May 25 2018 18 mins 6
Episode39 – 5/25/18 – Knitting and Running in 30 minutes or less
Today’s segments include Be A Helper Craft-a-long, including Prizes and some Charity Ideas, Wips, Spinning, Running and today’s Knitting Talk will answer the question – “Why did you start a podcast?”
Be A Helper Summer 2018
As I mentioned last week, the Be A Helper KAL is back for the summer. We went over most of the details but I’ll go over a few updates quickly today and a few addendums (thanks to those who reached out with some questions!)
- Last episode I said that this was a KAL for anything you knit, crochet, weave or spin but someone pointed out that during the last KAL I said any craft. I’m going to go with what we used previously – ANY thing you make for ANY charity will count. I’m still running the craft-a-long on Ravelry, but you do not need to link to a project page. Just post a photo of your finished item in the thread on Ravelry and tell us who you are donating it to! Donating blood still counts, too.
- Another listener point out that it’s a pain trying to get all the photos up in time for Stash Dash and ending things the same night could be an issue for some, and I whole heartedly agree. So I’m giving you an extra week. We start on May 25th and will end August 31st. You have all summer to finish your charity work. Please post 1 picture per finished object in the thread.
- Wips are allowed! Double or triple dip in any KAL you want, I totally encourage this!
Prizes –
So far we have three prizes , one skein of FishKnits Yarn in the At Sixes and Sevens colorway, a self-striping Merino-nylon sock yarn, one skein on non-wool yarn of my choosing though I’d love to hear any input for you folks – anything you’ve been tempted to knit with? And lastly a huge thanks to Tiffany from The Project Bag who is offering a free project bag and matching notions pouch and she will ship it anywhere in the world! Tiffany sent over an example photo and I’m posting it in the Ravelry group. The prize won’t be the exact fabric pattern shown, but the bags will coordinate and her photo will give you an idea of her gorgeous handiwork.
Charity Ideas
If you don’t have a charity you currently craft for, I’m going to talk about a few here that may be of interest to you:
- Preemie Hats – check with your local hospital for yarn requirements. These need to be washed in an industrial strength washing machine so there may be limits. If your local hospital isn’t accepting hats, Dana from the Unwind Yarn Company is collecting them from her retreat attendees this fall and may be willing to accept a few more via mail if you contact her. Greg, aka Knitting Daddy of the Unraveling podcast also has accepted mailed hats in the past for his local hospital.
- Knitted Knockers – these are prostheses for breast cancer survivors who have not or cannot have reconstructive surgery. Knockers must be made with plant based yarn – wool is too scratchy on scar tissue – and a list of acceptable yarns is linked in the who notes along with the free patterns.
- Mother Bears – I learned of this charity from the 2 Knit Lit Chicks and they are currently running their Mother Bear KAL. These bears provide comfort to children who are victim of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Afrca. Mother Bear will snail mail you the knitting or crochet pattern for a small fee. All they ask is that you return the finished bear with $3 to cover the shipping to Africa.
- KnitAid – has USA and UK Neither is currently collecting, but you could knit scarves or hats or baby clothes for next winter. All items must be knit in dark-colored yarn because the recipients will not be able to wash them easily.
Do you have a charity craft idea that you think others would like to hear about? Let me know and I’ll talk about it on a future episode. Send me a PM on Ravelry, I’m WindsweptMonique, or email me at [email protected]
WIPS
I’ve put a couple of rows onto my Changing Staircases shawl by Jenga Knits. This is a shawl inspired by the Harry Potter books, the way the staircases are constantly changing and I’m working on it in Mousou a 100% bamboo yarn from The FiberLady.
I turned the heel on my 52-stitch sock, which is using the Fish Lips Kiss heel and Cobasi by Hikoo, which is a bamboo, cotton, silk and nylon blend. Those of you who’ve used that pattern will understand why I can be so precise about the 1/3!
The Addition By Subtraction Mystery Knit A Long, I am 1/3 of the way through Clue #2. I am working on this in 4 colors of 3 different yarns. For the light color I’m using Ito Yarn’s Washi in the Crocus colorway, a pale purple. This is a Japanese style paper yarn, laceweight, and I‘m holding it double. The dark is Ito Yarn’s Kinu, a laceweight silk in the Grey colorway and I’m holding it double. The zany is Your Crazy is Showing from Birdie’s Knits and it is a crazy combination of every color you can imagine but it looks beautiful. Lastly I’m using another Kinu, the Plum colorway which is actually a dark pastel pink, not purple as the name might imply. There is a slipped stitch section which caused me a little bit of a headache given that silk and paper yarns have absolutely no stretch to them, but I’ve learned how to knit that section more loosely than normal and it’s actually working out nicely.
Spinning
Still practicing on my wheel. Don’t quite have the hang of it yet. Tried spinning the bamboo sample I got from The Fiber Lady at stitches United and boy was that easier! I now understand why long staple fibers are much preferred! But I am going to keep trying. My problem seems to be getting that first bit twisted and onto the bobbin. Once I have it I can sustain it for a little while, but getting started is not my forte!
Knitting Talk
I was recently asked, why did I start a podcast? As I’ve now passed my 1st podaversary, I decided to tackle that question here.
First off, I LOVE podcasts. I started listening back in 2005 and currently on my phone I am subscribed to 109 podcasts, 12 of which are for my kids. Some are weekly, some put out 15-20 a year and some are like Serial and every now and then you get 10 in a row. So it’s not quite as insane as it sounds. No, I do not keep up do date with all of them – I am still far behind after going to FL for 10 days in February but I’m slowly catching up while driving, cooking, cleaning, etc. I also listen at 1.5x which makes a 60 minute podcast take only about 40 minutes so that helps.
Back to this particular podcast – I had been considering starting a podcast for about 2-3 years and kept putting it off because of family, kids, lack of time, etc. I was super stressed and a bit down in the dumps and I finally decided to take on a project just for me. I’d just gotten in to SSK a few weeks before and then listening to the Just One More Row podcast, Dana was talking about exactly that, getting lost in motherhood and the doldrums of thousands of thankless tasks and how taking time for herself and doing projects just for herself was really helping. That was the lightbulb moment I needed and I decided to just go out and do it. I bought a microphone, downloaded Audacity and released the first episode on March 14th, 2017. The sound quality was horrible, and I was so incredibly nervous, but I did it. And I’m so glad I did! Now more than a year on, I have met so many wonderful people because of this podcast. It’s been a joy.
Running
How long should your shoes last? “Experts” say 300-500 miles, depending on how much wear and tear they get. But if you see any damage, change shoes right away! Also, if you see uneven wear on the bottom of your shoe, (e.g., more wear on the inside edge than the outside edge, or vice versa) then be SURE to go to a running store (and bring your current shoes!). They can help you find the right type of shoe to stop that and help prevent injuries down the road.
