Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Episode 124 Save me from this plague!

Welcome to the Knitting Samurai and Her Guys Video Podcast!
Knitting Time:
It was time for something new!  SOME-ThingS new that is.  

Cast on the Easy by Martina Behm.  I've wanted to knit this since January when I purchased the Done Roving Frolicking Feet in the Apple Picking Colorway. This is a transitions/gradient yarn so I'm looking forward to how it will play out.  Using US size 3 - 3.25mm needles.  

5 skeins of yarn that wont make it into Tristan's blanket, so to use squares in my BRQ I need to knit projects with the rest of the skeins.  

First of these....New socks!  Using my go to sock recipe: US size 0 - 2.0mm needles. Wendy Johnson's Slip Stitch Heel Basic Sock. A 2x2 rib on top of that. Yarn is Opal Schafpate in color 8127.  Brick Red/Spruce Green/Rust color.

Babies are popping up everywhere and my gift box is depleted!  

Swirl Hat by Mandie Harrington: 2 done and few more to come.  First was knit with Claudia Handpaints Fingering in Plumolicious (once upon a time this was my favorite yarn to work with).  Second one was knit with White Birch Fiber Arts 80/20 Merino Nylon Self-Striping in the Tan, Rested, and Ready colorway (another skein of yarn that wont make it into Tristan's Blanket).  Using US size 2 -2.75mm and 3 -3.25mm needles.  Couple more in my future.  Loved them for Tristan.

Newborn Vertebrae by Kelly Brooker with Knit Picks Felici in the Goth colorway.  Using US size 2 -2.75mm and 3 -3.25mm needles.  Thought striped neck ribbing would be odd, so found a fingering red in a close color.  Dream in Color Smooshy in Lipstick Lava.  The Twinkleberry Socks I knit in December of 2009 also out of Felici.

Finished the 4th of Tristan's Dinner Napkins...more to come. Using Grandmother's Dishcloth Pattern using Lily Sugar and Cream Ombre's.

Tristan's BRQ! By Shelley Mackie & Larissa Brown Using US size 2s - 2.75mm needles. Using Opal Rainforest, Fibernymph Bounceand Leading Men Fiber Arts Show Stopper in Dipping Sauce is the final piece.  
17 completed squares but not using them all for T's Blanket.

Twenty Ten Cardigan: by Veera Valimaki using Valley Yarns Northampton Bulky in the Fawn Colorway. US size 8s - 5.0mm needles. I've fallen a little behind on the "just an inch a day!"  Stalled out on the back.

Mission 2015:

A Pair a Month: 12 Pairs of Socks (just a little behind at 3)
  • Harvey Socks for Mum
  • Potty Socks
  • Jupiter Ascending Socks
3 Years to Build a Barn: Year 2: 16 to 22 Squares (same)
  • 8 Squares Completed
2 Sweaters for Me Yay! Completed!

  • Miranda Finished
  • Grace Finished
Rhinebeck/Thanksgiving/Christmas Sweaters for Tristan and Roland

End with Less than 2014 ended with
Stash Less than 164 Miles at year end.
WIPS Less than 29 projects at year end. 15 would be a stretch goal here.
  • Current Stash Milage -added 3 miles, 170.7 miles total.
  • Current WIPS 29 Projects! 6 active & 23 Hibernating -flat to last month.
Whatcha Watching?

What's New?
Etsy shopping...
Jan B Smiley bag -Dandelion Love.
Onecklace with the boys names.

Let's Swap!
 Signups through April 30th.  Then I’ll partner us up depending on which Option we’ve chosen.  Packages should be received by May 30th.    We’ll plan on exchanging addresses via private messages and getting to know each other a little bit over here on the boards.  Packages should include either Option A or B along with a few other little extras but let’s agree to keep the cost of the goodies under $10 (not including yarn).  It may or may not be important to your swap partner to know the yarn brand/color/content of the yarns so please try and include it just to be safe.  If you don’t know that’s alright, but if you do, please include it. 

If your interested in swapping reply to the thread on Ravelry with the option you’d like to receive.  You can also answer some of the questions I’ve listed to give us some ideas about each other and maybe prompt some chatter.  Feel free to reply to others, this is not chatterfree.

 Option A
1 knit Barn Raising Quilt Square and 3 mini skeins (minimum of 20 grams each)
Or
Option B
4 mini skeins (minimum of 20 grams each)

-Prefer self-striping, variegated, semi-solid?
-favorite colors?
-colors to avoid?
-tea or coffee?
-Sweets?
-Things you might collect?
-favorite TV Show?
-extras could also include knitter gadgetry, note pad, stickers, sweets, or tea/coffee. 
Where to find more episodes...

Steph is the Knitting Samurai on Ravelry and Instagram. Visit the Ravelry Group for Knitting Samurai & Her Guys to continue to the discussion.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Episode 123: Choose Your Own Texture

Welcome to the Knitting Samurai and Her Guys Video Podcast!

Knitting Time:
This week has been a story of textures, a texture for every mood, choose your own texture...stockinette, garter, ribbed, moss stitch.  What texture are you in the mood for?  It's an interesting choice.  Time and place for each

Twenty Ten Cardigan: by Veera Valimaki using Valley Yarns Northampton Bulky in the Fawn Colorway. US size 8s - 5.0mm needles. I've fallen a little behind on the "just an inch a day!"  Seperated the front from the back.  Finished Fronts and working on the back now.  Gainning mommentum and can't wait to do the cowl portion.

Movie Theater Socks! for Mountain Purl! Paton's Kroy Sock Stripes in Celestial Stripe US size 0 - 2.25mm needles. Wendy Johnson's Slip Stitch Heel Basic Sock. A 2x2 rib on top of that.  Finished!

Finished the 2nd & 3rd of Tristan's Dinner Napkins...more to come. Using Grandmother's Dishcloth Pattern using Lily Sugar and Cream Ombre's.

Tristan's BRQ! By Shelley Mackie & Larissa Brown Using US size 2s - 2.75mm needles. Using Opal Rainforest, Fibernymph Bounce, White Birch Fiber Arts 80/20 merino/nylon and Into the Whirled Manchester.
16 completed squares but not using them all for T's Blanket.
Ordered some yellows!
Have bought 8 skeins for this, so much for a stash busting project.

Whatcha Watching?

Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery
Red Socks baseball
The Voice

Let's Swap!


 Signups will go from April 17th through April 30th.  Then I’ll partner us up depending on which Option we’ve chosen.  Packages should be received by May 30th.    We’ll plan on exchanging addresses via private messages and getting to know each other a little bit over here on the boards.  Packages should include either Option A or B along with a few other little extras but let’s agree to keep the cost of the goodies under $10 (not including yarn).  It may or may not be important to your swap partner to know the yarn brand/color/content of the yarns so please try and include it just to be safe.  If you don’t know that’s alright, but if you do, please include it. 

If your interested in swapping reply to the thread on Ravelry with the option you’d like to receive.  You can also answer some of the questions I’ve listed to give us some ideas about each other and maybe prompt some chatter.  Feel free to reply to others, this is not chatterfree.

 Option A
1 knit Barn Raising Quilt Square and 3 mini skeins (minimum of 20 grams each)
Or
Option B
4 mini skeins (minimum of 20 grams each)

-Prefer self-striping, variegated, semi-solid?
-favorite colors?
-colors to avoid?
-tea or coffee?
-Sweets?
-Things you might collect?
-favorite TV Show?
-extras could also include knitter gadgetry, note pad, stickers, sweets, or tea/coffee. 


Where to find more episodes...


Steph is the Knitting Samurai on Ravelry and Instagram. Visit the Ravelry Group for Knitting Samurai & Her Guys to continue to the discussion.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Episode 122: Tristan Walks

Welcome to the Knitting Samurai and Her Guys Video Podcast!

Knitting Time:

Tristan's BRQ! By Shelley Mackie & Larissa Brown Using US size 2s - 2.75mm needles. Using Opal Rainforest, Fibernymph Bounce, White Birch Fiber Arts 80/20 merino/nylon and Into the Whirled Manchester.
16 completed squares but not using them all for T's Blanket. 
Ordered some yellows!
Have bought 8 skeins for this, so much for a stash busting project.

Twenty Ten Cardigan: by Veera Valimaki using Valley Yarns Northampton Bulky in the Fawn Colorway. US size 8s - 5.0mm needles. Just an inch a day!
Just about to split for the armholes.  16" so far.

 Movie Theater Socks! for Mountain Purl! Paton's Kroy Sock Stripes in Celestial Stripe US size 0 - 2.25mm needles. Wendy Johnson's Slip Stitch Heel Basic Sock. A 2x2 rib on top of that.  1 Heel finished.

Finished the first of Tristan's Dinner Napkins...more to come.  Using Grandmother's Dishcloth Pattern using Lily Sugar and Cream Ombre's.

Whatcha Watching?
Did some frogging...
Strokkur by Ysolda Teague ,


and a sock toe never made a project page for.

SWAP details coming in Episode 123!  Mini Skeins and Blanket Squares seem to be leading the ideas.



Where to find more episodes...


Steph is the Knitting Samurai on Ravelry and Instagram. Visit the Ravelry Group for Knitting Samurai & Her Guys to continue to the discussion.