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

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

Friday, April 20, 2012

Episode 87 Knit That Puppy

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes.

This show by sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business and Quince & Co.
The folks at Quince & Co believe that businesses can be good citizens—should be good citizens—without making too much a fuss about it. So, they have created a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool or sourced from earth friendly overseas suppliers. Find them at www.quinceandco.com and while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.
I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions.  Feel free to write to me at Paulaef@aol.com or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper.  My business site is www.longaberger.com/paula

Thank you for your iTunes reviews and star ratings! When I checked today there were exactly 400 star reviews.  That is a lot and I appreciate each one!

I appreciate all the ways that you participate in the Knitting Pipeline Community whether it is leaving a comment on the show blog, participating in the Knitting Pipeline group on Ravelry, or just downloading and enjoying the show.  Show notes will be found at knittingpipeline.com

A Playful Day with Green Triangle Girl  4/15/2012  Thank you!

The Fat Squirrel Speaks with Amy Beth.  Thanks for the nice shout out and EZ love fest.

Pipeliner Notes

Kell left a message on the show blog that she liked the idea of purchasing a pattern from a designer if you have enjoyed one of their freebies.   I should have said last week that this is a fairly new idea of mine so don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t think of it.

I also want to thank StripeySpots for the lovely message she left on the show blog.

Ana’s message on the show blog was representative of a lot of the feedback about the link to Joy in the Congo.

Nature Notes

Happy Earth Day April 22nd.  Spring Clean Up is in our town on Saturday..

Spring beauties are past their prime.  Sweet William is blooming along with May Apples.  We’ve been seeing a lot of Red Admirals, which is a butterfly with orange red bands on the outside of the wings. With all the tree frogs singing one day and birds calling back and forth it sounded a bit like the rainforest out there.  One night about nine thirty we heard a very loud and strange sound coming from the woods.  It was not a human cry nor did it sound like a birds.  It was a loud and raucous  BAHHHHHHHH that occurred several times.


My bench in the woods. The view changes every day, but I change too. I like seeing things from another viewpoint. I remember stories like Horton Hears a Who and Honey I Shrunk the Kids
My Bench several weeks ago when spring beauties were in bloom.
My Bench today (4/20/12) with Sweet William and Trillium in bloom.  And the trees have a lot more leaves!
The Backyard Birds Newsletter by www.birdwatchersdigest.com
Backyard Notes  Diane Cooledge Porter

 “Anytime you want to see something new, just go for the same walk you went on yesterday.  You don’t have to go someplace new.  Every day it will be different, but you have to walk it every day to appreciate the novelty.”

Needle Notes

Reasons to Love Simple Skyp Socks

One more reason…I knit the first sock in 24 hours!

Skyp Ribbed Socks by Adrienne Ku  Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Springtime 


McHenry by Susan B Anderson   Stuffed dog with matching hat for Baby.   gender neutral!Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2011 and $5.50 individual pattern.
McHenry by Susan B Anderson
Even a Puppy can enjoy a quiet moment in the woods.
McHenry in a moment of reverie.  That is Oak Creek that winds around at the bottom of the hill.

Only two Pipeliners have knitted McHenry and one of them is Susan B Anderson and the other is Plashus/Pam.  Pam wrote in her notes that she did not overstuff her McHenry.  Amy Beth on The Fat Squirrel Speaks said that she learned not to overstuff knitted toys.  I think I already had overstuffed. 
First time for poly pellets.  I used the end of a nylon stocking.  Remember those?
Calls for DK.  Blue Sky Alpaca Skinny Cotton. I used Lion Brand Wool Ease which is worsted so my puppy is a little bigger.
Tip:  Keeping track of rows with contrasting yarn. 


The Blethering Room   At Home by Bill Bryson.  String aka yarn is a marvelous invention!
In the Pipeline
Camp KIP—no show next week as I will be gone.
Swing Knitting?
Effortless Cardigan  Quince & Co Tern Boothbay Blue
KnitBot Essentials by Hannah Fettig I fell down the Rabbit hole and cast on Sunday afternoon.

Reading: After finishing At Home I am ready for some fiction.  Lots of good suggestions on our Good Reads thread started by Choosejoy.
Listening to The Hunger Games.  Almost done!
Watching: Lilyhammer on Netflix Instant Watch. 
After he testifies against a Mafia boss, ex-gangster Frank Tagliano enters the witness protection program and asks to be sent to Norway. Despite the peaceful surroundings, it's not long before Frank strays from the straight and narrow.


An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David Thoreau

Friday, April 13, 2012

Episode 86 Skyp Sock Wave

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes.
This show by sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business and Quince& Co.

The folks at Quince & Co believe that businesses can be good citizens—should be good citizens—without making too much a fuss about it. So, they have created a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool or sourced from earth friendly overseas suppliers. Find them at www.quinceandco.com and while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.

I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions.  Feel free to write to me at Paulaef@aol.com or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper.  My business site is www.longaberger.com/paula

Pipeliner Notes
I share notes from Judiuni and Lasknits2.
Nature Notes
Garlic Mustard Day.  Take a few hours each year to pull up these plants on your property so you can keep it in control. 
Common Violet  Viola sororia sororia State Flower of Illinois since 1908 Possible host plant for a number of butterflies, especially fritillaries. Flowers are edible but have little flavor.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream  Act 2 Scene 1  William Shakespeare


Needle Notes
Main Needle Choices for Socks or other small items in the round:
1.      Double Points  4 or 5

2.      Very Short Circular 9 to 12”

3.      2 circulars, usually 24”

4.      One long circular also called Magic Loop, 32” or longer

Both of these somewhat dependent upon newer and more flexible cables than were available prior to 2000 or so.
The Magic Loop by Bev Galeskas January 2002 
I attempted 2 at a time socks on Magic Loop.  Took Judiuni’s email to heart and divided up my Austermann Step into two equal balls of 21 g each.  What a mess!  Would work better with toe-up using Judy’s Magic Cast On.
KarenE1969 started the Simple Skyp Sock Wave at the Knitting Pipeline Retreat.  Thank you, Karen!  This is my new favorite sock pattern.


Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku   Written for sport weight but I didn’t realize that until today when I started on the show notes.  Stitch count seemed right for fingering weight and mine fit perfectly.

Cakewalk Yarns Stash  colorway Vernon  80/10/10

Reasons to Love Simple Skype Socks by Adrienne Ku

1.      6 + 2 rib is super stretchy so the sock fits well.

2.      Easy to memorize, only 2 rows and one is simple rib.  Skyp comes from the main stitch Slip one, knit 1 YO, PSSO

3.      Wonderful for variegated yarns.  Pop of color and texture. 

4.      Unisex-usually a YO in a man’s sock is the death knoll but it works here because of the pass over.

Piper’s Journey KAL
Welcome to newbies who are joining the KAL!

The Blethering Room

I tell the story of how a Snowy Owl was in our town for two days and I didn’t know about it.  Sigh.  Shed a few tears.
In the Pipeline
Lookbook KnitBot Essentials

KnitBot Essentials by Hannah Fettig

Slipped Stitch Patterns
Interrupting Cow Socks by Laura Linnemann  $4.00 Ravelry Download

Blue Monday Set a free design by Thea Colman www.spudandchloe.com  Beewing linked to it on our board.  Hat and mitten pattern with stranded slip stitch colorwork. 
Claire by Adrienne Ku top down, unisex, ribbed  $5
If I like a free pattern by a designer then I try to purchase one of her patterns as a thank you.
Joy in the Congo.  60 minutes April 8, 2012   Amazing Story!
Book Notes
Sock Knitting Master Class: Innovative Techniques and Patterns from Top Designers by Ann Budd. 
17 designs by 15 designers so that is a great value even if you just consider the patterns in the book.  Although the font is a rather small I recommend this book if you enjoy sock knitting.  Font is a bit small.  Highly recommended.

Haste ye back!

Friday, April 6, 2012

Episode 85 Sock Songs

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes.  You can subscribe on iTunes!

This show by sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business and Quince & Co.

The folks at Quince & Co believe that businesses can be good citizens—should be good citizens—without making too much a fuss about it. So, they have created a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool or sourced from earth friendly overseas suppliers. Find them at www.quinceandco.com and while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.
I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions.  Feel free to write to me at Paulaef@aol.com or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper.
Thank you to everyone who left 5 star reviews on iTunes
Pipeliner Notes
Thanks for the feedback on last week’s show.  Several of you enjoyed the story that Lois sent in about Alexander McCall Smith.  Musings on the Slip Stitch brought in comments.  Karebot said she is going to honor the Slip Stitch in April.  That came off the cuff more or less in jest but in reality I have actually been appreciating slipped stitches more.  Funny thing.

Nature Notes
We’ve gone from very hot weather to much cooler, which I am enjoying.

A Eastern Phoebe, or pair of phoebes, is building a nest on our gutter outside the bedroom window.  Phoebes are in the flycatcher family so you will see them doing some gymnastics as they fly and catch insects.  They have a tail that bobs up and down.  Their call is a raspy and short Phoebe rather than the clear Phoebe or Sweetie of the Black capped chickadee.

May Apples and Sweet William are adding to the color of the woodland floor.  The Spring Beauties are still in full bloom and the leaves are really beginning to come out on the trees.  We are still hearing the spring peepers although they were quiet last night as the temperature was below 50 when we went to bed.  Fifty degrees seems to be the cut off point for the peeper song. 

Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. ~~Ellis Peters

Needle Notes
Low Note: Proactive Star Toe Socks:  Pico Accuardi Dyeworks.  Accidental Felting despite not going into dryer. 
Plain Ol' Socks


Used Austermann Step with Aloe and Jojoba. Two knots in skein.  Great yardage.  A little on the thin side.
Listening back to an Episode and I heard myself say that I didn’t like having two pair of socks going at the same time.  Why?
Erin of MommyNeedsYarn No MoreTears for Autism Speaks.  Started project on March 23, Finished April 1, 2012.
BBknits Butter Pecan  Size 1 32” Harmony Needle

Learned:
1.      I will not collapse if I have more than one pair of socks in progress
2.      Magic Loop…getting into the groove. 
3.      Had a gutter where the loop came out.  First stitch on each needle was a purl stitch. See Episode 84 Cat Bordhi video with alternative way to purl.  At this point my head was beginning to spin but I decided to
4.      Cable without a needle.  Knittinghelp.com  (see below)
5.      Short Row Heel  First do a series of decreasing short rows with wrapped stitches and then a series of increasing short rows with wrapped stitches
6.      New way of concealing wraps  Cat Bordhi video

Cabling without a Cable Needle

Will probably unsticky the thread at the end of the month
Upcoming Pattern: Hyla Brook
Will use 2 skeins of Quince & Co Tern (wool/silk blend)

In the Pipeline
Knitting
McHenry by Susan B Anderson
Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku
Watching
The Fat Squirrel Speaks by Amy Beth.  Fantastic video cast!  Go watch it!
Reading
At Home by Bill Bryson
Listening
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

About Me

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