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

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

Friday, May 27, 2011

Episode 45 The Felted Join

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

Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsoring Knitting Pipeline.

Luscious Quince wool.
Pipeliner Specials!

10% off your order at Quince & Co (min $25) from June 1 through June 15
Promo Code KP62011

Three Bags Full still has FREE Shipping through May 31, 2011.  Promo code "piper".

The Winners!

Thanks to designers Brenna Kotar (Hoot Cardigan) and Rose Beck for two copies of the wonderful  Be Mine Collection of Shawlettes.

The winners are:
Judiuni for both Hoot Cardigan and Be Mine
Redsknits for Be Mine

Congratulations!  Please contact me!

Pipeliner Notes

More owl info:  Getting Wise to the Owl article from NYT. Shared by Jaykay.

Nature Notes

Recent sightings in our woods are Indigo Buntings and Scarlet Tanagers. The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, which are indeed in the sparrow family, are still visiting the feeder.  We hope they are nesting in our woods.  House wrens are raising a brood in one of our birdhouses.  I love waking up in the morning to the house wren's bubbly song. 

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment
--Jane Austen.

Needle Notes

Estelle Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre. Despite my prediction that the sleeves on my Estelle would be smooth sailing, I have had a few challenges.  They were a little tight in the upper arms and then I overcompensated and I made them too large.  One sleeve is finished but may be a little short.  See my project notes here.  I felt it necessary to take a little break from Estelle so I cast on for And So Are You, a crescent-shaped shawl from the Be Mine Collection by Rose Beck.  I am using Opulence (silk and wool) from The Woolen Rabbit.

The Felted Join

I have been using The Felted Join in Estelle and the Norwegian Setesdal Sweater.  To be more civilized I  have refined the name and the technique.  This is often referred to as "the Spit Join".  Instead of using your own saliva (which still works in a pinch) I use boiling water and then make myself a cup of tea to drink while I admire my handiwork. 

Advantages of the Felted Join are that the ends are dealt with while knitting so there is less finishing work; the joins are practically indetectable; and if you frog (unravel) your project then you will have one giant ball of yarn.  You must use wool or another feltable fiber (on your own here.)

Video Tutorial of The Felted Join


The Blethering Room

A couple of questions about e-readers were addressed. 
I answered Judiuni's question about using lifelines.
I am joining The Knit Girllls in the Stash Dash 5K!  The goal is to knit 5K (5,468 yd) of your stash between May 27 and August 15, 2011.  Cheating is allowed.  Projects that you started prior to May 27 count if you finish knitting them during the time frame.  You may add to your stash during this event (remember that nice offer from Quince & CO for 10% off?)

How to unravel your knitting and get the stitches back on the needles



Book  Notes

Charts Made Simple: Understanding Knitting Charts Visually by J.C. Briar.  Glass Iris Publications. 
 c 2010.  $17.95

J.C. Briar's website is here.

In the Piping Circle

Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums competed in the St. Andrew's Highland Games in Chatham IL on May 21. 


Kevin and Paula at the Celtic Cross "camp".  Kevin is the big voice you hear at the beginning of the podcast.

Visit my Longaberger shop for special offers through Monday May 30th.  There are always specials and sales!

Coming soon!
Video Tutorial on Meghan's method of picking up stitches after unraveling your work.

Music
All Shall be Well  from the album Sabbath Day's Journey by Lydia McCauley.
http://www.magnatune.com/


Haste ye back!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Episode 44 Fans and Feathers

Listen here or use the Flash Player to listen directly from this site.  All past episodes are available on the Flash Player.

Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsoring the podcast!  Sign up for their free e-newsletter at http://www.quinceandco.com/.

A Winner!

The giveaway for Episode 43 was donated by designer Susan B. Anderson:  Hoot Hat and newly released pattern Owl Babies.  Visit Susan's blog to keep up with her amazing designs!
Owl Baby by Susan B. Anderson. 

The winner is Chris!  Chris was the 51st comment left on May 18, 2011 at 11:29 a.m.  Chris, please contact me with your information so Susan can get your new patterns to you!

Two Winners Next Week!

This week's Giveaway is a copy of Hoot Cardigan by Brenna Kotar and 2 copies of Be Mine by Rose Beck.  Winner #1 will receive the cardigan pattern and the shawl book and Winner #2 will receive the Be Mine Shawl Collection!  Please remember to  leave your contact information (blog link, Ravelry name, email) along with your comment below. 

Pipeliner Notes

Aquilterknits shared the IBird Explorer App for $9.99.  There is a free lite version.

Stringplay reminded me of a favorite poem from my childhood, Song of Hiawathea by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  This excerpt is from Chapter 3, Hiawatha's Childhood.  I read from the book  Favorite Poems Old and New.  edited for boys and girls by Helen Ferris. c. 1957  received from my grandparents for my birthday.

When he heard the owls at midnight,
Hooting, laughing in the forest,
'What is that?" he cried in terror,
"What is that," he said, "Nokomis?"
And the good Nokomis answered:
"That is but the owl and owlet,
Talking in their native language,
Talking, scolding at each other."

Then the little Hiawatha
Learned of every bird its language,
Learned their names and all their secrets,
How they built their nests in Summer,
Where they hid themselves in Winter,
Talked with them whene'er he met them,
Called them "Hiawatha's Chickens."


More Owl Patterns

Barn Owl by Cassidy Clark aka Doodlenoodle
Who's Hungry Bib by Bronwyn Hahn

Needle Notes

I continue knitting on my Estelle for the Estelle KAL.  I am finished with the body and working on the first sleeve.  It seems like duck soup from here on out.

Tips for working Feather and Fan or other lace projects

    Estelle Cardigan Progress
  • Markers will help you learn to read your lace.  Reading your lace means that you can see what needs to be done next.
  • Put markers between each repeat set.  Learn to notice the "line" where the sets of decreases meet in Feather and Fan.  I prefer yarn markers so I do not waste time slipping from one needle to the other.  The end of the marker can move up each row with the bottom part still in the lower rows.  The yarn markers will help train your eye to read your knitting.
  • Count!  On the return row, or after doing a section of the lace row, count between the markers to make sure you have the required number for each repeat.  Occasionally lace rows will not have the same number of stitches per row but usually the pattern will tell you this.

The Blethering Room

A tip I learned from Meghan on the Stitch It Podcast on taking your knitting back to a mistake and getting it back on the needles.  Brilliant!

Book Notes

I have a Kindle and a Nook so I compare them and also tell why I enjoy having an e-reader.  Both the Kindle and the Nook are great e-readers.   I prefer the buttons on The Kindle over the touchy touch screen of The Nook.  The reason I bought The Nook was the night screen which enables me in read in bed and other low-light situations.


Music is All in a Garden Green from the album Dolce Musica by Healing Muses.  http://www.magnatune.com/

Haste ye back! 

Friday, May 13, 2011

Episode 43 Owls: Mystical, Magical, and Knittable

Listen here or use the Flash Player in the sidebar. 

Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsoring this episode of Knitting Pipeline. Sign up for their free newsletter.

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and condolences.

A Winner!

The winner of the Owl Sweater Project Bag is Hybridgirl!  Thank you to Three Bags Full for 5 beautiful handcrafted project bags.  You can still get FREE shipping through May 31, 2011 by using the promo code "piper" at check out.

Leave a comment below to enter the drawing for two owl patterns by Susan B. Anderson.  One is Hoot Hat and the other is just being released!  I've been following Susan's blog for a long time.  Check it out!

Pipeliner Tip

Tracy is knitting Those Mitts by Leslie Friend for high school graduation gifts.  She is using the colors of the college of their choice in the mitts. 

Owls

People have been fascinated by owls since before recorded history. Prehistoric man painted owls on cave walls. Owls are a part of folklore and mythology. Owls have represented good, they have represented evil. Owls have been the portent of death and the messenger of birth. They have been associated with goddesses, witches, wise men, and prophets. Possibly no other bird has been so feared, loved, despised and revered. There are 133 species of owls world wide and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. They live in snowy landscapes and in deserts and everything in between. When I looked at the many species of owls I was amazed at the variety…and yet each one does look like an owl. The flat beak and the large eyes embedded in spherical discs are two characteristics that stand out among the majority of owl species.

So what makes owls different from other birds and why do people over centuries love them and fear them?
Owls are nocturnal birds and although we often hear them we seldom see them. This nocturnal activity makes them more mysterious than a bird that hops about on the ground or flies during the day. Nighttime is often associated with evil and the unknown. Their large somewhat human eyes and their keen sense of hearing and seeing also makes us think they know something that we don’t know. Although they are nocturnal it is not true that they cannot see during the day. The fact is that their sight is very good in the daylight but their prey is usually active at night.

Like humans, owls have binocular vision. The vision from each eye overlaps. Most birds have monocular vision which is why you see a robin cocking its head to look downward. They cannot see as well straight ahead.

Owls eyes are sometimes as large as human eyes but of course owls are much smaller. Even the largest owls are only a little over 2 ¼ feet long. Their eyeballs are not round like ours though. They are tubular; therefore, an owl cannot look to the side without turning its head.


Wise Old Owl

A wise old owl sat upon an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why aren't we like that wise old bird? 
    ~~Edward Hersey Richards


The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that won't believe.
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbeliever's fright.
~~William Blake

Needle Notes

Owls (Sweater) by Kate Davies knitted by 12 Pipeliners
Owlet (Child Sweater) by Kate Davies knitted by 7 Pipeliners
Who? (Hat) a Free pattern by Sara Amoroso.  knitted by 10 Pipeliners
Give a Hoot (Mittens) knitted by 5 Pipeliners
Owlie Sleep Sack and Owlie Hat by Teresa Cole  Free knitted by 2 Pipeliners
Hoot! (Hair Accessory) by Ysolda Teague knitted by 3 Pipeliners
Hoot Cardigan by Brenna Kotar
Owl Baby Vest by Jodi Haraldson (Free) by 4 Pipeliners
Hoot Hat by Susan B. Anderson
Tooley Owl by Amanda Berry
Birdie Backpack by Alison Stewart-Guinee

Book Notes

The Owl and The Pussycat by Edward Lear
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
Mother West Wind Tales by Thornton W.  Burgess
Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling (who studied the classics at University, quite possibly the owl connection from Greek Mythology)
I Heard the Owl Call my Name by Margaret Craven
Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne.  Owl could spell Tuesday.

In Greek mythology, the goddess Athene had a Little Owl.  Owls were a sign of victory if one flew over troops in battle.  Owls are on ancient Greek coins.  Many owls inhabited the Acropolis and were protected there.

Owls announced the death of Julius Caesar and Agrippa.





The Blethering Room

Estelle KAL update.  Quite a few of us started over because our gauge was off.  Pipeliners Goldybear, Redbird1, and JanMarie met for an evening of Estelle KAL Knitting in Public.

From left, Goldybear, Redbird1, and JanMarie.  I am so happy that our Estelle KAL brought these three together.
A pair of Barn Owls had fans from all over the world when they raised their owlets on a webcam.
Molly's Blog

Activity TV has an origami owl-shaped bookmark.  There is video instruction and written instructions.

Owl Bookmarks

Owl Bookmark in action.

Turkey eavesdropping on podcast.

Nature Notes

The four main owls in our area of Central Illinois.

Great Horned Owl  largest owl in our area.  yellow eyes and ear tufts.
Barred Owl: an owl of deciduous woodlands. Known as Eight-Hooter because of its call:  . "Who, who, who cooks for yooooooouuuuu?"
Screech Owl  Smallest owl in our area.  Sounds like a cell phone.
Barn Owl  light in color.  heart-shaped face and long legs.  Somewhat endangered due to dwindling number of habitats.




In the Piping Circle

We are begining our competition season!  Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums will be competing at the St. Andrew Highland Games in Springfield Il on May 21, 2011.

Music is from Garden of Healing by Healing Music from http://www.magnatune.com/.  The tune is Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still, an American folk tune.

Haste ye back and hold your knitting close!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Episode 42 Happy Estelle Day

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this page.  All archived episodes are also found here.

Quince & Co is a sponsor for this episode.  Sign up for their Free e-newsletter at http://www.quinceandco.com/.  Thank you, Quince!

Quince & Co Chickadee in Clay, Split Pea, and Carrie's Yellow.  Yum.
Owl Bag Giveaway

Three Bags Full is donating an Owl Bag for this week's giveaway. Has anyone noticed that each week the prize gets bigger? Isn't it adorable? Thank you, Michele!  Leave a comment by noon on Thursday May 12th to enter the drawing.



We have a winner!

The winner of the Pink Daffodil Bag from Episode 42 is PJM, who is Paula, or pjpurls on Ravelry.  Congratulations!  Please contact me to claim your bag from Three Bags Full.

Nature Notes

Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own.  Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you.   ~~John Muir

Nancy and Susan joined me on the deck for an afternoon of armchair birding.  Rosebreasted Grosbeaks are migrating though.  The males are flashy and the females look like overgrown sparrows.  We also saw the Wood Thrush.  Both the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Wood Thrush have beautiful songs.

A fox caught a squirrel for his breakfast.  The squirrels were getting complacent about the foxes.

John Muir books are available on Librivox, a free audio source.  The following John Muir works are currently available for FREE!
  • An Adventure with a Dog and a Glacier (in "Short Nonfiction Collection Vol. 021")
  • The Mountains of California
  • My First Summer in the Sierra
  • Steep Trails
  • Stickeen
  • The Story of My Boyhood and Youth
  • Travels in Alaska
  • The Yosemite

Needle Notes

I finished several projects to get the deck cleared for the Estelle KAL on May 1.

Eye of Partidge Heel Socks
Other than the Eye of Partridge Heel there is nothing too special about this pair.  On the second sock I took Anna Lena's advice and used the slip stitch pattern that is often used on the heel to reinforce the bottom of the sole.  With one sock reinforced in this way and one not, this will be an experiment of one.

I am still loving Charlene Schurch's technique for eliminating the pig's eye (hole) where the heel flap and the gusset join.  (See Episode 34, March 4, 2011)

I decided to not match the pattern on this yarn but it matched itself!

Sugar is Sweet by Rose Beck

from the Be Mine Collection



Blocking on guest bed.

Edge detail
Miss Bab's Fingering weight was the main colorway in blues and browns.  I used the rest of Forever in Blue Jeans (The Woolen Rabbit, Pandora) for the blue stripe and Barnacle (Quince & Co Tern) for the bottom border.  I saved enough of the Miss Bab's to do one row of knitting and the BO row which I think made it all work.  I love the crescent shape of the shawl and the three dimensional textured lace.

I forgot to say that I intended to make a smaller size but wasn't paying attention and passed up the stitch count so went on to make a large.  If I had stuck with a medium size I might have had enough of the Miss Bab's.  I am happy with the result.

I used The Russian Bind Off for a nice flexible (and tidy) edge.

The Blethering Room

Happy  Estelle Day!  Charr chimed in on May 1st with this greeting and I loved it. 



The recommended yarn is Lark by Quince & Co. I chose Glacier, an icy blue.

Raglan increase detail.
Several of us seem to be having trouble with gauge.  I checked my gauge when I was about 4 inches into the yoke and it was off, actually tighter than it should be.  The fabric seemed a little too dense.  I shifted to a size larger needle and may go up one needle size.  I think we have people knitting with everything from a 3 to an 8, which goes to show how individual we all are as knitters.

If you like the Lark at a looser gauge than what is recommended, then you have some options.  You could knit a smaller size or you could change the stitch count.  If you change the stitch count for this or other projects you might want to try Ann Budd's nifty My Favorite Formula on her blog, AnnBuddKnits.

Charr and I are going to Sock Summit!  We are also going to Stitches Midwest.
Book Notes

Be Mine: 5 Sweet Shawlettes to Knit by Rose Beck

$12.99 e-book.  Individual patterns are $4.00
  •  Simplicity is the key with these shawls, all knitted top-down and either triangular or crescent shaped.  The shawls are subtly romantic. 
  • Clear instructions.
  • Various sizes and yarn weights
  • Large charts--no need to enlarge before knitting
  • Highly recommended for lovers of small shawls.

Kim of The Woolen Rabbit has a beautiful version of And So Are You.  She used Opal in the color Grey Goose.  (Did I hear the word "grey"?  You know my passion for it!)

The music in today's show is For My Daughters from Quieting by Lydia McCauley.  http://www.magnatune.com/

Haste ye back! 

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.