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

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:
And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies.
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:
A sweet Athenian lady is in love
With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes;
But do it when the next thing he espies
May be the lady: thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.
Effect it with some care, that he may prove
More fond on her than she upon her love:
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.

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.

Socks Soar on 2 Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi  2001

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

Print and e-Book $24

e-book only $20

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. 

Lorna Miser Blue Ray Socks from The Knitter’s Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn.  

Skyp Ribbed Socks by Adrienne Ku

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!

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

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 83 Captivating Cats

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes.  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.  My business site is longaberger.com/paula

Thank you to everyone who left 5 star reviews on iTunes, commented on the show blog, participated in the Knitting Pipeline Group on Ravelry, and send good vibes my way.  Our group on Ravelry is very friendly and I invite you to join us.  We have over 1586 members!

Pipeliner Notes

I read a note from Nancy.  Her husband is going to build owl houses.  Does anyone have experience with these?  Please let me know.

Nature Notes

Pileated woodpecker, spring peepers, and a fox runs past as I record the show.

Spring Beauty  Claytonia virginica

Native Americans ate the bulbs of this plant.  Euell Gibbons called it Fairy Spuds.

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke

Needle Notes

Follow up on Purl Tension.  Cat Bordhi.  Video shared by offherneedles.  How to tighten your purl stitches.

The next two cats are Greta theCaptivating Cat by Rebecca Danger.  Inspired by Diane of Knitabulls.

Greta The First wanted a bow.  I used Malabrigo.

3 needle bind off was used to close the top.  Getting it turned inside out was painful.  I felt sorry for the cat.

Greta the Second I used kitchener stitch at the top of the head.  Had added stitches to the opening but still very small.

Greta the Second did not want a bow.  I used Jojoland Melody.

 

I use DMC Cotton Perle for the facial features.  You have to get it right or all the knitting is for naught.

Stuffing:  Always takes more than you think it will.

Piper’s Journey KAL

Not much to say about this KAL and I guess that is a good thing. 

Lorix5 has a lovely Piper's Journey!  I loved her photos and asked whether I might post them here for you to see.

The Blethering Room

I explain where The Blethering Room originated, with a group of friends who met online and met face to face in Virginia in 1999. “Blether” is the Scottish word for blather.

Book Notes

The Knitter’s Life List by Gwen W. Steege. Highly recommended.

In the Piping Circle

St. Patrick's Day Recap

I did a little yarn shop visit during the pub crawl.  I visited with Erin and Melinda at The Fiber Universe.  I wanted to stay and knit but the piping must go on!  I am wearing our special Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums St. Patrick's Day shirts.

Paula and Erin St. Patrick's Day 2012

Kevin and Heather with Bishop Daniel Jenky of the Peoria Diocese.

Music from Musica Pacifica.  Kid on the Mountain and Mountain Rose. www.magnatune.com
Haste ye back!

Episode 79 Capricious Slips

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

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co, The Blend Cafe, and Knit4Together.  Thank you!

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.

The Blend Café is an independent coffee shop in Washington IL  The Blend's slogan, “Where coffee and community come together,” is more than just a catchy phrase to them - It is their passion! Our desire is to provide a comfortable place for those in our community to gather together and enjoy good company along with GREAT coffee. If coffee is not YET your beverage of choice, come anyway - we serve wonderful teas, smoothies, and ice cream drinks to go along with our fresh baked goods, desserts, and sandwiches.  I would like to congratulate Yvonne and all The Blend employess as they were recently awarded the 2012 Outstanding Business Award from the Washington Chamber of Commerce! 

Knit 4 Together is an knitting and fiber shop in Dunlap IL just north of Peoria IL.  Knit 4 Together Yanr Company specializes in a fine variety of fibers to meet a variety of budgets.  Co-owned and run by five ladies who love to knit--and love to teach--there is a chair wiating for you.  Just bring your needles...we're certain you'll find som crumptious yarn for your next project.  www.knit4together.com or call 309.243.9499

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.

Charity Notes

Jessica of Knitting Brooklyn podcast is hosting a charity KAL.  Preemie hats will be donated in memory of Remy who was born premature. 

 

Prize Drawing and Pipeliner Notes

The prize is a skein of yarn from Roman Hills either Dowager Countess or Lady Sybil

The winner is #40!

Congratulations Sarah aka smurphy2!  Please contact me with your mailing information.

Nature Notes

Another Pipeliner has seen the Snowy  Owl!  Martha/aka Goldybear.

February is a month of light.  In the Northern Hemisphere our mornings and evening are filled with more hours of daylight.  We are moving away from the short dark days of the Winter Solstice. It is that first hint that winter will be leaving us…but not yet.  Bob and I both noticed independently that the birds are singing more in the mornings.  The chickadees and cardinals are staking out nesting territories.  Birds have different sounds for different situations. These calls seem to say, “This place is mine!  Here I am.”  Despite the warm winter don’t worry too much about the birds.  They have been around for a long time and their nesting, migratory, and mating patterns are more related to light than temperature.  They won’t accidentally lay eggs in February just because it is warmer than normal.  Today I saw the red-wing blackbirds lined up along the fences that line the farm fields.  I was looking for snowy owls.  I saw red-wings.  And that is good too, especially the first red wings of the season.

Thanks to Alisonc I just read the most fascinating book.  Goat Song: A Seasonal Life. A short history of Herding and the art of making cheese by Brad Kessler.  Highly recommended!

Needle Notes

Piper’s Journey KAL.  Wave 2 starts on March 5, 2012.

Note that the shawl will grow considerably since you are knitting at a looser gauge than recommended for a tighter fabric.

Slipping Stitches make a cleaner edge but there are times when this is not advised.  Slipping the first stitch of a row will tighten the edge, which is sometimes not what you want to do.

If a pattern says to slip a stitch and the pattern does not specify then you should slip as if to purl.

In general

• You slip as if to purl if the stitch is not going to be worked at that time.
• You slip as if to knit if the stitch is going to be worked.

The Blethering Room

I blether about a house we looked at when we first moved to this area, Norwegian Gjetost, and a few more tips on things to take to a retreat.  A notebook is a good idea.

About those Autumn Glory Apples…our local market will probably be sold out by the time of our retreat.  I didn’t want to be greedy and buy up the whole bin.

In the Pipeline

Knitting:  Spectra by Stephen West.  2 Knit Lit Chicks KAL  60 wedges done and 25 to go!

I need to figure out my retreat knitting.

Watching:

Downtown Abbey is over.  It is sad.  Thankfully there is another season to look forward to.  And to those of you who do not have television, I applaud you! 

Listening:

Finished The Paris Wife by Paula MacClain.

This Birding Life/Bird Watcher’s Digest Bill Thompson III  Snowy Owl Invasion

Music by Lydia McCauley.  Apples on the Tree.  www.magnatune.com

Haste ye back!

Episode 75 Casting on and Other Beginnings

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

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and Peddler’sWay Quilt Shop.

 If you are looking to support American goods, then you can start with Quince & Co with their beautiful and reasonably priced wools sourced in the US.  Check out Finch, their new fingering weight in colors inspired by nature.

Peddler’s Way Quilt Shop is a new 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 section with an array of fine quality yarns, books, and needles.

  

Pipeliner Notes

 I read letters from Peg and Dana. 

Fundraiser for Autism Speaks: Erin of Mommy Needs Yarn has designed a sock pattern! No More Tears.  All of the proceeds from its $5 sale will go to Autism Speaks.  Erin is hosting a KAL/Knitalong in February. 

Knitting Pipeline Retreat!

  We still have room for you! 

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

Nature Notes

A Naturalist Buys an Old Farm by Edwin Way Teale c 1974.

 Trail Wood Landand house donated to Connecticut Audubon Society.

Every bit of this book is a gem, to be read slowly, as one might walk a favorite trail in the woods.

James Gates Percival  b 1795

Oddly enough, this man has fallen into near obscurity and it is now my personal mission to elevate his position.  Not really.

1835 accepted appt by Gov of CT to conduct a geological survey of the state of CT.

~James Gates Percival The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work.

Needle Notes

Sarah’s Make Up Yarn from Episode 74.  Kathy in Switzerland wrote to me about Schulana Wolle.

This is what Sarah made with the ball of Schulana...and it only took 35 minutes to knit. 

 "Twistin' the Night Away" by Susan Menashe  

Mildred Mitts is up on Ravelry as a free pattern. Test knitted by Mildred and some of the knitters in my class at The Blend. 

Fabric Labels for your knitting

Annabel Babe Cardigan and At First Sight by Laura Linnemann went to St.Louis to a baby shower.  I have this way of crashing baby showers.  I send gifts even when I am not invited.

The label is sewn inside near the bottom of the sweater.

The new mom is a knitter and knows her wool.

I stitched up a bag to send it off in!

I used Aizome’s method for labels.  Quick and easy!  I like the looks of it.  I used Calibri font in pt 12. 

FO:  Piper’s Journey #2 is finished.

Cost to knit this shawl in Quince & Co Chickadee is about $21  ($6.90 per 50 g skein)  Other yarn weights will work.  Bronwyn used fingering weight and reserved half the skein for the border.

Charr, Bronwyn, and Sarah in my kitchen.

Charr and Bronwyn wearing their Piper's Journey Shawls.  Charr's is in Quince & Co Chickadee in the Delft colorway.  Bronwyn's is in fingering weight.

My Piper’s Journey #2 is in Split Pea. photo coming later.

Do as I say not as I do.  On the edging do not slip first stitch on the outside of the border.  I thought I could get away with it even though I wrote the pattern and said not to do it. 

Piper’s Journey KAL will start as soon as the pattern is released.  Pipersjourneykal tag

In the Pipeline 

Ten Stitch Twist by Frankie Brown. 

Upcoming KALs:

Spectra by Stephen West hosted by 2 Knit Lit Chicks

Laura Linnemann’s Mystery Mitten KAL starts Feb 12^th

Listening to new podcasts: 

Lavender Bear’s Tea Time.  Video cast.  Just watched introductory episode so far. 

TVknittingpodcast by StitchMistress (audio) 

Knitting Brooklyn by Jessica jpeled (audio)

 The Blethering Room 

Knitting Classes coming along.  Students are excited about ribbing!

Tammy of The Proverbial Knitter has a tutorial on Long Tail Cast on in Rib.  Tammy is a fantastic teacher.  I am going to copy her way of explaining how to do the long tail cast-on. 

Review Notes

Iknit Needle Sizer  

.99  Not perfect but definitely useful and worth the price.

Knit Handy 

Knit Handy helps estimate how much yarn you need for a project.  Wonderful tool!  Definitely worth the price!  Easy to use.

One of the Last poems written by Robert Burns: 

Oh Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast

by Robert Burns
(1759-1796)  

Oh wert thou in the cauld blast,
On yonder lea, on yonder lea,
My plaidie to the angry airt,
I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee;
Or did misfortune's bitter storms
Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,
Thy bield should be my bosom,
To share it a', to share it a'.

Or were I in the wildest waste,
Sae black and bare, sae black and bare,
The desart were a paradise,
If thou wert there, if thou wert there.
Or were I monarch o' the globe,
Wi' thee to reign, wi' thee to reign,
The brightest jewel in my crown
Wad be my queen, wad be my queen.

Thanks for listening and haste ye back!