Episodes
Friday Sep 24, 2021
95 - To the Sea
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Ep 95 recorded 9/24/21
Segments this week include: WindsweptKnits, Wips, Stash, Out and About, and I’ve Got Sunshine
Note on Ravelry – all links to Ravelry in the show notes are clearly labelled as such. All yarn links are directly to the manufacturer or dyer’s website.
Windswept Knits
Very excited to announce the launch of Line Where The Sky Meets the Sea, my latest shawl pattern.
Some people feel the call of the Sea. Open water, no land in sight, that is where your heart lies. I know this feeling well. I grew up near the North Atlantic and I love being on a boat offshore, wondering what lies just over the horizon. When I first watched the film “Moana” and I heard her sing “There’s a line where the sky meets the sea and it calls me” I knew exactly what she meant. To my fellow knitters who also hear the sea’s siren call, I present this shawl.
Shawl is available on LoveCrafts, PayHip and Ravelry (link to all 3 in the shownotes) and if you purchase through PayHip or Ravelry, use code PODCAST to get 25% the regular price.
WIPs
Priestess Coat – by Morale Fiber in Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball.
Another design sample is in progress, a tank top made with HiKoo Popcycle! It’s a 50/50 bamboo/polyester blend and every skein uses 2 recycled plastic bottles
Purse Socks! These are for a dear friend for Christmas who loves handknits. It’s in a new-to-me sock yarn Bamboo Pop Sock in the Sunset colorway.
Stash
Toasty Alpaca Silk Linen, a DK yarn from Tina’s Toasty toes 50% baby alpaca, 25% silk, s5% linen, 273 yards to 100g.
2 skeins from Five Wise Owls, one of her fingering Tencel in the space cadet colorway which is black with blots of purple. The other color is Avocado and that is on her Pima DK base.
Last up is a prize I won from Maridee of the Yarnover Truck out in California, and I won 2 skeins of Dragonfly Fibers Djinni in Kaleidoscope.
Out and About Virtually
NY Sheep and Wool currently still happening in Rhinebeck, NY Oct 16 & 17. At the moment I’m 50/50 about going. I have tickets and my husband and I and our parents are all vaccinated, but my kids are too young to get vaccinated and the Delta variant has me nervous. I’ll be making that decision at the last minute, I think.
Vogue Knitting Live Vogue Knitting Live @ Home this weekend Oct 7-10.
GGKCS podcast is having their annual Autumnal AL, visit their FB page for more details.
Down Cellar Studio’s Pigskin party is up and running. You can participate on Instagram or on Ravelry and I’m linking to Boston Jen’s website which has the details and the signup page. I am both a sponsor and a participant again this year and it’s lots of fun.
Stitches Expo at home Oct 8-10 – online classes, workshops and a virtual marketplace
Friday Jun 26, 2020
For Spacious Skies
Friday Jun 26, 2020
Friday Jun 26, 2020
Episode 81 - Recorded Thursday, June 26th 2020
New pattern, end of be-a-helper kal, wips, knitting fail, spinning, wearables, out and about and if we have time I’ll do an on the run segment.
New Pattern alert!
As of the time you’re hearing this, I have a new pattern available through Knotions Magazine! The pattern is named For Spacious Skies and is knit using a gorgeous muted red, blue and white colorway from Birdies Knits named Old Glory and a small amount of white yarn for the star.
I found this yarn and this indie dyer at the very first Stitches United in Hartford, CT several years ago. I was so excited – I’d never met a hand-dyer who worked in anything other than wool. Being highly allergic to sheep, wool is not an option for me. This colorway reminded me of 4th of July parades with my grandparents and great-grandmother, of summer beach days and Friday night band concerts at the local park all summer with my family.
The star is worked first, from the center out, then short rows make the circle into a square. The remainder of the top is worked top-down – the bust area is worked back-and forth to the underarm, then the whole piece is joined in the round.
Recommend -1 to -3 inches of ease (negative ease). This means if you’re targeting a 38 bust, that you should choose a 36 (38-2). Bust: 32 - 60” , [81.5 - 152.5) cm]
Be-A-Helper KAL
Last 2 prize winners announced!
WIPs
Laceweight Boxy – Now about 16” long
Papillon – Started 2nd section. Using Berroco Medina that I bought at The Yarn Patch in Crossville, TN last year and a gold Tencel yarn from Artisinal Yarns that I bought at Rhinebeck 2 years ago.
Goldberry – I started a new crochet pattern this week.
Triyang – an old WIP that I started as SSK in 2017, I tend to keep this pattern for travelling and since we have 2 small kids we don’t travel much anymore.
Star Wars scarf for Thing 2 – I’m still working on the Blasters section of the Light Side section.
Ozone Sweater – worked a little on the Ozone Sweater, a crochet sweater, which leads me to…
Knitting Fail
I tried to work on this last Thursday during my stitching group, but apparently I cannot join crochet and talk at the same time. The medallions are linked in 5 places along one side, and I screwed it up 3 times. At the end of 1:45 I had completed (and successfully joined) 1 medallion and started the center of a second. That’s all. In nearly 2 hours.
Spinning
I finished my Pride Month spin! I pulled apart 2 braids from Hipstring’s cotton club from 2019, and spun them color by color to make a rainbow. Then two nights ago I started to learn to chain ply, which I finished yesterday. It’s not my best yarn ever, since it’s my first-ever chain ply, but I’m proud nonetheless.
Wearbles
It’s tank top season finally here in MA so I’ve recently wore my Out Tonight pattern, which is a sleeveless top inspired by the musical Rent. We had a cold windy day last weekend and I wore the Taking Flight shawl, a pattern by Katherine Belisle and inspired by Captain Marvel.
I recently wore my Strawberry Blossoms top, which I still love, but I’ve noticed after washing that the CoBaSi yarn tends to stretch more sideways than vertically when knit in garments. I have an extra skein of the yellow left, so I’m considering pulling out the turned hem, knitting a few extra inches, then re-doing the hem. I’ll let you know if I decide to go ahead with it.
On the Run
No exercise this week, poison ivy sucks
Out and About
Tour de Fleece 1 Sat Jun 27 – Sun Jul 19
Tour de Fleece 2 Sat, Aug 29, 2020 – Sun, Sep 20, 2020
Here in MA we’re slowly opening back up while keeping our new cases of COVID19 low, and I went to a yarn shop! This is my first visit to a LYS since January. I visited @agreatyarn in Chatham, MA, a store I love to visit.
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
68 - Send Me That Rhinebeck Recap
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Episode 68 recording on 11/20/19 today’s segments include New Patterns, Wips, FOs, Wearables and Rhinebeck Recap.
Pattern Release
Send Me That Horizon launched on Monday.
I’ve always loved the sea. I grew up near the ocean, with both sets of grandparents living a few dozen feet from the water. Playing on the beach, listening to the waves, sailing on a boat, hiking along ocean-side cliffs – I love anything involving the sea. But nothing is the same as being far from shore with no land in sight. I love seeing the horizon taper off to meet the ocean waves; so when I first watched the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie and Captain Jack Sparrow looked into the distance and murmured “Send me that horizon” under his breath my heart sang. I know that feeling, I love that feeling, and with this shawl I want you to experience it too.
While working on the waves, I wanted to create something easier than I’m perhaps known for. Yes, I realize that I’m known for patterns with complicated sections, because that’s what I like to knit. But with this pattern I wanted something that you could take on an airplane or to a retreat, or that a beginning knitter could knit and learn new skills. One of my test knitters was even a beginning knitter and he did a great job!
Use code PODCAST to get 25% off the pattern on Ravelry, that’s coupon code PODCAST and that is bigger discount than the one listed in the pattern. Enjoy!
Wips
Just started a new pair of socks for mom for Christmas, still on the toe of the first sock.
I’ve started a new project just for me.
2nd Aggregate Shawl by JimiKnits, this one in Tencel yarn from Rhinebeck 2 years ago from Artisinal Yarns.
FOs
3 socks, Christmas socks for Thing 1 and Thing 2 and also a pair for my maid of honor all from Regia's Tutti Frutti II
Hitchhiker by Martina Behm.
Wearables
All The Shawls. SO cold and wet – “Novembruary”.
Both of the Changing Staircases, by Dragon Hoard Yarns, Hitchhiker by Martina Behm. At Rhinebeck I wore Frosted by Lisa K Ross with my Pont du Marais shawl, and day 2 I wore Second Grace by Bristol Ivy with my Taking Flight Captain Marvel shawl.
Related – I’m mad that I can’t find my Tan House Brooke Shawl, a pattern by Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studios. I’ve looked everywhere and just cannot find it. Maybe I’ll have to knit another.
Rhinebeck Recap
All the fun for 2 whole days!
Friday Oct 11, 2019
66-2 weeks in a row?
Friday Oct 11, 2019
Friday Oct 11, 2019
Episode 66
Designer Notes, Wips, FOs, Spinning, Out and About, On the Run
Designer Notes
Pont du Marais Shawl released today, October 11! Inspired by the epic fog in my grandmother’s village and named for one of the foggiest places therein (literally, it means Bridge at the Marsh). I can’t wait to share this easy, fun pattern with you. When I first saw this skein of color-changing yarn from @wollesyarn at #VKLNYC last January I knew I wanted to make this shawl, showcasing the fog and waves that I love about Nova Scotia.
Pronunciation – Nova Scotia versus France.
30% off for podcast listeners with code ONTHERUN through Friday, 10/18.
Wips
Taking Flight – Captain Marvel inspired shawl by Katherine Belisle. I’ve been trying to finish up the applied lace edging to I can wear this beauty to Rhinebeck because it’s beautiful! I am ¾ done. Knitting this up in discontinued Longmeadow from Webs (red and blue) and Berocco Modern Cotton (yellow).
A new sleeveless top in silk, just started the sample, long ways to go.
FOs
Aggregate Shawl by #jimiknits Jiminez Joseph for the #BIPOCMAL2019 I love this pattern and I can already tell I’ll be knitting this one again in a thicker weight yarn for winter wear.
New Rent-inspired shawl pattern. For those of you at ITW, this is the gray and pink shawl that you saw me working on. I’ll be sending it to the tech editor soon then opening it up for test knitters.
Spinning
I spun Alpaca for the first time. Rolags and spinning directly from the locks. First time using regular flyer I think!
Out and About
Rhinebeck in just over a week! I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday. Come find me and say hi!
On the Run – Back Stretching edition
Regular listeners will recall that I threw my back out late last winter pretty badly. It was a just a muscle pull, thankfully nothing worse. But I learned some great warm up stretches that really helped get mobility in my spine back. I still use them periodically when I feel knots in my back muscles starting to form again and they still help.
Friday Apr 26, 2019
62 - Walk
Friday Apr 26, 2019
Friday Apr 26, 2019
Episode 62 – Thanks for tuning in! Trying the mic in a new location today so hopefully the sound quality will continue improving.
Announcements
First, new pattern launch! Last Saturday I released the new Strawberry Blossoms pattern. This pattern is very dear to me. As you may remember, I hurt my hand last year and for a while I couldn’t knit at all, let alone design knitwear. But like the wild yellow strawberries that grow in my backyard in the worlds worst soil (shady, acidic, clay) I hung on. Not just clinging to the soil, I’m back and I’m blooming! If you’re interested in this pattern listen to the episode for a special listeners-only discount code!
Test Knitters Wanted
Go to http://www.windsweptknits.com/patterns/test-knitters/ to subscribe to my test knitters email list – I promise to never sell your data or to spam you; you will only be contacted about upcoming test knitting opportunities.
This week I will be starting a test knit for a laceweight shawl that is stockinette st and simple lace. The lace is a 4-row repeat that is very easy to remember. So easy, in fact, that this shawl became my knitting of choice for my kids’ karate and swimming lessons. Shawl was inspired by the musical Rent, which had a huge impact on me as a teen.
2nd is a laceweight cowl, heading to the tech editor today. This one has a lot of meaning too. A few years back, a dear friend was diagnosed with cancer. My then-4-year-old and I together designed this cowl for her. I pulled out all my silk yarn and let him pick the yarn. Then the two of us poured through my stitch dictionaries and he picked an arrowhead lace pattern. I knit it up and gave it to her to keep warm and strong during her treatments. Fast forward to this year and I’ve adapted that original pattern to have a second, longer size for those who like to double-wrap their cowls or wear them long.
FOs
2 preemie hats, both in Berocco Comfort Sock. One held single, one held double.
Wips
Another preemie hats, one held single, one held double and both in Berocco Comfort Sock
2 shawl samples on the needles, can’t share too much yet. One is inspired by the swirling fog in my grandparent’s village, the other is a new use-up-your-stash shawl.
Wearables
Spring has fighting to warm up, but it’s not totally successful. Still wearing a lot of shawls to keep the chill away. Rhinebeck, murder mystery knit along, tan house brook, changing staircases,
Out and About
- I will be at: CT sheep and wool April 27 Vernon, CT
- I will not be at: Sheepshearing festival, Gore Place, April 27th, Waltham, MA
Not sure yet about attending these:
- NH SHeel & Wool May 11-12
- Wool Days, Old Sturbridge Village, May 25-27
- MA sheep and woolcraft fair, May 25 Cummington, MA
Will be attending
- September – Into the Wool Fiber Retreat in Tennessee
On the Run
Still in PT but lots of walking
Thursday Jan 11, 2018
Episode 30 - Thank You
Thursday Jan 11, 2018
Thursday Jan 11, 2018
Episode 30 - 1/11/18
Windswept Designs on Facebook, WindsweptMonique on Instagram and Ravelry, come join Ravelry group
KAL, Pattern Release, Wips, Pattern Acquisition, Spinning, Out and About, On the Run
KAL – get your FOs posted ASAP! I’m going to lock the thread tonight on my way to Vogue Knitting Live
Pattern Release – First off, a HUGE thank you to all of you for making 2017 an amazing year, knitwise. I started this pordcast, attended multiple festivals and conventions, including FINALLY getting in to SSK, and I even learned to spin! I’ve met such wonderful people both in person and online. The fiber community is AMAZING. So I’ve put this pattern for sale and if you use the coupon code THANKYOU you’ll get it free through January 16th. This is my thank you to you, the Use Your Stash Shawl
Wips
Frosted by Paper Daisy Creations, on snowflake 5 of 5 on the stranded colorwork yoke. Was planning on using 3 colors but after doing flakes 1 & 2 in color 1, then flake 2 in color 2 I decided that really they should all have been different colors. But I was not going to rip it out again, so I dug a skein out of stash, Plymouth Yarn’s Nettle Grove in colorway 42, a denim-ish color that matches the rest of the blues I’m using fairly well.
Star Wars sweater for Thing 1 - Using Nordic Yoke Pullover, a free pattern from Patons, as the base and altering the charts to have Star Wars characters/spaceships/icons. I’m about 25% through the yoke collar, currently working on R2D2’s head. Body of sweater will be red as that’s his favorite color
Vanilla sock in Berroco Comfort Sock in Bali colorway. Still chugging along at this 2+ year old WIP, it’s my car knitting.
Pattern Acquisition
Derwentwater by Tess Young, won it during the Indie Gift-a-long KAL, forgot to mention it last week!
Spinning
New segment - I finally figured out this spinning thing! Working on my 2nd single in undyed cotton
Out and About
Off to Vogue Knitting in NYC tonight! If you’re there stop me and say hello. Just to warn you I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights recently with the kids and my husband being sick, so if I seem a little dazed or perhaps a little overly caffeinated, that’s why. But please come say hello anyways. I am really looking forward to the 2 classes I am attending on Friday.
On the Run
I’m on my 2nd week of my half marathon training plan, and unfortunately I am dealing with some unexpected knee pain.