The Sassy Sheep Blog

Episode 14.5: Knitting with EZ Shownotes

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:11:31 -0700

Episode 14.5 Knitting with EZ

Just Sarah again this episode. Sorry for the long break inbetween episodes. Had to deal with some family things.

In this episode, we’ll discuss What’s On The Needles?, Listeners Suggestions, Reviews, Upcoming Events, From the Dyepot, the Blog of the Podcast and more.

What’s On The Needles:

EZ Seamless Bottom Up Raglan out of Ashland Bay Peru, 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Silk I dyed Sapphire Blue.

Cookie’s A Nebula Socks in Wollmeise 80/20 Twin in Aurora. On the second but these things are taking me forever!

Just casted on my Even Star Circular Shawl as the first in the series of the new Lord of the Rings lace projects by Susan of Sunflower Designs. This is also my Ravlympics project. I did join Team Blue Moon but than realized my project was not going to be made out of Blue Moon. So I guess I’m teamless for the moment. You can find all the details about the Even Star KAL at Sunflower Designs.

Listener Suggestions:

Remember a few episodes back when I was complaining about the lack of points and them splintering on the wooden Blue Sky dpns? Listener kigeliakitten wrote in to say she has successfully filed her points down on several sets of wooden dpns and had excellent luck with no splintering so far in her experiments. I bought a multi-grit fingernail file and going to start doing this on my wooden dpns.

Speaking of dpns, Lantern Moon is replacing my size 0 set that broke. Extremely nice about it and very good to work with. Excellent customer service. To date, I have not heard anything back from Knitty Noddy from who I purchased the needles from and tried to contact them before contacted Lantern Moon.

Listener retrotabs wants to learn more about dyeing self-stripping yarns. I’ll be working on researching that project and putting together a tutorial to for our mid-March podcast which will be out March 14. Thank you very much for the suggestion, retrotabs! That is an excellent one! Please feel free to share your suggestions on our Ravelry group under the “Things You Want to Hear About!” and we will include them in future episodes!

Reviews:

I’ve been watching Elizabeth Zimmermann’s The Knitting Workshop. You can buy it from Knits Picks or Schoolhouse Press.

Upcoming Events:

The Puffy Mondaes Retreat in McCall, ID March 5-7. Find all the details here.

We will be vendors at the Snake River Fiber Arts Fair, May 15-16. If you are in the area, please check it out. All the details can be found here.

We will also be vendors Montana Association of Weavers and Spinners Bi-annual Conference will be Billings, MT June 4-7. Teachers include Nancy Bush, Judie Overbeck, and many, many others.

From the Dyepot:

I placed an order with WEBS for some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky. They didn’t have any colors I loved, but they did have a cubic buttload of natural in stock. And I do have over 60+ colors of dye to my name (and growing, I collect dye the way kids collect dirt).

Blog of the Podcast, http://rosyretro-knitzbitz.blogspot.com An amazing dyer, etsy store owner and spinner! She has beautiful color photos, always discussing her next dyeing adventure and other adventurers and mis-adventures in the fiber world.

In Other News:

We have almost ironed out all the details of our trip in March to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. If you know of a great LYS along the route and great local spots to visit, please feel free to share them with us on the Ravelry group. We love to meet you!

Episode 14: Out With Old, In With The New Shownotes

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:39:05 -0700

Through winter storms and custom dye jobs, the Sassy Girls were finally able to get together to record a show.

Projects on the Needles/Spinning Wheels:
Sarah: Feather and Fan Vine Lace Baby Sweater from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders knitted out of BMFA Silkie Socks That Rock Never on Sunday
Nebula Socks by Cookie A out (Hallelujah chorus please) Wollmeise 80/20 Twin in Aurora
Fingerless Gloves out of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere.

Katie: Still working on the never ending merino/silk roving from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in Bejeweled. Not sure if it will ever be finished.

Fiber Resolutions:
Listeners shared their fiber solutions with us.
Katie: Double the amount of fiber spun from 2009. She spun 64.5 oz in 2009. Expand her stash in 2010, perhaps some vicuna.
Sarah: Learn to Continental Knit and do toe-up socks so she quits playing “Am I going to have enough yarn for my big hunky feet?”

Blogs of the Podcast:
The Roving Gnome
Double Pointed Noodle Katie’s being lazy and combining this with her Ravelry thread but you’ll understand once you hear the podcast and read the post. Trust me!

Shop News & Updates:
We are working with Robin & Tracy of From the Robin’s Nest for their amazing Birthday Club. We are dyeing the exclusive Cashmere Sock for Birthday Clubbers. Check out their website and their Ravelry Group for all the details about joining the Birthday Club. Signups close January 31.

Last but not least, Katie talks about her, umm...amazing talent of picking out luxury fibers on clearance clothing racks.

Episode 13.5: Selfish Knitting Month Show Notes

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:03:46 -0700

Happy Belated New Year! It’s just Sarah this episode as snowstorms, classes and the world has conspired to keep the two podcasters apart.

January is supposed to be Selfish Knitting Month but not one, not two, but three babies and someone addicted to fingerless gloves has kept me from getting to knit for myself.

I have completed two Feather and Fan Baby Sweater from 101 Designer One Skein wonders. The first out of a skein of Handmaiden Casbah overdyed. The second in BMFA Silkie Socks That Rock in Never on Sunday. A third will be on the needles to accommodate yet another baby.

Katie is complete hooked on fingerless gloves so I’m knitting up a pair of my own design out of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere I scored at Tuesday Morning nearly a year ago.

Since January has not been Selfish Knitting Month as hoped, I’m postponing it until I’m done with the current needles and will than spend at least 30 days straight knitting for myself. As part of it, I’m putting together a do-it-self sock club, matching up 12 skeins of sock yarn in my stash along with 12 sock patterns to make my own personal sock club. Join me in creating your own personal sock club where you always love the colors and the patterns every month and the shipment is never late.

During my first trip to Salt Lake City, I visited The Needlepoint Joint in Odgen, Utah, the Unraveled Sheep in Sandy, Utah and Blazing Needles. All three are amazing yarn stores I make sure to visit every time I go down to Salt Lake City.

I put my name in the lottery for The Loopy Ewe Sock Club. Wish me luck!

Some of my New Year’s Resolutions is to put the shownotes up when I publish the podcast, cull the stash and buy only what I really love instead of going on a yarn buying binge. Take a few minutes to share your fiber related resolutions on our Ravely Group: The Sassy Sheep. We’ll share more with a listeners next show.

Episode 13: A Fibery Christmas Show Notes

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:41:38 -0700

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with your friends and loved ones. Katie and I had a lovely Christmas, if a bit thrown together, this year.

Katie talks about all the wonderful fibery goodness she got for Christmas from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Sarah got a set of Signature Needles Arts double point needles and reviews them for the listeners. Katie was good enough to get a Knit Witch Fiber Club membership with the lovely and amazing Brittany of Knit Witch.

The Sassy Sheep contributed to the Phat Fiber Box for the month of December. We reviewed all the fibery goodness we received in our contributor’s box:
Yarns:
Wabi Sabi Yarns Tallulah Hand-Dyed Sock www.wabisabiyarns.com
Mama Judes Handspun Yarn www.mamajudes.etsy.com

Unwind Yarn and Gems Merino Twist Sock www.unwindyarns.ca
Steele Spun Yarns Handspun Yarn www.steelespun.etsy.com
Serendipitous Ewe Fate Fingering www.serendipitousewe.com
My Fair Bag Lady Stitch Marker www.myfairbaglady.etsy.com

Cards & Misc:
Farmgirl Chic www.farmgirlchic.etsy.com
Spincerely Yours www.spincerely.etsy.com
Knit It Up www.knit.etsy.com
DaniDo Crafty www.danido.com
Midnight Sky Adjustable Stitch Maker www.garilynn.etsy.com
Butterfly Nebula Stitch Marker www.lampyridae.etsy.com

Fibers:
Smoky Fibers Merino Wool Roving www.smokymountainfibers.etsy.com
Fiber Addiction NOS Merino Wool Roving www.dameemti.etsy.com
Vibrant Fibers Merino Wool Roving www.vibrantfibers.etsy.com
Cozy Cove Fiber Batt www.cozycove1.etsy.com
Susan’s Kitchen Fiber Batt www.susanskitchen.etsy.com
Waterloo Wools BFL Combed Top www.lligett.etsy.com
Bohemian Knitter Kettle Dyed Firestar www.bohoknitterchic.etsy.com
Ambrosia and Bliss Merino Wool Roving Top www.ambrosiaandbliss.etsy.com
The Sheep Kitty BFL with Firestar www.sfbaby.etsy.com

Great Year-End Sales:
Paradise Fibers: 10% off all items in stock with coupon code 2009 until December 31, 2009
Little Knits: Year End Inventory Reduction Sale, no code required
Puffy Mondaes: 20% to 50% off online and in store
WEBS: Year-End Yarn Blowout, 50-75% off select yarns
Jimmy Beans Wool: Amy Butler Bags, Rowan, SWTC, and more

All cashmere blended yarns and fibers are on sale in our etsy store: http://westwinddesigns.etsy.com until December 31, 2009. We will be adding skeins of our cashmere sock yarn in Galaxy, Northern Lights, Teton Wildflower, Gothic Punk, and Red Wine and Dark Chocolate up this week. We still have a large stock of undyed cashmere sock in stock and will be happy to dye it up in any of our colorways for you. Any orders placed before or on December 31 will get the sale price.

Next show: Fibery Resolutions!

Episode 12: Magic Trick Shownotes

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:07:52 -0700

The Sassy Sheep Girls got silly over Thanksgiving Break by getting into a spinning and knitting race. We are blaming way too much sugar, caffeine and killing brain cells in calculus and environmental stats.

On the needles/spinning wheel:

Katie:
“Horse of a Different Color” Merino/Tencel Roving from Perchance to Spin
“Bejeweled” Merino/Silk Roving from BMFA

Sarah:
Girasole Circular Shawl out of Handmaiden Sea Silk in Twilight.

Anasazi Stonechat Malabrigo Socks

Off the needles: Monkey Socks out of BMFA STR LW Incredible Shrinking Violet

Etsy Shop Announcements:
For the month of December, all fiber and yarns with cashmere are 15% as a treat for you. You can find our Etsy Store at: http://westwinddesigns.etsy.com

Podcast Topic: Lace Blocking

Blocking is the ultimate magic trick; rumbled, crinkled knitting turns into light, airy lace with just a few pins, some water and a little bit of time.

Blocking can be done several different ways: steam blocking with a wet iron or a streamer, misting down the piece with a spray bottle or full-on wet blocking.

Some really good links about blocking tutorials:
See Eunny Knit Lace Blocking Tutorial
Knitting Daily Using Blocking Wires to Bloc Lace Shawls Tutorial
Knitting Daily Blocking Video
Knitting Curmudgeon Lace Blocking Tutorial

Lace Books with Sections on Lace Blocking:
Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby
A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen

Pictures from Blocking the Girasole Shawl with Notes:

I prefer full wet blocking. I give my finished piece a bath using a fiber wash such as Soak (Dawn dish soap, Unicorn Wash or any other fiber wash will work just as well) in luke warm to luke cool water. The bath helps remove any grim and oils it may have picked up while knitting. Don’t use hot or cold water as it may shock the fibers and can cause felting.

After using towels for years, I switched over to foam floor mat blocks. You can find them at Knit Picks or I bought mine at the local Sam’s Club in the kid’s toy section. I love them because I make lay out the mats in any size I want, they are easy to pin into and the item dries quickly because the mats don’t soak and hold water.

For items such as circular shawls, start in the center and work out. This ensure that the pattern gets opened up to the maximum amount possible. Also, make sure to pin in a star pattern so that it opens up evenly.

Continue working out from the center, evenly pulling open the lace.

Make sure to measure from time to time to ensure that the lace is being stretched out evenly.

Once down, admire your hardwork and let set until dry to the touch. This can take any where from a few hours to even several days depending upon the material, temperature and relative humidity of your climate.

For some amazing proof that blocking does wonders, visit the Blocking - Before and After Thread on Ravelry

Random Ravelry Thread of the Podcast:
Ugliest FO Thread
Skank Thread (or Ugliest Yarn Thread)