Episode 75: Vampires & Historical Dramas

Sorry guys, no show notes this week ... BUT, here's a link to the Seafood Paella I made for Cinco de Mayo! (Note: I cut the recipe in half, used Minute Brown Rice, Shrimp and Mussels only - perfect for two + lotsa leftovers!)

No show next week, as I'll be away on vacation. Here's a sneak-peak at my in-flight entertainment:

Yarn: BMFA, STR Lightweight in, "A Little Dab'l Do Ya"

 

In-Flight Entertainment: Improv. BFF Socks ala Cookie A.

Episode: 74 - "Zen, Like That"

Show notes coming soon!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend :)

In Other News: 
I baked beer bread! Super easy to make, and quite delicious. (link to recipe)

Episode 73: Grammar Lessons

House Keeping Notes:

I made my own mic stand using nothing but a wire hanger! Check out this handy tutorial.

Off the Needles:

Flannery Socks by Spilly Jane — Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR Lightweight "Blecker"

On the Needles:
Vanilla Sock #2 — Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock "Zombie BBQ"
Breezy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig — Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR Lightweight "Blecker"
Designing a sock pattern w/ Knitty or Nice's hand-dyed Pink Elephant


Spinning:

Hanks In the Hood Navajo plied on the WooLee Winder / 70 oz fingering / DK weight self striping center pull "Happy" 100% Merino Wool 4.1oz

Trindle - Carbon Fiber Micro Trindle / Laceweight Garnet spheres

Gourmet Stash (note to self: pronounced, "Punee", not "Puniss") Punee-Style Rolags Sampler / Luck of the Fryrish

Using it to spin natural BFL roving for "Dyer's Notebook" Dye-Along. Still have to choose a hi-res photo to submit to the DAL thread.

Trindle and Gourmet Stash Punis Sampler

Episode 72: "Party Up Front, Business In Back"

Happy spring, every body! I couldn't be more psyched to see this cold weather go ... although that pretty much means putting the hand-knit sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, etc. away.  Never the less, the knitting continues!

Apologies again for being a no-show last week. It's slightly hectic times in my life at the moment. But I'm back this week to catch you up on what's happening on my needles.


On the Needles:

Flannery Socks

• Flannery Sock #2 by Spilly Jane — Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR Lightweight "Blecker"
• Vanilla Sock #2 — Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock "Zombie BBQ"
• Breezy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig — Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR Lightweight "Blecker"
• Stitch markers I'm using are from Winemakerssister.etsy.com

Sadly, I've fallen out of love knitting both:

Cambridge Cardigan — Knit Picks Wool Of the Andes Worsted "Cobblestone Heather"
Saroyan Shawl — Malabrigo Twisted "Stone Chat"

Spinning:

Hanks In the Hood self striping center pull "Happy" 100% Merino Wool 4.1oz

Finished spinning and plying on 4/7/13 - fingering / DK 70g

WooLee Winder: Still getting used to using it. Using it to spin natural BFL roving for "Dyer's Notebook" Dye-Along. Still have to choose a hi-res photo to submit to the DAL thread.
Still waiting for my Trindle to come in the mail. It may or may not have gotten lost along the way. I contacted the shop owner and if it doesn't come by this weekend, they said they'll kindly send me another.

GIVEAWAYS!

Eastwitching Whimsical Watercolour Animals by Alison Fennell - Set of 2 Prints
 WINNER: #41 - ChainOfFools
Gourmet Stash Bon Bons, Mini Bats "Fibery Tribbles"
WINNER: #16 - Gidgettm

Congrats to you both and BIG thanks to Alison and Kate! :D

Episode 71: Wall O' Sheep

Off the Needles: 

• Flannery Sock #1 by Spilly Jane — Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR Lightweight "Blecker"

On the Needles:

• Vanilla Sock #2 — Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock "Zombie BBQ"
• Cambridge Cardigan — Knit Picks Wool Of the Andes Worsted "Cobblestone Heather"
• Saroyan Shawl — Malabrigo Twisted "Stone Chat"

On the Wheel:

• Hanks In the Hood self striping center pull "Happy" 100% Merino Wool 4.1oz

• WooLee Winder: Still getting used to using it. Using it to spin natural BFL roving for "Dyer's Notebook" Dye-Along. Still have to choose a hi-res photo to submit to the DAL thread.

GIVEAWAYS!

Eastwitching Whimsical Watercolour Animals by Alison Fennell - Set of 2 Prints
(Enter Here)
Gourmet Stash Bon Bons, Mini Bats "Fibery Tribbles"
(Enter Here)

Greetings From Poang Pattern published! Available to download via Ravelry

Episode 70: Grub & Grog

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's also officially a year since I started vidcasting! If you're interested, here is the very
Cupcakes
Irish Coffee

Dennis recording with band - enjoying alone time

Off the Needles:

• Rivercat Socks - Blue Moon Fiber Arts, STR Lightweight in "The Green That Sings"

On the Needles:

• Saroyan / Malabrigo Twist in "Stone Chat"
• Vanilla Socks - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in "Zombie BBQ"
• Flannery Socks - Blue Moon Fiber Arts, STR Lightweight in "Blecker"

Spinning:

Hanks in the Hood, center pull "Happy"

Greenwood Fiberworks - Roving

DAL / Laura from "The Dyer's Notebook"

Judith MacKenzie, "Popular Wheel Mechanics"
Interweave download
Great, Loads of valuable info, but definitely need to watch it over again

Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont

What's On Netflix: 

• Weeds, New Season 8 episodes!!!
• Pretty Little Liars
• Vampire Diaries

Irish Coffee Recipe:

• Simple syrup to taste (2 parts sugar diluted in 1 part boiling water)
• 2 parts Irish Whiskey to 1 part hot coffee (or to taste)
• Float chilled Bailey's Irish Cream-infused cream on top (1 cup heavy cream, 1 small bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, whipped and chilled)

More Floss and Fiber

Knitting, spinning, my short-lived embroidery stint, stitch marker-making ...  how long is my craft resume going to get?

Today, it just got a little longer, my friends.

Cross stitch.

I know. I know. "ANOTHER CRAFT ENDEAVOR?!" You yelp.

Please, allow me to explain.

Our home.
We've been living in it for a little over a year now.
It feels like a home, but it is in desperate need of wall art.
While investing in pretentious, high-end art is a very loose pipe dream of mine, I've got better things to spend my hard-earned cash on (ahem - yarn, roving, pretty dresses, Etsy, supporting fellow crafters!)

Also, if there is but one more bit of decor in our home that screams, "IKEA" I am going to scream!

So, what better solution than to take matters into my own hands and turn to cross stitch?!

I was actually inspired by Carin from 'Round the Twist vidcast. She has a new segment called Pokey Things, in which she discusses her cross stitchery. I thought, "That's a cool craft, I'd like to try that someday, but I think I'm good with knitting and spinning for now."

You'd think I was in control of my creative whims and exploits, but in passing by the bathroom door the other day (like I do) I thought it looked a little blank.

You can probably guess what happened. I thought, "How cool would a framed cross-stitched-something look hanging on that door?!"

So, today I splurged on some cross stitch materials and have been browsing the Etsy for some potential cross stitch patterns.

Stay tuned for more progress on that!

In other news ...

I received my fiber from Greenwood Fiberworks!!! That lovely bit o' business up there is in her "Emily" colorway.

Yes, let the fiber addiction floodgates open! I have a fiber addiction! I admit it!

!!!!!

Not only is her fiber gorgeous, the packaging is too! I love it when sellers put a little "extra" something into their packaging. It just makes it that much more special. Just saying. ;)

KALxo

Dream Blog

Hanks In the Hood, "Happy"

It's rare that I find the time or motivation to write full blog posts anymore, and that really gets to me.

True, weekly "YarnGasm" episode updates should suffice, but that's not all I want my knitting blog to be about.

My dream blog would not only house my vidcast, but it would also be a time capsule for the following:

• Photos of my knitting
• Random musings
• A platform to gush about the things I enjoy and get excited about
• The occasional tutorial
• Updates about new things I'm learning and the progress I'm making
• MORE photos! (But I guess that's what Instagram is for?)
• LIFE!

Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. But for the most part, I feel those posts are rushed — even show notes. I feel like they're rather slapdash because, literally, there just aren't enough hours in the day.

But who says I need hours?

I'm not one to make resolutions, but my goal for this blog going forward is to take at least 15 minutes out of my day to update it.

Whether it be an essay, a quote, a photo, or a mere drivel of what I'm knitting on ...  I want it to be something that can make this blog more meaningful and personal to me than just a, "hey, check out my latest episode!" Know what I mean?

So, that's my goal for Voolenvine.com. 15 minutes a day. I started this blog 5 years ago! I think I owe it that much. :)

Episode 69: Tallulah

On The Needles: 

• Vanilla Socks - Lorna's Laces, Shepherd Sock, "Zombie BBQ" Sock #2
• Flannery Socks by Spilly Jane, BMFA, STR, Lightweight, "Blecker"
• Saroyan Shawl - Malabrigo, Twist, "Stone Chat"
• Cambridge Cardigan - KP, Wool Of the Andes, "Cobblestone Heather"

Off The Needles: 

• Rivercat Socks - BMFA, STR, Lightweight, "The Green That Sings"
• Greetings From Poang Shawl - MadTosh Merino Light, "Dahlia"  (Pattern due out soon!)

Spinning:

First Handspun out of Heavenly Wools
Hanks in the Hood / www.afiberworks.com (center pull self striping rovings)
KnitPicks, Hanks In the Hood spinning batt, "Mercer Island"
@StitchMistress, host of the TV Knitting Podcast. It's an awesome show. Check it out! Her husband also inveted the "Lendtini" (recipe link) a cocktail dedicated to Lendrum spinning wheels.

Giveaway Winner: Vintage Baseball Inspired Knits / Gussek! Congrats!!!
Allyson Dykhuizen
The Sweatshop of Love
http://www.thesweatshopoflove.com/blog/
http://twitter.com/AllysonKnits

Spinning Sparkly Stuff On a Caturday Afternoon

Interview: Allyson Dykhuizen

(Photo: KnitPicks.com)

One of my favorite knitwear designers is at it again! Allyson Dykhuizen has just released a new pattern collection entitled, "Vintage-Inspired Baseball Knits." OK, I must admit, my knowledge of sports is very limited, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover her patterns for this collection are incredibly versatile and completely customizable!

From the diehard baseball fan to .... one whom when they hear the word "base" only a former high school flame comes to mind, rest-assured, there's something for everyone!

What's more, Allyson took the time to answer some Q&A about her new pattern collection. Read on to find out what inspired it! 
 
Please tell us, how did the idea for a baseball knitwear collection come about? 

A couple years ago I was visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY, and there were a lot of these old beat up team sweaters in cases throughout the museum, and I really wanted to know more about them. When I got home I couldn't find anything! They were this lost part of baseball history. But I loved the idea of having a hand knit team sweater based on these old designs, so I went about researching and designing sweaters based on those designs. 

I'm always amazed by how quickly you come up with your designs. How long did it take you from  conceptualizing the idea for this pattern book to actually publishing it? What came easy? What was more challenging?  

 Thanks! It took about a year and a half from conception to publication for the book. I pitched the idea to Knit Picks and they really loved it, so I started designing and knitting up the samples last summer, so that was the big load of the job, and that was finished last August, and it had just been tweaking and editing on Knit Picks' part after that.

The  "Georgia Peach" cardigan is adorable! It reminds me of the movie, "A League Of Their Own." What are your favorite movies about baseball? Were any of your patterns inspired by them? I absolutely love "A League of Their Own", and it's for sure one of my favorite movies! I'll be in love with Bill Pullman until the day I die because of that movie. I cry every time I watch it! I also have great memories of loving all those amazing kids baseball movies that came out when we were kids, like "Rookie of the Year" and "Angels in the Outfield". Sharing those movies with my kids someday will be a fun part of being a parent.

I wanted to design a pattern for the collection based on those cute little uniforms they wore in "A League of Their Own", but it just never came together. It was always too costumey, and I wanted all the designs to be really wearable and functional. So instead I designed the Harnett Tank, which is like a fun striped racerback tank top, and it's named after Ann Harnett, the first woman to join the All American Girl's Baseball League.

Can someone who doesn't follow baseball still enjoy knitting and wearing these patterns? What styling / modification tips would you give? For sure! I think, especially Trolley Dodger and The Georgia Peach, have a really fun vintage sporty feel, so whether you are really into baseball or just want a fun old school sporty sweater to wear in your personal favorite colors, you can totally rock those looks. All the designs are really an ode to an old school sport world, which I think anyone with an interest in vintage inspirations would appreciate.

If you could knit for any Major or Minor League baseball player, alive or dead, who would it be. What would you knit them and why?

Hehe I love this question. My all time favorite baseball player is Ty Cobb, who The Georgia Peach pattern is named after, so I would for sure knit him some high socks to wear with his uniform. I like to imagine that even though he had this reputation for being a super jerk, he would really get a kick out of a fan knitting him some hand knit socks. AND there are a lot of Venezuelan players on the Detroit Tigers, my favorite team, so I would love to knit them all mittens with old english Ds on the hands for those cold early spring Midwestern games.

Do you enjoy watching / playing any other sports? If so, are you inspired to create a pattern book for it as well?

I love football as well! And I have been doing a little research about vintage football sweaters, which are really fun and costumey! So yeah, I'm kinda rolling that idea around in my brain.

Baseball season is right around the corner! Are you excited about or going to any games?

I'm so excited! Yes I'll be going to many many games I'm sure. The first spring training exhibition game was yesterday so I was following the action on twitter as it was being live tweeted, so it got me even more pumped. And baseball means the end of winter, so that is always really exciting, too!

To check out Allyson's "Vintage-Inspired Baseball Knits" pattern collection and other designs, click here!  She also blogs over at TheSweatShopOfLove.com