Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Monday, February 20, 2012

Ep 84- Recap, recap recap!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors
Amazon
Audible
Bar-Maids
~Contest
Heartmade Valentine!
~Sweater Forecast
Rainy and in the 40s
~Crafting
Finished Aaron's Honeymoon socks, knit a bear hat for Genevieve and CO a Citron Shawl for one of my teachers!
~Free Entertainment
Seattle Tilth Producers Master Composter Podcast
~Sustainable Knowledge
Toxic Compost
~Events
Madrona Recap
~ Sales!!!
  - Knitting Warehouse
  - Little Knits 
  - Amazon Warehouse Deals!
~ Tip of the Week
When you travel, share food!
~ How I spent the week!
Recap of my field trip, visit with the Knitmores, my newest addiction and just generally what I've been up to!
~Worth It!
Food Fight by Dan Imhoff



A really good overview of the Farm Bill and how it affects EVERYONE!  I'm reading it for class right now and I want everyone to read it!
~Contact:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Thank you for being awesome listeners!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Ep 83- Lambs are here!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors: 
  -Amazon
  -Audible
  -Bar-Maids
~Contests:
I announced the January winner (listen to find out!) and the Feb contest is to make a handmade Valentine for your sweetie, a friend, or yourself, and ONLY use things you already have! No purchase necessary! AND you MUST post photos either on Ravelry or send them to me in an email!!
~Sweater Forecast
Since I will be in the Monterey area of CA next week for the EcoFarm conference, the weather there will be in the mid 60s and sunny!
~Projects
Finished all the Cassidy pieces, started new Daybreak, starting a sweater for our new nephew Krishna Aaron, and a handspun hat for Genevieve Knitmore!
~Sustainable Knowledge
We had 2 new baby lambs born today! Our first lambs for the season! I got to be the first one to see and hold them, I got to learn to milk a sheep and how to tube feed a lamb! It was thrilling and makes me want sheep even more now!
~Events: Madrona!
There will be a podcaster meetup on Saturday of Madrona! Please come say hello! In the rotunda outside the market after the classes are over in the afternoon!
~Sales!
WoolieEwe is clearing out their inventory!
WhiteIris is an indie dyer in my local area!
ClockworkCrow is a beautiful jewelry maker and has EXCELLENT customer service!
~Tip of the Week:
Keep batteries and blankets handy! Hear all about my adventures in the snow and without power!
~How I Saved the Week:
I finally bought one of my favorite movies, in a 2pack with one of Aaron's favorite movies, for the same price as one of them! YAY! Also, the local work clothes store is not going to carry women's Carrharts anymore so I got 3 pairs for the price of 1! YAY!
Granola Bar Recipe
~Contact Info:
Email me! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Ep 79- It's beginning to look a lot like Middle Earth

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors
  -Bar-Maids
  -Audible
  -Amazon
~Contest
Do something nice!
~Sweater forecast
Clear and COLD! BRR!
~ Knitting
Finished my honeymoon socks, started Aaron's!
~Free Entertainment
Amazon is giving away a free Christmas song every day in December until Christmas!
Amazon Christmas Mp3s!
~Sustainable Knowledge
Vanillin (artificial vanilla flavor) is derived from paper processing leftovers
Artificial grape flavor is produced 10x more quantity than real grape flavor
Benzaldehyde (cherry flavor) is preferred in flavor 2x over real cherry flavor
~Events
Madrona!
~Sales
  -Kaleidoscope Yarns has a great sale section!
  - Webs has an AWESOME closeout section!
~Tip of the Week
Don't lose your keys.  You'll spend hours trying to find them, and you'll end up deciding that you need one of those key beepers because the keys are lost EVERY DAY. (I haven't actually bought the key beeper but I probably should...)
~DIY
Make Lembas Bread
~Worth It!
The Knitter's Book of Socks

20 patterns, all lovely plus MORE INFO YOU COULD EVER NEED TO KNOW about making the best socks ever!
TOTALLY WORTH IT!
~Contact Info
Email me! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Like me on Facebook: KnitCents Podcast

Monday, October 10, 2011

Ep 76- 2 Out of 3 Aint Bad

Listen Here!!
~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
  -Audible: Download a FREE audiobook of your choice by following the link!
  -Bar-Maids: Follow the link (and your nose) to their site where you can check out all their amazing skin care products and scents!
~Contest:
September winner announced, you'll have to listen to find out!
October Contest:
Pumpkin!  Share your favorite use for pumpkin!!!
~Sweater Forecast:
Mid 50s, low 40s.  LAYERS LAYERS LAYERS!!
~ Knitting/ Spinning:
Finished knitting the Age of Kreplits and Rainbows Shawl in about 4 days! YAY for instant gratification!! I did it as a SAL/KAL with Amy Toadyjoe of the Outlier Podcast! See hers here!
Also, I started spinning for Aaron's sweater! I'm using a modified long draw to keep the yarn lofty, but make it a little denser so that is shows off the cables in the pattern! I'm so excited!
~Sustainable Knowledge
The US spends less on food and more on medicine than any other country in the world.  On average, Americans spend about 10% of their income on food, while on average Europeans spend about 30%!
~Sales!
- RoyalYarns has TONS of yarns, books, and accessories on sale! Scroll to the bottom side bar and check out the "sort by price" category!
 - Sears has chest freezers on sale! Buy in bulk, stock up for the winter!
~Tip of the Week:
Know where your food comes from! Go visit a farm or farmer's market and meet some farmers!! Buy directly from them so that there is less markup for the "middle man" and the farmer gets a higher percentage of what they worked so hard to grow!
~ Worth It!
Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman


Things I love: I love the tutorials on cabling with and without a cable needle, I love the design workshop tutorials, I love the chart reading tutorials!!  I also love the stitch dictionary!  I am not excited about the patterns so much.  I encourage you to check out the book from your local library!!
~Contact Me!
Email: Cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes, or feel free to donate!! You guys rock!
Use your KnitCents!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ep 75- Back to School!

Listen Here!!
~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
   -Audible: The internet's leading provider in spoken word entertainment! Download a free audiobook of your choice by following the link!
  - Bar-Maids: The most amazing eco-friendly skin care products!!
~Contest:
Autumn tools! Check out the Ravelry group page to vote on your favorite!
~Sweater Forecast:
If you are in my neck of the woods this week, you get to experience ALL THE WEATHER! Sun, rain, clouds, temps in the low 40s up to the high 70s!  LAYERS ARE AWESOME!
~ Knitting/ Spinning:
Finished the Fake Isle hat that I started for my friend, I finished knitting the Megaman hat for my other friend's son, and ripped out the 198 yds of Heaven shawl because it was too involved for my brain at the time.  Instead, I CO the Age of Brass and Steam shawl, and knit the whole thing in a week! (that's a big deal!)  I also finished Aaron's socks! I'm a KNITTING MACHINE! 
As for spinning, if you follow me on Twitter then you already know that I got my new spinning wheel!  Her name is Louise, named for her previous owner and she and I are getting along VERY WELL!
We have already spun together 4oz of Sunset Fibers BFL in the colorway Serendipity, into sportish weight singles that I am currently knitting into the Boneyard Shawl.  We are also now spinning together some Woolgatherings 70/30 BFL/Seacell in the colorway (named by Amy Toadyjoe and I) Kreplit Rainbow. (If you are unfamiliar with the term kreplit or the kreplit theory, please refer to episode 7 of the Outlier Podcast. Amy does a good job explaining it.)
~Sustainable Knowledge! New Segment!
I'm back in school! I'm studying sustainable agriculture, so I've decided that each episode, I'll share a little tidbit about what I've learned that week!  Did you know that it takes 55x more water to grow 500 calories of edible beef than it does to grow 500 calories of edible potatoes? Interesting right?
~Events! OFFF Recap!
Thursday night I jumped on a Greyhound bus and went to Idaho!  I got to Amy's house at about 10am Friday morning, and when she got done with work, we jumped in her car and drove across Oregon!  We landed in Gresham at the KnitWits house around 7pm on Friday, where we had some snacks, drank wine on the porch with the chickens in the yard, and the kids running around, laughing and having a great time! It was all VERY idyllic! We drove down to Rimky Korsakoffeehouse for desserts and it was excellent! Saturday, we went to the festival after the delicious quiche breakfast that Carin made, had the meet at greet at the Bar Maids booth and then wandered around for a while!  We did some shopping, some eating, some laying around in the sun knitting and spinning and just having a good time together!   Then we went to Dar Essalam which is the best restaurant I've ever been to.  That's all. Go there. Eat. You'll love it.  Sunday, we packed up and went home! I don't feel like I got to spend nearly enough time with my friends, but I am glad I got to spend some!  Can't wait to see you all again soon!
~Sales!
-Knitpicks is having their book sale again! All their books are 40% off! A great time to stock up!
-Office supply stores are practically GIVING AWAY school supplies!  Since it's been a while since school started, they are ALL ON SALE!
~Tip of the Week:
Don't forget your public library!  You can now download kindle books, ebooks, audiobooks and then of course go get traditional books! Just another way that libraries are a limitless resource for you!
~Worth It!
Knitting Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec

20 projects, retail price is $19.99! EVERYTHING is adorable!  I love this book! I don't normally knit toys but I want to knit ALL THE THINGS in this book!  The technical descriptions of knitting techniques are well done, the design your own toy workshop is great and the patterns are all awesome!!!  If you have any interest in cute things or knitted toys, this book is totally WORTH IT!
~Contact Me!
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Ep 74- A Serious Case

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
Audible.com- The internet's leading provider in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment!
Bar-Maids- Makers of AMAZING eco-friendly skin care products!
~Contest:
Head over to the Ravelry group and tell me what your favorite tool is in the autumn for saving money!!
~Sweater Forecast
With the exception of Sunday the 11th, it seems the autumn weather I've been waiting for is coming!  Dropping from the mid-90s today down to the mid 60s!
~Knitting:
Aaron's socks, CO Fake Isle Hat for a friend out of Patons Classic wool and Lion Brand Amazing, CO MegaMan hat for a friend's son, CO 198 yds of Heaven by Chrissy Verity with some Lisa Souza, CO swatch for Stilwell by Jared Flood.
Spinning:
Finished the rainbow sherbet yarn I'd been working on for Hannah and Leighton. 468 yds of Sport weight! SOOOOOO SOFT!
~Events:
OFFF- I'll be there! Will you? There will be at Meet and Greet with many other podcasters on Saturday from 12-1 in the Bar Maids booth! See you there!
~ Sales:
Cardoan Farm has several great items in their sale section!
Interweave is having their Stashbust sale! Patterns, ebooks and books are hugely discounted!
~Tip of the week:
Go find Oversized and Underpriced produce! I got  a HUGE ZUCCHINI that I turned into 20 cups of shredded zucchini! That is enough for 40 small loaves of zucchini bread! Guess what we'll be eating a lot of this winter?!
~ How I Saved the Week:
You guys know I love the Kindle that Aaron got me for my birthday!  As of today, it has paid for itself! I got the Kindle With Special Offers, which is a lower price because it offers coupons and discounts for the owner.  Between coupons I have used and savings from the kindle price being lower than the paperback for my school books, we have saved the price of what the Kindle originally cost us!  In only 2 months!! HOORAY!


~Worth It!
Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting by Lorna Miser




Retail: $24.99 24 patterns
I like this book.  However, I don't actually really like most of the patterns.  I LOVE a few patterns, but I really dislike some of them.  Some just felt contrived, which is disappointing, but the few patterns I really like make up for the ones I didn't like!!  Overall, I urge you to check it out for yourself.  I'm pretty torn on this one.  I don't think that I would have purchased it for myself, though since I got it as a gift, I'm glad to have it!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave iTunes reviews! I haven't gotten a new one and they make me happy!
You guys are awesome!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Ep 73- Honeymoon!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
Thanks to Laurie for the magazine and Isabella for the birthday Pina Colada!
Sponsors:
  Bar-Maids
  Audible
~Contests:
  -If you stayed through the ENTIRE No Fiber Diet, please PM me on Ravelry!!
  -  September: What is the #1 item you use in the autumn to save money!!  For me, its hot tea!
  Leave your answer on the Ravelry Group page!
~Sweater Forecast:
Highs in the mid 80s but lows in the mid 40s! Its perfect!! Sweaters in the mornings and evening, bare feet in the day!
~Knitting:
Not much to report, I did finish my Kindle sweater!
I took way too much knitting with me on my honeymoon! I hardly got anything done, though here is a picture of me knitting on Diamond Head!
~Events:
September 23-25 Oregon Flock and Fiber Fest OFFF! There WILL be a podcaster meetup in the Bar Maids booth!  I'm thinking lunch time on Saturday, and there will be better details to come!  Also, if you are coming in from out of town, the Guesthouse Inn or Comfort Inn has been kind enough to offer a discounted group rate if you sign up with the coupon code Podcast.  5-10$ off your room depending on the size!
~Sales!
  -Gritty Knits is having a 25% off sale on all their Handspun to make room for new inventory!
  -Green Sheep Shop is also having a huge sale with great prices on tons of different yarn ooptions!
  - Do you know about the Amazon Daily Deal and Lightning Deal?
~Tip of the Week
Plan ahead to go with the flow!  If you'll be traveling, take some time ahead of the trip to read reviews, so that when you are wandering around and see a familiar name, you know whether it will be worth the stop!  Also, if you add bookmarks in your phone or write down places you want to eat, you will never be disappointed and won't be stranded getting hungry and cranky while you decide what to do!
~ How We Saved the Honeymoon!
We stayed in a condo so we had a kitchen.  We bought groceries and ate in 2 meals a day so that the meal we ate out was really nice and we were able to afford to spend a little more than we normally would and get something really good!  We also found group discounts and we DID NOT buy the rental car insurance because our personal car insurance transferred to our rental car!
~ Worth It!
If you are on Oahu, it is worth it to check out Aloha Yarn!  I had a nice visit, and really enjoyed the shop! This is what I bought! If you are on the island, or want a nice shop online to order from, I give Aloha Yarn a thumbs up!
~Contact Info:
Email me! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Thank you a ton for listening!!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Ep 72- The Perfect Wedding

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sweater Forecast:
  Except Monday (rainy) the rest of the week looks like mid 70's and sunny!! Hooray!
~ Craftyness:
Knitting-
  Kindle Cozy! I got a kindle from Aaron for my birthday and I'm making a cozy with the leftover yarn from my sweater!
  Vanilla Socks for Aaron out of some gray striping Regia!
  WestKnits Mystery KAL
  Out of Bungalow Buns Superwash Sock in Golden Fields, KnitPicks Stroll in Grasshopper and Abstract Fibers Colorwork in Orange.
Spinning-
Sunset Fibers Merino for Hannah and Leighton
I've been given the okay from Aaron to buy my new wheel!  I would love to get a used Schacht Matchless Double Treadle! If you have one or know someone who would like to sell theirs, please let me know!!!  I am going to spin for this sweater for Aaron! If you have a copy of Vogue Knitting Winter 2009-2010 that you would be willing to sell me, let me know!! :)
Ok I'm done begging for stuff!
~Free Entertainment
Trader Tales by Nathan Lowell
~Sales!!!
 Kindle With Special Offers
Kindle, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Pearl Display - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers

AWESOME!! Cheaper than normal kindle, offers coupons on screen savers but TOTALLY unaffected while reading! I LOVE IT!
~Wedding!
I jabbered about the wedding for a while, there is now way I can remember everything I talked about! You'll just have to listen!
~ Contact Info
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Song at the end:
Swept Away by The Avett Brothers

Thank you all for all your well wishes and congratulations for my recent marriage! I am the happiest girl alive to have a wonderful husband and such wonderful friends and listeners as you!

If you didn't see them on Ravelry, here are a few photos from the wedding! More to come!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Ep 71- Aaaaaaaaaand DONE!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~ Sponsors:
Audible and Bar-Maids
~ Sweater Forecast:
Mid 70s first part of the week, low 60 and rain for later part!
~Knitting/ Spinning:
The wedding shawl is DONE!!!!!!!!
It is currently blocking!! OMG YAY!  The BFF socks are coming along, and so has my Tour de Fleece spinning! (except for today) I've spun every day! And I've still got time today!!  Finally, I will be casting on another Daybreak Shawl, this one for Amy!  She is making one, and we are going to trade!
~Free Entertainment:
The Complete Guide to Everything Podcast! Thanks for the recommendation Jackie! You are awesome!
~Garden:
OMG I caged my tomatoes!  YUM!
~ Sales:
Knitpicks is having their book sale! Books are 40% off!!!
Also, JoAnn has all their summer stuff (like lawn chairs, beach towels etc) on sale for 75% off! Summer has barely started and they are already selling it off!!
~How I Saved the Week:
Bartering for my hairstyling for the wedding and haircuts for Aaron! My stylist is a new spinner and a knitter so I am trading fiber and spinning lessons!! Yay!
~ DIY
Mustard Trout
1 1/2 T whole grain mustard
2 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
4 fresh basil leaves, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
mix the ingredients, then use to marinate some fish. I used 2 filets about the size of the palm of my hand each.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 mins.  Wrap in foil topped with an onion slice, cook over bbq for 10 mins (skin side down) and serve with rice and salad with honey mustard dressing! YUM! Sauce would also be tasty on chicken or mushrooms!
~Worth It!
How To Make Soap Without Burning Your Face Off by Raleigh Briggs, Microcosm Publishing
$3.00, 12 pages, all hand written and illustrated! Once again, this is amazingly beautiful and really full of useful information!  A total of 8 recipes (2 basic with 6 add ons), all the processes and safety info you need and step by step instructions! For $3, you really can't beat it!  Totally worth it!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Leave a donation or an iTunes review!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Ep 56- The NO Fiber Diet

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~ Sponsors:
Bar-Maids makes awesome, eco friendly skin care products!!
Audible! Download a Free Audiobook, or sign up and get your Membership for half price for 3 months! Click either link below!!!


1 FREE Audiobook RISK-FREE from Audible


Audiobooks at audible.com.
~Contests:
February Contest Winner is AlyshaTree! Congrats!!
March Contest: The No Fiber Diet- I'm going on a yarn/ fiber diet until my birthday!  I know, it's totally crazy since CampKIP, Black Sheep Gathering AND Sock Summit are all before then, but since we are saving money for the wedding, It's something that needs to be done!  I would love company! Head over to the Ravelry Group and post photos of your stash and tell us how long you're going to diet to join in the contest!! If you go all the way until August with me, (ending on August 24, my birthday!!) we will have a special contest prize for you to qualify to win!!
~Sweater Forecast
Cold, wet, snow, rain, bleh.  That's what the forecast says.
~ Knitting, Spinning and Weaving!
Monkey socks are almost done!  One more repeat of pattern, then the toe!  I'm planning on warping my loom this afternoon, and starting spinning the second color for my next handspun sweater!!
~Free Entertainment:
The House of Grey by Collin Earl, chapters 10-15!
~Sales!
The South Sound Yarn Crawl
Abstract Fiber, knotty skeins and sales!
Sale.com highlights sales at major shops and retail stores!
~Tip of the Week
Quick Trip! Use limited parking time to keep your trips quick and impulse buys low!
~How Lorrina Saved the Week
One of my bridesmaids found her bridesmaid's dress for 50% off because I didn't put too many constraints on her!! Yay for both of us!
~DIY: 
Bacon, Feta, Tomato muffins
Ingredients:
2-3 slices of smoked bacon
2 c all purpose flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1 c milk
2 T sour cream or plain yogurt
1 small tomato, cut into small cubes
about 1/3 c crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C)
Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or butter flavored cooking spray. Fill the unused cups 1/3 full of water to prevent warping.

In a frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp.  Allow to cool and drain on paper towel, then crumble.

In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and sour cream until blended.  Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just evenly moistened.  Batter will be thick, like dough.  Stir in the bacon crumbles.

Spoon batter into cups, so that cup is 1/3 full.  Take 1-2 pieces of tomato and small amount of feta and press into the center of muffin.  Then add more batter until top of muffin is about level with top of pan.  Bake until golden, dry and springy, about 20-25 minutes.
Serve warm.  Refrigerate any muffins you aren't using right away.
Enjoy!
~Worth It!
Odd Ball Knitting by Barbara Albright
Retail $19.95 US, $27.95 CA. 30 patterns, 120 pages
Pros:
 Color photos
 Lots of designs
 Most projects use lots of small amounts of same yarn
 Good tutorial to figure out how much yardage you have
 Patterns are easy to sub yarn
Cons:
 A lot of big projects with small amounts of yarn in different colors
 Most projects look kind of tacky, I wouldn't knit anything from this book.
Overall: I'm glad I got it from the library, wouldn't buy it
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave an iTunes review, or feel free to donate!!







Sunday, January 9, 2011

Episode 50- Double Up!

~Welcome!!
~Sponsors:
  Audible: Click the link for a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook download of your choice!
  Bar-Maids: Lovely solid lotion bars, cuticle creams and lotions! Perfect for knitting!
~ Sweater Forecast:
SNOW! It is supposed to snow a lot this week! Get out the woolens!
~ Knitting:
Baby sweater is coming along! Dr says she would be surprised if baby isn't here in the next few days!! EEP!
Slytherin Socks are looking pretty awesome!
Cashmere hat for Leighton is coming along as well!
~Spinning: None
~Sewing:
Sewed myself a pretty green skirt to match my Gwen Slouch!  I actually finished while I was recording the episode!
~ Free Entertainment:
 Yogpod: A goofy podcast where a couple of Brits make fun of random things, talk a little about video games and are just generally goofy.  Not a family show, but worth a listen!
~Events:
Madrona Fiber Arts retreat: Mini-Class list is posted! Awesome (and very inexpensive) way to try out some new techniques with amazing teachers!!! I'll be there!
CampKIP: Only a few spots left! Listen to the latest update from Jackie to hear all the latest info!!
~Sales:
  -Kellane Farm has some lovely looking fiber! So soft and smooshable and only $3 an ounce!
  - Digital Scale on eBay only $6.95 with free economy shipping!!
  - Wolfe Farms has awesome and yummy sounding herbal soaps and lotions! The "To Hatch a Peach" scent is on sale 25% off right now, and Dawn (knittinwolf on Ravelry) is offering a free 1 ounce trial to try out her products!!!
~Tip of the Week:
Double up on coupons! If your local store has a sale or a store coupon for something, use a manufacturer coupon on top of it to get it for super cheap or even free!! It's totally legit and can save you tons of $$!
~ How I Saved the Week:
I'm going back to school! I needed to request a transcript from the massage school I went to, and instead of requesting one online for $25, I gave the owner a call! She agreed to give me a copy!!
~ Worth It:
KnitPicks Zephyr Acrylic needles
Pros:
Just like all KnitPicks needles, the joins are smooth on the cables, the tips are nice and pointy, and these specifically are MUCH less expensive than the wood or metal.
Cons: The clear needles are really distracting because you can see the backs of the stitches through the needles which makes it hard to count stitches and is just generally distracting.  Also, they are squeaky! Just like acrylic yarn has a squeaky characteristic, these needles, when I used them with wool were also squeaky!
Overall: These needles are not for me. If you don't mind the squeakiness of acrylic yarn, you won't mind these needles, and for the price, they can't be beat.  However, if you don't like squeaky yarn, you won't like these needles.
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Use your KnitCents!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Ep 46- Greensleeves

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!!
  This episode is brought to you by Audible!  Visit Audiblepodcast.com/knitcents for a free 2 week trial and free audiobook download of your choice!!
~Contest:
How have you used your KnitCents?
Post in the Ravelry thread to enter!!
~ Sweater forecast:
Cold, windy, rainy.  Maybe a little snow tomorrow, so wear ALL your knits!
~ Knitting:
 Just a little bit on Aaron's sock.  Almost to the heel.
~Spinning:
 Finished the first 4oz of the Sunset Fibers corriedale, colorway C-13-08 for my next handspun sweater!!
~Baking: 
Triple Chocolate Quick Bread!
Ingredients
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
2/3 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1-1/2 cups applesauce (unsweetened is best)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
-For the glaze
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 T butter or margarine
2 to 3 T half and half cream
1/2 c confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and melted chocolate; mix well.  Add applesauce and vanilla. Set aside.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Spoon batter (batter will be super fluffy and light) into four greased 5-1/2-in x 3-in x 2-in loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35- 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
     For glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan; stir in cream. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, vanilla and salt.  Drizzle over bread. (For drizzling, I spoon the warm glaze into a sandwich bag, and cut the tip of a corner off the bottom to use as a piping bag!)
Yield: 4 mini loaves!
ENJOY!
~Free Entertainment:
Podiobooks has 3 Christmas stories!!  Search the word Christmas in the search bar!!
~ Sales Last minute, handmade gift ideas!
 -Triple chocolate quick bread: Takes about an hour (not including cooling and glazing time) and makes 4 loaves!
 - Homemade cocoa!
    5 c nonfat powdered milk
    1 c unsweetened baking cocoa
    1 c sugar
optional:
   5 T cinnamon
   12-15 crushed candy canes
    extra cocoa for a darker chocolate flavor
Combine ingredients in a large zipper plastic bag, shake and distribute evenly among pretty cellophane bags with a ribbon and serving suggestions!
Total time: about 20 minutes, total cost for more than 20 servings (if you make all the flavors) less than $30.
 - Sewn coffee cup cozy
Use a small amount of fleece or flannel, sew a seam and you're done! Fleece works well because it keeps the heat in the cup, and is a little bit stretchy so it will fit around many different cups!! Total cost, less than $1, total time: varying depending on sewing skill, but less than 20 minutes.
~ Tip of the week:
Enjoy the season!  I see too many people stress about buying or making the perfect gift, making 30 dozen kinds of cookies, volunteering too much time to the point that they don't enjoy the beautiful Christmas season!  Relax and spend time with friends and family!
~How I Saved the Week
OMG Amazon has flea medicine for cats for $27 for a 3 month treatment!! That's compared to the $21 for 1 month from my vet's office!!!!
~ Worth It:
The Princess Bride (book) by William Goldman
$8.95 new on Amazon
This book is hilarious, romantic and wonderful!  This is an awesome gift for an individual, or a couple!  This is one of mine and Aaron's favorite books to read aloud to each other, and we have gifted it to other couples with the same instruction!
Before you read the book, read the Wikipedia article about the Author and The Book!
It makes the story way funnier!!
Totally WORTH IT!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Episode 45- Cotton is absorbent

Hey!  Sorry I didn't get around to posting these until now!  Here are the main points:
~Free Entertainment:
Audiblepodcast.com/knitcents Free 2 week trial, and lots of freebies including free Christmas stories!!
Free Target Holiday Album!
~Sales!
KnitPicks has swifts on sale (really nice ones) for $50 through Jan. 3!!
All the other sales I talked about are over now...
~Tip of the Week:
Check your online wish lists often, prices change!!  Something you didn't think you could afford before may have dropped in price to a reasonable range!!
~How I Saved the Week:
I bought Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day from Amazon for $14 including tax!! This is a $30 hardcover retail, and I've wanted it for a long time! WOOHOO!
~Worth It:
KnitPicks Comfy
Comes in lots of colors and weights, great to weave with, great cotton/acryllic blend would be great for anyone with wool allergies, doesn't hurt my hands like most cotton!!
Yay! Worth it!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Ep 44- Trials and Timers

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~This podcast is sponsored by Audible.com! Click here to sign up for a free 2 week trial and download a free audiobook of your choice!
~Contest:
 Visit the Ravelry group, email me or leave a comment on the shownotes page telling me what you've learned from the Knitcents Podcast or another listener, and tell us a story of how you've used it!!
~ Sweater Forecast:
Mid to low 40's with rain this week!  Another week of light sweaters and cardigans!
~ Knitting:
I finished the Tappan Zee and I totally rock it with all its little quirks!
I also am almost done with the handspun baby hat for Leighton!
~Spinning!
Spun the first 2.5 oz for my next hs cardigan!! Super pretty!
~Weaving:
I also finished weaving 5 little wash cloths/ burp cloths for Leighton!  yay for finishing things!
~Free Entertainment:
Just One More Row Podcast with Brittany and Dana!  I love it! Check it out!
~ Camp KIP:
An awesome knitting retreat hosted by Jackie of KIPing it Real! Visit her Ravelry group for more details!! I'll be there if I can raise enough money to get there!!
~Sales!!!
Free Trials that are awesome!
- AudiblePodcast.com/KnitCents Sign up for a free 2 week trial, download a free audiobook and audible will donate $$ to the podcast which I can use to go to CampKIP!  Its an awesome way you can donate $$ for me to go to CampKIP without actually spending any $$ yourself!!
 - Netflix free one week trial!  You can choose to only have instant watch now, and there are so many amazing things on here!!!
 - Gym trials! Go to gyms in your area and try them out by signing up for free trials!
 - FreeCreditReport.com allows you to view your credit report for free once a year! Just don't do it too often!
 - Amazon Prime offers a free 1 month trial of Prime! Free 2 day shipping on all your holiday gifts!!
~Tip of the Week:
Set a timer! When you sign up for a free trial where you have to provide your credit card number, set a timer or reminder to remind yourself to cancel the trial before they charge your card! If you decide to keep it, then ignore the reminder, but if you don't want to be charged, make sure to use the reminder!! Its a good idea to set the reminder for one day before the trial will end so you don't get charged because you're too late!
~How I Saved the Week:
I used functional gifts as decorations for the baby shower! (of course I forgot to take a picture) but I bought a baby bathtub (inflatable ducky) and used it as a punch bowl!  I made awesome bubble bath punch in it and it was super cute!  not only did I get a super cute decoration for the shower, but it is something that my sister will be able to use to bathe her baby in!
~DIY:
Bubble bath punch! 1 carton of light colored sherbet (I use lime) and 3 2-L bottles of clear, caffeine free soda!  Scoop the sherbet into the punch bowl (or baby bathtub) and dump the soda on top!  The bubbles foam up to big fluffy bubbles and it looks like bubble bath!! Also, it is super delicious!
~ Worth It!
The Intentional Spinner by Judith MacKenzie McCuin
Retail: 26.95  150 pages, published by Interweave Press
My thoughts: This book is amazing.  JMM definitely demonstrates her vast depth, breadth and wealth of knowledge about spinning and fiber in this book! From the science of the fiber to the way it takes dye, to many techniques for spinning, plying and making art yarns! There are 4 projects to spin for, and great instructions for caring for your handspun and handmade items!!  Overall, I would say this would be an awesome "Only" book for a spinner, meaning if you only had one spinning book, this would be a great one!!  This would be a little overwhelming for a brand new spinner, but with a little help from a friend could be the perfect spinning guide!  Totally worth it!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes if you like the show!!


Sunday, November 28, 2010

Ep 43- Podcast-tacular

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~This week's show is sponsored by Audible! Click here to try their service free for 2 weeks and download a free audiobook of your choice!
~November Contest Winner:
 CuteKnitter aka Jasmin! She suggested giving the gift of time to family and friends!  Awesome! She will receive 8oz of undyed corriedale roving and 2 sets of awesome stitch markers from NeoTigress on Etsty!
~December Podcast-tacular!!!
December 30 will mark the one year anniversary of the KnitCents Podcast! To celebrate, I want you to tell me what you've learned and how you've used your KnitCents over the past year!  Leave a comment in the thread on the Ravelry Group page, or send me an email!  Winners will be chosen on December 30 with a special anniversary episode!

~Prizes:
- 8oz of undyed corriedale roving and 2 sets of stitch markers from NeoTigress on Etsy!
- Victoria Mitt Kit from SarahMontie with pattern and orange yarn shown!
- Single pattern PDF download of winner's choice from SarahMontie!
- 3 balls of CityTweed from KnitPicks in Lemon Curd colorway!
- 3 pattern PDF downloads of winner's choice from FiddleKnits Designs!
- 2 Fiber to Go cups- 50/50 Merino/ Bamboo from Sunset Fibers (blue and purple)!
- 2 Fiber sampler cups from Sunset Fibers! (total is 1/4 oz of each of: corriedale, medium coopworth, silk noil, loose alpaca, honey tussah silk, llama, superwash merino, angora, bleached tussah silk, and 80/20 alpaca/silk)
- 1 skein of KnitPicks Capra (85/25 Merino/ Cashmere) in Fairy Tale colorway and a KnitPicks Options Interchangeable nickel plated needle kit!
*All prizes have been donated to the podcast! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to the show!!!
~Sweater Forecast:
This week, it is forecasted to be in the low to mid 40's with drizzle.  I'm thinking light sweaters and cardigans, and definitely some mitts!  Heavy wool pullovers aren't quite necessary this week!
~ Knitting:
I finished the Robot Hat!  Aaron loves it!  It turned out awesome and I'm super excited to start another colorwork project!   Aaron wore the hat for about 24 hours straight, including wearing it to bed!  I'm glad he loves it so much, and all of it is handspun except for the little green eyes! I'm going to change the eyes to red, so the robots look like the cylons from Battlestar Galactica. (awesome show, available on Netflix Watch it now!)
Tappan Zee disaster/ awesomeness:
My Tappan Zee is crooked.  That's really all there is to say. I don't know what went wrong, it was definitely my problem, and not a pattern problem!  But I'm going to rock it anyways!
Also, even though the picture shows up right side up on my computer, it keeps showing up upside down everywhere else. Blergh.  FInally, I'm almost done with the handspun hat for little baby Leighton!  It is going to be so soft and warm and I'm knitting it so that hopefully it fits her for a long time!
No new spinning, but I may start a new spinning project this afternoon!
~Free Entertainment:
iTunes Single of the Week! Free song every week! Check it out in the iTunes Store!
~Sales!!!
-Cyber Monday: Sort of like black friday but for the online deals!  Its awesome, check it out!
- Amazon Mom: Sign up for free if you are the caretaker of a baby and get a free year of Amazon Prime!  Other awesome services include extra awesome deals and automatic diaper delivery!
- Howtoshopforfree.net is an awesome site!  The writer of the site tells you how to double up on coupons and sales, gives seminars on saving money and wrote a book which is going to be released on Wednesday, December 1!  Check it out!
~Tip of the Week:
Quality vs. Quantity: We decided to change our cat's diet so she will be more healthy!  The food is a lot more expensive, but she eats a LOT less of it (enough less that it will be a net gain for sure)!  Also she is more active, which will help her be more healthy, which will hopefully mean less trips to the vet!  Spend a little more to get a LOT more in return!
~How I Saved the Week:
Aaron and I, after a glorious victory over the Thanksgiving turkey we cooked!  We spent about $10 to host an awesome thanksgiving dinner with our friends!  Turkey was less than $5, potatoes were about $1.50, green beans were about $.50 a can (2 cans), cranberries were about $2 and everything else we already had on hand!  Friends brought rolls, stuffing and pie, and we had a fabulous evening with lots of food and even more leftovers!
~Worth It:
No review this week, because the episode was getting long! Next week for sure!
~Contact Info:
Email me: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes!
Have a happy week everyone!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Ep 40- Have your soup and eat it too!

I just realized I had 2 episode 39s!  Oops! Technically this is episode 41!
~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
This week's show is brought to you by Audible! Get a free audiobook and sign up for a free trial here!
Congratulations to Ravelry for having 1,000,000 users!! I'm so glad to be a part of it!
~Contest:
Prize was generously donated by Neotigress on Etsy! She is donating 8oz of pindrafted corriedale roving and 2 sets of stitch markers!
  To enter, go to the KnitCents group page on Ravelry and share an idea for a handmade holiday gift that is fast, easy and inexpensive! The thread will be open until next Sunday, the 21st, and then we will vote until Sunday the 28th when I will reveal the winner!
~Sweater Forecast:
 Mid 40s to low 50s and RAIN! Definitely sweater weather! I think it will be sweater weather for a while! :)
~ Knitting:
I finished the Baby Cabled Raglan Cardi which turned out lovely! I'm really pleased with it and I think my sis will be too!  I've also been working on my Tappan Zee, which is coming along nicely! (though the photo is a bit blurry)
~Spinning: 
Haven't done a ton but just a bit on the Jacob fiber and some of the blues colors in the Sunset Fibers wool I started a couple of weeks ago!
~ Free Entertainment:
 Pandora A free streaming radio site that plays music you like!
~ Chicken update:
My chickens think it is a fun game to pull out all of Eva's feathers.  Help!
~ Sales!
   - JimmyBeansWool has lots of cotton yarns for around 40% off! They also have a few colors of Cascade Venezia for 49% off, and they have Debbie Bliss Pure Silk for 50% off!
   - LittleKnits has Seta Bella, a 100% silk yarn for 70% off! They also have Andes hand dyed for 70% off! Only $30 for a bag of 10 skeins, each skein is 100g and about 220 yards! That's a whole sweater's worth of yarn!
   -Elsewhere: Turkeys! We got a 17 pound turkey for under $5 at our grocery store the other day, and I know the other stores around have the same deal!
~Tip of the Week:
Its easier to add a little or upgrade than it is to make new! I had friends over for soup last night and when I worried there wouldn't be enough soup, I just added more potatoes and more broth and we had tons of leftovers!  I also have an apron that's seen better days, but instead of getting rid of it, I'm just going to clean it really well and replace the lace edging and it will be good as new!
~ How I Saved the Week:
I doubled up on coupons! I was bra shopping at Kohl's and I had a coupon for "$10 off a purchase of $20 or more" so I found a bra that was on sale for $22, used that coupon, then used the "15% off your entire purchase" coupon! I ended up getting a $40 bra for only $12 after tax! I WIN!
~Worth It!
Shepherd Baby Wool 4 ply
Discontinued but lots of people have it stashed for sale or trade on Ravelry for good prices!
50g, 180 yds 100% wool, machine washable, air dry.
I really liked knitting with this yarn! It wasn't splitty, there were no knots and it is super soft! Now that I've washed it, its even softer!  If you can find some, its worth it!
~Contact info:
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes! You guys rock!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Ep. 36- Laugh until you cry

~Welcome/ Intro
~Last month's contest winner:
 TeamMom aka Tera!  Congrats!
~October Contest:
 Share a recipe for delicious hot drinks! It will help warm the chill out of your bones faster than turning on the heater!
   Contest prize: A Longaberger basket donated by Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast!
~Sweater Forecast: A new segment, where I tell you if its sweater weather or not!  This week: No.
~ Knitting:
Finished the first of the cabled wristers, and started a Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater for my sister's little girl!  I also bought an awesome button for it! Yay!
 I published the TDTU pattern!  Search TDTU on Ravelry to find it!
~Spinning:
I've actually been doing some!  I'm going to spin 3 different colors together and knit the Tappan Zee!
~Free Entertainment:
Knit Knit Cafe with Abby and Ben- Super fun!
The Knit Wits with Carin and Rick- hilarious!!!
~ Garden:
We canned 7 jars of salsa using tomatoes from our garden!
~ Sales!
   - KnitPicks book sale! All books are 40% off!
   - Webs Grampa's Garage Sale! Tons of yarn for over 50% off!
   - Madrona published the Overview!  Lots of free events and demos! Come to the PNW!
~Tip of the Week:
Laugh until it hurts!  I've noticed that I am less inclined to make an impulse purchase if I'm feeling really good, so do something that makes you really happy and laugh until you cry!
~How I Saved the Week:
  I made salsa instead of buying it, made muffins and tea instead of going out to a coffee shop and used free yarn to make a cute sweater!
~ Worth It!
 The Expectant Knitter by Marie Connolly
Retail: $27.50, 30 patterns
Pros:
I like the patterns, lots of top down seamless stuff, lots of really practical baby things and the patterns are well written and the photos are lovely.
HOWEVER: The author inserts MEDICAL ADVICE into the book, which is absolutely inappropriate.  If it was just a book of patterns, it would totally be worth it, but as it is, I would not buy it.  A library book for sure.
~Contact Info:
Email!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Monday, August 30, 2010

Ep. 32- Self Preservation

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thank you!
   I had an awesome birthday! Thanks for all the birthday messages!
~Sponsors/ Contests!  
Check them all out in previous posts from this month! 
   Visit audiblepodcast.com/knitcents to download a free audiobook of your choice and sign up for a free 2 week trial!
~Knitting/ Spinning:
  I've been working on my Simple Knitted Bodice again!  I'm almost finished with the first sleeve, and the second one won't take long either!  (since is short sleeved!)  I've also almost finished Aaron's first TDTU sock!  Haven't done any spinning :(  I did however, buy a Schacht Cricket rigid heddle loom with some birthday money!
~Free Entertainment:
 NPR Sunday Puzzle!  Check it out on iTunes!
~Garden Update:
   Tomatoes are still going crazy, and I got some canning supplies for my birthday so we are going to make dilly beans and pickles this week!  Yay!
~Sales!
  -Joann has a really amazing deal on fine crochet thread!! 1.19 for a spool of of 400 yards of fine crochet thread! Great to use as a lifeline!
  -CrystalCreekFibers has awesome prices on fibers, including 4oz of hand dyed mulberry silk top for only $17!
  - Lion Brand Yarn Co. has Schacht Cricket looms on sale, 15% off! I got mine there!
~Tip of the Week:
  Self Preservation!  Can, freeze, dry or pickle fresh foods now!  Buy them fresh in bulk and preserve them to have all year! Bulk foods are way cheaper, and they are even more of a steal when they are in season!!!
~ How I Saved the Week:
   - Everything I bought with my birthday money was on sale except for a skein of yarn and a couple sets of needle tips!  I win!  Also, I bought some gross yogurt (because I wasn't at my favorite grocery store and the terrible store I was at didn't have ANY good yogurt!!) so I made frozen fruit yogurt popsicles out of them!!
~Worth It!
Put 'Em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton
  $19.95 retail, 300 pages!
This book is amazing!  It teaches you really easily how to preserve your own food without using special equipment!  Dry foods in your oven or air dry, freeze, can in a large soup pot and pickle using vinegar!  The book is laid out by main ingredient, so if you find yourself saying "what am I ever going to do with x pounds of x?" you can flip to that section!  I made dilly beans and pickles, and also some bruiseberry vinegar!!
SO WORTH IT!!!
~Contact Info:
Email ME!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Leave a review on iTunes or click that fancypants button over there!











Sunday, August 8, 2010

Episode 29- I tried to be lazy...

~Welcome, Intro, Thank yous
~Sponsors/ Contests:
 Check out last week's shownotes, there are a LOT!
~ Knitting/ Spinning:
I've got 5 repeats of chart B on Brandywine, and I still love it!  I've also finished the first top down toe up sock and I'm almost done with the foot of the second one!  I also started a new pair for Aaron, using some JoAnn Sensations Bamboo and Ewe yarn.  This ball seems a little slubby and has some weird bits of unspun sections that I am not a big fan of.  Hopefully it was just a little at the beginning of the ball...  I've worked a little on spinning that cormo, but not much on that front.
~Free Entertainment:
I'm still listening to the Quarter Share series by Nathan Lowell. (See last 2 or 3 episode notes) I've finished all but the final book, and I'm 2/3 through that one!  There is also a spin off type book from the same universe but about a different character that is queued up on my ipod for the next one!
~Garden Update:
We harvested a ton of stuff and made some AMAZING veggie lasagna from our garden and CSA this week!  I'm quite sure I've gained 15 pounds!
~ Sales!
   -Hairball Yarn is offering free shipping in the US!
   - WhitKnits is offering 15% off all their sock yarns and summer yarns during the month of August!
   -Woot is a website that highlights a deal every day!  Sometimes there are useless deals but sometimes the deals are really quite amazing!
~Tip of the Week:
Take advantage of free things!  Free isn't always a scam, sometimes its an advertisement, but you can also request free samples of products through their websites, take advantage of free trials of things like magazine and movie subscriptions (like Netflix, the best $9 a month I spend) and loads of other things!  Be creative!
~ How I Saved the Week:  Aaron really likes these sandwiches they make at our local grocery store, but one sandwich is about $7, so instead I decided we will make our own!  I made some delicious foccacia bread and we made up yummy sandwiches!  The bread recipe is from the Williams Sonoma Bread Cookbook. Its a recipe for Onion Foccacia, but instead of onion I use 3-4 cloves of pressed garlic and about a teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary!  So yummy!
~ Worth It:
Knit Ponchos, Wraps and Scarves by Jane Davis
Retails at $21.99, 128 pages, 44 patterns
Pros:
-Teaches a lot of techniques: lace, cables, beads, fringes
- Lots of yarn options: says "use x amount of yardage in sport weight yarn of x fiber content" instead of specific yarn.  Gives readers permission to choose their own yarn a little easier.
- Beautiful color photos of every project
- Full range of skill levels
-Instructions are easy to follow
- Patterns are charted and written out line by line
- Diagrams used to teach techniques are easy to see and follow
Cons:
- Some patterns use really crazy novelty yarns which makes the design hard to see
- A lot of the patterns use Super Bulky yarn, which isn't my style.  Nothing wrong with it, just not for me
Overall: Worth it!!
~Contact Info
Email Me!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes or click that lovely button designed by Kristine below!














Sunday, July 11, 2010

Episode 25- Chickens and Chocolate

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thank yous!
~ Sponsor:
Trickle Creek Farm and Fiber is donating a bar of their soothing goat's milk soap and some of their bubblin' bath salts!  So wonderful!
~Contest: 
Come play with us in le Tour de Sheep!  Post photos in the Ravelry Group so help inspire us to spin and knit from our stash!
~Knitting/ Spinning:
Its been super hot so the Simple Knitted Bodice has been put on hold for a while.  I did finish my Vanilla Regia Socks  which turned out pretty awesome!  I also started a pair of toe up socks using some Pico Accuardi Sock that was gifted to me (thank you!) and they are going super fast!  I'm really enjoying how the colors are pooling!


I just started that sock last night and did all the toe increases.  The rest has been knitted in the car on the way back and forth to Seattle and while I was at the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon!  I didn't think there was such a thing as too much chocolate, but I was proven wrong.  But it was so much fun!  I also got asked questions about my knitting while I was taking a chocolate break!  Yay for KIPing!  
Finally, last night I started knitting the Brandywine Shawl by Rosemary Hill!  I'm knitting it out of KnitPicks Shadow Laceweight (which runs $2.99 for 440 yards!  Awesome!)  I've knitted the first 30 rows and I really like that the pattern is charted and written line by line.  I think it will help me improve my lace skills.

 As for spinning, I've been working on some 50/50 baby camel/ tussah silk on my Akha spindle, some merino/bamboo/silk blend on another spindle and some Polwarth on my wheel!  Yay for le Tour de Sheep!
~Free Entertainment:
Crooked Row: by Kim, an awesome new podcast about knitting and gardening!  Kim is going to be a huge asset to the knitting and gardening community!
Knitting Pipeline by Paula: Paula is a knitter and a bagpiper and she talks about how those 2 things affect her life!  Her voice is soothing and her music is really lovely!  Check out both of these shows on iTunes!
~Garden Update:
The garden is doing super well, and I thought I'd share a little about my chickens!

I have 2, a Barred Plymouth Rock (the black and white one) and a Gold Laced Wyandotte (the gold and black one).  They are super fun!  They live in my backyard and they have an indoor and an outdoor coop that is connected by the little trap door you can see in the above photo.  The outdoor coop is where they hang out during the day (if we aren't home) so they can roll around in the dirt and be cool. The outdoor coop is connected to the indoor coop by a sweet trapdoor.  The 
indoor coop is actually my childhood playhouse that we converted into a coop!  Inside there is a nest for their eggs, and their perch that they sleep on.  The trapdoor closes to keep any predators out!  The usually wander in there when it gets dark and go to sleep!
They are super adorable and fun, and fresh eggs are so delicious!  The are super inexpensive to keep, about $15 every 3 months.  A 50lb bag of feed is around $10 and lasts about 3 months, and a bag of the pine shavings on the floor of the inside coop lasts about 3 months and is around $5.  Sometimes we trade the eggs for other produce and the chickens eat the bugs out of the garden!  The only downside is that the poo attracts flies (even when Aaron is awesome and cleans it up every day) so we have to be sure to wash everything in the garden super well!  But we'd probably do that anyway, so we love having our chickens around to make us breakfast!  I know a lot about chickens, so if you guys have any questions about keeping them in your yard or anything like that, I'd love to answer them!  I think everyone should have chickens because they are rad!

~Sales: (/ Tip of the Week/ How I Saved the Week!)
- WEBS is having an awesome sale on silk laceweight cones!  Only $37.49 for 2450 yards! That's a lot of shawls!
- Amazon has a Polaroid 10Mp digital camera for $70 because it is orange.  The silver one (that is exactly the same) is $150!  I bought my mom the orange one for her birthday because she wanted a new camera and this one was a great price!
Tip: Be open minded about colors as long as it won't affect the performance!  Sometimes things cost less just because the color isn't popular!  
How I Saved: I got my mom an awesome gift for a little bit of money because I used my KnitCents!
~Worth It!
I picked this up at JoAnn for $5, but Amazon has it for $.99!!  The patterns aren't great, there are probably only 2 that I would actually knit, but the techniques pages are really well done!  The pictures are really well done and the descriptions make a lot of sense.  The book is aimed at young girls (like teenagers) and while I probably wouldn't wear a lot of things from the book now, I would have worn everything in this book (at the same time) when I was about 15!  If you have a young lady in your life that is interested in learning to knit, for $.99-$5, this book is TOTALLY WORTH IT!
~Contact Info
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes or click that fancypants button below!

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