Episode 009-“Yarn is my favorite yarn.”

Click here to listen to Episode 9 on iTunes!

Click here to listen to Episode 9 on Pod Bean!

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Today’s stash hiding space was shared by Liz-Knitz on Ravelry.  Thank you for sharing your secret with us, Liz!

General Announcements

*  The Misadventures in Knitting podcast is looking for show sponsorship.  If you are a yarn dyer, designer, in a related business or have a unique product, please email us at misadventuresinknitting@gmail.comif you are interested in advertising on the show.

*  Ashley and Tara want to know, “what do you want to hear about?” Which topics would you like us to discuss on the show?  Ask us your knitting, crochet, or general crafting questions.  With your input, we hope to create a more informative podcast. Please find the thread on the Ravelry group.

* Much appreciation to everyone who has already reviewed our podcast on iTunes.  Reviews and ratings help a podcast become searchable.  If you listen to our podcast, please consider writing a review.  We thank you in advance!

Knit Along News

*The Too Much Candy Knit Along

By the time this episode is published, the Too Much Candy Knit Along will be finished and two lucky knitters will have won two awesome prizes.  Grand prize winners and special category honorees will be named in episode 10 that will air on November 26th.  Thank you to all who participated!

*Future Knit Along to begin in the new year!

–“The Knitter’s Book Club”

–A 3 month knit-along, read along and discussion to begin January and end in March 2018.

–We will read “A Stash of One’s Own” by Clara Parkes and knit a project designed by one of the contributers.

–We plan to host Google Hang Outs on the last Friday of each month.

–A special discussion thread will be added in our Ravelry group.

–We will create a bundle with project ideas if you should feel “stuck”.

–More information will be released with future episodes.  We are so excited and needed to share the news with you right away!

What We are Wearing

Tara has worn the Simee Dimeh shawl by Romi Hill and the Marin Shawl by Ysolda Teague.  Tara’s sons, Leo and River, have worn their Christmas in July sweaters by Tanis Lavallee and So Faded by Andrea Mowry.

Ashley wore Afternoon Tea by Helen Stewart, knit by her friend, Heather.  Ashley wore a vintage Kaffe Fassett sweater dress to the theatre.  This beautiful dress was knit by a customer of Woolworks in Baltimore, MD.  Ashley also wore Ducky Socks.

Imaginary Knitting

Tara is daydreaming about the Damejakkaloppa by Pinneguri.  Tara apologizes for mispronouncing the designer’s name!  (Sorry!)

Ashley is imaginary knitting numerous WIPs!

Hot Off the Needles

Ashley finished Churchmouse Yarn and Tea’s Basic Christmas Stocking with Woolstok yarn.  She finished The Little Pumpkin Hat in Rowan Summerlite DK.  Ashley designed this cute hat!  This time around, she upsized the pattern for a toddler.  If you are interested in these changes, check out the notes on her Ravelry project page.

Tara finished the Exploration Station by Stephen West just in time for the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.  Tara gifted this shawl to her friend, Lis, that vends at the festival under the name Heirlooms.

What We are Working On

Tara casted on the Surprise Party Shawl by Helen Stewart soon after its release.  She is using Primrose Adelaide.

Also by Helen Stewart, Tara is knitting the Spindrift Shawlette in Destination Yarn’s Postcard base in the Toes in the Sand colorway.

Finally, Tara is knitting the Wagenfeld pullover by Ankestrick using Jill Draper Empire.  She hopes this sweater will be a Christmas gift for her husband.

Ashley is knitting the Children’s Neck Down Cardigan by Knitting Pure and Simple.  She cast on the Unicorn Hat by Brittany Tyler Simmonds in Rowan Big Wool using size 15 needles!

Ashley cast on the Ninilchik Swoncho by Caitlin Hunter.  She is using Arranmore Light by the Fibre Company.

Misadventures

Both Tara and Ashley experienced a few misadventures!  Tara purchased several skeins of Domestic Worsted by Magpie Fibers.

Tara also purchased an entire sweater quantity of Periwinkle Sheep’s Bulky base in the Black/Turquoise colorway.

Ashley purchased several skeins of by Magpie Fibers, as well as a Wishmaker Mitt kit.

Ashley purchased a beautiful advent mini-skein set by Nox Yarns.  She is unsure how she will use the yarn, whether it will be for a shawl, sweater or something else entirely.  Suggestions needed!

Episode 008-Misadventures with Lace Knitting

Click Here to Listen to Episode 8 on iTunes!

Click Here to Listen to Episode 8 on Pod Bean!

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Are you interested in sponsoring our podcast?  We would love to hear from you!  Please email us at misadventuresinknitting@gmail.com

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Introduction:

Today’s stash hiding space was shared by Lil Dead Girl on Ravelry.  Thank you for contributing, Alissa!

A special nod  to Boston Jen of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast.  We love listening to your inspiring show and we look forward to meeting you in November!

The Too Much Candy Knit Along and Crochet Along!

*began Sept 15 and will run thru November 1st, 2017.

*Knit or crochet something halloween related.

*Share photos in our Ravelry group and/or on Instagram with #toomuchcandyKAL

*Enter to win awesome prizes!  Two Halloween project bags (sewn by the talented Ashley) and two skeins of halloween themed yarn are up for grabs!

*Prizes will be awarded using the random number generator.  One chosen from Instagram and the other from Ravelry.

*US addresses only for prizes.

Handmade Bag by Ashley

Miss Babs on Left and Magnolia Jen on Right

Hot Off the Needles

Tara tested the North Bend Hat by Lori Wagner.  This hat, which features a beautiful cabled panel, will be available for purchase on Ravelry in mid-November.  Lori designed this for A Yarn Less Raveled, a yarn store in Northern California.  Tara knit a size small with YOTH Father in the Poppyseed Colorway.

Tara finished three Barley Hats by Tin Can Knits.  She used this pattern to teach a “Knit Your First Hat” class at Woolworks.  Tara knit a child size (in Madeline Tosh Vintage colorway Glazed Pecan) and two adult small sizes (one in Madeline Tosh Vintage colorway Jasper and the other in Plucky Cachet Small Batch colorway #25).

Ashley finished the Plicate Hat by Hunter Hammersen using Woolfolk SNO.  Ashley found this hat to be very enjoyable and recommends the pattern and the yarn, which is incredibly soft.  Ashley warns that a swatch is necessary for success with this pattern!  Her hat will be on display at Woolworks in Baltimore, MD.

What We are Working On

Ashley is knitting the Basic Christmas Stocking by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.  She is using Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, one of her favorites, and this will be a shop sample for Woolworks.

Ashley is working on the Knitting Pure and Simple Children’s Neck Down Cardigan #249.

Lastly, Ashley is crocheting Outlander by Lily Go.  Ashley is learning to read a crochet chart and she finds this pattern to be very clear.  She is using Spirit Trail Fibers Sunna that she purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  She is using beads from Jubili Beads and Yarn in Collingswood, NJ.

In this photo, you can see the Voolenvine in the background and the Spirit Trail Fibers in the front. Ashley has decided to use the Spirit Trail Fibers for this pattern.

Tara is teaching a “Knit Your First Mitten” class at Woolworks and was inspired by The World’s Simplest Mitten pattern by Tin Can Knits.  She is making a Christmas garland using a modified infant size with Jill Draper Hudson.  She is also knitting a Child size with Cascade 220 Sport in the Punk Colorway for her son River and the Adult Small size for her son Leo using the Rainbow colorway.  (Note, this picture was taken one week after recording.)

Tara is working on the Exploration Station by Stephen West and is nearing the end!  She had a “knitting high-five!” moment when she started the final section and had exactly the number of stitches required, 455!  Yeah!  (Note, these photos are of the finished object and were taken one week after recording.)

Finally, Tara is knitting a pair of basic socks with the Fish Lips Kiss Heel for the #TooMuchCandyKAL.  She is using Lollipop Yarn Quintessential Base in the Witch Craft Colorway.

Sad Knitting Tragedies

Tara gave an update on the moth outbreak in her finished sweater bin.  She washed and reblocked five sweaters and multiple accessories.  She hopes the moths find somewhere else to live.

Totally Tubular Techniques (and not just the cast-on)!

Tara and Ashley have created a new rotating topic for the podcast called “Totally Tubular Techniques”.  Our goal for this section is to make challenging knitting techniques more accessible for all.  We hope to inspire confidence in our listeners.  Today, our topic is lace knitting but we will eventually cover other advanced techniques, such as colorwork, sweater knitting and brioche (to name a few).  Please contribute to our discussion by visiting the Misadventures in Knitting Ravelry Group.  You may have ideas that we did not address.  We would love to hear from you!

Early on, Ashley and Tara struggled with lace knitting and found it very difficult.  They both tried the Ishbel Shawl by Ysolda Teague and initially could not complete it.  So, they warmed up to lace by trying other patterns first.  Tara knit the Multnomah by Kate Ray and the Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante.  Ashley adventured into lace by completing the Monkey Sock and the Pomatomus Sock by Cookie A.  She also knit the Twisting Ladders Hat by Corinna Rogers.  Ashley’s first charted lace pattern was 198 Yards of Heaven by Christy Verity.

For success with lace, Tara and Ashley recommend you:

• Print the pattern and use a hard copy vs. a smart phone or computer screen.
• Familiarize yourself  by skimming through the pattern before casting on.
• Read through the completed projects on Ravelry to see if anyone offered tips or advice in the summary.
• Become “friends” with the chart.  Charts are actually quite easy to read once you understand how they work.  In general, you will need to:
  • Start from the bottom right hand corner and read right to left (opposite of how we normally read a book).
  • Pay close attention to the stitch symbols and read the glossary.
  • Learn about new-to-you stitches on YouTube by doing a quick search.
• Use the following knitting notions
  • highlighter tape (to keep track of where you are in the chart and the pattern)
  • stitch markers (to place in between each pattern repeat)
• Experiment with sharp needle tips.
• Start simple and then work your way into more complicated designs.
  • During the podcast, Ashley and Tara mentioned the following patterns:
    • Ara by Andrea Mowry
    • Spindrift Shawl by Helen Stewart
    • Hedera by Cookie A
    • Clover Honey Shawlette by Hannah Six

Sew, We have Another Lover

Tara is feeling challenged by her new hobby of sewing.  She is concerned about how to finish and care for her projects, such as the Farrow Dress, the Lark Tee, and the Willow Tank by Grainline Studio.

Ashley made the Grab Bag by All People Quilt, a Japanese style dumpling bag.  This pattern is free if you sign up on the website.  Ashley is giving the bag away as part of the #toomuchcandykal!  See photo above.

Ashley and her son, William, made the “Roll-it-up!” pillowcase together!  This pattern is also from All People Quilt.  William is incredibly proud of his first sewing experience!

Ashley finished the Cleo Skirt, a Made by Rae pattern.  Ashley participated in a sew-along with our awesome local fabric shop, Domesticity.

Lastly, Ashley finished Butterick B6453, a princess seamed dress.  Ashley chose a cute black-and-white polka dot fabric for the project.  This dress has a zipper and pockets.  She put in a lining and hand-stitched the hem!  Wow!