Knot A Podcast: Episode 33

Knot A Podcast: Episode 33 from SewKnitpicky on Vimeo.

It's hard to believe it's already July, kittens!  Hope you all are having a good one so far.


Show Notes: Episode 33

♥  Please join us in the Knot A Podcast Ravelry Group for Sock it to Summer!  There are 14 lovely entries so far and two full months left to get a pair entered for yourself!

♥ Discussed Blip's other shoe dropping.  In a much earlier show, I discussed why Blip was rejecting new podcasts.  Now, they're actually removing all single-camera content producers from their site.  Hopefully, all podcasters using Blip will find new homes and stay with us.  I would hate to see anyone have to drop podcasting because of it.  :(


WiPs:

♥ 3rd Hitchhiker is still in the works but almost finished!
♥  Pomme de Pin is making slow but sure progress.  At this rate, I might finish before SitS is wrapped up.

Spinning A Yarn:

♥  Still working through my Pigeonroof Studios merino with Team Must Stash Podcast and Team IG Spinners for Tour de Fleece.  It's been a lot of fun so far, and I just rounded the halfway point on the braid.
♥ Discussed possible next spinning projects.

Stitcher's Corner:

♥ Finished my Springtime Sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, and am now working on the Summer Sampler.  I'm quite a bit behind, but I'm confident I can catch up and finish by the end of July.
♥ Plans to (finally) start my Woodland 2013 Sampler and work on that until the Autumn Sampler releases.

Stash Flash:

♥ 4 Loop Batts totaling well over a pound.  I went a little crazy.
♥ 3 Extras of Mochi--for a total of 16oz-- so I can knit a lovely stripey sweater!

2013 Stashdown: Q2

So here it is: Quarter 2 of 2013's Stashdown efforts.  This year I am tracking all four year's worth of numbers and seeing if any trends pop up.  So far...I'm not getting much out of them.  But I find this fun in a weird, nerdy sort of way.

(Click the image for a larger, and easier to read version.)

Why I ever try to make plans is beyond me: it seems as soon as I say them, I act in ways that guarantee that I can not get the outcome I was aiming for.  Early on in Q2, I bought a bunch of yarn again...had April been like May and June, I would have had little or no stash in at all.  I do not count fiber for my Stashdown efforts--neither in nor out.

I'm amazed I am not busting out all over the place with yarn here.

June 2013: Wrap-up

Yardage Totals 2013:

January: 869yds

February: 1,038yds

March:  1,100yds

April:  1,251yds
May: 1,112yds

June: 452yds

Year To Date: 5,822yds or 3.31 miles

Sorry I'm a little late with this one, kittens.  It's been a crazy last few days, and I forgot about the post writing thing.

After 8 months of really high knitting output, this month's number is a bit of a let-down.  But considering I cross stitched an entire sampler in that time...it's pretty easy to see how most of my crafting time was spent.  I didn't do too badly for stolen moments in the car and watching podcasts.  And it's probably best that I accept that until the weather cools down, I'm likely not going to be knitting all that much any way.  I can still hope to do a little better in July.  In the sweltering, humid heat.  Where are Spring and Fall when I need them?

Knot A Podcast: Episode 32

Knot A Podcast: Episode 32 from SewKnitpicky on Vimeo.

This week I tested out my theory that it's more comfortable to talk and podcast from a real chair and not my desk one.  This would be TRUTH.  I should find a way to make this happen more often; it felt more natural to chat while seated like that.

Please come join us in the Knot A Podcast Ravelry group!
Sock it to Summer is in full swing.



Show Notes:  "The Dog Days of...late spring?"


FOs:
♥ Amineko Cat for my "toy box."

WiPs:
♥ Hitchhiker by Martina Behm.
♥ Pomme de Pin Cardigan by Amy Christoffers.

Spinning a Yarn:
♥ Pigeonroof Studios Merino in "Magnolia."  The first 1.15oz resulted in ~69yards of chain-plied yarn.

Stitchin' Corner:
♥ Spring Sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery
♥ There is still time to sign up for the Summer Sampler at the introductory price ($12.95 vs the usual $16.95) and add to the 400 person goal!  They're just over half-way there.  Come join us! :)

Stitchin' Saturday

It's really interesting to watch it grow, isn't it, kittens?

Knot A Podcast: Episode 31

Knot A Podcast: Episode 31 from SewKnitpicky on Vimeo.

It's that day again, kittens!  This is the last week that I'll be doing the weekly podcast for the summer.  I'm going bi-weekly until at least the end of July...maybe until school gets back in after Labor Day.

I only just noticed the text snafu during the final watching.  LOL.  So sorry about that.


Show Notes:

♥ Come join us for Sock it to Summer!
♥  My small destash, if you're interested.


WiPs:
♥ Hitchiker #3
♥ Pomme de Pin, "The never-ending cardigan"

Spinning a Yarn:
♥ Pigeonroof Studios SW Merino in "Magnolia"

Stitchin' Corner:
♥ Springtime Sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

Stash Enhancement:
♥ Another Trindle

Picture Post

Remember back when I used to write actual blog entries?  I'll admit to it: recording videos *is* easier for me...but sometimes I miss typing out words and adding pictures to actual blog posts.  (I have several posts at various stages of completion hiding on my dashboard, but I never seem to find enough time to finish them.  Some topics do not work well with video format.  Especially when $$$ is involved for storage space.  Maybe some day I will write up a post about the monetary and other costs of hosting a video podcast.  Oh look!  I ended up on a tangent.)

I'm hoping to fix this over the coming months as I get a better feel for how things are going to flow.  Surely with both of my children finally in school, I can find time to work on my blog?  Right?  Are those crickets I'm hearing?  Or maybe it's laughter at my silliness?

Anywho.

As if I do not have enough on my plate,  I have finally been pushed into starting up the cross-stitch "kits" from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery I had been purchasing and sitting on for "some day."  I am the easiest person in the world to enable, but I could not justify having yet another sampler sit around waiting for Some Day to finally get here.  So I challenged myself: I want to have the Spring Sampler all stitched up before the clues for the Summer Sampler start coming in on 21 June.  This leaves me with exactly 3 weeks to get it done, and based on my first 4 days' worth of progress, I'm not sure if I can do it...but I think it will be close. As I get a better feel for reading the linen and finding my stitching groove, I'm starting to speed up.  Stitching really isn't a quick crafting activity; like spinning, it's soothing and meditative.  I've really enjoyed doing it these past few days when it's been too hot and humid to touch wool.  Productivity and non-sweaty hands for the win!

So what do you think, kittens?  Will you join me in stitching this summer?  (If 4OO people sign up before the sampler ends in July, we'll all score a bonus pattern for being early adopters.  They're already 1/4 of the way to the goal.  You know you want to!

Please??)