Episode 63 O' Hushed October

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This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business.  Always at home in your home.  www.longaberger.com/paula  Sign up for my newsletter for sales and specials by sending an email to Paulaef@aol.com. 

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Our Woods today

Nature Notes

October

By Robert Frost 1874–1963

 

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

Tip from Pipeliner

Cat suggested using teflon tape for interchangeable needles that tend to come unscrewed.  Use a very small amount on the threaded part of the join.

Needle Notes

Radiance Shawl by Helen Stewart  760 stitches with Picot Purgatory

My project notes on Ravelry are here.

Semi circular shawl in laceweight.

Double in size with blocking.

Easy knit with panels of stockinette, garter, mesh, and spiral lace.  Lace patterns very easy and increases are at the end/beginning of each section so within the section you don’t have to deal with increases.

One of the best written patterns!  Includes a checklist.

At First Sight by Laura Linneman

My project notes are here.

Laura has donated 3 copies of the pattern to Pipeliners! Leave a comment below to enter the drawing.  Please include contact information...email address or Ravelry ID.  Thanks!

Magrathea...I finally took better photos.  If it isn't wrapped properly I could trip on it!

 In The  Pipeline

• Afterthought Heel Socks using pattern by Laura Linneman
• Nellie by Donna Higgins  (Rip Van Winkle Challenge for both yarn and pattern)
• Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater by Carole Barenys  (Rip Van Winkle Challenge for both yarn and pattern)

Shaelyn KAL (Knitalong) continues in The Pipeline.

Piecework Magazine Sept/October 2011  Literary issue.  8 literary inspired projects. Knit Hans Brinker’s Mittens.  Rowan Pure Wool DK  adult medium.

Did you knit an Estelle Cardigan?  We are making a photo collage! Email a photo of you in your Estelle to marthajhealy@gmail.com

Rip Van Winkle Challenge  October 1 through November 30th

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. 

KA Needle Promo from Pinkfeatherknitting!

$4 off shipping for all orders.  Shipping is normally $4 for U.S./Canada and $9 International so that means Free for some of us and $5 for others.  The offer is through October 31, 2011.  Use the promo code piper at checkout.  All lower case.  

 Product Review

Sock it To Me  available at Knit Picks

Music

www.magnatune.com

Waiting by Benji Goodrich.  Track 2 Oceans Apart.

Remember to leave contact information with your comment to enter the drawing!  The winners will be chosen when I do the podcast the last week of October,

If you send me an email to sign up for my Longaberger customer e-list please include name, address, and phone for my records.  Thanks!  The system likes to have this information with your name.  Your information will not be shared.  Thanks.  Send request to Paulaef at aol dot com 

Haste ye back!

View from my window today.  October 20, 2011.

Episode 37 A Startling Shawl Discovery

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Come forth into the light of things. Let Nature be your teacher.  --William Wordsworth

Quince & Co offers a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool.  Leave a comment in the show blog to enter the contest for your choice of 3 patterns and the Tern yarn to make it.  Choose from Sabrina Mitts, Abbey Road Socks, and Barcelona Scarflet.

Pipeliner Notes

I read a letter from Elseline about seeing a large number of Short Toed Eagles.  She sent me this link as well as photos.  The Short Toed Eagle is probably a descendent of the old world vulture. 




Elseline's photo of a Short-toed Eagle.  Note the beautiful markings.

 I got to meet Jen when she visited Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums rehearsal.  I also met Kathleen!

Paula, Jen, and Kevin.

Nature Notes

My friend Mr. Fox on his way to the bird feeder.

A busy Fox Sparrow.

Visit Pileated Woodpecker Central, a site solely dedicated to this woodpecker.
Our resident Red Fox visits daily and he is very shy.  A flock/den of Fox Sparrows entertained me with their scratching in the leaves at the edge of the wood.  Fox Sparrows are the largest of our sparrows.

Panthers in Illinois

Needle Notes


Blethering Room

I finished a ribbed stocking cap that is too small for all the men in my family.  This will go to charity.
Sewing in the ends on a piece of ribbing is like magic if you know where to put it.



Find the row of bumps where a line of knit stitches meets a line of purl stitches.  I call it "the gutter". 



You sometimes have to spread the fabric a bit to see the row of bumps that is nestled in here.

Run your threaded blunt needle through the bumps for about 3 inches.

See it?

I left a little tail sticking up so you could see where the tail is threaded through.  Pretty nifty, eh?  This is the wrong side of the hat so you are essentially making a ribbed hat reversible by hiding the ends so well.

Is anyone interested in a KAL?  I have to knit this cardigan!
Estelle by Melissa LaBarre

The Leila Cap by Carrie Bostick Hoge reminds me of Flower Fairies.  I also mention Annabel Babe Cardigan because when I talked about it last week I did not say the name.

Book Notes

Knitting Traditions  Winter 2011 on display until 5/15/11  $14.99
Color, Texture, Lace:  45 Projects frm around the world
Special edition of Piecework by Interweave Knits.  Contents comprised of articles selected from Piecework's 17 year archive, favorite Interweave Books, and new stories and projects.

How could I resist with this beautiful pair of mittens on the cover?

Highly recommended for those who enjoy historical knitting, traditional knitting, folk traditions, and colorwork. 

Music is from Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums, recorded at our rehearsal on Thursday March 25, 2011.

Here another photo of the band in the St. Patrick's Day.

Episode 31 Knitting in Disguise

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Quince & Co is now a sponsor of Knitting Pipeline.

Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye--it also includes the inner pictures of the soul. -- Edvard Munch

For photos of "Bliz-aster" visit my personal blog, A Piper Knits.

I recommend: Cornell Lab of Ornithology   Birds of My Region  DVD   Their website and all publications are fantastic!  Project Feederwatch is a way to become involved in their research.

Needles Notes

Sofia Cowl by Jessie Dotson from One Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn-Shop Favorites.  Is it knitting or crochet?  You decide.   I knitted this one for Emily in Quince & Co Chickadee in the color Nasturtium.

Alright.  It is knitting, but wouldn't it fool a lot of people?

I used Quince & Co Chickadee (sport weight) in Nasturtium.

Suspended Bind Off that was used in the Sofia Cowl Pattern.  Thank you, Stitch Diva!

My Daybreak with Garter Border by Stephen West with Garter Border.  Daybreak is a pattern by Stephen West of Westknits Designs.

In blocking stage.

Gartery Goodness.

Increases in first section.

Norwegian Sweater Knit Along

The Most Important Thing is keeping your carries loose in the back.  You do not want the floats to pull and distort the pattern.



I used Crow, Glacier, and Storm for the wrister aka Swatch. Gauge is 6 stitches per inch.  In the sweater I am using Crow and Egret. 



Piecework Jan-Feb 2011 Review 

I mention the following articles (I got a little carried away):

Two-Ended Knitting: A Living Tradition by Carol Rhoades

Not Just an Instruction Pattern by Ingrid Murnane

The Bestaway Gloves Today by Ann Budd

Practical Insanity: A Giddy whirl through the Pages of Weldon's Practical Needlework by Franklin Habit

The Gordon Highlanders and their Socks by Anne Berk

Classic Highlander's Balmoral Bonnett by Anne Carroll Gilmour

First Lady Grace Coolidge and the Story of the Knitted Counterpane by Kristine Byrnes

In the Piping Circle

My husband's uncle remembers the piper, Bill Millin, playing on the beach at Normandy.  Bill Millin was the personal piper to Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat.

I talked about Bill Millin's death in Episode 9 of Knitting Pipeline.

Dutch Pipes and Drums

In Harmony

Dancing Feet, Kalabakan, and Itchy Fingers

Thank you to Dutch Pipes and Drums!

Episode 11 Elizabeth Writes On

Have you ever thought of starting your own online business. Sign up for your own Longaberger website for free!  Ask me for details.

Emptyknitster's turkeys with a visitor.  Hilarious blog post!

The main topic is when to persevere with knitting and when to shift gears.  See my Ravelry Projects Pages for links to patterms.  I am also starting a thread on Knitting Pipeline Podcast group on Ravelry so you can leave your suggestions.

Easy lace shawls for beginners:

• Elizabeth Zimmermann's Pi Shawl
• Elizabeth Zimmermann's Stonington Shawl
• Summer Flies by Donna Griffin (Free Pattern)
• Multnomah by Kate Flagg  (Free Pattern)
• Truly Tasha by Nancy Bush  (Free Pattern)  Truly for beginners.
• Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl by Cheryl Oberle
• Wool Peddler's Shawl by Cheryl Oberle.  One of my favorites! 

Shawl patterns but not lacey

• Mara
• Wool Weaver's Mini Shawl
• Fernwood Farm  (Paula's recipe)

Cindy's knitting tip was to use the plastic closures that come on bread bags to anchor your cast on tail.  This will keep you from accidentally knitting with it.  I suggest using an old pair of scissors to trim off the rough edges (the photo shows just how rough mine were.)

The plastic clip also works great as a bobbin for crochet cotton for life lines.

It takes up a lot less room in your knitting bag than a big ball of crochet cotton.

 I reviewed the Sept/Oct issue of Piecework Magazine.

The EZ Challenge for the month of August was that we set a goal to memorize a knitting technique that would improve our knitting.  The prize is a Longaberger tote in Botanical Fields. Among the techniques were:

• Weaving/Kitchener Stitch (4)
• Knitting backwards(2)
• Continental Knitting
• Knitted i-cord
• Sock heel technique
• Seaming (2)
• Charts
• Sewn bind-off (2)
• Russian Bind off
• Mattress Stitch
• Steeking
• Spindle spinning
• Colorwork
• Provisional crochet cast on

 The winner, chosen by Random Number Generator, is Pearlsgrand!  Please contact me with your mailing information.  Congratulations!

Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums will be performing at the Celtic Highland Games in Davenport IA on September 18th in Centennial Park.

"Let me warn you that a genuine interest in knitting can keep you fascinated, eagerly pursuing it, and never satisfied through a lifetime."  Rose Wilder Lane.

Episode 3 Ravelry Highlights and a Review

The Woolen Rabbit  15% off your order through July 31st!  Code KP10

Ravelry Highlights

Pogona by Stephen West

Eiffel Tower by Natalie Servant

Summer Flies by Donna Griffin

22.5 Degrees by Martina Behm

Tooley Owl by Amanda Berry

Finished Project

City Mouse Toy by Lion Brand

Piecework Magazine by Interweave Press

Magnatune  My theme music is Rising of the Lark by Cheryl Ann Fulton from the album The Airs of Wales.  Listening is free! Downloading is just $15 per month.