November’s podcast incentive!
One person will be drawn and can choose either a Garden Apron or a Grow Your Own Soup Kit from Made By Loumms:

garden apron

Grow Your Own Soup Kit

a second name will be drawn and will win an handmade oak swift by Hornshaw Woodworks

handmade oak swift

Townhomesteading:

-Basement progress, new light, curtains, and the big thanksgiving push

Babble:
-Tumblebugs take 2 and cut!
-I love Garbage

-Decision for gifts

Fibery goodness:
-Owls reborn
-#77 Vine Lace Top Down Cardigan
-Planning Owens cardi, based on the cobblestone
-Swedish hearts for christmas

-Spinning red mother fiber from Bundaflicka aka Maggie’s Farm

-long draw and watching Drafting: The Long and the Short of it

Favorite thing:

Hersheys holiday dark chocolate mint truffle

September’s Podcast Donation Incentive is sponsored by The Spinning Loft!


donate to the podcast during the month of september to have a chance to win!

The Minnesota Knitters Guild will be hosting the 6th annual Twin Cities Knit-Out on Sunday, October 4th at Southdale Center. This celebration of knitting will take place from 12 – 4 p.m. in the Macy’s Courtyard. There will be free knitting lessons, door prizes, hourly fashion shows, a fastest knitter contest, community service knitting projects, expert knitters to answer questions and local yarn shops displaying the latest in yarns, patterns and tools.
For Information: www.knitters.org

Townhomesteading:
-garden books

-bread baking

-assessing new potential for side of house
-container gardening
-Mary Jane farm magazine
-clearing out flower beds, saving herbs, freezing tomatoes

Babble:
-house mid project
-chore list created
-littleman with no nap
-French press “want coffee mommy?!”
-Penis water

Fibery goodness:
-knitting the shawl…still
-deadline on coraline approaches
-mcguivering the wheel break band
-double drive vs scotch tension vs Irish/bobbin drive and tutorial by Beth Smith on how to change a matchless around.
-holiday knitting/sewing aprons for all!! (or at least me) No Frills Frilly Apron
-Stitch it!! podcast/Knitmoregirls podcast meet and greet at Rhinebeck. Saturday afternoon in the Carolina Homespun booth. We’ll share times as soon as we have them!

Favorite thing:

i LOVE my iPhone….LOVE….

please support our August Donation Incentive Sponsor
Winter Mountain Fiber
who has graciously donated 2 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn

Plum Pudding & Monkey Green!
all it takes is a donation during August to qualify!

on/off the needles:
-visit from a 10 year old project

-lace gauntlet winner will be announced next week
-Wendy toe up sock book

-learn to check errata

babble:
-my little sprinkler stripper
-Thomas
-red car that way!!
-couch to 5k

green thumb:
-Killing beetles
-Fence for next year
-building a trellis

word of the week:
Thrummed-
–noun
1. one of the ends of the warp threads in a loom, left unwoven and remaining attached to the loom when the web is cut off.
2. thrums, the row or fringe of such threads.
3. any short piece of waste thread or yarn; tuft, tassel, or fringe of threads, as at the edge of a piece of cloth.
4. Often, thrums. Nautical. short bits of rope yarn used for making mats.

spinning:
-Thick and quick
-Fine cormo too fine to flick?
-Fibery basement storage, good deal on shelves and desk for carder
-Could I run a hose diretly from water heater to wash fleece down there?

favorite thing:

my ipod touch

please support our August Donation Incentive Sponsor
Winter Mountain Fiber
who has graciously donated 2 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn

Plum Pudding & Monkey Green!
all it takes is a donation during August to qualify!

on/off the needles:
-handspun socks

-lace gauntlet KAL deadline is August 15th
-babyhat and booties for the bears fan

-9 inch circulars
-new socks cast on

babble:
-”What are you doing?!”
-”You wanna time out?”
-MUFFINS!!!
-time with the family
-sold harp, and bought a treat

green thumb:
-male vs female flowers
-produce!

-moving plants and heat

word of the week:
Chibi

spinning:
washing locks, cinnamon roll style!


favorite thing:

Tudors

new rss feed is available here! i’ll keep you posted for when it shows up in itunes!

on/off the needles:
-FLS fits
-handspun socks. and a realization on sock knitting preferences
-charity blankets
-top down raglan: spring forward fall back raglan and knittingfool.com raglan calculator
-kingscot cast on! wahoo!!
-wall-e and eve amigarumi

babble:
-alien life form and killing the cooties
-dye workshop plans
-owen peels a tangerine
-when you get mad, just say “ttttthhhhhhbbbbbbbbb!”
-”cake?”
-valentine’s day and the love of chocolate boxes
-first day of school

spinning:
-my visit with deb
-color inspiration/ get more then one hand’s worth
-barber pole singles
-plying the polwarth
-overdyeing for the wallaby sweater

favorite thing:

on/off needles:

-owen’s garter stitch scarf: DONE!

-seed stitch scarf: DONE! (photo taken with cell phone…sorry)

-mittens for gift exchange: DONE! (writing up pattern soon)

-crocheted snowflakes

-bella’s mittens

-I AM ENGLISH!

babble:

-book reading at bay….i don’t want it to end…

-pink eye….ewwww

-living through construction (aka feed your laborers!)

-decoration time!!

-home made gifts! bubble bath recipes

-thank you for 1 year. i’m still a dork with a microphone

Spinning:

-dreaming of Clemes and Clemes hand cards

-Pluckyfluff Camp!!!! coming to Chicago!!! yeah!!!

imparting my knowledge: where fiber can find it’s happy place

bumps in a ply=bumps in the crimp

favorite thing:

thrift store shopping

i gush about my new Dansko Mary Janes

On/Off the Needles:

-sewing for my niece pretty pretty princess

-hauling on the shawl

-stitches midwest

-what’s the deal with my socks?!

-mmmmmalabrigo sock yarn?! do i live in a hole?! when did this happen?! do you have some? do you like it?
-february lady sweater….in cotton?….in dk weight? Garnstudio Muskat from Yellow Dog Knitting i won in a contest…what do you think?

-virtual knit/spin-in hosted by betzi on stickam. check out the ravelry virtual knit-and-spin group for more info

Babble:

-birthday at pump it up!!!

-freaking out over cleaning house…it’s a control thing

-i’m a free bird at work…well sort of…

-grandma and grandpa spoil him with a thomas tent…”clean up, clean up”

Spinning:

-virtual spin in, got some stuff done!!!!

-i’m thinking i’m gonna have to 2-ply the ramboulliet i spun for ry…how do i do this?

-SOAR…the deadline looming, the countdown is on!

-buying local yarn/fiber Localharvest.org (thanks for reminding me prymnumber)

SOAR Homework (sponsored by ellenspns):

Corriedale:

-New Zealand’s first breeding program started in 1868

-long long staple lengths, easy for beginners to spin

-nice even deep crimps

-soft wool, okay for next to skin

-grows when washed, so yarn will thicken

-felts easily, so good for handfelting as well

spins from the fold, spins fine, and spins thick easily. i’m spinning superfine corriedale. it’s REALLY fine and very soft. it does have some noils, but fine fleece sometimes have that (i think it adds to the character).

Favorite Thing:

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

On/Off the Needles:

-sock knitting. i’m working on blueberry waffle socks

-knitting the shawl still….

-getting the itch to knit a topdown sweater

-shrug is going to a good home

-creative1′s blocking sweater solution!

step 1: measure up the sweater and jot the numbers down

step 2: soak sweater in tepid water with wool wash and 1-2 tbs of fabric softener. drain and press out as much water as you can, roll up in a towel to get even more of the water out.

step 3: lay out sweater and block to an inch or two more in each direction

PRESTO!!!!

-Damknit pointed me over to the crochet baby booties by Sylver Designs

-hello yarn’s “we call them pirates” hat (yes, i know…i called it “they might be pirates”…..i blame the cold!)

Babble:

-Whoa is the state of illinois. early intervention issues… if you want to help, live in illinois, please look here

- Little man meets Thomas the Tankengine

Daddy, Littleman, and Sir Topham Hat

eating an apple while riding on Thomas

- new therapist, little man aimed to please!

-fun in the tupperware box

Charity Blankets:

-Another 2 blankets for the midwest group has been finished!

one blanket i have the list of names for. thanks to: holly, christenjayne, saraheunice, hyjinx, jeffner77, pinsandneedles, and bethanyg. THANK YOU!!!

-they also finished “Ode to Spring” yeah!!!

-The east coast group finished 2 blankets as well (and i don’t have the list of names for these either) but they had one crochet blanket and one knit blanket with the theme “It’s a Colorful World”

Spinning:

-The new wheel name! Thanks, Amy aka ToadyJoe for the suggestion!

-oiling process!

before                                                                after

before                                                                after

before                                                                after

i think it was a lot more impressive in person to see the change happen. it’s a LOT richer and darker looking. i love my new guy!

-replacing the tension screw knob eventually

-thanks to fiberfriend for the alpaca batt and the “nunny” for the littleman

SOAR homework (sponsered by ellen):

Rambouillet:

-Royal French sheep breed that was fine tuned by crossing with Spain’s Merino flock

-raised primarily for it’s fine grade wool

-elasticity and loft (even more the merino)

-about a 2-4 inch staple length

-somewhat consistent crimp

-i found it spun easier then the merino did. it wasn’t as slick as the merino was. i was able to do long draw, i spun it straight, and i bet you i could spin it super fine if i wanted to!

Favorite Thing:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Brown-Eyed Mom Podcast go check it out! LOVE IT!!!

Knitting on/off:
-Little Critter Swap is in effect!!!! Critters are in the mail!
-Fibra Natrua Yummy! superwash sock yarn
-Interweave Sockalong Group by Erqsome. JOIN!!! the first sock they are doing is the Seduction Sock for July
-Oh Scrap! Wrap has been…..scrapped! Cast on for Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl

Babble:
-Carson City, NV Lake Tahoe trip
-First day on the job
-Little man is going to school….eventually
-Little man eats hearing aid, i explain venting
-Little man and the race car, and “tickle, tickle, tickle”
-Hollyhocks, Shasta Daisy, Delphinium, and something else….

Spinning:
-Wheel shopping with no money! looking at Majacraft and Schacht
-THE FLEECE HAS ARRIVED!!!!
-Midwest Fiber and Folk Festival……SpinningNinja’s might have a booth! if so, AWESOME! if not, AWESOME!!! I GET TO GO TO A FIBER FESTIVAL!!!!
-1/2 way through sweater yarn

Favorite Thing:
-My pretty little china tea cup and saucer:

Thanks to BethanyG for the great idea! I’m putting in my request for a fairy tea party now!

but for now, LOOKIE LOOKIE!!!!!!

I’m missing pictures of a couple blankets, but aren’t they all just scrumptious?!?!?!?! i’m so excited to see how they turn out! every section is a new adventure!!!!