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 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!

Tip # 7: Shop the Stash

I know it might sound really obvious, but if you've ever knitted anything before, likely you have at least some kind of stash. Even if you aren't a "stasher" (do those people exist?) I'm sure you have leftover odds and ends from other projects. You can turn those leftover bits into awesome projects! If you only have tiny bits, those could become stripes in hats or scarves! If you have a little more, make small projects! Dishcloths, coffee cup cozies, and small toys are all fun and satisfying projects that can be finished quickly with only a small amount of yarn! (The turtle in the photo only used about 40 yards of stash yarn!) If you have yarn you bought a long time ago, and your tastes have changed since you got it, set up a trade! See if there is someone out there that wants the yarn you have, and has the yarn you want! If they don't have what you want, maybe you could sell them the yarn you have to finance the yarn you want! (It doesn't count as buying new stash if you paid for it with old stash). There are tons of ways you can use up your old stash (which has already been paid for)! Get creative! Set up a reward system for yourself! For example: You won't buy any new yarn until you have used up at least x amount of your stash. Then you still get to buy new yarn, but you are also using stash yarn! I promise that even though you don't think you have anything to knit in your stash, if you get really desperate, you'll find something to do with your stash!