Back in the saddle - Episode 71 - The Knitmore Girls

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This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: Did you know Abstract Fiber has a Ravelry group? Aaabsolutely Abstract is the place to go to meet our staff and see what other Ravelers are doing with their Abstract Fiber. We’d love to meet you online and see pictures of your projects. Aaabsolutely Abstract is also a great place to ask questions, find out where we’ll be next, and keep up with what’s new. If you’re looking for Abstract Fiber at a yarn shop near you, AbstractFiber.com also lists all the stores carrying our products. Online shoppers at AbstractFiber.com receive free shipping for orders over $100 in the US and Canada.


This week: Things are crazy here at Purlescence Yarns. Zauberball Crazy, that is. We're pleased to announce the arrival of Zitron's latest sock yarn. The wool/nylon blend comes in a 100g, 420 meter ball. Check out Zauberball and our other Zitron sock yarns, on our shelves now!

On the Needles: (00:44)

Gigi has an Almost - UFO, her Swallowtail Shawl! Jasmin is making steady progress on her Ariann (knit out of the Dream in Color Classy, in their "Butter Peeps" colorway ). Gigi continues to work on the Frog Tree Origami Wrap Pullover. Jasmin has finished her first Albatross sock (made of her handspun from Crown Mountain Fibers).

Gigi is working on the second Par Five sock, out of the Lorna's Laces "Franklin's Panopticon" colorway. Jasmin's Tangled Yoke Cardigan is waiting for the ribbon to be sewn on the buttonband. Jasmin finished her Tempting II top! Gigi is working on a vanilla sock out of Regia with a channel island cast-on.

Jasmin, Gigi, and Miss Kalendar (host of Brass Needles) went to the Spindles & Flyers Stash sale. Jasmin picked up a little table loom for $20!

Events: (13:30)

- Rhinebeck! (NY Sheep & Wool) October 17-18. Meetup will be at the Carolina Homespun booth on Saturday afternoon. Time TBD.

Mother Knows Best: (15:17)

Topic- Labeling your knits. Use grograin ribbon and a fabric pen for personalized labels- or use scrapbooking ribbon! We also talk about holiday knits, and can't remember which podcast had the great idea of making a list, but thinks it was either KIPing it Real or Here's to Ewe. Jasmin offers up her sock label template. (Send us an email at knitmoregirls@yahoo.com , and we'll send it to you!)

When Knitting Attacks: (21:44)

Jasmin joins her sleeves together. Gigi aspires to knit the Curved Lace Shawl, but is foiled by a tiny chart. Jasmin's Tempting II is a little more revealing than she would have liked. Jasmin's Whisper is ill-fated from the start.

Review: (31:22)

This week, we review the Signature Needle Arts needles. We suggest them as a "gift for the knitter who has everything".

Straw into Gold: (41:24)

Jasmin spins the Three Bags Full (in Crimson Shadows) for Gigi mindfully. Jasmin has been on a spinning finishing kick. Jasmin is repurposing business cards.

UFO-palooza! - Episode 70 - The Knitmore Girls

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This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: Abstract FiberFact #2: Abstract Fiber yarns are dyed to minimize pooling and striping. While it’s impossible to prevent these effects entirely, we make every effort to create an overall textured effect and avoid pooling. This means Abstract Fiber yarns are suitable for showing off complicated patterns, like textures, lace, cables. The colors in the yarns are also perfect for colorwork using a more solid background color and just one of our handpainted colors to create a very dramatic design. Join our group on Ravelry, Aaabsolutely Abstract, for a list of shops who carry our yarns. Orders over $100 from our website ship for free in the US and Canada.


This week: At Purlescence Yarns we are diehard cross-crafters. When we're not knitting, we're spinning, quilting, stitching, or weaving. We have been very pleased to include looms and weaving supplies amongst our offerings at the shop. This week we warped up our Schacht Wolf Pup 4 harness floor loom. It's a beauty! It's easy to operate and folds up for portability. It's all function in beautiful form. We're taking orders for the holidays now!

On the Needles: (00:30)

Gigi has finished her black Regia Saturn socks, and the crocheted edging. Jasmin has found better buttons for her Tangled Yoke Cardigan. Gigi has finished the front of her Origami Wrap Pullover. Jasmin talks about unearthing a 10-year-old UFO that has one seam left to do.

Gigi unearthed another marinating UFO, the Par Five socks (in Franklin's Panopticon). Jasmin is working on her Ariann, knit out of Dream in Color Classy (color: Butter Peeps). She is also finishing up her Tempting II, knit out of Tess Yarns Microfiber ribbon (bright orange). Jasmin shares her "button sweater" story. (The sweater was the Baby Albert, by Sally Melville.)

Jasmin is thinking about knitting "Boo" the Tweedy Pie Jacket (from Monkeysuits).

Events: (21:59)

9/19, 11 am - 3 pm: Spin in Public Day at Courthouse Square on Broadway in downtown Redwood City.

9/27, 11 AM: Shuttles, Spindles, and Flyers guild sale.

10/17-18: New York Sheep & Wool Festival (Rhinebeck). Meet'n'greet TBD.

Mother Knows Best: (24:11)

Gigi discusses buttonbands! Jasmin mentions the pink Pep sweater.

Contest: (30:10)

We're having a contest for contest ideas! Contest will be closed 9/30. (Also, if you haven't already, put yourself on our listener map!)

When Knitting Attacks: (32:29)

Jasmin's Ariann, when she pulled it out of storage, was knit the wrong size. Gigi's Swallowtail Shawl (errata here) was ripped and re-knit. Gigi doesn't recommend using quilting thread for lifelines, and finds the math for the shawl vexing. Jasmin's Drops Yoke Cardigan turns out wrong. Jasmin might run out of yarn for her Tempting II.

Straw into Gold: (42:07)

Jasmin finished spinning the "Hey Jude" from Crown Mountain Farms. (Jasmin recommends listening to this episode of "Stitch it!" to hear about worsted vs woolen plying.) Jasmin talks about a more holistic approach to spinning for projects.

We found a more commercially available 45 degree angle kate, by Louet.

Jasmin learns, the hard way, that recon work for holiday gifts is a challenge with Gigi. (We're both going to knit the Sunrise Circle Jacket out of handspun.)

Oh what a Tangled Yoke we knit - Episode 69 - The Knitmore Girls

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This week's episode has been sponsored by:

This week: Abstract FiberFact #1: Who wants their knitting happiness interrupted by a knot in their yarn? We at Abstract Fiber believe our skeins should not have knots! We maintain a zero knot policy when winding our yarns. If the yarn breaks, we set it aside and start another skein. Our Macho Socks and triple skeins give you larger skeins, and still, no knots. At Abstract Fiber we provide you with the highest quality product, and that means no knots! Remember, at AbstractFiber.com we offer free shipping in the US and Canada for all orders over $100.


This week: Autumn is in the air. Here at Purlescence Yarns we're turning our thoughts toward holiday projects. We'll be knitting, spinning, and weaving most of our gifts this year. Now's the time to make that list of gifts for your friends and family. Let us help you with tons of ideas for great gifts. We'll be tweeting about them in the coming weeks. Follow us @Purlescence on Twitter!

Events: (00:31)

- New York Sheep and Wool Festival (Rhinebeck): Oct 17-18. Meetup TBD.

On the Needles: (2:41)

Jasmin's Tangled Yoke Cardigan is nearly finished. Gigi is working on her Origami Wrap Pullover. Jasmin talks about buttonbands, and picking up three stitches for every four rows when picking up stitches for a buttonband. Gigi is working on a few pairs of vanilla socks, out of Regia Galaxy. Jasmin is knitting a pair of socks for Andrew out of her Crown Mountain "Albatross" handspun.

Gigi is working on a crocheted edging for pillowcases. Jasmin talks about the yarn swap at Purlescence, where she came away with a skein of sock yarn, and a sweater's worth of Brown Sheep NatureSpun (in Cranberry Fog).

Contest: (25:44)

Post your contest ideas in our Ravelry group!

Mother Knows Best: (28:08)

We discuss "breakout projects". Jasmin's favorite "learning" baby sweater is the cardigan from Debbie Bliss's "Quick Baby Knits". We also recommend the Print of the Wave Stole (errata for the edging here), the Twist Cardigan, and the Lady Eleanor Stole.

When Knitting Attacks: (35:54)

Gigi has been foiled by not being able to find the issue of Interweave Knits with the Frost Flowers Stole (by Charlene Schurch). Jasmin's enthusiasm causes trouble, again, with her Tangled Yoke Cardigan. Gigi's Swallowtail Shawl hits some snags. We talk about lifelines. Gigi's Scandanavian Socks continue to be troubled.

Straw into Gold: (51:15)

Jasmin spins a little more of Duchess (to become the Carnaby Street Pullover). She has also been spinning some of the Crown Mountain Superwash in "Hey Jude". Jasmin experiments with dyeing pindrafted roving in the coil.