Episode 68 Star Toe and Christmas Knitting

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This episode is sponsored by our friends at Quince & CO.  If you are looking to support American goods, then you can start here with their beautiful and reasonably priced wools.

Annabel Babe Cardigan in Quince & Co Chickadee in Snap Pea and Glacier.
Cap is At First Sight by Laura Linneman in Quince & Co Lark.

Thanks to Charr and Bronwyndp for joining me on this episode!

Winners of Rip Van Winkle Challenge!

Prizes:  Thin Ice Shawl by Laura Linneman (1 to each winner)
Nubby Noro Mittens by Annie's Woolens (1 to each winner)

3 skeins Soft Touch Ultra from Shelridge Farm 100 % Wool Fingering weight. 185 yd each.  (from my stash)  to winner #1

Grand Prize Winner: #42 Elisann

#19 Teal--wins both patterns!

#2 jpeled--wins both patterns!

Congratulations and thank you to our prize donors!

Local knitter hot spots mentioned on the show:

The Blend.  Our local coffee shop and hang-out.
Ewe-nique Yarns.  Morton IL  a full-service yarn shop.  They carry a full line of yarns and tools including Malabrigo, Madelinetosh, Elsabeth Lavold, Noro, Debbie Bliss, Sublime, KnitPicks Needles, Addi, Chia Goo, Hiya Hiya....and the people are friendly!  What more can a knitter ask for?

Heart Hat by Elizabeth Zimmermann.  Picot BO is my own touch.

Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater by Carol Barenys with Heart Hat

Owl Puffs by Jenna Krupar

Can you see where the gauge changed when I switched to Kollage dpn's?

Smitten Mittens by Emily Ivey

Hitchhiker by Martine Behm
Textural Healing Shawl by Shannon Squire
Holly, Ivy, and Steve Three Christmas Hooligan Ornaments by Rebecca Danger
Nubby Noro Mittens by Annie's Woolens
Annabel Babe Cardigan by Carrie Bostick Hoge
Heart Hat by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Baby Sweater on Two Needles by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Seamless Yoke Baby Sweater by Carol Barenys
Smitten(A Holiday Garland) by Emily Ivey.  www.yarnmiracle.com
Big Snowy Owl by Purl Soho
The Bee Keeper's Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits aka "Hexipuffs"
Sock Blanket by Shelly Kang
Owl Puffs by Jenna Krupar
Irish Hiking Scarf by Adrian Bizilia
Palindrome: A Reversible Cable Scarf by Kristin Bellehumeur
Seamless Saddle Shoulder Pullover by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Bridge of Roses by Wendy Gaal.  The Knitters' Brewing Company

Star Toe for Socks

Set up as if you are doing a common wedge toe with even numbers of stitches on 4 dpns. 

• Round 1   Knit to last 2 stitches on needle.  Knit 2 tog.
• Round 2   Knit around

Repeat above until you have half the number of stitches you started with.  Then do the decrease row on all rounds until you have 8 stitches remaining.  Cut yarn and run through these 8 stitches. For a simple sock formula see:
Sock Tips from Have a Yarn

Charm on Charr's Shawl

Bronwyn's Handmade Christmas:

Pie in a Jar

For these recipes Bronwyn has experimented with recipes found online and has come up with her own versions.  Bronwyn's Disclaimer: I'm no expert! Try your own version and experiment. These are both fragrance free, but you can add essential or fragrance oils for scent. They also contain nut oils and butters, so be mindful when giving them as gifts.

Bronwyn's Solid Lotion Bar

2 oz beeswax pastilles

1 oz shea butter

1 oz kokum butter (or 1 oz cocoa butter)

2 oz sweet almond oil

(all measurements by weight)

Stir ingredients together in a double boiler until melted. Pour carefully into molds (soap or candy molds, recycled pudding or fruit cups, etc.). Cool for several hours. Pop out of molds and into tins for giving away. To use, rub the solid lotion bar on hands as you would soap, except with no water.

Yield depends on the size of your molds, of course.

Bronwyn's Sugar scrub

30 oz sugar

7.5 oz coconut oil

7.5 oz sweet almond oil

(all measurements by weight)

Stir ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Pour into jars. To use, spoon a small amount of scrub into your hand and rub over palms and backs of your hands. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Be careful not to introduce water to the jar to reduce bacteria growth. Yields about 12 half-pint wide-mouth jars. To make a smaller amount, a sugar to oil ratio of 2:1 is good.

Sources for oils and tins: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com, http://www.elementsbathandbody.com, or your local grocery or health food store, and, of course, www.amazon.com.

Podcasts/podcasters mentioned:

• Diane of Knitabulls
• Meghan of Stitch It! Podcast
• Susan of KnitaJourney
• Erin of MommyNeedsYarn
• Laura and Leslie of TheKnitGirllls

Knitting Pipeline Retreat

March 2-3, 2012 (Fri night and all day Sat)

$50 or $40 for Sat only

See information in sidebar.

Mail registration to Knitting Pipeline Retreat, PO Box 549, Washington IL 61571

Haste ye back!

Episode 57 Twist, Steek, and Shout!

I apologize to those who have had trouble leaving comments on the blog.  I did some research and have changed the comment form which is supposed to help.  This is a glitch on Blogger and I have also reported it.

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

Quince & Co offers a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool.  Sign up for their free e-newsletter.  Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsored this episode.

From our friends at Green Mountain Spinnery:
Spinnery will be donating the profits from our shop and on-line retail sales made from September 3 to September 11, 2011. Proceeds will go the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund. Expenditures from the fund will be used 100% for the unmet long term needs of survivors from the Irene disaster.

If you do not need to add to your yarn and pattern collection at this time but still would like to help
Here are two places to donate:

American Red Cross – Vermont and New Hampshire Valley Chapter
To donate online visit
http://www.vermontredcross.org/

The Vermont Disaster Relief Fund to donate online, go to http://www.vermont211.org/

It's all in The Blethering Room!

  Susan from Knitajourney Podcast visits me, along with my friend, Bronwyn. 

Paula, Susan, and Bronwyn

• My Kollage Circular Needle broke at the cable join.  There is a one year warranty and I just bought it at Sock Summit.  I just wanted to let you know because I still do prefer Kollage double points over most other brands but I am now cautious about the circulars.  I am going to contact Kollage so stay tuned.  Also, there will be wooden needles reviewed soon.

Stitches Recap.  One of the highlights for me was spending time with Meghan of the Stitch It! Podcast.  I also had the pleasure of meeting a good number of Pipeliners. 

Wild Card Purchase.  Noro at $10/skein

Miss Babbs Yummy

Bronwyn reviews a knitting app JKnit Knitting Project Assistant  (same source as Knit Evenly App)  Bronwyn recommends.  There is also a JKnit Ravelry Group.

We discuss the question of when does a modified design become its own?  An example is the February Lady Sweater which was inspired by Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Sweater on Two Needles in Knitter's Almanac.  Feel free to leave your comments.

Twist, Steek, and Shout

Before steeking The Classic Lines Cardigan...It is a like a Straight Jacket.  Bronwyn does not look happy, does she?  (This was not staged.)

It worked!  Bronwyn is a Happy Steeker!  And the sweater fits!

(We had to reduce the file to upload to You Tube and it is not very good quality.)

Disclaimer:  We do not recommend twisting your sweater but if it happens and you are 9 inches into the sweater before figuring that out (Go, Bronwyn!) then know that IT CAN BE DONE!

Textural Healing Shawling being blocked.

I used A Verb for Keeping Warm/Annapurna.  The color is Filigree.  One skein.

Fall Shawl KAL

Shaelyn by Leila Raabe is the #1 pick for the KAL.  If you would rather do Simply Pretty, then go right ahead.  It is not that different.

Here are a few Shaelyns from Pipeliners.  Wow!  I think we could go crazy with this shawl.  It is going to be difficult to hold off until October 1!

Puffygriffinclaw has knitted 2 already but will join us for #3!  This is a DK weight.

 Puffygriffinclaw's project page

Isn't it stunning in laceweight?  Knitted by generous-gardener on Ravelry.

Andrea's Amber Shaelyn

Remember to leave a comment on the show blog to enter the drawing.  3 copies of Shaelyn will be given away, compliments of the designer, Leila Raabe!

Haste ye back!

A Shawl is Meant to Be Worn

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(Link may not work before mid-day on Saturday 09/03/11)

Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsoring this show.  Check out their amazing yarn on their site!  I will be review the new e-book soon!

Pipeliner Notes

 Note from Knitting Mama about the friendly atmosphere of Oregon.

Welcome new Pipeliners who have sent me personal message in the past two weeks : Ivolk, Charlie, Traci, Carin, Lisa,  Linda, Guru Nam, Amy, Robin, Jan, Liz, Sherral, Diane, Kathy, Deb, Cindy, Ruth, Laura, Wendy, Elsbeth, and frogcreekwoods. Hi to Candy and Ron who listen to the show together.

New iTunes reviews:  Thank you!

Javajennie, EG_Mom of 3, Katespins

New Mexico Trip

 Peter, Mom, Paula, Bob

 Pipeliner Meet and Greet on Friday at Stitches Midwest

Megan from Stitch It! Podcast and Lee Bernstein

Nature Notes with Bob

Backyard Birds newsletter

Botany for Birdwatches by Kevin Cook. Floss Matters

There is a difference between silk, hair, down, cotton, and floss. The “down” of thistle is actually floss.

Floss is plant material specialized for anemochory.

Anemochory is fruit and seed dispersal by wind.

This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders. ~Sarah Orne Jewett

Needle Notes

I read a note from Pipeliner Jan about making mistakes in lace knitting.   

If you are knitting lace and you find you are a stitch short chances are you have left out a YO.  If you can identify where this happened then quite often you can fix it without tinking or frogging. 

• Mark where you are missing the YO. 
• When you come to that place on the next row (this applies to knitting in the round or flat) pick up the running thread between the two stitches and place it on the left needle so the right leg of the stitch is over the front of the needle. 
• There you have your YO and you can knit it.
• Once you have done this successfully you can learn how to pick up YO’s that are further down.

Tip

Tip for frogging with a slippery yarn when you do not have a lifeline as happened with me in the Leafprints Shawlette.   It seems the weight of the yarn will make stitches drop down when you remove the needles.  Lay on table and gently pull out the needles.  This seems to help.

Westknits Mystery KAL Earth and Sky Shawl

Quince & Co Tern in Barnacle, Driftwood, and Seagrass

Laid out flat for blocking.  Not as impressive.

Hanging on a knob...getting better.

As might be worn with a jacket or sweater...even better!  I think I'm starting to like this!

 When i heard that it was intarsia I might have chuckled to myself at all those knitters being helplessly led down a path of doom! Seriously though, your shawl makes me want to follow everyone down that path!  ~Jessica

Such an amusing picture she paints…and how true!

I fixed a mistake on my Earth and Sky Shawl with duplicate stitch. 

Remember that a shawl looks better ON a person.    

I met someone at Stitches Midwest who was wearing Magrathea by Martine Behm.  She had knit it in Noro.  I wish I had taken a photo!  Believe me when I say it looked fantastic on her but not as fantastic when she took it off.

Pogona was this way also…

Product Review 

Signature Needles 

I caved in and bought 3 circulars in 32” length with stiletto tip. 

Downsides:

Cable might be too flexible.

Price:  $40 for a circular needle.  (I have not tried the DPN’s.) 

I am a bit more reserved about these needles than many who have reviewed them.  I do like that they are Made in the U.S.A. and I like to support that; however, there are many good needles out there such as Knit Picks, Hiya Hiya, Addi and Kollage.  At this time I prefer Kollage because they do seem to reduce hand strain.  I really like Kollage DPN’s.  I am just now trying the circulars which have a bit of a prominent join.

The Blethering Room

Elizabeth Doherty Litchfield (Hat and Mitten Set)  Twist Collective or here.

Elizabeth is zilaheteb on Ravelry

Anemochory by Hunter Hammersen.  Imagine my surprise when I searched for information on anemochory and a knitting pattern came up.  Socks.

Fall Shawl KAL

Possible Shawl KAL for fall?  I am thinking of Simply Pretty by Rose Beck of RosyPosy Designs and/or Shaelyn by Leila Raabe.  Let me know what you think, either here or on the board.

Giveaway!

Leave a comment here if you want to be entered into a drawing for Shaelyn by Leila Raabe.  We will have 3 lucky winners!  Thank you, Leila!

Music

River of Life from The Beauty of the Earth by Lydia McCauley

www.magnatune.com

Haste ye back!

Episode 48 A Soothing Shawlette

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Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsoring this episode of Knitting Pipeline.  10% off your order ($20 min) with code KP62011 through June 30, 2011!

Welcome to New Pipeliners 

Sally from Cleveland, Susan, Beverly, Leislknits, Jeri, Arlene, MontanaSue, and Kathy Green! 

Thanks to knitstersusan for the Thumbs Up iTunes Reviews!

I found out that I need to change my country on iTunes to see reviews from outside the U.S.  A big thanks to Canadian Pipeliners: Djdee, Debbie, Clementine 22, and KnittingJane.

KnittingJane wrote in her review:  My dad was born in Edinburgh and the skirl of the pipes always sends a shiver down my spine. 

I wonder about the word skirl since it I have only heard it used in relation to bagpipes.  Do any other musical instruments have words that describe their sound exclusively?   That is a question for Martha and Grant of A Way with Words.  Check out this show/podcast!  It is fantastic!

 Pipeliner News

Joy (nitiram on Ravelry) started Kevin Fan Club on our board.  Kevin is our good friend and the announcer on the podcast.  I will get him on the show soon!

Anna Lena's Evenstar Shawl won a Blue Ribbon at the County Fair. Well done! (Pattern by Susan Pandorf)

I read notes from Pipeliners Maggie H and Shanna about going into Squirrel Mode when packing for a trip.  Patti/Wombat knitter links to podcasts on Facebook as she listens.  Great idea! I’m going to do that also.  JanMarie’s note was so clever.  She thinks that I’d better watch out since my husband suggested the ruffle on LaLa’s Simple Shawl…he might be turning into the next Stephen West.  I love reading your notes!

Ravelry Notes

Michele from the Quad Cities friended me today and I responded that I thought we already were friends. Lately I’ve been friended by people on Ravelry and I am fairly certain we were already friends.  Maybe we’ve just corresponded enough that I felt we were.  Michele wrote, “I’m curious how people use their “friends” on Ravelry.  I figure this is a work in progress.”

On an earlier episode I told you how I use the friends feature on Ravelry but what about you?  Share your ways of using the friends feature and I will share your tips on the show.

Giveaway Notes

This week’s giveaway is a skein of Simply Fine in your choice of color from Green Mountain Spinnery.  Many of you wrote that you loved the color I had and hope to get the same.  The color that I reviewed is "Variegated".

The winner is Jeri who is Patternwhisperer on Ravelry. Jeri, please contact me and I will let you know how to claim your beautiful skein of Simply Fine.

Nature Notes

After a big thunderstorm early one morning I encountered a baby robin on the sidewalk.  The nest was too high to reach and the mother bird was sitting on the nest.  The bird was close to death.  At moments like these I remind myself that nature does account for such accidents of nature.  It sounds a bit callous but there is consolation in knowing that a bird lays a sufficient number of eggs to ensure survival.  The main factor that nature cannot control is mankind.  We need to do what we can to minimize damage.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. 

 --J. Lubbock.  British Statesman 1834-1913

Needle Notes

I finished my second And So Are You Shawlette by Rose Beck of RosyPosy Designs.   I love this cuddly shawl.  Finished measurements are 15" deep, 50" across and an astounding 11 ft from tip to tip along the outside border edge.

I used 30% of the total yardage for the border, which is 2".  The yarn is delicious Opulence from The Woolen Rabbit.  Colorway: Iris.

Tip

Take a load off your circular needles when you have so many stitches.  I was using Knit Picks Options Needles so I turned the one circular needle into two very long needles with the purple stoppers at one end of each needle. If you do not have interchangeable needles try using two circular needles even if one is not exactly the same size. Twist a rubber band around the non-working end of the needle. For a border such as this a slight difference in needle size would not make much difference and would probably be indetectable.

I continue knitting Triangular Summer Shawl by Nancy Bush.  I am getting pretty good at nupps now!

I started Stripe Study Shawl by Veera Valimaki.  The yarn is Quince & Co Tern in Stonington and Oyster.  Tern is a blend of merino wool and tussah silk.  So soft and wonderful to work with. Garter stitch goodness and a stripes are a combination I can hardly resist!

Ready to begin a new project!

Quince & Co Tern in Stonington and Oyster

Yes, the design is assymetrical.

The Blethering Room

I'm moving along on the Stash Dash 5K with The Knit Girllls.  My total yardage is now 2,354.  I will post over there soon.
I do not recommend knitting laceweight yarn on a small needle to try to use up stash!

In the Piping Circle

Singing Happy Birthday to Jose.

Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums competed in the Chicago Highland Games.  We were fortunate to have The Pipe Major of Dutch Pipes and Drums, Willie McVean, and his wife Jose (Yo-say) with us.  It was Happy Birthday to Jose at our band tents!  I gave her the Merope Shawl from Romi's Seven Small Shawls knitted with Woolen Rabbit Harmony in the Chiquita colorway.

Massed Bands after a long day at the Games.

Aren't these little tenor drummers the cutest things ever?
The two on the left have curly red hair with a red ribbon braided through their plaits.

In Piping our lifelines are our fellow bandmates, the other pipers and drummers.  When one piper falters another will pick up the slack.  We play as a team, just as a team in sporting events.

Remember to share how you use the Friend Feature on Ravelry.  Do you "drive by" friend?   Do you group your friends?  Share with me and I'll share your tips on an upcoming episode.

The tune is Morgan's Magan by Turlough O'Carolan performed by Healing Muses on the CD Dolce Musica.  www.magnatune.com

Haste ye back!

Episode 41 Ready, Set, Gauge!

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Quince & Co is a sponsor of Knitting Pipeline. Sign up for their free e-newsletter. Thank you, Pam, for blogging about the Estelle KAL. Pipeliners, let's flood Pam with nice messages, ok? Our Estelle KAL starts on May 1, 2011!  What is a Knit Along?  A KAL is when knitters simultaneously work on the same project to share their ideas, progress, suggestions, and challenges.  Feel free to join us.  Estelle is suitable for adventuresome beginners.  It is a top down cardigan with little or no seaming.

Estelle by Melissa LaBarre

Giveaway Sponsor: Three Bags Full

Week #3 Winner of the Hummingbird Project Bag is KnittingLady 54 aka Gwyn!  I will give you a week or so to contact me so you can hear your name announced on the air. Congratulations!


Our Week # 4 Giveaway from Three Bags Full is a Pink Daffodil Project Bag.  Just leave a comment on this blog post by noon Central USA time on Thursday April 28, 2011.  The winner will be announced on April 29th.  Since we have an unexpected 5th Friday in April, Michele has generously donated another very special bag to go with next week's show's theme.  Thank you, Michele!  Also, there are just 10 days to enjoy FREE Shipping at Three Bags Full by using the promo code "piper" at checkout.  This offer is good through April 30, 2011. Michele is a busy lady and each bag is handmade so shop ASAP for the best selection.

Pink Daffodil Project Bag for Week #4 Drawing from Three Bags Full

Pipeliner Notes

Birgit from Germany has the most amazing collage photos on her project pages and also on her blog.  Her Ravelry name is BConstanze.  She uses Picassa for the collages.

Yarnette reminded us to no use food coloring in hummingbird feeders.  Just 4 parts water to 1 part sugar.  Boil and cool before adding to feeders.   Do not use honey or any other sweetener.

Nature Notes

John Muir in the New World was a fantastic documentary.  Watch it online here.  April 21 is John Muir Day.  April 22 is Earth Day.  Bob and I and two of our friends participated in the Great American Clean Up...in the rain on Sat April 16.  I won't say it was fun but it was rewarding.

Thank you to Maggie H for sharing that the John Muir autobiography The Story of My Boyhood and Youth is available for FREE on Kindle! I immediately downloaded it and am enjoying reading it again.  (I gave my copy to one of our sons.)

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

Needle Notes

Clockwork is a scarf by Stephen West of Westknits.  I used two kinds of fingering weight yarn from The Woolen Rabbit.  Pandora is a wool/bamboo blend and the color is Forever in Blue Jeans.  No wonder it looks great with Casper's denim jacket.  Harmony is a merino wool superwash and the color is Birch Beer, a very rich green/gold.  I love these two colors together. 

Casper modeled Clockwork moments before leaving our place for Chicago and then back home to Denmark.

Clockwork closeup.

I put all the finishing touches on the Norwegian Setesdal Sweater.  The sleeves might be a tad long but he likes them that way.  I will get photos of Bob wearing the sweater as soon as the rain stops here.  We have had torrential rains and thunderstorms lately.

The sweater measures 43" across the body.

Sleeve detail.  See, steeks aren't scary.

My momentary stroke of genius was to add a woolen fabric label that looks a bit old.  Visit a local quilt shop as they sometimes have wool scraps for wool applique quilts.  Or repurpose that old wool skirt that no longer fits you.  I used a fine tipped Sharpie marker.  A scrapbook pen works also.  You have to steady the fabric with a straight edge and write along the top of the edge.  Slowly.

I have also sewn the labels on the side seams but he liked the idea of having it at the neck.

I probably should have pressed the label before sewing in.  We will see how it looks in a week or so.

Gauge Swatch for Estelle

First Swatch with size 4 needles.  4 YO K2 tog make it easy to tag your needle size on the swatch.

Before blocking measure with smaller needles.  Put the pins in at exactly 4" apart at a point where the fabric is not distorted by ribbing or lace.  Count the "v"'s between the pins. 

Wash and block the swatch however you plan to treat the garment.  Don't cheat when counting the stitches. Include partial stitches as these will affect the size when added up.

Book Notes

Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders:  101 Patterns that go way beyond socks.
edited by Judith Durant.  Storey Publishing 2010.  $18.95

Little Hanten by Cheryl Oberle.  This design is the reason I bought the book.  I also like:
Spring Garden Shorties by Cathleen Campbell
Mitered Square Gloves by Kathleen Taylor
Lettuce Slide Scarf by Bobbie Morris
Baby Hoodie by Diana Foster
Patches Baby Sweater by Christiane Burkhard

The musical selection has our friends, the spring peepers, in it!  I think this is the perfect lullaby for all ages.

Every Bug, Every Bee, Every Breath by Lydia McCauley from Quieting.  http://www.magnatune.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's Pottery Week on my Longaberger site www.longaberger.com/paula . Enjoy 20% off through April 30th. If your order is over $150 you may qualify for a 1/2 price item. If so, please contact me directly.

Haste ye back!

Episode 38 Sock Chatter

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Quince & Co drawing winner!  Congratulations to Robin (comment on 3.11.11)  Please send me a message to collect your prize of a pattern from Quince & Co and 2 skeins of Tern yarn!  Thank you to sponsor Quince & Co for continuing to sponsor the podcast.

Three Bags Full is our giveaway sponsor for the next 4 episodes! We will have a drawing each week for one of Michele's beautiful project bags! This week the prize is the Mia Bag. Leave a comment below to enter the drawing. Enjoy FREE SHIPPING through April 2011 by using the promo code "piper" at Three Bags Full.



Mia Bag from Three Bags Full. 



Inside of Mia Bag.  Love those little pockets!

Thank you, Michele!

Japan Relief

Martina Behm is donating the proceeds from Magrathea, a small shawl, to Japan Relief.  Purchase before April 5, 2011 and the money will go to the German Red Cross.

Nature Notes

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. 

 --Aristotle.
The black panther was spotted by 6 people at the same time.  One person is a local county law enforcement officer.   Robins abound.  The American Robin is in the Thrush family.  Male robins have black heads and tails.  I saw a bluebird and a brown creeper this week.

Needle Notes

My socks in progress have Eye of Partridge Heel!

Have a Yarn  Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Eye of Partridge Heel

I am tired of talking about the Norwegian Sweater.  On Saturday I started knitting Clockwork by Westknits.  I'm back in my groove!

Ann  5 Gauge Socks is a booklet for knitting socks in most sizes in most gauges.   These are toe-up but look like top down.  The pattern is available at Quince & Co.  Ann  Budd's web site is here.

In The Blethering Room

Join us for an Estelle KAL (Knit Along).  We will start on May 1.  Estelle is a top down cardigan by Melissa LaBarre.  Lark is used for this pattern.

Fix It Notes

I fixed one pair of socks with a combined method of Swiss Darning and traditional Darning.  I used my great-great-grandmother's darning egg.

Thin spot on bottom of heel

Just in the nick of time!  These threads were ready to pop.

Darning Egg

Sock Mending Video in progress...to be uploaded soon.

Music

Lamb's-Fold Vale (or David of the Blue-Storm) by Cheryl Ann Fulton from The Airs of Wales available on Magnatune.

Haste ye back!