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!

Episode 11- Socks Rock!

~Welcome/ Intro:  I was sick and lost my voice last week so I'm still working on not sounding like a 13 year old boy...
~Contest:  The March contest thread is now locked, so go vote for your favorite!  Winner will be announced next week!
~ April Sock KAL
  You have 4 more days to get your materials and pattern picked out and swatched for the KAL for April!  Knit any pair of socks in any yarn and any size during the month of April and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win our mystery prize!  (I'll announce it next week in episode 12!)  FYI: JoAnn Fabrics has all their sock yarn on sale, buy one get one half off, and Knitpicks has all their Stroll Kettle Dyed sock yarn, 100g balls for only $6.99!  You only need one ball of that for an awesome pair of socks!
~Knitting:
   -Finished the Cheshire Cat Legwarmers and Hat for my niece!

   - Finished my Purple Cabled Socks!

  I'm still working on the Wedding Shawl, and I started knitting a Sack Boy from Little Big Planet (I hate it).  I also cut my first successful steek, thanks to Itsjustmeghan from the Stitch It Podcast and her awesome tutorial!

~ Spinning: Still working on the merino/tencel and the corriedale for my cardi!

~Free Entertainment!
Some folks have asked what podcasts and podiobooks I listen to, so here is a list!
  - Stitch It Podcast (Meghan)
  - Kiping It Real (Jackie)
  - The Knitmore Girls (Jasmin and Gigi)
  - The High Fiber Diet Podcast (CoggieTM)
  - Fiber Beat (WonderMike)
  - BarkNKnit (Gnat)
  - KnitAJourney (Susan)
  - CogKnitive (Dr. Gemma)
  - Electric Sheep (Hoxton Handmade)
  - This American Life Podcast
Others I want to listen to:
  - Its A Purl, Man
  - Knit Misadventures
  - Savvy Girls Podcast
  - Sticks and String Podcast
Podiobooks I've listened to, enjoyed and recommend:
  - Nina Kimberly the Merciless by Christiana Ellis
  - Space Casey by Christiana Ellis
  - Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell
  - Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
  - How to Disappear Completely by Myke Bartlett  (Still listening to this one)
~Sales!
  http://www.handknitting.com has Fortissima Socka 100g balls for $9~
  http://www.simplysockyarn.com has sots of deals from 25% - 50% off socks yarns in all sizes and colors!
  - Elsewhere:
Snapfish is a free photo sharing site with unlimited photo storage, and if you sign up right now, you get 50 free photo prints with your first upload!
~Tip of the Week:
  Bring Your Own Bag: Lots of places give discounts, and some places charge if you don't!  Bring reusable bags when you are shopping to save the earth and save your money!
~How I saved the week:
  - Made 10 servings of chicken tortilla/ taco soup for about $10.
  - Signed up for Amazon Prime.  $80 yearly fee, but you get free, 2 day shipping on anything from Amazon.com  I spend over $100 a year on shipping from Amazon anyway, so I'll be saving!
~ DIY: Make your own sock blockers!  Check out an awesome tutorial here!
~Worth It!
#1:  The Little Box of Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott
Retail: $19.95, 20 pattern cards
Pros:
  - Patterns are written clearly
  - Beautiful color photos of each sock
  - Patterns are on easy cards to take along!
  - Lots of different styles!  Something for everyone!
  - Patterns use all ranges of skill and yarn size!
Cons:
  - Sealed box, so you can't browse the patterns first to make sure you like them all.
  - For me, there are only about 4 patterns I want to make.
Overall: Worth it if a group of people went in together, because there really is something for everyone, for me though, not worth it because I don't want to knit most of the patterns in the box. (that might change, who knows?)

#2: Sock Innovation by Cookie A.
Retail: $22.95, 143 pages with 15 patterns
Pros:
  - Beautiful color photos of each pattern from many angles
  - First 55 pages are all comprehensive instructions and tips on designing your own socks and patterns!
  - Great instructions on making socks that fit the foot they are for.
  - In my opinion, every pattern in beautiful and intriguing.
  - Patterns are well written and clear.
Cons:
  - Not a beginner book.
  - Can be overwhelming for beginners, and even non- beginners!
Overall: for beginners, not worth it. For anyone who wants to design, or wants to get more involved with knitting socks and writing patterns,  totally worth it!  For me, yes because I want to knit every pattern in this book!

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!