Podcasts about unwind yarn

This week, I'm talking about my trip to Nebraska.  I visited a friend who raises Icelandic sheep.  Spoiler alert--I brought home a fleece! I'm also excited about Into the Wool, retreat in Crossville, TN, hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn. 

Welcome to the Mastering the Knits podcast!  Natalie starts off this episode with some announcements and extras! Giveaway (1:06) Zip-Top Bag from RainStorm Studios listen to the episode to learn how to enter. Master Status (2:33) Natalie talks about where she is at and how she is stalled on Level 1 but is inspired by being back to podcasting. In our hands(3:55) Autumnal Cardigan by Hannah Fettig using mods from sarie26 using MissBabs Katahdin in Amethyst. recipe of the month :: align mitts by Courtney Spainhower using Rock and String Creations in her fairies garden colorway. Made matching leg warmers. Coziest Memory blanket by Kemper Wray and explained how she’s picking yarns. Spinning Treadle Hanspun Yarns tiddlybits using Pilar, Majacraft Pioneer spinning wheel. Masterpieces (10:35) Barnraising Quilt by Shelley Mackie & Larissa Brown using lots of sock scraps and border using Cascade Heritage Silk in black. On the Road (12:26) Natalie talks about her trip to Into the Wool Fiber Retreat Sept 20-23, 2018 in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and Tiffany from TheProjectBag and talks about Beth aka LikesPudding.  She talks about finding inspiration from many attendees such as Mary Kinoknits podcast/designer, Lisa of Paper Daisy Creations and Stephanie from Tellybean Knits. Raise my hand (15:54) Natalie talks about where have I been and why am I back. She mentions Shaklee. Talks about Rachel Hollis, her book Girl, Wash Your Face and #last90days. Comfort zone (25:56) Natalie talks about her morning routine. Thank you for joining us for series 3 episode 1 of Mastering the Knits.  You can find show notes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our Ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter at @MtKnitsPodcast and Instagram as @masteringtheknits

Mastering the Knits Episode #3b: Board Games Welcome to the Mastering the Knits podcast!  Natalie starts off this episode with some announcements and extras!   NOTE! If you downloaded 4/7/17 please redownload as the uploaded file cut out a couple mins. This episode is sponsored by Greg aka Knitting Daddy and Sunflower Knit Shop. DaizieKnits Giveaway (1:01) Winner announced in episode for DaizieKnits Giveway   Aplitude Pattern Giveaway (2:45) April Giveaway starts now.  To enter visit the Mastering the Knits Podcast group on Ravelry and comment on the episode thread by March 31st, 2017. You can win a skein of her yarn and buttons!  Go comment! Master Status (5:45) Natalie talks about her progress with her TKGA Master Hand Knitting Level 1 progress.  She mentions knitting the mitten and her experience.  She also talks about her next plans. Natalie mentions a Jogless Jog. Masterpieces (8:41) Natalie talks about the matching Baa-ble Hat by Donna Smith she made for herself and her girls that she knit last year.  She also knit matching mittens using the Little Waiting for Winter Mittens by Susan B. Anderson. In our hands(11:37) Natalie talks about working on a spinning project using some natural brown BFL from her stash. Cast on the next stocking for child number 2. The pattern for this one is Grandma's Argyle Sock Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Red.  Also Natalie talks about working on an old WIP the Barn Raising Quilt by Shelley Mackie & Larissa Brown, which was published in Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together.(Amazon affiliate link) She mentions Jasmin from the Knitmoregirls podcast. Natalie knit a new square using Rock and String Creations self-striping yarn. Simply Selfie (16:36) Natalie discusses her life, kids, and family visit.  She talks about family visiting and a fourth birthday celebration. She talks about attending her first Bay Area Knitters Guild meeting. Natalie mentions MadebyMara, Maureen, who we interviewed on episode 19 as she is a Master Hand Knitter and teaches and Criativity in Largo, and Trista, who sells Usborne Books. We had a guest speaker from Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas County. She also discusses going to her Pinellas Weaver's Guild spin/portable projects meet up. Lucy taught Natalie how to weave on the big loom. On the Road (22:35) Natalie talks about her planned trip to Into the Wool Retreat Sept 21-24, 2017 in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company. Comfort zone (23:03) Board games: 2000s version of Trivia Pursuit, Logo, Hollywood Game night, Scattegories, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Stik Stax, and Telestration. Thank you for joining us for episode 1b o f Mastering the Knits.  We’d like to thank our sponsor Daizieknits and Sunflower Knit Shop. You can find show notes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our Ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @MtKnitsPodcast.  Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found as barknknit on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry.  

Mastering the Knits Episode #2b: Spreading Rocks Welcome to the Mastering the Knits podcast!  Natalie starts off this episode with some announcements and extras! This episode is sponsored by DaizieKnits and Sunflower Knit Shop. DaizieKnits Giveaway (1:37) To enter visit the Mastering the Knits Podcast group on ravelry and comment on the episode thread by March 31st, 2017. You can win a skein of her yarn and buttons!  Go comment!   Master Status (3:45) Natalie talks about her progress with her TKGA Master Hand Knitting Level 1 progress.  She mentions talking to Knitpicks.com and picked up some items from Micheal's.  She mentioned Arenda Holladay's video Figure 8 video. She mentions ChelPanda. Natalie thanks Jennifer from DaizieKnits for the shout out on her video cast. Masterpieces (7:43) Natalie finished the stocking for her friend's daughter! She used the pattern Uncle's Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Amethyst Heather.  She mentions using the alphabet letters here.  Natalie talked about two old FO shawls both used for the Into the Wool KAL.  She knit her Pipevine and her Fireside Goose. In our hands(13:26) Natalie talks about working on a spinning project using some natural brown BFL from her stash. Cast on the next stocking for child number 2. The pattern for this one is Grandma's Argyle Sock Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Red. Simply Selfie (14:55) Natalie discusses her life, kids, and family visit. She talks about going to her LYS Stash a place for yarn knit night.  Also talks about attending her first Bay Area Knitters Guild meeting.  On the Road (17:43) Natalie talks about her planned trip to Into the Wool Retreat Sept 21-24, 2017 in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and talks about Beth aka LikesPudding. Comfort zone (18:43  ) Natalie talks about #stpeterocks. Thank you for joining us for episode 1b o f Mastering the Knits.  We’d like to thank our sponsor Daizieknits and Sunflower Knit Shop. You can find shownotes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @MtKnitsPodcast.  Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found as barknknit on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry. Save

Welcome to the Mastering the Knits podcast!  Natalie starts off this episode with some announcements and extras! This episode is sponsored by DaizieKnits and Sunflower Knit Shop.   DaizieKnits Giveaway (2:20) To enter visit the Mastering the Knits Podcast group on ravelry and comment on the episode thread by March 31st, 2017. You can win a skein of her yarn and buttons!  Go comment!   Master Status (5:29) Natalie talks about how she has gotten the updated instructions of the Master Hand knitter program Level 1.  She talks about how she has organized her swatches and binder more and the swatch knitting progress she has made.  She also laid out her plans moving forward to finish up Level 1!  She mentions her bullet journal. Masterpieces (9:00) Natalie talks about her last finished socks using Christmas at the Cabin by Rock and String Creations.  She used a vanilla sock and used fish lips kiss heel.  She talks about trying an 8 inch leg like Alicia usually knits.  Natalie also talks about knitting her sister a pair of iphone mitts by Julie Ridl in some Rain’s Obsessive Stitchery in their Fred Sock in the Annapolis colorway.  Natalie also finished up two different spinning projects both 2 ply fingering weight.  One made from some cormo fiber and another of some corriedale/merino mix.   In our hands(11:02) Natalie talks about only have one thing on the needles and that is her Uncle's Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Amethyst Heather.  She’s making this one for her best friend’s daughter.  She is struggling with the names. She mistakenly said she started them in 2005 but it was actually 2015!  She is also working on a spinning project using some natural brown BFL from her stash.   Simply Selfie (15:28) Natalie discusses her life, kids, and getting back into her local weavers and knitters guild. *She’s looking for a new knitting group meet up not new guild.  Which are the Pinellas Weaver’s Guild and Bay Area Knitters Guild.   On the Road (17:20) Natalie talks about her planned trip to Into the Wool Retreat Sept 21-24, 2017 in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and talks about Beth aka LikesPudding. Comfort zone (18:07) Natalie talks about her new Keirug machine that has a carafe option. Crafting with my prodigies (19:02) Natalie’s girls talk about doing sand art.   Thank you for joining us for episode 1b of Mastering the Knits.  We’d like to thank our sponsor Daizieknits and Sunflower Knit Shop. You can find shownotes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @MtKnitsPodcast.  Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found as barknknit on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry.

Mastering the Knits Episode #20: The Kindness of Knitters     Natalie spun a little on a spindle from a 3D printer!     This episode is sponsored by Main Street Gallery. Main Street Gallery is a local art and craft studio and offers a variety of services for individuals and businesses including custom screen printing, vinyl decals, graphic design, t shirts, custom artwork, murals and much more. Main Street Gallery carries products from local artists and crafters including hand knitted items and cigar box guitars.   Master Status (2:08) Natalie and Alicia discuss their TKGAMaster Knitter Program Level 1 progress.  Natalie talks about meeting Jennifer of Daizie Knits at the Into the Wool Retreat and being super inspired and sharing her inspiration with Alicia.  We are both using Patons Classic Wool Worsted.   Master Plan (8:40) Alicia talks about her new plan to put time towards the program before any other knitting.  Natalie says she plans to finish the swatches before next episode and picking up up books from the library for the essay.     Craft with Us (11:09) ElvesWorkshopalong:  We already have 5 finished objects submitted to the thread and as a bonus we gifted the first submission Joseybug a pattern of her choice. She turned in a Barley hat by Tin Can Knits, which she made for her cousin’s child.   To view details about how to enter, visit the thread on ravelry here.   Please check out and support these sponsors who have been gracious enough to donate to our Elvesworkshopalong. Coupon Codes: Rainstorm Studios Etsy - Closed Sept 3rd through Sept 8th and will open with a new update. Use code: ELVES2015 for 15% off through November 30, 2015 Mint Rain Hand Dyed Yarns:  ELVESWORKSHOP 15% until nov Sew for Ewe on etsy masteringtheknits15 for 10% off to run from sept 1- nov 30th Erin.lane bagsELVES15. FOR 15% the entire shop KnittyKittybags on Etsy elves2015.  20% and active until 12/1/2015. Stash-A Place for Yarn: FiberSeed10. 2 10$ giftcards Lish cast on a sock at a wedding!   In our hands(16:53) Alicia is working on a pair of socks using Knit PicksStroll in Dill Heather Colorway. Natalie is working on the following: Crackerjack cowl by Stacey Simpson Duke using Knitpicks Swish DK in White, Honey, Dusk, Twilight.  We mentioned Knittydaddy’s Crackerjack scarf. Uncle's Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Amethyst Heather. Bristol Hat by Amy Christoffers using Knitpicks Capretta in the Caviar colorway. Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure in Patons Kroy Sock in the Fiesta Jacquard colorway. Started spinning my Charms OWL for the HPKCHC that is going to be about 900 yards of a 2 ply laceweight.       Masterpieces (28:06) Alicia finished anotherWee Hats by Kym HretzPatons Kroy Socks Green Striped Ragg.  Natalie finished a wee 10 yard skein of 2 ply handspun that I used to test drive a MadHatterIdeas 3D printed spindle lent to me by Jennifer of Daizie Knits.   Study Hall (32:09) Natalie will be teaching a sock knitting class at Stash - A Place for Yarn on Oct 10th at 9 am. Taught an impromptu class with Kristin the other night since she had more students that she normally plans. Alicia will have a new fall schedule of classes in the next week. If you are in the area, Like the Main Street Gallery Toronto Ohio Facebook page and to stay in the loop of classes!   Simply Selfie (34:18) Alicia had a wedding and is getting organized. Going to be moving living room to the basement soon. Keeping it short because I want to hear all about the Into the wool retreat.  Natalie talks about getting back into work and Carmen starting soccer. Natalie’s view from Into the Wool.   On the Road (36:17) Natalie talks about her trip to Into the Wool Retreat Sept 3-6th in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and Just One More Row podcast, Daniela and Allie of the Caffeinated Knitting podcast , Fru from the Sassypantsknitter Podcast.  Met so many lovely people, had a fabulous time.  She mentioned her purchases from MarigoldJen.  Came home with a LOT of yarn!  Natalie mentions visiting Bliss Yarn Shop, where she picked up some MissBabs and Haus of Yarns with Beth aka LikesPudding.   Comfort zone (48:49) Alicia discusses further the amazingly generous and helpful knitters. Lise Glas from the Addicted to Sock Knitting Group on Facebook.  Natalie squeals over her my new china cabinet. Thank you for joining us for episode 20 of Mastering the Knits.We’d like to thank our sponsor Main Street Gallery and those donating to the ElvesWorkshopalong. You can find shownotes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @MtKnitsPodcast.  Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found as barknknit on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry.

Lish can’t stop making these wee hats! This episode is sponsored by Main Street Gallery. Main Street Gallery is a local art and craft studio and offers a variety of services for individuals and businesses including custom screen printing, vinyl decals, graphic design, t shirts, custom art work, murals and much more. Main Street Gallery carries products from local artists and crafters including hand knitted items and cigar box guitars. This week’s segments include Interview with the Masters, Craft with us, Masterpieces, In our Hands, In the news, Study Hall, Simply Selfie, On the Road, and Comfort Zone.   Thank you Twinset and Just One More Row Podcast for our shout out!   Interview with the Masters (2:18) Natalie had the opportunity to catch up with Maureen aka knttinmoe on ravelry.     Craft with Us: (16:40) ElvesWorkshopalong:  We are so excited to announce the ElvesWorkshopAlong!  This will be a craftalong for all those, like us, who plan to knit/sew/create holiday gifts for their friends and family.     This craftalong will run from Sept 1st to Nov 30th.  Each item has to start on or after Sept 1st. You have until Nov 30th at midnight to complete the project or multiple projects. To enter we will have an official FO thread on our ravelry group. It will be locked until the start of the along and we ask that you post one entry for each item you finish.   We have some seriously amazing prizes!  We will be selecting winners from the FO thread after the end of the along.  We will also have some prizes in store for superlatives!  We will select one or more winner from those that post their progress or finished items pics on instagram using the hashtag #elvesworkshopalong.     Social media will just be an extra prize. You can post random pictures of the process with the hashtag. If you have are friends with them on rav- complete the post but do not include your picture. You can put a dummy picture in if you would like and send one of us a rave message with your complete post, or email it to masteringtheknits@gmail.com   Santa Sponsors: Check out our wonderful sponsors!  Please check out and support these sponsors who have been gracious enough to donate to our Elvesworkshopalong. Knitting Rose   Coupon Codes: Rainstorm Studios Etsy - Closed Sept 3rd through Sept 8th and will open with a new update. Use code: ELVES2015 for 15% off through November 30, 2015 Mint Rain Hand Dyed Yarns: ELVESWORKSHOP 15% until nov Sew for Ewe on etsy masteringtheknits15 for 10% off to run from sept 1- nov 30th Erin.lane bagsELVES15. FOR 15% the entire shop KnittyKittybags on Etsy elves2015.  20% and active until 12/1/2015. Stash-A Place for Yarn: FiberSeed10. Unwind yarn company Quince and Co - donating a copy of their new book Top Down - Reimagining Set-In Sleeve Design Knitting Rose The Unique Sheep - a cute children’s book with patterns that we will be reviewing. The story of the Unique Sheep.  We will be reviewing this book in a future episode too. Marianne - Jamberry Consultant - saw some new wraps that I need to get! Byvikink Letterpress Co. Sarah Lamantia - Gold Canyon Candles Karen Bachman from iKNITitiaves Ottlite Anne Weil of Flax and Twin donating http://amzn.to/1LAa35Y  Knitting without Needles coming out sept 1st. Bohemia Fibers- 2 skeins… 2 for you or if you want to be generous, you can give to a friend.   Natalie’s finished her shawl! Masterpieces: (23:25) Alicia finally finished up  Harvest Cardigan by Tin Can Knits with Cascade 220 Superwash Quatro in Fiji. She also knit lots of Wee Hats by Kym Hretz in various leftover sock colorways. Natalie finished up Haruni by Emily Ross in the Unique Sheep eos which is a 50/50 silk/merino laceweight in the Barknknit gradient colorway. She also dusted off her wheel and finished 3 ply fingering weight yarn from Long Dog Handspun Panda in a pink/purple colorway.   In our hands: (36:29) Alicia is working on Sock Recipe: A Good Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl- McPhee, with Patons Kroy Socks in Summer Moss Jaquard. She also needs some leftovers if anyone would like to donate them! Natalie is still plugging away on Crackerjack by Stacey Simpson Duke using Knitpicks Swish DK in White, Honey, Dusk, Twilight.She is continuing to work on Uncle's Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Amethyst Heather.   In the News: (44:00) Top Down: Re-imagining Set-In Sleeve Design by Elizabeth Doherty. This book retails for $24 US and $31.72 Canadian when I checked.   We were sent an e-copy of this book from Quince & Co. for us to review. Thank you Quince & Co.   Study Hall: (57:51) Natalie will be teaching a sock knitting class at Stash - A Place for Yarn on Oct 10th at 9 am.   Simply Selfie: (58:39) Alicia is clearing off the needles, prepping for the festival. She had a bridal shower and her friend’s birthday party. BYOB as in baby! Natalie attended her sister’s birthday Shuffleboard party. She and her niece won! Carmen is signed up for soccer and got her a new small soccer ball, shin guards, and cleats.   On the Road: (1:03) Natalie is heading to her first ever retreat NEXT WEEK!  Into the Wool Retreat Sept 3-6th in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and Just One More Row podcast, Daniela and Allie of the Caffeinated Knitting podcast, Fru from the Sassypantsknitter Podcast.   Comfort zone: (1:04) Alicia is enjoying small town living. - Summer Concert Series in the middle of town. Natalie gives a follow up about North and south.  Fibernerd shared on ravelry group that Craftlit read North and South. Natalie mentions cognitive anchoring blog. Natalie mentions playing the Disney song guess game in the car is currently taking her to her happy place. Thank you for joining us for episode 20 of Mastering the Knits.We’d like to thank our sponsor Main Street Gallery and those donating to the ElvesWorkshopalong. You can find shownotes at www.masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @MtKnitsPodcast.  Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry as barknknit.

    This episode is sponsored by Main Street Gallery. Main Street gallery is a local art and craft studio and offers a variety of services for individuals and businesses including custom screen printing, vinyl decals, graphic design, t shirts, custom art work, murals and much more. Main Street Gallery carries products from local artists and crafters including hand knitted items and cigar box guitars.   (1:37) We would like to give a shout out to Knitting Daddy! Thank you for listening. Check out his blog. Natalie mentions she heard about his blog through the Knitting Pipeline podcast.   This week’s segments include Master Status, Master Plan, Craft with us, In our Hands, Spread the Love, Study Hall, Simply Selfie, On the Road, and Comfort Zone.   Master Status: (2:28)   Alicia blocked what she had knitted. She is going to block ones she plans to reknit- just in case they will turn out ok. Natalie knit cable swatch 14. She really had to focus on tightening her gauge and giving an extra tug the stitch before and after the cross. She is not sold on it being tight enough but she is going to see if what happens during the blocking process. Here is the link to thread on ravelry about 2 references.   Master Plan: (5:32) Natalie is going to knit more swatches and start answering questions. Alicia is just going to  keep knitting.   CRAFT WITH US: (6:20) ANNOUNCEMENT!!!   ElvesWorkshopalong:  We are so excited to announce the ElvesWorkshopAlong!  This will be a craftalong for all those, like us, who plan to knit/sew/create holiday gifts for their friends and family.     This craftalong will run from Sept 1st to Nov 30th.  Each item has to start on or after Sept 1st. You have until Nov 30th at midnight to complete the project or multiple projects. To enter we will have an official FO thread on our ravelry group. It will be locked until the start of the along and we ask that you post one entry for each item you finish.   We have some seriously amazing prizes!  We will be selecting winners from the FO thread after the end of the along.  We will also have some prizes in store for superlatives!  We will select one or more winner from those that post their progress or finished items pics on instagram using the hashtag #elvesworkshopalong.     PinsandNeedles brought up a great point- What if the special person I am crafting for are my friends on social media and ravelry?  Thank you for bringing that up!   Social media will just be an extra prize. You can post random pictures of the process with the hashtag. If you have are friends with them on rav- complete the post but do not include your picture. You can put a dummy picture in if you would like and send one of us a rave message with your complete post, or email it to masteringtheknits@gmail.com   Check out our wonderful sponsors!  We will talk more about the prizes and announce the coupon codes closer to the start of the KAL.  Please check out and support these sponsors who have been gracious enough to donate to our Elvesworkshopalong. Knitting Rose   In our hands: (12:08) Alicia: Harvest Cardigan by Tin Can Knits with Cascade 220 Superwash Quatro in Fiji Sock Recipe: A Good Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl- McPhee, with Patons Kroy Socks in Summer Moss Jaquard Natalie is still plugging away on Crackerjack by Stacey Simpson Duke using Knitpicks Swish DK in White, Honey, Dusk, Twilight. Haruni by Emily Ross in the Unique Sheep eos which is a 50/50 silk/merino laceweight in the Barknknit gradient colorway.   Natalie knits along on some beautiful lace.   Spread the Love: (20:33) WINNER! The winner of our giveaway is………... Crookedknits on ravelry!  Thank you for entering our giveaway and Thank you again Bohemia Fibers for the donation of the skein of sock yarn. Our current giveaway is a lovely skein of 400 yards of 80% superwash merino/20% nylon sock yarn from Bohemia Fibers!  Amy, the dyer behind Bohemia Fibers, and specialize in custom colors and inspirational photo replication.   Study Hall: (21:31) Natalie will be teaching a sock knitting class at Stash - a place for yarn on Oct 10th at 9 am.   Alicia and Jax knit along on her Harvest Cardigan. Happy Birthday Jax.   Simply Selfie:(22:25) Alicia is back from Myrtle Beach. She has been helping friends in a hard time. She is feeling good by getting back into the swing of making healthy choices- Gym/Eating right. She also has her nephew-Jax- 1st  birthday party. Natalie has been enjoying the Rays games and keeping up with the work week craziness.   On the Road: (27:55) Natalie is heading to her first ever retreat!  Into the Wool Retreat Sept 3-6th in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and Just One More Row podcast, Daniela and Allie of the Caffeinated Knitting podcast, Fru from the Sassypantsknitter Podcast.   Comfort zone: (31:11) Alicia has found a love for AMAZON PRIME! Natalie has been loving her  TV shows...North & South, Arrow   Thank you for joining us for episode 18 of Mastering the Knits.We’d like to thank our sponsor Main Street Gallery and Bohemia Fibers for donating the prize and those donating to the ElvesWorkshopalong. You can find shownotes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @MtKnits.  Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry as barknknit.

Natalie enjoying knitting on Crackerjack at the Rays Stitch n Pitch   This episode is sponsored by Main Street Gallery. Main Street gallery is a local art and craft studio and offers a variety of services for individuals and businesses including custom screen printing, vinyl decals, graphic design, t shirts, custom art work, murals and much more. Main Street Gallery carries products from local artists and crafters including hand knitted items and cigar box guitars.   This week’s segments include Master Status, Master Plan, In our Hands, Masterpieces, Spread the Love, Simply Selfie, Raise your hand, On the Road, and Comfort Zone. How are you organizing your program?  Master Status (1:48): Alicia knit swatch 9. She also has a reminder when you are working SSK. Natalie worked on her binder and organized it. She snagged an idea from Lish when she was visiting Ohio. Hint** Place your swatch in zip lock bags and label them. Then there is no chance of forgetting which swatch is which. She is going to get some help from her friend Mara to identify some of her mystery swatches. Alicia reminded Natalie of some of the resources she used to identify her mystery swatches. Arenda Holladay and Knitting Help.   Master Plan (8:04): Natalie plans to Re-knit the swatches and make sure to put them in the ziploc bags so they are ORGANIZED!! She plans to update more of the notes and start the questions.  She is going to meet up with my friend Maureen to get some advice on her swatches.  Maureen is  currently finishing up her Level 3.  Look forward to an interview on her journey! Alicia is planning to move forward on swatch 10, 11, and 12. She would like to block and start questions.   Against the Grain KAL (9:41): **REMINDER: Be sure to participate in our ongoing knit along. Be sure to post your pictures on all social media with #AgainstTheGrainKAL The goal of the knit-a-long is to go contrary to the natural inclination of your craft or technique. We aren’t limiting the KAL to just those who want to learn a different style of knitting but crafting anything that is opposite of what you normally do.   In our hands (10:12): Alicia is coming towards the end of her Harvest Cardigan by Tin Can Knits with Cascade 220 Superwash Quatro in Fiji. She also cast on Natalie cast on Haruni by Emily Ross using The Unique Sheep Eos a 50/50 silk/wool blend in the barknknit colorway.  She is still plugging away on Crackerjack by Stacey Simpson Duke using Knitpicks Swish DK in White, Honey, Dusk, Twilight. Finally, she cast on another Luuk by Annis Jones using some leftover Knit Witch Celestial in the Sagitarius colorway.  She used Swirl Hat by Mandie Harrington to assist with adjusting the numbers for size.   (17:30) Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup:  Lish and Natalie are struggling with their house cup mojo. Anyone else?   Master Pieces (20:29): Alicia has been occupied with Harvest and does not have anything this week! Natalie finished  Headband (child/adult) by Rachel Bishop using the yarn the same yarn as she is using for Crackerjack cowl. Spread the Love (22:25): Our current giveaway is a lovely skein of 400 yards of 80% superwash merino/20% nylon sock yarn from Bohemia Fibers!  Amy, the dyer behind Bohemia Fibers, and specialize in custom colors and inspirational photo replication. To enter this episode’s giveaway, we ask that you visit Bohemiafibers.com and pick one of their many colorways that inspires you and share your favorite with us in a comment on the shownotes page.  There will also be several other ways to enter this giveaway!  Check outwww.masteringtheknitspodcast.com to see all the ways you can win. Closing for entries will be August 7, 2015. Some of Lish’s favorite moments from Simply Selfie   Simply Selfie (23:44): Alicia reports her wedding duties are over. She had a wonderful opportunity to make her friend Taylor a cathedral length veil.  She and her husband had a lovely cookout. She is looking forward to a quick Myrtle Beach trip with her friend Sierra.  Let her know of any local yarn shops in the south Myrtle area! Natalie has been organizing more and more! She still has plans to organize stash but started the culling process.  She attended the Rays Stitch n Pitch. She hung out with friends new and old.  She met a lot of her knitting guild and hopes to attend more often.  If you are local, you should check out the Bay Area Knitting Guild! She reconnected with a LONG time listener Mara.  It was great to talk to a listener and get encouragement to keep going.     Raise your Hand? (31:54):   This week we ask: As we prepare to head into the fall and start planning out gift knits, how do you pick who and what to knit people?   Natalie struggles with this one. She notes she has a very large family and it can quickly become overwhelming. She LOVES giving things to people but she says her follow through is rotten.  She plans to knit gifts this year but wants to get organized. Alicia finds herself over gift knitting. She shares her spread sheet method on how to stay organized with her gift knitting. She also tries to stick to one pattern for multiple people with just changing it up with color options. She also notes that her brother in law, Josh, is one of her more knitworthy gift recipients.   On the Road: (40:27) Natalie is heading to her first ever retreat!  Into the Wool Retreat Sept 3-6th in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and Just One More Row podcast, Daniela and Allie of the Caffeinated Knitting podcast , Fru from the Sassypantsknitter Podcast.   Comfort zone (41:44): Alicia is excited about new eager students. New friends wanting to learn to knit at work. She is also excited about that just finished feeling of a new sweater. Natalie is enjoying lace knitting.  Since she have been out of wine she is trying to stay away from lots of sweets. Lace has been her stress reliever because it’s working with silk and it’s oh so satisfying.   Thank you for joining us for episode 17 of Mastering the Knits. We’d like to thank our sponsor Main Street Gallery and Bohemia Fibers for donating the prize. You can find shownotes at masteringtheknitspodcast.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com.Follow us on Twitter @MtKnits. Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram. Natalie can be found on twitter, Instagram, and ravelry as barknknit.

  This episode is sponsored by Main Street Gallery.Main Street gallery is a local art and craft studio and offers a variety of services for individuals and businesses including custom screen printing, vinyl decals, graphic design, t shirts, custom art work, murals and much more. Main Street Gallery carries products from local artists and crafters including hand knitted items and cigar box guitars.   This week’s segments include In our Hands, Dropped Stitches, Masterpieces, Study Hall, Simply Selfie, and Comfort Zone.   Against the Grain KAL: (1:47) The goal of the knit-a-long is to go contrary to the natural inclination of your craft or technique. We aren’t limiting the KAL to just those who want to learn a different style of knitting but crafting anything that is opposite of what you normally do.   If you have been participating in the ongoing  KAL, you have been entered into a drawing to win a free pattern up to a $7 value!   and the winner is……..gwenschweitzer!She has tried to convince herself that she is not a toy knitter much like we have. She also tried embroidery with knitting for the first time too! Congratulations Gwen!   In Our Hands: (3:38) Alicia is participating in the Tour de Sock!  Stage 1 is VirratbyTiina Kuu knit withKnit Picks, Hawthorne Kettle Dye in Compass colorway. She is also working on Zigzagular Socksby Prairie Girl DesignswithJojoland Melody Superwash. Finally she cast on HarvestCardigan byTin Can KnitswithCascade 220 Superwash Quatroin Fiji   Natalie is knitting on Crackerjackby Stacey Simpson Duke using Knitpicks Swish DK in White, Honey, Dusk, Twilight.  The pattern is unique because each color has a significance. She also cast on Uncle's Christmas Stocking by Dorene Delaney Giordano using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport in white and Amethyst Heather. Due to peer pressure from her co-host, she pulled her Barn Raising Quiltby Shelley Mackie & Larissa Brown using Shelby B's Designs 100% Superwash Merinosock yarn in the sirius colorway. The yarn was inspiration from Natalie’s own pattern, Padfoot Socks.  Finally she cast on her own pattern, One More Row socksusing Lollipop Yarn Tradition in the We need a Little Christmas colorway.     Alicia mentions some handy tips from Vogue Knitter and teacher,  Heidi Kozar. Here is a link to her blog!   Natalie poses with her beautiful Breezy Cardigan   Master Pieces: (23:32) Natalie finished up her Breezy Cardiganby Hannah Fettig using Knit Picks Capretta in the Caviar colorway. She also knit Diamond Transitions Hatby Natalie Martinez Rush using Cascade 220 Sport in Cotton Candy and Buff. She finished Maria’sWonderful Wallabyby Carol A. Anderson usingKnit Picks Swish Worsted in the Eggplant colorway.  She knit Baby Vertebraeby Kelly Brooker using Malabrigo Yarn Sockin the impressionist sky colorway.  Finally, she finished Tennessee Twisterby Daniela Richardson using Knit Picks Hawthorne Fingering.  This was my recovery knit and was fun to knit. Alicia is really working on her sock drawer! Alicia finished up Monkey Socks by Cookie A with Bohemia FibersBohemian Sock 100% Merino Superwash, in a Teal Gradient colorway. She finished up two pairs of socks using the Sock Recipe: A Good Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl- McPhee, with Patons Kroy Socks in Spring Leaf and Fern Rose Jacquard. Alicia is participating in an ornament swap in the Christmas Knitting group on Ravelry. She knit Polar Bear and Santa from Christmas Balls Knit Ornament Pattern Set with scraps from stash. She also knit Itty Bitty Ribbed Leggies by Jessica Hirsch with scraps in stash for her friend Carrie! Baby Carsen all ready for her workout!   Spread the Love:(41:22) Ottlite Give Away! How to enter giveaway: Leave a comment on the blog and tell us if you use a special lamp for knitting/crocheting/crafting.  If you don’t already have one, how would you incorporate one into your life?  You can also enter by liking Ottlite and Mastering the Knits on facebook.   Simply Selfie: (47:00) Natalie had Ria’s Easter Birthday Party and her nephew’s wedding! The girls danced all night!  Her nephew’s wife made sure that Carmen had her special dinner and her own cupcakes. Natalie discusses her surgery again and recovery.  She also informs listeners that Jackjack crossed the rainbow bridge. We will miss you Jackjack.   Natalie’s beloved Jackjack Alicia shares she had a small melanoma surgery. Wear your SPF! ! She discusses her career change. They have their garden planted. Every weekend planned with showers and weddings. She also shares a story about Reina. Jeremy and Lish are  prepping for the Handmade Music Extravaganza, June 13!   On the Road: (1:09:23) Natalie: Going to my first ever retreat!  Into the Wool Retreat Sept 3-6th in Crossville, TN hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn company and Just One More Row podcast, Daniela and Allie of the Caffeinated Knitting podcast , Fru from the Sillyfru podcast.   Comfort zone: (1:11:15) Alicia loves her Jamberry Nails, is feeling at Peace (30), and the joy of life in her yard. Natalie appreciates her husband, s'mores, cold brew coffee and SEEING Alicia soon!   Thank you for joining us for episode 15 of Mastering the Knits. You can find shownotes at masteringtheknits.com or on our ravelry group Mastering the Knits Podcast.   You can email us at masteringtheknits@gmail.com. Alicia is knottyknitter17 on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram,  Natalie can be found on twitter, Instagram, plurk, everlapse, and ravelry as barknknit.  

Show Notes:News and Notes -There are dogs barking, so be warned! My apologies.Thanks to tinktank for a great first swap package for TKGASS 2012!Finished Objects -Hermione's Everyday SocksTKGASS 2012 - tinkgeek's swap package squarePurple Zebra SocksWorks in Progress - Something Blue handkercheifCorrine cardiganTKGASS12 square (shhh) in Hanky Panky BlueSpinning - The Ladybug is MINE!!Unwind Yarn company - Magma (2 ply, 230 yards)Gnome Acres - Green Lantern colorwayAcquisitions -Unwind Yarn Company - Feelin Froggy, Sakura (Cherry Blossom)Anzula - Ocean, GardenGnome Acres - Froggymonkey colorway for Joint SAL with Knitabulls and Knitting in CirclesStoried Yarns - Downton Abbey SAL, pick your own inspirationLibrary Books - 100 Afghan Squares to Knit by Debbie Abrahams, 2002Oneskein by Lee Radford, InterweaveFitness - Water is still half and halfLots of movement, but not really formal exercise