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.

Episode 3 - Lots of New Things

It seems like I have lots of new things to talk about this episode.




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


Plotting

Stash Dash 2013 with The Knit Girlls
Swatching for Goldilocks KAL, being run by Lete's Knits

Done and Dusted

BFL Superwash fibre from The Yarn Yard in Beach Colourway.  Blogged about it here.
BFL/Silk from Picperfic spun on Rakestraw/Mayan Spindle from www.handspinner.co.uk. Blogged about it here.
LaLa The Panda by Stacey Trock for my nephew, project is on Ravelry.
Cardigan for my nephew, Beyond Puerperium, by Kelly Brooker, project is on Ravelry.
Drizzle by Mel Ski of Single Handed Knits in Posh Yarn, blogged about here.  Dana from Just One More Row had the same comments about the lace on the crown!
I've created a striped shawl of my own design, I blogged about it here.  It uses some of the yarn from last episode's Splashed Out section

Nose to the Grindstone

I have made no real progress on Dew Drops Shawl, for reasons explained in the Quest for Knowledge Section.
My striped shawl had been my simple project of choice which means the Nuvem has been placed on the backburner for now.
Spinning Polwarth/Camel Fibre from EasyKnits on the Rakestraw.

Trillian by Martina Behm using Deeply Wicked from EasyKnits in Beach Party colourway.

Splashed Out

BFL Superwash (50g x 2) from The Yarn Yard in Blackcurrant.

Fibre and yarn from EasyKnits
Fibre from Hilltop Cloud

100g - Mallard - 62% merino/25% BFL/13% baby alpaca

100g - 70% BFL/30% ramie

Posh Yarn Sadie Lace (100g x 2) - merino 50% and tencel 50% in Unforgiving Minute colourway

BabyLongLegs Radiance Aran (100% wool) in BellaDonna and Semi-Precious Aran (50% silk and 50% superwash merino) in Dolly Blue.

Ordered a Tibetan spindle from IST Crafts.

Toolbox

Rakestraw
Yarn Corset from The Yarn Yard

Quest for Knowledge

KnitCompanion
Supported spindling - discovered via CraftStash.

Here's a video showing how the fabulous Fleegle, uses her Tibetan spindle.



Fleegle is selling an ebook on supported spindling, but it is delivered on a flash drive.  This means not only will I have to pay the price of the book ($30), but the postage ($10), the UK VAT (sales tax @ 20%) and the admin charge to pay the sales tax charged by the post office (at today's exchange rate a cost of $12.26) which gives a total cost to me of $58.26 or £38.01.  I need to think a little more before spending that money, after ordering a Tibetan spindle.  Maybe I'll revisit the idea of the book when I've had a go with my own.

The Online Community

iMake

Episode 2 - I Witter On and Review Cables Untangled by Melissa Leapman

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

Done and Dusted

Recently finished Melia by Ysolda Teague from Little Red in the City.  Blogged about it here.
Spun my first “proper” yarn.  Undyed BFL was bought from World of Wool.  Burnish BFL from Picperfic in the Betty Colourway.  I used the Bogway Handspinner.
I made some mitts with my handspun yarn.  I blogged about it here.


Nose to the Grindstone

Spinning The Yarn Yard BFL Fibre in the Beach Colourway.
Working on Nuvem by Martine Behm, using Garnstudio DROPS Lace in a grey-green shade.
Dew Drops Shawl by Bex Hopkins in Artisan Yarns Soft Silk Camel Lace in deep purple.  This is a Challenge To Myself (CTM) project.
Bunty Mitts by Ella Austin my Knit The Queue 2013 (KTQ2013) project.
LaLa the Panda by Stacey Trock from her book Crocheted Softies

Plotting

Want to make Mythos by Laura Nelkin in Posh Yarn Catherine, or Marian Tunic by Michaela Moores in Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace.

Splashed Out

Countess Ablaze Count Cashmerino Sock in Grey Skies Over Manchester. £18.25( incl postage) 80% Merino, 10% cashmere and 10% nylon.  Used in Spectra by Stephen West, which I blogged about here.
The Uncommon Thread Merino Fingering Leaf 400m single ply 100% merino. £22.98 (incl postage) and Lush Twist Pontus 80% Merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon.  Similar base to the Count Cashmerino in gorgeous bright turquoise/teal blue. £22.98 (incl postage).

Quest for Knowledge

Fit to Flatter by Amy Herzog
Custom Cabled Pullover with Carla Scott on Craftsy

Crafting Library

Cables Untangled by Melissa Leapman (An explorations of cable knitting) Over 20 designs and more than 100 cable stitches. (£10.87 on Amazon.co.uk)

Birthday Giveaway

This week I am 40 years old.  Doesn't time fly when you are having fun?

To celebrate hitting this huge milestone and commemorate actually making it this far, I want to spread the love.  I want to give one of my lovely readers a present too.

I have decided to do something that doesn't require me making a trip to the post office, so I plan to give one lucky reader a pattern from Ravelry, of their choice, up to a value of $7.

To win the pattern you need to go to my Ravelry Group and on the Birthday Giveaway Thread leave details of the best birthday present you have ever received.

For my birthday I got an iPad, from my other half, which I adore, and from my Mum and brother I got a bird feeder to sit outside our patio doors in a space left by a tree that had to come down in our garden.  I love both presents for totally different reasons, though both will give hours of entertainment!

The giveaway will close on Tuesday 7th of May, when I get up and go online and close the thread, so really you need to be leaving your details the night before.  I will use the random number generator, as usual to determine the winner, so please don't leave any extraneous comments in the giveaway thread as that will make it harder to award the prize.

Good luck!

Episode 1 - An Introduction

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

This is my first podcast.  In it I introduce myself and talk a little bit about why I wanted to start podcasting. I also outline how I expect my future podcasts to be structured.

Links to More Information

Endometriosis UK
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Tami's Amis and Other Creations
Stitch Links (Pain Management Through Knitting)
Craftsy

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Music extracted from Freds House - I'm Not Saying, shared on Music Alley