Knitting Pipeline

Slipped stitches, goats, Piper's Journey KAL

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co, The Blend Cafe, and Knit4Together.

complete show notes are at www.knittingpipeline.com

The folks at Quince & Co believe that businesses can be good citizens—should be good citizens—without making too much a fuss about it. So, they have created a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool or sourced from overseas suppliers who grow plants, raise animals, or manufacture a yarn in as earth- and labor-friendly a way as possible. Find them at www.quinceandco.com and while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.

The Blend Café is an independent coffee shop in Washington IL The Blend's slogan, “Where coffee and community come together,” is more than just a catchy phrase to them - It is their passion! Our desire is to provide a comfortable place for those in our community to gather together and enjoy good company along with GREAT coffee. If coffee is not YET your beverage of choice, come anyway - we serve wonderful teas, smoothies, and ice cream drinks to go along with our fresh baked goods, desserts, and sandwiches. I would like to congratulate Yvonne and all The Blend employess as they were recently awarded the 2012 Outstanding Business Award from the Washington Chamber of Commerce!

Knit 4 Together is an knitting and fiber shop in Dunlap IL just north of Peoria IL. Knit 4 Together Yanr Company specializes in a fine variety of fibers to meet a variety of budgets. Co-owned and run by five ladies who love to knit--and love to teach--there is a chair wiating for you. Just bring your needles...we're certain you'll find som crumptious yarn for your next project. www.knit4together.com or call 309.243.9499

I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions. Feel free to write to me at Paulaef@aol.com or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper.

Prize Drawing and Pipeliner Notes: The prize is a skein of yarn from Roman Hills either Dowager Countess or Lady Sybil

The winner is #40! Congratulations Sarah aka smurphy2! Please contact me with your mailing information.

Nature Notes

February is a month of light. In the Northern Hemisphere our mornings and evening are filled with more hours of daylight. We are moving away from the short dark days of the Winter Solstice... Today I saw the red-wing blackbirds lined up along the fences that line the farm fields. I was looking for snowy owls. I saw red-wings. And that is good too, especially the first red wings of the season.

Thanks to Alisonc I just read the most fascinating book. Goat Song: A Seasonal Life. A short history of Herding and the art of making cheese by Brad Kessler. Highly recommended!

Needle Notes  Piper’s Journey KAL. Wave 2 starts on March 5, 2012.

Note that the shawl will grow considerably since you are knitting at a looser gauge than recommended for a tighter fabric.

Slipping Stitches make a cleaner edge but there are times when this is not advised. Slipping the first stitch of a row will tighten the edge, which is sometimes not what you want to do.

If a pattern says to slip a stitch and the pattern does not specify then you should slip as if to purl.

In general

  • You slip as if to purl if the stitch is not going to be worked at that time.
  • You slip as if to knit if the stitch is going to be worked.
  • The Blethering Room

I blether about a house we looked at when we first moved to this area, Norwegian Gjetost, and a few more tips on things to take to a retreat. A notebook is a good idea.

About those Autumn Glory Apples…our local market will probably be sold out by the time of our retreat. I didn’t want to be greedy and buy up the whole bin.

In the Pipeline

Knitting: Spectra by Stephen West. 2 Knit Lit Chicks KAL 60 wedges done and 25 to go! I need to figure out my retreat knitting.

Watching: Downtown Abbey is over. It is sad. Thankfully there is another season to look forward to. And to those of you who do not have television, I applaud you!

Listening: Finished The Paris Wife by Paula MacClain. This Birding Life/Bird Watcher’s Digest Bill Thompson III Snowy Owl Invasion

Music by Lydia McCauley.  Apples on the Tree from Sabbath Day.  www.magnatune.com

Haste ye back!

Direct download: Episode_79_Capricious_Slips.mp3
Category:Hobbies -- posted at: 2:16pm CDT

Good tips for attending knitting retreats.

These wonderful businesses are sponsors of our retreat and this episode: Quince & Co, Ewe-nique Yarns, Peddler’s Way Quilt Co, TheFiber Universe, The Blend, and Knit4Together in Dunlap IL (north Peoria suburb)…and of course, my Longaberger Home business. Their sponsorship helped keep the cost of the retreat down so we hope you will support them as best you can.

complete show notes at www.knittingpipeline.com

I would like to thank the wonderful knitters who tested my first shawl design, Piper’s Journey. It was released last week and thanks to all of you it has gotten a lot of attention. The Knit Along is piping right along too. A big round of applause for test knitters Molly, Amy, Bronwyn, Charr, Judy, Louise, Meghan, Nancy, Sarah, Deb, Mimi, and tomatkatgreen.

I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions. Feel free to write to me at Paulaef@aol.com or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper

Our retreat! We still are still accepting reservations...

March 2-3, 2012

(Friday night and all day Saturday)

Crossroads United Methodist Church, 1420 N Main St., Washington IL 61571

Charr and Bronwyn are in The Blethering Room today.

Charr:  Honey Cowl and Norby by Gudrun Johnston

Bronwyn: Piper’s Journey by Paula Emons-Fuessle, A Very Good Cowl Indeed by Liz Abinante, Flurries Cowl, Cozy Worm Child’s Cowl, LTK Braided Cap by Theresa Belville

Paula started Mystery Mitten KAL with Laura Linneman

General Retreat Tips

Things to bring:

    • Social knitting. Easy, autopilot.
    • More than one project, possibly another weight and needle size.
    • Waste yarn and needles in case you want to learn a new technique.
    • Business cards. Vistaprint has low cost/free.
    • Camera
    • Knitting Notions
Wear:
  • Your handknits!
  • Bring layers of clothing as facilities tend to run hot/cold and you may too.
  • Be comfortable.

For those coming to our retreat please bring a mug for tea or hot drinks so we can save on paper goods.

We talk about eating and shopping in our town of Washington.

Maria's Tea Room for those with special diets or if you just like good food.

Basta O'Neills for wonderful Italian and Irish fare

Gracie's Sports Bar and Grille next to The Sleep Inn

Michael's Italian Feast. Famous for their bread. Not much atmosphere here though. Most of the locals carry out. Just so you know.

Cummin's for cafe style food, jello salad, and cottage cheese. Their breakfast special is super and is only a bit over $4.

We forgot to mention The C-Note Pub which is located in the same building as The Cornerstone Inn. They have wonderful sandwiches and THE BEST sweet potato fries. The Denhardt Baking Company is our usual place to go for breakfast after church. 

High Note/Low Note

Bronwyn’s high is Grady’s imagination. Low (very) is bending back a fingernail. Ouch!

Paula’s high is a new apple called Autumn Glory. It is has a unique taste. Low Note: mealy and mushy apples.

Charr’s highs. Seeing a bright red male cardinal outside of Paula’s window and Red Velvet Cake Doughnuts from Ron’s Bakery. 

Haste ye back!

Direct download: Episode_78_Retreat_Tips.mp3
Category:Hobbies -- posted at: 12:37pm CDT

Piper's Journey KAL begins, Ten Stitch Twist

This show is sponsored by Quince & Co, Peddler’s Way Quilt Co, and The Fiber Universe.

I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions. Feel free to write to me at Paulaef@aol.com or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper.

Knitting Pipeline Retreat!

Bronwyn the Brave is keeping a list of those registered for the retreat. The list is posted on our Knitting Pipeline Group on Ravelry.

March 2-3, 2012 (Friday night and all day Saturday)

Crossroads United Methodist Church, 1420 N Main St., Washington IL 61571

$50 for all or $40 for Sat only. Includes Fri nite meal, light breakfast on Sat, and Saturday lunch

Make check payable to Paula Emons-Fuessle: Mail to: Knitting Pipeline Retreat, PO Box 549, Washington IL 61571

Pipeliner Notes: Dorothy’s letter last week struck a chord with many listeners.  Chris left a message about her sighting of a barn owl. Karebot has a great conversation starter. What would you do during a zombie apocalypse?

A correction from last week’s show: (Thank you spinsjal!) Joshua Tucker is a massage therapist, NOT a physical therapist. Read Wendy’s note on our board with another side to the issue.

Nature Notes: Last Friday we awoke to dense fog which was not an auspicious beginning to our Snowy Owl Expedition.   We made it to the Emiquon Wetland Preserve and saw quite a few American Bald Eagles. We also saw Snow Geese! There were thousands of them flying in ribbons as far as we could see down the waterway.

Funky and Aizome did see Snowy Owls in Minnesota! I have not given up yet and there is always next year.

Featured Nature writer: John Madson Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie. 1982

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,

One clover, and a bee,

And revery.

The revery alone will do

If bees are few. --Emily Dickinson

Needle Notes: Yarn recommendations for socks (that will wear well). Traci (4 girls) Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Woolen Rabbit Harmony, Opal. Prairiepoet: Blue Moon Fiber Lightweight Socks that Rock. For the record, I have tried duplicate stitch (Swiss Darning) and do not like it for the tight gauge of socks.

I read a letter from JudyBee who is knitting Kevlar into her bullet proof socks! Even Charlene Schurch was impressed!

 Ten Stitch Twist by Frankie Brown took a little over a month to knit using stash yarn.  Spirals are soothing and relaxing even when there are short rows involved. Project notes are here. 

The Blethering Room: Article about Pam Allen

Piper's Journey KAL begins!  This is my first published pattern and I'm thrilled.  Thanks for your encouragement and support!

In the Pipeline

Oops from last week! I have done more cowls than I thought. Kilkenny Cowl by Pam Allen is one of Emily’s favorites.

Spectra by Stephen West. 2 Knit Lit Chicks KAL

Watching…Downtown Abbey…we have a giveaway from Roman Hills! They have a stunning and very clever Downton Abbey Line with colorways named for the characters. Leave a comment below to be entered into a drawing for a skein of the Dowager Countess. What is a weekend? Thank you, Roman Hills! You have until Feb 21 to leave a comment on the show blog. www.knittingpipeline.com.

Listening: The Paris Wife by Paula MacClain. I’m falling behind in podcast listening.

Reading: Finished Zombies Don’t Cry: Book One in a Living Dead Love Story. By Rusty Fischer Last week I said it was funny. Right after that it was not so funny. It was sad.

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear Book 2 in Maisie Dobbs series.

Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese. Recommended by Alisonc.

Bob Dylan was inspired by the Robert Burns tune featured at the end of this episode. It is sung by Shira Kammen from A Celebration of Robert Burns. www.magnatune.com

Thanks for listening! Haste ye back!

complete show notes are at www.knittingpipeline.com

Direct download: Episode_77__Short_Rows_and_Spirals.mp3
Category:Hobbies -- posted at: 4:08pm CDT

Tips for long lasting knits

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and The Fiber Universe.

The folks at Quince & Co believe that businesses can be good citizens—should be good citizens—without making too much a fuss about it. So, they have combined efforts to create a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool or sourced from overseas suppliers who grow plants, raise animals, or manufacture a yarn in as earth- and labor-friendly a way as possible. Find them at www.quinceandco.comand while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.

The Fiber Universe provides quality products, service and instruction for fiber enthusiasts. They stock yarn from Cascade, Plymouth, Skacel, Three Irish Girls, Kauni, Jojoland, Claudia Handpaints, and more. Fibers for spinning and felting are available from local farms. The Fiber Universe accepts orders over the phone and offers free shipping on orders over $50. Check out their website, www.thefiberuniverse.com or give them a call today at 309.673.5659.

Our retreat! We still have room for you!   March 2-3, 2012 (Friday night and all day Saturday)

$50 for all or $40 for Sat only. Includes Fri nite meal, light breakfast on Sat, and Saturday lunch.

Details on show blog www.knittingpipeline.com.

Nature Notes

Stitch Markers from Kim Ogle. www.ogledesign.etsy.com

Karin says that Bertie the Bat is back!

I’m still on the watch for the snowy owl. Thanks to everyone who has sent me information. There was a clip on the NBC evening news onWed Feb 1. 

Needle Notes

I’ve been proactive about my sock knitting lately.

  1. Choose yarn that will wear well. What are your favorite hard wearing sock yarns?
  2. Knit to a tight gauge
  3. Close fit (negative ease)
  4. Smooth skin (bring on the lotion!)
  5. Pre-darning

Tips from Clara Parkes in Vogue:

  1. Look at your socks. See what areas are wearing out. When you come to these areas in your knitting go down a needle size.
  2. Turn socks inside out. Thread a blunt needle with your sock yarn and run it through the purl bumps on the wrong side. I took this a step further by making horizontal rows with mohair-silk blend.

Crafting with Carpal Tunnel Group

First thread is sticky. Do this one thing for your wrist pain.

Joshua Tucker specializes in the elimination of carpal tunnel pain and symptoms.

The Blethering Room

Piper’s Journey KAL

We will start as soon as the pattern is released by Quince& Co. I hope this will be in the next week!

In the Pipeline

Designed a cowl in 2 yarn weights and going for a 3rd. I enjoy wearing it.

On the Home Stretch on Ten Stitch Twist by Frankie Brown.

Spectra by Stephen West with 2 Knit Lit Chicks Podcast.

I bought bulky yarn to make Lee Bernstein’s OhSo Hat

Downtown Abbey! Now has its own thread on our Knitting Pipeline Ravelry Group

My Life So Far  Filmed on location in Scotland (Argyll), kilts, kilt hose, Scottish Country Dancing, pipe music, a knitted shawl, Fair Isle Vests, and Colin Firth!

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain

Zombies Don’t Cry: Book One in a Living Dead Love Story. By Rusty Fischer Yes, my first zombie teen fiction.

The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within. William C. Bryant

I didn't have time to get music on the show this week. I am looking for snowy owls!

Haste ye back!

Direct download: Episode_76_Save_Our_Socks.mp3
Category:Hobbies -- posted at: 3:53pm CDT

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