Episode 42: A tangle of knitters?

Welcome to episode 42 everybody! Kim and Marcy are in the classroom and they are sharing all of their FO's, WIP's and new CO's. There's uber craftiness and plans for the end of 2017 (can you believe that?!?) Grab your knitting, a soothing beverage and join us!

Episode 42 Audio

Marcy, in her Casual Kimono, Pippa in her cashmere hat and
Kim holding up her Sunset Highway after recording

What's in our Lesson Plan?

1. On the PA System
2. After the finish line
3. Show & Tell
4. We are Uber Crafty
5. What's on our Black Board?

On the PA System

Marcy brought us a fun question- what is a group of knitters called? There is no actual term for it, but on the blog, 'Men Who Knit, ' they were curious about the collective noun for knitters and they took a poll in 2007. Go have a look and let us know what you think.  Here are some options: tangle, herd, purl, obsession, ...

Bloom Yarn from Paradise Fiber

Marcy gave Kim her xmas present because she was dying for her to see this beautiful fiber that she got at Paradise Fiber in Spokane.  Marcy got a wonderful interview with the owner of the shop and we will be dropping it after the New Year.

After the Finish Line

Marcy was wearing her Casual Kimono while we recorded and she's been getting a lot of wear out of it recently. She's also been wearing her True coat by Joji Locatelli and Pippa has been wearing her adorable cashmere baby bonnet given to her by Bonnie Riley at Lamb Town.

Kim has been wearing her Veronika by Cocoknits so much that she's thinking about making a 2nd. She often pairs it with her Drachenfels shawl by Melanie Berg. She's been wearing her 1st sweaterspin, the Art Walk Cardi by Hannah Fettig a lot and has worn her Bankhead hat by Susie Gourlay while walking late in the day. She wears hand knit socks everyday.

Show & Tell

Kim is in sleeve hell and still hasn't finished her Sunset Highway by Caitlin Hunter because of the darn sleeves. So many howlers!!! (Created by her...not the pattern, sigh.) She is also working on  and really enjoying her new CO, the Zweig pullover also by Caitlin Hunter. This is a beautiful pullover with a little bit of color work on the yoke and some gorgeous lace with a few cables as the main feature on the yoke.  Kim is continuing to work on her P-Rex by SoSu, in between knitting Caitlin Hunter sweaters! It will be such a fun cape to wear and the colors are beautiful.

***Kim's new knitting guideline is to READ the pattern, probably a few times, and then knit (hopefully just once!) in order to avoid more howlers due to silly mistakes and not paying attention to the instructions!

Kim's Damejakka Loppa by Pinnegurri is living up in her knitting studio and is coming along slowly because it's not getting a lot of time and attention at the moment.  Finally, her Afterthought Everything Christmas socks are moving along. Hopefully, they'll be done by Christmas.

Marcy is working on her P-Rex cape and it's coming along beautifully. She's making a few mods, which will all be listed on her project page. She has resurrected a project that really needs to be called a UFO instead of a WIP (unfinished object instead of work in progress,) which we all have. Her #12 Collared Cardigan by Sharon Sorken was CO on 1/22/14, but it's in her active rotation now! She's concerned about the sizing, but hopes that with blocking the sweater will grow and fit nicely.

Marcy's Stocking she is making for Pippa.

Marcy is continuing to work on Pippa's Christmas stocking and she's making wonderful progress. It's looking beautiful and baby Pippa will certainly have a stocking to put out for Santa on 12/24! In our last episode, Marcy spoke about 'Project Peace 2017.' She has cast on the shawl and is really enjoying the daily emails, the easy knit and the yarn. You can read all about this project on Christina Campbell's (aka, The Healthy Knitter,) blog. Kim has purchased the pattern (only $3 and all proceeds go to charity,) and is planning on casting on at the end of the year or in January. Join us in this fun and peaceful project! 

Marcy's Project Peace 2017, using

hand dyed yarn from Kim.

We are Uber Crafty

Kim has finished ~ 600 yards of a 3 ply on her 3rd sweater spin. This one is made up mainly of natural BFL and then she added in 1 braid that has red, blue and greens in it. The two finished bobbins look like Gingerbread Christmas! The plan is now to finish spinning the rest of the fiber and then next Fall to knit a Christmas sweater. 

The yarn hat ornaments

From the top, a yarn ball ornament, 2 star
ornaments and a felted soap

Kim hosted some knitting friends for a "Craft all the Christmas things day." They had a ball and made fairly fast and easy Christmas ornaments and gifts that can all be found on Pinterest. Here is Kim's Pinterest page. They made: felted soap, yarn hat ornaments, Christmas star ornaments and several different types of yarn balls.

What's on our Black Board?

Episode 43 will be our last one for 2017! We will revisit our year long knitting goals and talk about how we did. We'll also be sharing any new cast ons, WIP's and FO's. Hopefully there will be a stocking or two finished and 1 or 2 sweaters! Have a fantastic couple of peaceful weeks and Happy Knitting!

Episode 41: Welcome December!

Hello dear knitters! Thank you for joining us today for ep. 41. In this field trip podcast, Marcy takes us to visit a yarn shop in Auburn, California. We share our FO's, a few WIP's and our massive cases of startitis! Grab your knitting, some eggnog or tea, get comfy and enjoy! ***Baby Pippa is joining us today, see if you can hear her adorable baby laughs and happy noises.

Episode 41 Audio

What's in our Lesson Plan?

Marcy, Kim, & Pippa, Marcy is holding her yarn
for the Peace Shawl.

1. On the PA System
2. After the finish line
3. Show & Tell
4. Fieldtrip notes: Marcy visits Auburn Needleworks
5. What's on our Blackboard?

On the PA System

• The 'Octopus for a Preemie' project is continuing. Marcy has figured out how to attach all of the useful Pdf's on our blog tab and you can find all information there. Keep crocheting!
• Just a heads up that this is a perfect time to start thinking and planning for any 2018 goals/themes. In our last ep of 2017 we'll talk about how we did with our year long goals and in the 1st ep of 2018 we'll share our new goals/themes for the year. 
• Check out your area to see if there are any Guilds that you might be interested in joining. Kim has joined the Sacramento Weavers and Spinners Guild and is planning on joining the Sacramento Knitting Guild. If there are no guilds in your area you can start one! Also, these groups usually have amazing yearly open houses and sales; this is a great opportunity to purchase beautiful items at a great price.

After the Finish Line

This is a new segment where we talk about the knitwear that we've worn since the last podcast. Marcy wore her Om Shawl  by Andrea Mowry for the 1st time and she loved wearing it and got many compliments. Marcy's 3 year old son Wilson has been wearing his monster pants a lot. Marcy is planning on adding some length so that he can wear them even longer. 

Kim was so happy to wear her Twigs and Willows cardigan by Alana Dakos on Thanksgiving Day. She finished this last Spring and did a research paper on the show about the special button bands and button holes. You can find that in ep. 32. She's also been wearing her Veronika by Cocoknits and her Drachenfels  shawl by Melanie Berg. As soon as the weather cools down she is always wearing and enjoying her hand knit socks.

Show & Tell

Kim was wearing her new finished socks while recording. The crazy Zauber socks were a total product knit and the process was filled with howlers! Read about them on her project page.

Kim is totally color work obsessed at the moment. She is almost done (and is in sleeve hell!) with her Sunset Highway pullover by Caitlin Hunter. Such a lovely knit and it'll be a joy to wear. 

She also has the Lady's Flea cardigan, aka Damejakka Loppa by Pinnegurri, on the needles and this fair isle cardigan will be steeked and Kim plans on installing a zipper. Finally, the Zweig pullover by Caitlin Hunter is on deck and will be CO after recording. 

Marcy and Kim (and it seems like most of the knitting community too!) have had major startitis/castonitit/startosis lately! We want to CO and knit ALL THE THINGS! It's fun, but we only have 2 hands. When Marcy visited Auburn Needleworks she found some yarn to knit Pippa a little dress for Thanksgiving. The Kraemer  Perfection Worsted yarn was perfect for this sweet little sleeveless dress. Pattern is Baby Frock by Hannah Fettig and it fits Pippa perfectly!

The start of Pippa's stocking!

Marcy has also CO a Christmas stocking for Pippa. Its been quite an adventure to pick the colors, but she found what she wanted at our lys, Got Your Goat, and she has CO and Pippa will have a finished stocking for Christmas. She is using the 'New Ancestral Christmas Stocking' pattern by Ann Shayne and this will be the 4th time that she's knit it. 

Project Peace 2017

Marcy found another skein of yarn (Baah! Platinum,)that she really likes from Auburn Needleworks and she's planning on using it with a skein of hand dyed yarn that Kim dyed for her for her birthday. Marcy will be casting on the Project Peace 2017 shawl on December 1 and she is excited to use these two skeins of yarn. If you've never heard of it, please go read the project page notes for this shawl; it's a lovely idea and something that we can all benefit from. It's only $3 and all proceeds go to charity. 

Marcy's mom, Pansy2horses, knit Marcy an adorable tea cozy. It's a beautiful green color and she embroidered a cute little chick on it. Marcy has been wanting a tea cozy and now she's using it everyday. Kim has knit and felted 5 tea cozies and she loves them and uses this one everyday. 

Tea Cozy made for Marcy by her mom.

Fieldtrip Notes

Kim, Marcy, & Pippa

Marcy visited the new (well, the shop is under new ownership and in a new location, but the Auburn Needleworks has been in Auburn for over 25 years,) lys in beautiful Auburn, California. This is a special shop. In addition to the usual yarn and supplies for knitters and crocheting, this lys has needlepoint, cross stitch and weaving supplies. There are very knowledgeable employees to help you in all of these fiber pursuits and they offer many classes as well. If you are driving up interstate 80 to Tahoe or Reno, stop by and say hi, the shop is right by the freeway, a quilt shop and restaurants!

Marcy sat down with Kim, one of the owners of the shop and had a lovely interview, enjoy!

Views of the shop, the one on the left is from the front door looking in,
the one on the right is looking back at the front door.

Both gathering spaces in the yarn shop, one in the front of the shop
 and one in the back of the shop.

Look at all those beautiful colors!

The back part of the shop is dedicated to needle point. 

What's on our Black Board?

When we next record we'll share ALL of  our new CO's (there may be 100's!) WIP's and FO's. There will also be spinning, dyeing and Christmas crafting. Thank you for knitting along with us today and we hope you have a wonderful couple of weeks. Happy Knitting!