Ep 82- Officially A Grown Up

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
  Amazon
  Audible
  Bar-Maids
~Sweater Forecast:
 SNOW!!!!
~Crafting:

Cassidy is SO CLOSE TO BEING DONE!  Also I made Aaron a rad workout sweatband!
I bound off the Earth and Sky shawl as a tiny little one, and will probably use the leftovers to make another Daybreak...
~Sustainable Knowledge:
People of earth burn 80 million barrels of oil a day! If you stacked those barrels, it would reach to the moon and back 2,000 times!!! Do your part to reduce that number!
~Sales:
Patternworks has a great bargain bin, and also a Test Drive program! Pretty cool!
Craftsy is a daily deals kind of site that is specific to crafters!!
Amazon has the Kindle Owner's Lending Library for Kindle owners who are also Prime members!
~Tip of the Week:
Used is awesome! I got a cookbook on Amazon used for $1.99! (Actually I got 3 of them!)  I also got some great new clothes at the thrift shop in town!! YAY!
~How I Saved:
Cookbook on the cheap, thrift shopping, free nail polish from Zoya, school books on Kindle!
~ Worth It:
Sweet and Sugar Free by Karen Burkie
I got my copy for $1.99, 200 recipes! All sweetened only with fruit or fruit juice! The 2 recipes I've made so far have been great! I LOVE IT!  I can have my cake and be sugar free at the same time!

WORTH IT!

~Contact Me!

Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com

Twitter: Roue0824

Ravelry: Roue

Stick around till the very end! I stuck a funny story on the end of the show!

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!!

Ep 64- I Love Oly!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
  - Audible: Follow the link for a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook download of your choice!
  -Bar-Maids: Check out their entire line of eco-friendly skin care products!
~Contest:
Save the Planet!  Go to the Ravelry Group and enter in the contest!
~ Sweater Forecast:
Mid 40s to mid 50s and rainy this week!
~Knitting:
Nothing new, though I'm getting close to finishing my Daybreak!  If you go to Ravelry and use the code Camp KIP, you can get $2 off the Daybreak pattern by Stephen West! Thanks Stephen!
~Free Entertainment:
Down From Ten by J. Daniel Sawer! AMAZING!  Not family friendly but really really good! I loved it!
Also, on iTunes, YogAmazing has a free video called Yoga for Butt and Thighs! Work on that Yoga Booty!!
~ Sales!
One more week with our coupon code in Dana's shop! Use the code KNITCENTSAPRIL for 10% off your purchase!
Olympia Sellers!
  -Deandail sells beautiful hand dyed roving and handmade goodness! Beautiful complementary colors and small quantities of different types of fiber so you can try it all!
  -Beautiful Yarn upcycles yarn!  This is a great way to save the planet because you are recycling something that may have gone to waste!
  -NW Bridal has lovely little bouquet sparklies and hair pretties! I kind of want to order some for the wedding...
~Tip of the Week:
Go do fun things in your town!  We have ArtsWalk and The Procession of the Species here, what fun things do you have?
~How I Saved the Week:
Aaron and I had a cheap date night! We made nachos, drank champagne and watched cartoons! It was fabulous!
~ Worth It!
The Knitting Way by Linda Skolnik and Janice MacDaniels
Retail : $16.99
Kind of hippie, crunchy guide to spiritual enlightenment and self discovery.  If you think this is for you, check it out.  If you are rolling your eyes, pass it by.
~Contact Info:
Email me! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please donate or leave me an iTunes review! I love you guys!

Ep 55- Best Christmas Ever

~Welcome, Intro, Thanks!
~Sponsors:
   Audible- Get a free 2 week trail and a free audiobook download of your choice!
   Bar-Maids- Get some awesome, eco-friendly skin care products!
~ Sweater Forecast:
 Snow!! Get out your wool!
~ Madrona Wrap-up
AWESOME!!!!! I loved every minute of it!!!
~Knitting and Spinning:
I finished my Wren! I LOVE IT!

I've also been working on the Monkey Socks for my sister's birthday!

Spinning: I started spinning up 8oz of Crown Mountain Farms SW Merino in the "Time Waits for No One" colorway! I LOVE IT!

~Free Entertainment:

House Of Grey: Eps 4-9 this week!!

~No Sales this week, since Madrona section took up a lot of time!

~Tip of the Week:

Pack a snack!  Bring your own snacks so you don't get caught hungry and willing to pay anything for food!

~ How I Saved the Week:

I got a Shutterfly coupon for $20 off any purchase of $20 or more!  I also got 50 free prints for signing up with shutterfly so I got my sister a birthday present and 54 prints of photos I love for the cost of shipping!! WOHOOO!

~Worth It!

If you EVER get a chance to take a class with either Judith McKenzie McCuin or Jared Flood, DO IT! They were both TOTALLY worth it!!  DO IT DO IT DO IT!

Look! It's me and Jared and Judith!! (And my awesome Wren shawl still on the needles!)

~Contact:

Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

Ep 54- PALing Around

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
   -Audible- get a free 2 week trial and audiobook download of your choice by clicking the link!
   - Bar- Maids- Awesome, eco-friendly skin care products!
~ Contest:
  Cheap Date:
Post on the Ravelry group your idea for the best cheap date under $5!
~ Sweater Forecast
Mid 40s to low 50s and rainy.  Don't trust it though, last week said the same thing at it is BEAUTIFUL out!
~ Knitting:
Still working on Wren, Monkeys and Feb Baby Sweater!
~Spinning:
Finished the first 8 oz! Yay!
~ Events:
Madrona!!!! Next week! I'll be there a lot, come find me! Saturday there will be a meet and greet outside the market place from 4:45-5:45! Come say hello and get a hug and a button!
~ Free Entertainment:
HappyCrafter207 Podcast by Lori!  Super fun, check it out!
PodiobookAlong or PAL:
The House of Grey by Collin Earl
This week: Episodes 1-3!
I've also been listening to Daughter of the Sun by Lonnie Ezell which is pretty good!
~ Sales!
  -Sunset Fibers has awesome deals on their roving (which is fabulous) and they have 200 yard skeins of BEAUTIFUL yarn for only $10!! Tell Linda I sent you!
  - Juliasyarn is having a Valentine's sale! Loads of stuff up to 77%off!! WOOOO!
  -Teleflora has deals! $10 off Valentine's flowers!
~Tip of the Week
Daily Owl: Sort of like Groupon and Living Social but for large nation brands! Half off gift cards to loads of places like The Gap and Olive Garden! I head about Daily Owl from Lord_Voldemort7 on Twitter!
~ How (Dana) Saved the Week!
Borders has calendars for $1! All of them! My friend bough 6 calendars, spent $6 and change and saved $86 and change!! Go DANA!
~ Worth It!
Lion Brand Sock Ease
100gm, 438 yds, 75/25% Wool/ Nylon
STRONG!  Feels like Regia, comes in lots of colors, you'll never walk a hole in these!! LOVE IT! WORTH IT!
~Contact:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Want a shiny KnitCents button? Click that shiny Donate button!

Ep 53- Get Your Groupon!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
Audible- Get a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook download of your choice!
Bar-Maids- Fabulous, eco friendly beauty and skin care products!
~Sweater Forecast:
Rainy and mid 40s to 50s. Nothing super interesting.
~Knitting:
SUPER KALer!
Knitting with the KnitWits: February Baby Sweater (or Baby sweater on 2 needles by EZ from The Knitter's Almanac)
Knitting with Shilo of Spin Control: Monkey Socks by Cookie A.
Knitting with Kristine of Yarnings: Wren Shawl by Kristine Beeson
~Events!
Madrona!! Meet and Greet on Saturday from 4:45-5:45!! Location TBA!
CampKIP! SO EXCITED!!!
Amy aka ToadyJoe on Ravelry has some mini-classes for sale!! PM her if you want it!
Thurs AM- A: KnitRX
Thurs AM- B: Aching Hands and Wrists
Thurs PM- Don't Despair, Repair
Friday AM- Double Knitting
~Free Entertainment:
Check out the PAL (Or Podiobook-Along) thread in the Ravelry group! We will pick a book by next week and we will listen to something awesome together!
~Tip of the Week!
  -Groupon and Living Social
Websites that allow you to purchase AMAZING deals on local things!!
~Sales!
 KnitPicks Kit Sale!
Check out your local Groupon or Living Social site!
~Worth It!
SWTC's Tofutsies
wool, soysilk, cotton and chitin
100 g, 464 yds
I like it!! Retail from SWTC is $16.75 but I've seen it for much less in shops!
Not as stretchy as wool but still good with a stretchy pattern! Dyed so that there is no pooling and doesn't overwhelm the pattern!  Pretty colors! Chitin is natural antimicrobial and antibacterial to fend off stinky feet! One con, kind of splitty. Otherwise, worth it!
~Contact:
Email! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Want a pretty button? Click that pretty button down there!!

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!

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:

Email me!

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes! You guys rock!

Episode 26- Its All About Etsy!

~ Intro/ Welcome/ Thank You!
 Check out the new banner!  Thanks Kristine!  Buttons coming soon!
~ Sponsor: 
Trickle Creek Farm and Fiber is donating some of their wonderful goat's milk soap and some bubblin' bath salts!  They also have angora fiber for spinning!  Check them out!
~ Contest:
Come play with us in le Tour de Sheep! Post progress photos on the Ravelry page and be entered to win!
~ Knitting/ Spinning: 

Still working on the "Top down- Toe Up socks" and I LOVE IT!  This might be the new standard for sock knitting for me.  I ripped out the Brandywine that I started last week and restarted it with some yarn that is behaving much better.  I'm also working on a SUPER SECRET project for someone who listens to this podcast.  As for spinning, I've finished all the polwarth and its awesome!  Little bits of barber poleyness, and some bits of solid colors!  I think it will make something super squishy and nice!  I've got 3 bobbins full of 2 ply, but no clue on the yardage yet!  I think this will make me very happy to knit with come wintery cold time!  I also started spinning some cormo that I got from SpinPygora at Black Sheep!  CORMO IS THE BEST!  It is spinning up so fine and nice!  I think I'm going for a 3 ply sock weight!  We'll see what happens!

~Free Entertainment: I've been watching a lot of free Pokemon.  Don't make fun.

~Sales!!

 -NeoTigress on Etsy has undyed corriedale top and MEGA CUTE stitch markers for sale in her shop!  If you use the coupon code "KnitCents" in the checkout message box, she will give you free shipping on your first order!  Also, after you've bought 4 pounds of fiber from her, she will send you your 5th pound free!  Awesome deals, especially if you like dyeing your own fiber!

-Old Sheep on Etsy is having a Buy 3 get 1 free sale in their shop!  They have lovely handdyed batts for sale, and everything is included in the sale! Check it out!

- AJoyfulGirlHandmade on Etsy sells SUPER RAD market bags and knitting project bags!  She's got several knitting project bags on sale in her shop right now for less than $6!  That is an awesome deal!  (this is Shilo from the Spin Control Podcast's shop- if you don't already listen to her show you should!)

~Tip of the Week:

Listen to lots of podcasts! I learn so much from listening to people talk all week!  The reason we podcast is because we have a lot to say, and most of it is pretty smart! (I'm of course talking about other people, we all know my rambling isn't always the smartest thing) Haha!  Anyways, I think that the global knowledge pool is growing every day because of awesome podcasters!

~How I Saved the Week:

I took short lunches all week instead of using up my paid time off for my Drs appt, and I taught my parents how to use PayPal in exchange for some fiber! Yay!

~Review:

The Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman

$7.95 (less if you get it used!)

Elizabeth Zimmerman is a genius.  I think I raved about her a couple episodes ago, but when I bought this book, I read it from cover to cover because she is such a genius.  Her logical way of thinking about knitting really shines in this book, and because the book is small and portable, you can take her genius in your knitting bag all year long! Overall: WORTH IT!

~Contact Info

Email Me!

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

If you are enjoying the show, please leave a review on iTunes or click that fancy button!

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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!

The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting by Nicki Trench

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

Email me!

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

Please leave a review on iTunes or click that fancypants button below!

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Black Sheep, White Sheep!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thank Yous!
~ Sponsor:
Bar-Maids are donating an "I Deserve This!" package in the scent of your choice to the lucky winner this month!
~ Contest:
Cold Sheep!  Kick a bad habit or start a good one!  Find something that will help you save money, and do it!  Then, tell us all about it!
~ Knitting:
  -Finished the Father's Day socks just in time!
  - Still working on the sweater!  Almost done, but I keep deciding I want it to be longer because I like long tunic style tops!
  - Still working on the Regia vanilla socks!
  - Wedding Shawl: The current wedding shawl will be a practice shawl, because I've decided (with some help) to knit my wedding shawl out of cashmere and lace!
~Spinning:
  - Almost done with all the merino/tencel that I got at Madrona, I think it will grow up to be a Citron shawl!
  -Finished the first 4oz of the Polwarth I started from Sunset Fibers, now just 8oz to go!
  - Started some camel/silk at BSG too!
~Events/ BSG Recap!
  There was so much awesomeness at BSG that you'll just have to listen to find it all out!  I can't express the awesome in words typed out!
  I will be at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF) during September 24-25!
~Free Entertainment!
 I've been listening to SassyPantsKnitter by SillyFru, and I LOVE it!  I've also been listening to The Prince of Hazel and Oak by John Lenahan.  It is the podiobook sequel to Shadowmagic!  I accidentally said it was by Nathan Lowell in the episode, but it's actually John Lenahan!  OOPS!  It is also awesome!
~ The Garden:
  Has exploded!  It is huge! WEEEEE!
~ Sales!
Just one:
Discount Book Sale has awesome deals if you aren't a member, and even more awesome deals if you are!  If you decide to join, make sure you will really save because the membership is $20 a month!
~Tip of the Week
   Set a budget and rules and tell everyone about them!  They will either help you, or they will try to get you to spend more than your budget and if that happens, then it will be a fun game of trying to not spend money just to prove it to them that you can stick to your budget!
~How I saved the week!
We went to see the Karate Kid last night, and we used some free movie tickets we had earned from using our free Regal Crown club card!  It pays to join goofy free clubs!
~DIY:
  Fruitfly trap: We've been having a lot of trouble with fruitflies this week, so we set a trap.  They really like smelly food, so we set out a jar with about 1 inch of apple cider vinegar, and some chopped bananas.  We put it under our kitchen fan, so they would either get sucked up into the fan and out of the house, or they will fly down into the vinegar and drown! Muahahahaha!
~ Tour de Fleece:
If you want to spin for the Tour de Fleece, I'm co-capitaining Team Sasquatch!  Come join us!  There will be a kick-off chat in the group at 8:30 am on July 3, so come join Team Sasquatch!
~ Worth It!
2 at a Time Socks by Melissa Morgan Oakes
Retail Price: $16.95 17 patterns
Pros:
- If I wanted to do magic loop and 2 at a time, this book tells you exactly how to do it with step by step instructions that are very clear.
- All the patterns are fun and beautiful
- Patterns are clearly written and charted
- Lovely pictures of each sock
- There are lots of yarn options
Cons:
- Patterns don't translate well to DPNs
- Some pictures the yarn is a little too busy for the stitch pattern, making the pattern hard to see.
- The charted patterns aren't also written out line by line.
**Overall: Worth it if you want to do magic loop, not worth it if you're stubborn like me and just want to knit the patterns using DPNs.
Mini review: Lantern Moon Sheep Tape Measure.  ADORABLE!

~Contact Info
Email me!
Ravelry: Roue
Ravelry Group: KnitCents
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes or feel free to click that shiny button below...

Episode 22- Quick and Dirty

(Sorry it took me so long to post this!)
~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks
~ June Sponsor: Bar Maids are donating their "I deserve this!" package in the winner's choice of scents!
~Contest: Cold Sheep! Kick a bad habit or start a good one and tell us all about it, and if you have any special tips to go along with it!
~Event: Black Sheep Gathering
~Knitting: I've been super stressed out so I've been knitting A LOT!  I am not going to be able to finish the sweater because I'm trying really hard to finish the socks for my dad in time for Father's Day!  Also, got a little done on the wedding shawl!
~Spinning: No spinning actually done, but I bought an ounce of organic cotton and an ounce of hemp fiber to see how they spin up!
~Garden update:
   There are a bajillion strawberry flowers, the peas are climbing and we have broccoli and cauliflower florets!!
~Sales! (which are not any good anymore, but the sites may have some other good sales!)
   - Simply Sock Yarn
    -Claudia Handpaints for 40% off plus loads of other goodies for up to 60% off!
     - JoAnn is having their annual Firefly Frenzy sale!
  Elsewhere:
    - Since Father's day is coming up, lots of hardware stores are having great sales on power tools!
~ Tip of the week:  Get a rain barrel!  You put it under your drain spout, and it collects the rain which you can then use to water your garden!  Make sure you have some kind of netting so mosquitos don't get in, but its great because it also keeps the rain away from the foundation of your house!
~ Worth it!
 Greetings from Knit Cafe by Suzan Mischer and Victoria Pearson
This book is awesome!  It is filled with awesome patterns for gorgeous stuff!  Also, it has loads of fun little extras, like knitting quizzes to throw at your knitting group, recipes, and playlists that are extra awesome for knitting!  The patterns are well written and the projects are super well photographed, and there is something in here for EVERYONE!  From  yoga mat bags to red carpet gowns, saddle blankets and laptop cases to messenger bags and yarmulkes.  If you want a great book that will let you expand your range of techniques and projects, this book is it!
Overall: Worth it!

Episode 21- Cold Sheep!

~Welcome/ Intro
~May Contest- LAL
  Sponsor: Laura's Organics- donated a jar of her hand cream!
  Winner: AbsinthAnnie!
~June Sponsor:
  Bar-Maids!  They are donating an "I deserve this!" package to our winner!
~June Contest:
Cold Sheep.  Either break a bad habit, or start a new one!  Then tell us all about it and how it's going!  Bonus points if it is something that will make you more healthy and save you money!
~Events:
  I will be at the Black Sheep Gathering during the weekend of June 18-20!  I'll be doing a meet and greet at the Bar-Maids booth with Erin from The Anatomy of Knitting Podcast from 12-1 on Saturday!  Come see us!  I am also going to be at the Ravelry meetup on Saturday at 4, and I'll be playing Black Sheep Bingo all weekend!  Let me know if you'll be there so we can meet up!
~Knitting and Spinning

I've made a bit of progress on the sweater, and a bit on the Regia socks.  I frogged the toe up socks while recording and I'm going to knit them up top down really quick before Father's day so I can get them done in time.  I'll try toe up again another time with NOT black sock yarn!

No spinning this week. :(

~Garden Update:

The garden is doing awesome!  I'll be slug-proofing it and building ladders for the peas and beans later today!  (PS >this is what I look like if you want to find me at BSG!)

~Sales!!

  - Yarn Barn has some awesome deals and discounts on discontinued yarn, and they have a weekly special!  Check back every Monday for the deal!

  - Knitting- Warehouse also has really great deals, especially on Lion Brand and Berrocco yarns!

 Elsewhere:

  - Puritan's Pride has an amazing selection of high quality vitamins and supplements and right now they are running a special: buy 1 get 1 free or buy 2 get 3 free!

~Tip of the Week:

From Harriet- When doing the long tail cast on, wrap your yarn around the needle as many times as you need stitches, then start there!  Then you won't run out of yarn or have a super extra way too long tail at the end!

~ How I Saved the Week:

  I went to Kohl's and cashed in on their awesome Memorial Day sale!  I had a giftcard, and I bought 6 shirts, a skirt and a dress for under $90 (about $30 was on the giftcard) and saved $159!!!  I WIN!

~ DIY:

 Slug repellers: Take a small cup or can (the size of a tuna can) and dig it into the ground and fill it with beer. (So the top is ground level)  Then, to keep other critters out of the beer, cover it with another can with a hole cut in so slugs can still crawl in.  The slugs will crawl in and fall into the beer and happily drown!

~Worth It!

Knit Socks by Betsy Lee McCarthy

$14.95 for 15 patterns.

Pros:

- Best vanilla sock pattern ever in my opinion!

- Patterns use lots of different weights of yarn so you could easily sub!

- Patterns in all sizes!

- Lots of little tips and tricks hidden in the book!

- Description of kitchener stitch and how to use DPNs are the best I've ever seen!

-Good skill progression through the book

- Patterns are all cute, lots of different styles.

- Patterns are written line by line, so easy and great for beginners!

- Pictures show really well the techniques you'll need!

Overall: WORTH IT!

~Contact Info:

Email me!

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes or click that happy little button below!

Use your KnitCents!

Episode 13- Bluegrass Knitter

~Welcome/ Intro
~KAL: Knit a pair of socks and post in the Ravelry Forum with photos during April and you will automatically be entered to win 2 skeins of Knit Picks Felici!
~Knitting: KAL socks are coming along!  Finished 1, CO second!  I should be able to finish with lots of time, and I think I'll be able to get a whole pair of socks from one ball!  Need to weigh the sock to check!
- Bumbling Podcaster socks are coming along as well, need to finish the toe on first one!  Love it!
- I've been swatching for Simple Knitted Bodice by Stephanie Japel with KnitPicks Swish!  Can't seem to get the right gauge with any size needle...grr... oh well!  It just means I get to keep knitting this lovely yarn!
~Spinning- None, but I am going to some fibery events!  Next Weekend, the Puyallup Spring Fair is having their annual Shepherd's Extravaganza!
June 18-20 is the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene OR!  SO EXCITED!!  I'll be taking the train and staying with a friend!  Let me know if you are going so I can give out hugs!
~Free Entertainment:
  - Manic Purl Podcast with Chrissy the Great, finished listening to back episodes of The KnitMore Girls and More Hip than Hippie Podcast!  All fun!
~ Sales!
  - Sunset Fibers has undyed 50/25/25 Merino/ bamboo/ tussah silk- 4oz for $9!!
She also has 50/50 yak/tussah for 4oz for $14!  GET SOME!
  - The Yarn Barn has discontinued colors for about 30ish% off!
  Elsewhere:
  - Almost every hardware type store in the area (and probably yours too) has gardening supplies for 40-50% off!  If you want to plant, now is the time!
~Tips of the Week!
1: Try it before you buy it!  Find out if you can rent or borrow a piece of equipment before you make a large (or even small or medium) purchase.  If you have a friend with the same thing, borrow or try out, if not, find out the store's return policy so that you have the option of returning an item if you hate it!  I am renting a violin from a local shop so I can learn to play the fiddle!  WAHOO!
2: Read the instructions.  While I was making some bread today (yum) I accidentally put 3x the amount of salt the recipe called for.  Luckily I hadn't added everything yet so I only had to throw out a little, but still wasteful and frustrating!  Read the directions!
~How I saved the week!
  - I found a fiddle teacher who wants to barter massage with me!  I'll have to pay for a few lessons first, but then trade!  WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
~Worth it!
  Cute Knits for Baby Feet by Sue Whiting
Retail: $19.99, 30 projects
Pros:
  - Good quality pages and book
  - Photos of all projects
  - All projects are adorable (in my opinion)
  - Technique descriptions are good
  - Duck feet, snake socks and ballet slippers.  Need I say more?
  - Uses lots of different techniques so you could really improve your skill levels with just this book
  - Size ranges from newborn to 4 years so it will be good for a while!
Cons:
  -Some of the patterns are knit flat and then seamed.  I don't want seams in my socks.
  - All patterns are written row by row, which is fine, but the colorwork patterns also include charts.  Some of the patterns don't say anything like "knit these rows, and AT THE SAME TIME do the colorwork charts."  It could be confusing for someone new to colorwork or knitting, and they might forget.
Overall: WORTH IT!
Contact info!

Episode 11- Socks Rock!

~Welcome/ Intro:  I was sick and lost my voice last week so I'm still working on not sounding like a 13 year old boy...
~Contest:  The March contest thread is now locked, so go vote for your favorite!  Winner will be announced next week!
~ April Sock KAL
  You have 4 more days to get your materials and pattern picked out and swatched for the KAL for April!  Knit any pair of socks in any yarn and any size during the month of April and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win our mystery prize!  (I'll announce it next week in episode 12!)  FYI: JoAnn Fabrics has all their sock yarn on sale, buy one get one half off, and Knitpicks has all their Stroll Kettle Dyed sock yarn, 100g balls for only $6.99!  You only need one ball of that for an awesome pair of socks!
~Knitting:
   -Finished the Cheshire Cat Legwarmers and Hat for my niece!

   - Finished my Purple Cabled Socks!

  I'm still working on the Wedding Shawl, and I started knitting a Sack Boy from Little Big Planet (I hate it).  I also cut my first successful steek, thanks to Itsjustmeghan from the Stitch It Podcast and her awesome tutorial!

~ Spinning: Still working on the merino/tencel and the corriedale for my cardi!

~Free Entertainment!
Some folks have asked what podcasts and podiobooks I listen to, so here is a list!
  - Stitch It Podcast (Meghan)
  - Kiping It Real (Jackie)
  - The Knitmore Girls (Jasmin and Gigi)
  - The High Fiber Diet Podcast (CoggieTM)
  - Fiber Beat (WonderMike)
  - BarkNKnit (Gnat)
  - KnitAJourney (Susan)
  - CogKnitive (Dr. Gemma)
  - Electric Sheep (Hoxton Handmade)
  - This American Life Podcast
Others I want to listen to:
  - Its A Purl, Man
  - Knit Misadventures
  - Savvy Girls Podcast
  - Sticks and String Podcast
Podiobooks I've listened to, enjoyed and recommend:
  - Nina Kimberly the Merciless by Christiana Ellis
  - Space Casey by Christiana Ellis
  - Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell
  - Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
  - How to Disappear Completely by Myke Bartlett  (Still listening to this one)
~Sales!
  http://www.handknitting.com has Fortissima Socka 100g balls for $9~
  http://www.simplysockyarn.com has sots of deals from 25% - 50% off socks yarns in all sizes and colors!
  - Elsewhere:
Snapfish is a free photo sharing site with unlimited photo storage, and if you sign up right now, you get 50 free photo prints with your first upload!
~Tip of the Week:
  Bring Your Own Bag: Lots of places give discounts, and some places charge if you don't!  Bring reusable bags when you are shopping to save the earth and save your money!
~How I saved the week:
  - Made 10 servings of chicken tortilla/ taco soup for about $10.
  - Signed up for Amazon Prime.  $80 yearly fee, but you get free, 2 day shipping on anything from Amazon.com  I spend over $100 a year on shipping from Amazon anyway, so I'll be saving!
~ DIY: Make your own sock blockers!  Check out an awesome tutorial here!
~Worth It!
#1:  The Little Box of Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott
Retail: $19.95, 20 pattern cards
Pros:
  - Patterns are written clearly
  - Beautiful color photos of each sock
  - Patterns are on easy cards to take along!
  - Lots of different styles!  Something for everyone!
  - Patterns use all ranges of skill and yarn size!
Cons:
  - Sealed box, so you can't browse the patterns first to make sure you like them all.
  - For me, there are only about 4 patterns I want to make.
Overall: Worth it if a group of people went in together, because there really is something for everyone, for me though, not worth it because I don't want to knit most of the patterns in the box. (that might change, who knows?)

#2: Sock Innovation by Cookie A.
Retail: $22.95, 143 pages with 15 patterns
Pros:
  - Beautiful color photos of each pattern from many angles
  - First 55 pages are all comprehensive instructions and tips on designing your own socks and patterns!
  - Great instructions on making socks that fit the foot they are for.
  - In my opinion, every pattern in beautiful and intriguing.
  - Patterns are well written and clear.
Cons:
  - Not a beginner book.
  - Can be overwhelming for beginners, and even non- beginners!
Overall: for beginners, not worth it. For anyone who wants to design, or wants to get more involved with knitting socks and writing patterns,  totally worth it!  For me, yes because I want to knit every pattern in this book!

Tip # 10: Find a Group!

This can relate to just about any type of hobby you enjoy doing! Find a group of people that enjoy doing the same thing you do! I know that at least once a month, someone in my knitting group cleans out their stash and brings their extras to give away! If you make friends with the people in your group, they will probably offer help and allow you to borrow their stuff so you don't have to spend the money on your own! This can work with any type of craft group: quilting, scrapbooking, wood carving. People who love their craft will always be willing to share their knowledge, and maybe even their stuff! If you are new at your hobby, this is especially important. I know too many new knitters who don't want to join a knitting group because they think their work isn't good enough to show off, but new people usually get the most help, and we all want to give our stuff to people who don't have a lot of stuff!! Find out when and where the group you are interested in meets and go! If there isn't a group already, form one! You'll meet new friends as a bonus!