Episode 16- Surprise!!!

~Welcome/ Intro and News!
News: There is now a Donate button at the bottom of the page!  If you are interested in donating, please do!  The donations will go toward supporting the hosting fees for the show!
~ KAL April Contest!!
The winner of the KAL was announced in the show.  I don't want to spoil it here, so go listen to see if you won!!!  MUAHAHAHA teaser!!!
~ May Contest and Sponsorships
Sponsor: Laura's Organics is generously donating a jar of her AMAZING hand cream!  It soaks in really well and is soooooooo fantastic!  Whoever wins this will be totally spoiled!
Contest:  What are we doing?  We are doing a Learn-a-long! (LAL)  When I was learning about composting, I realized what this month's contest would be.  I taught myself something that is saving me money.  Now, you do the same!  It doesn't have to have anything to do with knitting, just teach yourself anything that will help you save money!  Then, share your experience with the group,  either by posting in the Ravelry group, sharing in the comments thread, sending me an email, or sending us a link to your personal blog!  Have your info all up by the show on June 5!
~Knitting/ Spinning!!

I've gotten a lot done on my Monkey Socks, out of the Knit Picks Stroll in the colorway Bordeaux, hopefully I'll finish in time for Mother's Day for my mommy!
I've also gotten some more done on my Bumbling Podcaster socks, out of the Gypsy colorway mill spun yarn from Sunset Fibers!  Finished the cuff and leg last night!
Finally, I've gotten a little more done on my Simple Knitted Bodice, by Stephanie Japel.
For spinning, sadly, I haven't gotten anything done.  If I get a lot done on my Monkeys tonight, though, I'll be spinning a bunch tomorrow!
~Free Entertainment!
2 new shows this week that I got addicted to!
- Spin Control with Shilo
 - Brass Needles with Miss Kalendar
~Sales!!!
 Fibery/Yarn sales
-Angora Valley has some awesome coned yarns, $14-$20 for 3lbs of yarn!!!
 - Paradise Fibers also has some really nice coned yarns, 1lb for $14-$35!  They also have loads of stuff in their clearance and bargain sections!
Elsewhere
 - Gurney's Seeds and Plants has really great prices and they have a deal right now which is if you buy $50 worth of plants and products, you can receive $25 worth of free product!
~Tip of the Week
Look elsewhere.  If you are shopping in a large store, try to think if there is another department you can find things in.  For example, those wonderful microfiber cleaning cloths cost about $8 for 4 cloths in the cleaning section.  If you wander over to the auto care section, you can get a bag of 20 of the SAME cloths for $8.  Another example was gardening gloves.  In the garden section, those lovely dipped gloves that are super nice cost about $12.99 for one pair, but if you go to the hardware section, you can get 3 pairs for $9.99!  Try to think if there is another area in the store that you can find your item!
~ How I Saved the Week!
I was able to find a fiddle music book on Amazon for half the price from the music shop, and it got here 5 days faster than it would have at the music shop!
~ Worth it!
Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy D Johnson
Retail: $22.99, 23 patterns
Pros:
-Beautiful color photos of each pattern
- The explanation section of how to make your socks fit is REALLY good!
- 5 different options for toes
- 3 different options for heels
 - 4 different bind-offs
 - 3 different vanilla patterns to test
 - I want to knit my way through this whole book because all the patterns are awesome.
Cons:
- Not much support for DPN users.  Only 2 patterns written specifically for DPNs without having to change math or figuring some stuff out myself.
- All the lace and cable patterns are only charted, not written out line by line, so if you aren't comfortable with charts, this might be a little more difficult.
- Some of the socks in the book would have benefitted by having photos in more than one yarn.  A few of the patterns were a little bit hard to see because the yarn was a little too busy.
Overall: Worth it!  This is the book I'll be using for my LAL!
Contact Info:
Leave me a comment at the bottom of the page, email me, follow me on Twitter: Roue0824 or find me on Ravelry, username is Roue!  While you are there, check out the KnitCents Podcast listeners group!
Please leave a review or star rating on iTunes if you like the show, and if you REALLY like the show, please leave a donation!

Laura's Organics

NEW PRODUCT~ High-odine skin cream. I've had a lot of requests for a high-iodine skin cream. After much experimentation I have a cream that I'm happy with. Lots of iodine, Brazil nut oil(selenium)...topical Iodine supplementation:)

Ingredients:

Distilled water, organic brazil nut oil, palma christi castor oil, organic unrefined coconut oil, vegetable emulsifying wax, organic essential oils of balsam fir, frankincense and myrrh, vitamin E. Each 4 ounce jar contains approximately 1.25 grams reagent grade Lugol's iodine

$33 for 4 oz

.......................................................................................................................

NEW PRODUCT~ "Robert's hard working comfrey root hand salve" AKA comfrey salve:) Robert's testimonial(via e-mail):

"I work in live theater as a stage hand. There is a lot of lifting, pulling and carrying. The environment can be a toxic nightmare, with paints, heat, theatrical smoke, various fire retardants, and dust. I wear gloves when possible, but inevitably my hands come in contact with heat, harsh chemicals,
and rough surfaces.
I have developed calluses on my hands. They used to harden, and then crack, often painfully. I have started using your comfrey root hand salve on my hands
at night. I apply a thick coat, and then wear light cotton gloves to bed.
I have been using the salve for a few weeks. I still have the calluses, but they are softer and no longer crack. In addition, the salve is soothing when my hands are dry. I would recommend your hand salve to anyone whose hands are exposed to a harsh working environment. I have tried many commercial hand creams
over the years. Your hand salve really works."

BTW, my husband says the same thing. His calluses do not crack, using this salve....

Ingredients: organic comfrey root, organic marshmallow root, organic calendula and chamomile blossom infused in organic olive oil, organic shea butter, organic sweet almond oil, organic lavender essential oil and beeswax.

$18 for a 2 oz tin

.......................................................................................................................


eye cream... Good for delicate, thin skin, also great for the neck and decolletage. My testers are very happy with it, and so am I, it's my new favorite:) I'll be offering 2 oz jars for $28. That's a lot of product for a very reasonable price. I cannot, in good conscience, sell this in 1/2 oz sizes like you would normally find with this sort of product. It's too good, and you're going to want to use it on the neck, etc.

Ingredients:

Organic Calendula infusion, Organic Marshmallow infusion, Organic Macadamia nut oil, Organic Rosehip seed oil, Organic Sea Buckthorn oil
Organic sweet almond oil, Organic carrot seed oil, Organic pomegranate seed oil, Vegetable emulsifying wax,Organic essential oil of lavender
grapefruit seed extract

$28 for 2 oz.

..........................................................................................................

Rosewood hand cream~ distilled water, organic sweet almond oil, organic shea butter, organic coconut oil, vegetable emulsifying wax, vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract, aloe vera, organic EO's of geranium, rosewood, cedar, frankincense and myrrh.

$27 for 4 oz.

.........................................................................................................

the face cream ~ distilled water, organic emu oil, organic almond oil, organic aloe, Vit E, organic lavender & Juniper essential oils, iodine, vegetable glycerin, Vegetable emulsifying wax.

Price on that is $26 for 4 oz

..........

Lavender Body Cream ~ distilled water, organic coconut oil, organic sweet almond oil, organic essential oil of lavender, vegetable glycerin,Vegetable emulsifying wax

$26 for 8 oz.

...........



Cocoa-Mint Foot Cream~ distilled water, organically grown chocolate mint-infused coconut oil(mint from my garden), cocoa butter, Vegetable emulsifying wax, grapefruit seed extract and organic peppermint essential oil. It's really nice to keep it in the fridge, feels great on tired feet!

$23 for 4 oz.

.............

And the Iodine salve(new formulation) contains:

organic coconut oil, organic shea butter, organic jojoba oil, beeswax, palma christi castor oil, organic lavender oil, organic rosemary oil and Lugol's iodine. Each 2 oz jar contains 312.5mg reagent grade Lugol's iodine.

$18 for 2 oz




If you are interested in ordering any of these items, email Laura.

Podcast Donations!

Hey buddies!  I just wanted to let you all know that the podcast is now available to take donations!  Please do not feel that this is required or even expected!  If you do feel the desire to donate however, it would help cover the production costs for the show!  I am working on getting some kind of donation incentive together, but I am waiting on some help from a designer friend!  If you donate before the incentive is figured out, it will be totally retroactive!!  Anyways, if you feel so compelled, please click the fancy button at the bottom of the post, and donate as much or as little as you'd like!  Please please please do not feel obligated at all!  If you do donate, thank you thank you thank you!!!

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 13- Bluegrass Knitter

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

Episode 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!