Episode 20: Kim's exciting news and avoiding Knitter's Monotony!

Welcome to episode 20 everybody! In this episode we've got a little bit of everything: show and tell, in the library, vacation LYS encounters and we are uber crafty. Grab your knitting, a soothing beverage and join us!

Episode 20 Audio

Marcy & Kim after recording.

What's in our Lesson Plan?

• Administrati
• Show and Tell
• Vacation LYS encounters
• In the Library
• We are uber crafty
• What's on our Black Board?

Administrati

Please join us in our FOFI KAL (finish or frog it.) You can read all about it here and here on Ravelry. While you're there join our Rav group, we'd love to get to know you! Also, start thinking about your end of year knitting wrap up. Did you meet any knitting goals that you set? Are you happy with your making? Would you like to set some knitting goals for 2017? Let's talk about all of that in the group.

Kim shares the exciting news that her oldest son got engaged last week and they are very excited about this new stage of life!

Show and Tell

Marcy is continuing to work on her Om Shawl by Andrea Mowry. She's about 70% done and is loving the shawl and she's looking forward to wearing it during pregnancy and postpartum.  Marcy has a new cast on, the City Cape by Purl Soho. This will be the 2nd time that she's knit this cape, she knit it the 1st time as a gift. 

Marcy and her mom are working together on a joint knit/sew project for a friend's little girl, Kate. Yemma's Dress by Devon Clement is a pattern for a little girl with a knit bodice and sewn skirt. Marcy and her mom are also making a matching, small version for Kate's American Girl doll. Marcy got the idea for the dress from the Just One More Row podcast.

Kate in the first top I knit her.

The joint project dress for Kate
and her American Girl doll.

Kim is almost done with the Down the Chimney socks that she's knitting for her mom for Christmas.  She's using her hand dyed yarn for these and is hoping that they fit well. She finished a 2nd Brioche for Beginners 2 color cowl using some of her hand spun yarn while on vacation and is continuing to love that pattern. Kim is still working on her 2nd Whispers pullover by Veera Valimaki.

Kim's poolside knitting in Hawaii,
the Brioche for Beginners cowl.

Vacation LYS Encounters

Kim and her DH have been on several trips recently and she was able to spend some time in two yarn shops. The 1st one, Miriam's Well, in Santa Fe, NM, is owned by an amazing woman, Miriam, who has an incredible fiber arts knowledge and history. Miriam has taught weaving for many years and she also designs garments and accessories and she sells  the patterns alone and in kits in her shop and online through her website.  Miriam's Well is a comfortable and friendly Lys and you'll find a great variety of yarn and patterns there. If you're ever in the area go in and see this beautiful shop and meet Miriam, you'll enjoy it! For more information about the shop, check out our LYS  evaluation form.

Miriam's Well yarn shop

While on the island of Kauai, HI, Kim stumbled across a LYS. She didn't think that there would be a yarn shop on this small island, but there was and the owner, Warren, couldn't have been friendlier. The shop is The Twisted Turtle and it's located in the town of  Lihue. Sadly, Kim was unable to spend much time in the shop because her DH was waiting on the husband bench out front, but they'll be back and next time she'll get an interview and full overview. In the meantime, if you're visiting Kauai please check out the shop; they've got knitting, crochet, spinning and hand work experience and supplies. 

In the Library

This is a new segment that we'll include occasionally, wherein we'll talk about our leisure reading and knitting library acquisitions. Kim had a wonderful summer of reading and has read 18 books since July. She highlighted a few that she thought listeners might be interested in: 

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
2. Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Kim has also added to her  fiber arts library with these books:

1. Hand Dyeing yarn and fleece by Gail Callahan
2. Yarn . i . tec . ture by Jillian Moreno
3. The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson

Marcy has subscribed to the beautiful magazine, Pompom Quarterly. She was also gifted a great 3 month subscription to Jimmy Bean's Wool's Beanie Bags and is really enjoying them. 

We are Uber Crafty

Marcy has been uber crafty recently and is designing and sewing a formal gown for her husband's office Christmas party. Since she's at the beginning of her 2nd trimester, she wanted to look pregnant and not plump and so that influenced her design choices. Her dress is beautiful and she achieved her goal! 

What's on our Black Board?

In our next episode we will be in the classroom and we will share all of our making with you. There will be knitting, spinning, hand dyeing, sewing and maybe crochet! We hope you'll join us.

Thank you for spending time with us. If you live in the US, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that that'll give you extra knitting time. For all of you, have a wonderful couple of weeks and may your making be howler free!