Episode 23: Take 3

Hi everyone! Yes, this is take 3 recording this week’s episode – I tried using my DSLR the first time around, and while the picture and sound were excellent, it only recorded 5:30 of the 40 or so minutes I was trying to record. *sigh* Take 2: I tried using my old webcam and while that worked, the settings were all wonky and I can’t change them to my liking. The recording was over 5GB?!?! WTF?! It was crashing Premiere (what I use to edit lately) and was such a headache. I spent about 19 hours of 24 trying to get it to work. Finally, I decided to re-record for Take 3 using the current webcam – what you see today. 🙂 MUCH more manageable, thank goodness. Technology is not my friend. Oy.

WE ARE AT 150 MEMBERS!!! What??? That is AWESOME. Thank you all so much for your love, encouragement and patience. When we hit 200 members in the Ravelry group, I’ll do a prize drawing! Nice, right? Don’t know where the Rav group is? Here you go: www.ravelry.com/groups/sheepish-podcast/.

Also, I’ve decided to add a co-mod to the group, so everyone welcome Michelle (travelingknitter)! You’ve seen her around the boards already, but she’s going to be a great addition (and keep me on task, I’m sure, LOL)! To celebrate, we’re going to hold a colorwork knitalong called Fall Into Color! Starting October 1 and continuing through the end of the year, we’re going to knit something in colorwork – and you get to convince us that something’s colorwork or not. 😉 I’m planning on knitting Hiro and Michelle is planning on knitting Plum Rondo a la Turk. (I just noticed that these are both by Julia Farwell-Clay, heh.) You don’t have to do a sweater, knit or crochet whatever your heart desires, as long as it fits into your description of colorwork. For more information on the knitalong, visit the thread on Ravelry and share what you’re going to make!

Lastly, we’re coming up on my one year podiversary. That’s kinda cool. To celebrate, I’ll start a thread to win prizes on October 1 and close it on the podiversary, October 31. I haven’t thought about prizes yet, but I know that one will be an e-book on Ravelry. 🙂 Okay, we can finally get into the knitting now! Still with me? Good.

Current Roster 

• Bondi Socks by me. Progress is slow on this, just because I haven’t been working on it over the last week. See the next item why that might be. 😉 I’m one set of decreases away from just knitting down the foot of the sock, which will either go quickly because I can zone out, or slowly because I’m bored.
• Narragansett by Thea Colman. I have just wanted to work on this. I am only about 5 rows from binding off the body and can start the sleeves. I want to wear this so badly – I think that the cooler temperatures here in the DC area have contributed to that want. I’ve used the better part of 4 balls, when all is said and done – I stopped alternating skeins again when I got to the ribbing on the sweater, so that’s being done in ball 5 and I have the leftovers of ball 4 to use. I haven’t decided if I’m going to alternate on the sleeves or not. Suggestions?

Stick Handling 

I’m still working on the first two ounces of the Fibery Tribbles from Gourmet Stash. It’s slow going – especially because the fiber is so darn slippery – but it’s pretty. Hopefully, I’ll get started on the second two ounces this week.

Scouting Report 

It’s all Yarn vs. Zombies this week, what can I say? I received my yarn and fiber from the Geek Treat club, Doctor Who was my geek, natch, and I am in love. They’re not colors that I’d normally gravitate towards, but they’re lovely. The fiber is 100% Corriedale, which I’ve never spun before. I also picked up a ball of self-striping in her Haunted base: Rain of Frogs and another braid of Corriedale in the Penny, Amy, Bernadette colorway.

What’s Making Me Happy 

• HOCKEY!!! Yes, it’s still preseason, but it’s still hockey. It’s the most wonderful time of the year (to me, at least – talk to me at the end of the season, LOL). I talked a lot about seeing the rookies play and I just found out that the one I mentioned on the podcast, Nathan Walker, has been sent down to our AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, since we couldn’t sign him due to a rule in the CBA (collective bargaining agreement – a contract between the team owners and players). So happy for him and am looking forward to seeing him play in PA this year.
• The Highlands on the Fly retreat is really just a month away! I am so freakin’ excited about this!! The vendor list is outstanding, so I’ll need to pack carefully so I have room to bring home the goodies.
• The iOS7 update for the iPad and the iPhone. Well, it’s only happy-ish. I like certain things about the update and hate others. I think that’s pretty standard, yes?
• OMG, I forgot to mention this in the podcast – my bestie sent this link to me the other night and knew that I’d love it. Y’all know that I’m a huge Potter-head, well Matt Lewis (who played Neville Longbottom) was on BBC Radio 1 on a mid-day show, I think, and complete hilarity and ridiculousness ensue. There’s water, spitting, laughing, and slightly inappropriate words involved… I laughed for the entire time I watched. I also am a 12 year old boy when it comes to humor. Enjoy.

 

On that note, have a great week and I’ll see you next time!

xo,
Holly

Episode 22: A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Hi everyone! I hope you’ve all had a good week… Mine has been busy, of course – fitting five days of work into four is definitely not easy. Hopefully you all had a great Labor Day (if you’re in the States to celebrate), mine was a fiber-y Labor Day, accompanied with lots of Pride & Prejudice (the BBC version, of course).

We’ve got a bit to cover this week – including a prize drawing! Hooray! The winner of the August “Socks, Socks, Socks!” thread is… yeah, you know I’m not going to spoil it here. 😉 If you are the winner, please PM me on Ravelry with your favorite colors in sock yarn and your address so I can get that out to you ASAP!

Current Roster 

• Bondi Socks by me. I made some progress on the second sock this week, knitting down the leg and half of the heel flap two weekends ago and finally getting around to finishing the heel flap while getting Fawkes (my car) an oil change. I turned the heel while helping a friend troubleshoot the heel turn in the pattern and am now just working through all the gusset decreases. So, I’m in the most boring part of the sock. Ah, well. I’ll have Mom try it on as I knit, so I can actually knit it to the correct length. Novel idea, right?
• Narragansett by Thea Colman. I cast this on late on the Friday of the week the podcast went up. (Like around midnight on that Friday night. I’d been dealing with video issues because of my iTunes feed – it didn’t upload correctly. Oy.) This has been working up so quickly – and has been the only thing that I’ve really wanted to work on.  Of course, it’s now too big to carry around, so I can only work on it at home. I am using some of the yarn from the Magnolia Society yarn club: madeline tosh 80/10/10 Worsted in the Well Water colorway. (I totally forgot to say that on the ‘cast!) LOVE this yarn. I have been alternating skeins throughout, like a good little knitter, so there is that, but it looks so awesome.

Stick Handling 

• I finished the braid of Polwarth from Knitters Nightmare in the Berlin colorway! Hooray! The colors are phenomenal. I navajo plied the yarn and my navajo plying needs work, but it’s still gorgeous. Sadie dyes some phenomenal colorways – I tend to say that about most of the indie dyers I buy from, don’t I? Well, it’s because it’s true.
• So, since one braid of yarn was done, I had to put some more fiber on the wheel… I decided to order another 2 oz of the Fibery Tribbles from Gourmet Stash (along with some punis… no judgement!) and with the 4 oz I previously purchased, I am going to do a true 3 ply – I’ve never done that, before! Which means I’m going to join in with the Yarnraising New-To-You Spinalong. I’ve also never worked with alpaca, so I’ve got two entries right there! 🙂 It goes until October 31, so if you want to join in come on!

Scouting Report: Stash 

• Well, the Fibery Tribbles and punis from Gourmet Stash
• My sweater’s worth of madeline tosh Dandelion (90% superwash merino, 10% fine linen) in Duchess. Love the feel of the yarn – it’s a fingering weight in a purple-y colorway.
• A skein of Goonies self-striping sock yarn from Highland Handmades
• Two Bullseye Bumps from Loop. Awesome!!!

What’s Making Me Happy 

• HIGHLANDS ON THE FLY IS A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AWAY! Yes, I might be a little excited. And I might need to get cracking on that sweater.
• Teefury.com – I love their t-shirts: uber-geeky and really pop-culture relevant! Just be prepared to wait for them.
• Hockey is starting up again! On Monday, the rookies from the Caps and Flyers played… and I was damn happy to watch. LOVE. Our first pre-season game is Saturday night. I already have plans with beer, knitting (because spinning would probably be a bad idea), and internet.
• Yes, I got my hair cut. I’m still getting used to it. The salon I went to was way too cool for me, but I loved the stylist, so I will brave the uber-hip hipsters and keep going. Now if I could figure out what to do with it on my own…

Have a great week! I will be recording next week, so I’ll see you all then!

xo,
Holly