Monday, August 18, 2014

Episode 172: I'll Fix Your Crack


This week, WIPs include Sheila's vanilla sock and Mad Tosh cowl, and Wendy's Deathflake handspun mittens. Baubles and bling include the latest Hello Yarn Fiber Club offering, Stitched by Jessalu notion pouches and Enchanted Knoll Farm sock yarn in the Margaritaville color way. We draw a winner of the Mystic Shawls PDF book and review Big Foot Knits, a book about custom designing socks for larger feet and legs.

SHOW NOTES

KAL/CAL:  We are hosting a Stash Busting KAL/CAL for the month of August.  Post a pic of your finished project made from yarn purchased at least 6 months ago in the August Stash Busters Thread and get that stash under control!  A winner will be drawn at the end of the month.

We are also hosting a Donate a Shawl Charity KAL/CAL.  A wonderful viewer donated a skein of Into The Whirled in the "What's This?" color way!  Check out all the fabulous prizes in the contest thread!

Pattern Contest  Win a copy of the Went A Courtin' Cowl by KaRi Wymer of the The High Fiber Diet audio podcast.  Just post in the contest thread in the group and tell us what yarn you would use to knit this lacy, textured cowl.

On The Dance Card:

Wendy is working on:

Star Leaves Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen in Fleece Artist Saldanha 2 in the Starlight colorway.

Rita the Rabbit by Lydia Tresselt in Caron Simply Soft Light

Deathflake Mittens by Sissel KB, using her warm/cool color experiment in Portfiber Polwarth (4oz) in the Prickly Pear color way

Sheila is working on:

City Creek Cowl by Susan Lawrence in Madelinetosh Vintage

Improvised cable socks in two colors of Miss Babs (Denim and an unidentified color way from the Podcaster Challenge).  Sadly, Sheila ripped out the cable and is now just making plain socks.

Rate Your Date:

Nothing this week

Whirlwind Romance:

Wendy is currently spinning:

Frabjous Fibers in the Breeze colorway and Into The Whirled in the Take it to the Bridge colorway (by spinning them randomly together).  She completed 2 skeins of worsted weight 3-play with one ready to be skeined on the bobbin.

Future Dates:

Sheila plans to knit a baby present. Wendy needs to finish all of her WIPs and maybe have a little Frog It or Finish It session.  She also plans on knitting Hitofude Cardigan by Hiroko Fukatsu (about $2 on Ravelry)

Baubles & Bling:

Wendy purchased:

Enchanted Knoll Farm superwash sock in the Margaritaville color way

Stitched by Jessalu notions pouches

Hello Yarn July Fiber Club offering in Head Banger on BFL

Gossip & Innuendo:

Review:  This week, we review Big Foot Knits by Andi Smith, published by Cooperative Press.  This book focuses on the fact that standard sock patterns don't account for feet/legs that are wider, larger, or differently proportioned.  The first 56 pages of the book give detailed explanations and worksheets to help you customize the toes, instep, heels, cuffs and legs of your socks.  There are also guides to adapting stitch patterns to work with your modifications.  The book also features 12 different sock patterns with various textured, cabled and lacy stitch patterns, beautifully styled and photographed with Fluevog shoes.  This book would be terrific for people who want to move beyond the standard sock pattern and find the perfect fit.

Charity Comfort Shawl KAL/CAL:  This is a new contest organized by our friend Lise from Webs! She organizes donated comfort shawls for people in her church community, but she has recently lost a few of her helpers.  If you donate hand knitted or crocheted shawls to her effort, you can be eligible to win a $50 gift certificate to Webs (one prize will be drawn), a skein of Webs anniversary yarn custom dyed by Lorna's Laces yarn (two prizes will be drawn), a pattern of your choice from KNitDesigns, or a skein of Wollmeise donated by our amazing viewer, Katluvz2knit, a bag, yarn and stitch markers donated by the lovely Samantha Boggia of Knitrundig, or a skein of BFL/Nylon sock yarn from ITW in the "What's This?" color way.

The contest will run until August 31, 2014.  Shawls should be sent to:

Webs Warehouse
ATTN:  Lise Gill
6 Industrial Parkway
Easthampton, MA 01027

(Note:  The earlier address will still work, but this is the much more direct mailing address which Wendy should have used the first time.  Oops!)

You can knit or crochet shawls specifically for this charity event OR go through your stash and give away some shawls to a good home.  There is no specific fiber content required - they can be machine washable or handwash only.  There is no specific pattern or size.  Lise will make sure your donations go to people in nursing homes, hospice care, new mothers or other people that need a comfort shawl.

You may post a picture of your donation (one picture per shawl - make sure to post them separately to get multiple chances at the prize) in our Contest Thread.

Upcoming fiber events in our area:

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival at Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NY 9/27-9/28/14.  We do not plan on attending.

VT Sheep and Wool at Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VT 10/4-10/5/14.  We do not plan on attending.

Stitches East in Hartford, CT 10/9-10/12/14.  Wendy plans on attending the Saturday marketplace.

Rhinebeck at Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NY 10/18-10/19/14.  We plan on attending for the weekend.

New England Fiber Festival at Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA, 11/1-11/2/14.  Wendy plans on attending.

The Gathering at Sunday River, Newry, ME, 11/7-11/9/14.  We do not plan on attending.








No comments: