Episode 66 Afterthoughts

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Link to episode should work on 11.11.11. by 8 PM.

This show is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business www.longaberger.com/paula .  Sign up for my sale newsletters and special offers by sending an email to Paulaef@aol.com.  Please include your name, address, and phone.

My Annual Open House is Sunday, November 20th.  Contact me for details or visit www.longaberger.com/paula

Thanks to you...

Knitting Pipeline has had over 200,000 downloads since July 2010!  There are over 300 star ratings on iTunes.  Thanks to each one of you for listening, sharing, and being a part of the Knitting Pipeline Community.

Pipeliner Notes

 I read a note from Karin ("miterwriter" on Ravelry).  A little brown bat, nicknamed "Bertie", has been living on a light fixture in their garage for almost 15 years!  A wonderful story of wild animals and humans coexisting peacefully. 

Note on last week’s Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal:  it is a good idea to refrigerate any leftovers.

Winners of J-Knit apps

JKnit HD for iPad--Moz aka enquery, Peggie aka BleedingHeart, and Marsha aka Teal

JKnit--Barbara aka blb, Monique aka georgiedean, and Sally aka svjanis

Knit Evenly--Lynne aka knittensmitten, Ròs aka scarhandpiper, and Lu aka LuciaKnits

 Thank you, Bronwyn, for contacting the winners!

 Nature Notes

Flying Fox (Bat).  photo by Tim Jannech, husband of Kayak on Ravelry.

Thanks to Prairiegl (Leah) in OK for asking about cleaning bird feeders.

Bob joins me for Nature Notes, but only for a short time because he was grading papers.

Tips for Clean Birdfeeders

Feeder Maintenance and Hygiene  (Audubon)

Non-Toxic Bird Feeder Cleaning

The one red leaf, the last of its clan,
That dances as often as dance it can,
Hanging so light, and hanging so high,
On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky.

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Needle Notes

Nellie by Donna Higgins

Update on the Crochet flower closure. Directions are a bit sketchy.

I watched You Tube videos and managed to crochet the flowers by myself!  (Charr was out of town.)
I attached one side of the button with flower and the other side serves as a button closure.

Finished Projects

Piper’s Fancy

Celtic Cross wears ancient red flashes.  Our tartan, The Flower of Scotland, has a stripe of the ancient red in it.  I like my ancient red Piper's Fancy Shawl with the uniform.



Piper in the woods.

It works when I look like a normal person, too.

I needed a project that was completely mindless.  This crescent shawl that has increases at the beginning of every row so it doesn’t have a wrong side.

Afterthought here is that I did not plan the border beforehand.  I swatched a lot!

Nubby Noro Mittens by Annie’s Woolens

Has an afterthought thumb.

My pattern notes are here.

Love the pattern as the texture adds interest without being too fussy.  Every other round is a plain round so it is easy to see where you are in the pattern.

Afterthought Heel Socks by Laura Linneman

Knit Picks Felici Sport Weight

With this type of heel how do you prevent getting “ears” on the corners where you begin and end the Kitchener Stitch?  I might try decreasing at corners just before doing Kitchener.

What I did learn.  Sometimes you do need to power through.

 In The  Pipeline

• Annabel Babe Cardigan by Carrie Bostick Hoge
• My Ultimate Rip Van Winkle—oldest sock yarn in my stash.

A Ravelry Note

A new feature on Ravelry is that if you have your yarn stashed and you use stash yarn for a project then a little thumbnail photo of the yarn will appear in your project notes.  It’s tiny but it is there!

The Blethering Room

Registration is in progress for the Knitting Pipeline Retreat!

March 2-3, 2012 Washington IL

$50 for Fri night and all day Sat.  $40 for Sat only
Registration information is in the sidebar.

My first afterthought insertion of any kind was an afterthought pocket in my Three in One Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Rip Van Winkle Challenge

Go through your Ravelry queue to find a project that has been asleep for a long time.  Or maybe you have been asleep while others have been knitting this project.  In your Ravelry queue you can see when you put projects in your queue.

Another mission for the overachievers out there:  go to your stash and try to find your oldest yarn and match it to an pattern in your queue.

There will be a separate thread to enter for prizes.  November 15-30.

High Note

Better Homes and Gardens is kicking it up a notch! Not as traditional as it used to be.  Inexpensive subscription and you get free digital editions with paid subscription!  More knitting magazines should do this because knitting from a magazine is for me, very tedious.

Stockinette Zombies is a new video cast that I enjoy.  Check it out!

Music

One Morning in May from Foreignlander by Lydia McCauley.  www.magnatune.com

Have a great week, haste ye back, and hold your knitting close.

Episode 30 Daybreak and the Norwegian Sweater KAL

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Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
  --Rachel Carson

Nature Notes

Cardinals flock to our feeder in the late afternoon.  There are sometimes 20 to 30 birds, both male and female, gathered in our woods just behind the house.  Owls are breeding and raising their young.  We hear the Barred Owl in these woods, also known as "Eight-hooter".  Deer are coming closer to the house to find food since food is more scarce in the snow covered fields and woods.

The winner of the book Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting: Celebrating the Gift of Knitting with 24 Beautiful Patterns by Lorna Miser is Moxiedot!  Many thanks to Lorna  Miser for her donation of this autographed copy of her book!

Norwegian Knit Along

Yarn Harlot Tips on Color Pattern Knitting

I am using Quince & Co Chickadee (sport) in Crow (black) and Egret (natural white).  I also bought a skein of Winesap (red) and Parsley in case I want to throw in a touch of color at the neck or in a hem.  Love these rich colors!

My order from Quince & Co.  It is like getting a gift even though I paid for it myself.

Another video of My New Favorite Bind Off.  This person calls it Russian Bind off.  And guess what?  I think she is Russian.  I am intrigued by the way she purls.  And I LOVE her accent!

I finished Daybreak by Stephen West.  8 wonderful days from start to finish.  Sigh.  It was so much fun that I started on another one right away.   Five Star Pattern for sure!

I used 5 skeins (5 colors) of Blue Sky Alpaca Silk fingering weight.

Modeled by Sarah.

The Blethering Room

I finished sharing the garter stitch/no purl patterns suggested by Pipeliners.  Thank you, everyone!

Sunshine and Shadows by Evelyn A Clarke from her book Knitting Triangles

Wool Peddlers Shawl by Cheryl Oberle from Folk Shawls

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann (again and for good reason) 13,597 projects on Ravelry...and counting

Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane (not garter stitch but done top down)

Little Hanten (baby Kimono) by Cheryl Oberle in One Skein Sock Wonders

Garter Stitch Blanket from The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Shizuku by Anglea Tong (free download) (see photo below)

Just Enough Ruffles by Laura Chau ($3.50 download)  Not garter stitch but main section could be done as such.

Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush (free)

Babies and Bears by Carol Anderson and Kristi Williams

Ramblin' Rows Cardigan by Pat Penney and Carol Anderson

Baby Albert by Sally Melville (small version of Einstein Coat) from The Knitting Experience: Book 1

Emily wearing the Shizuku by Angela Tong.

This poem is apparently a fragment, but one of the most beautiful of tunes by the famous poet, Robert Burns.  Sung by Shira Kammen on the album A Celebration of Robert Burns.  Available on Magnatune.

O, Fickle Fortune, O

1771-1779

Tune: Go from my window, Love, do.

The sun he is sunk in the west,
All creatures retired to rest,
While here I sit, all sore beset,
With sorrow, grief, and woe:
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!


The prosperous man is asleep,
Nor hears how the whirlwinds sweep;
But Misery and I must watch
The surly tempest blow:
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!


There lies the dear partner of my breast;
Her cares for a moment at rest:
Must I see thee, my youthful pride,
Thus brought so very low!
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!

There lie my sweet babies in her arms;
No anxious fear their little hearts alarms;
But for their sake my heart does ache,
With many a bitter throe:
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!


I once was by Fortune carest:
I once could relieve the distrest:
Now life's poor support, hardly earn'd
My fate will scarce bestow:
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!


No comfort, no comfort I have!
How welcome to me were the grave!
But then my wife and children dear-
O, wither would they go!
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!


O whither, O whither shall I turn!
All friendless, forsaken, forlorn!
For, in this world, Rest or Peace
I never more shall know!
And it's O, fickle Fortune, O!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 29 A New Favorite Bind Off

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My New Favorite Bind Off

This is similar to the bind off on the Ishbel Shawl but not in purl.  This is the bind off used in Pogona by Stephen West/Westknits.

Designs mentioned in this episode
Ishbel by Ysolda Teague  (bind off is similar to the one above only in purl)
Boneyard by Stephen West (free)
Daybreak by Stephen West (currently on my needles)
Simple Yet Effective Shawl by Laura Chau (free)
Baby Sophisticate by Linden Down  (free)
Simple Things by Mary-Heather Cogar
Knitted Cap Patterns for patients undergoing treatment.  Thank you, Mandikat!
Knots of Love

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions for cap patterns for chemo patients!

Nature Notes

I saw a Common Redpoll at the feeder on 1/20/11.  We've been hearing the drumming of the Pileated Woodpecker, which is our largest woodpecker.  They are shy birds but are occasionally seen near the house. 

On Netflix Instand Watch:  John James Audubon 55 min documentary from PBS American Masters Series.

Needle Notes

This is the Lacey Ladies Cap I gave to my friend.  Another one is in the works.

News Flash on Friday!  It fits her!

Simple Things

A Pogona Pose
This was one of "pensive poses" that made me laugh so hard I could barely take the photo without shaking the camera.

Another pair of "Those Mitts".  #7 I think.

Pogona as it was blocking on the guest bed.  I need blocking wires.  The pins don't work here.

No-Purl or Garter Stitch Patterns suggested by Pipeliners on Ravelry. 

Addabootees by Elizabeth Zimmermann  $1.00
Felted Clog by Bev Galeskas  $7.95
Bear Claw Blanket by Veronik Avery
Mothed by Mags Kandis (free)
Chocolate, Vanilla, Swirl Baby Blanket by JamieKnits (Free)
Ten Stitch Twist Blanket by Frankie Brown  (free with a suggested charity donation)
Johanna Maria Shawl by Elsa Maria Baerentsen
Pimpelliese by Christine Ebers (free)
Favorite Garter Cardi  by Anne Lecrivain-Cozzoli  Creative Knitting 2010
Garter Diamonds Shawl by Lois S. Young Creative Knitting Nov 2010

In the Piping Circle
The Burns Supper 2011

Robert Burns was born on Janury 25, 1759 in Alloway, Scotland.  People all over the world celebrate his birth each year with a dinner and an evening of ceremony.

George in his Baby Sophisticate Sweater.



Meat Pie, Neeps, Haggis, Peas, Tatties



Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums.  Burns Supper 2011

These are Those Mitts made for me by Charr.  Don't they work great with our Flower of Scotland Tartan?

Norwegian Sweater Knit Along

Twila is going to use Cully's Norwegian Sweater, child size, to make a sweater for charity.
I ordered from Quince & Co. for a man's large 44" (tall) sweater

Chickadee (sport weight)

• 12 (50 g) balls Crow (black)  Probably only need 10
• 7 (50 g) balls Egret (natural White)  probably only need 5

Leave your name in the comment section to be in the drawing for an autographed copy of Faith Hope Love Knitting by Lorna Miser.

Book Notes

Knitting at Home: 60 Classics from Ella Rae Designs by Leanne Prouse.  2010

The book sets  relaxed mood and has a wide array of patterns.  Instructions assume some knitting intelligence, which is refreshing.  All projects use Ella Rae yarn but substitutions are easy, especially because most of the designs are not fitted.  While I do not consider this a "must have" for my library, it would be a welcome addition. Recommended.

Music

"Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon"

Lyrics by Robert Burns

Sung by Shira Kammen from A Celebration of Robert Burns.  Magnatune.

Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon

How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?

How can ye chaunt, ye little birds

And I sae weary full o' care?

Ye'll break my heart, ye warbling bird

That wantons thro' the flow'ry thorn

Ye mind o' departed joys

Departed never to return.

Oft hae I roved by bonnie Doon

To see the rose and woodbine twine

And ilka bird sang o' its love

And fondly sae did I o' mine

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose

Full sweet upon its thorny tree

And my fause lover stole my rose

But ah! he left the thorn wi' me.

Episode 27 Knitting is my Passion!

To view a Longaberger January Sale flyer visit www.longaberger.com/flyer.  To save on shipping contact me by email or phone.  With an order of $150 you may choose an additional item at 1/ price!

A contest winner is announced for the 3 patterns donated by Stephen West of Westknits!  Thank you to Stephen West!

Thank you to all the Pipeliners who contributed comments on the previous topics of whether ponchos are in fashion and shawl wearing for men.

Designs mentioned in this segment:

• Hypoteneuse by Anne Hanson is a shawl appropriate for both men and women.
• Textured Shawl Recipe by Orlane
• A Very Harlot Poncho by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Nature Notes

The best viewing for American Bald Eagles is the winter months in the upper Midwest, along bodies of water.  Choose a cold winter day when there is ice on the water.  Places where the ice is broken are spots where eagles tend to gather for food.  Dams, harbors, under bridges, or barge trails are possibilities.  The best times of day are around 10 AM and 3 PM although you can find them anytime during daylight hours.

The American Bald Eagle

• Takes 5 years to attain full mature plumage.
• Mates for life.
• Can see a target from up to a mile away.
• Flies up to 30 mph

In the 1960's there were only 400 pairs of nesting Bald Eagles in the U.S.
After the ban of the pesticide DDT in 1973, Bald Eagles (and other wildlife) began making a comeback.
2007--Removed from Endangered Species List and are now a Protected Species.

Needle Notes

I finished my Citron which I began in October.  It was published in Knitty Winter 2009 and was designed by Hilary Smith Callis.  I added beads on the bottom ruffle.  See my project notes for details.  I then used a crocheted bead border from Lorna Miser's book Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting.  Tedious but definitely worth it.  It took several days to finish the bind off because I could only accomplish it while sitting at a table.

This is the crochet bead bind off video for the shawl.

After talking about my Citron I tell a story about a friend's reaction to the shawl.  She told me in no uncertain terms, "You need to get a life!"  Thank you to my friend, Mary, who came to my rescue with, "She HAS a life and it is knitting!"  We all should have a passion in life outside of our family and work.  Fortunately,  I have more than one.

Time is our most precious commodity.  As knitters we make the most of little bits of it.

In the Blethering Room

From our discussion of "No Purl Patterns" the following were added to the list by Pipeliners.

• Lacy Baktus with eyelets, a variation of Baktus (free pattern)
• Hitchhiker by Martina Behm
• Galisteo Jacket by Carol Lapin
• Carol's Clever Little Shawl by Carol Sanders (historic pattern and free)
• Wildflower Lace Scarf by Evelyn A. Clark
• Oscilloscope Shawl by Kate Gagnon Osborn.   Knitscene (print publication) Fall 2010

Book Notes

Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting

Celebrating the Gift of Knitting with 24 Beautiful Patterns

by Lorna Miser

2009   $24.95

Lorna's web site is Lorna Miser Designs.  The book is available here or on the usual channels.
Highly recommended especially for those who like to read knitting books.  Each pattern has a story with it which makes it very personal.  The author has put a lot of herself into the book. There is a wide range of patterns, several that I have tagged to knit.  The patterns are rated for difficulty level.  Patterns include Grandmother's Lace Shawl (with Helen's Loopy Bind-Off that I used on my Citron), Sweet Baby Sweater, Lace Vest, Heart Pillow, Socks, Slippers, Lap Throw, Homemade Knitting Needles, Square a Day Blanket, Child's Poncho, and more. The instructions are clear and constructions methods make sense.  I am very glad this book is in my knitting library.

Leave a comment below to enter a drawing for an autographed copy of the book, donated by the author, Lorna Miser.  Winner will be announced on January 21, 2011.

Norwegian Sweater KAL

I am still figuring out my plan for a man's sweater.  If you want to see designs I am looking at, see my Ravelry queue and search with the tag Norwegiankal.  I will probably use one of these designs as a springboard but will use Elizabeth Zimmermann's guidelines for the sweater.  Feel free to choose any Norwegian design if you want to jump in on the wintery fun!  A hat, mittens, child's sweater, or vest, are possibilities for smaller projects.

Recommended reading:

• Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann
• Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Schoolhouse Press

Speaking of EZ, I think we are due for an EZ letter soon.  Don't you agree?

Episode 17 A Knitting Conspiracy Exposed

The show is sponsored by my Longaberger home business.  www.longaberger.com/paula

Listen here or click on the Flash Player at right where all episodes are available.  Click in the lower left corner of the Flash Player screen for the menu.

Nature Notes

Goldfinches are in the winter dress.  I saw a Great Blue Heron on our creek.  This was a case of synchronicity since I had been telling our arborist about such a sighting that had happened 3 and a half years ago and not since that time.

Thank you to Meghan of The Stitch It Podcast for talking about my show on her show.

Needle Notes

Flo the Elephant  by Franklin Habit First Fall Knitty 2010
Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A Clark.

The Blethering Room

We continue our Rip Van Winkle Challenge. (see entries for Oct 1 and Oct 8 2010)  Several Pipeliners have been on the fence about The Clapotis, a pattern by Kate Gilbert that took the knitting world by storm in 2004.   What is it about this pattern that has charmed so many knitters?

Musical Selection

Swedish Folk Musicians Anna Rynefors and Erik Ask Upmark.  Valltrall from album Dram.  Available on Magnatune.