June’s podcast donation incentive prize has been sponsored by knittingfairy.com. They have donated a shawl kit for their new Counterspell Shawl that just debuted at stitches east!

So pretty! the kit will include one skein of Acero by Brooks Farm Yarn, pattern, beads and needles for the shawl.
if you donate to the podcast during the month of June, you will be automatically entered into the drawing.

townhomesteading:
-planted a veggie garden (bag style!)

Lay out cardboard in selected area, and soak it completely

Arrange your top soil bags, slash holes in the bottoms for drainage, and cut open the top for planting.

add some fertilizer to the dirt, plant your veggies/flowers. tomato and zucchinis get 1 per bag

completely cover bags and cardboard in a finely ground mulch. cage plants that need it, water, and PRESTO! a garden!

babble:
-power wheels

fibery goodness:
-the fiber workshop/workbench area
-culling back the fiber stash further
-montedale for tour de fleece

favorite thing:

BLTs

Meghan

The March donation incentive winner is Lisa. Please check your email, because YOU have won a signed copy of Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont and The Enchanted Sole by Janel Laidman!!
Thanks again to Ellen for donating those books! you rock!

the April has been sponsored by The Knitted Geek. They have offered up a skein of their Version 2.0 hand dyed sock yarn. You get to pick the color!

so many pretty options!
All it takes is a donation to the podcast during the month of April to qualify!

Townhomesteading:
-Clearing the flower beds
-Portable gardens
-no caffeine, no sugar, no flour= level blood sugar
-elanas pantry

Babble:
-Bicycle!

-Ryans show (ryan’s band Angel Eyes if you are interested in checking them out. he plays drums)
-holiday weekend

Fibery goodness:
-knitting sock
-finished faraway, so close shawl

-mondo cardi in process. Sleeves have to wait
-spinning again
-Easter fiber washing fleece and dyeing

Favorite thing:

American Science and Surplus

thanks to knittingfairy.com for sponsoring december!
podcast donation incentive winner for the month of december was Vivian. Thank you so much for your donations!

This month, I’m offering up some of my handspun! 155 yards of a 2 ply barber pole. hand dyed merino and corriedale, plyed together to create a one of a kind yarn.

now YOU TOO can feel what knitting with handspun is like!

Resolutions:
-drink more water
-slow down and focus on ME (life, projects, when and what I say, etc)
-return to my music
-3 handspun sweaters
-fairisle/colorwork

2 year Contest prizes!!
Reflection hat pattern from Cosymakes, Regia sock yarns, Noro, and more!!! check your email to see if YOU won! thank you again for all of the fabulous submissions!

Babble:
-Conversations with Meghan on Knitajourney Podcast
-time off with littleman

first snowman
-potty training
-holiday recap

Fibery goodness:
-Knittingfool.com has great sweater calculators
-littlemans sweater: gauge, calculations, too big, tearing out, steek video

-moving the fiber room

-playing with the drumcarder

-owls reborn!
-gooseberry cardigan

Favorite thing:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

October Podcast Donation Incentive:

The winner for this prize is Denise. Check your email!

we move on to 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:
-Home remedies for illness (onion, garlic, open windows) chicken veggie soup, organic legs & sale veggies
-Bread follies
-Helloyarns pantry
-Tackling the dungeon…again

-Skat?

Babble:
-Sick sick sick medicine fun
-Tumble bugs
-Halloween (giant-ass pumpkin)

Fibery goodness:
-Soar jealousy
-Sock knitting mania. sleeping jasmin

-Highfiber diet retreat next week
-Washing fleece laundry detergent, Orvus , and the water factor

Favorite thing:
Butcher block island

October Podcast Donation Incentive:


Grafton Fibers has donated a set of DPNs for the October incentive. IF you donate during the month of october, you will be entered into a drawing to win a set of their original DPNs in size 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and a set of size 0 glove dpns. SO FABULOUS! you will love them!

i share my rhinebeck experiences with you!!!
want to SEE it?
http://www.youtube.com/stitchitpodcast
want to see photos?
Rhinebeck Flickr Set
Jackie’s Rhinebeck Flickr Set

Pumpkin Yummy Muffins
preheat oven to 350 degrees makes 24 muffins
3c flour (i use half white/half wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1-15oz can pumpkin puree
2/3c butter or olive oil
4 large eggs
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1c halved fresh cranberries
1/2c chopped pecans

1. mix together flour and baking powder
2. in another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (minus cranberries and pecans) and stir into flour mixture.
3. fold in berries and nuts.
4. fill lined muffin tins 3/4 full
5. bake for 25-30 minutes

want to make it extra special?
make a maple syrup glaze to drizzle on top!
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. milk
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar. Yield about 2/3 cup.

favorite thing?
GLEE!

watch it on hulu

October Podcast Donation Incentive:


Grafton Fibers has donated a set of DPNs for the October incentive. IF you donate during the month of october, you will be entered into a drawing to win a set of their original DPNs in size 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and a set of size 0 glove dpns. SO FABULOUS! you will love them!

townhomesteading:
-apple butter, apple sauce, and apple pie! and still more apples!
-installed a water filter all by myself
-checked out the farm and fleet. fun stuff there!
-strawberry pots and rotation ideas
-mulch….i NEED to mulch

babble:
-farm week at school
-placemats game
-the whisper technique

fibery goodness:
-finished my forest canopy shawl. it is blocking in the basement. HUGE
-working on coraline still
-plying yarn with irish/bobbin drive is awesome
-new fleece washing technique=brilliant! thank you spinning spider jenny!
-preparing for Rhinebeck!!!

favorite thing:
Fall mornings

September Donation Winner is Nancy. Email is in your box!
October Podcast Donation Incentive:


Grafton Fibers has donated a set of DPNs for the October incentive. IF you donate during the month of october, you will be entered into a drawing to win a set of their original DPNs in size 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and a set of size 0 glove dpns. SO FABULOUS! you will love them!

Townhomesteading:
-apples apples apples
-my first bread success


-rearranging garden in my mind
-reading and researching. Going to tour coworkers garden
-stovetop popcorn: 3 tbs oil, 1/2c kernals
-kettle corn recipe (i would suggest using sunflower or olive oil instead of vegetable)

Babble:
-apple orchard line madness

-waking up to a morning serenade
-”eve is outside”
-relating days experiences
-pumpkin patch schedule
-furlough

Fibery goodness:
-washing fleece using screens
-finishing the shawl knitting in training
-trying to finish yarn for coralune before trip
-rhinebeck wishlist

Favorite thing:
Fresh bread

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!

on/off the needles:
-coraline continues….once i spin more
-OWL + math = not what i wanted
WI Sheep and Wool Festival
-shopping
-books and magazines
-sheeps, lambs, and all sorts of wonders!
The Looking Glass Sweater -pattern by ewetopiafibershop.com
-alpaca yarn is from Enchanted Meadows Alpacas
-books and magazines were from countryside bookstore
-working on a new alpaca forest canopy shawl

babble:
-podcast changes….opinions?
-tomatoes
-pumpkins

word of the week:
wether

spinning:
-washing alpaca
-washing and dyeing targhee
-yellowing of the fleece

favorite thing:

Nikki’s Healthy Cookies…..

September’s Donation Incentive donor is The Spinning Loft! Beth has put together a bag of spinning treasures!
1 ounce of light brown cashmere cloud
1 ounce of undyed tussah silk
a spinning loft oil pen
and zip bag to keep it all in
mmmmm……cashmere

on/off the needles:
-coraline progress
-owls sweater swatch
-knitting gauge ipod application thingy
-the goods and bads with knitting groups

babble:
-my new training wheels (aka tape on the kitchen sink)
-tape and the little man
-too many tomatoes

upcoming events:
-stitches midwest
-wisconsin sheep and wool
-rhinebeck
-high fiber diet retreat

word of the week:
oops! no word this week!

spinning:
-washing fleece sockpr0n style
-how i ply

favorite thing:
-making it from scratch