Knitting Pipeline is sponsored by my Longaberger home businessn and Quince & Co.

Knitting Pipeline is sponsored by Quince & Co. and Knitcircus Yarns

Friday, April 1, 2011

Episode 38 Sock Chatter

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for all episodes.

Quince & Co drawing winner!  Congratulations to Robin (comment on 3.11.11)  Please send me a message to collect your prize of a pattern from Quince & Co and 2 skeins of Tern yarn!  Thank you to sponsor Quince & Co for continuing to sponsor the podcast.


Three Bags Full is our giveaway sponsor for the next 4 episodes! We will have a drawing each week for one of Michele's beautiful project bags! This week the prize is the Mia Bag. Leave a comment below to enter the drawing. Enjoy FREE SHIPPING through April 2011 by using the promo code "piper" at Three Bags Full.



Mia Bag from Three Bags Full. 


Inside of Mia Bag.  Love those little pockets!
Thank you, Michele!


Japan Relief

Martina Behm is donating the proceeds from Magrathea, a small shawl, to Japan Relief.  Purchase before April 5, 2011 and the money will go to the German Red Cross.

Nature Notes

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. 
 --Aristotle.
The black panther was spotted by 6 people at the same time.  One person is a local county law enforcement officer.   Robins abound.  The American Robin is in the Thrush family.  Male robins have black heads and tails.  I saw a bluebird and a brown creeper this week.

Needle Notes

My socks in progress have Eye of Partridge Heel!

Have a Yarn  Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

I am tired of talking about the Norwegian Sweater.  On Saturday I started knitting Clockwork by Westknits.  I'm back in my groove!

Ann  5 Gauge Socks is a booklet for knitting socks in most sizes in most gauges.   These are toe-up but look like top down.  The pattern is available at Quince & Co.  Ann  Budd's web site is here.

In The Blethering Room

Join us for an Estelle KAL (Knit Along).  We will start on May 1.  Estelle is a top down cardigan by Melissa LaBarre.  Lark is used for this pattern.




Fix It Notes

I fixed one pair of socks with a combined method of Swiss Darning and traditional Darning.  I used my great-great-grandmother's darning egg.


Thin spot on bottom of heel

Just in the nick of time!  These threads were ready to pop.

Darning Egg



Sock Mending Video in progress...to be uploaded soon.


Music


Lamb's-Fold Vale (or David of the Blue-Storm) by Cheryl Ann Fulton from The Airs of Wales available on Magnatune.

Haste ye back!

52 comments:

Tammy said...

Please enter me in the drawing for the bag!

Lisaknits said...

How nice of Michele! The bags are cool...hope I win one.

Sabra said...

Would love to have one of the bags. Thanks for the opportunity.

Rav id - Sabrab

Chellieanne said...

Love the podcast-and the project bags.

Michele in Maine, too

Anonymous said...

Beautiful project bags and another great episode. Thanks.
Sandy L

penelope10 said...

I have Ann Budd's book "Knitting Socks" and it's my go to!
I would love to win a project bag, never have before!

CardiLover said...

Love the green and black Mia bag!
I think I may join the Estelle knitalong, but substitute with a yarn for warmer weather. Perhaps a cotton/silk blend I have in the stash...hmmm...

Nancy Nordquist said...

The bags are adorable!

cmflame said...

I'd always thought you were saying "hasty back", which seemed such a nice way of saying "hurry back, I'm looking forward to visiting with you again"!

Jessica said...

I would love this bag! :0)
jpeled on ravelry

Anonymous said...

Sign me up please. I enjoys these giveaways so much. And I enjoy listening to your podcast.

Thank you, Kelli Page

Emmy Lou said...

Just checked all of the bags and would have difficulty choosing one. I really like the fabric which is so colorful.

Kathy said...

I was sitting here darning a sock while listening to your podcast! It drives me crazy when I wear out my heels. I knit a pair of socks in December and already wore them out. Could it be my clogs that contribute to the wearing out? I already use a size 0 for the bottom of the foot to help with the problem. On some socks, I use another yarn in addition to my sock yarn when I'm turning the heel, at the point where I'm going back and forth after I finish the heel flap. I continue using the doubled yarn until it's time to pick up the gusset stitches and go all the way around the foot. Does that make sense?

I'm considering trying the afterthought heel and seeing how that works out for me and my hardwearing feet! I'll show you my socks next week in Missouri!

AnneLena Mattison said...

The Mia bag is adorable.

I also thought you said "hasty back"! :-)

Dawna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dawna said...

Those bags are gorgeous. I would love to win one.

I enjoyed the podcast very much as I am an avid sock knitter. I just recently used the Swiss darning method on some socks that were getting thread bare in the heel. It is much easier to reinforce with the Swiss darning than to have to repair a hole, so now I try to examine my socks after every wearing to try to stay ahead of the holes.

Karin said...

Love the podcast and the stories of the wildlife in your area. What happened to Franklin?

Karin

Unknown said...

Spools of "Wooly" serger thread are indeed available in sewing stores, but an extra-thick version can be found at Schoolhouse Press; Meg calls it "Wooly Nylon". It looks fluffy when not under tension, but slims a LOT down when pulled. I have used both thicknesses for mending and for reinforcing. Lots of colors, too.

Jersey Shore Deb said...

Hi Paula,
Loved this episode...I have not tried to darn socks yet, but I agree with you that they are worth fixing after all the work and love that goes in to knitting them.
LOVE the Three Bags Full selections...as I try to keep my stash from growing larger, I have begun to build a "stash" of knitting bags and storage tools!

Donna said...

What a timely episode; I have two socks in need of mending! I love the podcast, and the bag is beautiful. I'd love to win one.

windzgirl said...

I love the bag! Please enter me into your drawing!

JudyAnn said...

I'd love that bag!

It's too bad all of my family's darning eggs are long gone. I remember them.

Lisaknits said...

I hope I win....love these bags!

Rachel Roue said...

Those bags are so cute and Michele is so sweet to donate!!! Paula, I can't WAIT to meet you in just 2 days!! Also, I LOVE Cheryl Ann Fulton, I often listen to her during yoga practice!!

Leigh said...

Love the bags, would love to win something. Thanks for the opportunity!

Paula, I really enjoy the podcast and have to say it is one of the most pleasant ones I listen to. I never get tired of it and you include such a nice mix of knitting info and misc. news. Love the Nature Notes. I'm an avid sock and shawl knitter so have appreciated the knitting topics and learn something new every time. Thanks for sharing interesting patterns as well -- now my queue is neverending but I can look forward to lots of knitting enjoyment!

Pam said...

I have my grandma's old black darning egg and I just treasure it. Thinking about her hands being on it long ago warms my heart when I hold it in my hands....hmmmmm, memories! :)

Beautiful bags, I would love to win one!

Thank you!

MicheleStitches said...

Wow! In one post I find two other Michele's who spell it with one "L!" Michele that makes the bags and Michele in the comments section. Here's another Michele. :-D

My socks wear out in the toes...I have a strange problem in that the toenail on my big toe is attached all the way beyond the tip of the flesh. I physically can NOT trim the nail below the end of my toe, so it really does a number on my socks. (((sigh)))

drMolly, the BeanQueen said...

Cute bags.
I have a darning "mushroom" that was my great-gran's - it indeed looks like a muchroom instead of an egg.
I would like to have an egg, too, so keep looking for one - well, an antique one as one can get new ones now, I guess.

Pat said...

Lovely bags! Here's hoping!
I remember my mother's darning egg. I used to play with it. Not sure she ever actually darned anything, though, and heaven knows I haven't! Yet!
Thanks for appreciating my sense of humor re the waist for Estelle. I feel like we know each other; I hope one day we will meet. Just ordered the Snap Pea yarn.
So glad you do these podcasts! THANK YOU!

Unknown said...

Paula, thanks so much for your suggestion to tackle those pesky mending projects. I have a pair of socks I haven't even worn because the tails I wove in started to make their way out. So today, during your sock-themed podcast, I pulled them out and sewed those tails back in. Now I can wear the fruits of my labor. Thanks for the inspiration and for your lovely show.

Val said...

Thank you for the darning tutorial link. I've been needing this!!!!

Bindeej said...

I agree with all the love for the darning tutorial! Never considered darning until I made my own socks. Then I was sorry that none of my relatives taught me before they passed. Now I have a source! Thank you.
I also love the continuing saga of the big cat story. Please keep us posted. I'm sure we've not heard the last of this.

YarnCrazyMama said...

Hi, Paula, I'm a Paula, too, from Oregon. My first posting. I really enjoy your podcast and the music at the end!

PeaceofYarn said...

Thank you so much for the darning tutorial - I can't wait to see it. I have my grandmother's wooden darning 'egg' & have never had a chance to use it! LOVE your podcast!

samasa said...

Knitting socks is my favorite 'comfort' knitting.. While listening to your recent podcast I heard a great tip for knitting the heels - use a smaller size needle! A perfect solution for those sometimes small gaps. Love your podcasts!
samasa@comcast.net

Vivian said...

Paula, I've been listening to you since the end of summer, but this the first time I'm commenting. Great podcast. I always look forward to hearing about your projects, your nature notes and your piping adventures.

It's thanks to you that I started and completed my first shawl. I'm upstateviv on Ravelry

Caitlin said...

Although I'm not a sock knitter, I enjoyed hearing about your repair methods as I too am a believer that it's better to fix and reuse than dispose, especially if it's something that you made! Have fun at Camp Kip and I look forward to hearing about it.

Terri said...

Really enjoy your podcast! I have my grandmother's darning egg. Now I just might have to use it! Thanks for the how to

Yarnette said...

The bags are fabulous.
I am sad that people just want to kill wildlife!
Can't wait to hear about Camp KIP.
Yarnette

beefi8 said...

I love your podcast and the bags look great!
Tammie
homebody62565@yahoo.com

EWESMAMA said...

wonderful bags, another great podcast thanks!

Susan said...

Thanks for the video link to the darning. I've been intending to try something similar. The woven darn works well enough, but I have a couple of pairs of nearly new socks that need repair and the Swiss Darn, or variation thereof, will allow the socks to retain their 'new' look.

The Estelle Cardigan is very tempting. We will see.

Lastly, love the knitting sheep bag up at 3 Bags Full tonight! Sorely tempted to pull out the plastic card right now.

Have fun at Camp KIP

deedalee said...

Am I too late for the contest? I just listened to the podcast and I think today was the deadline to enter for the bag drawing. If I'm not too late, please include me!

Hope you are having a blast at Camp KIP.
~Diane

Anonymous said...

Paula, thanks for another interesting podcast! Yours are my favorites.
I don't have any handknitted socks old enough to be wearing out yet, but I suspect they will wear out on the bottoms of the heels since I wear Birkenstocks most of the time. I decided to try knitting them with the reinforced flap on the bottom, and I continued to work the eye of partridge stitch through the whole heel turn. I am just past the heel turn on sock number 2, so don't know how they will hold up yet!
The project bags are very cute!Thanks for the chance to win one.

KnittyBarb said...

Paula - I enjoyed your comments about the reinforcement of socks. I think one of the reasons this issue has sort of died down is because almost all the sock yarns now have the nylon in the blend.

Love the project bags - would love to win one! Have fun at Camp KIP.
Barb

Linda Healey said...

The bags are beautiful--count me in!

I'm so sorry the local police person's strategy is to destroy an amazing animal like a panther. I suppose relocation is an option, but as you say, there may be others and removing him/her from tfamily members as well as native habitat is cruel as well. Such a DILEMMA.

Last year at a spinning get-together someone was showing folks how to darn wool socks by needle felting carded fiber over the thin place--she built up layers and it came out very neat and looked quite strong, too.

Anonymous said...

The bag is lovely. I am addicted to knitting bags, tins and boxes. I like to have everything for a project together and ready.

I enjoy your podcast. I greatly appreciate the history and tradition you bring to your information. Kelley (fiberevincer on Ravelry)

Wendy said...

One can never have enough bags--especially ones as beautiful and functional as these! I really enjoy the podcast--it is one of my favorites. Keep up the awesome work! Please enter me in the drawing.

Wendy
(Wendeluu on Ravelry)

Lani said...

I found a darning egg in an antique store labeled as a bottle stopper. The kid at the counter had no idea what I was talking about when I told her it was really a darning egg. Thanks for a great podcast.

Lisa said...

I just heard Meghan say that she heard you play your bagpipes at Camp KIP! I just have to say: Everyone at Camp KIP is a lucky duck to get to hear you play!!! :)

1to1 said...

Paula,

As always, another great episode. I enjoy hearing about Peoria (lived there 4 yrs) and your nature notes!!

My socks are all starting to rip out on the bottom of the heels but I haven't darned any yet. I've knitted my last few pairs on Size 0 hoping this will help too.

Please include me for the cute bag. Have a wonderful time at CampKIP and safe travels.

Carla
aka1to1

Paula said...

The contest is closed for this episode but feel free to leave a comment. The current drawing is on Episode 39 until noon on April 14. Thanks for all your comments and feedback! Great ideas!

About Me

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I play the Great Highland Pipes, knit, observe nature, and read. My name on Ravelry is PrairiePiper. Find me on Instagram as KnittingPipeline.