Ep 84- Recap, recap recap!

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

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

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 76- 2 Out of 3 Aint Bad

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


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

Ep 70- BSG2011 Recap

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
Audible and BarMaids!
~Contest Winners:
 You'll have to listen to see if you won!
~July contest: 
None this month. Sorry
~Sweater Forecast:
No need! It's finally summer here!
~ Knitting:
Only 3 repeats left on my wedding shawl! I might make it a little bigger if I have time!  Also knitted 1.5 socks while at Black Sheep!
~Spinning:
 OMG Tour de Fleece! My goal, spin 15 mins a day! So far, so good!
~ BSG 2011 Recap:
Thursday we drove down and had dinner at Poppi's Anatolia
Friday we went to breakfast at Off the Waffle, went to the festival, ate on site, did the meet and greet, and then ate dinner at The Pizza Research Institute!
Saturyday, we had more waffles, then went to the Eugene Saturday Market! We had so much fun, we didn't even get to BSG that day!  We did however, eat at an amazing gluten free deli called New Dawn Bakery!  Then dinner at Marche, which was amazing once again!
Sunday we had breakfast at Studio One Cafe which had an awesome eggs beni menu, stopped by BSG for a little while, said our goodbyes :( and headed home! Overall, a TOTAL BLAST!
~ Sales!
Jo-Ann's 4th of July Sale!
Premier Yarns is having a 4th of July Sale as well! Use the coupon code JULY4 at checkout to receive 10% off your order!
~Tip of the Week:
Trade in to trade up!  Target now has Electronic trade ins! Trade in your old stuff to get $$on giftcards to spend at Target!
~How I Saved the Week:
Upgraded my phone! My contract with AT&T is up in a few days and I wanted an iPhone4! Found a refurbished one through the AT&T website for $100 with my new contract AND I will be trading my old one in at Target for $70 on a Target gift card! New phone for about $30! PS if you want to Facetime with me, let me know!
~ Worth It!
Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills by Raleigh Briggs


Retail: $7 (sliding scale- isn't that awesome?!)
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!! Not only is it absolutely beautiful because it is all hand written and illustrated, but it is FULL of useful information on maintaining a healthy, eco friendly household !  I am SO happy to have this book as a resource, and I hope you will add it to your collection!!!
100% WORTH IT!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

Ep 59- Give When You Can

~Welcome, Intro, Thanks!
~Sponsors:
  - Audible: Click the link for a free 2 week trial AND a free audiobook download of your choice!
  - Bar Maids: Check out all their tasty scents and support an awesome small US business!
~Knitting/ Spinning:
Almost done with baby sweater #2 for cousin's twins!  Doing a cute heart lace pattern around the bottom edge!  Also finished spinning the second 8oz for my next HS sweater!  Will start final 8oz tonight and totally will finish by CampKIP!
~ Free Entertainment:
Caithness Craft Collective- An awesome podcast from a Scottish knitter! Louise is charming and fabulous! Check it out!
~ Tip of the Week:
Give when you can.  If you can't afford to give money, give time.  Volunteer at a local shelter, teach less privileged children a craft or read in senior centers!  Or of course, KNIT!
  -The Head to Toe Project
  - The Linus Project
  - The Mother Bear Project
~Sales! (Kind of)
  GoodStuff is donating $5 for EVERY pattern sold through April 7 to Japan Earthquake Relief! (Link to Ravelry, be sure you're signed in)
  Fiddle Knits Designs is donating 50% of pattern sales through March to Japan Earthquake Relief!
  OlgaJazzy is donating 85% of pattern sales to Japan Earthquake Relief through March 28!
  The Red Cross
  World Vision
~How I Saved the Week:
Pedicures at home with a friend instead of going out!!
~Worth It!
Alt Fiber by Shannon Okey
Retail $19.95, 25 patterns, 115 pages
I REALLY like the beginning section of this book!  I love the section about natural dyes, and I like that she covered more types of fiber than No Sheep For You did.  As far as patterns go, I don't think I would buy the book if it were just for the patterns, but I would definitely consider it for the info about natural dyes!!  Give it a look!!
~Contact Info:
Email me!! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Thank you all so much for being the best listeners on the internet!!  Want a button? Click that button!!

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!

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

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!

Ep 39- Sharing is Caring

~Welcome/ Intro (Sorry about the neighbor's dog barking in the background!!!)
~Audible is still supporting the show! Click here for your free audiobook download!
~Contest Sponsor
  -Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast is donating a Longaberger basket!
  - Share a recipe for a hot drink in the Ravelry thread!  Vote for entries once I've locked the thread!
~ Sweater forecast:
  Cold and rainy means sweaters all week! :D
~ Knitting:
Finished the practice wedding shawl, and got a pretty wedding dress!  I gave the practice shawl to my mom, and asked her to wear it for the wedding so we can kind of match and she loved it!  Worked a bit each on the baby sweater, socks and am currently swatching for the Cassidy cardigan for the Knitmore KAL!
~Spinning:
Finished the spinning for the Tappan Zee cardigan!  Yarn is now drying after being set last night! Can't wait to start knitting it!
~ Free Entertainment:
Yarnings Podcast with my awesome friend Kristine (with a K) is a new show!! She is fantastic, give her a listen!
~ Sales!
   - JoAnn Fabrics is having an online sale through the end of October where ALL their yarn is 25% off!
   - Shipwreck Beads is having a sale through the end of October on over 7300 different beads including seed beads and some Swarovsky Crystals!
~Tip of the Week:
Sharing is Caring- My mom and I are sharing a set of crochet hooks because I wanted the tiny ones and not the bigger ones, and she wanted to bigger ones and not the tiny ones so we shared
~ How I Saved the Week:
The wedding dress I picked out (Alfred Angelo Style 2100 if you want to check it out) is awesome!  The dress on the rack fit me perfectly, there was NOTHING wrong with it, the color is perfect so we got the one off the rack!  Because a few people have tried it on, we got a 15% discount on it! Yay!
~ Worth It!
Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool
Retail: $9.99  8 oz, 465 yards of heavy worsted/ aran weight  100% wool with lanolin
I LOVE IT!  Softens a ton when you wash it, I've never found a knot (I've knit with this a lot).  Takes dye really well, and most importantly, it is such an awesome value!  Its a really good workhorse yarn and I love it!
~Contact Info:
Email me!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824

 

Episode 27- A Daily Dose

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thank Yous!
   The buttons have been ordered!  If you want one, make a $5 donation to the podcast and I'll send you a button!

~Sponsor: Trickle Creek Farm and Fiber is donating a bar of goat's milk soap and some bubblin' bath salts to our lucky winner!
~Contest: Participate in the Tour de Sheep and post photos on the Ravelry Group!
~Knitting/ Spinning: I've been knitting the Brandywine (which I LOVE) and I've also been knitting a super secret project for my friend's birthday! I've also finished the first of the top down-toe up socks!  I talked a bit about how I did it!
~Free Entertainment: I've been listening to Podiobooks, I've finished the Heaven series by Mur Lafferty and started the Quarter Share series by Nathan Lowell.  Both really good!
~Garden Update: Had a bit of a setback- aphid infestation in some cabbages and lettuces, but we got them out and got some ladybugs.  Peas are yummy and cayenne peppers, and carrots and onions are almost ready to pull!  Eating lots of kale and blackberries and raspberries!
~Sales:
  -Twilight Knits on Etsy: Free shipping sale!
  - JAHtsemer on Etsy: Fiber Lottery!  Grab bags are 50% off!
  - TexasGirlDesigns on Etsy: has lavender sachets on sale- 3 for $12!
~Tip of the Week: Submitted by a listener, Read the fine print!  She was able to get free parking in her city because she drives a hybrid, and also was able to get tomatoes at 4# for 3.99 as opposed to 1# for 3.99 because she got them in a box instead of a bag!
~How I Saved the Week: We didn't do anything that cost any money!  We made meals at home and had fun making meals together!  As a birthday gift for someone, we made a pan of brownies instead of buying a gift!
~Worth IT!
Polworth from Sunset Fibers- $18 for 4oz- spun on my wheel
Super soft, easy to spin and the colors look amazing!
Merino, bamboo and silk blend from Sunset Fibers- spun on a spindle
Oh my gosh, spins like a dream!  $9 for 4oz
Cormo from Rainbow Yarns NW $20 for 4oz
OMG Cormo is my new favorite!
**Overall: All 3 totally worth it!
~Contact Info:
Email me!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Feel Free to leave a review on iTunes, and if you really love the show and want an awesome button, send a $5 donation to the podcast!  You can search me via my email on PayPal, or click the button below!

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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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 17- Secondhand, not second best

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thank yous
~ May Sponsor:
 Laura's Organics is donating a jar of her amazing hand cream to our contest winner for the  month!
~Contest: 
LAL!  Teach yourself or learn something new that will help you save money, then share your new skill on the Ravelry Group page!  If you would like help finding info, ask on the group page, and if you have an answer, please share! There may be a bonus prize for someone who offers awesome help!

~ Knitting:
I finished the Monkey Socks!  And better yet, I finished them in time for Mother's day!  I've also almost finished the bumbling podcaster socks, because I couldn't knit the monkeys when I was around my mom, and I hung out with her a lot this week!
~Spinning:
nothing to report because I was so busy knitting the monkeys!
~Free Entertainment:
Heaven Series by Mur Lafferty.  You can find this and many other titles on Podiobooks.com!
~Sales!
Tips for using Craigslist.org
- Don't buy without seeing photos
- Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions
- Haggle!
- Browse the free listings often!
- Check other cities besides your own
- Never give out your credit card info or write a check
- When selling, ask for more than you want
- When selling, if you get a lot of responses quickly, delete post, and repost later with different photos and description and ask for more money!
- Use proper grammar and post photos!
- For safety, try not to go to someone's house or let people into your house unless you have someone with you, and NEVER list your address on the site.
~Tip of the Week:
Take advantage of your friends and family!  Please not in a mean way, but remember that your friends and family know, and are probably willing to share their skills with you!  If there is something you want to learn, ask someone you know because if they are anything like my friends, they probably want to help you in any way they can!
~How I Saved the Week!
I went to an awesome secondhand store, sold some old clothes and got some new ones!  Yay for new clothes, and especially yay for super cheap new clothes!
~Worth It:
The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe
Pros:
- Small and portable- easily stuffed in a purse or knitting bag.
- Book is well laid out in an easy to understand way
- Gives lots of options for some techniques, like cast on and bind off, and tells you the best way to use them.
- Most techniques described also have pictures, and the pictures use 2 colors when needed to make it more clear
- There really are answers to almost every knitting question!
Cons:
- There are a few answers that I couldn't find
- Some answers seem to be more opinionated, like the author chose her preferred method for doing something rather than give all the options
- For a few advanced questions or techniques, she seemed to give vague answers, like she assumed that if you are doing something that challenging, then you should be able to figure it out.
Overall: Worth it!
~Contact Info:
Email me!
Twitter: Roue0824
Ravelry: Roue

Episode 15- Compost is hot

~Welcome/ Intro
~KAL- There's still time!!! Knit a pair of baby socks before the end of the month!  It has to be tagged in Ravelry as finished by April 30, and it needs to be photographed and posted in the Ravelry Group before NOON on May 1!
~ Knitting-  I've done a few rows on my wedding shawl, a lot on the Simple Knitted Bodice, a bit on the Bumbling Podcaster socks, and I started a pair of Monkey Socks for my mama!  I also finished my KAL socks!
~ Spinning:  Spun up about 1oz of Polworth from Sunset Fibers in colorway Melon. AMAZING! That's all I can say!
~Free Entertainment- I finished listening to all the back episodes of Manic Purl, and I found a new podcast!  Fiddleknits with Erica is fantastic!  Totally added to my subscribed list!
~Sales!!!:
   - Elann:  TONS of different house brand yarns for less than $3 a skein, and flat rate shipping!
   - Little Knits:  I got to go to this shop in person today and the crazy cheap prices are real!  Austerman's Step for only $10.99 instead of $20!!!
Elsewhere:
   - Reynold's has recently released a 100% recycled and recyclable aluminum foil!  Click here to get a coupon for $1.25 off!
~Tip of the Week: Buy products with less packaging!  It saves you money because the distributor isn't paying for extra packaging!
~ How I Saved the Week: I got an open composting bin for only $23.99 instead of regularly priced $39.99!  I also bought a bunch of stuff at Costco that I won't need again for a long time!  Yay Costco!
~ DIY:  How to Compost!
~ Worth It!
   Knit Fix by Lisa Kartus
Retail: $19.99
Cons: There are none that I could find.
Pros: The entire book. This book has details on anything that could go wrong in your knitting, and how to fix it!  From tinking back a few stitches to un- binding off and fixing color mistakes in intarsia!  I wish I'd had this book when I first started knitting!  Truly the best book for any knitter, new or seasoned expert!
Contact:
Ravelry: Roue
Email Me!
Twitter: Roue0824

Episode 14- Knitting en Espagñol

~Welcome/ Intro
~ KAL  April sock knit a long!  There is still time to join!  Knit any pair of socks in any yarn and any size during the month of April!  As long as you finish by the 30th and post photos in the Ravelry Group before noon on May 1st, you will be entered to win 2 balls of Knit Picks Felici Sock yarn in the colorway Cochineal!

~Knitting: I've been working away on my KAL socks!  The first one was only 28g, so I can totally get a whole pair of Aaron socks out of one 60g ball!  Yay!  I've only got foot and toe decreases left to do on the second sock!

 I've also been slowly working on my Wedding Shawl!  I'm using the Raindrop Shawl pattern by Renee Strouts!  I'm only doing 1-2 rows at a time, because sometimes that's all the brain power I have to spare!

 Finally, I started my Simple Knitted Bodice by Stephanie Japel, using some Knit Picks Swish!

~Spinning:  I've FINALLY finished the first oz of merino/tencel I bought at Madrona!  I still have one more oz to do!

~Free Entertainment!

   - Wrighttales by Lisa Wright on Podiobooks.com  These stories are fun and light, and family friendly!

   - I've been listening to back episodes of The Manic Purl Podcast with ChrissytheGreat!

   - I've been teaching myself a bit of conversational Spanish with Coffee Break Spanish!  The show has an awesome layout and the hosts are very charming!  Check out all the language learning podcasts offered by Radiolingua at their homepage!

~Sales!!

   - SALE UPDATE:  Sunset Fibers no longer has any more of the merino/bamboo/silk blend because I bought it all!  They do have merino/tencel blends, camel/silk blends, and POLWORTH!!! for much less than other indie dyers!  Her site doesn't list everything, but if you send her an email and tell her what you want, she can hook you up!  Her polwarth handdyed stuff is only $17 for 4oz!  If you buy from her, tell her I sent you!

   - Knitty has a coupon code in the knittyshop that will save you $5 off a $50 order!  Enter coupon code "gatherparent" in the checkout to save thru April!

  Elsewhere:

  This next Tuesday, April 22 is Earth Day!  Visit earthday.org  and enter your zip code to learn about free demos and workshops in your area!  

~Tip of the Week:

This one came from PrairiePiper on Ravelry!  She told us that a dishwasher repair person let her in on the secret that you only need 1 tablespoon of dishsoap in your washer!  This made me think of all the other things we use too much of!  Shampoo, laundry soap and handsoap to name a few.  For shampoo, a dime sized amount in my palm washes my hair and my hair is halfway down my back! For laundry, I only use 1/2-2/3 of a capful in the washer instead of a full cap!  For handsoap, I take an empty soap dispenser and fill it 1/4 with soap and the rest with water!  That eliminates the need to wet your hands before washing, and it makes your soap last 4x longer!  On the same note, if you add 1-2 cups extra water to juice concentrate, it doesn't change the flavor of the juice, and you get more juice!  Thanks PrairiePiper for getting my brainjuice flowing!

~How I Saved the Week!

I bought some Easter egg dyeing kits at Target for 90% off!  They were only 30 cents each, and I'm going to use the dye tabs to dye some yarn!

Also, I'm happy to relate that the garbage cut-down has been going well!  We only produced 1 bag of trash the last 8 days!

~Worth It!

Knit Picks Swish Worsted. 100% superwash merino, 50g balls with 110 yards per ball. $3.79 per ball, so about $.29 per yard!

Pros:

Superwash!

Colors are nice

Super soft, and gets softer after washing and drying

Shows off cables really nicely

I've used 2 balls, and so far no knots or splices.

Cons:

Some color runs during the first wash, so wash with like colors the first couple times.

Splitty when using sharp needles.

Gauge is weird during washing.  Before/ after washing, 2 of the needle sizes went up after washing, 2 sizes the gauge went down.  Weird.  If you are going to use this yarn, KNIT A SWATCH AND WASH/ DRY IT!

Overall: Worth it!

~Contact info:

Ravelry: Roue

Ravelry Group: KnitCents

Email me!

Twitter: Roue0824

Episode 12- Waste not, complain not!

~Welcome/ Intro
~Contest!  Juniper583 won the March Going Green contest!
~KAL- Knit any size pair of socks and submit it to the Ravelry Group to be entered into the contest!  Socks must be started on or before April 1, and be finished on or before April 30!  Prize is 2 skeins of Knit Picks Felici in colorway Cochineal.
~Knitting:
   - Thank you to everyone who responded to my SOS for my wedding shawl!  I have the best listeners!

   - Bumbling Podcaster socks:  Sunset Fibers sock yarn in colorway Gypsy. ( sorry folks, I got the last 3 skeins of this colorway!)
   Bumble Stitch: 4 stitch repeat- (In the round) Rounds 1 and 2: K2, P2.  Round 3: C2B, P2.
  - Aaron's KAL socks!  LOVING IT!  I love my fiance!  He doesn't like long socks so his socks knit up really quickly!  JoAnn Sensations Bamboo and Ewe colorway Charcoal Gray
~Spinning:  Nothing New :(
~Free Entertainment:  I've been listening to back episodes of The Knitmore Girls
  - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
~ Sales!
   - Webs is having their 36th anniversary sale!  Loads of stuff 30-50% off!
   - The Yarn Co.: Lots of luxury fibers 30% off!
  Elsewhere:
   - Pronto: A cool website that compares prices of the same thing at different places!
~Tip of the Week:
Waste Not.  Find ways to use EVERY last bit of what you have.  Use the last few drops of milk in your tea, use leftover scrap yarn for scrap projects or baby socks and preemie hats. I want to learn to knit socks from the toe up!
~How I saved the week:
   - Downsized the size of our trash can.  Will reduce the amount of trash we produce, and saves a little money on our utility bill!  We've also started composting!  Yay!
~Worth It!
   - A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen
I've been complaining a lot lately, and I want to stop.  If you put positivity into the world, the world will give you happiness back!  I will be starting today, and feel free to join me in the challenge to go for 21 days straight without complaining, criticizing or gossiping.  This book is totally worth it!  This book teaches you how to stop complaining and start enjoying the life you want.  Basically, you wear a bracelet.  Every time you catch yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing, you move your bracelet to the other hand.  The idea isn't to punish yourself, but just to notice how often you do these things.  Soon, you'll start to catch yourself before you say these things, and the idea is that if you don't externalize these negativities, then your brain won't have anything to do with them, so it will stop producing them. Join me in the complaint free challenge!

Episode 10- Tiny Boxes

~Welcome/ Intro
~ Contest:  Check out the Ravelry Group Page and share your best tip for "Going Green!"  Winner will receive 2 skeins of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in colors Green Tea Heather and Avacado.
~Cheap Sock KAL:  Get your supplies and pattern ready!  We will be doing a Sock Knit-a-long during April!  Start and finish a pair of socks in April, and post the photos on the Ravelry boards and you will be entered in a drawing to win a mystery prize!
~ Knitting:
  - Not much done on Wedding Shawl
 - Did a little work on my Purple Cable socks, I will finish them before the April Sock KAL!
 - Knitting my 7 month old niece some awesome Cheshire Cat legwarmers!  The striping idea came from Brooklyn Tweed's Turn A Square hat!  He also has a great tutorial in that pattern on how to avoid that goofy little stripe jog when you are striping in the round!
~ Spinning:
  - Spun up some Valentine (pink shades) corriedale from Sunset Fibers to use in my Cheshire Cat legwarmers!
  - I decided I want to knit a cropped, short sleeved cardi, so I'm spinning some cream corrie/ merino for that!
~ Sales!
  Yarny/ fibery
   - Fiber2Yarn has some AMAZING deals on rovings and tops!  10-40% off yarns as well!
   - Since Easter is only a few weeks away, check out your local grocery stores for sales on Easter Egg dye and use it on your yarn!  It works great!
   Other
    - SavingsNut has great tools and tips for saving money in just about every aspect of your life!  Check it out!
~ Tip of the week:

Invest in a Neti Pot!  They are an amazing little pot you use to pour saline solution through your nose to clear out your sinuses!  It helps keep allergens out of your face and clear all the goo out too!  They usually run between $12 and $25, but I recommend getting one that you can put in the dishwasher!
~How I saved the week!
 - I used free TurboTax to do my taxes!
 - I bought some awesome Tul pens from Office Max for only $.40 each!  WOOHOO!
~DIY
  ItsJustMeghan from the Stitch It! Podcast had an amazing tutorial on how to make your own Lazy Kate out of a shoebox and 6 knitting needles in her 13th episode!  Click here to see for yourself!
I made one!  Lookie!

~Worth It!

  - Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation Full O' Sheep

Pros: Very soft and lofty, very warm, comes in lots of vibrant colors, feels pretty sturdy, and great for felting.

Cons: Not machine washable, the ball was very tangly on the inside (ball it up before you knit with it), single ply isn't always as strong as multi- ply yarns.

**Overall: Medium worth.  I would probably buy it again, but I know it won't be useful for some projects.

  - JoAnn Sensations Bamboo & Ewe

Pros: Comes in lots of colors, both solid and self patterning, nylon makes the yarn strong, bamboo makes it shiny and pretty, not knotty or splitty.

Cons: Not machine washable.

Overall: Worth it!

Contact Info:

Email me!

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I won't be doing a show next week, so use your knitcents while I'm gone!