Podcasts about shinybees

You may or may not have heard before about the infamous folklore that is the Boyfriend Sweater Curse, also known as The Sweater Curse. The Love Sweater Curse occurs when a knitter undertakes to knit a jumper for a significant other, and this leads to the breakdown of the relationship - sometimes before the recipient has even received the gift! In a 2005 survey, 15% of knitters reported having experienced this very curse. 41% believed that it might be true. SO it's worth knowing about, even if you don't believe in it. This subject came up as I am about to -finally - undertake knitting a jumper for my massive husband. On the way to the knitting, the topic of Wiganese food is covered in some depth, including the Wigan Kebab, Babbie's Yed and Smack Barm Pey Wet. It is via this high carb and extremely beige route that one's Southern husband - who has some very questionable chip habits - came to earn the honour of having his very first jumper knitted for him. Remember - it's a barm cake. It's not a bap, bread roll, bread cake, cob, muffin or any of that nonsense. We'll have no trouble, here! Full show notes at www.shinybees.com/162 - bread based controversy on any social where I'm @Shinybees. Music for this episode is 'I Need A Drink' with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys and is available to download via iTunes.

Socktober lends its inspiration this week, where I have a rundown of ten previous banging' Shinybees episodes that cover some great sock themed content. There are a couple of interviews, as well as some expert advice from Clare Devine on the Sock Surgery, all handily signposted from this episode. You'll find all the links in the shownotes at shinybees.com but here is the shortlist: Ep 27 - Toe up or Cuff Down For Socks Ep 29 - How to Make Socks That Fit Ep 33 - How to Fix Your Socks When They Go Wrong Ep 35 - Cast Offs For Socks Ep 38 - Louise Tilbrook - Everyday Knitter 'Science by Day, Socks by Night' Ep 43 - Short Rows for Socks Ep 53 - Knitting Socks for Summer Ep 62 - Kate Atherley - Custom Socks Ep 68 - Socks Yeah - Rachel Coopey In other news, I've completed my Snawheid and had the sewing machine out to sew up a split crotch (not mine). I've welcomed in a new family member to Shiny Heights - Dave the Mini - and have been drawing unnecessary police attention. Also in this episode is some information about Developmental language Disorder. I've just signed up to be an ambassador for raising awareness of DLD. You can find more at RADLD.org. Music for this episode with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink', available from iTunes. Full show notes at www.shinybees.com/159

Eight years of the Shinybees Knitting Podcast means today is my Octopodiversary! Not sure if that is even a real world, but I'm now going to own it on the whole internet. This show is a roundup of my top 8 episodes of the past 8 years. Maybe you're a new listener and haven't gone that far back yet. perhaps you've been listening for a while - maybe since the beginning - and have forgotten these episodes. I'd forgotten some of the stuff and I was in them! There are some soundbites from each episode for your listening pleasure, which should bring a smile to your face and a giggle to your heart. 1) Ep 36 - The One With The Circus Music and a Trip to New Lanark Mill 2) Ep 3 - The C Word 3) Ep 34 - Making it as a Knitwear Designer with Kate Davies 4) Ep 55 - Vintage Shetland Project - An Interview with Susan Crawford 5) Ep 13 - The Cat in the Hat 6) Ep 51 - Still Got It 7) Ep 118 - British Wool, Sourcing and Labelling with Joy McMillan of The Knitting Goddess 8) Ep 120 - Rusty Ferret with Leona-Jayne of Fluph Full show notes at www.shinybees.com/153 Music for this episode very kindly provided by James Milmine (original composition) and Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink' - available from iTunes.

We're back after a regrettable rain and laptop-based accident, which caused an unplanned break in the schedule. If you decide to do yoga outside, remember to bring your computer back in when you are finished. If you live in the North, it's probably going to rain, even if it is cracking the flags currently. A two-week break from any sort of work has encouraged me to pick up the needles again. I'll tell you about that a bit later. Interiors and Decorating I've made the most of the unscheduled break by having some decorating work done in the house. Farrow and Ball's Stiffkey Blue is the colour of choice for my spare room/office/podcast ‘studio'. Stiffkey is a dark blue, which I had colour matched at Valspar as it's more cost effective than buying Farrow and Ball paint. I'm a massive interiors fan. The current options for styling are an Edwardian Gentlemen's Club vibe or something a little softer. Being a huge lover of Victoriana, Scots Baronial architecture and bank lamps, I'm sort of leaning towards the Gentleman's Club approach. Interiors I am looking to source more locally since lockdown. I've been a supporter of provenance in knitting yarns for a long while. As long as we know the provenance of yarn, it allows us to make informed choices about what we purchase. Taking this forward, I'm looking to expand this care and attention to supply chains and sustainability to everything I bring into my house. Yarn-wise, you should definitely listen to Ep with Joy McMillan, where we discuss yarn provenance in great detail. This is one of my all-time favourite interviews. Labour Behind The Label This campaign group has written a report about the state of some of the factories in Leicester that are supplying fast fashion online retailers such as BooHoo and ASOS. You can find the report here and they are @labourbehindthelabel on Instagram. Unclear Labelling and Misleading Marketing I bought a cupboard this week from an online store that gives a very ‘British' appearance in its marketing. When the item arrived, it said ‘designed in the UK' on its box, but said it was ‘made in PRC'. This annoys me, because many people don't know that PRC is the full name for China, and it feels like it is deliberately trying to hid the fact that it is manufactured there. It's more sustainable to have locally-manufactured things, so I'm actively trying to do that. I'll be joined soon on the podcast by UK Manufacturing expert and champion Kate Hills, from Make It British to discuss the UK wool manufacturing industry. What I'm Knitting Still working on the Compass Sweater by Tin Can Knits. I'm now on the sleeves and am really loving the result so far. It's going to be really cosy. It's knit in Excelana DK, from Susan Crawford Vintage. Future Knits I'll be casting on Orchidacea by Susan Crawford in Nurturing Fibres Supertwist DK. Eight Bit Geekalong by Lattes and Lamas has massively caught my imagination. It's a free pattern for a mystery knitalong for a colourwork sweater. The swatch clue is already available and the first proper clue is dropped on August 2nd. This pattern is only available on Ravelry [WARNING: there have been some problems for users on the Ravelry website and the Epilepsy Foundation has issued a seizure warning for the website. Do not use it if you may be at risk]. The Queen Bee Pullover, also by Lattes and Llamas looks to be in my future. Surely the Shinybees needs a bee themed colourwork pattern! Susan Crawford Vintage New Website I've been revisiting a lot of Susan's back catalogue recently as I'm planning to re-embrace the tank tops I was so fond of wearing in my earlier years. I used to be very fond of vintage clothing, so I have been looking at some vintage style patterns. There are some really nice patterns, such as the Jan Sweater and the Sun Ray Ribbing Sweater. You can find these and all her other patterns at susancrawfordvintage.com Full shownotes are at Shinybees.com/151 Credits Musis for this episode is with very kind permission of Adam and The Walter Boys with ‘I Need a Drink'

Hi everyone, Here are the show notes for episode 2.2 - Multicraftual! Just 1 more row There hasn't been a huge amount of knitting in the past two weeks but there is some progress being made on the Emma top and a lot of pondering about what to make next! My Tiger King socks can be found here: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/AuntieAipee/tiger-king-socks Link to the yarn can be found in the show notes for episode 2.1 Ballerina wrap top: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ballerina-wrap-top  Julie Twist top: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/julie-twist I love love love this yarn: https://www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/Naturals+Bamboo%2BCotton+DK/0_caea447_CAFA232.htm   Yarn Fumes My yarn fumes recommendation for this week is the beautiful Dusty yarn from Beehive Yarns - Beth's gorgeous yarns can be found here: https://www.beehiveyarns.com and she has 10% off for this Bank Holiday weekend only!   Being Sewcial Despite the lack of knitting, there has been quite a bit of sewing going on over the past few weeks... Stella Joggers by Tilly and the Buttons: https://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2018/03/stretch-stella-hoodie-joggers-sewing-pattern.html Mine can be found on my Instagram account @knitspincake Face coverings: https://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2020/05/how-to-make-diy-face-mask-with-video.html Embroidery kits by Hawthorne Handmade: https://www.hawthornhandmade.com/collections/embroidery-kits but I bought mine from Rosie at https://slipstitchldn.co.uk/collections/kits  Fifi Pyjamas: https://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/fifi?variant=3463714372 Alexa Jumpsuit: https://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/alexa-digital Patternsy is the place you can get all your patterns printed onto A0 copyshop paper and they do a beautiful job! https://www.patternsy.com  Bralette advice from the wonderful Madalynne Intimates: Fitting Barrett: https://madalynne.com/5-tips-when-sewing-fitting-the-barrett-bralette/  Plus size vs full bust: https://madalynne.com/plus-size-lingerie-versus-full-bust-lingerie-whats-the-difference/?goal=0_7d94c6bf1b-8a123c06ac-334224717&mc_cid=8a123c06ac&mc_eid=879979d912 Adding foam: https://madalynne.com/how-to-add-foam-cups-to-the-barrett-bralette/?goal=0_7d94c6bf1b-8a123c06ac-334224717&mc_cid=8a123c06ac&mc_eid=879979d912   Back to nature In the back to nature segment this week come with me on a rambling journey around my local patch and enjoy the sounds of nature in spring!   Loose Ends This week Craig joins me again and we ramble our way through book, tv, movie and podcast recommendations including: I (Aimée ) am reading Early Riser by Jasper Fforde and the Now Effect by Elisha Goldstein Craig is still reading Dune, despite not being able to remember if he has previously read it, and has also picked up The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert. He mentions the foundation around this practice and it can be found here: https://www.compassionatemind.co.uk Tv watching has been mostly Lucifer but Craig is also watching WestWorld whilst I am laughing my way through Russell Howard and Mum roadtrip re-runs! Podcast recommendation for this week is Shinybees and you can find out all about Jo and her fab podcast here: https://www.shinybees.com  As always you can find me in the following places... Instagram @knitspincake Email knitspincake@gmail.com Blog knitspincake.blogspot.com    Thank you all for listening!

Hello and welcome to another slightly strange episode of the Shinybees podcast. This episode has not followed my usual inspiration and research process and I think at the moment, that's ok. I have some knitting patterns for you today, and I will be talking a bit about what I'm up to. I'm going to try and keep away from labouring the finer points of the virus, as we're all hearing enough about that from other sources. I will talk about some of the things that I am doing and thinking, in the hope that it might help you. Either way, it will record some of this for the future when I forget all about it, much like the mishaps that I have blanked from memory that I have shared with you in the past. Shoutouts This episode I have shoutouts for Maureen Dubary in Johannesburg, South Africa and Jennifer O' Brien in Australia. I'm working on getting a shoutout from Joe Wicks for the kids on Joe's PE Lessons. I'm going to try having an unusual name, unusual location and timing the comment to be one of the top ones when it gets to the break. I shall keep you updated of my success or otherwise in this noble quest. If you would like a shout out on the podcast, just send me a message. Everyone loves a shoutout. Listener question – school I received a question from a long time listener, Daniele, regarding what I am doing about school for my kids. My children already follow a sort of distance home school package, and are being set work by their teacher, like a lot of other kids right now. I'm not worrying too much about getting it all done, and am prioritising physical exercise, eating well, staying well and adequate rest over anything else. I am not going to stress about getting the school work done with everything else going on. Nobody in the world is really at school right now, so your kids won't be behind. It's not a priority right now as far as I am concerned. I'm teaching them lots of other stuff we don't usually have time for, such as cooking, nutrition, life skills. For PE you can join the lessons with Joe Wicks. If you want extra sheets or resources, Twinkl is great. You can also download Sal's recommended websites here. Community - I'm still looking at a community platform for us to get together whilst avoiding Facebook etc. I'll be doing Virtual Knit Nights as well – look for details on those soon. Knitting Patterns for DK Jumpers I'm still struggling to find nice DK patterns for a jumper. Whilst there are a lot of colourwork patterns around, I'm looking for a single colour pattern and there isn't much around. Suggestions welcomed! Virus Patterns - As I've been scrolling the Rav database at length recently, I've stumbled across a couple of patterns that are aiming to help foodbanks during the current crisis. Lockdown by Robynn Weldon of Studio Miranda. This is a free pattern to learn brioche – there is a suggested donation of $10 to the Trussell Trust or Food4kids. Don't Touch Your Face by Nicola Susen of Nicolor Designs. This is a free pattern for a cowl and is part of a wider #solidarknitty collaboration between German designers and dyers to assist German food banks. You can find out more about that here. Covid19 Coronavirus Stuffie by Randi Marchant is a pattern for a replicas of the coronavirus. It's $3.60. I found it very anatomically correct and therefore quite impressive. The Coronavirus Cloth by Alli Barrett is a pattern for a knitted dishcloth. It's $2.40 and all proceeds will go to local foodbanks near St John, NB. That's all for this week. If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or your favourite podcatcher. Music for this episode is by Adam and the Walter Boys, available on iTunes.

Today I have been talking to Jo Milmine from Shiny Bees. Jo is a former RAF Aerospace Battle Manager who turned her love of knitting into a multi-award-winning podcast series. Since August 2012 Jo has hosted the Shiny Bees podcast, a show about knitting and yarn mixed with snippets of Jo's life and a lot of comedy goodness Originally started as a hobby to fill her time during a posting to Africa Jo built a location independent business to move wherever she was posted. She now records podcasts whilst traveling the world, and Shinybees was awarded ‘Best UK Podcast of 2016' at the New Media Europe Awards and ‘Most Engaged Audience of 2015' at the UK Podcast Awards. Jo also works as an online business strategist, helping creatives plan their businesses and so this episode is jam-packed with handy business tips, even if you never picked up some knitting needles. I loved chatting to Jo, she's funny, informative and so very inspiring so I hope you enjoy this episode with Jo Milmine from Shiny Bees.

Be a Bigger Fish is a podcast series that explores the power of podcasting to grow your business or your community. In this episode, Jo Milmine tells us how she found connection through podcasting - first as a listener and then as a podcaster. Her multi award-winning podcast, Shinybees, is all about knitting, comedy and yarn.  Find out more about how Jo has created a community around her podcast, and how pickled onion flavour crisps can help you create a successful podcast!

Speckled yarn is the marmite of the knitting world right now. Outrageously popular, thanks to patronage by the likes of Stephen West and Andrea Mowry, speckles are so hot right now. Or are they? A straw poll of hardcore Shinybees listeners suggested a 66/33 split between Hot and Not. A lot of people expressed speckles as being something you need to be in the mood for. But what are speckled yarns? These are yarns that are dyed onto yarn that is a majority of one main colour, with random spots, splodges and flecks of other (often multiple) colours on top. This can be achieved using a variety of different methods, and differs from variegated yarn in that the colours are more randomly spaced and generally shorter lengths. Who are your favourite speckled yarn dyers and designers who create great patterns for these tricky to use yarns?  Also in this episode I give you a quick catch up of where I have been hiding for a year and also what you can expect from the podcast going forward. Spoiler: I am in camp Not :)

Knitting seems to be the default example anyone in the medium will give when making the point that you can podcast about anything. And this week's guest Jo Milmine is doing exactly that with her show Shinybees. Not only is she podcasting about knitting though, she's actually having a lot of success with it too, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

Knitting seems to be the default example anyone in the medium will give when making the point that you can podcast about anything. And this week’s guest Jo Milmine is doing exactly that with her show Shinybees. Not only is she podcasting about knitting though, she’s actually having a lot of success with it too, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

As Ravelry is disappointingly light on actual dalmatian patterns, I'm afraid this episode will not contain a pattern pick, but there will be a few of the usual segments you know and love. And a bit of mini Paul Rudd. Events-wise, coming up we have Yarnporium in London on 5-6 November. I'll be attending on the 6th: please say hi if you see me. And if I am holding any yarn, take it from me. Please. I have two tickets to give away - to enter leave a comment on the show notes on the Shinybees website. Tickets will be given away next week. The following weekend is Festiwool in Hitchin, Hertfordshire on 12th November. In Enabler's Corner, I enable you to Northern Yarn. Kate is based in Lancaster and has a great range of local breed, hand dyed and her very own yarn line called Northern Yarn. If you're into local wool or knitting British, she's definitely worth a look. Find her at northernyarn.co.uk. Wippin' Piccadilly returns. Finished items wise, there is the Talisman Shawl by Helen Stewart in The Wool Kitchen Urban Hints yarn. Nearly finished is the Lush Cardigan by Tin Can Knits in Berry Colorful Yarnings. I'm not loving Frisson by Brittany Wilson, as the pattern is not as fun as I had hoped, although it looks great. Yarn by Toil and Trouble for The Golden Skein. I have plans for Kindling Hat and Mitts by Helen Stewart (Knitvent 2015) in yarn from The Little Grey Sheep. I ask for your best hat recommendations for knitting for the family. Let me know your favourites on Ravelry or on social media. I need enabling! Full show notes are at shinybees.com Music by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

The tonne! A century! Episode 100 is upon us and a hearty thanks to all of you that have listened, do listen and are new to listening. Welcome one and all. Two topics of conversation this week, one of which contains zero knitting and a lot of the young Wigan version of Paul Rudd and his fit-for-his-age Dad. Don't ask... To celebrate episode 100 (and total credit to one Countess Ablaze for this idea) I am instigating The Great Shinybees Hexipuff Amnesty. Got Hexipuffs? Want to donate them for a good cause? Post them to Countess Ablaze's studio in Manchester then clear your diary for the Great Swinton Sewing Bee (keepers' Quilt). In support of Monthly Gift Mcr, all proceeds from the raffled off Beekeepers' Quilts (and party) will go to the supply of sanitary products to this charity for distribution to homeless women. #hexipuffamnesty and #sodhexipuffs are your hashtags of choice. I am team #sodhexipuffs, but for every 100 that arrive, I'll actually knit one of the buggers.  Show notes of crazy (and Paul Rudd) at shinybees.com. Music for episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink.'

This is the multi-award winning(!) Shinybees podcast, winner of the Best UK Podcast of 2016.  Thanks to everyone who voted for the show. If you want to see the video of the acceptance speech, it's in the show notes.  Knitting wise, I have been working mostly on Helen Stewart's Talisman Shawl from her Shawl Society club. It's being knit in Urban Hints 'Blood Orange' from The Wool Kitchen. The #RewindKAL has completed from a prize point of view, but we can keep going with the chat thread as I'm still nowhere near done. I have realised that I am not a slow knitter, I just don't spend enough time knitting. The Golden Skein's Summer Power of 3 Club featured Eden Cottage Yarns, Dublin Dye and Triskelion Yarn. You can find all details at www.thegoldenskein.com. Signups are open 1-7th July for the Autumn quarter 2016. Show notes are at shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Jo Milmine is an award-winning knitting podcaster, consultant, and creative business owner. Jo works with business owners on strategy, marketing and systems, helping them to beat overwhelm and grow their business with confidence.Jo is the podcaster behind Shinybees and one of the owners of the The Golden Skein, an online business providing exclusive, custom dyed yarns from independent dyers from across the globe.

Jo Milmine is an award-winning knitting podcaster, consultant, and creative business owner. Jo works with business owners on strategy, marketing and systems, helping them to beat overwhelm and grow their business with confidence.Jo is the podcaster behind Shinybees and one of the owners of the The Golden Skein, an online business providing exclusive, custom dyed yarns from independent dyers from across the globe.

So....it's been a while since we've gabbed at you, hasn't it? Our apologies for the delay in getting this episode out; Allison was away at TNNA and our kids are in the final push for the end of the year, so it’s been a bit manic. So for this episode we thought it might be best to have a catch up. Shout outs, news and events: 1) HUGE shout out to everyone who joined us for our first ever WWKIPDay event. It was great to see so many new faces and we hope to see a lot of you back at knit night. Sorry we forgot to take pictures! Ack! 2) Shout out too to Karie Westermann, who has funded her Kickstarter for her book, This Thing of Paper. Karie has more than doubled her fundraising goal and we couldn’t be more pleased for her. Kudos Karie! 3) Another shout out to our friend Carmen from A Yarn Story in Bath. This week in the UK people are voting on whether or not the UK should stay in the EU. Carmen wrote a blog post about how a Brexit could potentially affect her business. Take a look. 4) Our awesome podcasting pal Jo Milmine of the Shinybees podcast won this year's Best UK Podcast award. We're well chuffed for her. Congrats Jo! 25-26 June - Woolfest, Cumbria 1st July - tickets for GLYC 2016 go on sale!!! 16-17th July - Yarningham, a new show in Birmingham 16-17th July - Jyväskylä Summer Knit Festival, Jyväskylä, Finland 30-31st July - Fibre East, Ampthill, Bedfordshire  GLYC 2016 update: Less than two weeks to go before tickets are on sale! We’re still looking for volunteers to help make this event great so if you think you might be able to help us out, please get in touch! Tickets will be £18 and you can get them directly through our website at yarninthecity.com. All net proceeds from the event will again be donated to Refuge, and we will also be collecting knitted items for Knit for Peace. Every knitted item gets you an entry into the raffle for a huge basket of goodies! London Craft Guide update: The London Craft Guide is now available in France! The book is still in English though… You can now find it at Boutique Le Comptoir and l’Oisive Thé et Tricot and La Bien Aimée in Paris. Our London Craft Guide CAL (Craft-along) is in full swing! Be sure to tag your social media shares with #LCGCraftalong on Instagram and Twitter, or LCGCraftalong on Ravelry.   What we’re working on Rachel has had a bout of startitis. She's still working on a test knit for Kettle Yarn Co., but has also cast on for the Kippen Cardigan by Kat Goldin, a Neat Ripple baby blanket from Lucy at Attic24, and the Talisman Shawl from Helen Stewart's The Shawl Society. Allison is still working on the Toddler Hoodie, and is recovering from TNNA. Oh the yarn fumes! Catching up: Boy is there catching up! TNNA, new jobs, summer plans, and more.   *** Thanks so much for listening! Please leave us a comment or send us an email at hello@yarninthecity.com with your thoughts, or let us know what you think via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also find us on iTunes or Stitcher Radio (and please consider leaving a review for us!), or download us directly from the Yarn in the City website.   On Wednesday nights you can find us at knit night at The Goat on the Rise pub on Battersea Rise, close to Clapham Junction station in SW London. We meet from 7pm to around 10pm. The food is great and the knitters are friendly. Join us!  Music (all available on NoiseTrade): Come to Light - Arkells Bittersweet Summer - Stephan Lucka

Karie Westermann joins me this week as my interview guest to tell us all about her journey into designing knitwear. Also a teacher and writer, Danish-born Karie calls Glasgow in Scotland her home since moving to the UK. A regular contributor to knitting magazines and publications as well as independent and commercial yarn companies, Karie became self employed two years ago.  Author of the Doggerland collection, Karie has now embarked upon her first actual print book project - This Thing Of Paper. Previously a book historian, she will be bringing all this knowledge to the new project, which is funded by a Kickstarter (fully funded within 25 hours!) Kara's journey back into knitting came as a result of quite a serious illness that left her sick in bed for nine months. It was during this time she returned to knitting, which aided in her recovery and became her main occupation shortly afterward. You can find everything about Karie at kariebookish.com Show notes are at shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink.'

Military Operation With Jo Milmine Jo Milmine is an award-winning knitting podcaster, consultant, and creative business owner. Jo works with business owners on strategy, marketing and systems, helping them to beat overwhelm and grow their business with confidence. Jo is the podcaster behind Shinybees and one of the owners of the The Golden Skein, an online business providing exclusive, custom dyed yarns from independent dyers from across the globe. You may connect with Jo via Twitter or through her website. From the military to knitting Jo joined the military straight from university as an aerospace battle manager. She met her husband, go married, and had a baby. It was during this time when Jo started listening to podcasts and knitting. […] The post Military Operation with Jo Milmine appeared first on New Media Europe.

Alpaca is under the microscope this week as a fibre focus for the next few episodes. Before we move onto that thought, I have news for you as always. First up, the podcast is up for two New Media Europe Awards. Please follow the link in the show notes to cast your vote BEFORE 29th May, when the first round of voting closes. If you want your award back (you are an award winning audience after all!) then you need to get involved. Also in news the #RewindKAL is ongoing. I have just cast on my Lush Cardigan, so plenty of time to join in still over on Ravelry or on social media with the #RewindKAL. I have some great prizes lined up from Suffolk Socks, Knitting in France and The Golden Skein with some more in the works. There will be a break in the podcast broadcast schedule following next week's episode, so there will be no episode on 24th and 31st of May. The show will return on 7th June. In Enabler's Corner we have Lezley Taylor's awesome crochet hook keyrings and stitch markers. Head over to Ravelry to enter the competition to win one of these as well as a set of stitch markers. Finally we look at alpaca as a fibre as a quick overview before diving into more of a focus on it in the coming episodes. There is a mention for Sir Titus Salt who introduced the fibre to the UK in 1836 and I direct you to the British Alpaca Society's Alpacapedia. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is provided by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

This week I am joined by Estelle of Midwinter Yarns.Specialising in Scandinavian yarns, Swedish-born Estelle runsMidwinter from her home in the rural Welsh Valleys.Aided and abetted by her husband Mark, also known as MrMidwinter, she delights in bringing the best yarns Sweden has tooffer to the UK, in her quest to share the culture of herhomeland. Originally an interior designer, Estelle started her businessafter moving to Wales. She'd often thought of starting a businessbut it was the move and having more space that made it a reality.She's a self-confessed endurance knitter.You can find everything Midwinter Yarns at www.midwinteryarns.comShow notes are at www.shinybees.comMusic for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Needa Drink'.

Chat abound this week! Catching up is the order of the day. LJ completed the marathon and her derriere is fine, thank you for asking. Yarn Shop Day is on Saturday and I am looking forward to diving face first into The Countess' Tunnock's. That's not a euphemism; she will have a tower of Tunnock's. If you can't come to Manchester, why not check out what's happening in your area? If you're abroad - stage your own Yarn Shop Day. In Enablers' Corner, I invite you to be enabled to the ME box. It's a monthly stationery subscription box. If you struggle to find the right sort of cards, this could be the answer to your stationery woes. It's £15 inclusive of postage and you can sign up at martineellis.com between 1st and 7th of every month. In Scottish yarn news, there's the Loch Ness Knit Fest, 29th Sep - 2 Oct 2016. Also, get yourself to Pitlochry next weekend, 7th May at the Atholl Palace Hotel. Dingwall Auction Mart hosts the Highland Wool Fest on 21st May 2016. I have some emails from lovely listeners. Props to Westy for looking after his fans and producing funny videos by taking the mickey out of himself. I take a look at The Knitting Goddess' new yarn, Totally British 4ply. It's an 85% Wensleydale, 15% Shetland blend which is grown, spun, processed and dyed in the UK. It's a great way to access breed yarns with the added benefit of lovely hand dyed shades too. I rather like it. It comes in at 400m/100g and retails at £18.50 per skein. Finally I ask the question, "Is The It?" for the stash accumulation.  Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

This week I am pleased to welcome the lovely Helen Stewart onto the show. Designer and voice of the award winning Curious Handmade podcast.  Originally from Australia, Helen is quite the nomad and loves travelling. She began designing when she moved to London. It was a part-time venture for a while, until after he second daughter was born. Having become increasingly unhappy in her corporate role and keen to create a situation where she could have flexibility to be with her girls, she took the big leap into designing as a business at the end of 2013. She launched the Curious Handmade podcast around that time and has hosted the weekly show ever since. She finds inspiration for her designs in many ways but most frequently whilst travelling. High points of her journey have been winning an award for her show, as well as having the opportunity to meet so many interesting and influential people. You can find everything about Helen at curioushandmade.com and her podcast is on iTunes and Stitcher. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.

This week I bring you lots of things to be inspired by. The reference to Paula Abdul is not covered within the show but encompasses the idea of 'two steps forward/two steps back'. First up there's news about Shiny's Hive, and a party to be remembered at Countess Ablaze for Yarn Shop Day on 30th April 2016. Come and join lots of us fun folk between 10am and 5pm and get involved in the fun. Isla of BritYarn will also be there with a trunk show. British Wool a gogo. I review Yarn In The City's London Craft Guide. It's a crafty guide to London, with lots of insider tips for food and refreshments along the way. It comes with 11 patterns for ghat all important holiday crafting too. You can find everything to do with the book at www.yarninthecity.com Finally, we have Wippin' Piccadilly with Voodoo by Boo Knits (yes, still) and Frisson by Brittany Wilson. Lush by TinCanKnits for the #RewindKAL. Shownotes are at www.shinybees.com Music is by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'    

Helen Reed of The Wool Kitchen is my super-fun sidekick this episode. Helen is a hand dyer based in Walthamstow in East London, although originally she's a Northern bird, albeit from the wrong side of the Pennines (Yorkshire). She worked in retail prior to becoming a mum, and once her kiddies were going to school, she decided to start The Wool Kitchen as a business to indulge in her creative side. A colour addict, you can expect wild and vivid skeins from Helen. Even the pared down colour ways are still bright and lively. The colours need to be released from her head onto the yarn, to allow her to be more colourful and be more creative. Helen was encouraged into yarntrepreneurship by her evil accomplices at Knit Night and hasn't looked back. She loves to meet new people both in real life and virtually, so you'll find her hanging out most on Instagram (or by her brightly coloured yarn on her stall). Helen has foolishly offered her Desert Island Skein up as a giveaway this week (let's hope she isn't shipwrecked anytime soon) and you can enter via the thread on Ravelry in the Shinybees group. You can find Helen as @thewoolkitchen on Instagram and Ravelry as well as her shop on Etsy. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com. Music is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Larissa of Travelknitter is my guest this week on the podcast. Fans of the show will know I am a big fan of her work, in particular her sorcery ability when it comes to creating red yarns. It's a hard colour to dye and she does it so brilliantly, I've collected one of every of her red colour ways.  Larissa is based in East London and is originally from Australia. Travelknitter is a part-time operation that was born out of her need to find exactly the right kind of red yarn (a girl after my own heart). She has lots of great tips for running a business as a side venture as well as very interesting details about how and where she dyes her yarns. Larissa dyed a colour way for The Golden Skein in the Autumn 2015 club. You can find Larissa at www.travelknitter.com Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Shout outs: iTunes reviewers and some lovely Ravelry messages about the podcast and the book - thank you! Also huge shout out to podcast interviewee Clara Parkes, whose new book Knitlandia landed on the New York Times bestseller list! And we have a winner for the skein of Tamar Lustre blend from Blacker Yarns! News and Events:  16th April - A Yarn in the City talk and book signing at Knit With Attitude in London. We'll be talking about how we got started with the Great London Yarn Crawl and how the rest of our events, and now our book! grew from there. 23 - 24th April – Wonderwool Wales, Builth Wells Fairgrounds. We're going for the day with the London Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers, and the coach is now full! What we're working on: Rachel has finished her Honey cowl and that's all. Allison finished her Heggelia mitts and has started a sweater for a new baby and is faffing about trying to find something else in SweetGeorgia Yarns to knit. Free Your Skeins! We have a lovely chat with Jo Milmine of the award-winning Shinybees podcast and the Golden Skein yarn club, about how she started her podcast, building community, bringing people together and why you should use your precious, special skeins. New Giveaway - Wool Tribe! We have a cheeky last-minute giveaway as well - a copy of the hotly sought after Wool Tribe, the official program to Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2016. To enter, leave a comment on these show notes by end of day Easter Monday (March 28th, 2016) and tell us your favourite memory of EYF either this year or last year, or one that you say while watching the festival from afar on social media. We'll announce the winner on episode 34 of the podcast. *** As always, please let us know what you think through comments on the show notes, send us an email at hello@yarninthecity.com or via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can find us on iTunes or Stitcher Radio(and please consider leaving a review for us!), or download us directly from the Yarn in the City website.   And on Wednesday nights you can find us at knit night at The Goat on the Rise pub on Battersea Rise, close to Clapham Junction station in SW London. We meet from 7pm to around 10pm. The food is great and the knitters are friendly. Join us!  Music (all available on NoiseTrade):Find My Way - Brooke Annibale1000 Ships - Rachel Platten

This week we have a friendly catch up post Edinburgh Yarn Festival. I reassure listeners that knitting on a train with beads is indeed a perfectly safe activity. Come and hear the rundown of Scotland's premier knitting festival. It's not done to death, just a few highlights including my notable mentions for Beyond Measure, Cowtown Knits and Tilly Flop Designs and the Best In Show... which is like Crufts, only without dogs. We round up with the three dyers from the spring quarter of The Golden Skein. Go and check out Whistlebare, Snail Yarn and Sparkleduck. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

This week Gemma Dudley of The Little Grey Girl joins us ahead of her first ever show at Edinburgh Yarn Festival. Purveyor of stylish, handmade bags and notions, The Little Grey Girl is the perfect place to find a beautiful receptacle for your knitting. Gemma opened The Little Grey Girl in October 2015 and runs it as a side-business from her main day job. A creative at heart. TLGG allows Gemma to explore this and escape from the office environment she inhabits during the day. A huge lover of hand dyed yarns and the colour grey, you'll find her at www.thelittlegreygirl.com. Shownotes for the episode are at www.shinybees.com Music is by Adam and the Walter Boys - 'I Need a Drink'.

Nic Rudd, dyer behind Yarns From the Plain and voice of the popular podcast of the same name is our guest this week on the show. Based on the Cheshire Plain in north-west England, Nic began her career as an industrial chemist working in the nuclear industry, before moving into what could be considered an equally hazardous environment as a primary school teacher. Having been curious about dyeing for some time, she began to sell her excess stock at local guild meetings, before taking the leap into it as a business, alongside studying for an HNC at Bradford. A fan of all things British, her yarns are no exception and you can find some interesting blends amongst the Stanley range, which is available in 5 weights. She has lots of tips for making business work that she freely shares, along with her unbridled passion for Microsoft Excel. Listeners can get a juicy 15% discount in the Yarns From The Plain shop with the code SHINY15. You can find Nic and links to all her social media, as well as the blog and podcast at www.yarnsfromtheplain.co.uk. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com You can become a Patron of the podcast and join our Virtual Knit Night at www.patreon.com/shinybees Music is by Adam and the Walter Boys and is 'I Need a Drink'

I'm delighted this week to have Helen join us on the show to tell us about her journey into dyeing. I've admired her work for a long time (and asked her to collaborate with The Golden Skein twice as a result) and always enjoy the way she tells the stories of the yarns she creates and the way she's inspired to do so. Helen is based in Assynt in the Scottish Highlands and finds endless inspiration in her surroundings and the traditions in the area. She grew up in Southern Africa before moving to the UK in her late teens and has always been surrounded by making and crafting. She began Ripplescrafts after she and her husband, Stevan, moved to live in the Highlands full time from the Scottish Borders. You can find her at www.ripplecrafts.co.uk Shownotes for this episode are at shinybees.com. Music this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink.'

This week has news, reviews and the potential theft of a bottle of IPA. Yes, it's still a knitting podcast, but we do enjoy a real ale on a regular basis. First up you can now join me on Anchor and Snapchat as @Shinybees. Prep is ongoing for the #RewindKAL - you can join in over on Ravelry in the Shinybees Podcast group. I also reveal my word for the year. I've never done this before but I feel it's in the spirit of the word to do so. I'd love to hear yours! Edinburgh Yarn Festival is taking place 17-20 March 2016. I will be offering a session in the Podcast Lounge on how to build a content calendar for your blog or podcast on the Friday afternoon and an informal Q&A on anything business or podcasting related on Saturday afternoon after the Podcaster Meetup, which will be taking place 12.30-2 both days. For those that come, I'll be offering a free power hour consultation to one lucky draw winner. If you can't make it, never fear: I'm going to repeat the sessions via webinar in the two weeks after EYF. TI'll also make the replays from these available for download. To sign up for these (completely free!) go to http://eepurl.com/bRAWz1 Enablers' Corner warns you at going to www.countessablaze.com and looking at the clubs (closing 1 Mar) and The Rt Honourable Ronaldsay is highly likely to result in a stash based indiscretion. You probably won't escape without buying the lovelies and these yarns are rebels which refuse to be tamed! To wrap up, I have a first look at Blacker Yarns Tamar. Show notes available at www.shinybees.com Music from Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'. Pass that IPA...

Who knew that Craig David him-very-self would inspire an episode of a knitting podcast? Well, it's happened as this week I pay homage to his ability to not age one bit in a decade and still have perfect eyebrows and corkscrew curls. Shoutouts to Trish, Jeny and Betsy and join in with the Fish Lips Kiss Heel pattern giveaway over in the Ravelry group, where there are still plenty of folks looking to gift patterns. The podcast Patron virtual knit night takes place on Thursday 18th Feb 2016 at 2000GMT. To join in, become a patron at $5 or above. Details at www.patreon.com/shinybees. Project bags are now available in the Swagporium at £4+P&P February events include Unravel at Farnham Maltings in Surrey. I will not be attending. Enablers' Corner sends you to a fab tutorial by Clare Devine for the German Twisted Cast On. there will be plenty more where that came from, so be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel to get all the goods! Rewind KAL is the name of our next KAL starting on 13th March. If you have ever knitted a pattern in a KAL (or otherwise) and wished you could go back and re-live the experience, this is the KAL for you. Likewise if you'd always wished you'd taken part in a KAL when you didn't, and regretted it, come and knit the pattern now! I will be knitting another Lush Cardigan by Tin Can Knits in Berry Colourful Yarnings Sparkle DK. Hashtag for the KAL is #rewindkal and there will be a virtual knit night for all those who are taking part. Finally, there's a review of Take Heart: A Transatlantic Knitting Journey by Fiona Alice. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'

It's Zoolander-aplenty this episode as I come rip-roaring (sort-of) back from having the flu. Zoolander 2 is out on 12th February and Zoolander is one of my favourite films of all time. I a bit love Ben Stiller. Imagine my surprise, then, that there are indeed no patterns on Ravelry for anything Zoolander themed. Not one. Not even a cheeky little amigurumi Hansel... So, don't kill the president of Micronesia. Just chill out a bit more. Relax, Derek! In Enabler's Corner, courtesy of Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade and Paula of Knitting Pipeline, I enable you to the Fish Lips Kiss Heel pattern. Let's get the Sox Therapist and her kids together for a big reunion. Breast cancer ain't fun. I am offering to gift a pattern to the first ten people that reply to the thread in the group on Ravelry. There are a pair of Edinburgh Yarn Festival tickets up for grabs in a giveaway on the Ravelry group. I'll be attending and taking part in the Podcast Lounge again. You can find all the details at www.edinyarnfest.com Wippin' Piccaddilly has Owligan by Kate Davies, Voodoo by Boo Knits and a pair of afterthought heel socks in yarn from The Golden Skein. Future knits are pretty much any hat by Clare Devine (Tea Collection) and Frisson by Brittany Wilson, available from Ravelry. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.  

Glasgow-based knitwear designer and purveyor of super-cute stitch markers, Amanda B Collins, is our guest on the podcast today. Amanda has been designing for a few years, producing patterns for the UK knitting press, including Knit Now Magazine and Pom Pom Quarterly. She has also released her own designs in self published collections as well as a series of shawls inspired by Glasgow. Spoiler: 'Bru' is a favourite of mine. A doctor by day, she designs in the evenings, when she's not playing Wacky Races in her yellow Fiat 500. We discuss all manner of things, along with the usual questions you'd expect in the interview section. Be warned, there is some deviation down quite funny rabbit holes. Interview starts at 2:30. You can find Amanda on Twitter as @owlprintpanda and she blogs at www.owlprintpanda.blogspot.com Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Time to own up to my knitting goals for 2016 after the chat last week about goal setting. I'm planning to knit 4 garments - Owligan by Kate Daves, Mallorn by Ann Kingstone, Lush by Tin Can Knits (again! x 2 perhaps!) and Raindrops, also by Tin Can Knits. If you're fretting about stash or just have ambitions of making it feel under control, or indeed you just want to start the year off by loving what you have, check out Curious Handmade's Stash Appreciation Month.  Join our virtual knit night by becoming a patron of the podcast at www.patreon.com/shinybees In Enabler's Corner, I direct you to listen to episode 34 of this podcast with Kate Davies. Kate Davies Designs has just been announced as a finalist in the UK Microbusiness of the Year Awards. Amazing stuff. Being a knitting business does not mean it isn't a 'proper' business and Kate has some great words of advice for those looking to start out in the industry, as well as some stellar banter about rhino bums. The Beadalong has come to a close and I draw your attention to some wonderful projects that have come out of the KAL/CAL. Stay tuned for the next group fun. Finally I introduce to you the dyers for the Winter quarter of The Golden Skein's Power of 3 yarn club. Go and check out Samantha of Scrumptious Purl in Canada, Helen of Ripplescrafts in the Scottish Highlands and Ana of Toil & Trouble in Salem, Mass. There are no spares available but you can find out more and join the club at www.thegoldenskein.com/clubs. Signups close 26th January. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Got knitting goals for 2016? Lots of wild plans? Let me help you get super focused with my five top tips for knitty goal setting. For not the first time on the podcast, we talk about David Bowie's package and Labyrinth. Join us on the first Shinybees Virtual Knit Night by becoming a patron of the podcast over at Patreon. In Enabler's Corner, it's about KALs again with the Nature's Shades KAL at KnitBritish and the Vintage KAL at The Golden Skein. Then we have a lot of chat about goal setting. Lots of people hate goal setting. Goal setting for knitting can help you achieve your ambitions this year, done well. I have put together 5 tips for setting goals so you make progress without being overwhelmed. In the review section, Woolly Wormhead's 'Painted Woolly Toppers' takes centre stage. It's written for hand painted yarns and comprises of ten patterns for hats. It's a great looking book with lovely styling and very interesting construction on the knitting front. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and The Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Welcome to the first show of 2016! This week it's all about planning your knitting calendar when it comes to attending shows. What are the top tips for survival? I'll share mine with you today! Podcast news, there's more detail on both the podcast Patreon and the Shinybees Swagporium. Also, check out my interview with Kathryn Bryant on the Podcast Divas show. Enablers' Corner features Katya Frankel's new mini-collection, Flatland: Adventures in Geometry. There's a giveaway of Ann Kingstone's Lace Knits. In a new segment, I give you the yarn events for this month - Waltham Abbey Wool show on 17th March. In order to prepare you fully for this year's yarny festivities I've also included my top tips for surviving a yarn show. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys and 'I Need a Drink'.

This week it's all a bit festive and we're discussing dogs in comedy Christmas knitwear and that infamous Christmas tradition of the nativity. In Enablers' Corner, I encourage you to check out Tin Can Knits' 12 days of Christmas, where each day they are giving away one of their patterns for free! Find them at www.tincanknits.com. In the final Sock Surgery for 2015, I bring together five festive sock patterns to celebrate the yuletide season. I've also pulled together some ideas for gifts for the sock knitter, including a very last minute suggestion if time has totally run away from you. A huge thank you to Clare Devine of Yarn and Pointy Sticks and Kate Read aka Sock Kate for their contribution to the Sock Surgery this year. In podcast news, I'm starting a Patreon for the podcast, which will be going live on Friday 18th December. This will go towards funding the running costs as well as upgrading the podcast equipment to give you a better listening experience and improving the offering by having a virtual knit night. There will also be a swag shop opening as in the survey you asked for one - what the Award Winning Audience wants, they get! The podcast will always be free at point of use, but if you'd be willing to buy me a coffee per month, you might want to support the podcast. Show notes are available at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys'.

This week it's a chatty catch up for the most part, with some news on renovations/maintenance issues at Casa Shiny. Roofers: know your limits! Enablers' Corner directs you to the sale at Whistlebare Yarns. Get 20% off mohair lovelies over at www.whistlebare.co.uk, hand dyed and produced on the farm. Want to meet this small producer? Check out episode 72. There is also some chat about a visit to the Countess Ablaze studio in Swinton, Manchester. Her hand dyed fabulousness knows no bounds; I'm a fan girl and I am not sorry. Wippin' Piccadilly returns with a brief canter through ongoing knitty projects including Owligan by Kate Davies, Be With You/Voodoo by Boo Knits and some socks that cannot be elaborated upon yet, as they're in yarn from the most recent quarter of The Golden Skein. I wrote for Wovember! If you like wool and you haven't already, go over to www.wovember.com. The Shinybees celebration yarn and podcast swag should be available this week. Get on the mailing list to be the first to hear about it. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music is 'I Need A Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.

Alice Elsworth, our guest mohair expert, returns to the podcast for an interview to talk about life as a farmer in rural Northumberland in the UK. Alice keeps a herd of mohair goats at Whistlebare Farm and her four young sons keep a flock of Wensleydale sheep! Alice has her yarn spun into a Mohair/Wensleydale blend and hand dyes the yarn herself on the farm, which is sold at various shows and online under the brand Whistlebare Yarns. If you've ever wondered what it's like to live and work on a small farm, this interview is for you. In the news section there is some beadalong chat along with a call for those who fancy knitting some advent Frankensocks. Details are in the Ravelry group. You can find Alice at www.whistlebare.co.uk where there are links to all her social media as well as details of shows and where you can find the farm to visit in person. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

This week it's all about lace and felt on the show (still with a smattering of mohair after our focus on the Diamond Fibre of late).  Enablers' Corner welcomes the Felt-Ed Kit Club 2016. Introduce yourself (or your children) to the wonders of wet felting with this monthly club. With 12 projects, it would be a great rainy day project or ideal Christmas gift for kids. It's also an ideal intro to the craft for adults curious about making felt. The monthly kit is accompanies by a worksheet and a video tutorial to accompany the project, created by a trained teacher. You can find out more at www.felt-ed.co.uk. Then we have a review of 'Lace Knits: Magical Methods for Openwork Knitting' by Ann Kingston. For those not familiar, Ann is a Yorkshire-based knitting designer and author, with an armful of books to her name. There is a precis of the patterns as well as my thoughts on the techniques section and the book as an overall offering. Spoiler: I like it. It is available at www.annkingstone.com Show notes are available at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.

This week I am delighted to welcome beaded shawl design maven and all round lovely lady Bev, aka Boo Knits to the show. Having long been a fan of Bev's aesthetic, I knitted the Shawl of Awesome for the NMEU UK Podcasters' Awards from one of her patterns, Out Of Darkness.  Boo Knits patterns are the perfect choice for those who want to create a complicated-looking shawl with minimal effort. Simple and easy to follow - even for a beginner - there are a variety of shawls which would make perfect first beaded projects. One of Bev's designs, Be With You, is one of the featured patterns for the #Beadalong, starting on 18th Nov 2015 over on Ravelry. Bev encourages you all to knit only with yarn you truly love. Warning: contains enabling. You can find Boo Knits primarily on Ravelry, where there is a very active and welcoming group to get involved with. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Male knitter? Want to knit socks for the man in your life? Rachel Coopey joins me this week to discuss the finer points of knitting for men, particularly in the sock department. There's also a Q&A with Alice Elsworth of Whistlebare Yarns in Northumberland, who keeps a flock of her own Angora Goats and produces yarns from their own animals, which she hand dyes on the farm.  The details of the #beadalong are announced. Cast on is 16th November at 8:30pm GMT, live on Periscope (@Shinybees) and the end date is 10th January 2016. Three patterns for knitted beaded shawls have been nominated in the thread in the Ravelry group along with one crocheted section. You can choose any beaded project you like, though, if none of these patterns work for you. Use #beadalong on social media so we can all follow each others' progress. Sign up in the thread on Ravelry. Show notes as always are at www.shinybees.com. Music is provided by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

More mohair is the name of the game this week, where the focus of the episode is on mohair yarns that are available on the UK market mostly (and several are available in the States and elsewhere). In news, we bid a fond farewell to the iMake podcast after 87 episodes. Martine was the person who inspired and enabled me to podcast by taking the time to share her knowledge on the technical aspects. She's also grown to be a dear friend and I wish her the best of luck in her new creative venture. Thank her for me being here using the hashtag #thankyouMartine. In Enablers' Corner, I invite you to check out Little Grey Girl. Run by Gem Dudley, it's a emporium of knitting frippery and project bags to delight those with an eye for grey and also those who want a project bag that shies away from crafty twee and towards classic style. Then it's all about mohair. I round up some choice hand dyed, commercial and from the producer, single farm type yarns for you to try in your adventures with mohair. Show notes are available at www.shinybees.com Music from this episode is by Adam and the Walter Boys and is 'I Need a Drink'.

National Knitting Week is upon us: what's on your needles? This week's episode has some podcast and knitty news to kick off proceedings, followed by a chat about Yarndale 2015 and a round up of current and finished knitting. In parish notices for the podcast, I will be moving house back to The Money Pit in the very near future. The podcast is planned to remain on schedule throughout this geographical disruption. Also, I have set up a newsletter for the podcast, which you can join at http://eepurl.com/bBMENL and will include all the latest podcast news along with some dogs in comedy knitwear. Also, there's a listener survey for you to take part in. I'd love to hear your opinions, and will be offering a yarny giveaway incentive. Look out for this on the blog and social media for the link. In woolly news, it's Wool Week in the UK between 5-11 Oct, with most of the activity being focused around London (typical!). The UK Hand Knitting Association is promoting the Commit To Knit charity knitting project as part of National Knitting Week. The Knit A Square charity is in dire need of financial donations to support their operations in South Africa.  The Highland Wool and Textile Fair is happening in Inverness on 17th October 2015. Yarndale is reviewed with my top tips being Rachel Coopey, Town End Alpaca and Laura's Loom. Wippin Piccadilly has a finished Owls jumper by Kate Davies and Out Of Darkness shawl by Boo Knits. Ongoing is a Lush by Tin Can Knits. Shownotes for this episode are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is provided via Music Alley courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys, with 'I Need A Drink'

This week is a pacey canter through the usual format. The show is co-hosted by a barrel of fermenting beer. I'm not even joking. Enablers' Corner returns where I encourage you to check out the map tapestry kits by Hannah Bass (www.hannahbass.com). In news, there are a number of UK yarn shows coming up including Bristol Wool Fair (11-13 Sep), Yarndale (26-27 Sep) and Highland Wool and Textile Fair in Inverness on 17th Oct. The Great London Yarn Crawl was a great show. Check out all the patterns by p-hop to get your knitting fix whilst doing your bit for charity by raising money for Medecins Sans Frontiers. Top 3 favourites from the marketplace for me were: The Wool Kitchen, Travelknitter and Midwinter Yarns. The pattern pick makes a dive-like return this week, with babies in moustaches and shell attire for pet tortoises, all around the theme of Super Mario. Shownotes for this episode are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is provided via Music Alley and is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

Custom Socks a go-go as we welcome author, technical editor and pattern designer Kate Atherley to the show. If you're interested in learning how to write clear patterns that any knitter can use to recreate your design for themselves, Kate has some great tips and lots of experience to share. Likewise, she provides us with her top sock knitting tips in anticipation of returning to the Sock Surgery to close the interview. In news, the Shawl of Awesome is progressing nicely. Also, Sally Cameron of PinkHairGirl Podcast has released a pattern to help raise funds for the Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. The Phoenix Hat pattern is available vis Ravelry and there is a video embedded in the shownotes, where you can hear Sally and her daughter Rachel talk about the project. Shownotes for this episode are available are available at www.shinybees.com Kate Atherley can be found at www.kateatherley.com Music for this episode is as always provided via Music Alley courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Yarn in the City is proud to be sponsored by A Yarn Story. A Yarn Story specialises in hand-dyed yarns and luxury fibres. They carry yarns from indie dyers near and far, such as The Uncommon Thread, SweetGeorgia Yarns and Life in the Long Grass. Find them at www.ayarnstory.co.uk, or in Bath on Walcot Street in the heart of the Artisan Quarter. What's going on: Allison was interviewed on Episode 7 of the SweetGeorgia Yarns podcast - go have a listen and enter to win a Soakbox! Jo Milmine of the fabulous Shinybees podcast, who very kindly interviewed us in Episode 54, has been nominated for the UK Podcasters Awards in two categories. Hooray Jo!!!! Click here to go and vote for Shinybees (don't forget to scroll down to get the Best Games and Hobbies category). 3rd September: Kate Atherley will be teaching her "Math for Knitters" class at A Yarn Story in Bath. 5th September: The 3rd edition of the Great London Yarn Crawl, and the Yarn in the City Pop-Up Marketplace, which will include the Indie Designer Spotlight. You can follow along with all the pre-Crawl chatter in our Ravelry group. You can also go here to read about our collections of charity knitting for Knit for Peace. 6th September: YITC workshops on Knit Design and Pattern Writing with Kate Atherley, Soho, London 8th September - 3rd October: Waste Nothing - Finding a Home for the Discarded, an exhibition by the London Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers happening at the crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London. 18-20th September - The Handmade Fair, Hampton Court Palace 26-27th September - Yarndale, Skipton Auction Mart, Yokshire 3-4th October - Swiss Wulle Festival, Zug, Switzerland 18th October - Come hear Heather Ordover of Craftlit and "What Would Madame DeFarge Knit?" fame talk about "What Knitting Does to Your Brain: the many benefits of knitting (and crocheting) - this time backed by 95% more science!" - tickets will go on sale 1st August. 23rd-26th October - Autumn Gwlana, Beggar's Reach What we're working on: Allison has finished her Reverb Shawl by Felicia Lo, which she did in a gradient bundle of Party of Five from SweetGeorgia Yarns. Rachel is still working on a series of accessory designs for The Fibre Co, in their lusciously chunky Tundra yarn (60% llama/30% merino/10% silk). But while on travels around the US visiting loads of yarn shops in the guise of checking out potential places to live, she fell down and got a kit for the Aranami Shawl by OlgaJazzy (Rav link) from Knit Knack in Arvada, CO, including some gorgeous Frabjous Fibers Wonderland Yarns.  Celebration: We are celebrating our 20th Episode (yay!), the Indie Maker community in London and the UK (hooray!), and also got to talk to Sue Blacker of Blacker Yarns about their very special 10th Birthday Celebration yarn, Cornish Tin. This yarn is made from a blend of ten different fibres, and comes in a 4-ply or DK weight. Sadly, it is only available in very limited quantities - for those of you going on the Yarn Crawl on Saturday, both Nest and Knit with Attitude will have Cornish Tin available, in advance of it's official release on 18th September! Blacker Yarns very kindly provided us with a sample of the yarn to play with AND a full skein of the 4-ply in Wheal Rose Red to give away to one lucky listener! To enter, leave a comment on this post and tell us what pattern you'd knit with this yarn. We will pick a random post as a winner. Entries are open until 11:59 pm BST on 10th September, 2015. Thanks for joining us again! You can find us on Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, or go leave a review for us on iTunes. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback with us, and please come say hi at any of the events we're attending if you get a chance! Everyone is also more then welcome to come join our Wednesday night knit group from 7-9 pm (or longer) at The Goat on the Rise, Clapham SW11 1EQ. We'll be there the rest of July, but on hiatus for August, with plans to start back up again after the big GLYC weekend in September. Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade)Loneliness & Alcohol - Jars of ClayMorning Light - The Dirty Guv'nahs

We're welcoming Linda Lencovic of Kettle Yarn Co to the podcast to tell her story and introduce us to the Boardwalk Collection. Linda is based on the South Coast of England and specialises in glorious colourways on yarns that are extensively wear tested, for those who believe in fashion that lasts. This episode of the Shinybees podcast is sponsored by Yarn In The City. Yarn In The City creates experiential, yarn-centric events for knitters and makers, designed to bring people together through a shared love of craft. Yarn In The City organises the Great London Yarn Crawl taking place this year on Saturday 5th September 2015. For more information go to www.yarninthecity.com Linda has just collaborated with some of the hottest designers on Ravelry to produce the Boardwalk Collection, designed in her Islington DK base, a heady blend of 55% Superwash Bluefaced Leicester and 45% Silk. You can find links to the collection lookbook, details on where to find Linda as well as our sponsors in the shownotes at www.shinybees.com  

Ever wondered what it's like to crowdfund a book? Susan Crawford, knitwear designer and fashion historian is my latest interview guest on the show. Purveyor of all things vintage and woolly, Susan has published 4 books already, which are stocked in the V&A, Waterstones and the British Library. Four years in the making, Susan's latest project, the Vintage Shetland Project, is about to come to fruition and she is in the midst of a pubslush campaign to fund the initial print run of the book. This amazing project brings vintage knitwear from the Shetland Museum archives to life, with 25 items featured in the book, all with patterns transposed from the original garments and graded for size, to make them available to be enjoyed by knitters today. Come and get to know Susan in this laid back episode and hear about Nana Ruby, Susan's sprightly Zwartbles and how she'll never audition for The Island... You can find Susan over at www.susancrawfordvintage.com where you'll also find links to her social media. The Pubslush campaign is here. Shownotes can be found on the blog at www.shinybees.com as always. Music is provided courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'. available from Music Alley.

We're back with a little light enabling in the form of the #Scollaykal in Enablers' Corner this week. Head on over to KnitBritish and BritYarn to find out more. In news, it's Woolfest this weekend coming and I am looking for a roving reporter to give us the skinny on what the show was like. Want to help us with our MakeItFit2015 statistical analysis? head on over to our survey and input your vital statistics (and a few other measurements). In Wippin' Piccadilly, there is Lush by Tin Can Knits, Owls by Kate Davies and Guardian Angel by Sally Cameron. Finished objects include Aestlight by Gudrun Johnston and Lapsang by Clare Devine. How do you store your finished objects? There's lots of chat on how to store stash, but what about all the stuff you've knitted? There are some outtakes from The Beast which cover a couple of yarn reviews. And lion hair. Shownotes as always are at the blog - www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink' available via Music Alley.

This week there's a little news about the Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl in Edinburgh at the weekend. In Enablers' Corner, we're all about the kits, 'bout the kits, no trouble with Latvian Mitts and Yarnundyed-knits. In the Sock Surgery, we welcome back Clare Devine to review Coop Knits Socks Vol II by British deisgner Rachel Coopey. Finally, due to popular request, there's a perfume review of Tribe, by Coty. Shownotes and links are at www.shinybees.com. Clare Devine can be found at www.yarnandpointysticks.com. Music for the episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink' available via Music Alley.

Summer is on its way. Honest! This week, we're looking at summer knitting and which yarns to go for when creating projects for the hotter weather. News wise, I encourage you all to check out Yarn Shop Day by Let's Knit Magazine. This initiative supports 160 local yarn stores nationwide and there are a variety of events in yarn shops on the day within those shops. Yarn Shop Day takes plave on Saturday 2 May 2015. Brityarn is a new online yarn store, launching on 2 June 2015. With an emphasis on provenance, BritYarn is guided by its Woolly Principles in choosing what to stock and sell.  BritYarn is committed to supporting British businesses in all respects. You can find BritYarn on Ravelry and at www.brityarn.co.uk Enablers' Corner sees an exploration into plant based fibre yarns, specifically cotton, bamboo and linen. The pros and cons of each are discussed, as well as a selection of commercially available and hand dyed yarns with each type of fibre.  The yarn review is of Blacker Lyonnesse, a 50% linen, 50% wool (Falklands Corriedale and Merino), due to launch on 1 May 2015. It comes in five shades and a neutral in both 4ply and DK weights. It costs £5.75 per 50g ball. I review the DK in the colour way 'Aquamarine'. It wil be available from www.blackeryarns.co.uk Shownotes are available from www.shinybees.com. Music for this episode is via Music Alley and is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys, with 'I Need a Drink'.

Short rows are for life, not just for Christmas. We embrace the short row this episode in the Sock Surgery, where Clare Devine joins us again and we start our new sock for April. In Enablers' Corner, we chat about the #hapalong being run by Louise Scollay of KnitBritish. Ever been interested in traditional Shetland knitting? Now's your chance to learn a little more! There's a giveaway of a skein of Wollmeise to members of the Shinybees Ravelry group. To enter, hop over to the thread on Ravelry and tell me what your favourite bit of the podcast is. The Sock Surgery introduces the short row heel and different methods for doing short rows. Clare also reviews Big Foot Knits by Andi Smith and there is a giveaway on her blog at www.yarnandpointysticks.com. To ensure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your podcatcher of choice, or on the blog to receive notifications straight to your inbox. As always, shownotes are at www.shinybees.com and music is provided by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink' via Music Alley.

This week, I'm delighted to bring an interview with Stephen West of Westknits. I caught up with Stephen at Edinburgh Yarn Festival where he proclaimed brioche stitch to be the stitch of the year and indeed the new garter stitch, recounted fangirling Ysolda in the early days of his design career and declared Tosh Merino Light in Edison Bulb his Desert Island Skein. No swants were harmed in the making of this podcast. Shownotes for the episode are at www.shinybees.com. Music is provided via Music Alley by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

When your favourite author shuffles off his mortal coil, there's little else you can do but pay homage in a knitty fashion. Following the death of Sir Terry Pratchett, this episode could certainly be described as a knitty tribute. Enablers' Corner takes a non Pratchett-driven form with a rundown of the first quarter yarns from The Golden Skein. These were UK dyer Joy of The Knitting Goddess with the colour way 'Golden Wings Flutter By', dyed onto the Britsock base. This is a 40% BFL, 20% Wensleydale, 20% Alpaca and 20% Nylon, British sourced and spun. Secondly, there is Swiss-based dyeing duo Fides and Gaby of Siidegarte, with the colourway 'Butterfly'. This is dyed onto the Siide-Quirlig base, a heady blend of 70% Silk and 30% Seacell. Finally, there's the fabulour Michelle of Berry Colourful Yarnings, with the colourway 'Peacock's Revenge', dyed onto the Saturated Sock base. This is a 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon base and is a self-striping yarn. The pattern pick is back, with less emphasis on the comedy and more on a collation of Discworld themed patterns. A brief history of Discworld time is offered for the uninitiated. In the Sock Surgery, it's all about afterthought heels. Get that self-stripe out my friends! Clare also introduces a new book review section to the Sock Surgery. This episode is a review of Sock Architecture by Lara Neel. Clare's verdict: not for beginners, but and excellent companion book for those interested in more technical knitting aspects. There is a giveaway running for this book at www.yarnandpointysticks.com As always, full shownotes are available at www.shinybees.com

If you like to knit your socks both toe up and cuff down, you're probably already familiar with British designer Louise Tilbrook. If not, listen in for her take on all things yarn and running a business within the industry by night, and working as a scientist during the day. In Enablers' Corner, there;s a quick rundown of Edinburgh Yarn festival purchases, with mentions for Knockando Woolmill and Whistlebare Yarns. The main interview segment is with Louise, where we cover all the usual questions that you hear in the entrepreneur interviews. Finally, Clare Devine rejoins us with her top tips from knitting toe up socks in the Sock Surgery. Shownotes, as always, are availabel at www.shinybees.com. Music from this episode is from Music Alley and is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.

We're all about enabling this week on the podcast. The latest knitty news is on the agenda, along with some world class enabling and the official announcement of the Sock Surgery Year of Socks. New Year's Resolutions. How do you do yours? Do you have crafty resolutions each year or do you go down the word of inspiration route? I am a big proponent of just making changes when they need making rather than waiting for New Year. This year I will stop knitting knitwear that is too big and knit to my proper size!  2015 is the year of knitting to my figure. Waspish waists and 50's styling are go! #FreeYourSkeins2015. This is The Golden Skein's take on Project365. Want to get a one skein pattern suggestion per day to enable you to knit your lovely skeins in stash? Walk this way my friends! We will be doing a post a day over on the Golden Skein blog, which we will share around on all the usual social media. Feel free to join in with the hashtag #FreeYourSkeins2015 and show us what you are making or pattern suggestions to be included.  Edinburgh Yarn Festival is taking place on 14 and 15 March 2015 at Edinburgh Corn Exchange, there will be a huge marketplace, workshops and the podcast lounge amongst other exciting things. There are some great vendors that you don't see everywhere as well as a great Scottish contingent! Sock Surgery Year of Socks will be kicking off in episode 31, due out on 18th January and casting on the following day, 19th January. The socks for the first month will be top down heel flap construction and Kate will be following Clare's Tarsi pattern. For those who would like to try something different but still with that construction, Clare will be doing a pick of 5 patterns at various skill levels to enable you along no matter what your experience levels! The hashtag for this will be #SockSurgery. Come and join us! Full shownotes for this episode can be found at www.shinybees.com  

It's a yarn, comedy and sock knitting palooza this episode as we review WTF Knits and welcome Clare and Kate for the Sock Surgery. It's time for your luxury yarn fix, with the latest offering from The Golden Skein. Check out our yarns from Knitsch in New Zealand, BaT'at in Yorkshire and Eden Cotatge Yarns in Yorkshire. There's also an announcement of the #tgsonekal, a knitalong to the pattern "Kunye" which was designed for us by Clare Devine. Details over at The Golden Skein group on Ravelry. There will be prizes. Very nice prizes. Interested in weird and wonderful knitting patterns? I review WTF Knits: Weird Adventures in Wool by Gabrielle Grillo and Lucy Sweet, published by Bantam Press. Available now, it's a cracking little stocking filler that is sure to have you chuckling into your knitting. Want to win a copy? Enter the giveaway over on the blog at www.shinybees.com Finally we have Clare and Kate back on the show for the Sock Surgery, discussing the pros and cons of toe up and sock down for knitting socks. We also revisit the needles choice aspect of episode 25, with feedback and discussion from out lovely listeners. Full shownotes for this episode are available at www.shinybees.com          

Command and Conquer it ain't. Well, maybe. This week sees the latest happenings in my world, along with a quick virtual canter through this year's trip to Yarndale. In Wippin' Piccadilly, the Lush cardigan by Tin Can Knits in Blacker Swan is complete, and Quadratic by David O Kelly at Eden Cottage Yarns is on the needles. A new section is announced in the podcast: the Sock Surgery with Clare Devine and Kate Read. There is a giveaway PALOOZA jointly sponsored by Ginger Twist Studio and Yarn and Pointy Sticks designs. Finally, we have a one on one interview in the Ginger's Hand Dyed studio in Edinburgh, with the ever fabukous Jessica James. Join us as we chat Brigantia, red acrylic and sweaty little piece of chocolate. Shownotes as always at www.shinybees.com. I am Shinybees on Twitter, FAcebook and Instagram. Enjoy!

This week the episode has nothing at all to do with card games and everything to do with yarn. We have a quick intro from my new house, creaks included, followed by a bit of knitting news. Then, there's the triumphant return of the Wippin Piccadiily section, in which we hear why you should listen to Clare Devine and not some random lady on YouTube. Then, the bit you've all been waiting for: an interview with the ever fabulous Victoria Magnus of Eden Cottage Yarns, recorded at Unwind Brighton. She talks all things yarn and business and gives a real insight into her journey into the business, spidery cottage and all. As always, shownotes are at www.shinybees.com.

Blether - Comfort, be it eating, shopping or blankie, what's your comfort? Wots e Craic - Lets Knit September edition, Top Gun Knitting name, You need 2 dice and 6 wrapped presents for the game. Review Section - I review Rebecca Dangers 50 Yards of Fun, Knit a monster nursery, The big book of Knitted Monsters all available via Martingale & Company Publishing Shoppy Section - I have a couple more tartan/tweed tote bags at www.etsy.com/shop/caithnesscraft Coming Up - Yarndale at Skipton Auction Mart 27 & 28 September Highland Textile Fest at Eden Court on 18 October Well, you all know by now I'm going to Maine 21-27 September but you don't all know that Paula has a new pattern out - Upstairs Downstairs Cowl Pass it on has tips from listeners Swap - Next swap sign up thread has opened on Ravelry for a 2015 calendar of your local area or country. Sign up by 30 Sept and post by 15 October. Knitalong - Lush Knitalong - post your finished object (at least 75% done which means to its second arm cast on) to Shinybees finished object thread. Me Me Me - Mens Mittens by Freddie Patmore from The Knitting Book Caithness Segment where we meet Rumbustious George Contact me at caithnesscraftcollective@gmail.com Ravelry group as Caithness Craft Collective on Ravelry as LouiseHunt Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest as Caithnesscraft www.etsy.com/shop/caithnesscraft Music is as ever by the lovely Marc Gunn with Wild Mountain Thyme from www.musicalley.com

Get your game face on, we're going to play. Blether - Games Hello Section Wots e Craic - Rebecca Danger Books, 50 yards of Fun, Knit a Monster Nursery and The Big Book of Knitted Monsters. Thank you Sue. Shoppy Section - www.etsy.com/shop/caithnesscraft for Tartan tastic project and tote bags. Still a couple of Outlander bags available. Castle Fraser Throughout the Year by Aurelie Colas which is a wonderful knitting eBook via Ravelry Pass it on - Wollombidreamer suggests this blog for Kitchener Stitch help. Thank you. http://techknitting.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/easier-way-to-kitchener-stitch-also.html Swap Knitalong Lush Cardigan Knitalong be done by 14 September and there are loads of prizes by following myself, Knit British, KnitSpinCake or ShinyBees chatter threads. Me Me Me - mostly gardening. Drams - Isle of Skye Blended Malt Whisky. Contact info - caithnesscraftcollective@gmail.com  Ravelry as LouiseHunt, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Etsy as CaithnessCraft  Flickr as louisej2010 and www.caithnesscraftcollective.podbean.com

Wots e Craic Mentioning the Dear Green Shawl by Anna Fisk via pHop Undone Capelet by Catchloops, Elanor King, Pebble Beach Shawl by Helen Stewart The Golden Skein yarn club http://www.thegoldenskein.com/ New podcast - Plutionium Muffins via iTunes or http://www.plutoniummuffins.com/ Shoppy Section Please visit www.etsy.com/shop/caithnesscraft for some new tartan project bags including Outlander Inspired Ancient Fraser Tartan bags. Swap Cake Swap - Post by 20 August One Cake recipe and 3 cake related items. Knitalong Lush Cardigan by Tin Can Knits.  Follow the chatter around Knit British, ShinyBees and Knitspincake podcast groups on Ravelry. Brilliant prizes and lots of blethering going on. Me Me and Meeeeeeeeee Section Totally Vanilla Socks by Socktapus Beginners Lace Shawl by JuJu Vail via the Loop London website Lush Caridgan by Tin Can Knits Drams with a Kilchoman Single Malt Whisky Contact me at caithnesscraftcollective@gmail.com  Ravelry as Louise Hunt and Group is Caithness Craft Collective. CaithnessCraft on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Flickr as LouiseJ2010 Music is by Marc Gunn with Wild Mountain Thyme via www.musicalley.com

Tune in for the latest knitting news on upcoming events in Brighton and Edinburgh. There is a rundown of all the gossip from The Golden Skein and a yarn shop review of The Woolly Brew in Pittenweem. Finally, the pattern pick returns on the theme of 'bunny'. No cats were harmed during thr production of this podcast. Keep an ear out for a slightly vocal cohost!

This episode has, amongst other things, cats in various hats. The secret project - The Golden Skein - is revealed. There is an update and some information about podretreat and a review of a patterned yarn dyeing workshop at Purl City Yarns. Wippin' Piccadilly is back with a disappointing lack of progress on all fronts and there is my favourite pattern pic since the Movember episode. Enjoy!

Hello everyone. Where did September go? Yarndale I didn't record any audio at Yarndale, as it was all a bit overwhelming to be honest. I really shouldn't go to shows when I'm a bit tired and wired, as I buy way more stuff than I need or can process into anything else! It was lovely to meet up with fellow podcasters Jo from Shinybees and Aimee from Knit.Spin.Cake. For a full sharing of my goodies, please listen to Episode 12 of the Shinybees podcast. Finished Objects   In the near two months since I recorded last, I have finished just one sock, a test knit. Pathetic! On the Needles and Hooks During the second week of the holiday I cast on a pair of socks using the sock stripe yarn from The Knitting Goddess that I picked up at Fibre East. These are currently stalled not far from the cuff and susequently mislaid (eek!).   When I got back from holiday I decided to join in the Mystery Sock-A-Long on the APlayfulDay podcast group, but haven't got far on those because I can't seem to pick up the lace pattern easily (limited details here). These are in the same project bag as the stripey socks, ergo they too are missing. Then at the end of August I cast on a Chevron Pullover in Noro Kureyon as part of the Stitched Together podcast's Craft-Library-a-long. Completed the sleeves within a fortnight but have now slowed down due to limited bandwidth. On the coach back form Yarndale last week I started crocheting an Iris scarf in NDS Dazzle HT as part of a kit I bought but this photo was taken once it crashed to a halt over the pale greeny-blue top left. This has now been removed! Last night I also picked up the Dorothy in Sublime merino DK that I bought with my prize winnings form Thame Show. Crafting ADHD? Moi? Something I Really Like Parkrun! Upcoming Events Knitting and Stitching Show, 10-13th October 2013, Alexandra Palace; Crafts From The Dungeon Open Days, Frodsham, 16th & 17th October 2013 Cheshire Guild Friendship Day, Frodsham Community Centre, 19th October 2013 Bakewell Wool Gathering, 19-20th October 2013, Bakewell; Knitting and Stitching Show, 21-24th November 2013, Harrogate. Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

This episode takes us on a galactic journey courtesy of a shagadelic young Shatner as he captains the Starship Enterprise though The Original Series. The news section brings us up to date with the Knit A Square KAL/CAL and we discuss the 4th Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, run by Mimi of Eskimimimakes blog. The Wippin Piccadilly section returns as does the pattern pick, which this week has a somewhat Trekkie feel. 

Hello and welcome to Episode 8 of the Shinybees podcast: Snake Eyes. This slightly rougher around the edges podcast is brought to you again from sunny South Africa. Thanks very much for joining me again after a break due to the arrival of Samuel Douglas. He came in a rather speedy fashion, 5 days late. There was quite a bit of yarn buying going on due to the inconvenience of being late to me, from Loop, Knitting Goddess and Flamboyance Yarns. We start off the episode with a few hellos, and briefly mention the stronghold of newborn night-time waking that is the #3amclub. This is followed up by the latest happenings in Limpopo, including the untimely demise of a Black Mamba in the garden. The pattern pick for this week is also inspired by all things snake. Be careful to avoid Willie the Trouser Snake! All the patterns can be found in the set on Ravelry. In the South Africa section we return to the north to talk about Mapungubwe National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you can see the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers, as well as see Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, all from one spot. Take a treetop walk to see the great grey-green greasy Limpopo River or go on a game drive and see 4 of the Big 5.

Welcome (0:25) Hello and welcome to the show notes for Episode 7 of the Shinybees podcast: Catch up. This is the first episode since the Podcaster hangout with Martine from iMake, Amanda from Craftlife and Laura from Apocalyptic Diner. The audio for the show is Episode 50 of the iMake Podcast or you can watch the video here. There is some lamenting on pregnancy old wives tales and inappropriate belly touching. Thongman is going to be making a guest appearance on the podcast, and I am taking questions for him via email, Twitter or Ravelry. I am enjoying the Africa series on BBC1 at the moment. I was the proud winner of a £5 voucher for the fabulous Flamboyance Yarns. Check out my favourite colour way: Box of Crayons. In the shout out, I mentioned the ‘White and Colourful' projects by Suuf. Go and check them out! Hi to Barb and Tracie from the 2 Knit Lit Chicks podcast, who kindly played my promo in Ep 35. They have been on my list to download for ages and are a great listen. Wippin' Piccadilly (14:48) Only one finished object, miraculously – Adam's Hat. This is a hat for the new Shiny baby, which I finally guilt tripped myself into making. The pattern and yarn are both by Nurturing Fibres. The Stripe Study by Veera Valimaki has been frogged and will remain in exile for now. Damask is back from hibernation so I can try my new Chiaogoo Red Lace needles. Owls by Kate Davis is still ongoing but has not received any attention as I won't fit into it for some time yet! The Mielie socks made a special guest appearance on the Podcaster Hangout, one is complete and the other is in the middle of having the heel turned. Finally for the knitting, I cast on a cardigan for the baby, just an ordinaryKing Cole pattern. Sewing wise, I mentioned the fabric I used for the apron in the Caithness Craft Collective apron swap. I also have made a raft of baby aprons for The Beast from cotton, using a pattern I designed myself. At sewing class, I have been working on a hooded top, as well as some pajamas and a dressing gown for HBM. South Africa (29:40) We travel to Robben Island World Heritage Site to learn about political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Wrap-up (36:05) Thanks very much for joining me again. If you would like to get in touch, I am Shinybees on Ravelry and Twitter, you can leave a comment here on the blog or email me at shinybeesinfo@gmail.com.

Hello and welcome to Episode 6 of the Shinybees podcast. This week, we have another pattern pick in honour of Movember. This is followed by an interview with South African indie dyer, Carlé, of Nurturing Fibres. There are also details of the December podcaster hangout, which will take place on 8 December 2012 at 1900 GMT.

This week we have a return to some old favourites. First of all we have a run-down of recent happenings in Limpopo, followed by a reattack on Episode 3 - The C Word. Random musings feature the theme 'FEAR' and in Wippin' Piccadilly, I share a very special recent project. A trip to Stellenbosch to taste wine is our SA section and then there is the return of the Shinybees Pattern Pick. Enjoy!

This week we have a close encounter of the rhinoceroidal kind. There is a podcast news update and we are joined by Justus for the South Africa section to make some Malva Pudding before we wrap up. You will definitely need a cup of tea to wash that down! Pull up a chair and enjoy.

This week we take a trip to the Kruger National Park in search of the 'Big 5'. For those unable to spot the Big 5, we have the Shinybees Big 5 for your perusement! There is the return of the Wippin' Piccadilly section and we hear why Google is not always your friend, especially in Afrikaans. Show notes, as always, can be found at http://shinybees.wordpress.com

This week, Jo talks about warthog watch. There is an on and off the needles section, and in the South Africa section, Jo is joined by special guest Tanya to discuss the South African social ceremony that is the braai. There is a book review on The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, before wrapping up. Shownotes for the episode can be found here. Grab a glass of Stellenbosch's finest and let's sit round the fire!

Hello and welcome to the pilot episode of the Shinybees podcast. British girl Jo talks about knitting, sewing and crafting from South Africa, along with a liberal helping of South African language, food and culture. Grab yourself a rooibos, a glass of Amarula or the Cape Winelands' finest and cosy up for a bit of chatter.