This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business, Quince
& Co, and Ewe-nique Yarns
The folks at Quince & Co produce a line of thoughtfully
conceived yarns in their historic spinnery in New England. Their wool comes from domestic sheep and
other fibers come from earth friendly suppliers. You will find that Quince & Co 100% wool
is a living fiber, beautiful, practical, sustainable, and affordable. Find them
at www.quinceandco.com
Ewe-nique Yarns in Morton IL is a sponsor of the Knitting
Pipeline retreat April 26-27, 2013. Among
the items they carry are a full line of Addi needles, Chiagoo, Knit Picks, and
most recently Knitter’s Pride including the new Karbonz that I will review
later in this episode. They also stock Malabrigo,
Madelinetosh, Frog Tree, Elsabeth Lavold, Debbie Bliss, Claudia Handpainted,
Louisa Harding, Rowan, Sublime and dozens more. Debbie and Jenny are happy to ship to
Pipeliners. http://www.ewe-niqueyarnsetc.com/
You can find my Longaberger Home Business at www.longaberger.com/paula. If you wish to be on my email preferred
customer list, please send me an email at paulaef@aol.com
with your name, mailing address, and phone.
Knitting
Pipeline group on Ravelry is a fun group. Join us! I am PrairiePiper on Ravelry
Pipeliner Notes
Thanks to everyone who was in touch with me. I heard from
new Pipeliners; Sazzleknits (Sarah in Bath), Burgundyann, and JPollard.
Thank you so much for the star ratings and reviews on
iTunes. There were new reviews by dbeltt,
Beth PA (#300), and Cath0903. We hit a
bit of a milestone this week with the 300th review and 500th
star rating! If you have ever left a
review or clicked on the star ratings then you contributed and are part of
this. Thank you so very much.
Sarah gave us an update today on the moth situation.
Lady Edith Crawley left a post on the board with one of
Robert Burns’ most famous poems “My Luv is like a red red rose…
Time-not-cash in Scotland wrote about her Robert Burns Day
on The Isle of Mull.
Last week we talked about a topic proposed by a Pipeliner: There are only two stitches in knitting -
knit and purl. This is a major oversimplification of all the stitches in
knitting - this one drives me crazy!
Benji9 wrote
I taught my sister how to knit about a year ago. She had
never been a crafter, and had never shown the slightest interest in anything
crafty. On a road trip, we stopped in at a LYS in Bracebridge, Ontario. My
sister was mesmerized by the variety and beauty of the yarns. We bought her
enough yarn for her first project, and she was hooked!
She often tells me that she always remembers what I told her
about knitting being just about two stitches, knit and purl, and that this was
the simplicity she needed to persevere.
Knitting Pipeline
Retreat April 26-27, 2013 with Yarn
Crawl Fun Day on April 25th. We
have over 60 registered now and there is room for more.
Nature Notes
 |
| Winter sunset in the woods. |
As usual we’ve had some wildly fluctuating temperatures here
in central Illinois. We broke a record
this week with a high of 64 degrees and then it became quite cold again, down
to the twenties. Today it is sunny, windy, and cold and 11 deg F. The birds are very busy at the feeders at 10
AM on this chilly day. In fact the
feeder is crowded with no less than 5 varieties clinging or sitting at one
time. Male and female cardinal, downey
woodpecker, nuthatch, and tufted titmouse.
Other birds wait patiently or not so patiently on branches at the edge
of the woods. One bird flies away to
crack a seed and eat away from the feeder.
A Red-bellied woodpecker is making its way up the trunk of our locust
tree.
I’m glad I do not have to choose a favorite bird. It is perhaps easier to say what birds are
not favorites as that list is short…mostly birds not native to the US such as
starlings, European sparrows, and mourning doves. Whatever bird is at the
feeder seems to be my favorite in the winter (unless it is a big starling which
doesn’t happen often) just as the shawl I have just finished is usually my
favorite. First I would choose the
brilliant cardinal and its subtle mate, but no, what about the Black-capped
Chickadee that is beginning to stake out its territory with its clear Fee Bee
call. The black and white downey
woodpeckers, the males with the brilliant spot of red on the back of the head
could surely be favorites also. They seem
like gymnasts, clinging to the suet holder, hanging upside down and taking in
sustenance for the coldest days of winter. Don’t forget the goldfinches in
their winter garb that will in a few months be changing to bright yellow and
black. I am thinking that in a few
months we will be hearing the purest of all bird songs, the song of the white
throated sparrow, which although it does not visit the feeder, can sometimes be
seen scratching on the ground below. In
June the bubbling song of the House Wren will eclipse all other voices. And there there are hummingbirds…So you see, that
I simply cannot choose a favorite.
|
The Snow Man
| |
One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
|
|
I am starting the Week 4 or home stretch. February 15, 2013 is the deadline to be eligible for prizes.
Prizes will be Quince & Co
yarn in your choice of color (1), Giftable pattern of your choice (2 and 3).
Afterthought Heel socks
started out two at a time Magic Loop.
I abandoned Two at a Time after about 2
inches. I did not like it AT ALL.
Gnome Acres in the Camp KIP
colorway. Size 1 needles. Star toe and
Star Heel
I discovered a hole, yes a hole in
the heel. I have only worn these socks about 10 times. Sigh. The good news is that it will be easy
to replace since these heels are Afterthought Heel socks but still! So what will I do about these heels. Reinforce them!
Monkey Socks by
Cookie A
Yarn vs Zombies size one needle. Yarn felt great although
probably not colors I would have chosen myself. Fun to knit and went fast. It’s
hard to pull off lace on socks when it comes to fit.
Blueberry
Waffle Socks by Sandy Turner Free pattern
I used Knit Picks Felici Sport in
Streambed colorway.
Come into the
Blethering Room for a Bit
Our furnace went out again. Turns out it was the compressor…
I am on a heated blanket binge and don’t quite know how I
lived without them. I bought a king size heated mattress pad on clearance at
Target and also a heated throw on clearance.
I had a quick visit to Klose Knit, our newest sponsor for
the retreat, when we went to Urbana on Saturday. We arrived just a few minutes before closing
but there was time to have a nice chat with Brigitte, the owner of the shop and
get a peek into some of the new things she is carrying. There might be a little bit of Stephen West
still in the air there.
 |
| Stephen West signing a book for Charr at Klose Knit in Urbana in October. |
Product Notes
I like to hang my small shawls in my closet. But they slide off the hangers. At Target one
day I found
Huggable Hangers
The Original Velvety Space-saving Hanger. Set of 10 is $8.99
at Target
Don’t really care for them for regular clothing because the
grippiness of the fabric makes it harder to slip clothing into them but they
are great for the shawls and a few other items that tend to slide off regular
hangers.
Knitter’s Pride
Karbonz
Carbon Fiber: One of the most versatile materials used in
manufacture of the new generation air crafts, space ships, automobiles, etc.
- High tensile strength
- Low weight
- Flexibility
- Warm feel
- And a surface that helps the stitches move smoothly on the needle.
I have used both the circular needles and the double points.
Cables are very flexible but not too flexible. Just right.
Smooth joins from needle tip to cable.
Needle tips Sharp at
the tip but not as sharp as some such as Signatures or Chiogoo Lace but still
nice. Tip seems to get a little larger
before it join.
Needles seems to run a little larger, at least the double
points. Used on my KKB blanket and these
squares look a bit airier. Put through
needle gauge and one end would not fit in size 3 hole but the other end did. I would go down a needle size when using
these.
Gauge can be affected by your needle choice. Try to swatch with the same needles you will
be using for the project.
Run about $15 per needle or set.
A few lines from Robert Burns that was shared with us from
one of our Pipeliners, Enquery after the episode last week in honor of Burns
night:
I’m happy with my spinning wheel,
And happy with my wool to reel,
From head to toes it clothes me fine,
And wraps so softly me and mine.
I settled down to sing and spin,
While low descends the summer sun,
Blest with content, and milk and meal,
I’m happy with my spinning wheel.
---Robert Burns
And happy with my wool to reel,
From head to toes it clothes me fine,
And wraps so softly me and mine.
I settled down to sing and spin,
While low descends the summer sun,
Blest with content, and milk and meal,
I’m happy with my spinning wheel.
---Robert Burns
Have a great week.
Haste ye back and Hold your knitting close.
Cromlit's Lilt (Sonata in D Major from Trio Sonatas on Scots
Tunes - J Oswald) (1:24)
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