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Friday, January 17, 2014

Episode 157 A Quince Christmas

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This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business, Quince & Co and The Fiber Universe.

Quince & Co wool yarns are sourced and spun in the US. Known in the trade as "territory wool," our wool comes from Merino, Rambouillet, and Columbia-based sheep that roam the ranges of Montana and Wyoming. All our wool and wool-blend yarns are spun in New England mills with venerable histories. By sourcing our wool in the US and manufacturing our yarn locally, we minimize our carbon footprint. Find Quince wool and the other Quince fibers at www.quinceandco.com.

The Fiber Universe in Peoria IL is a proud sponsor of the Knitting Pipeline Retreat. The Fiber Universe provides quality products, service and instruction for fiber enthusiasts. They stock yarn from Cascade, Plymouth, Three Irish Girls, Kauni, 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

You can find my Longaberger Home Business at www.longaberger.com/paula.

  • Ravelry as PrairiePiper
  • Instagram: knittingpipeline
  • Twitter: knittingline
  • Pinterest as Paula Emons-Fuessle.


Knitting Pipeline Retreats Group.

Pipeliner Notes

Hi Paula,
I really enjoy your podcast and want to comment on the monarchs. I have grown several varieties of milkweed for many years and have had some success attracting monarch caterpillars but iit was not until I planted the silky or tropical milkweed (Ascepias curassavica) that my property seemed to become a breeding ground for monarchs! I also have seen fewer monarchs this year and for the 1st year since planting the silky milkweed have had no caterpillars. I planted a garden at our local Headstart and had included silky milkweed. I was heartened recently upon visiting and found many monarch caterpillars. The children were so excited. They also had so much fun blowing the silky seeds into the air.
My family & I are originally from Chicago but moved to Pennsylvania when I was in 1st grade. I keep moving east & now live in New Jersey.
I always look forward to your podcasts!

Lucy

From RebeccaH on our board

Thanks so much, Paula for your excellent video on how to do the U-Boat knot. I have queued the Magic cake Shawl, but haven’t started it yet. I am still in the stage of collecting sock yarn in a bowl to see what I have. However, I found your instructions for the knot so easy to remember, that I have already used it a couple of times in my Lacy Karius which I am knitting from a frogged sock project. It really does work, and makes a strong knot. Even if you did not invent it, you publicized it and made it easier for people to do, and a nice way to use leftover yarn. It’s like Al Gore and the internet. He never claimed to have invented it, but he promoted it and got more funding for it, which got more people using it.

Events

Whirlwind Socks by Nicole Montgomery.  Proceeds will go to tornado relief in Washington IL.  $4.99 

Registration is still open for the
Knitting Pipeline Spring Retreat March 14-15, 2014
With optional Yarn Crawl and Workshop Fun Day on March 13, 2014.
Details here.

Sleep Inn Reservations:
1101 N Cummings Ln, Washington, IL 61571
(309) 481-0450
Ravellenic Games!  We have Team Pipeliners
Team Captains are Prairiegl and Windybrookspinne.  We have a banner ravatar by cperrine.  We are set!
Don’t be afraid to jump in!  I’m not even up to speed on how it works entirely but we will figure it out.  It’s not that hard.  I think you find a project and fit it into a category or sport.

 Nature Notes

During the very cold weather we had recently we shut off our porch/sunroom to conserve on heat.  It has been closed since before Christmas.  When the weather got to a balmy 51 degrees recently we opened up the porch.  Oh, Porch, how I have missed you!  I am sitting at the table by the window wearing my Esjan, a shawl by Stephen West.  It is not that cold outside, about 36 F, but the wind is blowing so fiercely that I watch the platform feeder on the pole sway back and forth dramatically.  The birds are crowding the feeder, hanging onto their perch while searching out their favorite seeds.  In the past few minutes I’ve seen a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, White breasted Nuthatch, Black Capped Chickadees and many Goldfinches. A squirrel is squatting on a big knot on the locust tree, his tail above him to ward off the wind.  Patches of snow are scattered throughout the woods and there is still some ice in Oak Creek.  On our board Affinity said that she is cheered and warmed by knowing that Mourning Cloak butterflies are out in these winter woods, somehow surviving the snow and cold.
Finches and Cardinal feeding.


We had snow this morning, a short snow shower with giant pillows of snow swirling.  It was a heavy snowfall but lasted only long enough to add about ½ inch.  At 1 PM it is nearly half melted.
Female Cardinal in flight.


In other birds news this week we had sighting of a Red-headed woodpecker.

Now a few days later on this gray Thursday afternoon, snow is beginning to fall.  I am wrapped up in my beautiful Quaker Ridge Shawlette by Susan B Anderson.  I used Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill sport weight.  It is warming me both inside and out. You may be able to hear the wind occasionally. 


January is here, with eyes that keenly glow, 

A frost-mailed warrior

striding a shadowy steed of snow.
-  Edgar Fawcett

Needle Notes
Maroo Mitts in Carrie's Yellow and Birds Egg. 

Maroo Mitts by Ambah O’Brien

PrairiePiper’s Maroo Mitts #1  Carrie’s Yellow, Mad Tosh Sock, and scrap yarn in taupe



PrairiePiper’s Maroo Mitts #2 Bird’s Egg, Mad Tosh Sock, and scrap yarn in taupe.




Magic Loop—had some ladder issues which I think I finally figured out.  Lesson: Don’t pull too tightly.

Rayures Cowl by Amy Miller
Fun4Tracey and my daughter-in-law Stacy.  Stacy is wearing Rayures.






I made the XL for my DIL Emily.  She loves big cowls and looks great in them. Kilkenny Cowl by Pam Allen in Clay.  Prairie Pipers Kilkenny Cowl.


Quince & Co Lark in the Bird’s Egg colorway


I’m getting hooked on cowls.  What is your favorite length for a cowl?  I like different lengths for different types of weather.

The Blethering Room

From EmmyZuck

 This morning I walked on the treadmill because I was nervous about getting outside in the very cold temp we are having today (currently 3 F, which I realize may be balmy for you!). Then I listened to your most recent podcast and how you bundle up to walk in. The extreme cold. I seem to able to keep my head and body warm, but not so much with my fingers and toes.
How do you do it? Do you wear winter boots? Sneakers with three pairs of socks? Two layers of gloves or mittens or both? I’d appreciate any tips you can give because I so much prefer walking outdoors whenever possible. Do you walk in the road? The sidewalks around here don’t clear too well, because even in NJ the snow clearance isn’t that effective or efficient – but the traffic can get pretty heavy too.

I wear sock liner, heavy socks, and sometimes boots.  On my hands I wear cheap stretchy gloves and pull my coat sleeves over my hands.  Then I plug the armhole with a mitten or wrister.  Sometimes I use handwarmers.

In the Pipeline

Watching

Downton Abbey

Homeland

Inspector Lynley Mystery Series

Listening

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

Reading

Finished

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany

In progress…

The Yarn Whisperer by Clara Parkes  gift from Laura Linneman

The Forest Unseen by David Haskell  recommended by Pekinduck on Ravelry.  Link is to book trailer on You Tube.  Enjoy!

Yarns at Yin Hoo Sara Pomegranate word hygge.  Danish word.  Can be applied to person or thing or atmosphere. Skal vi hygge os? Shall we make ourselves cozy. 

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Knitting

Quiver Mitts by Bronwyn Hahn
Mary of Knitting Dish video cast wearing  Quiver Mitts convertible version in Alfred ME at The Knitting Pipeline Retreat.


Sublime Babies Who Lunch   gift from Suemwitkin

Mary, Millie, and Morgan by Susan B Anderson

Spate by Jane Richmond from Journey

Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them."  -  Vincent A. Simeone  

Have a great week, haste ye back, and hold your knitting close.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Paula, Love your podcast. Maybe "cozy" is not used as a verb in the midwest but we use it here in New England, as in "let's cozy up and read a book" or "let's cozy up by the fire." The English language is so regional, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete