Episode 9
I Production Scheduling
1. Thank You to Rockingranola for a lovely Itunes review
2. Events. (Woolfest at Lake Farm Park was today!
3. Production
4. What's in My Tea Pot
5. Shipping!
6. Materials Sourcing
7. After 5
II Events / Materials Sourcing
1. Wool Fest!
a) Last night I panicked and realized that my class was at 9:00 this morining. ACK! That meant that the whole family had to be up at 7:00 and 9out the door by 8. We can barley do this on a workday let alone pull it off on a sleepy weekend.
b) I got to my class just in time to here “so we're missing aj...” from the hallway.
c) Class Pros
Well Attended
The Instructor Deb Yeagle really knows her stuff and provided about 5 different fibers for us to try.
Deb took us from “thigh spinning” to Drop spindle to the wheel.
I found out that I'm not really a beginner but in that in between phase of knowing what I'm doing but needing to fine tune and figure out how to fix my problems.
I got my biggest questions answered Deb confirmed that my single is pulling apart because I'm not treadling fast enough and the slubs in my spinning are because I have a habit of letting goof the single to draft instead of slinging evenly and letting things just flow.
This was fun I got to meet a whole room full of new spinners!
d) Class Cons
This class was truly for beginners. I felt a little too advanced as some had not used a drop spindle before and some did not know basic terms like plying, I know I signed up for a beginners course but I felt bad that I seemed to be ahead of everyone and attracting attention, I really did not want to upstage the instructor by answering questions because I don't feel qualified to teach anyone anything.
Too short! Everyone ran out at 11:30. I wanted to hang out and spin.. :(
e) The tents and vendors
f) Rainbow Sheep
There was a sheep to shawl contest running. I saw the sign on the rainbow sheep and just about had a heart attack. Shear, Clean, Spin, and knit a shawl in 5 hrs. EGAD! Then I found out it was a team and the shawl was woven.. DUH!!!!!
B Loved petting the sheep in the tent. I think we pet every single one of them. The rainbow sheep reminded me of my dog Ollie. Hmmmm... Look out Ollie you have a date with some sheers!
I really liked that each sheep in the tent was labeled with fiber samples one lock, one sample of spun yarn and one swatch of knitted, crocheted, or woven fabric. From these samples (and the samples from my spinning class ) I've decided I want to find some Coopworth, Churra, and Jacob fleece to spin.
g) The Vendors
h) The vendor area was set up in a large horse showing barn. There were a decent amount of vendors not as many as I expected but it took me a good hour to make my first pass though, There were a lot of hand dyed yarns and some nice roving the only think I wish I would have bought that I didn't were some lovely dyed mohair locks. They had some fantastic colors and they were uber soft. Though I think they were actually intended for felting rather than spinning.
Columbus park fiber and Quilting
Vincent and Frank do Fiber sales and Processing out of Waterford, PA (Erie Area)
They had a great price on some hand cards so I bit the bullet. :)
They are also Kromski dealers
Dakota Designs
This vendor was the first inside the door and I could have saved myself the time walking around as I came back to them to buy my roving.
Sarah Polsinelli operates out of her home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and are on the web at www.dakotaskipper.net it looks like a blog but you can click the fiber store tab to get to the Fibery goodness.
4.4 oz of New Zealand Merino in Sweet pea (Lavender purple)
4.2 oz of New Zealand Merino in Honey (dreamy creamy yellow)
4.2 oz of Silk Merino Blend in Pomegranate (blended burgundy, tan, and white silk)
4.6 oz Mystery wool Black Cherry I tore a piece off and thigh spun a price of this. I was leery because it wasn’t clearly marked. Bit I like ,y single and the color spoke to me and the price was right.
b) Stitch marker class
No One showed up but me! This was a cute take away and the instructor was really nice. I did feel I was kind of holding her up while I finished but the kit was adorable and I may pick up some pins and beads and make some of these as gifts.
c) Also coming up...
Crooked River Fiber Fling in Peninsula, Oh August 4th-7th.
Ann Arbor Fiber Expo October 22 and 23rd at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. This one is still tentative as of now.
II Shipping
1. I can't find a way to gloss but this and fit production into it's normal spot so I'll just come out and say it. THE DAYBREAK is DONE! WAHOOO!. I was knitting The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. It 's lovely I've been keeping it on the back of my chair at the office and it's absolutely cuddle worthy...:) Soooo happy with this I could just gush. Will I be making another anytime soon? Not likely... I need a break from those Loooooong stockinette rows.
III Production
1. The Clapotis by Kate Gilbert from Knitty.com is on the needles I'm doing this out of Malabrigo in the Archangel colorway, What can I say I'm fickle. This is the new love of my life. The color of this yarn is gorgeous, I love the acid green and fluorescent yellow mixed in with the berry burgundy. The sheen on the fabric makes it look like chenille from the right angle. The pattern is a breeze and the stitch repeats are easy to memorize and keep track of. I've breezed through to section 3 and have dropped 5 stitches. Sooo only 7 more repeats to go on section three.! I have to admit though that each time I drop a stitch I still cringe.
IV What's in my Tea Pot
1. Oriental Spice Tea from Adagio Teas
a) In Indian culture, 'Masala' means 'a blend of spices', and 'chai' simply means 'tea.' So, the celebrated Masala Chai is literally 'spiced tea.' If you're new to spiced tea, our warm and approachable Oriental Spice is a great place to start. Tangy and bright Ceylon black tea is blended with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and orange rinds. Fresh and herby-sweet aromas, spicy flavor balanced with citrusy tea, pleasantly dry finish.
b) I love chair and this is a great one! Excellent find many thanks to KnittinWolf for enabling me to do some tea stash enhancement.:)
V After 5
1. Joe Still doesn't want hand knits.
a) This weekend I dropped Nate off with my mom for the week. It's summer and hanging out around the house is LAME. While we were sitting and chatting over popcorn and my Clapotis... it came up again that Joe doesn't want hand knits. So since we had another guy in the house my Dad.. we asked him if he would wear a pair of hand knit socks. His answer “not in the girly stripes and color you wear..” Major points for dad! So seeing that he was in the minority Joe decides to criticize the thickness of my socks. Wrong move buddy! He actually suggested that my socks are an inch thick. Grrrrrr... They may have been an inch thick when I just started and had not found sock yarn but they aren't any more, He's just lucky his feet are the size of my forearm and it would take 3 months to knit him a pair of socks. He might how ever get an “Unloved Husband” hat. For this winter. He does however get mass points for spending the day at a fiber festival with me.
2) I'm still sooo happy to have my life back to normal. I'm looking forward to processing my fleece for Tour de Fleece, playing with my new fiber, and knitting on my Clapotis this week. I may even get out of my monogamous knitter rut and pull out the Plarn Lopi tote or spiral vicious. Ahhhhh!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
AJ's New Wild and Wooly Hair-Do
Yeah, I have no shame. Here's the proof. This "Hair Do" is actually a wad of fiber that needs a trip through the drum carder. I dunno I think pink may be my color...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Knit Big or "I get to carry the pillow!"
Episode 8
I Production scheduling
a) Fathers Day
b) Feedback and comments!
1) Thank you too: Fourpeanuts, SSK_EP, Knittinwolf for Itunes !
a) SSK if I haven't lost you... I'm working on the sound quality I promise! Thanks for letting me know! This is kind of like the pod casting equivalent of
having toilette paper on your shoe!
2) Also thank you to Rockingranola and Knittinwolf who took the time to follow me on twitter!
b) Events
c) Production
d) What's In My Tea Pot
e) Materials Sourcing
f) After 5
a) Wedding Round Up
b) Review!
II Events
b)Woolfest at Lake farm Park June 23 to 26. I will be at this event on Sunday the 26th taking the beginning spinning class and the Stitch marker class shortly afterward
c) Crooked River Fiber Fling in Peninsula, Oh August 4th-7th.
d) Ann Arbor Fiber Expo October 22 and 23rd at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. This on is tentative ass of now but will give me another reason to visit Ann Arbor again.
III Production
a) The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and '
ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. I wanted this to be in shipping so bad this
week. Sorry to say that my life took over and I only have 4 of the 7 purl rows in the edging done.
It's the shawl that will not die!
IV What's in my Tea Pot
a) Zhena's Gypsy Tea - Pumpkin Spice (sachet)
1) Enjoy a trip through the pumpkin patch with this naturally caffeine-free organic blend of superior South African Rooibos and Honey Bush, flavored with sweet Madagascar vanilla beans, finished with the tasty tingle of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, this tea offers a warm soothing cup for crisp days and cool nights. Forget the cool nights I'll drink this anytime, I've been in a wiped out stressed out crank mood this week and I've been drinking this by the pot full. It's like a pumpkin pie in a cup! Plus it's fair trade. You can but this one on line at www.gypsytea.com.
b) Timolino Gravity Steeper from Bed Bath and Beyond Joe picked this up for me as a little treat. I love this gizmo! It steeps about 2 cups at a time, dispenses from the bottom, and has a fine mesh filter so there are no fannings in the cup. It's also dishwasher safe. The only down side is that it's easy to over fill the cup if I'm not paying attention.
V Materials Sourcing
a) Babe has been ignored this week.
b) Goals for next week.
1) Navajo Ply the Mohair and left over corriedale singles.
2) Spin some more Pot Luck Fiber
c) Spinning class next weekend! Yay!
d) Mom's fiber stash diving and my pink hair do.
VI After 5
A My teeth are revolting revolting.
B The wedding is over!
1) White knuckle ride to Alliance with a wedding cake.
2) “I get to carry the pillow!”
C Big Girl Knits By Jillian Moreno and Amy R. Singer
1) The holy grail of plus size knitting. Worth the cover price just for the fitting tip and techniques in the forward.
2) I love the writing style on this. They have small asides to help in the margins. My fave is the section on buying a good bra. I read that and nodded my head. They suggest you buy a good bra from a woman who is bossy and that will feel you up. I wish I had read this years ago when I was looking for foundation garments for under my wedding gown. I had an experience with a woman like this and thought I was being molested...:) I actually went as far as to duck out of the store when she wasn't looking.
3) Why can't the 3 B's be in store's ?
4) Patterns I want to knit!
a) Sexy Ribs Pullover
b) Lift and Separate wrap sweater
c) Cherry Jacket (I love all the coats but the 3 B's say this is the one for me.)
d) The Laura Tee
e)The bottoms are all cute but I don't think any of them are for me and I don't feel that I have the patience to knit yoga pants.
I Production scheduling
a) Fathers Day
b) Feedback and comments!
1) Thank you too: Fourpeanuts, SSK_EP, Knittinwolf for Itunes !
a) SSK if I haven't lost you... I'm working on the sound quality I promise! Thanks for letting me know! This is kind of like the pod casting equivalent of
having toilette paper on your shoe!
2) Also thank you to Rockingranola and Knittinwolf who took the time to follow me on twitter!
b) Events
c) Production
d) What's In My Tea Pot
e) Materials Sourcing
f) After 5
a) Wedding Round Up
b) Review!
II Events
b)Woolfest at Lake farm Park June 23 to 26. I will be at this event on Sunday the 26th taking the beginning spinning class and the Stitch marker class shortly afterward
c) Crooked River Fiber Fling in Peninsula, Oh August 4th-7th.
d) Ann Arbor Fiber Expo October 22 and 23rd at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. This on is tentative ass of now but will give me another reason to visit Ann Arbor again.
III Production
a) The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and '
ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. I wanted this to be in shipping so bad this
week. Sorry to say that my life took over and I only have 4 of the 7 purl rows in the edging done.
It's the shawl that will not die!
IV What's in my Tea Pot
a) Zhena's Gypsy Tea - Pumpkin Spice (sachet)
1) Enjoy a trip through the pumpkin patch with this naturally caffeine-free organic blend of superior South African Rooibos and Honey Bush, flavored with sweet Madagascar vanilla beans, finished with the tasty tingle of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, this tea offers a warm soothing cup for crisp days and cool nights. Forget the cool nights I'll drink this anytime, I've been in a wiped out stressed out crank mood this week and I've been drinking this by the pot full. It's like a pumpkin pie in a cup! Plus it's fair trade. You can but this one on line at www.gypsytea.com.
b) Timolino Gravity Steeper from Bed Bath and Beyond Joe picked this up for me as a little treat. I love this gizmo! It steeps about 2 cups at a time, dispenses from the bottom, and has a fine mesh filter so there are no fannings in the cup. It's also dishwasher safe. The only down side is that it's easy to over fill the cup if I'm not paying attention.
V Materials Sourcing
a) Babe has been ignored this week.
b) Goals for next week.
1) Navajo Ply the Mohair and left over corriedale singles.
2) Spin some more Pot Luck Fiber
c) Spinning class next weekend! Yay!
d) Mom's fiber stash diving and my pink hair do.
VI After 5
A My teeth are revolting revolting.
B The wedding is over!
1) White knuckle ride to Alliance with a wedding cake.
2) “I get to carry the pillow!”
C Big Girl Knits By Jillian Moreno and Amy R. Singer
1) The holy grail of plus size knitting. Worth the cover price just for the fitting tip and techniques in the forward.
2) I love the writing style on this. They have small asides to help in the margins. My fave is the section on buying a good bra. I read that and nodded my head. They suggest you buy a good bra from a woman who is bossy and that will feel you up. I wish I had read this years ago when I was looking for foundation garments for under my wedding gown. I had an experience with a woman like this and thought I was being molested...:) I actually went as far as to duck out of the store when she wasn't looking.
3) Why can't the 3 B's be in store's ?
4) Patterns I want to knit!
a) Sexy Ribs Pullover
b) Lift and Separate wrap sweater
c) Cherry Jacket (I love all the coats but the 3 B's say this is the one for me.)
d) The Laura Tee
e)The bottoms are all cute but I don't think any of them are for me and I don't feel that I have the patience to knit yoga pants.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Episode 7 I just wanna Knit! or "Where's Bridezilla when you need her?"
AJ Knits Episode 7
I Production Scheduling
a) Events
b) Production
c) What's In My Tea Pot
d) Materials Sourcing
e) After Five
II Events
a) Today is National Knit in Public day. My life got in the way this week and I was not able to meet up with my knitting group at Hardesty Park in Akron today but I was sure to “represent” by knitting on my Daybreak while waiting for our table at lunch today. Everyday is pretty much knit in public day for me. I usually have my knitting in my purse or in my tote bag. (Yeah... I'm a bag lady. I love tote bags. I carry one just about everyday they're awesome for everything from my knitting to my lunch!)
I used to knit at work during my lunch but I tend to stay at my desk for lunch and don't take my lunch at a specified time. So I would be knitting away and a co worker would come in and I'd defensively explain that “No I'm not goofing off” that “I'm on Lunch” or I'd have to escape to the lunch room which is always filthy... I don't want want bits of other peoples lunches in my knitting! Especially one of the loftier yarns with lots of “fuzz” to it! So I don't knit at lunch very often now but I do pull it out while waiting for Nate at guitar lessons, while B is playing with the toys at the library or while is various waiting rooms (unless B is with me then he takes all of my attention... Nothing is worse than a child wreaking havoc while a parent is not paying attention or worse doing something other that paying attention to their child... ) Joe makes fun of me when I knit in public. I find that most of my non knitting friends politely ignore it but once in a while I'll get a comment of “Oh,don't mind us you just keep on sewing....” I've resolved to not pay these people any attention as long as I'm not knitting in patently unappropriated situations (meetings at work, church services, yadda yadda) I'm going to keep knitting where ever. Knitting is an art form and if “ya got it, flaunt it.”
b)Woolfest at Lake farm Park June 23 to 26. I will be at this event on Sunday the 26th taking the beginning spinning class and the Stitch marker class shortly afterward
c) Crooked River Fiber Fling in Peninsula, Oh August 4th-7th.
d) Ann Arbor Fiber Expo October 22 and 23rd at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. This on is tentative ass of now but will give me another reason to visit Ann Arbor again. Google this one if you have a chance I love their logo!
III Production
a) The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. AHHHHH! I'm sooo close! I can see the end of the tunnel. I can't tell you how much it's irking me to have to do all the miscellaneous stuff in my everyday life right now, I have all 20 pairs of stripes finished. The first two rows of the edging are done, I guess you’d call them almost the set up rows for the edging...? I'm ready to start the last 4 row repeats to finish this baby! I just can not sit down and get to it! Grrrrrrr! Don't these people understand I have knitting to do?
b) I had such big plans for knitting this weekend. I even have the pattern for the Clapotis, one of the balled skeins of the Malabrigo , and my needle case in my tote bag ready to cast on as soon as I get the day break off my needles. HA! Wishful thinking on my part. So this week I have been very monogamous in knitting and have ignored everything trying to get the daybrersk done. We haven't had anything in shipping for a while and this week isn't going to change!
IV) What's in My Tea Pot
a) Strawberry Tingle Rooibus Tea from East of Eden Tea Co. A wonderful harmony between strawberry and rooibos, Strawberry Tingle Rooibos delivers outstanding strawberry flavor! This blend brings back memories of sweet succulent strawberries.
b) When you brew Rooibos, you can follow the same procedure you normally would when brewing black or oolong tea; save the fact you let it steep about 2 minutes longer
c) Rooibus s a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa's fynbos. Rooibos is grown only in a small area in the region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.[2] Generally, the leaves are oxidized, a process often, and inaccurately, referred to as f ermentation by analogy with tea-processing terminology. This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown colour of rooibos and enhances the flavour. Unoxidized "green" rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos. It carries a malty and slightly grassy flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.
V) Materials Sourcing
a) Tour De Fleece goal and research.
1) I may be hopelessly over committed. My bag of mystery fiber from Greenfield village is a full pound. I'm going to be a spinning fool! Which makes me think that maybe in additional to spinning with the rookie 2011 team and Team I got you Babe. I may also join team Hopelessly Over committed. I may also join the other pod casters over at Team Sasquatch. I'm not sure about this one... being a rookie spinner and pod caster I'm not sure I belong over there just yet. :)
2) I did a some research this week on fleece prep for spinning. Instrumental in this was a book I found at my local library. The Intentional Spinner A Holistic Approach to Making Yarn by Judith Mackenzie McCuin. This is a great book. I've been selection reading this using more as reference for my immediate questions than reading it cover to cover but every time I open it to look up something... I get sucked in by another section. Using this book I've decided that my mystery fleece is fairly long stapled and that I'll be spinning it worsted. Which means I get to invest in a new toy. I've already found the set of wool combs I want. They're from a small supplier in Cincinnati and I'll share where I get them from after they arrive and I know I'm satisfied with them. After I decided the preparation method. I started looking into how wool combing was done. There's an excellent set of videos on YouTube by ADHUK who seems to be AKA Amanda http://youtu.be/gcYY1xF-JvY I have the link to part one of her videos on the show notes she takes you from preparation on through combing and even shows you how to make sliver with a diz. I found this really informative and this is how I plan to process the mystery fleece. Also worth noting is http://youtu.be/g2LhZBJFW9g from a poster called thestarbox. I watched this after the first link. She was brave enough to ,make a video of her first attempt. It may be just me but I like when I can see that other people get less than perfect results. It helps me to see what other people are doing and how I can improve upon it. Plus it takes serious Hutzpah to put your self out there for criticism like that. So for all those reason I've linked to her as well. I'm anxiously awaiting my wool combs! I can't wait to get this started! I really think that spinning from sliver instead of roving my help with my yarn consistency.
3) So while I was sitting at work this week I had a flash of spinning inspiration. I've been worried about how I'm going to ply the Party Colored pot Luck fiber. I really don't want to loose the long color repeats. So it occurred to me that I heard some where that Navajo Plying was used for that., So I looked that up in the Intentional Spinner and then found that on YouTube as well. It occurred to my that instead of Plying the mohair kid singles to the potluck fiber, I can Navajo Ply it to itself! so hopefully this week I'll be practicing Navajo Plying on some corriedale singles I have hanging about. I love it when a plan comes together!
VI After Five
a) DAR Picnic Recipe Success
1) I have a wet butt.
2) I have Beans on My shirt and I smell Like BBQ.
3) Yes my Beans had Weiners in them before Representative Weiner took to twitter.
a) The Wedding
1) How to be a good bridesmaid.
a) Buy your dress where the bride asks you to.
b) Buy the color the Bride wants.
c) remember this day is not about you.
d) If you can't afford to do the above BOW OUT GRACEFULLY!
2) B's Tux
3) Cake Drama
b) Joe's Birthday and Father's Day Moved Up
c) B Loves the library
VII Quitting Time
a) I try to remember to Thank you guys for letting me rant at you every week. So before I forget hto do it again Thank you! I know you guys are out there and someone is listening but I don't hear from you often and I really want this to be a conversation. So please feel free to post comments on the Show notes, friend me or follow me on Ravelry, Twitter, and or Plurk, or drop me an email you can email me from the show notes page. Tell me what I'm doing right or wrong, share your knitting snafus, or even your mommy stories. Most of all if you enjoy me tell a friend and if you want to tell someone you don't know take a second and give me a rating on Itunes. Those ratings help other listeners to decide who to take a chance on and to risk quoting Abba I'd love them to “Take a chance on me!”
I Production Scheduling
a) Events
b) Production
c) What's In My Tea Pot
d) Materials Sourcing
e) After Five
II Events
a) Today is National Knit in Public day. My life got in the way this week and I was not able to meet up with my knitting group at Hardesty Park in Akron today but I was sure to “represent” by knitting on my Daybreak while waiting for our table at lunch today. Everyday is pretty much knit in public day for me. I usually have my knitting in my purse or in my tote bag. (Yeah... I'm a bag lady. I love tote bags. I carry one just about everyday they're awesome for everything from my knitting to my lunch!)
I used to knit at work during my lunch but I tend to stay at my desk for lunch and don't take my lunch at a specified time. So I would be knitting away and a co worker would come in and I'd defensively explain that “No I'm not goofing off” that “I'm on Lunch” or I'd have to escape to the lunch room which is always filthy... I don't want want bits of other peoples lunches in my knitting! Especially one of the loftier yarns with lots of “fuzz” to it! So I don't knit at lunch very often now but I do pull it out while waiting for Nate at guitar lessons, while B is playing with the toys at the library or while is various waiting rooms (unless B is with me then he takes all of my attention... Nothing is worse than a child wreaking havoc while a parent is not paying attention or worse doing something other that paying attention to their child... ) Joe makes fun of me when I knit in public. I find that most of my non knitting friends politely ignore it but once in a while I'll get a comment of “Oh,don't mind us you just keep on sewing....” I've resolved to not pay these people any attention as long as I'm not knitting in patently unappropriated situations (meetings at work, church services, yadda yadda) I'm going to keep knitting where ever. Knitting is an art form and if “ya got it, flaunt it.”
b)Woolfest at Lake farm Park June 23 to 26. I will be at this event on Sunday the 26th taking the beginning spinning class and the Stitch marker class shortly afterward
c) Crooked River Fiber Fling in Peninsula, Oh August 4th-7th.
d) Ann Arbor Fiber Expo October 22 and 23rd at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. This on is tentative ass of now but will give me another reason to visit Ann Arbor again. Google this one if you have a chance I love their logo!
III Production
a) The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. AHHHHH! I'm sooo close! I can see the end of the tunnel. I can't tell you how much it's irking me to have to do all the miscellaneous stuff in my everyday life right now, I have all 20 pairs of stripes finished. The first two rows of the edging are done, I guess you’d call them almost the set up rows for the edging...? I'm ready to start the last 4 row repeats to finish this baby! I just can not sit down and get to it! Grrrrrrr! Don't these people understand I have knitting to do?
b) I had such big plans for knitting this weekend. I even have the pattern for the Clapotis, one of the balled skeins of the Malabrigo , and my needle case in my tote bag ready to cast on as soon as I get the day break off my needles. HA! Wishful thinking on my part. So this week I have been very monogamous in knitting and have ignored everything trying to get the daybrersk done. We haven't had anything in shipping for a while and this week isn't going to change!
IV) What's in My Tea Pot
a) Strawberry Tingle Rooibus Tea from East of Eden Tea Co. A wonderful harmony between strawberry and rooibos, Strawberry Tingle Rooibos delivers outstanding strawberry flavor! This blend brings back memories of sweet succulent strawberries.
b) When you brew Rooibos, you can follow the same procedure you normally would when brewing black or oolong tea; save the fact you let it steep about 2 minutes longer
c) Rooibus s a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa's fynbos. Rooibos is grown only in a small area in the region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.[2] Generally, the leaves are oxidized, a process often, and inaccurately, referred to as f ermentation by analogy with tea-processing terminology. This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown colour of rooibos and enhances the flavour. Unoxidized "green" rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos. It carries a malty and slightly grassy flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.
V) Materials Sourcing
a) Tour De Fleece goal and research.
1) I may be hopelessly over committed. My bag of mystery fiber from Greenfield village is a full pound. I'm going to be a spinning fool! Which makes me think that maybe in additional to spinning with the rookie 2011 team and Team I got you Babe. I may also join team Hopelessly Over committed. I may also join the other pod casters over at Team Sasquatch. I'm not sure about this one... being a rookie spinner and pod caster I'm not sure I belong over there just yet. :)
2) I did a some research this week on fleece prep for spinning. Instrumental in this was a book I found at my local library. The Intentional Spinner A Holistic Approach to Making Yarn by Judith Mackenzie McCuin. This is a great book. I've been selection reading this using more as reference for my immediate questions than reading it cover to cover but every time I open it to look up something... I get sucked in by another section. Using this book I've decided that my mystery fleece is fairly long stapled and that I'll be spinning it worsted. Which means I get to invest in a new toy. I've already found the set of wool combs I want. They're from a small supplier in Cincinnati and I'll share where I get them from after they arrive and I know I'm satisfied with them. After I decided the preparation method. I started looking into how wool combing was done. There's an excellent set of videos on YouTube by ADHUK who seems to be AKA Amanda http://youtu.be/gcYY1xF-JvY I have the link to part one of her videos on the show notes she takes you from preparation on through combing and even shows you how to make sliver with a diz. I found this really informative and this is how I plan to process the mystery fleece. Also worth noting is http://youtu.be/g2LhZBJFW9g from a poster called thestarbox. I watched this after the first link. She was brave enough to ,make a video of her first attempt. It may be just me but I like when I can see that other people get less than perfect results. It helps me to see what other people are doing and how I can improve upon it. Plus it takes serious Hutzpah to put your self out there for criticism like that. So for all those reason I've linked to her as well. I'm anxiously awaiting my wool combs! I can't wait to get this started! I really think that spinning from sliver instead of roving my help with my yarn consistency.
3) So while I was sitting at work this week I had a flash of spinning inspiration. I've been worried about how I'm going to ply the Party Colored pot Luck fiber. I really don't want to loose the long color repeats. So it occurred to me that I heard some where that Navajo Plying was used for that., So I looked that up in the Intentional Spinner and then found that on YouTube as well. It occurred to my that instead of Plying the mohair kid singles to the potluck fiber, I can Navajo Ply it to itself!
VI After Five
a) DAR Picnic Recipe Success
1) I have a wet butt.
2) I have Beans on My shirt and I smell Like BBQ.
3) Yes my Beans had Weiners in them before Representative Weiner took to twitter.
a) The Wedding
1) How to be a good bridesmaid.
a) Buy your dress where the bride asks you to.
b) Buy the color the Bride wants.
c) remember this day is not about you.
d) If you can't afford to do the above BOW OUT GRACEFULLY!
2) B's Tux
3) Cake Drama
b) Joe's Birthday and Father's Day Moved Up
c) B Loves the library
VII Quitting Time
a) I try to remember to Thank you guys for letting me rant at you every week. So before I forget hto do it again Thank you! I know you guys are out there and someone is listening but I don't hear from you often and I really want this to be a conversation. So please feel free to post comments on the Show notes, friend me or follow me on Ravelry, Twitter, and or Plurk, or drop me an email you can email me from the show notes page. Tell me what I'm doing right or wrong, share your knitting snafus, or even your mommy stories. Most of all if you enjoy me tell a friend and if you want to tell someone you don't know take a second and give me a rating on Itunes. Those ratings help other listeners to decide who to take a chance on and to risk quoting Abba I'd love them to “Take a chance on me!”
My Secret ...
SO if you listened past the music at the end of the pod cast you heard me promise my bean recipe. So here it is... Try to keep it off your shirt!
1 15 1/2 oz can of Pork and Beans
1/2Cup of Ketchup
1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
1 TSP mustard
1 Small onion minced
1/4 Cup Dark Molasses
4-5 Slices of bacon
* Optional 1 package of cocktail wienies
Combine all ingredients and bake at 350 for 1 hr.
1 15 1/2 oz can of Pork and Beans
1/2Cup of Ketchup
1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
1 TSP mustard
1 Small onion minced
1/4 Cup Dark Molasses
4-5 Slices of bacon
* Optional 1 package of cocktail wienies
Combine all ingredients and bake at 350 for 1 hr.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Making the Knit Scene or "It's hard to look macho with a balloon animal."
AJ knits Episode 6
I Production Scheduling
a) Events
b) Production
c) QC Inspection
d) What's in my Tea Pot
e) Materials Sourcing
f) Bone room
g) After 5
II Events
a) Saturday June 11th is National Yarn Bombing Day
b) Sunday June 12th is World Wide knit in Public Day Cuyohoga falls Knit and hook will be
meeting up at Hardesty Park in Akron, Ohio at 11:00.
c) Woolfest at Lakefarm Park June 23 to 26. I will be at this event on Sunday the 26th taking the beginning spinning class.
d) Crooked River Fiber Fling August 4th-7th.
III Production
a) The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and '
ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. I'm still clicking away on the Daybreak I
have about 6 sets of stripes to go until the final edging. The rows are getting long but I really
want this done.
b) The fulled Lopi Tote. This week to cure a case of cast-on it is I cast this on out of Plarn.
When casting this on I broke the cardinal rule of knitting. I did not swatch. The pattern calls
Size 15 circs. I think that the pattern is calling for a larger needle sz to compensate for the
shrinkage during the felting process. Unfortunately my plarn will not shrink so what I'm getting
is a fairly open fabric. Which isn't a bad thing as this is just a grocery bag. The pattern is knit
from the top down. The handles are basically large glorified button holes. It's knitting up fairly
quickly but the plarn takes a toll on my hands. All in all this bag is a great breather from the day break.
c) Nothing else on the needles got any time this week. Still pining to cast on the Clopotis, take
another run at the spiral viscous, and test out that spiral sock that’s floating in the back of my head.
IV QC Inspection
a) The daybreak has bit me twice this week. I can be an airhead from time to time. (yeah big
surprise..) I was knitting along on one of the monstrously long rows on the day break and had
ther Berroco (or color B as it's referred to in the pattern) on my lap. I'll have to admit that yes it was about 11:00 at night and yes I was pretty tired. Some how I managed to loop 3 strands from the side of the ball onto my needles like a stitch marker. How this even happened I have no clue. So after I worked my way through the row and got the ball of yarn disconnected I was knitting while the family was watching TV and somehow managed to drop about 6 stitches. Gf Again how this sort of thing happens I have no clue but after a lot of swearing and almost
crying I got them back on and everything is twisted correctly and back to clicking along.
Hopefully this will be the last time this pattern bites me.
V What's In My Tea Pot
a) Gold Kili Ginger Drink Instant Ginger Drink is a blend of high quality ginger and pure honey added for a fragrant smooth and delicious drink. A drink you can enjoy at anytime of the day. This tea has a ton of sugar in it and comes in at about 80 calories a cup. This one isn't for someone watching their calories. Hot this tea tastes like a ginger snap on steroids,.over ice you still get a ginger burn but with a medicinal after taste. I had Joe taste this one and he and I both agree that there is a medicinal after taste. If your a Ginger fan this is the drink for you. If you're and amateur like Joe and I give it a try but be prepared!
b) I did find a winner in the tea stash but unfortunately couldn't find any information on it. The bag seems to be in Chinese the only English on it says it's Beijing Iris. Inside the packet is what looks like tamarind Chamomile flowers, green tea leaves, and some large sugar crystals. This ones a good one. I'll be looking into what this really is this week. Hopefully Melissa has the box or I can get a friend of mine with Cantonese in-laws to translate for me!
VI Materials Sourcing
a) This week I signed up for the Tour De Fleece on ravelry. Tour De Fleece is a spinning challenge that mirror's the Tour De France. When the cyclists are riding we're spinning. I've
signed up to spin with the Rookie 2011 team. The rookie team is for 1st yr TDF competitors so even if you've been spinning a while you can join the rookie team. As we all know I’m a rookie in every sense of the word and will be in good company. My goal for this will be to spin through my bag of mystery fleece from greenfield village. Looking more closely at this bag It think it's going to take a lot more processing than I thought. I've started to research carding and I think that I'm going to have to invest in a set of wool combs and cards just by looking at how much veg matter is in this wool. It's a bit disconcerting.. especially with the prices on combs and cards. I wasn't exactly ready for this. So I may be changing my goal to spin and ply one of my 8 oz balls of pot luck fiber. It really depends on whether or not I think I can get this wool processed for spinning. The Tour de Fleece starts in July so I have a few more weeks to decide what I'm doing. Hopefully my spinning course at Lake Farm Park will help get me to peak spinning condition...:)
VII Bone room
A) The Zombie BBQ had arrived! WOOHOO! Thank you Jimmy Beans. Now to figure out
what to do with it... Perhaps a pair of socks in my future... One thing is for sure I need to get somethings off my needles. I am officially out of cables for my interchangeable s... something I
never thought would happen.
G After 5
a) Nate's B-day at the Samurai
b) 2 weeks to Eric and Gina's wedding and Aj is gaining weight.
c) Summer 2011 Knit Scene
ci) Article on Garter Stitch By Stephen West!
cii) Heliosphere Tank by Romi Hill
ciii) Radian Yoke by Wendy Bernard
civ) **Mie Pullover by Sarah Fama I LOVE the faux vents on the side of this pull over I think I could easily adapt this to accommodate my “curves”.
cv) Starboard Cape by Courtenay Kelley
cvi) ** Embassy Scarf by Amy Polcyn. I have some Knit Picks tonal lace weight that I have in mind for this. Too bad all my cables are in projects I might have cast this on tonight!.
cvii) Clipper mitts by Izumi Auchi WONDER WOMAN! These are destined for cosplay! Perhaps to be paired with the knitted corset from vampire knits... hmmmmm
cviii) Figurehead shawl Alexis Winslow. This looks like a fun quick knit. I like the scalloped edge and it's absolutely adorable styled with a button around the shoulders.
I Production Scheduling
a) Events
b) Production
c) QC Inspection
d) What's in my Tea Pot
e) Materials Sourcing
f) Bone room
g) After 5
II Events
a) Saturday June 11th is National Yarn Bombing Day
b) Sunday June 12th is World Wide knit in Public Day Cuyohoga falls Knit and hook will be
meeting up at Hardesty Park in Akron, Ohio at 11:00.
c) Woolfest at Lakefarm Park June 23 to 26. I will be at this event on Sunday the 26th taking the beginning spinning class.
d) Crooked River Fiber Fling August 4th-7th.
III Production
a) The Day Break Shawl By Stephen West. Knitted out of Bamboo and Ewe in Bamboo and '
ewe Purple and Berroco comfort in color way #1812. I'm still clicking away on the Daybreak I
have about 6 sets of stripes to go until the final edging. The rows are getting long but I really
want this done.
b) The fulled Lopi Tote. This week to cure a case of cast-on it is I cast this on out of Plarn.
When casting this on I broke the cardinal rule of knitting. I did not swatch. The pattern calls
Size 15 circs. I think that the pattern is calling for a larger needle sz to compensate for the
shrinkage during the felting process. Unfortunately my plarn will not shrink so what I'm getting
is a fairly open fabric. Which isn't a bad thing as this is just a grocery bag. The pattern is knit
from the top down. The handles are basically large glorified button holes. It's knitting up fairly
quickly but the plarn takes a toll on my hands. All in all this bag is a great breather from the day break.
c) Nothing else on the needles got any time this week. Still pining to cast on the Clopotis, take
another run at the spiral viscous, and test out that spiral sock that’s floating in the back of my head.
IV QC Inspection
a) The daybreak has bit me twice this week. I can be an airhead from time to time. (yeah big
surprise..) I was knitting along on one of the monstrously long rows on the day break and had
ther Berroco (or color B as it's referred to in the pattern) on my lap. I'll have to admit that yes it was about 11:00 at night and yes I was pretty tired. Some how I managed to loop 3 strands from the side of the ball onto my needles like a stitch marker. How this even happened I have no clue. So after I worked my way through the row and got the ball of yarn disconnected I was knitting while the family was watching TV and somehow managed to drop about 6 stitches. Gf Again how this sort of thing happens I have no clue but after a lot of swearing and almost
crying I got them back on and everything is twisted correctly and back to clicking along.
Hopefully this will be the last time this pattern bites me.
V What's In My Tea Pot
a) Gold Kili Ginger Drink Instant Ginger Drink is a blend of high quality ginger and pure honey added for a fragrant smooth and delicious drink. A drink you can enjoy at anytime of the day. This tea has a ton of sugar in it and comes in at about 80 calories a cup. This one isn't for someone watching their calories. Hot this tea tastes like a ginger snap on steroids,.over ice you still get a ginger burn but with a medicinal after taste. I had Joe taste this one and he and I both agree that there is a medicinal after taste. If your a Ginger fan this is the drink for you. If you're and amateur like Joe and I give it a try but be prepared!
b) I did find a winner in the tea stash but unfortunately couldn't find any information on it. The bag seems to be in Chinese the only English on it says it's Beijing Iris. Inside the packet is what looks like tamarind Chamomile flowers, green tea leaves, and some large sugar crystals. This ones a good one. I'll be looking into what this really is this week. Hopefully Melissa has the box or I can get a friend of mine with Cantonese in-laws to translate for me!
VI Materials Sourcing
a) This week I signed up for the Tour De Fleece on ravelry. Tour De Fleece is a spinning challenge that mirror's the Tour De France. When the cyclists are riding we're spinning. I've
signed up to spin with the Rookie 2011 team. The rookie team is for 1st yr TDF competitors so even if you've been spinning a while you can join the rookie team. As we all know I’m a rookie in every sense of the word and will be in good company. My goal for this will be to spin through my bag of mystery fleece from greenfield village. Looking more closely at this bag It think it's going to take a lot more processing than I thought. I've started to research carding and I think that I'm going to have to invest in a set of wool combs and cards just by looking at how much veg matter is in this wool. It's a bit disconcerting.. especially with the prices on combs and cards. I wasn't exactly ready for this. So I may be changing my goal to spin and ply one of my 8 oz balls of pot luck fiber. It really depends on whether or not I think I can get this wool processed for spinning. The Tour de Fleece starts in July so I have a few more weeks to decide what I'm doing. Hopefully my spinning course at Lake Farm Park will help get me to peak spinning condition...:)
VII Bone room
A) The Zombie BBQ had arrived! WOOHOO! Thank you Jimmy Beans. Now to figure out
what to do with it... Perhaps a pair of socks in my future... One thing is for sure I need to get somethings off my needles. I am officially out of cables for my interchangeable s... something I
never thought would happen.
G After 5
a) Nate's B-day at the Samurai
b) 2 weeks to Eric and Gina's wedding and Aj is gaining weight.
c) Summer 2011 Knit Scene
ci) Article on Garter Stitch By Stephen West!
cii) Heliosphere Tank by Romi Hill
ciii) Radian Yoke by Wendy Bernard
civ) **Mie Pullover by Sarah Fama I LOVE the faux vents on the side of this pull over I think I could easily adapt this to accommodate my “curves”.
cv) Starboard Cape by Courtenay Kelley
cvi) ** Embassy Scarf by Amy Polcyn. I have some Knit Picks tonal lace weight that I have in mind for this. Too bad all my cables are in projects I might have cast this on tonight!.
cvii) Clipper mitts by Izumi Auchi WONDER WOMAN! These are destined for cosplay! Perhaps to be paired with the knitted corset from vampire knits... hmmmmm
cviii) Figurehead shawl Alexis Winslow. This looks like a fun quick knit. I like the scalloped edge and it's absolutely adorable styled with a button around the shoulders.
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