Episode 5 - It's All About The Spinning

Full show notes are always available at www.stitchedtogether.co.uk, under the Podcast Button.

Plotting

Stash Dash 2013 is achieved!  I have a total of 4665 yards!  I shall probably keep adding to the total when I can.
Summer of Beads & Lace with the Knitmore Girls, has been put on the back burner, but I have the yarn, and I have the beads, I just need to cast on.  I've been doing lots of lace, just no beads.
Crafting Library KAL/CAL idea has firmed up considerably.  I now think we will start Saturday 31st August and finish Saturday 19th October.  This gives 8 weeks.  Look for patterns now!  Details of prizes and rules of participation will follow in the next episode.
Tour de Fleece 2013 kind of happened by accident.  I'm entered in Team Hilltop Cloud, Team Must Stash, Rookies and Peleton.

Done and Dusted

Nuvem is done!  Blogged about it here.
Mallard from Hilltop Cloud is spun and blogged about here.
Henslowe is done.  I learnt all about the suspended bind off, and I give links to tutorials in this blog post.

Refraction Shawlette sample is done and the pattern proof read and rejigged.

Nose To The Grindstone

Working on 200g of Manx Loaghton from Hilltop Cloud on the Tibetan spindle and 100g of BFL/ramie on the rakestraw.
Cast on Unleaving from Knitty First Fall 2012 by Lee Juvan, with The Yarn Yarn Superwash BFL.  Looks great but knitting is teach me a lot about what NOT to do whilst spinning.

I cast on Wandering Wildflower in the Countess Ablaze Count Cashmerino Twist, both the pattern and the yarn were discussed in Splashed Out last episode.  I knit for several hours and realised that despite my careful examination, I'd managed to twist the join and I had to frog right back to the beginning.  I was very very sad.
Working with test knitters on my Refraction Shawlette pattern.  I'm excited to be doing a test in my own group for the first time.
Minerva Crafts King Cole stripey tee.

Splashed Out

Manx Loaghton from Hilltop Cloud

Peacock (100g) from Hilltop Cloud - blend from the same series as Mallard.  This blend is 50% merino/38% Shetland/12% llama.

2 x 100g of Posh Yarn Diana Lace in Gone to My Happy Place colourway.  80% merino/20% silk and I have a total of 1600m/1750yds.  It's the free postage that gets me every time!

Decided to get some sock yarn from Artesano Definition in turquoise and pink from The Sock Yarn Shop. It's nice yarn but is totally machine washable.   Also got some stripy Schoeller & Stahl sock yarn in lime green, yellow and turquoise, from their Fortissimo line.

Toolbox

Back in Episode 3 I talked about the Yarn Corset from The Yarn Yard.  I'd like to add a caveat to how great it is.  If the yarn is slightly sticky it makes it harder for the yarn to flow freely from the centre pull ball.
Swatcher Secret Hideout on Ravelry has implemented TDF code.

Quest for Knowledge

Tibetan Spindle arrived from IST Crafts.  I bought Respect The Spindle by Abby Franquemont.  I joined the Rookie's Field Guide to Support Spinning Group and the Support Spindlers Group on Ravelry.   For full details, I did a blog post full of links and videos.  The video of Fleegle spindling is on that post.

The Online Community

Black Isle Crafts
Yarns From The Plain.

Episode 4 - Anyone for a KAL?

Full show notes are always available at www.stitchedtogether.co.uk, under the Podcast Button.

Plotting

Stash Dash 2013 - Update in Yards = 2366

Summer of Lace & Beads KAL with The Knitmore Girls.  I've got yarn from stash, Wharfedale Woolworks Falkland Merino/Silk 4 ply in Creme de Menthe, and I've bought beads.

I'm planning on knitting Glitz at the Ritz by Helen Stewart, from Knitty, First Fall 2013.

Minerva Crafts Review Project in King Cole Bamboo Cotton - King Cole 3324.

Done & Dusted

Trillian by Martina Behm, using Deeply Wicked, from Splashed Out in Episode 3.  I've entered it into The Fat Squirrel's Orange KAL.

Spun the Easy Knits Polwarth/De-Haired Camel in Exterminate from Splashed Out in Episode 3, I added it to my entry in the Orange KAL in the hopes that the Orange levels would be boosted.  Blogged about it here.

Nose to The Grindstone

Dew Drops Shawl is now being worked on - slowly.

Henslowe, after seeing Emily's on the Watcha' Swatchin' Podcast.  Using Malabrigo Sock in the Abril colourway, from stash.

Spinning Mallard fibre from Hilltop Cloud, talked about in Episode 3.  It's a lot less "grippy" than the fibre I've spun so far, but it's going faster too.  I blogged about it here.

Being ruthless with my patterns from magazines collection.

Splashed Out

Pattern Splurge - Henslowe, Howl Cat, Wandering Wildflower.

Yarn:

Countess Ablaze Count Cashmerino High Twist - Finish the Deal Colourway. (Merino/Cashmere/Nylon sock yarn - 365m)

Posh Yarn Pamela - I'll Get You My Pretty (Merino/Nylon/Sparkle sock yarn - 400m)

Schoppel-Wolle - Crazy Zauberball 2136 (Wool/nylon sock yarn - 420 m)

Schoppel-Wolle - Zauberball 1993 (Wool/nylon sock yarn - 420 m)

Fibre:

Countess Ablaze Polwarth, blogged about here.
Fondant Fibre rolags and Icelandic fibre, blogged about here.

Toolbox

iSpinToolkit app, recommended by Rachel of Reecie's Pieces Podcast.  I also recommend the Yarn Raising Podcast with Melia, who talks mainly about spinning and is a great source of information and inspiration.

Crafting Library

I wanted to talk about the possibility of doing a KAL/CAL that involves using patterns from the library.  Let me know in this thread what you think.

A Request

If you have any podcast or blog recommendations, please join the Ravelry group and add to this thread.  If you are a member of the group, I will add your blog or podcast to the list if you leave the details in the same thread.