What made me smile






I had a school visit in Newton a few days ago, where I drew with a class of second graders at the end of my talk. I asked the group to help me come up with a brand new character; they choose an animal, activity for her to do, and the clothes she wears and I do my best to draw it. They chose a zebra swimming at the beach and wearing a bikini. Once I started on the bikini they broke into hysterics. Someone shouted "she's wearing a 'ZI-KINI'!" Kids have such fabulous ideas.

Pottermore






Have you heard about the Pottermore shop? An e-book site run by J.K. Rowling? Of course something like this could only be accomplished by someone so famous, but it does seem to be an interesting twist in the way digital book distribution is evolving. More here.

"Harry Potter is the only publishing brand big enough (so far) to break all the rules about how e-bookstores work. Instead of being sold through the retailers and their devices, or even through the publishers, all sales are made through a site owned and branded by the author. Rowling and Pottermore convinced retailers to digitally support the books with device syncing, bookmarks, and all the trappings that usually are only provided for books sold through the retailers’ own sites. "

(Via Wired)

Fashion Inspires Fairway Fauna - Women's Golf Style Gets Wild

The plethora of awesome animal prints appearing on golf bags this Spring is a trend that's moved from fashion runways to country club fairways with with the stealth of a mountain lion.

The Spring/Summer 2012 collections presented by top designers last fall, included a diverse array of animal print satchels, clutches, totes and hobo bags from the likes of Gucci, Lanvin and Alexander McQueen... to name just a few. Golf designers have transitioned the trend to create a slew of sophisticated, animal print golf bags.

The same exotic skins appear to have inspired golf apparel designers this season, with everything from leopard trimmed polos to zebra striped skorts.  Lady golfers can also display their wild streak with a myriad of animal print accessories this season.  Be it ball marker or a belt... a cap or visor... you'll probably find it this season.  Oh, and don't forget footware;  zebra striped golf shoes... and multi-species women's golf socks are out there too, so why not give animal prints a try this golf season... and make your walk in the park a bit wilder. 

You can find animal prints galore and so much else at Lori's Golf Shop.  Lori's is one of our stellar sponsors!

Bumper crop - Episode 178- The Knitmore Girls

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Listen here:
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This week's episode has been sponsored by:
  
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Abstract Fiber would like to invite you to join our first yarn club!  We are excited to offer a 6 issue yarn club we’re calling One Skein/Two Skein.  Every other month we’ll send you a new exclusive yarn color and pattern.  We’ll do some solid colors, some colorways and will introduce some new luxurious yarns too. Each pattern will have flexibility for expansion, for example companion pieces, or multiple size and style options.  You’ll have the option to buy extra skeins just when you want them.  Spinners, we’ll have a fiber option for you too!  We’re working with some of our favorite designers, starting out in February with a beautiful shawl by Sivia Harding.  Check out all the details at AbstractFiber.com

bar maids
We’re excited to be introducing to you, our discerning  listeners, the newest Bar-Maids collection, the Almost Everything.  This uber-moisturizing whole body kit includes a luxurious Lo-Lo Body Bar, a deliciously tingly O’For Feet Sake foot moisturizer, a handy Cuticle Intensive stick, and a silky smooth Lo- Lo Lips Lip Balm.  It’s the perfect way to ensure that your whole body is soft, sensual, and ready for spring.  It’s almost everything Bar-Maids has to offer at a great price.  This is a great gift for the mom who never stops, your fellow friends in fiber that make your hobby a lifestyle, or for anyone in your life who deserves a little pampering. I think my mom definitely deserves some Lo-Lo love this Mothers Day – doesn’t yours?
purllogolarge
Purlescence Yarns is the Bay Area's destination yarn shop. From the best in spinning and weaving equipment to luxurious yarns and fibers, we have what you need to make your fibery dreams a reality. We're always happy to provide mail order service for Knitmore Girls listeners. Call us today, it'll be on its way!

On the needles: (:34)

Gigi is making progress on her Odelia sweater. Jasmin has made some excellent progress on the Houdini socks for Andrew. We mention Laura, the Joy of Cooking Fairy. Gigi is knitting a bumper crop of sweet tomato heeled socks. Gigi is also knitting a pair of Houdini socks.

Jasmin is also working on wedges, hers are in the shape of the Roxbury Pond Shawl by Christine Burchard, out of Handmaiden Casbah.  Gigi is working on the Kleio by Rosemary Hill.

Jasmin is excited about sewing, we talk about the clothing in "Mad Men", and we would love to sew clothes from that era. Also, Gigi has blocked two Ophidian shawls by Sivia Harding, and a Heart to Heart Scarf (also by Sivia Harding).

Events: (17:05)

May 18-20: CNCH in Oakland, CA, at the convention center
June 2nd: Spinning at the Retzlaff Winery, in Livermore, CA
June 9: World Wide Knit In Public Day, we will be in front of the Ainsley House in Campbell, CA
June 22-24: Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, OR. Maybe.  Registration for classes has started.


Contest: (19:32)

Spring Cleaning Contest!

Clean, organize, streamline something.  Jasmin has sold two fleeces that she has spun sweaters from already. Gigi has repurposed an old filing cabinet and used it for very organized sewing pattern storage. Share your ideas and projects in this thread!


Mother Knows Best:(24:37)

Work with the best you can afford.  When you can't afford to spend money, make due with what you have, and MacGuyver something until you can afford the tool you want to have.

Sew Painful:(28:07)

Gigi was attacked by her mending.


Purloined:(31:54)

We are purloining the "Munch, Burp, Slurp" segment from A Playful Day podcast by greentrianglegirl.  Jasmin talks about making Chewy Oatmeal cookies with browned butter. Recipe from The Smitten Kitchen blog. Also, follow Somebunnyslove's food board on Pinterest, she has some very interesting food pinned.


Review:(36:36)

This week, we are reviewing Noni Flowers by Nora Bellows. We also mentioned Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers.

Straw into Gold:(43:08)

Gigi isn't spinning as fast as she thought she would.  Jasmin is plying like it's going out of style; Jasmin has been plying the Crown Mountain Farms Material Girl singles and the oatmeal-colored CVM for a Hannah Fettig sweater.

Jasmin has been making some progress on her Spindle SPAKAL Targhee X. She has chosen a black Rambouillet X (from Iris Eppley) which she split with Meghan (formerly of the Stitch It! Podcast) for her wheelspun SPAKAL sweater.

Multi-talented Golfer Girl Will Head to Harvard this Fall

Five years ago we wrote about a unique and exciting new magazine for junior golfers. The target audience was girls, age 5 to 17 and Golfer Girl magazine was the work of a single family.

Claude and Michelle Hooton and their three daughters, Libby, Courtney and Chloe Belle... all of them passionate about golf... produced a top quality publication through the fall of 2008, when the economy took its famous nosedive and ad dollars dried up.

At its peak, Golfer Girl had a circulation of 10,000, with subscribers in all 50 states, Mexico and Canada and clearly served its specialized niche very well. A photo from the summer of 1977 shows the girls... aged 16, 13 and 10...  surrounded by stacks of their first issue.  A total of six seasonal issues hit the stands, and one can still view them at golfergirlmagazine.com.

The Hooton sisters may not be writing about golf these days but it's still very much a part of their lives.  Libby, now 20 plays on the golf team at the University of Pennsylvania and 15 year-old Chloe Belle has taken up rowing in addition to golf, but it's middle sister Courtney who's now in the spotlight, making golf history with a ninth consecutive San Diego Junior Golf Association age class triumph and having recently been signed to play collegiate golf at her dream school, Harvard.  The Hootons have an interesting hole-in-one story too. Courtney spoke about it recently from the Kraft Foods Junior Challenge.