Pacific Midwest - Episode 310 - The Knitmore Girls

 

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This week's episode is sponsored by:

While winter brings feeling of nesting or hunkering down, it also means a picking up a piece or two of handcrafts. The oven works overtime for those holiday family favorites, quilters stitch just a tad faster to complete works of art before gift giving officially opens, and knitters dash to their local yarn store to squeeze in one more scarf or pair of socks for that last minute gift. As you are crafting wonders, Bar-Maids continues to handcraft yummy goodness for your skin ... all to to help you....even if you continue to create into the wee morning hours. Bar-Maids handcrafts their products with natural skin loving oils and butters; everything your skin needs to keep it soft and moisturized and nothing it doesn't. Since you use our hands a tad more in this season, let Lo-Lo help keep them moisturized. It's simple! Get your hands wet, shake the water off and get your Lo-Lo on before you pick-up needle, cookie cutter, or drop spindle.

Infinite Twist produces unique and luxurious hand-spun yarns that are crafted in a socially responsible way. Spun from hand-painted roving and hand-blended batts, our hand-spun yarns are a tactile delight for knitters. We also offer project kits that take the guess-work out of yarn and color selection, and hand-dyed mill-spun yarns in striking semi-solid colors. Find out more by visiting infinitetwist.com, or find us on Ravelry and Instagram as infinite twist. Sign up for our newsletter for a free knitting pattern every month, and don’t forget to use offer code “knitmore”!

Purlescence Yarns is the Bay Area's destination yarn shop. From the best in spinning and weaving equipment to luxurious yarns and fibers, we have what you need to make your fibery dreams a reality. We're always happy to provide mail order service for Knitmore Girls listeners. Call us today, it'll be on its way! 

Operation Sock Drawer is proudly sponsored by Simply Socks Yarn Company.  Does your sock drawer need filling? Let us help!  With nine years experience helping sock knitters, we’ll help you find what you need. Regia has released a new 8 ply collection for keeping your feet toasty this winter. Also check out the new Active line, which features Outlast fiber- developed for NASA to help with temperature and moisture control.  Come check us out at simplysockyarn.com .

On The Needles:(0:36)

Gigi has finished her Mystik Spiral Socks. Jasmin is finishing the heels on the Stingy Jack socks by Invictus Yarns. She is thrilled that Heather Ordover's CrafLit was mentioned on NPR.

Gigi has finished the Van Gogh socks in the "Bedroom in Arles" yarn by Opal. Jasmin is knitting a cashmere hat for Andrew out of a kit from Jade Sapphire, that she bought from Purlescence.
She is thinking about also knitting the Sockhead hat for him out of the older cashmere.

Gigi has been working on her Grinchy socks. Jasmin talks about 25 Days of Enabling. On Pinterest, Facebook, our Ravelry board and Instagram. So far we have featured: Deck the Halls, by Voolenvine, Grinchy socks, Grinch vs Santa by Gynx Yarns, and Glitter and Stripes by TurtlepurlYarns. (Discount codes can be found on all social media blasts.)

Gigi has started on the Grinch vs Santa socks, and is enjoying it a lot. Jasmin is working on her second Regia 6366 (fall colored socks) out of Regia 6ply.

Gigi has been working on the Knit your Love Shawl from Martina Behm and has so far knitted 16 out of 20 hearts. Jasmin mentions her Leftie, and her Hitchhiker Cowl.

In Stitches:(12:51)

Jasmin and Genevieve have been wearing lots of knits. Genevieve likes wearing her Little Oak Cardigan ("Squirrel sweater") and Playful Stripes cardigan ("Annie Sweater", from Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf). Jasmin has been wearing her Looped Loop cowl and her black wristers.

Genevieve loves her Mollie hat that Knitty Barb knit for her. She has also been wearing Clare Devine's Planum sock that C.C. and Demaris of the Geeky Girls Vidcast knit for her.
Genevieve is very good about getting sweaters out of her sweater chest that we talked about last episode.

Gigi has worn a cowl and fingerless mitts and thinks that maybe she should knit herself a hat and mittens to wear at night. Jasmin has been wearing her Breezy cardigan, and finds it very versatile.

Loose Ends:(19:13)

Prizes will be shipped about once a month. Marly Bird from the Yarnthing interviewed us this past week.
 
Events:(20:11)

 We went to the Pajama Jammie Jam.  It was a lot of fun.

2/19-22/2015: Stitches West! We will be collecting preemie hats there.

Contest:(22:51)

Parameters for participating in the #operationsockdrawer contest:

Participants: post a picture to instagram with the #operationsockdrawer, have your ravelry name on your instagram profile. Feel free to double dip your projects.

Projects will be judged on originality and general delightfulness.
This weeks winner is Turtlegirl76, she won a skein of sock yarn from Fab Funky Fibres in the colorway "I believe in the Impossible"

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The Grinch-along. We have extended the starting date to December 1st.

There are only two rule:

1. Cease and desist all holiday gift knitting! #grinchalong.
2. What you *do* knit, must bring you joy.

Take pictures and post them in the ravelry group thread and/or on Instagram.

Prizes will be Grinchy knitting bags sewn in the "Sweatshop Of Love"(Lovingly purloined from Sweatshop Of Love) by the Knitmore Girls out of Grinchy fabric. Let us know what fun holiday things you are doing instead of gift knitting. Do multiple dipping with as many contests as you can.
Pinterest link to the tutorial we used.

Other prizes for the #grinchalong:

 - Santa Claus, IN  (Poste Self-striping yarn base), provided by Simply Socks Yarn Co.
 - Jollyville, TX (Poste Self-striping yarn base), provided by Simply Socks Yarn Co.
- Wicked, from Voolenvine, on the Lush base.
- Body scrub from the BarMaids
-Glitter and Stripes, by TurtlepurlYarns
-Moss, by Gynx Yarns
-HoHoHo, from Fab Funky Fibres
-December, from Berry Colorful Yarnings
-Broken Ornaments, from Gourmet Stash,
-Wicked, from Voolenvine Yarns
-Yak, Raywa Fibers, Harmony in the Juniper colorway

Post your entries on the Ravelry thread, instagram, twitter and Facebook with the #grinchalong.

The Do Some Good Contest is also coming up soon.

Mother Knows Best:(29:23)

This week we answer questions out of the "What do you want to hear about?" thread about counting spun yardage, and about needles for knitting hats.

Jasmin mentions her Strauch skein winder, the Fricke winder with a counter, and the Schacht Ultra Umbrella Swift with Counter, and the McMorran Yarn Balance, and the Mama Bear Swift.

We enumerate Chiagoo needles needles, HiyaHiya Sharps and addi lace needles.

When Knitting Attacks:(38:21)

Gigi was attacked by the Knit your Love Shawl. And she managed to lose her pattern for the Mystik Spiral Socks that she was going to knit out of Mint Rain in the colorway Ocean Depth.

Review:(40:14)

This week we review Curls by Hunter Hammersen

Holidays with the Knitmores:(46:15)

We talk about eggnog and ask about what spirit/s our listeners use.

And Sew On:(48:38)

Gigi showed off the Nemesis dress to the knitting group and was thinking of sewing bra strap minders onto the shoulders.