Broccoli and Spinach - Episode 385 - The Knitmore Girls

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This week's episode is sponsored by:

 

We'd like you to meet two very special yarns, Lily and Lotus!  Both yarns are a luscious blend of yak, merino, and silk. They are naturally a light grey color, quite lovely as they are, but we just can't stop ourselves from putting lots of bright color on top. Overdyeing the grey mutes our brights just a little, making them richer and oh, so wearable. Lily is a worsted weight 4-ply with a very round structure that makes cables and textures pop. Lily's little sister Lotus is fingering weight with a tight twist. Perfect for socks, scarves, sweaters, or anything. Get Lily and Lotus at AbstractFiber.com

 
 You've been requesting it for a long time now, and Erin.Lane Bags is finally going to make all your dreams come true.
Erin.Lane Bags has just opened up its Custom Shop, a place where you can order your favorite project bags and totes in fabrics that you pick out and send in to be made into the perfect bags.
It's easy to get started on your Custom Shop order. Just visit erinlanebags.com and click on "Custom Shop" in the Menu. Following the instructions, fill out the Order Form, and send in your fabrics.
Start picking those fabrics now, and get your order in today to be the first in your knitting group with a custom Erin.Lane bag. 

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 infinitetwist. Sign up for our newsletter for a free knitting pattern every month, and don’t forget to use offer code “knitmore”!

Miss Babs dyes an incredible variety of colors. From subtle to vibrant, monochromatic to uniquely variegated, there’s sure to be a color for you. Miss Babs also offers gorgeous gradients and hand-picked color combinations for multicolored projects. Try their newest yarn, Caroline, a merino-cashmere-nylon blend, for soft and beautiful accessories, or try Hot Shot for your next pair of socks. Find a fantastic yarn for your next project from Miss Babs. Hand dyed yarns - inspired by nature.

There comes a time in any story when the arc draws down to the ending. Thus it is with Purlescence Yarns and its story. We began in 2006 with the idea of creating community around beautiful crafting supplies and teaching new skills. We feel that we have achieved that goal. It is now time for us to retire and move on to our next adventure.
On August 28, 2016 we will have our final tea and crafting in the living room. Come and join us if you can, in saying farewell to a piece of our shared history and take a tea cup to remember us.

We have been proud to support the Knitmore Girls since the beginning. We've created community together and supported wonderful things like Halos of Hope and 25,000 Tuques. Keep the magic and keep on crafting. 

With love,
Kaye and Sandi Luck

We start with a one-minute health update

On The Needles:(0:34)

Gigi has been working on the Copperplate cardigan, out of Quince and Co Chickadee, and absolutely loves the hand of the yarn.

Jasmin has finished working on the Spock sweater, and set it with citric acid because when she tried to block it and it bled a bit. (Excellent, quick followup from FabFunkyFibres.)

It feels like Emily from Knitting Butterflies is trouncing Jasmin at Stashdash.
#stashdash2016 #teamcuteknitter

Gigi has been working on Sam's sock and he needs a very deep instep. She is considering making the next sock with more than 50% for the heel.

Jasmin finished putting the zipper in the Coronation cardigan. We did a Periscope on how to shorten a zipper.

She mentioned the other Periscopes we have done,,

Gigi excavated her Mishke cardigan that had been languishing in Area 51 for a year or so, and sewed in the shoulders. One of which needs to be done again.

Gigi wove in ends on four other pairs of socks that she had finished knitting earlier. #operationsockdrawer #boxosoxKAL . She also cast on a pair of socks out of Kroy. And she dug out some socks out of her UFO bin out of Regia silk color.

Jasmin has swatched for three projects: the Daniel Tiger cardigan. She got a trolley patch from the Fred Rogers Company. She also set the yarn with citric acid.

She also swatched for the Anna cardigan and did some pre-emptive citric acid soaking. She is copying the ideas from Megknitficent, from the Mostly MagKnitficent podcast .

Also, she is using some of Ann Podlesak's charts from Legendary Knits, Vol. 1.  Ann Podlesak has the Wooly Wonka Fibers podcast . Jasmin mentions the Actually Knitting podcast and her PALKAL.

Jasmin suggests our free Vanilla sock pattern and the pattern for Genevieve's tube socks, which is free if you write it down yourself or $1 if you want to get the official PDF.

Jasmin knit the Welcome to the Flock pattern for Rex and cast on the Gone Astray for Genevieve.
Also check her project pages for discounts.

#behmalong: Gigi blocked, wove in ends, and got photographs of herself in her Viajante, and  Thousand Tulips shawls.

Contest:(19:38)

 Operation Sockdrawer will be on hiatus until after Tour de Fleece.
Parameters for participating in the #operationsockdrawer contest:

Participants: post a picture to the ravelry forum, or 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.
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#elizalong #projecat sweater chest. This is the sweater equivalent of #operationsockdrawer.

Jasmin contacted Unicorn Fibres, and ordered some Beyond Clean Fiberwash.
They decided to send some prizes for #projectsweaterchest and Tour de Fleece. Enter your spinning in the Finish Line thread in the Team Sasquatch Group.

Mother Knows Best:(24:25)

This week we answer a question from the "What do you want to hear about?" thread in the forum
about how to knit, spin, sew around/with very small children. We mention Abby Franquemont's Respect the Spindle

Review:(31:09)

This week we review Spin Control by Amy King

Jasmin mentions our Director's Cut episode featuring Amy King

We are intrigued by the prospect of knitting with singles.
Amy King also has a Craftsy class! (Foundations of Spinning)

Jasmin mentions the books that we like in our spinning library in our Amazon Store.

Tour de Fleece:(38:32)

Gigi has been spinning. She is not terribly pleased with how irregular her yarn is turning out.
So far she has spun six nests of fiber out of 32.

 Jasmin is feeling amazing about spinning.  She mentions listening to the Knit Girlls while spinning. She is finishing things: singles out of Abstract Fiber Rock Star. She wants to use her Woolee Winder for plying. She is breaking in the Acadia wheel. She is also working with an Akerworks bobbin on her Matchless. 

She is using fiber she bought from Aunt Janet's Wool Mill (INCORRECT, THIS IS ACTUALLY FROM Dawn's Custom Carding.)  She is spinning grey fleece to make Hiro sweaters for the family.

And she got contrast colors from Lisa Souza 
She mentions the Legend Prairie Contest, that the Prairie Girls host, where you enter the most amazing thing that you knitted that year.