Stash and Burn

Episode 23: The Category is...

This week we have a spell of random knitting related conversation followed reviews of yarn, needles, and needle storage.

Episode 23: The Category is (34:23)

Potpourri
We had lots of odds and ends we wanted to discuss, so we through them all together Trebek style!

Jenny and Nicole love their stashes!
Josephine
Imagiknit (Yay, Marcie!)
Crochet tip: Knit your motif in a bigger yarn to see what is going on!
Babette: sew as you go, crochet in sections, Nicole likes to plan her projects
Article Pract

• Nature's Palette
• Fibre Company
• Alchemy
• Brown Sheep
• Curious Creek Fibers
• Habu

Silk Hankies
Aija's spinning
Cristina Stork's Viva Poncho!
Frida Poncho
Stash
O-Wool Balance
Rusted root
Stowe Lake

Just swatch this!
We review three of the yarns in the Vickie Howell line from Southwest Trading Company, Nicole gets some new needles, and Jenny gets a new storage solution.

Rock

• $9.99
• 109 yds
• Color palette named after famous rockers
• 30% wool, 40% soy, 30% hemp
• a good sub for a wool cotton
• a bag, perhaps?

Love

• $12.99
• 98 yds
• Color palette named after famous movie couples
• 70% bamboo, 30% silk
• so soft! so shiny!
• perhaps for babies?
• bright color palette

Craft

• $9.99
• 137 yds
• Color palette named after famous crafters
• 65% organic cotton, 35% milk fiber
• so soft!
• great drape

Knitpicks Options Needles

• slick
• a slight hitch at the join
• a little heavier than Addi's

Splityarn's Etsy shop

• Needle case!
• Accessory Pouch!

Music
Dig Me Out: Sleater Kinney
Small Town Crew: The Brunettes
Murderer: Low

Episode 22: Sock Mojo

Episode 22: Sock Mojo (45:38)

This week we talk about sock knitting and the elusive sock mojo, then we meet with two bloggers/Etsy sellers about their booming yarn inspired businesses.

Where's my mojo?
We discuss what is preventing Nicole from reaching the road to sock righteousness.

Lime & Violet
Ready, Set, Knit
Embossed Leaves socks
Shelridge Farms
Target vest (a.k.a. the Roundabout vest, scroll down to the near the bottom of the page)
Thuja
Cookie A

• Flicker
• Pomatomus
• Thelonious
• Gothic Spires

Child's First Sock
Gentlemen's Fancy Sock
J's Lorna's Laces
Regia Stretch

Meet the makers!
We talk to Aija of SockPron and Krista of PigeonRoof Studios about socks, dyeing, and stashes.

Pigeonroof Studios at Etsy
Pigeonroof blog
Zer0 markers on Etsy
SockPron
Aija's Lizard Ridge Blanket
Elfine socks
Article Pract
Susanne DPNS
Knitpicks DPNs
BMP
Aija was inspired by this Livejournal entry
BMPs in the German gaming magazine, Gee
BoingBoing
Top 10 Geekiest Craft Projects
Musee Mechanique
Wool 2 Dye 4
Crown Mountain Farms
Aija's literature-inspired colors
Black Dog Knits
Black Dog Designs
Rowan Studio
Twisted Flower
Teosinte socks
Dyeabolical Yarns
Hanami Stole
Raspy
Helleborus scarf
Etsy Fridays

Thanks Aija & Krista! We had a great time talking with you! Thanks to you for listening!

Episode 21: Pattern Recognition

Episode 21: Pattern Recognition (31:27)

We dissect the art of pattern writing from a knitter's view and try to figure out why even though we love some books we never knit from them.

Looking at the pattern
We talk about what we look for when we look at patterns: the good, the bad, and the pretty.

Corset Pullover (scroll down)
Cosmicpluto's Corset Pullover
Japanese patterns
Forecast (still no schematic!)
Gloria (that's it on the cover)
Brainy Alison
Josephine Top (scroll down)
Sunrise Circle (scroll down)
When we look at a pattern, we look for certain things:

• Lots of photos
• Search for FOs online
• Gauge over only pattern drives us batty
• True weight of the yarn used
• Be specific about how the yarn is used (i.e. bigger yarn at a tighter gauge)
• Tell us the size shown & (in our dreams) the size of the model. Or at least tell us the intended amount of ease.
• Descriptors about how drapey it should be.
• Schematics are the bomb. Please always include one.

We love this book, sort of
We talk about books that we love that we never knit from. Nicole says that we are going to talk about three books, but we only talk about two of them. Sorry.

Weekend Knitting
Perfect Pie Shawl
Petticoat Socks
Turkish cast-on
Jenny's Salt Peanuts
Loop-d-loop
Lace Leaf Pullover
Bobble U-Neck
Assymetrical Corrugated Pullover
Knitcore's cable vest from Loop-d-Loop
Cabled Riding Jacket
Summer Glau!

Thanks for listening!

Music:
Dig Me Out: Sleater Kinney
U-Dot: Continental
+81: Deerhoof

Episode 20: LBT or Burst!

This week we compare notes on the Lotus Blossom Tank and bamboo yarns, dive into our stashes for knitting fantasy, and put out the call to everyone who loves Annie.

Episode 20: LBT or Burst! (37:50)

Lotus me, lotus you
For the first time ever, we knit the same pattern! Let us lead you to the world of bamboo.

Lotus Blossom Tank by Sharon Shoji
IK Summer 2006
Lotus Blossom Knitalong
Nicole's LBT
Jenny's LBT
Southwest Trading Company Bamboo

• Chainette construction
• More supple & pliable
• Soft, like a organic cotton
• Good substitute for silk

Plymouth Royal Bamboo

• 14 plys of 2 plys
• Structure
• Unravels
• More sheen
• More similar to a mercerized cotton
• Good substitute for mercerized cotton or rayon

Our advice:

• Lengthen the distance from the garter stitch to the armscyce
• Shorten the back to compensate for the bamboo stretch

Caramel cap sweater (scroll down)
Knitting Daily
Bamboo is green
Bamboo is antibacterial
Bamboo is vegan (yes, vegan!)
Crystal Palace Panda Cotton

Knitting Fantasy Life
The stars align . . . we take our fantasy lives into the stash.

See the sweaters we talk about from the Fall 07 Knitscene here (the Ingenue sweater by Phoenix Bess, Cactus Blossom by Kate Jackson, Road to Golden by Lisa Shroyer)
Gloria by Jane Ellison
Sculptured Knits by Jean Moss
Equestrian Jacket by Kate Gilbert (scroll down)
Classic Elite Provence
Pride and Prejudice
Doctor bag from Knit Two Together
Marilyn's Not So Shrunken Cardigan
Simply Marilyn (PDF)
Butterfly
Corset Tank Top
Simple Knitted Bodice
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Silk Garden
Cotton Fleece
Tomato (subscribe to Knitting Daily to get the pattern for free!)
Original skull and crossbones baby hat
Wee call them pirates!

Annie, look what you've done for us
A few things that we wanted to mention: Annie Modesitt needs our help, we get del.icio.us, and Jenny lets go of some stash.

Annie Modesitt
We Love Annie!
Check out our del.icio.us sidebar>>
Stash sale link in our sidebar

Music:
Dig Me Out: Sleater Kinney
Kusamira: Cosamas Magaya

Nicole saw . . .

The show was 7th Heaven, the more famous paramour wants his sexy back, and the celebrity introduced herself as Jess. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Episode 19: Vacay & Crochet

We are back from vacation with new unexpected projects, a new love for crochet, and lots of yarn talk.

Episode 19: Vacay and Crochet (36:07)

What I did on my summer vacation
Jenny takes a bite out of Big Apple yarn stores and Nicole learns what she doesn't know about crochet.

Ready, Set, Knit
Webs
Skrilla Knits
Ambercakes Yarn Crawl
String
Koigu cashmere
Sasha Kagan
Crochet Inspiration
Knitting 3-2-1
School Products
Yarn Connection
O-Wool Balance
Molly Ringwald
Jenny's Molly Ringwald!
Purl
Tahki Willow
Lotus Blossom Tank
Giant Pink Baby Sweater
Lorna's Laces Sock Yarn
Shelridge Farms Sock Yarn
On Your Toes
Panda Cotton
Nicole's Fun in the Sun Hat
Slouchy Purse (scroll down)
My yarn cakes fell apart!

Crochet me, crochet you
We talk about some of our new best friends--crochet books and magazines!

IK Crochet
Kim Werker
Crochet Me
Crochet Today
200 Crochet Blocks
Happy Hooker

Contest! What former television, now in the movies actress currently in a rocky romance with a much more famous guy did Nicole see in Belize? If you think you know, email us by 11:59pm July 9, to win some lace weight yarn.