Episode 85 Sock Songs

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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

Piper’s Journey KAL

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

Bird Decals from Duncraft 

Episode 84 Slip, An Unsung Hero

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 longaberger.com/paula

Pipeliner Notes

Carol asked how to distinguish yarn weights.  I talk about wraps per inch tool.  The best way is to do a gauge swatch.

I read a letter from LaLaLand

Nature Notes

Spring Beauty aka  Claytonica virginica  Closes up at night or on cloudy days.

Spring Beauty

Shepherd’s Purse is the flower/weed of the week.  Botanical: Capsella bursa-pastoris

The Flowers

 by Robert Louis Stevenson 

All the names I know from nurse:

Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse,

Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,

And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,

Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,

Tiny trees for tiny dames--

These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs

Shady fairies weave a house;

Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,

Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people's trees,

But the fairest woods are these;

Where, if I were not so tall,

I should live for good and all.

My bench in the woods, surrounded by spring beauties and other fairy things.

 Needle Notes

Mystery Mittens for Me by Laura Linneman

Clever use of the slipped stitch...and that got me thinking about slipped stitches and how they are unsung heros.

Shetland wool fingering weight from Schoolhouse Press. 

Knit Stitch is like the good well behaved child.  Purl is rather like the black sheep of the family, in some circles anyway. The Slip Stitch is like the forgotten wall flower or perhaps the one we wouldn’t miss until it was gone.

I talk about some of the ways that the slip stitch, if it can be called a stitch at all, is used in knitting.

Edges, SSK and other decreases, colorwork patterns, texture patterns, slipped stitch heel flap, brioche, and mosaic knitting are some of the occasions when slipped stitches are essential.

Barbara Walker is probably the Queen of Slipped Stitches with her invention of Mosaic Knitting. I believe she is the inventor of it and certainly the mistress of it.  One piece is a tea cozy that is done in mosaic and then lined in red wool, a most effective way to keep a pot warm.

Faithful mosaic knitting tea cozy and faithful teapot.

It has at i-cord piping along the edge.

Inside lining is also mosaic knitting.

If you are doing stripes you can decide to slip a stitch at regular intervals and it looks a bit like stranded work.  On the next round, try purling your slipped stitch for a completely different effect.  It is fun to play around with color and slipped stitches.

The Blethering Room

Story about neglected wildflowers  Bastard Toadflax and Hoary Puccoon

In the Pipeline

Watching

Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables

Reading

Maisie Dobbs #3 and #4 Pardonable Lies and Messenger of Truth

Listening

Louise Penny Still Life

Knitting

Socks

Cardigan (in the planning stages)

Quince & Co Finch in Icelandic colorway. Waiting to become a sweater.

Quince & Co Tern in Boothbay Blue, a potential sweater for me.

Music

Lydia McCauley

Hawthorn from Quieting

www.magnatune.com

Haste ye back!

Episode 77 Short Rows and Spirals

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site.

Be sure to leave a comment below to enter the drawing for a skein of Dowager Countess from Roman Hills.  If you have problems leaving a comment try being "anonymous" but be sure to leave contact information of some kind!

This show is sponsored by Quince & Co, Peddler’s Way Quilt Co, and The Fiber Universe.

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 overseas suppliers who grow plants, raise animals, or manufacture a yarn in as earth- and labor-friendly a way as possible. Find them at www.quinceandco.com and while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.

Peddler’s Way Quilt Shop is a sponsor of our show and our knitting Pipeline Retreat, March 2-3, 2012 in Washington IL.  The shop is located just about a mile from our retreat location just off the historic Washington Square.  Peddler’s Way Quilt Shop is practically at the back door of those of you staying at The Cornerstone Inn Bed and Breakfast.  On the second floor of this 6,000 sq ft store is a fiber corner with an array of fine quality yarns, books, and needles. 

The Fiber Universe in Peoria IL  provides quality products, service and instruction for fiber enthusiasts. They stock yarn from Cascade, Plymouth, Skacel, Three Irish Girls, Kauni, Jojoland, Claudia Handpaints, and more.  Fibers for spinning and felting are available from local farms.  The Fiber Universe accepts orders over the phone and offers free shipping on orders over $50.  Check out their website, www.thefiberuniverse.com or give them a call today at 309.673.5659.

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.

Knitting Pipeline Retreat!

Bronwyn the Brave is keeping a list of those registered for the retreat.  The list is posted on our Knitting Pipeline Group on Ravelry.

March 2-3, 2012 (Friday night and all day Saturday)

Crossroads United Methodist Church, 1420 N Main St., Washington IL 61571

$50 for all or $40 for Sat only.  Includes Fri nite meal, light breakfast on Sat, and Saturday lunch

Make check payable to Paula Emons-Fuessle: Mail to: Knitting Pipeline Retreat, PO Box 549, Washington IL 61571

Pipeliner Notes

Dorothy’s letter last week struck a chord with many listeners. 

Chris left a message about her sighting of a barn owl.

Karebot has a great conversation starter.  What would you do during a zombie apocalypse? 

A correction from last week’s show: (Thank you spinsjal!)  Joshua Tucker is a massage therapist, NOT a physical therapist.  Read Wendy’s note on our board with another side to the issue.

Nature Notes

Last Friday we awoke to dense fog which was not an auspicious beginning to our Snowy Owl Expedition.  Well, maybe it was.  We made it to the Emiquon Wetland Preserve and saw quite a few American Bald Eagles.  We also saw Snow Geese!  There were thousands of them flying in ribbons as far as we could see down the waterway.

Funky and Aizome did see Snowy Owls in Minnesota!  I have not given up yet and there is always next year.

Featured Nature writer: John Madson Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie. 1982

Poem found in the front of John Madson's book...

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,

 One clover, and a bee,

And revery.

The revery alone will do

 If bees are few.

Emily Dickinson

Needle Notes

Yarn recommendations for socks (that will wear well).

Traci (4 girls) Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Woolen Rabbit Harmony, Opal

Prairiepoet:  Blue Moon Fiber Lightweight Socks that Rock

For the record, I have tried duplicate stitch (Swiss Darning) and do not like it for the tight gauge of socks.

I read a letter from JudyBee who is knitting Kevlar into her bullet proof socks!  Even Charlene Schurch was impressed!

Ten Stitch Twist by Frankie Brown took a little over a month to knit using stash yarn.

May I say how much I love my joins?

Spirals are soothing and relaxing even when there are short rows involved. Project notes are here.

Blanket measures 42” across and I figure it is about a sweater’s worth of worsted weight yarn.

The Blethering Room

Article about Pam Allen 

Piper’s Journey KAL begins!  The pattern is available at Quince & Co. in the Scarves, etc.  The whole collection is stunning!  Tag your Piper's Journey shawls for the KAL as pipersjourneykal.  Thank you for your support of my first published design!

In the Pipeline

Oops from last week!  I have done more cowls than I thought.  Kilkenny Cowl by Pam Allen is one of Emily’s favorites. 

Spectra by Stephen West.  2 Knit Lit Chicks KAL

Watching…

Downtown Abbey…we have a giveaway from Roman Hills!  They have a stunning and very clever Downton Abbey Line with colorways named for the characters.  Leave a comment below to be entered into a drawing for a skein of the Dowager Countess.  What is a weekend?  Thank you, Roman Hills!  You have until Feb 21 to leave a comment.

Listening:

The Paris Wife by Paula MacClain.  I’m falling behind in podcast listening.

Reading:

Finished Zombies Don’t Cry: Book One in a Living Dead Love Story.  By Rusty Fischer  Last week I said it was funny.  Right after that it was not so funny.  It was sad.

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear Book 2 in Maisie Dobbs series.

Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A  Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese.  Recommended by Alisonc.

Bob Dylan was inspired by the Robert Burns tune featured at the end of this episode.  It is sung by Shira Kammen from A Celebration of Robert Burns.  www.magnatune.com

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That’s sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee well, my only Luve
And fare thee well, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

Thanks for listening!  Haste ye back! Remember to leave contact information (Ravelry name, email, blog) in your comment so you are eligible for the drawing of the Dowager Countess from Roman Hills!

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!