Click here for episode 93 audio.
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A podcast and blog from two knitting friends in search of the perfect yarn!
Friday, July 24, 2015
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Episode 92 - Love your stash Q2 summary
What are we wearing?
Literally Over the Top by Megan Williams
Coronado by Toluca Knit
What are we knitting?
Easy Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas
A Hint of Summer by Isabel Kraemer
In episode 92 we wrap-up the second quarter (Q2) of our "Love your stash" movement. We want to change the culture of stash and empower knitters to take charge of what yarns make you feel good as a knitter and a stasher, and to cut loose those yarns that add clutter and negativity!
At the Northern California Knitting Retreat, we talked to fellow attendees, and gave them the opportunity to share something about their stash.
Erin and Monica tell us about the oldest yarns in their stashes.
Erin - aka ErinB on Ravelry, one of the hostesses of the Doubleknit Podcast
Monica - aka KirbyMo on Ravlery
Sharlene's oldest stash is some Elann Sock It To Me
Gayle's oldest stash is Kidsilk Haze
Gayle plans to make Ice Queen by Rosemary Hill
or Wisp by Cheryl Niamath
Lorrian - aka Meowlam on Ravelry
Lorrian tells us about her stashing enhancements and online shopping.
If you have collected yarn for many years, you are well aware that there are yarn trends. What is popular this year will be replaced by something new in a year or two. Like a clothes closet, if you fill your stash with this year's popular offering, will it still be trendy by the time you get around to knitting with it? Or are you choosing classic yarns that will always be in style? The internet has brought so many new shopping opportunities. Some folks love to shop online--while others have been disappointed, or like me, are just too picky to purchase "sight unseen."
Kelly and Marsha, the hostesses of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures, tell us about yarns that they cannot resist, especially "orphan yarns."
Kelly - aka 1hundredprojects
Marsha - aka mfuesal
Kelly likes combining orphans yarns into new and interesting fabrics.
Kelly, from the Shorty's Sutures podcast tells us about lessons she has learned from stashing.
Kelly - aka ShortysSutures
"What are we stalking?" is often a favorite segment for listeners because we highlight new patterns, projects, or yarns that have caught our eye. One of the lessons I have learned from stalking is that I have stalked many, many patterns that I did not cast on or never want to knit. There are patterns I want to knit for myself or someone else and then there are patterns that I like to look at, or like to look at the projects. Stalking for eye-candy's sake only. I think that distinction is important. Not everything you stalk is necessarily something you want to make. You can be an appreciative fan of a certain pattern, or of a certain knitting skill--think fair isle or intarsia--but not necessarily want to knit the item yourself. This is perfectly valid. :)
Julia Trice is a knitwear designer. Julia shares with us a little of her stash handling techniques, specifically how she handles "personal" stash and "business" stash.
Julia - aka mindofwinter on Ravelry
If you keep stash, having a pleasing and efficient way to store your yarns is very important, and will influence how you feel about your stash. Do you feel pleasure or dread when you need to find that one skein of sock yarn that you purchased two years ago? Do you like keeping your stash in moth-proof boxes away from the light or out in the open for inspiration? In addition to curating stash, having an organized and useful system for storing and finding things is important. Gayle and I both rely on the basics--boxes, cabinets, and drawers. We both have loose organizational systems that seem to work for us and help us find yarns when needed.
We hope you enjoyed this episode and as always, thanks for listening and happy knitting!
Wildlife sightings: I wanted to add that while recording I observed a woodpecker, and when Gayle and I were driving home we saw many deer, including a fawn with spots! We tried to get a photo, but I couldn't get one worth publishing. Just know that the little guy was very cute!
Literally Over the Top by Megan Williams
Coronado by Toluca Knit
What are we knitting?
Easy Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas
A Hint of Summer by Isabel Kraemer
In episode 92 we wrap-up the second quarter (Q2) of our "Love your stash" movement. We want to change the culture of stash and empower knitters to take charge of what yarns make you feel good as a knitter and a stasher, and to cut loose those yarns that add clutter and negativity!
At the Northern California Knitting Retreat, we talked to fellow attendees, and gave them the opportunity to share something about their stash.
Erin and Monica tell us about the oldest yarns in their stashes.
Erin - aka ErinB on Ravelry, one of the hostesses of the Doubleknit Podcast
Monica - aka KirbyMo on Ravlery
Sharlene's oldest stash is some Elann Sock It To Me
Gayle's oldest stash is Kidsilk Haze
Gayle plans to make Ice Queen by Rosemary Hill
or Wisp by Cheryl Niamath
Lorrian - aka Meowlam on Ravelry
Lorrian tells us about her stashing enhancements and online shopping.
If you have collected yarn for many years, you are well aware that there are yarn trends. What is popular this year will be replaced by something new in a year or two. Like a clothes closet, if you fill your stash with this year's popular offering, will it still be trendy by the time you get around to knitting with it? Or are you choosing classic yarns that will always be in style? The internet has brought so many new shopping opportunities. Some folks love to shop online--while others have been disappointed, or like me, are just too picky to purchase "sight unseen."
Kelly and Marsha, the hostesses of Two Ewes Fiber Adventures, tell us about yarns that they cannot resist, especially "orphan yarns."
Kelly - aka 1hundredprojects
Marsha - aka mfuesal
Kelly likes combining orphans yarns into new and interesting fabrics.
Kelly, from the Shorty's Sutures podcast tells us about lessons she has learned from stashing.
Kelly - aka ShortysSutures
"What are we stalking?" is often a favorite segment for listeners because we highlight new patterns, projects, or yarns that have caught our eye. One of the lessons I have learned from stalking is that I have stalked many, many patterns that I did not cast on or never want to knit. There are patterns I want to knit for myself or someone else and then there are patterns that I like to look at, or like to look at the projects. Stalking for eye-candy's sake only. I think that distinction is important. Not everything you stalk is necessarily something you want to make. You can be an appreciative fan of a certain pattern, or of a certain knitting skill--think fair isle or intarsia--but not necessarily want to knit the item yourself. This is perfectly valid. :)
Julia Trice is a knitwear designer. Julia shares with us a little of her stash handling techniques, specifically how she handles "personal" stash and "business" stash.
Julia - aka mindofwinter on Ravelry
If you keep stash, having a pleasing and efficient way to store your yarns is very important, and will influence how you feel about your stash. Do you feel pleasure or dread when you need to find that one skein of sock yarn that you purchased two years ago? Do you like keeping your stash in moth-proof boxes away from the light or out in the open for inspiration? In addition to curating stash, having an organized and useful system for storing and finding things is important. Gayle and I both rely on the basics--boxes, cabinets, and drawers. We both have loose organizational systems that seem to work for us and help us find yarns when needed.
We hope you enjoyed this episode and as always, thanks for listening and happy knitting!
Wildlife sightings: I wanted to add that while recording I observed a woodpecker, and when Gayle and I were driving home we saw many deer, including a fawn with spots! We tried to get a photo, but I couldn't get one worth publishing. Just know that the little guy was very cute!
Episode 92 audio
Click here for episode 92 audio.
Remember, depending on your browser and connection speed, the audio may take a few minutes to fully load.
Remember, depending on your browser and connection speed, the audio may take a few minutes to fully load.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Episode 91 - Knitting in the redwoods
This week, Gayle and I hit the road and we record in the redwood forest of Santa Cruz. We found a quiet location and the wildlife was all around us--some of which you will hear on the recording. You will likely hear the ravens and crows, like the ones pictured here. We have an abundance of both ravens and crows and both were nearby. The Steller's Jays are another common sighting. There was a mule deer wandering around the brush as we recorded too. Mountain lions sightings are commonplace in this area as well, there being an abundance of prey animals.
Near the end of the recording, I hear California Quail, and mention that I hope to see some quail chicks. Not a minute later the family of quail came walking across the parking lot! Needless to say the podcast was instantly derailed as we observed the teeny-tiny chicks and watched the parents herd them into the underbrush. The chicks we saw were about this big. Really adorable!
In preparation for casting on for the Yarniacs Colors of Fall 2015 KAL (#yarnaicscolors2015) we researched Fall clothing trends and share some of the information we found. Of particular interest were capes, and ribbed knits. If you follow the Thursday Tips over on Ravelry, you may recall the Ravelry team posting about the abundance of beautiful capes they saw on display while at the June TNNA show. The ribbed knits pictured online varied from sweaters with all-over ribbing to garments made with ribbed knit fabric, such as ribbed knit cotton jersey.We will probably see a lot of both these trends in the upcoming months.
I hope you enjoy a little taste of our redwood forests in addition to our usual knitting segments!
- Sharlene
What are we wearing?
Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty
tosh merino light by madelinetosh
Sharlene's Woodfords
Liesl by Julie Weisenberger
Gayle's Liesl
Coronado (fingering weight cotton) by Toluca Knits
What are we stalking?
Aureed by Meiju K-P
Color Bomb by Melanie Mielinger
Therapy by Laura Aylor
What are we knitting?
Heverly by Julia Farwell-Clay
Bug Warmer by Taiga Hilliard Designs
Sockhead Hat Kelly McClure
Longfellow by Michele Wang
Eyre light by madelinetosh
3 Color Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli
What have we finished?
Alcea Cowl by Hannah Meier
Sharlene's Alcea
198 yds. of Heaven by Christy Verity
Sharlene'e 198 yards
Bug Warmer by Taiga Hilliard Designs
Sharlene's Bug
Verdure Shawlette by Fluffy Fibers
Snug too by Hinke
Rios by Malabrigo
Gayle's Snug Too
Focus Dress by Meiju K-P
Gayle's Focus
Western Sky Knits Magnolia Sock
Near the end of the recording, I hear California Quail, and mention that I hope to see some quail chicks. Not a minute later the family of quail came walking across the parking lot! Needless to say the podcast was instantly derailed as we observed the teeny-tiny chicks and watched the parents herd them into the underbrush. The chicks we saw were about this big. Really adorable!
In preparation for casting on for the Yarniacs Colors of Fall 2015 KAL (#yarnaicscolors2015) we researched Fall clothing trends and share some of the information we found. Of particular interest were capes, and ribbed knits. If you follow the Thursday Tips over on Ravelry, you may recall the Ravelry team posting about the abundance of beautiful capes they saw on display while at the June TNNA show. The ribbed knits pictured online varied from sweaters with all-over ribbing to garments made with ribbed knit fabric, such as ribbed knit cotton jersey.We will probably see a lot of both these trends in the upcoming months.
I hope you enjoy a little taste of our redwood forests in addition to our usual knitting segments!
- Sharlene
What are we wearing?
Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty
tosh merino light by madelinetosh
Sharlene's Woodfords
Liesl by Julie Weisenberger
Gayle's Liesl
Coronado (fingering weight cotton) by Toluca Knits
What are we stalking?
Aureed by Meiju K-P
Color Bomb by Melanie Mielinger
Therapy by Laura Aylor
What are we knitting?
Heverly by Julia Farwell-Clay
Bug Warmer by Taiga Hilliard Designs
Sockhead Hat Kelly McClure
Longfellow by Michele Wang
Eyre light by madelinetosh
3 Color Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli
What have we finished?
Alcea Cowl by Hannah Meier
Sharlene's Alcea
198 yds. of Heaven by Christy Verity
Sharlene'e 198 yards
Bug Warmer by Taiga Hilliard Designs
Sharlene's Bug
Verdure Shawlette by Fluffy Fibers
Snug too by Hinke
Rios by Malabrigo
Gayle's Snug Too
Focus Dress by Meiju K-P
Gayle's Focus
Western Sky Knits Magnolia Sock
Episode 91 audio
Click here for episode 91 audio.
Remember, depending on your browser and connection speed, the audio may take a few minutes to fully load.
Remember, depending on your browser and connection speed, the audio may take a few minutes to fully load.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Episode 90 - Knitting the Colors of Fall 2015
Greeting fellow yarniacs! Guess what? It's that time of year again. That time when we give some thought to our fall wardrobes, preview the fall colors, and actually plan a look to wear in the fall. Wow! I know, it is a lot to think about, but take it one bite at a time. Even if, like me, your previous color planning has involved seeing what new colors of t-shirts are on sale at Target, there is something about the arrival of fall, the start of school and memories of new school clothes, and the arrival of boot and sweater season that makes many of us turn a focused eye on our wardrobes.
Like all of our knit-a-longs, we have a casual and inclusive attitude. Pick a color from the Pantone Fashion Report and knit something. Further details can be found here. If you wish to be eligible for prizes, check those rules and starting and finishing dates. If you just want to knit along, feel free to join in anytime. The chat thread is already going and there will be a separate FO thread. Have questions or need support? Join us in our Ravelry group here. I can't wait to hear which are everyone's favorite colors and what everyone is planning for the fall!
- Sharlene
What are we wearing?
Raiun by Kirstin Johnstone
Sharlene's Raiun
Echoes of Color by Joji Locatelli
Gayle's Echoes
What are we stalking?
Summertime Shawl by Michele Meadows
Madelinetosh Dandelion yarn
Spring in Her Path by Mary Annarella
Times Square by Norah Gaughan
Norah Gaughan for The Fibre Company: Oporto Novel Construction
Silver Lines by Andrea Hallasi
Designer Jana Huck
Mix It Up! by Jana Huck
Meritence by Jana Huck
What are we knitting?
Heverly by Julia Farwell-Clay
Sharlene's Heverly
Alcea Cowl by Hannah Maier
Sharlene's Alcea
Focus Dress by Meiju K-P
Gayle's Focus Dress
Snug too by Hinke
Gayle's Snug too
Verdure Shawlette by Fluffy Fibers
Gayle's Verdure
What have we finished?
Little Sister's Dress by Tora Froseth
Sharlene's Little Dress
Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty
Sharlene's Woodfords
Thanks to Donita aka inagaddadonita, for the cool project bags from her Etsy shop!
She is offering a coupon code for Yarniacs podcast listeners. :)
My bag is pictured here.
Like all of our knit-a-longs, we have a casual and inclusive attitude. Pick a color from the Pantone Fashion Report and knit something. Further details can be found here. If you wish to be eligible for prizes, check those rules and starting and finishing dates. If you just want to knit along, feel free to join in anytime. The chat thread is already going and there will be a separate FO thread. Have questions or need support? Join us in our Ravelry group here. I can't wait to hear which are everyone's favorite colors and what everyone is planning for the fall!
- Sharlene
What are we wearing?
Raiun by Kirstin Johnstone
Sharlene's Raiun
Echoes of Color by Joji Locatelli
Gayle's Echoes
What are we stalking?
Summertime Shawl by Michele Meadows
Madelinetosh Dandelion yarn
Spring in Her Path by Mary Annarella
Times Square by Norah Gaughan
Norah Gaughan for The Fibre Company: Oporto Novel Construction
Silver Lines by Andrea Hallasi
Designer Jana Huck
Mix It Up! by Jana Huck
Meritence by Jana Huck
What are we knitting?
Heverly by Julia Farwell-Clay
Sharlene's Heverly
Alcea Cowl by Hannah Maier
Sharlene's Alcea
Focus Dress by Meiju K-P
Gayle's Focus Dress
Snug too by Hinke
Gayle's Snug too
Verdure Shawlette by Fluffy Fibers
Gayle's Verdure
What have we finished?
Little Sister's Dress by Tora Froseth
Sharlene's Little Dress
Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty
Sharlene's Woodfords
Thanks to Donita aka inagaddadonita, for the cool project bags from her Etsy shop!
She is offering a coupon code for Yarniacs podcast listeners. :)
My bag is pictured here.
Episode 90 audio
Click here for episode 90 audio.
Remember, depending on your browser and connection speed, the audio may take a few minutes to fully load.
Remember, depending on your browser and connection speed, the audio may take a few minutes to fully load.
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