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!!!






~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!!

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!!

Ep 52- Ooh Baby!

~Welcome! / Intro/ Thanks! The baby is here!!

Isn't she cute? Leighton Jean, born January 24 at 1:50am

Weight: 6lbs 15oz, length 18.5 inches

Mom and baby are both super healthy and wonderful!!

~Sponsors: Audible- Click the link to get a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook of your choice!

Bar- Maids has wonderful eco-friendly skin care products that are perfect for your knitting bag!

~Contest:

January Contest Winner: Puffygriffinclaw

February Contest: Cheap Date- Tell me what awesome date night you can come up with for $5 or less! Similar to last year's cheap date, but last year it was $10! This year, only $5! Show me what you've got! Participation contest, the winner will receive Lo-Lo Body scrub, Lo-Lo Lips and Cuticle Intensive all from Bar-Maids! Lucky ducky!!

~Quick update:

If you love the Crooked Row podcast with Kim, her RSS feed has changed!! You can now find her at http://thecrookedrow.libsyn.com/rss and on itunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crooked-row/id415565111 ! Thanks KIM!

~Sweater Forecast:

Not super cold here this week, and it doesn't look like rain!  Forecast is showing between high 40s and low 50s in the day time, and low 30s to high 20s in the night.  Cardi in the day, warm clothes at night seems best!

~ Knitting: 

I finished all the little bits for the baby sweater! Sister loved it and baby was born just 3 days after I finished it! I'm pretty sure she was waiting until she knew there was a snuggly warm sweater ready for her!  I also finished the snake socks! I knitted almost an entire sock the day my sister was in active labor while I was walking the halls of the hospital with her!  I also knitted  a little baby pair to match!

~Spinning: 

I spun up a couple more ounces of that same corriedale while I was waiting for the phone call to GO to the hospital with my sister!

~ Free Entertainment:

I just finished listening to the Trader Tales Series by Nathan Lowell on Podiobooks! It was AMAZING!  I listened to it with a friend, and had so much fun that I think we should have a podiobook listen-a-long! I'll open a thread on Ravelry to see what you think!!

~Sales!

  Knitting Warehouse has Bernat Softee Baby for only $3.59 a ball! (reg $4.99)

  Little Knits has Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for only $3.25 a ball (reg $9.99!!!)

  Target is having their Baby Sale!  Loads of awesome deals on baby items!!

~ Tip of the Week:

Did you know you can rent baby stuff? I knew you could rent breast pumps from the hospitals (great deal if you only want to pump for a short time, but less expensive to buy if you'll be pumping for more than 6 months or with more than 1 child) but you can also rent car seats, high chairs, pack and plays, bathtubs and toys!  Like the pumps, if you plan to use these items for more than a short period of time, it is less expensive to just buy it, but if you are travelling or something, airlines charge up to $50 each way to transport a car seat or stroller, ($100 round trip) OR you could rent a car set for a week for only $40! Awesome!

~ How I Saved the Week:

I maintained my steadfast resolve not to buy everything in sight for my little niece by knitting for her instead!

~ Worth It!

Caron Simply Soft yarn

Retails different prices depending on the color style, but a 6oz skein of regular, or brights is about $5 for 314 yds.  Soft, machine wash and dry, shiny and good drape!  It is my go to yarn if I'm knitting for a baby whose parents have wool sensitivity!  It isn't squeaky like other 100% acryllic yarns, and it lasts well through washes! Overall, Worth It!

~Contact Info:

email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

Want an awesome KnitCents Button? Just click that fancy button down there and donate at least $5!

Ep 51- Cashmere and Spice

~Welcome!!
This episode is sponsored by Audible. Click the link to get a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook of your choice
and
Bar-Maids. Their moisturizing lotion bars are the best in the biz!
~ Contest:
Make something for yourself!! Be selfish a bit this month!
~ Sweater Forecast:
You barely need one. 50s and rainy, but not cold!
~ Knitting:

I finished the knitting on the baby sweater! Now I need to sew on the buttons and do the Knitmore Girl's couture ribbon tutorial and couture button tutorial!
I've also made a great deal of progress on the Slytherin Socks! HPKCHC FTW!
~Free Entertainment:
Owner's Share by Nathan Lowell
This American Life on WBEZ Chicago
~Sales!
  -Joann Fabrics is having their winter warmup! Huge sales on everything! Also, they have a new app! You can now save their coupons into your phone wallet to use at the store, separately from the mailers!
  - Yubina has cashmere yarns at awesome prices!! Check them out!
  - Everywhere, stores are clearing out their winter items to make room for spring items! Snatch up those warm clothes at HUGE savings! Stock up for next year (or use now if it's still cold where you are!)
~Tip of the Week:
Cost vs Convenience.  Convenient items (especially food) are very expensive.  Bulk items are cheap!  You can buy your bulk items, and spend a little bit of time making them convenient!  For example, instead of buying the single serve, 1oz cheese bites, buy the 2lb block of cheese, spend a little time with a knife and a kitchen scale and portion out your cheese into 1oz bites.  Save them in an air tight container in your fridge, and then when you need a snack to go, grab a couple, stuff them into a smaller, reusable container and toss it into your bag!  Not only are you saving money, but you are throwing MUCH less trash into our landfills!
~ How I Saved the Week:
Instead of spending $7 an ounce on tiny little jars of spices at my local grocery store, I went to my FAVORITE little local spice shop!  There, I buy the spices, not the container, and get them for SO MUCH LESS!  Instead of spending about $14 on one ounce each of paprika and ground mustard, I spent $12.95 on one ounce each of paprika, ground mustard, crushed red peppers, spiced gourmet pepper, jasmine tea and raspberry leaf tea! I WIN!
If you don't have a local spice shop, check out mine! Buck's Fifth Avenue in Olympia WA does phone, website and email orders! They have amazing spices, and FABULOUS prices! The prices aren't listed on the website because they change frequently (down in price as often as up!) and the owner, Anne, is really nice!  Tell her I sent you!
~ Worth It!
Lion Brand Superwash Merino Cashmere
40g, 87 yds, worsted weight.
72% SW merino, 15% nylon, 13% cashmere
$7.99/ball
I just can't decide if this yarn is worth it.  It feels very nice, and I'm really glad to see the value companies creating more luxury yarns, but I know that I can get a ball of KnitPicks Capra (I'll do a full review later) for the same price, but get a 50g ball with 127 yds! (DK weight). I know it's only a difference of 10g, but that's 10g!  I'd love to know what you all think!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Guess what?! I finally ordered buttons again!! If you'd like one, all you have to do is click that shiny little button below and donate $5 or more!!!

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!