecate” gradient from A Hundred Ravens. She is also working on a vanilla sock for her Hubby out of Magpie Fibers Swanky Sock in the “Empty Night” colorway.•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/close-to-you•http://ahundredravens.com/product/hecate-mini-set/•http://www.magpiefibers.com/shop/empty-nightoBethany is working on a Seahawks colored shorty sock in two different Seahawks colorways from Fancy Image Yarn. A Boxy sweater by Joli Locatelli in the “Winter Jewels” colorway from Fancy Image Yarn. And a shawl of her own design in yarn without a label. •http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boxy•http://www.fancyimageyarn.com/store/p10/Seahawks_Fingering_Wt._machine_washable_merino_wool_yarn.html•http://www.fancyimageyarn.com/store/p132/New_Seahawks_Uni_Fingering_Wt._Merino.html•Off the Needles:oAnna completed 1 Hexipuff for her Beekeepers quilt!!oBethany completed the Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure in a Seawhawks colorway from Fancy Image Yarn (see link above), Seahawks shorty sock #1 (see yarn links above), Game Center Dice Bag design by Bethany. She also blocked her Hamilknit hat by Emily Straw and the Coffee Date Shawl by C.C. Almon. •http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sockhead-slouch-hat•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hamilknit•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coffee-date-shawloIn Time Out: •Anna has placed her Hogwarts House Scarf in timeout. •Bethany has sent her Peace de Resistance mittens by Bristol Ivy to the frog pond. •http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-de-resistance-mittensoSew A Needle Pulling Thread:•Anna has been working on repairs. Mending some jeans and Bethany’s knitting bag. •Bethany derailed the segment and talked about the things she has ordered so here are those links. ohttps://www.etsy.com/shop/aneedlerunsthroughit?ref=pr_faveshopsohttps://www.etsy.com/listing/386513440/deluxe-disney-princess-sampler-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_1ohttps://www.etsy.com/transaction/1265244627oSpinning and Weaving: •Bethany did some spinning this week. She is using up the last of her fiber from the long draw class she took in September. •She did not do any weaving but is starting a book about women in textiles. •https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Work-First-Years-Society/dp/0393313484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490054024&sr=8-1&keywords=women%27s+work+the+first+20+000+years•Here is also a link to the book club hosted by the Woven Road Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1261394850617378/?fref=nfoKnetflix and Knit: •Anna is watching Star Trek Voyager: Season 7, Ep. 22•Bethany is watching Friends, Parks and Rec, Season 2 of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Gilmore Girls. •Bethany finished watching the West Wing. She going to rewatch it with the West Wing Weekly podcast. She will be starting a thread in the Ravelry group for anyone who wants to watch along and chat about it. ohttp://thewestwingweekly.comoHealing Hands: This is a new segment where Anna and Bethany can talk about massage. •Anna has started massage school at the Cortiva Institute in Seattle and is loving it. o#BSKPHAMILONG WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!•Winners of a pattern from Jennifer Lassonde are:•Theaterkind and ThriftyKnitter. Please go to Jennifer’s pattern page and pick one. PM Bethany on Ravelry (Bizzle87) with which one you want and Jennifer will gift it to you. ohttp://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-lassonde•Winner of a digital copy of the Hamilton Mixtape:•Madiobrien. Please PM Bethany (Bizzle87) with your email address so she can send you the gift. •Winners of the Hamilton inspired project bags goes to: •AshleyKnitsAlot, Roocmc, and EmilyStraw. Please PM Bethany (Bizzle87) on Ravelry with your mailing address so we can get those out to you!!oTHANK YOU for participating!!!oEvents:•PNW Yarn Crawl May 4-7, 2017•http://www.pnwyarncrawl.com•World Wide Knit in Public Day June 10, 2017•Mariners Stitch N Pitch July 20, 2017•You can find Backstage Knitting Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope. •Show Notes can be found at www.backstageknitting.weebly.com •Prize winners should contact Bethany (Bizzle87) on Ravelry ASAP!!

Backstage Knitting Podcast Episode 15“Socks. Nope.”•Shout out to Laura from Seattle, she introduced herself in our Ravelry group!•On the Needles:oAnna is working on a Ravenclaw house scarf in Mosiac Moon’s “Lycanthropy.” She is also working on more products for her Etsy shop and the Beekeeper’s Quilt by Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits•http://www.mosaicmoon.com/item_991/Lycanthropy-on-Laurel-Sport-4-oz-skeins.htm•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-beekeepers-quiltoBethany is working on her Coffee Date Shawl by CC Almon, her Hamilknit hat by Emily Straw and pussyhat #13•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coffee-date-shawl•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hamilknit•Off the Needles:oAnna finished some gauntlets for her Etsy shop and some secret baby knits for her coworker. oBethany finished pussyhat #12•In Time Out: oAnna frogged and has given up forever on her Petticoat socks.oBethany frogged her Halloween socks. •Sew A Needle Pulling Thread:oAnna is making project bags for the #BSKPHAMILONG and her Etsy shop. •Weaving: oBethany is still working on her pink and purple scarf using her Ashford SampleIt loom and Cascade 220. She is reading a weaving book that is beyond her looms capabilities. •https://www.amazon.com/Weaving-As-Art-Form-Statement/dp/088740068X•Knetflix and Knit: oAnna watched the movie musical NINE. She is watching Season 5 of Star Trek: Voyager. She is reading book 3 of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.•https://www.amazon.com/Black-Powder-War-Temeraire-Book/dp/0345481305/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487285297&sr=1-6&keywords=temeraire+series+by+naomi+novikoBethany is watching season 4 of Gilmore Girls, season 5 of The West Wing, NBA basketball, some of season 4 and 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and just re-watched The Princess Bride. She is listening to the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. •https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Order-Phoenix-Book/dp/B017V4NLJ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487285497&sr=1-1&keywords=harry+potter+and+the+order+of+the+phoenix+audiobook•In Rehearsal/Performance: oNew Muses general auditions are February 12 and 13, 2017. oNew Muses is producing a staged reading of 1984. Bethany will be there running box office! •http://www.newmuses.com•Events: o#BSKPHAMILONG! Now through March 15! Prizes include: patterns from Jennifer Lassonde, the Hamilton Mixtape and some AMAHZING project bags! •http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-lassondeoMadrona: February 16-19, 2017. Bethany will be there Saturday from 4-6pm. oStitches West: February 24-26, 2017 in Santa Clara, Ca. oEmerald City Comicon: March 2-5, 2017 in Seattle, WA. Bethany will be there all 4 days. Anna will be there on Saturday. oZachary’s Cabaret: March 10-11, 2017 in Puyallup, WA. •https://www.facebook.com/events/1195958793858728/•MISC: oAny interest in a virtual knit night? As a prize or event? Let us know! oWe would love topic suggestions. We will open a thread in the Ravelry group for you to share with us! You can find and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Periscope as Backstage Knitting Podcast. Show notes can be found at www.backstageknitting.weebly.com Please join our awesome Ravelry group!

Backstage Knitting Podcast Episode 15“Socks. Nope.”•Shout out to Laura from Seattle, she introduced herself in our Ravelry group!•On the Needles:oAnna is working on a Ravenclaw house scarf in Mosiac Moon’s “Lycanthropy.” She is also working on more products for her Etsy shop and the Beekeeper’s Quilt by Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits•http://www.mosaicmoon.com/item_991/Lycanthropy-on-Laurel-Sport-4-oz-skeins.htm•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-beekeepers-quiltoBethany is working on her Coffee Date Shawl by CC Almon, her Hamilknit hat by Emily Straw and pussyhat #13•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coffee-date-shawl•http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hamilknit•Off the Needles:oAnna finished some gauntlets for her Etsy shop and some secret baby knits for her coworker. oBethany finished pussyhat #12•In Time Out: oAnna frogged and has given up forever on her Petticoat socks.oBethany frogged her Halloween socks. •Sew A Needle Pulling Thread:oAnna is making project bags for the #BSKPHAMILONG and her Etsy shop. •Weaving: oBethany is still working on her pink and purple scarf using her Ashford SampleIt loom and Cascade 220. She is reading a weaving book that is beyond her looms capabilities. •https://www.amazon.com/Weaving-As-Art-Form-Statement/dp/088740068X•Knetflix and Knit: oAnna watched the movie musical NINE. She is watching Season 5 of Star Trek: Voyager. She is reading book 3 of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.•https://www.amazon.com/Black-Powder-War-Temeraire-Book/dp/0345481305/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487285297&sr=1-6&keywords=temeraire+series+by+naomi+novikoBethany is watching season 4 of Gilmore Girls, season 5 of The West Wing, NBA basketball, some of season 4 and 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and just re-watched The Princess Bride. She is listening to the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. •https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Order-Phoenix-Book/dp/B017V4NLJ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487285497&sr=1-1&keywords=harry+potter+and+the+order+of+the+phoenix+audiobook•In Rehearsal/Performance: oNew Muses general auditions are February 12 and 13, 2017. oNew Muses is producing a staged reading of 1984. Bethany will be there running box office! •http://www.newmuses.com•Events: o#BSKPHAMILONG! Now through March 15! Prizes include: patterns from Jennifer Lassonde, the Hamilton Mixtape and some AMAHZING project bags! •http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-lassondeoMadrona: February 16-19, 2017. Bethany will be there Saturday from 4-6pm. oStitches West: February 24-26, 2017 in Santa Clara, Ca. oEmerald City Comicon: March 2-5, 2017 in Seattle, WA. Bethany will be there all 4 days. Anna will be there on Saturday. oZachary’s Cabaret: March 10-11, 2017 in Puyallup, WA. •https://www.facebook.com/events/1195958793858728/•MISC: oAny interest in a virtual knit night? As a prize or event? Let us know! oWe would love topic suggestions. We will open a thread in the Ravelry group for you to share with us! You can find and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Periscope as Backstage Knitting Podcast. Show notes can be found at www.backstageknitting.weebly.com Please join our awesome Ravelry group!

This week's WIPs include the Lillian Fay sweater, Fox Paws, Going Up socks, modified Rye socks and a "Glitten" loosely based on the Knotty gloves. FOs include finished washcloths and one Rye sock. Baubles and Bling this week were a custom lanyard for Sheila to wear her ID badge at work. We review the double knitting eBook Double or Nothing and draw a winner of the My Own Backyard shawl pattern. We will draw more random prize winners in the next episode as well as a winner of the eBook giveaway.  SHOW NOTESShout Outs:This month's KAL/CAL is any project in your favorite Sports Team or School colors! Show your team/school loyalty! This KAL/CAL will run through December 31st. If you have a sports fan or school student, this would be the perfect opportunity to knit a Christmas gift!Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue through December and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Lillian Fay Cardigan by Ellen Mason in Dream in Color Classy in the Flamingo Pie colorwayFox Paws by Xandy Peters in 5 colors of Sundara Yarn from deep stash.Going Up socks in Knit Picks Felici sock in the Dark Side colorway.Sheila is working on:Rye socks by Tincanknits in BMFA STR in the Garden Daze colorway"Glitten" (half glove, half mitten) loosely based on the Knotty Gloves pattern by Julia Mueller.Rate Your Date:Sheila finished:Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth by Ruth Slate in kitchen cottonOne Rye sockWhirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Wendy will knit an Inspira Cowl by Graphica.Sheila will knit socks, a Scrappy Lengthwise Scarf by Zona Sherman and a cowl from Wollmeise scraps.  Her 2017 goal is to use up her scraps.Baubles & Bling:Sheila received a phlebotomist themed lanyard for her work ID from Wendy for Christmas (it came later than her other presents).Gossip & Innuendo:We drew a winner of the My Own Backyard pattern by Jennifer Lassonde! BOOK REVIEW:Double or Nothing: Reversible Knitting for the Adventurous by Alisdair Post-Quinn.  You can purchase a copy HERE on the Fallingblox Designs webpage.This book is definitely not for a new knitter unless you are extremely adventurous and willing to take on a challenge!  It is more suited to an experienced knitter or an adventurous intermediate knitter.We really liked a lot of features in this book.  First, it takes you through a series of double knitting projects where you can learn how to take double knitting to another level - double knitted lace, double knitted cables, double knitted colorwork and intarsia, etc.  Often there is a small sample project you can make to try out the new technique so you don't have to commit to a huge project.  That means you could learn the basics of the techniques in this book simply by making the swatch samples.  If you find you enjoy double knitting techniques, you can then move forward to one of the projects,  We also liked the detailed and nicely photographed tutorial pictures.  These are key any time you are learning a new technique and this book really does them well.  Likewise, all of the patterns were nicely photographed so you could really see the double knitting and how it differed on either side.  Finally, we liked that the author wove his own story about his knitting throughout the book.  Although the tone occasionally tended toward the bombastic in the author's story sections, they do connect the book with a personal narrative that makes for an enjoyable read.  All in all, this looks like an interesting challenge for people who want to do more with the double knitting technique and we would recommend it for those knitters.If you would like to win a copy of this book, enter the contest on our Ravelry page and tell us which pattern piques your interest!ALSO:We are still drawing prizes for random people on our Ravelry group membership list as we begin to wind down the podcast.  We will draw another batch of prizes in the next episode so stay tuned.Fiber EventsNone until 2017

Knitting Segments This episode is brought to you by Never Not Knitting and Sock Ruler!    Show-Ready Knits Zigzagular Socks by Susie White Quadruple Threat PalKal Project here with 4 podcasts represented: Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast  Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast The Fat Squirrel Speaks Megan Williams of The Stockinette Zombies     Vanilla Socks with Scrumptious Purl Self-Striping Yarn.       Knits in Rehearsal Astonish Top by Katy Banks.  This is now in a semi-permanent time-out!   I worked a lot recently on my Sock Yarn Blanket, Memory Blanket by Georgie Nicholson   Currently working on my 2nd (or 3rd) pair of Los Monos Locos Socks by Jennifer O'Sullivan   This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by the Never Not Knitting online shop where you will find unusual gifts and notions for knitters such as handcarved knitting needles, specialty buttons, and stitch marker jewelry. Check out the latest offerings at nevernotknitting.com. Looking for a new project to knit? Use the coupon code PalKal2016 to receive 50% off of a pdf pattern of your choice!   Knitting News, Notes and Events PalKal2016 is Almost Over!     Rules:    The basic idea is to support a podcaster you listen to or watch by knitting one of their patterns and/or using their yarns for your project. You can also use a project bag or stitch marker by a podcaster! The design, yarn/fiber and/or project bag must be from a knitting/crochet/fiber podcaster. (Not all 3, just one of those to qualify). Spinning also counts, just make sure it’s a finished product. Use the chatter thread for discussion. Make suggestions. There are TONS of podcasts out there and almost no one knows about all of them, so if you know of a podcaster designer/yarnie/bag maker, feel free to share with us! You are encouraged to take advantage of the coupon codes offered by our sponsors, but you are not limited to those podcasters for the KAL. Sponsors and coupon codes are listed in the appropriate threads and will be listed on the podcast as well. Please post finished objects in the non-chatter thread and include a link to the podcaster you are supporting. Enter as many projects as you like! There is no minimum yardage requirement or limit to the projects you can enter. If you use more than one podcaster product/design/bag/etc on one project, you may create multiple entries for that project. For example: Knit the Zigzagular Socks by prairiegirlsusie using yarn by Oh! Loops and use a project bag by thefatsquirrel, you can enter that project into the FO thread 3 separate times, just link to each podcaster seperately in each post. A note about project bags: a project bag may only be entered into the contest one time for an entry. (You can’t just keep using a podcaster project bag over and over and entering the contest that way). The same applies for stitch markers. Wips count! Just finish them between June 15 and September 15, 2016. You must be a member of the Actually Knitting Podcast Group to win. Have fun supporting a podcaster designer or yarnie! Please support as many different podcasts as you can! Please do not chatter in the non-chatter thread. It makes it more difficult to draw a winner! Use the tag PALKAL2016 here on Ravelry and #palkal2016 on Instagram. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple dip! Today I will highlight our Cameo Sponsors who are donating prizes for the KAL. For more information, check out the threads on Ravelry in the Actually Knitting Podcast Group.    Jenn Sheelan Designs and Podcast     Lilliput Yarn     One Twisted Tree/Prairie Girl Danie of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast      The Relentless Knitting Podcast     The Twisted Stitches Podcast     Unwind Yarn Company/Dana from the Just One More Row Podcast     I am also highlighting the prizes being offered by these Top Billing Sponsors. These sponsors have donated prizes as well as coupon codes. More information about all of this can be found in the threads on the Ravelry group, but today we will focus on the prizes.    Ancient Threads Farm Etsy Shop and Website/Podcast        A skein of yarn, winner's choice.      Ann of the Carolina Fiber Girls         Copy of the Fletcher's Falling Leaves Sock Pattern       Brenda Castiel Designs        3 Patterns of winners' choice Daniela Richardson from A Coffee Fueled Life         5 Patterns from her Ravelry Store.      Janis Ficker of the Carolina Fiber Girls           Copy of her 10 Day Sweater Pattern     C.C. Almon from the Geeky Girls Knit Podcast         Copy of her ebook, Coffee with C.C.      Jennifer Lassonde of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast         Copy of one of her patterns from her Ravelry Store   Knitting Daddy Greg of the Unraveling Podcast          2 copies of his Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat   Mary of the Kino Knits Podcast          Copy of her Adrenaline Junkie Sock Pattern    Kristine Beeson of the Yarnings Podcast          Winner's Choice of pattern from her Ravelry Store     Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast          5 patterns from her Ravelry store and one winner will receive a shawl quantity of yarn from Quince           and Co.    Sarah Shoo of Cultivate and Create Podcast          3 patterns from her Ravelry Shop   Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast          Copy of one of her patterns from her Ravelry Shop   Ashley of Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast           Project bag of winner's choice from her Etsy Shop   Zombody Knits             A project bag from her Etsy Shop   Julia from the Whole Lotta Craft Podcast            Pattern from her Ravelry Shop for one lucky winner!       Angela from the Revelations of a Delusional Knitter Podcast             Winner's choice of a pattern from her Ravelry Store!   Steph from the Happy Buffalo Boutique           A skein of yarn, winner’s choice   Amy from the Stockinette Zombies Podcast           Winner’s choice of pattern from her Ravelry Store, some yarn from her own stash and a project bag     from the SilverShedUSA!   Anne from Wooly Wonka Fiber           As a prize, Anne is offering one lucky listener $30.00 in patterns from her Designer Store on    Ravelry. The winner will be able to pick any combination of individual patterns that suits!   Claire from New Hampshire Knits            2 balls of West Yorkshire Spinners yarn from their Country Bird collection in the Bullfinch and                             Cayenne Pepper color ways (so a patterned ball with a contrasting solid for heels etc).    Jan Hamby of the Twinset Designs Podcast           A Noste-Demi and Noste-Mini   Producing Sponsors offering Discounts:    Sock Ruler             25% off 1 regular sock ruler   Fiber to Fabric Magic              Buy 4 get one free Needle Keepers   Bijou Basin Ranch              15% discount on yarn, excluding Qiviut and Paco-Vicuna   Media Peruana Designs              25% off a pattern in her Ravelry Shop   Alana Dakos from Never Not Knitting               50% off a PDF pattern of your choice in her Ravery Shop      Infinite Twist              Free 50 gram mini skein with purchase     In addition to those mentioned above, the following are also producing sponsors of the PalKal 2016:   Knitter's Pride Fix a Stitch Eucalan Della Q Ancient Arts Fibre   Virtual Knit Night? I have scheduled one for September 6th, 2016 at 7pm Eastern time. If you are interested, here is the link to my Google Profile. Add me to your circle and then send me an email or private message telling me your email address and name so I can add you to the hangout.   Rhinebeck is October 15th and 16th, 2016. Let me know if you plan on attending!   New Knit-a-Long coming up starting October 1, 2016     The Big, Bad, Berg-a-long We will start on October 1st and go through November 15, 2016. There will be 6 podcasts participating. Any Melanie Berg patterns will be eligible for participation.    I am so excited to be collaborating with 5 of my favorite podcasts for this event!   In a Sknit  The Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Down Cellar Studio Podcast Commuter Knitter Knitting Butterflies     We are so lucky to have the designer Melanie Berg offering our listeners a 10% discount on her patterns (self-published) starting September 15th, 2016 and ending November 2, 2016. Use the code BigBadBergAlong at checkout.   We are also going to be working with 3 Indie Dyers for this KAL.   Sun Valley Fibers There will be Free Shipping in the US for kits and special pricing on the kits that they are making up just for this KAL. You can get the same kit as I am getting or as one of the other podcasters. More information is coming, but look for a special link "Big Bad Berg-Along" on their website. Use the code BigBadBergAlong at checkout.     Lollipop Yarns On September 11 at 7pm Eastern there will be an update featuring Duet and Trio kits especially for Ashbury or Quicksilver patterns. She will be offering Free Shipping if you use the code BigBadBergAlong at checkout. She will have these kits up for preview starting Monday September 5th, 2016 in the Lollipop Yarn Ravelry Group as well as on her website, linked above.   Oh! And there will be a self-striping update on Sunday September 4th at 7pm.   One Twisted Tree Danie will be offering a couple of different fall themed kits for the KAL. Check out the website for more information.     Podcast Premiere This week I talked about a new to me podcast, the Hey Sister Podcast on Youtube.   This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by The Sock Ruler.  "The Sock Ruler is an innovative measuring tool for sock knitters. Whether the sock is knit toe up or cuff down the ruler works equally well.  It is constructed of a heavy duty, yet flexible plastic and measures from the inside of the sock, allowing the sock to lie flat and ensure accurate measurements." Visit our website, www.sockruler.com, for more information and don’t forget to use coupon code “palkal2016” for 25% off of a regular sock ruler from now until September 15th.     Non-Knitting Segments One Pot Wonders   Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Skillet from The Cookin' Canuck.   Love it or Leave it   Love: Healthy choices we are making at home are really starting to pay off!   Leave: I now basically work in the middle of a Construction/Destruction zone at school.      Other News and Notes   Running Updates I ran my longest distance ever this past weekend. 20 Miles! Who Am I??   Book Updates I finished reading:    Night Film by Marissa Pessl         Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty   The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa De Carlo   I am currently reading:  Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen Still Life by Louise Penny    

Episode 17: Knitters' Confessions In Episode 17, Greg and Joey talk about deep, dark secrets, center pull yarn, and soap. Sponsor Special thanks to our sponsor: Coveted Yarn! Coveted Yarn is a local yarn shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is an authorized dealer of our favorite knitting needles: Karbonz, by Knitter's Pride. In addition to a great variety of widely distributed yarn, Coveted Yarn offers their own signature line of yarn — Flat Rocks Yarn, which is dyed by the shop owner's sister. You can also find McPorter Farms knitting accessories and buttons at Coveted Yarn. World-wide shipping is available. Contact them via their website or at 1-978-282-8809 for more information and to place an order. Notes Giveaways: We gave away a copy of the Take It Easy: Knits For Relaxing book fromKnit Picks, along with enough yarn to knit Walk By The Seasideby Jessica Anderson. Thanks to Knit Picks and Jessica Anderson for providing the review and prize copies of the book and yarn! We gave away a copy of the Riley Rose Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde (aka BostonJen from the Down Cellar Studio podcast).  Thanks to Jennifer Lassonde for the copy of the shawl to giveaway! We reviewed Unexpected Cables: Feminine Knitted Garments Featuring Modern Cable Knitting (affiliate link) by Heather Zoppetti (published byInterweave Press), and are excited to be giving away two copies of the book. See the giveaway thread in our Ravelry group for details. Thanks to Stitch Sprouts for providing the review and prize copies of the book! Prize Bin Additions 1 pattern of the winner's choice from the Windswept Designs' Ravelry Store provided by: WindsweptMonique Monique. 3 skeins of yarn from The Fiber Seed yarn provided Lindsay at The Fiber Seed  Podcasts: Twinset Designs — Greg was a guest on their last episode, while Twinset Ellen stepped in on our last episode. Yarn Thing with Marly Bird Projects: Joey is working on a scarf for his son. Joey has started another pair of socks. He's using a contrasting color for the toes, heels, and cuffs and Opal for the main body. He enjoys keeping his yarn in The Yarnit. April Showers Socks — Greg has finished these socks, except for the weaving in of ends and blocking (project page). Halcyarn socks — Greg is working on these. They're so young he hasn't even set up a project page for them. Voss Cowl — the colorwork cowl is working on. Also so young that he hasn't set up a project page for it, either. He's having some frustration with the color dominance in the colorwork and probalby should have worked through the Stripe Domination hat by Twinset Ellen first. Amplitude — this is Greg's newest shawl design. It is currently benig test knit. You can follow the #AmplitudeShawl hashtag on Instagram to keep an eye on the test knitting. The pattern is scheduled for release on September 23, 2017. Ongoing Events Knitter's Confessions: a safe place to confess your deepest, darkest knitting secret. County Fair KAL: enter your fiber-related crafts in your local fair, then enter them in our KAL. Actually Knitting PalKal: Greg's Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern counts for the KAL and so does Ellen's Tunisian Crochet Paving Mittspattern. June 15 – September 15 Upcoming Events Georgia Fiber Fest — September 8-10 in Columbus, GA: Joey is 60% planning to attend. TV Time With Joey Call The Midwife Stranger Things National Knitting Night The A Word Joey's Soap Joey talks about changing the name oh his soap. Precipiterra Soapworks Precipiterra Soapworks on Facebook Misc: Strange Brew — the movie that taught Greg and Joey all their Canadian linguistics Star Trek: The Next Generation — it's amazing the show was ever allowed to make more than the first two episodes. Seinfeld — George is crazy. Is Abe Vigoda Dead? — Greg mentioned that there was an essay hidden in the HTML source. Sadly, that essay appears to be gone. Polyamory Is Wrong T-Shirt (affiliate link) Tsuro State Fair — Joey hasn't seen this movie in a long time

Knitting Segments   Knits in Rehearsal Astonish Top by Katy Banks.        Vanilla Socks with Scrumptious Purl Self-Striping Yarn.     Zigzagular Socks by Susie White Quadruple Threat PalKal Project here with 4 podcasts represented: Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast  Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast The Fat Squirrel Speaks Megan Williams of the Stockinette Zombies   Here's the Ysolda Tutorial on cabling without a cable needle.   This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by Ancient Arts Yarn.  At Ancient Arts Yarn, we use only the best quality custom spun yarn bases for our hand dyeing work. We draw our colour inspiration from nature, art, and stories of everyday life. In addition to our current colour palette, we are also home to the Meow and Woof collections, benefitting animal rescue. New this season is the Denim Collection which includes 3 tone-on-tone gradient sets commemorating the indigo shades we see in our beloved jeans, and six variegated denim inspired colourways so you can have some fun with them. Visit ancientartsfibre.com to learn more!     Knitting News, Notes and Events Palkal 2016   Rules:  The basic idea is to support a podcaster you listen to or watch by knitting one of their patterns and/or using their yarns for your project. You can also use a project bag or stitch marker by a podcaster! The design, yarn/fiber and/or project bag must be from a knitting/crochet/fiber podcaster. (Not all 3, just one of those to qualify). Spinning also counts, just make sure it’s a finished product. Use the chatter thread for discussion. Make suggestions. There are TONS of podcasts out there and almost no one knows about all of them, so if you know of a podcaster designer/yarnie/bag maker, feel free to share with us! You are encouraged to take advantage of the coupon codes offered by our sponsors, but you are not limited to those podcasters for the KAL. Sponsors and coupon codes are listed in the appropriate threads and will be listed on the podcast as well. Please post finished objects in the non-chatter thread and include a link to the podcaster you are supporting. Enter as many projects as you like! There is no minimum yardage requirement or limit to the projects you can enter. If you use more than one podcaster product/design/bag/etc on one project, you may create multiple entries for that project. For example: Knit the Zigzagular Socks by prairiegirlsusie using yarn by Oh! Loops and use a project bag by thefatsquirrel, you can enter that project into the FO thread 3 separate times, just link to each podcaster seperately in each post. A note about project bags: a project bag may only be entered into the contest one time for an entry. (You can’t just keep using a podcaster project bag over and over and entering the contest that way). The same applies for stitch markers. Wips count! Just finish them between June 15 and September 15, 2016. You must be a member of the Actually Knitting Podcast Group to win. Have fun supporting a podcaster designer or yarnie! Please support as many different podcasts as you can! Please do not chatter in the non-chatter thread. It makes it more difficult to draw a winner! Use the tag PALKAL2016 here on Ravelry and #palkal2016 on Instagram. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple dip! This week I have highlighted our Featured Performers and Top Billing Sponsors. These are the folks who have offered coupon/discount codes for the PalKal 2016! Please check out the threads in the Actually Knitting Podcast group on Ravelry for more information! Ashley of Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast             15% off in Etsy Shop   Brenda Castiel Designs         20% off in her Ravelry Shop          $5.00 off in her Etsy Shop      Daniela Richardson from the Coffee Fueled Life Podcast              50% off in Ravelry Store.      Knitting Daddy Greg of the Unraveling Podcast         1$ off Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat   Jennifer Lassonde of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast           40% off of 2 or more patterns in Ravelry Store   Mary of the Kino Knits Podcast         20% off in her Ravelry Shop    Lynda from Ancient Threads Farm and Podcast          20% off in her Etsy Shop     Sarah Shoo of Cultivate and Create Podcast          $1.50 off in Ravelry Shop   Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast         25% off in her Ravelry Shop   Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast          20% off of self-published patterns in her Ravelry store    Ann of the Carolina Fiber Girls           50% off her Fletcher's Falling Leaves Sock Pattern   Lisa of Zombody Knits           $1.00 off in Etsy Shop   Kristine Beeson of the Yarnings Podcast           30% off in her Ravelry Store     C.C. Almon from the Geeky Girls Knit Podcast            15% off in her Ravelry Store   Kristi from the In a Sknit Video Podcast         25% off of her In Transit Cap and Cowl pattern  Janis Ficker/ of the Carolina Fiber Girls          50% off of her 10 Day Sweater Pattern   Twinset Jan from the Twinset Designs Podcast          $2.00 off in her Ravelry Store   Julia from the Whole Lotta Craft Podcast           15% off in her Ravelry Store   Angela from Revelations of a Dellusional Knitter Podcast           50% off in her Ravelry Store   Stephanie from Happy Buffalo Boutique           Free Shipping in her Etsy Shop   Anne from Wooly Wonka Fiber and podcast             15% off of all orders, both in stock and custom dyed   Twinset Ellen from the Twinset Designs Podcast            50% off of one pattern in her Ravelry Shop   Claire of New Hampshire Knits             15% off in her Etsy Shop, The Wooly Thistle      Producing Sponsors offering Discounts:    Sock Ruler             25% off 1 regular sock ruler   Fiber to Fabric Magic              Buy 4 get one free Needle Keepers   Bijou Basin Ranch              15% discount on yarn, excluding Qiviut and Paco-Vicuna   Media Peruana Designs              25% off a pattern in her Ravelry Shop   Alana Dakos from Never Not Knitting               50% off a PDF pattern of your choice in her Ravery Shop      Infinite Twist              Free 50 gram mini skein with purchase     In addition to those mentioned above, the following are also producing sponsors of the PalKal 2016:   Knitter's Pride Fix a Stitch Eucalan Della Q Ancient Arts Fibre   Virtual Knit Night? I have scheduled one for August 16th at 7pm Eastern time. If you are interested, here is the link to my Google Profile. Add me to your circle and then send me an email or private message telling me your email address and name so I can add you to the hangout.   Rhinebeck is October 15th and 16th, 2016. Let me know if you plan on attending! New Knit-a-Long coming up starting October 1, 2016   The Big, Bad, Berg-a-long We will start on October 1st and go through November 1, 2016. There will be 6 podcasts participating. Any Melanie Berg patterns will be eligible for participation. More details coming up, but there are 3 Indie Dyers making kits just for the KAL.         Podcast Premiere   This week I watched two new to me podcasts on YouTube.    Check out Inside Number 23 and The Knitting Type!   This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by Della Q.  Della Q designs and creates project bags, totes and needle cases to keep knitters & crocheters stylishly organized. Over the past 10 years, Della has developed her product line based on feedback from both customers and retailers. Each bag is carefully hand stitched to last and comes in a variety of eye-catching colors and prints. Needle cases also include labels for each needle size! Visit your local yarn store or dellaq.com to shop online and enjoy free shipping on your order of $65 or more.     Non-Knitting Segments Under Pressure Pressure Cooker Stewed Chicken with Corn Delicious and healthy too!    Love it or Leave it Love: The Olympics! How can you not love?   Leave: Back to school this week!   Other News and Notes Running Updates:  No news is good news. I had a bad run this past weekend but I am trying to stay positive and remember that it's very hot and humid outside.    Reading Updates:    Finished Reading:  In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware   Currently Reading:  Night Film by Marissa Pessl   Currently Listening to:  Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty     Vacation Updates Josh and I traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and we had an amazing time! 

Episode 16: Insert Witty Episode Title Here   In Episode 16, the talk is about sweaters, lace, and underwater knitting. Sponsor Special thanks to our sponsor: Coveted Yarn! Coveted Yarn is a local yarn shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is an authorized dealer of our favorite knitting needles: Karbonz, by Knitter's Pride. In addition to a great variety of widely distributed yarn, Coveted Yarn offers their own signature line of yarn — Flat Rocks Yarn, which is dyed by the shop owner's sister. You can also find McPorter Farms knitting accessories and buttons at Coveted Yarn. World-wide shipping is available. Contact them via their website or at 1-978-282-8809 for more information and to place an order. Notes Giveaways: In celebration of the Coveted Yarn sponsorship, we gave away a skein of Flat Rocks Yarn and a collection of McPorter Farms knitting accessories. Listen to the episode to see if you won. Thanks to Coveted Yarn for providing the prize! We are giving away a copy of the Take It Easy: Knits For Relaxing book from Knit Picks, along with enough yarn to knit Walk By The Seasideby Jessica Anderson. See the giveaway thread in our Ravelry group for details. Thanks to Knit Picks and Jessica Anderson for providing the review and prize copies of the book and yarn! We are giving away a copy of the Riley Rose Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde (aka BostonJen from the Down Cellar Studio podcast).  See thegiveaway thread in our Ravelry group for details. Thanks to Jennifer Lassonde for the copy of the shawl to giveaway! We reviewed the Everyday Lace: Simple, Sophisticated Knitted Garments by Heather Zoppetti (published by Interweave Press), and are excited to be giving away two copies of the book. See the giveaway thread in our Ravelry group for details. Thanks to Stitch Sprouts for providing the review and prize copies of the book! Prize Bin Additions $50 Gift Certificate to Knitters Brewing Company added to the prize bin for the County Fair KAL. Thanks to socalknitgirl Wendy for providing the prize.  Podcasts: Down Cellar Studio Twinset Designs Projects: Shirley Paden Design-Along — Ellen is participating in this. TSSC Underwater Knitting Merit Badge 2016 — Ellen knitted a big portion of this dishcloth in the swimming pool while holding it under water (project page). Metamorphic by Lisa K. Ross — Ellen is knitting this sweater for her grandson (project page). Mountain Peaks Woman's Jacket (Fjall jack) — Ellen is working on this. Ellen is working on swatches for her Master Hand Knitting Program. Joey is working on a scarf for his son. Joey is thinking about starting another pair of socks. Ongoing Events County Fair KAL: enter your fiber-related crafts in your local fair, then enter them in our KAL. Actually Knitting PalKal: Greg's Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern counts for the KAL and so does Ellen's Tunisian Crochet Paving Mittspattern. June 15 – September 15 Upcoming Events Georgia Fiber Fest — September 8-10 in Columbus, GA: Joey is 96.5% planning to attend. Sisu Designs Lost In the Woods Knitting Retreat: Ellen is attending. Rhinebeck — October 15-16: Ellen is planning to attend. Joey's Soap — now available for purchase! Joey has to change his soap company name because it's too similar to an existing soap company's name. Petrichor Soapworks Petrichor Soapworks on Facebook Misc: Sanibel Island Lake Michigan #TSCC2016 on Instagram — including underwater knitters Karbonz by Knitter's Pride

Knitting Segments   This episode is brought to you by The Sock Ruler and Eucalan.  Show Ready Knits Solaris by Melanie Berg with my Pal Kal Mini Kit from One Twisted Tree.     Knits in Rehearsal       Zigzagular Socks by Susie White Triple Threat PalKal Project here with 3 podcasts represented: Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast  Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast The Fat Squirrel Speaks   The Bag was a gift from Sarah Shoo of the Cultivate and Create podcast.     Vanilla Socks with Scrumptious Purl Self-Striping Yarn.   Not-so-baby Blanket in progress. It's a labor of love!   Ice Shanty by Amy Miller    Astonish Top by Katy Banks.    This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by The Sock Ruler.  "The Sock Ruler is an innovative measuring tool for sock knitters. Whether the sock is knit toe up or cuff down the ruler works equally well.  It is constructed of a heavy duty, yet flexible plastic and measures from the inside of the sock, allowing the sock to lie flat and ensure accurate measurements." Visit our website, www.sockruler.com, for more information and don’t forget to use coupon code “palkal2016” for 25% off of a regular sock ruler from now until September 15th. Knitting News, Notes and Events PalKal2016 is Underway!    Rules:  The basic idea is to support a podcaster you listen to or watch by knitting one of their patterns and/or using their yarns for your project. You can also use a project bag or stitch marker by a podcaster! The design, yarn/fiber and/or project bag must be from a knitting/crochet/fiber podcaster. (Not all 3, just one of those to qualify). Spinning also counts, just make sure it’s a finished product. Use the chatter thread for discussion. Make suggestions. There are TONS of podcasts out there and almost no one knows about all of them, so if you know of a podcaster designer/yarnie/bag maker, feel free to share with us! You are encouraged to take advantage of the coupon codes offered by our sponsors, but you are not limited to those podcasters for the KAL. Sponsors and coupon codes are listed in the appropriate threads and will be listed on the podcast as well. Please post finished objects in the non-chatter thread and include a link to the podcaster you are supporting. Enter as many projects as you like! There is no minimum yardage requirement or limit to the projects you can enter. If you use more than one podcaster product/design/bag/etc on one project, you may create multiple entries for that project. For example: Knit the Zigzagular Socks by prairiegirlsusie using yarn by Oh! Loops and use a project bag by thefatsquirrel, you can enter that project into the FO thread 3 separate times, just link to each podcaster seperately in each post. A note about project bags: a project bag may only be entered into the contest one time for an entry. (You can’t just keep using a podcaster project bag over and over and entering the contest that way). The same applies for stitch markers. Wips count! Just finish them between June 15 and September 15, 2016. You must be a member of the Actually Knitting Podcast Group to win. Have fun supporting a podcaster designer or yarnie! Please support as many different podcasts as you can! Please do not chatter in the non-chatter thread. It makes it more difficult to draw a winner! Use the tag PALKAL2016 here on Ravelry and #palkal2016 on Instagram. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple dip! Today I will highlight our Cameo Sponsors who are donating prizes for the KAL. For more information, check out the threads on Ravelry in the Actually Knitting Podcast Group.    Jenn Sheelan Designs and Podcast     Lilliput Yarn     One Twisted Tree/Prairie Girl Danie of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast      The Relentless Knitting Podcast     The Twisted Stitches Podcast     Unwind Yarn Company/Dana from the Just One More Row Podcast     I am also highlighting the prizes being offered by these Top Billing Sponsors. These sponsors have donated prizes as well as coupon codes. More information about all of this can be found in the threads on the Ravelry group, but today we will focus on the prizes.    Ancient Threads Farm Etsy Shop and Website/Podcast        A skein of yarn, winner's choice.      Ann of the Carolina Fiber Girls         Copy of the Fletcher's Falling Leaves Sock Pattern       Brenda Castiel Designs        3 Patterns of winners' choice Daniela Richardson from A Coffee Fueled Life         5 Patterns from her Ravelry Store.      Janis Ficker of the Carolina Fiber Girls           Copy of her 10 Day Sweater Pattern     C.C. Almon from the Geeky Girls Knit Podcast         Copy of her ebook, Coffee with C.C.      Jennifer Lassonde of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast         Copy of one of her patterns from her Ravelry Store   Knitting Daddy Greg of the Unraveling Podcast          2 copies of his Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat   Mary of the Kino Knits Podcast          Copy of her Adrenaline Junkie Sock Pattern    Kristine Beeson of the Yarnings Podcast          Winner's Choice of pattern from her Ravelry Store     Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast          5 patterns from her Ravelry store and one winner will receive a shawl quantity of yarn from Quince           and Co.    Sarah Shoo of Cultivate and Create Podcast          3 patterns from her Ravelry Shop   Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast          Copy of one of her patterns from her Ravelry Shop   Ashley of Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast           Project bag of winner's choice from her Etsy Shop   Zombody Knits             A project bag from her Etsy Shop   Julia from the Whole Lotta Craft Podcast            Pattern from her Ravelry Shop for one lucky winner!       Angela from the Revelations of a Delusional Knitter Podcast             Winner's choice of a pattern from her Ravelry Store!   Steph from the Happy Buffalo Boutique           A skein of yarn, winner’s choice   Amy from the Stockinette Zombies Podcast           Winner’s choice of pattern from her Ravelry Store, some yarn from her own stash and a project bag     from the SilverShedUSA!   Anne from Wooly Wonka Fiber           As a prize, Anne is offering one lucky listener $30.00 in patterns from her Designer Store on    Ravelry. The winner will be able to pick any combination of individual patterns that suits!   Claire from New Hampshire Knits            2 balls of West Yorkshire Spinners yarn from their Country Bird collection in the Bullfinch and                             Cayenne Pepper color ways (so a patterned ball with a contrasting solid for heels etc).    Jan Hamby of the Twinset Designs Podcast           A Noste-Demi and Noste-Mini        Please check out the threads on Ravelry for photos and more information and remember that all of the Top Billing Sponsors have provided coupon codes as well, which you can also find in the Ravelry group.   Rhinebeck is October 15th and 16th, 2016. Let me know if you plan on attending!   Virtual Knit Night?  If you would like to do a virtual knit night via Google Hangouts?      This Episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by Eucalan. For over 25 years Eucalan’s simple soak and spin delicate wash has been the preferred choice for your handmade creations. This extraordinary non-toxic solution is formulated without petro chemicals, bleach or optical brighteners making it safe and gentle for everything from baby’s knits and toys to quilts, and even lingerie! Infused with pure beneficial essential oils of either eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit, jasmine or an unscented version, there’s an option for everyone. Eucalan is like a beauty treatment for natural fabrics and an aromatherapy treat for the user!     Non-Knitting Segments   Love it or Leave it!  Love it: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix   Leave it: Sizing Discrepancies in women's clothing.      Other News and Notes Running Updates   I ran my longest distance ever this week! 14 hot, hilly, humid miles!    Book Updates   Finished reading:    The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff   The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn   The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson   The Dinner by Herman Koch   Started Listening to:    Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson   Started Reading:    In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware   Other Updates My adventures in babysitting went really well! I didn't permanently damage my friend's kids and I also didn't wake them up even though I went in their rooms a million times to make sure they were still breathing.    I'm heading on vacation this week to Jackson Hole, Wyoming!   

Actually Finished I talk about starting AND finishing the Silk N' Scribbles Shawl by Steven BeI talk about Recycled Lamb in Golden, CO , which is sadly closingI thank Plymouth Yarns for the skein of Bio BImbo yarn they gave the workshop attendees. I talk about several patterns includingPoncho Style SweaterThe Shawl VestThe Ponchini GrandeTripartiteI talk about Alchemy Silk Straw Yarn (which I bought in the Orchid colorway)I mention my friend Sara, host of The Knitting Type podcast Actually Working I talk about what is on my needles, including My Bronco SocksMy "Vegas" SockaMy Austin HoodieMy Spectrum Shawl My Windswept ShawlThe DoodlerI also talk about several patterns I'm thinking about casting on, including Boneyard and Range Actually Stashed I talk about my "yarn date" with my friends Jen, Jen and Emily, to The Loopy Ewe and My Sister KnitsI talk about Fresh From the Cauldron Sock Yarn, Tosh Sock, Koigu and ScrumptiouspurlActually Attending I talk about events I'll be attending, includingHot August Knits July 30 - August 14Yarn Along the Rockies August 20 -28Salida Fiber Festival September 10 -11Rhinebeck! October 15-16I talk about my plans for a Rhinebeck Sweater. I am planning to knit the Fine JacketI give an update on Knit Knosh! Kits are available for Pre-order until September 10. Kits will be shipped on / around October 1Swag kits -- Wine glass and project bagBite Size -- Wine glass, project bag, mini skeins from MJ Yarns, Knerd, Skeindalous and Peepaloo FieldsFun Size -- Wine glass, project bag, 3 mini skeins and one full skein of yarn from one vendorFull Meal -- Wine glass, project bag, one skein from each of the four yarn vendors MJ Yarns, Knerd, Skeindalous and Peepaloo FieldsI WANT IT ALL -- Wine glass, project bag, one skein from each of the four yarn vendors MJ Yarns, Knerd, Skeindalous and Peepaloo Fields plus a project bag from Modular ModularReview -- Sprout Patterns I review Sprout Patterns, and talk about the Portside Dopp Kit and the Sidekick Sling BagHow Much Do We LoveI talk about Connecting with Knitters, Local Yarn Shops, and the Amazon Fire StickGiveaways!See the details in the Ravelry Group to enter to win a copy of Kate Atherley's book The Beginner's Guide to Writing Knitting Patterns, and for Jennifer Lassonde's new shawl pattern, the Riley Rose ShawlSummer Superlatives KAL UpdateSummer Superlatives KAL Patterns from YumiYarns Jenn Sheelen has offered a copy of her New Horizons Cowl patternI have a skein of Kraemer Yarns BelftastA set of four Fix A Stitch toolsA Portside Dopp Kit from Sprout Patterns in your choice of fabric!A Skein of Manos Marina in the color of your choiceTwo Skeins of Kraemer Yarns Tatany Tweed DK in the color of your choiceDale Garn Yarn is donating two skeins of their soon to be released yarn, ECO Baby WoolMelanie from Knit Stitch Yarn is donating two of her new mini skein sets! She has also offered a coupon code for all listeners, use code KNITACT10 for 10% off any order over $25A bag of the winner’s choice from KnittyKittyBagsA zippy project bag from AnniePurl Homemade GoodsTwo skeins of yarn in the color of your choice from Briggs and LittleIf you’re interested in sponsoring the KAL, please let me know!Please show our sponsors some love! I’d love to hear which patterns, colorways and fabrics you guys love! 

Episode 15: Hiyooooooo! It's a Giveaway-palooza! In Episode 15, Greg and Joey talk about yarn crawls, sewing, and soap. Sponsor Special thanks to our sponsor: Coveted Yarn! Coveted Yarn is a local yarn shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is an authorized dealer of our favorite knitting needles: Karbonz, by Knitter's Pride. In addition to a great variety of widely distributed yarn, Coveted Yarn offers their own signature line of yarn — Flat Rocks Yarn, which is dyed by the shop owner's sister. You can also find McPorter Farms knitting accessories and buttons at Coveted Yarn. World-wide shipping is available. Contact them via their website or at 1-978-282-8809 for more information and to place an order. Notes Giveaways: In celebration of the Coveted Yarn sponsorship, we are giving away a skein of Flat Rocks Yarn and a collection of McPorter Farms knitting accessories. Listen to the episode for details, and sign up on the thread in our Ravelry group. Thanks to Coveted Yarn for providing the prize! We reviewed the Take It Easy: Knits For Relaxing book from Knit Picks, and are excited to be giving away a copy of the book along with enough yarn to knit Walk By The Seaside by Jessica Anderson. See the giveaway thread in our Ravelry group for details. Thanks to Knit Picks and Jessica Anderson for providing the review and prize copies of the book and yarn! We are giving away a copy of the Riley Rose Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde (aka BostonJen from the Down Cellar Studio podcast).  See the giveaway thread in our Ravelry group for details. Thanks to Jennifer Lassonde for the copy of the shawl to giveaway!  Podcasts: Adam Curry Actually Knitting Chris Hardwick Curious Handmade Dawn and Drew Show Down Cellar Studio Knitting Butterflies Knitting Pipeline NT Pod Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Shinybees Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project Twinset Designs Yarns at Yin Hoo Projects: Joey is working on a scarf for his son. Unnamed Shawl — Greg finished knitting his new shawl design. He's working on getting a pattern created now. Hoping to have it published by the end of the summer. April Showers Socks — the socks Greg currently has on his needles (project page). Ongoing Events County Fair KAL: enter your fiber-related crafts in your local fair, then enter them in our KAL. Down Cellar Studio Splash Pad Party: we're the official pool boys. June 1 – July 31 Actually Knitting PalKal: Greg's Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern counts for the KAL. June 15 – September 15 Past Events Greg completed the Central Carolina Yarn Crawl. Participating shops were: The Twisted Knitter, Out of Hand, Gate City Yarns, Stitch Point,Common Threads, and Knit One Smock Too. Sewing Joey's finished the skirt he was knitting. TV Time With Joey Stranger Things Call The Midwife Music Wheels of Soul Tour with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and North Mississippi All-Stars Tycho Variety Playhouse Com Truise S U R V I V E Joey's Soap — now available for purchase! Petrichor Soapworks on Etsy Petrichor Soapworks on Facebook Misc: Podcast Hall Of Fame Sanibel Island Ravellenic Games 2016 – if you want to participate, we're encouraging you to join Team Sasquatch, the team for people who listen to podcasts and want to join one, big, cohesive podcast team. Sad Trombone Instant Rimshot Hiyoooo Karbonz by Knitter's Pride Cubics by Knitter's Pride Turing Test Knitscene Interweave Knits Vogue Knitting The Handmaid's Tale DyeForYarn  

Knitting Segments   This episode is brought to you by Bijou Basin Ranch.     Show-Ready Knits   Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig I added about 2 inches to the sleeve length and I love it so much!    This sweater surgery brings me to 3604 meters towards StashDash.    Knits in Rehearsal   Solaris by Melanie Berg with my Pal Kal Mini Kit from One Twisted Tree.     Zigzagular Socks by Susie White Triple Threat PalKal Project here with 3 podcasts represented: Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast  Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast The Fat Squirrel Speaks   Here's the Ysolda Tutorial on cabling without a cable needle.   The Bag was a gift from Sarah Shoo of the Cultivate and Create podcast.     Vanilla Socks with Scrumptious Purl Self-Striping Yarn.   Not-so-baby Blanket in progress. It's a labor of love!   Next up for my Stash Dash goals, I am going to pick up my Astonish Top by Katy Banks.    Knitting News, Notes and Events Palkal 2016   Rules:  The basic idea is to support a podcaster you listen to or watch by knitting one of their patterns and/or using their yarns for your project. You can also use a project bag or stitch marker by a podcaster! The design, yarn/fiber and/or project bag must be from a knitting/crochet/fiber podcaster. (Not all 3, just one of those to qualify). Spinning also counts, just make sure it’s a finished product. Use the chatter thread for discussion. Make suggestions. There are TONS of podcasts out there and almost no one knows about all of them, so if you know of a podcaster designer/yarnie/bag maker, feel free to share with us! You are encouraged to take advantage of the coupon codes offered by our sponsors, but you are not limited to those podcasters for the KAL. Sponsors and coupon codes are listed in the appropriate threads and will be listed on the podcast as well. Please post finished objects in the non-chatter thread and include a link to the podcaster you are supporting. Enter as many projects as you like! There is no minimum yardage requirement or limit to the projects you can enter. If you use more than one podcaster product/design/bag/etc on one project, you may create multiple entries for that project. For example: Knit the Zigzagular Socks by prairiegirlsusie using yarn by Oh! Loops and use a project bag by thefatsquirrel, you can enter that project into the FO thread 3 separate times, just link to each podcaster seperately in each post. A note about project bags: a project bag may only be entered into the contest one time for an entry. (You can’t just keep using a podcaster project bag over and over and entering the contest that way). The same applies for stitch markers. Wips count! Just finish them between June 15 and September 15, 2016. You must be a member of the Actually Knitting Podcast Group to win. Have fun supporting a podcaster designer or yarnie! Please support as many different podcasts as you can! Please do not chatter in the non-chatter thread. It makes it more difficult to draw a winner! Use the tag PALKAL2016 here on Ravelry and #palkal2016 on Instagram. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple dip! This week I have highlighted our Featured Performers and Top Billing Sponsors. These are the folks who have offered coupon/discount codes for the PalKal 2016! Please check out the threads in the Actually Knitting Podcast group on Ravelry for more information!     Ashley of Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast             15% off in Etsy Shop   Brenda Castiel Designs         20% off in her Ravelry Shop          $5.00 off in her Etsy Shop      Daniela Richardson from the Coffee Fueled Life Podcast              50% off in Ravelry Store.      Knitting Daddy Greg of the Unraveling Podcast         1$ off Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat   Jennifer Lassonde of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast           40% off of 2 or more patterns in Ravelry Store   Mary of the Kino Knits Podcast         20% off in her Ravelry Shop    Lynda from Ancient Threads Farm and Podcast          20% off in her Etsy Shop     Sarah Shoo of Cultivate and Create Podcast          $1.50 off in Ravelry Shop   Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast         25% off in her Ravelry Shop   Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast          20% off of self-published patterns in her Ravelry store    Ann of the Carolina Fiber Girls           50% off her Fletcher's Falling Leaves Sock Pattern   Lisa of Zombody Knits           $1.00 off in Etsy Shop   Kristine Beeson of the Yarnings Podcast           30% off in her Ravelry Store     C.C. Almon from the Geeky Girls Knit Podcast            15% off in her Ravelry Store   Kristi from the In a Sknit Video Podcast         25% off of her In Transit Cap and Cowl pattern    Janis Ficker/ of the Carolina Fiber Girls          50% off of her 10 Day Sweater Pattern   Twinset Jan from the Twinset Designs Podcast          $2.00 off in her Ravelry Store   Julia from the Whole Lotta Craft Podcast           15% off in her Ravelry Store   Angela from Revelations of a Dellusional Knitter Podcast           50% off in her Ravelry Store   Stephanie from Happy Buffalo Boutique           Free Shipping in her Etsy Shop   Anne from Wooly Wonka Fiber and podcast             15% off of all orders, both in stock and custom dyed   Twinset Ellen from the Twinset Designs Podcast            50% off of one pattern in her Ravelry Shop   Claire of New Hampshire Knits             15% off in her Etsy Shop, The Wooly Thistle      Producing Sponsors offering Discounts:    Sock Ruler             25% off 1 regular sock ruler   Fiber to Fabric Magic              Buy 4 get one free Needle Keepers   Bijou Basin Ranch              15% discount on yarn, excluding Qiviut and Paco-Vicuna   Media Peruana Designs              25% off a pattern in her Ravelry Shop   Alana Dakos from Never Not Knitting               50% off a PDF pattern of your choice in her Ravery Shop         Infinite Twist              Free 50 gram mini skein with purchase     In addition to those mentioned above, the following are also producing sponsors of the PalKal 2016:   Knitter's Pride Fix a Stitch Eucalan Della Q Ancient Arts Fibre     Podcast Premiere   Very Pink Knits Podcast     Knitorious Video Podcast     Non-Knitting Segments   One Pot Wonders Chicken Parmesan Chicken Skillet   Love it or Leave it Love: The Americans on FX   Leave: The Air Conditioning in the bedroom has been out for 2 weeks! It's SO HOT!     StageCraft I've been sewing and I finished a dress! Butterick B6086           Other News and Notes   Running After struggling with running this season, I am finally starting to feel good!    I picked up Shut up and Run by Robin Arzón.    She coaches for Peloton and she's really motivational.    Books   Finished Reading... A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain   Currently Reading... The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff    Listening to... Embedded by NPR podcast   All Things Considered is also hosted by Kelly McEvers

Knitting Segments   Show Ready Knits   Rainbow Vanilla Socks in White Birch Fiber Arts   I'm using the OMG Heel pattern by Megan Williams     Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli   Yarn is Miss Babs Yowza in Oyster   Knits In Rehearsal Solaris by Melanie Berg with my Pal Kal Mini Kit from One Twisted Tree.     Zigzagular Socks by Susie White Triple Threat PalKal Project here with 3 podcasts represented: Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast  Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast The Fat Squirrel Speaks   Here's the Ysolda Tutorial on cabling without a cable needle.   The Bag was a gift from Sarah Shoo of the Cultivate and Create podcast.   Vanilla Socks with Scrumptious Purl Self-Striping Yarn.   Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig is getting a little sweater surgery, I'm adding length to the sleeves and this will be a huge amount of yardage for StashDash.   This episode of Actually Knitting is brought to you by The Sock Ruler.  "The Sock Ruler is an innovative measuring tool for sock knitters. Whether the sock is knit toe up or cuff down the ruler works equally well.  It is constructed of a heavy duty, yet flexible plastic and measures from the inside of the sock, allowing the sock to lie flat and ensure accurate measurements." Visit our website, www.sockruler.com, for more information and don’t forget to use coupon code “palkal2016” for 25% off of a regular sock ruler from now until September 15th.     Knitting News, Notes and Events   PalKal2016 is underway!    Rules:  The basic idea is to support a podcaster you listen to or watch by knitting one of their patterns and/or using their yarns for your project. You can also use a project bag or stitch marker by a podcaster! The design, yarn/fiber and/or project bag must be from a knitting/crochet/fiber podcaster. (Not all 3, just one of those to qualify). Spinning also counts, just make sure it’s a finished product. Use the chatter thread for discussion. Make suggestions. There are TONS of podcasts out there and almost no one knows about all of them, so if you know of a podcaster designer/yarnie/bag maker, feel free to share with us! You are encouraged to take advantage of the coupon codes offered by our sponsors, but you are not limited to those podcasters for the KAL. Sponsors and coupon codes are listed in the appropriate threads and will be listed on the podcast as well. Please post finished objects in the non-chatter thread and include a link to the podcaster you are supporting. Enter as many projects as you like! There is no minimum yardage requirement or limit to the projects you can enter. If you use more than one podcaster product/design/bag/etc on one project, you may create multiple entries for that project. For example: Knit the Zigzagular Socks by prairiegirlsusie using yarn by Oh! Loops and use a project bag by thefatsquirrel, you can enter that project into the FO thread 3 separate times, just link to each podcaster seperately in each post. A note about project bags: a project bag may only be entered into the contest one time for an entry. (You can’t just keep using a podcaster project bag over and over and entering the contest that way). The same applies for stitch markers. Wips count! Just finish them between June 15 and September 15, 2016. You must be a member of the Actually Knitting Podcast Group to win. Have fun supporting a podcaster designer or yarnie! Please support as many different podcasts as you can! Please do not chatter in the non-chatter thread. It makes it more difficult to draw a winner! Use the tag PALKAL2016 here on Ravelry and #palkal2016 on Instagram. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple dip! Today I will highlight our Cameo Sponsors who are donating prizes for the KAL. For more information, check out the threads on Ravelry in the Actually Knitting Podcast Group.    Jenn Sheelan Designs and Podcast     Lilliput Yarn     One Twisted Tree/Prairie Girl Danie of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast      The Relentless Knitting Podcast     The Twisted Stitches Podcast     Unwind Yarn Company/Dana from the Just One More Row Podcast     I am also highlighting the prizes being offered by these Top Billing Sponsors. These sponsors have donated prizes as well as coupon codes. More information about all of this can be found in the threads on the Ravelry group, but today we will focus on the prizes.    Ancient Threads Farm Etsy Shop and Website/Podcast        A skein of yarn, winner's choice.      Ann of the Carolina Fiber Girls         Copy of the Fletcher's Falling Leaves Sock Pattern       Brenda Castiel Designs        3 Patterns of winners' choice Daniela Richardson from Caffeinated Knitting        5 Patterns from her Ravelry Store.      Janis Ficker/ of the Carolina Fiber Girls         Copy of her 10 Day Sweater Pattern      C.C. Almon from the Geeky Girls Knit Podcast         Copy of her ebook, Coffee with C.C.      Jennifer Lassonde of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast         Copy of one of her patterns from her Ravelry Store   Knitting Daddy Greg of the Unraveling Podcast          2 copies of his Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat   Mary of the Kino Knits Podcast          Copy of her Adrenaline Junkie Sock Pattern    Kristine Beeson of the Yarnings Podcast          Winner's Choice of pattern from her Ravelry Store     Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast          5 patterns from her Ravelry store and one winner will receive a shawl quantity of yarn from Quince           and Co.    Sarah Shoo of Cultivate and Create Podcast          3 patterns from her Ravelry Shop   Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast          Copy of one of her patterns from her Ravelry Shop   Ashley of Twist Fiber Studio and the Twisted Stitcher Podcast           Project bag of winner's choice from her Etsy Shop   Zombody Knits             A project bag from her Etsy Shop   Jan Hamby of the Twinset Designs Podcast           A Noste-Demi and Noste-Mini       Please check out the threads on Ravelry for photos and more information and remember that all of the Top Billing Sponsors have provided coupon codes as well, which you can also find in the Ravelry group.     World Wide Knit in Public Day I had a great time at World Wide Knit in Public Day this year. I got to see old friend and meet some new ones, and of course, I bought some yarn! I couldn't help myself!!   Lollipop Yarn has a new line of yarn and it's delicious!             I also purchased a skein of yarn from Spun Right Round at the LYS Warm and Fuzzy in Cary, NC.       My next yarnie event will be Rhinebeck in October!      Podcast Premiere Little Yellow Uke Podcast  Little Yellow Uke on Etsy      Daizie Knits Podcast Daizie Knits on Etsy   This Episode is brought to you by Fiber to Fabric Magic, makers of the wildly popular, & exclusive, Needle Keeper. This innovative tool was created by Claudia, a knitter, and her engineer husband, to protect delicate knitting needles from damage while on a project in your knitting bag. Claudia had broken several pair of 00 wooden sock needles by being jostled around in her knitting bag and was desperate to find a way to protect her delicate, and expensive circulars. That was the Needle Keeper's original intention, but...it has turned out the Needle Keeper is perfect for keeping your live stitches from falling off the needle, and for protecting the joints (the needle to cable area). Extremely lightweight, practically indestructible, you can shove everything in your knitting bag and never worry. They make reaching into your bag and grabbing your project worry free, no dropped stitches!     They come in 12 beautiful, bright colors, which makes them easy to see deep in your bag! Buy a different color for each project, contrasting against the current yarn color, or color-code for the type of project you're working on. Knitters LOVE them, read the nearly 1,000 5-star reviews on Etsy and pick up a few. The coupon deal for the PalKal 2016 is buy 4 and get one free from their Etsy shop, Fiber To Fabric Magic! Put 5 in your cart and one will ring up FREE. Claudia will be giving away 2 Needle Keepers to a lucky listener of this Podcast, and you get to choose which colors you'd like!     Knitting Talkback: Yarn (The Movie)  I was recently sent a screener copy of Yarn and I really enjoyed it. It was a different take on the fiber for me, but I found it really interesting and informative. Check out the website for more information about where you can see this film.    Non-Knitting Segments   One Pot Wonders One Pot Summer Vegetable Pasta One of the easiest recipes I've made.      Love it or Leave it This one is a combo! I both love and leave cleaning out clothes that no longer fit me!    Other News and Notes Running Updates I am training for my marathon and having some issues on my runs, but fighting through it. I ran a charity run on Sunday, #CharlotteRunsForOrlando, and I have a race on July 4th with my friend Karen.    Book Updates I finished reading and/or listening to:    I Know I am But What Are You? By Samantha Bee   Prada and Prejudice by Katie Olver     I started reading and/or listening to:  A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain   Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari     Briefly I mentioned that my grandparents live in Rainelle, West Virginia, the site of some major flooding last week. They are (thankfully) ok and their home was spared, but they are lucky to live on a mountain. The town was completely destroyed, many people lost their homes and everything they have. If you are interested in helping, check out this article on The Huffington Post for information.