Episode 18: Monarch Knitting, lots of Ann(e)s and elephants too!

Welcome to episode 18 everybody! In this field trip episode, Marcy shares the fun experiences that she had while visiting Monterey, CA and the beautiful LYS, Monarch Knitting.  We have an interview with owner Ann Patterson and also designer Anne Ginger. We sneak a few of our WIP's and FO's in  and there're many elephants in the room! Go grab your knitting, a soothing beverage, a snack and, if possible, a cute kitty to sit in your lap. Enjoy the show!

Episode 18 Audio

Marcy and Kim after recording. Marcy is holding her Om Shawl
and Kim is holding her Spooky socks.

What's in our Lesson Plan?

• A short show and tell
• Field Trip notes and an interview with designer Anne Ginger
• Field Trip notes and an interview with the owner of Monarch Knitting, Ann Patterson
• What's on our Black Board?

Show and Tell

Kim was working on her "Spooky" socks while recording. She is using a skein of her hand dyed yarn which is KnitPick's bare stroll glimmer yarn. In addition, last week she decided to finally delve into her 2016 knitting goal, which was to try brioche knitting. Kim cast on the "Brioche for Beginners" cowl by Emma Galati and it's a free pattern on Ravelry. She used another skein of her hand dyed yarn (named "Spruce and Friends",) and some tag less deep stash. She learned that brioche is terrifically fun and highly addicting! The cowl was quickly finished and there will be more brioche in Kim's future.

Kim's hand dyed yarn on the left
and some unknown deep stash
at the beginning of the brioche
cast on.

The finished brioche cowl.

Marcy finished Kobe's Xmas stocking! Yay Marcy! I think she deserves a parade. The pattern is the New Ancestral Christmas Stocking by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne from the Mason Dixon Knitting  Outside the Lines book. She used Cascade 220. 

Interview with Anne Ginger

Anne & Marcy

Marcy was able to get together with one of our knitting friends while vacationing in Monterey, Ca. Anne Ginger (agsewnsew on Ravelry,) is a part time knitting designer and has three beautiful sweater patterns published in Twist Collective. They are all also available on Ravelry. She is currently working on some new designs that she is going to self publish. We can't wait to see them Anne!

The shop motto!

Monarch Knitting LYS and interview with Ann Patterson

While in Monterey, Marcy was also able to interview the owner of the gorgeous yarn shop, Monarch Knitting. Ann Patterson has owned and operated her shop for 3.5 years and she has created a knitter's dream yarn shop! There's a cozy place to sit and knit, amazing yarns and a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Monarch hosts many trunk shows,  KAL's and fun events for its' customers. They have an incredible selection of beautiful yarns, including: Shibui, Quince and Co., Brooklyn kTweed, Madeline Tosh, Sweet Georgia, Indigodragonfly, Sincere Sheep, Wool Folk, Zen Yarn Garden, and Wool and the Gang, just to name a few.

They have a small online shop and a monthly newsletter. Kim bought the yarn for her Itineris shawl from Monarch Knitting in 2014 and she loves the yarn and the  shawl and  she had a great experience with the friendly and kind staff.

Marcy & Ann

Please check out our Yarn Shop Evaluation form for more information about Monarch.

What's on our Black Board?

In our next episode, Kim and Marcy will share all of their new cast ons, WIP's, FO's, HO's, spinning, dyeing and any other craftiness that they have been pursuing. I'm sure there will be brioche knitting and Marcy has hinted that she has a surprise to share with all of us! Happy knitting everybody!

Episode 17: Down the Rabbit Hole!

Welcome to episode 17 everybody! In this "in the classroom" episode, we will talk about our knitting, our fun trip to a fiber festival  and all of the uber craftiness that we've been up to. Also? We may have fallen down a few rabbit holes! Grab your knitting, a tasty snack, a soothing beverage and join us!

Episode 17 Audio

What's in our Lesson Plan?

• Administrati
• Show and Tell
• Our Lambtown experience
• We are uber crafty
• What's on our Black Board?

  

  Marcy, Kim and Smitten after recording.
  Marcy is holding her Om Shawl and Kim
  is wearing her new Insouciant Tee.

Administrati

• Thanks to all of you who have signed in on our Ravelry group! We are really enjoying hearing from you and getting to know you. We encourage all listeners to sign in and say hi. You can let us know where you're from and what you're knitting. 
• Congratulations to the winners of our Christmas in  August/September KAL/CAL! Holly (hollyathome,) and Jackie (stringofpurls2,) you both win a pattern on Ravelry of your choice up to $7 in value. Contact me (Kim, destined2knit on Ravelry) and let us know what pattern you'd like and we'll drop it into your Rav library. Thank you for participating!
• Congratulations to Tracie and Barb from the 2 Knit Lit Chicks audio podcast on their 5 year podiversary and 120th episode! This is such a great accomplishment and milestone. Cheers chicks!
• Thank you and good by (sniff, sniff!) to the Never Not Knitting audio podcast. After 100 episodes, Alana Dakos has decided to discontinue podcasting and she bid us adieu. We thank you Alana for the many hours of entertainment and fun and we know that we'll be seeing you at  festivals, in your LYS and other events with your beautiful designs, books and your LYS products.

Show and Tell

Marcy has been diligently working on her Christmas stocking for the past few days. This is the New Ancestral Christmas Stocking by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. She is using Cascade 220. She's been sick for several weeks and so hasn't gotten very much knitting done. She also had a howler with this project; while away for the weekend, she discovered that she'd left one of her colors at home and wasn't able to work on the stocking at all. She's getting close to finishing though!

Luckily, she had packed back up knitting (we recommend that you always have back up knitting!) and so she made some good progress on her Om Shawl by Andrea Mowry. She is using Balance by O-Wool in the natural, travertine, celestine and cinnabar colors. The colors are beautiful and she's enjoying the knit, although it's definitely not a mindless knit. 

Marcy also has a Sock Monkey Ear Flap hat on the needles for her son Wilson. This is by Nicole Montgomery and her pattern has sizes for the whole family. She is using Classic Elite Yarns Mountain Top  Crestone in the plymouth rock hen and frost colors. She will finish it off with a Cascade 220 red. This will be part of Wilson's Halloween costume. She is also going to sew him some PJ's in a tonal brown and add a tail. Cute!

Yesterday at our LYS, Marcy saw the cutest little monkey bag; the Sock Monkey Project Bag by CiD Hanscom. Her goal is to buy the kit and finish it so that Wilson can use it for trick or treating. Down the rabbit hole she goes!

Kim has several FO's since she's been in a finishing mode. First, her Insouciant tee by Julie Hoover is done and she's really happy with the final product and loves how it fits. She used Juniper Moon Farm Zooey DK in the ketch and toasted coconut color ways. She used the white to add stripes to the tee. This is a tunic length tee that is knit in pieces and seamed together. 

Kim talked about how she "beats up" her linen and linen blend garments by taking them in the shower and placing them in a small bucket, adding a bit of mild shampoo and hot water and then vigorously washing them. This helps to soften up the linen. After doing this with her Insouciant Tee, Kim was much happier with the length and fit of the garment. She also washes all of her hand knit socks in this manner and it's quick and easy!

Kim also finished her Symmetry in Motion tee by Vera Sanon. She used Forbidden Woolery Proverbs yarn in the blue cymbidium color on size US 3's. This tee has beautiful finishing details around the neck. However, she is not very happy with the final fit, even though she ended up ripping back a foot of the body and re knitting it without increasing along the side gussets. It still has baggy areas and doesn't get the highest smile rating on Ravelry. 

The Wedding Afhgan is still on the needles...but it's getting close to being done! By the next episode it HAS to be done! 

Also on the needles are the Achilles HeAL socks by Lucia Light. This is a free pattern on Knitty.com with unusual construction that allows you to quickly and easily rip out and repair a heel or sole that has been worn through. The beautiful yarn is FishKnits on the panache base in the sunday brunch color. Kim cast these on last April because she wanted some non vanilla socks on the needles, but ironically, they got put down because they aren't vanilla and aren't portable.

Field Trip Notes

Wilson enjoying the bunnies.

Wilson enjoying the ducks.

Both Marcy and Kim went to the fiber festival Lamb Town in Dixon, California last weekend. This is a fun, small town, festival that is also a family event with lots of fun and interesting things to do and see for the entire family. Marcy and Wilson rode the train and spent some fun time in the petting zoo. Marcy wasn't able to browse and shop much because Wilson never feel asleep. Kim had lots of fun browsing and shopping time with a friend and took home some beautiful fiber and a little bit of yarn that she'll share as she knits and spins with it.

Wilson and the train ride.

Kim did share a gorgeous skein of Fishknits sock yarn on the Strong Heart base in the black light color way will make an amazing pair of socks. Kim decided that since she's been having so much fun dyeing yarn that she would purchase bare fiber and then either dye, spin and knit it, or spin, dye and knit it. She shared her sweater's quantity of fiber from BessyBee Fibers. A 1.5 pound ball of Rambouillet that will make the most gorgeous sweater (eventually!) Down the rabbit hole!

We also had a fun meet up with knitting friends and listeners! It was such a fun day. 

We are Uber Crafty

Marcy is altering a bridesmaid dress for a friend who is 7 months pregnant. The dress is requiring lots of reconstruction but will be done in time for the wedding at the end of the month.

The WTF skein in the mason
jar during the solar dye process.

Kim's hand dyed skeins drying

Kim has been having a ball dyeing more yarn. She is using KnitPicks bare yarn on a variety of bases and has solar dyed and used the oven to heat set yarn as well. Down the rabbit hole!

The 2 "Down the Chimney" skeins

The Sweet Pea skein

What's on our Black Board?

Marcy had a really fun weekend in Monterey and was able to visit the amazing LYS, Monarch Knitting and interview the owner, Ann. She was also able to meet up with Anne, who is agsewnsew on Ravelry, and interview her about her knitwear designs and the process of designing. Marcy will share these interviews along with her experiences in episode 18. 

Thank you for joining us today! Happy knitting and watch out for those rabbit holes!