Too hot to knit - Episode 59 - The Knitmore Girls

Listen here:

This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: The Purlescence Purl Girls are taking a bit of vacation time, and will be closed Tuesday 6/30 through Tuesday 7/7. Look for a great big summertime sale July 10-13 when they’ve reopened.Worldwide shipping is available. Mention that you’re a listener and they’ll include Knitmore Girls swag with your order.

Events: (00:28)
- We will be at the Sock Summit in Portland, Oregon from August 6-9. There will be a meet-and-greet. Time and place TBD.
- For local sewing enthusiasts: There is a Friday "sewing salon" at Bobbin's Nest Studio. Call to RSVP.

On the Needles: (1:47)
Gigi's Abstract Fiber Supersock (in Lady Macbeth) Riverbed socks are finished! Jasmin has finished her Katarina cardigan. Jasmin has taken pictures of the cardigan with both closures from Romi (pictured above). Gigi's Katarina is hibernating, as is Jasmin's Carli.

Gigi's vanilla socks with the channel island cast-on (in the Fancy Image Yarn "Giants" colorway) are finished! Jasmin plugs away on a pair of socks from the Black sock/brown sock project.

Jasmin has also cast on a pair of socks in her "Big Yellow Taxi" handspun yarn. She is encorporating Lucy Neatby's "slip-purl" technique on the interminable heel flap.

Gigi has finished the first sock in her second pair of Par 5 socks (in the Franklin's Panopticon colorway of the Lorna's Laces sock yarn). Jasmin is knitting a pair of vanilla socks in Yummee Yarns "My Blue Jeans" from her nightstand.

We discuss the Dream in Color sale at Purlescence, and a little stash enhancing we did. Gigi got the "Groovy" in "Purple Rain", Jasmin got the "Groovy" in "Bermuda Teal" and some Classy in "Purple Rain". Gigi and Jasmin are planning to knit the "Petra", but offer a caveat. Jasmin talks about the "paying for mistakes" thread in Ravelry.

Mother Knows Best: (20:83)

When it's too hot to knit, what do you do?

1) Read about knitting. (Gigi recommends "Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair.") Jasmin recommends reading the archives of knitting blogs that you like.

2) Listen to knitting podcasts.

3) Go to an LYS with air conditioning. Or, make a friend who has air conditioning! Go to the library. (Get out of the heat!)

When Knitting Attacks: (28:18)

Gigi has misplaced a ball of her Franklin's Panopticon yarn. She has "oopsed" on her Scandanavian socks, again. Gigi is also not entirely enthused with the outcome of her greying tiger socks.

Straw into Gold: (31:20)

Jasmin has been combing her clean fleece! Jasmin has been spinning some Crown Mountain Farms Superwash merino in the Albratross colorway.

Reviving your mojo - Episode 58 - The Knitmore Girls

Listen here:


This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: A wide selection of wheels from Louet, Schacht and Ashford for in-store pickup or shipment.. Worldwide shipping is available. Mention that you’re a listener and they’ll include Knitmore Girls swag with your order.



All new subscribers receive a free gift from Eucalan as our way of saying thanks for supporting Verena Knitting!
Use subscription code: KNITMG

Events: (00:30)
We will be at the Sock Summit! August 6-9th, Oregon Convention Center. Portland, Oregon.

On the Needles: (2:16)
Gigi thanks Dr. Gemma (and the Fiber Collective) for their hospitality during WWKIP day. Gigi replies to Episode 57 ("Now with more Sparkle").

Gigi has unearthed a pair of unfinished vanilla socks. She has used a channel island cast-on. Gigi applies a sewing solution to knit picot edging. (She recommends going down one needle size, do the picot row, and then go up to the needle size that you're planning to knit the sock on.) She is knitting it out of the Fancy Image Yarns in the "Giants" colorway.

Jasmin has only been working on her Katarina sweater. She knit the sweater on US size 6 (4mm) needles (in the Tess Yarns Silk and Merino), and is knitting the collar on US size 3 (3.25mm) needles, and is excited about photographing it finished with the Designs by Romi closures.

Gigi laments having no "grab and go" knitting. She talks about some new sock yarn (Berroco Sox Metallic) in a denim colorway, with some sparkle. She plans on knitting a pair of sparkly Mesmers.

Jasmin has finished a few pairs of socks, and has picked up some new sock yarn. She has picked up some Dream in Color Starry (in Grey Tabby) and Dream in Color Smooshy in Happy Forest. She also picked up some Claudia's Handpaint Silk for some lace knitting.

Gigi is knitting some of the Abstract Fiber Supersock (in Lady Macbeth), which she is planning on finishing soon. Gigi is knitting on her second Coriolis (in mystery Trekking), and has ripped back a sweater and is repurposing the yarn into a baby blanket.

Mother Knows Best: (24:26)

We discuss reviving knitting mojo.

Step 1: Stash dive.
Step 2: Check your Ravelry queue.
Step 3: In Ravelry, go into your "Friends" page, and select the "Friends Activity" tab.
Step 4: Profit.

Gigi recommends working in a different medium to kick-start knitting mojo. Jasmin also recommends finishing off UFOs. Or, bake cookies!

When Knitting Attacks: (29:12)

Gigi continues to try and work her way through the "Little Box of Socks". She chose a yarn that was too busy for the lace pattern, so the socks have been "auf'd". Gigi's pair of Scandanavian socks (from the LBoS) needed ripping out, because the colorwork was too tight.

Straw into Gold: (32:02)

This week Jasmin has been dyeing! She likes the Jacquard dyes and the Gaywool dyes. Jasmin mentions some safety things (ie, don't dye in your cooking pots, keep your dye pots separate from your cooking pots). Jasmin's order for dyeing: water, dye, a drop of Dawn to break the surface tension, stir, vinegar, add wool.

Jasmin has finished washing ALL of the fleece for the Lace Gauntlet Throwdown. She has borrowed a pair of the Forsyth Wool combs and a pair of Louet Mini combs and has found the weight of the larger combs to be a slight hindrance. (Check out the sockpr0n blog for tutorials on combing.) Jasmin has ordered a pair of the Forsyth mini wool combs along with the clamp.

Bring it On: (43:48)

Sandi and Nathania, from Purlescence Yarns, talk about trends they saw at TNNA. Fair isle is the new black! There are loads of new books with modern approaches to classic techniques (like Twined Knitting, by Laura Farson). There have been technological advances to reflect this, like the Denise interchangeable crochet set which lends itself to techniques like Tunisian Crochet (and a companion book Tunisian Crochet by Sharon Silverman). Some new books reflecting the fair isle revival include Knits from the North Sea and Norwegian Handknits.

Not to be left out is Clara Parkes' Knitters book of Wool.

The Knit Kit is now coming in black with white accents. Would you like to see it in a stainless steel? Let us know.

Now with more Sparkle - Episode 57 - The Knitmore Girls

This week, in Chloe Sparkle co-hosts in Gigi's absence.

Listen here:


This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: Nathania & Sandi are at TNNA, selecting the finest yarns, patterns, and tools. Tune in next week, when they’ll be joining the Knitmore Girls to discuss beautiful yarns, trends for fall, and what great new products to look for on our shelves. Bring a little bit of our LYS to your home by following us on Twitter @purlescence and searching for Purlescence Yarns on Facebook!


All new subscribers receive a free gift from Eucalan as our way of saying thanks for supporting Verena Knitting!
Use subscription code: KNITMG

Events: (00:30)
We will be in attendance at the Sock Summit (August 6-9), and will be doing a meet-and-greet with goodie bags! Stay tuned for details.

On the Needles: (2:25)

Chloe is working on a crocheted starfish blanket (out of Little Lovely Bulky Malabrigo) and a Windfall blanket.

Jasmin has finished her Monkeys! She knit them out of the Burgundy color of the Regia Silk. Chloe talks about having finished one Pomatomus and one Baudelaire equaling one pair of Cookie A socks. Jasmin finished her former "show notes" socks, out of Lisa Souza's "Serrano" superwash merino (in Mahogony). She ran short, so one toe is her "warm gold" in superwash merino.

Chloe is knitting a Dr. Who scarf. Jasmin's Katarina cardigan is nearly finished. She is knitting it out of the Tess Yarns Silk and Merino. Chloe discusses her method for setting in sleeves. If you're doing either the Katarina Knit-a-long or the Carli Knit-a-long, Julie Weisenberger has offered technical support along with purchase of her patterns. Chloe mentions the ScrunchableSunshine on a Cloudy Day socks, with modifications.

cowl. Jasmin continues to work on her Mother Knows Best: (21:45)

This week, we discuss answering Muggle questions while knitting in public. We also discuss "Crochate" and "crochenvy". They ask you, "What are the questions you get while knitting in public? How do you answer them?"

When Knitting Attacks: (32:46)

Jasmin has ripped out her Sunshine socks again for optimal fit. Shoot Jasmin an email (knitmoregirls@yahoo.com) for chart adjustments. (Jasmin also talks about the Dream in Color Starry, which is new at Purlescence.) Jasmin will also be ripping back her Cabletinis, since they are enormous.

After discussion about the source of Jasmin's toe-up sock ennui, Chloe suggests a heel swatch.

Straw into Gold: (42:53)

Jasmin answers Meghan's call out for the Lace Gauntlet Throwdown. Jasmin has been washing her fleeces in lock formation, using tulle. You can see pictures of the fleeces here.

Chloe has spun some Alpaca/Merino/Silk from Abstract Fiber in the Autumn colorway, which she Navajo-plied and knit a hat out of. Chloe spins on a Kromski Sonata.

Mesmerized! - Episode 56 - The Knitmore Girls

Listen here:


This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: Purlescence Yarns carries many of the yarns used in Cookie A’s “Sock Innovation” including Louet Gems, Mountain Colors Barefoot, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Colinette Jitterbug, and Dream in Color Smooshy. Worldwide shipping is available.


All new subscribers receive a free gift from Eucalan as our way of saying thanks for supporting Verena Knitting!
Use subscription code: KNITMG

Events: (00:27)

Saturday, June 13th- World Wide Knit in Public Day. Jasmin will be knitting at Santana Row with Miss Kalendar (from Brass Needles) and Tika (from Gives Good Knit).
Gigi will be knitting with the Fiber Collective in Los Angeles.

On the Needles: (02:06)

Gigi and Jasmin had a GREAT time at the Retzlaff Winery spinning event! (Jasmin talks about the Pygora/Wool lace yarn from Hollyhock Hollow farm.)

Jasmin has been on a finishing kick! She has finished her Houdini Socks. (You can find the cutting tutorial here.)

Gigi has finished her first sock out of the Abstract Fiber Supersock in Lady Macbeth. Gigi talks about a Lucy Neatby bind-off technique.

Jasmin has picked up her Mesmer socks again (you can find the Mesmer pattern here), and is in LOVE! She's knitting it in a burnt orange colorway of the Colinette Jitterbug.

Gigi finished her first Coriolis sock in a new pair. She has found herself immersed in using Cat Bordhi and Lucy Neatby techniques!

Jasmin is returning to her Monkey socks. Gigi and Jasmin discuss the 52 pair plunge. Jasmin recommends modifying these types of KALs with more reasonable expectations.

Jasmin tells a stash enhancement story, where she wheels and deals for some hot pink Koigu. She's looking for sweater suggestions for it.

Mother Knows Best: (21:25)

We discuss Netiquette and Ravelry.

When Knitting Attacks: (25:32)

Gigi is on her third try on her Coriolis. Jasmin has been Mesmerized, and has been having issues reading directions.

Gigi's Upstream socks are having issues, and she desperately needs a bout of startitis.

Jasmin talks about picking up a fleece for Meghan (from Stitch-it!), and misreading her text.

Straw into Gold: (33:26)

Jasmin bought a little Pygora (from Hollyhock Hollow Farms), and will talk about spinning it in a future podcast. Jasmin talks about overdyeing naturally colored fiber.

Jasmin talks about getting outstanding customer service from Schacht, and the "silencing a noisy bobbin" trick with White Lithium Grease.

Meghan, Erin, and Jasmin split two fleeces from Janet Heppler. Frank was a dark, 10 1/2 lb merino/corriedale mix. Luther is a white, 12 lb merino corriedale blend with super long staple length.

Meghan's grey cormo fleece came from Sue Reuser, as did a white cormo fleece that Erin and Jasmin are splitting.

Meghan has thrown down the gauntlet- if Jasmin hand-processes 4 lbs of fleece, Meghan will knit a lace shawl on smallish needles (US 5-6).

Jasmin mentions Aija's tutorials on processing fleeces in locks.