Episodes
Monday Oct 16, 2017
Episode 25 - Stress Knitting
Monday Oct 16, 2017
Monday Oct 16, 2017
Segments include: Be Helper craft-a-long, FOs, Wips, Wearables, Knitting Fail and Knitting Talk
Y’all knit when you’re stressed, too, right? I don’t want to get into the details but it has been a very stressful week at our house, luckily with mostly good outcomes. Let’s just say that the the least crappy thing was being a cloth diaper family and having our washing machine break. Pun intended. Because I had diapers that needed washing.
The result being, I did LOTS of knitting the last 2 weeks.
Also, I am getting a cold as you probably hear in my voice. I don’t want to push this recording any later since I skipped last week due to sick kids and I have a feeling this cold will be worse tomorrow…
Be A Helper Craft-a-long
In case you missed it, I’m hosting a charity craft a long. You can get entries by 1) donating blood or 2) making ANYthing for ANY charity. No FOs in the thread so far! I know lots of you craft for charity regularly so go ahead and enter – you do NOT need to be a member of my Ravelry group to win. I honestly don’t care if you join or not, my only goal with the KAL is to encourage others to stop feeling frozen with all the crazy, hard stuff going on in the world and give you an impetus to go out and help others.
FOs
Knitted knocker in Cascade Ultra Pima in ivory. I made size C using top-down magic loop pattern. Visit KnittedKnockers.org to learn more about the great work they do and see a list of approved yarns.
3 preemie hats using Java Purl Design’s Top-Down Preemie Hat pattern – free on Ravelry – in Caron Simply Soft Paints
1 preemie hat also using Java Purl’s pattern using Loops & Threads
Another Itty Bitty Kitty preemie hat, the same test knit pattern in the Maldives colorway of Berroco comfort sock
Wips
Emerald Deep by Romi Hill – finished charts B, C & D. Halfway through E. Finished that Irish-style lace section I mentioned. It was lots of fun but you have to place close attention because it’s knit lace on both sides – no rest rows. Gift for my cousin’s wife for Christmas in Prism Delicato Layers in Kale colorway. Only 30 rows left!
Lillesand cowl by Monika Eckhert, working on this in some deep stash, Cascade Yarn’s Sateen in a burgundy-red color and Rozetti Yarns Soft Payette in white with a few sequins for sparkle here and there – got a few more rows done on this cowl for my aunt for Christmas
Toe-up Vanilla Socks with an afterthought heel for Thing 2 – first sock done, about to reach the heel on sock 2; looking to make 4 for him for Christmas in Plymouth Yarns Diversity
Wearables
Heat wave here in New England most of October!
Marshes Cabled Sleeveless Shell – one of my first patterns released. Need to go grade it for larger sizes and get it re-tech edited. Will let y’all know when that happens
Mommy’s Tunic – Juniper Moon Farm’s Neve in Blue
Knitting Fail
That sweater got shrunk in the dryer! We went a little crazy washing stuff after we got the new washing machine and my husband tossed the cotton tunic in the dryer and it shrunk. So I gave it to my LYS to model the yarn since I bought it there.
Knitting Talk
To design or just knit a shawl for AGC Scholarships? AGC is run by a woman I went to high school with who chnoicled her battle with infertility on her blog, later published as the book Infertility Inferschmility which you should definitely check out if infertility is something you or a loved one has been dealing with. Also - what color? Black to go with Everything? Or use their turquoise logo color? Or perhaps a gradient kit - they look so impressive to non-knitters :)
Tuesday Oct 03, 2017
Episode 24 - BE A Helper
Tuesday Oct 03, 2017
Tuesday Oct 03, 2017
Not a normal episode. It’s less than 36 hours since the horrific shootings in Las Vegas and as of last night I wasn’t going to record this week, I was going to put it off a week. My kindergartener just had his first lock-down drill at school and I don’t even know how what to say to him.
I’ve had that stunned, frozen, deer-in-the-headlights feeling since yesterday. Heck, for the last week or two what with everything that’s been happening in the world recently. I couldn’t sleep last night and sometime around 4am I remembered that Mr Rodgers meme that goes around after every tragedy, in times of trouble look for the helpers.
From the PBS website “Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” “
I decided at 4am this morning that I am NOT going to sit here feeling helpless and afraid and frozen. I am going to help someone. I may not have a million dollars to donate to Puerto Rico or be able to drive to Vegas to donate blood, but I can knit a NICU baby a hat. I can donate blood here. I can make a knitted knocker for a breast cancer survivor. I CAN HELP.
And I want you to help, too. Today I’m starting a charity KAL and I want you to join me.
There is something you can do. BE A HELPER. Donate blood locally. Make a Knitted Knocker for a woman with breast cancer. Knit or weave a scarf or crochet a blanket for a homeless shelter. Knit a hat for refugees. Make a preemie hat for the local NICU. I don’t care what you do, just do something for someone else. Have another great charity idea? Wonderful! Share it in the Ravelry group in the chatter thread.
Go do something for your fellow humans.
Here are the knittiy gritty details: One entry per FO or photo proof of blood donation. Wips are fine. Double dipping in other KALs is fine. Knit, crochet or weave anything you want, just post a picture in the Finished Objects thread in my Knitting on The Run / Windswept Designs group on Ravelry and tell us what charity you are donating it to.
I’ve already got a gradient kit from Birdies Knits and a skein of silk from Ito Yarns as prizes, and Sarah from KnitWit Designs and CC from JavaPurl designs have graciously offered pattern prizes. I will list all the prizes in detail in my next episode.
Interested I donating a prize or know someone who might? PM me on Ravelry or Instagram, I’m WindsweptMonique on both.
Now go out there and do some good in this world.