Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

Sunday, January 15, 2012

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!

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

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!

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, February 6, 2011

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!!







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, January 2, 2011

Ep 49- New year, New Goals!

~Welcome!
 This week's episode is sponsored by:
 Audible: Visit the link for a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook download of your choice!
and
Bar Maids! They are donating a complete sampler pack of all their products! Visit their site to see all their wonderful products!
~Contest:
Selfish Knitter! Knit something for yourself after the craziness of the holidays and holiday crafting! Show off pictures in the Ravelry Group to enter!
~Sweater Forecast:
Cold and rainy. Not much different than the usual.
~ Knitting: I finished Aaron's socks in time for new years! I spent new year's day casting on a new sweater for Leighton! Then, Hannah (my sister) asked if I would knit Leighton a hat to wear home from the hospital so I made one out of some pink handspun!  I will also be knitting some socks this month, all will be projects in the HPKCHC!
~Spinning:
Still working on the Sunset Fibers fiber that I got last year and this year fro Christmas!
~Events:
Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat February 17-20! I'll be there!
CampKIP April 6-9! I'll be there too!
~Sales!
   -Cherry Tree Hill- All yarns, fibers, and patterns are 50% off until Thursday jan 6 at 9am EST!
   - DoodleBugYarn is offering ALL their worsted weight yarns for 25% off through the month of January!
   - Elsewhere: Take advantage of the New Years Resolution sales! Gym memberships, books, and organization tools are all on sale everywhere!!
~Tip of the Week:
Set attainable goals! When you reach them, you will feel good about it!
~ How I Saved the Week:
We made an awesome blanket fort for our New Years Eve, and then I made butter! I didn't have any, needed some but have a food processor and I had some whipping cream so I made butter!
Whipping Cream + Food Processor + Time = butter and buttermilk! Yum!!!
~Worth It:
Side by Side on Fixed Circular Knitting Needles
Clover Bamboo
Knitpicks Harmony Wood

Clover does better with:
Price
tip length (16" only)
overall comfort (16")
wood flexibility

KnitPicks does better with:
Join from needle tip to cable
Cable flexibility
Tip pointiness
Style
Size range

Overall, I prefer the Clover needles if I need to knit on 16", and Knitpicks for the rest!
Overall though both are worth the money!
~Contact:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Song of the year:
All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Ep 47- Regift, Refund, Repurpose

~Welcome/ Thank you!
This episode is sponsored by Audible! Visit the link for a free 2 week trial and audiobook download of your choice!
~Sweater Forecast:
Cold and rain through Tuesday, then possible snow Wednesday through Friday!
~ Knitting: 
Aaron's socks are almost done! Eep!  Planning to cast on 4 baby sweaters New Year's Day!
(Links go to Ravelry, sign up if you aren't already a member)
For Leighton: the Easy Baby Cardigan by Diane Soucy in Lime Green
For Twin baby A: Baby Sweater on 2 needles by Elizabeth Zimmerman in bright aqua blue
For Twin baby B: Lillie Baby Cardigan by Laura Edwards
For Arya: Helena Sweater by Allison Green Will
Goal: Finish all 4 sweaters by end of April!
~Spinning:
 I got fiber for Christmas!!  I have 24 oz of fiber in all corresponding colorways for my next handspun sweater!! Got lots of spinning to do over the next 2 days!
~Sales!!!
After Christmas sales/ end of year sales!!
  -Webs is having their year end blowout!  from 12/22- 1/2 save up to 75% off certain yarns!!
  - Joann Fabrics is having a year end sale! Every skein of yarn in store and online is on sale!
~Tip of the Week:
If you got a holiday gift that doesn't suit you, feel free to practice one of the following options. I give you permission.
Regift: Just be POSITIVE that the person you gift it to and the original gifter are NOT in the same social circle.
Refund: If you know where the gift came from but you don't want to ask the original gifter for the receipt, you can often return it (as long as it is UNOPENED) for a store credit without a receipt. They will usually give you the lowest price that item was in the past 90 days, and you can usually only do this once or twice a year at major stores. Be sure to bring your ID, so they can keep track of how often you do refunds without receipts!
Repurpose: There is no need to save your Christmas cards after Christmas, but you can cut them up and make gift tags for next year out of them!  Thanks for the tip knitting group!
~ How I Saved the Week:
I made 16 batches of shortbread for all my family members in ONE DAY! I'm pretty proud of it!
Chocolate Shortbread Recipe:
1/4 c butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c flour
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 to 2 T baking cocoa

Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and mix well.
Combine flour, sugar and cocoa separately; add to creamed mixture.  Beat until dough holds together, about 3 mins.
Pat into a 9x4inch rectangle. Cut into 2-in by 1-1/2-in strips. Prick with a fork. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for 20-25 mins or until firm. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy alongside some delicious hot cocoa, coffee or tea. Yield: 1 dozen.

~ Worth It:
The Taste of Home Chocolate Lover's Cookbook
A compilation of hundreds of recipes using chocolate as the major ingredient!  YUM!
You can order through Amazon (most expensive) or order through mail by sending $15.99 plus $3.95 shipping for one book, or $4.50 for 2 or more books, with item number 32496 to:
Country Store Suite 5610
PO Box 990
Greendale WI 53129-0990.
Or visit their website!
I've made several recipes out of this book!  If you or someone you know loves chocolate, this book is TOTALLY WORTH IT!!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Have an awesome week everyone!!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

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, 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 21, 2010

Ep 42- Thankful

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~ Sponsor:
   - NeoTigress on Etsy is donating 8 oz of undyed corriedale fiber and 2 sets of beautiful stitch markers to our contest winner this month!
   - To enter the contest, before 8pm PST, go to the Ravelry group page and share an idea for a handmade holiday gift!
~ Sweater Forecast:
It is SNOWING!  There is about an inch of snow on the ground!!!
  (Music played- A Snowflake Fell (and it felt like a kiss) by Glasvegas. (One of my favorite holiday songs)
~Knitting:
I got a ton done on my handspun Tappan Zee Cardigan this week!  It's almost done! I also cast on a baby hat for Leighton (my niece- due in January) out of the leftover cormo from my HSTZ!
~Spinning:
Spun about 6 oz of Jacob fiber, 5 oz in dark gray and 1 oz in light gray to make a colorwork hat for Aaron with some awesome robots on it!
~Weaving:
  Warped the loom to weave some burp cloths and wash cloths for Leighton as well!  Warp: White Lion Brand Wool Ease (75/25 wool/ acryllic) Weft: KnitPicks Comfy (75/25 cotton/ acryllic) and I've been practicing with some different patterns in the woven fabric! So fun!
~Free Entertainment:
-Yarns from the Garden with Cindy aka KigeliaKitten
- Clothed in the Lamb with Janeen
Both on iTunes!
~ Chicken Update
The chickens have stopped pulling out their feathers! Yay!
~ Thankful:
I am thankful for you! I know it seems cheesy but the comments, messages and love you all send me makes me so happy and I am thankful to have gotten to meet some of you, and hope to meet many more!  Thank you!
~Sales!
-Follow Webs Yarn store @websyarnstore on Twitter to get Steve's deal of the day!
- Black Friday shopping this weekend! Good luck on getting good deals!
~Tip of the Week:
Also regarding Black Friday, my tip for saving money during the day after Thanksgiving: Stay home, sleep in, and shop online if you need to shop!  Most stores have awesome deals online just like they do in stores the day after thanksgiving! If you do go out, please be safe! No deal is worth your safety!  Also if you do go out, stop by Costco! They give away a free cookbook every year the day after Thanksgiving!
~How I Saved the Week:
2 things! I redeemed some of my credit card reward points! (I totally forgot I had them!) and I used a coupon at WinCo foods to get bacon, eggs, PopTarts, english muffins and orange juice all FREE!
~Worth It!
Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson
Retail: $24.95
If you only learn how to warp a rigid heddle loom from this book, it is worth every cent!  The instructions for this tedious part of weaving are amazing! There are also 17 projects you can use for your woven fabric and lots of photo instructions! I borrowed this book from a friend, then bought it because the warping section was amazing!  If you want to learn to weave on a rigid heddle loom, this is the only book you need!
WORTH IT!
~Contact Info:
Email me!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Also, at Madrona I will be taking the "Batts, Roving and Top" class with Judith McKenzie McCuin Saturday morning, and the Advanced Cabling class with Jared Flood Saturday afternoon! See you there!

Thank you all, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my US listeners!

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, January 25, 2010

Episode 5- Water- Shownotes!

~Welcome/ Intro
~January Sponsor: Sunset Fibers
~Contest: Share your best "Money Saving Tip in the Kitchen" in the contest thread in the Ravelry Group! Last day to post a tip is TODAY! Once the thread is closed, let the voting begin!!
~Knitting and Spinning
- No new knitting this week!
- Spinning
- Sunset Fibers Corriedale
- Dog fur + mystery wool carded together and spun on my spindle!
- 75/25 SW Merino/ Alpaca on my spindle.
- I got my first issue of Spin Off!
- I get to go to the Exotic Fiber Spindling class at Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat!
- I sewed myself a totally cute spinning apron for about $2! Yay!
~Sales:
-Yarn
- JimmyBeansWool
Regia JetSet Color- 55% off
Berrocco is 25% off
Crystal Palace is 20% off
Free Shipping on orders over $75!
- Royal Yarns
Join their email list and get a $5 coupon!
Lots of brands 15-50% off!
Free shipping on orders over $100!
- Elsewhere
- Use TurboTax Online and save a ton on your tax preparation!
~Tips of the Week: Water
-Drink water instead of soft drinks or other beverages
-Shower less often
-Flush only solid waste
**New Segment**
~ How I Saved the Week!
- Filled up the gas tank in my scooter with the change in my purse!
- Cooked lots of yummy goodies! It cost about $12- $13 to make it all, would have cost about $34 to buy similar items!
~Worth It!
- Knitting Pretty book by Kris Percival: Simple Instructions for 30 Fabulous Projects
- Suggested retail price: $19.99
*Pros:
- All projects are easy enough for a beginner, but also easily adaptable to use other ways for more experienced knitters.
- Patterns progress through the book by general difficulty
-Photos of almost all the projects
- Projects are timeless and classic
- Patterns are easy to read and follow
- Projects don't list specific yarns to use, but the yarns used for the project are given in the back.
- Lots of different types of projects
- Amazing book for beginners
*Cons:
- How-to section in the front doesn't do a very good job of showing how to make stitches.
- Only gives instructions for one type of cast on
- Difficulty levels assigned to projects are arbitrary and can be misleading.
**Overall: Totally worth it!
~ Contact info:
email: cleverroue@gmail.com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes! Thank you!