The DK Continuum - Episode 43

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Latte: Abby's working on Vonica and Elektra. Ben is working on Bitterroot and the He Said She Said Cowl.

Grande: Ben finished his He Said She Said cap. 

Brewing: Ben is thinking about making his first buttoned cardigan. One pattern in contention is George by Jane Ellison. Alternatively, he might design his own. Abby has been trying to figure out the best way to put buttonholes on her Cassidy. She decided, with Ben's help, to make "vertical" buttonholes using the intarsia method. The buttonholes will then appear horizontal on the button band. 

Bitter Cup: Elektra provided some challenges, but everything is OK now!

Chai: Abby saw the gawkers waiting for an appearance by alleged rapist Dominique Strauss-Kahn (see above), saw some steam punky sculpture in a subway station, and toured the Bronx. So why is it called "the" Bronx?

Cup of Joe to Go: Ben knit an entire hat during one (full day) class; Abby's not so sure she'll get much knitting done in class this summer.

Bite Back: We enjoyed the guilty pleasures that listeners shared with us. Ben mentioned Studio 60 on Sunset Strip which is available on Netflix instant watch.

Tip Jar: Ben says: take all your knitting notions with you, always! Abby says: when you are frogging a project with beads, set a terrycloth towel down on the floor, sit on the floor and let the towel catch your beads. Also: be willing to think creatively when you have a "bitter cup" and know that your first solution to a problem might not be the best (or last).

Seams Like Fun - Episode 42

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Latte: Abby is working on Cassidy, Vonica, Marilinda and Elektra! Ben is working on Bitterroot and He Said, She Said.

Caffeinated: We found out that coffee is apparently good for you!

Bite: Do you have a guilty pleasure? We have many! Some of them are: Boston (see iconic photo above), Burn Notice, Chuck Palahniuk, Gilmore Girls, Luther, Community and So You Think You Can Dance.

Tip Jar: The cure for mildew is Lysol liquid disinfectant. Try some in your laundry!

Oops I Did it Again - Episode 41

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Latte: Ben's knitting Paraphernalia. Abby finished the sleeves for Cassidy and has blocked the pieces. She'll be ready to start the hood as soon as everything shown above is seamed.

Abby also started another wedding shawl for her friend, this time it's the Vernal Equinox Shawl. She also frogged Elektra and has started it again with beads. 

Grande: Abby finished Daybreak but still has to block it.

Bitter Cup: Abby ordered more yarn online and the colors - again - did not turn out as she expected. 

Chai: The Yarn Company in Manhattan is under new ownership. Abby enjoyed seeing the transformation and chatting with owner Tavy and the real Stacy Charles. 

Stir: Abby thinks she's gotten the hang of spinning 50/50 Merino/Silk from the fold.

Demi Tasse: There is an article in the Summer 2011 Interweave Knits about how yarn overs and their accompanying  decreases affect the look of your knitting. Abby recommends this article highly. It's entitled Any Way You Want It: Custom Pictorial Lace Motifs by Melanie Rice.

Bite: We're nearing our one year anniversary. Any lose ends you'd like us to weave in?

Barista's Special: Yes, the knitalong has begun! We'll be making either Vonica or He Said She Said, both by Bonne Marie Burns. You can get a discount on these patterns for the next three days by using the code: knitknitcafe. We hope you join us on this new adventure! You can find yarn ideas for Vonica here. For next week, get your patterns ready, pick your yarn, and let's get swatching.

Tip Jar: Ben has gone low-tech and purchased a pocket notebook to keep track of all things non-digital. Abby recommends taking care not to "spill the beads" when you're using beads in your knitting. She also talked about the differences between Czech and Japanese seed beads.

Events: We are both going to Sock Summit! Please let us know if you will be there. We're really excited about the event and about meeting listeners.

Pancakes & Pedicures Episode 40

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Hawthorne on the new blocking squares.

Latte: Ben cast on something new: Bitterroot by Romi Hill. It is Ben's first venture into knitting lace, and it's going to be Abby's Mother's Day gift! Abby is going to attempt to add just the beads to her in-progress Elektra without frogging the whole thing. We'll see...

Grande: Abby blocked her Hawthorne (see above!)

Taste: We both raved (and raved) about the new, revised edition of Maggie Righetti's Sweater Design in Plain English.

Chai: Spring is in full bloom in New York City. Can you help Abby identify the flora growing outside her bedroom window?

Caffeinated: We are both excited about the movie Inside Job about the financial meltdown and we want you all to see it!

Demi-Tasse: Abby mentioned a number of things, including the books Loop d Loop Lace by Teva Durham, and Plastic: A Toxic Love Story by Susan Freinkel.

Barista's Special: We are going to announce a new knit along next week. Don't miss it!

Tip Jar: Yes, we raved some more about Sweater Design in Plain English and shared some tips.

In the Park and In the Woods - Episode 39

Madison Square Park 1867

Madison Square Park 2011
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Latte: Ben continues to work on the Paraphernalia socks. He cast on for a yarn bomb, but Abby has derailed his efforts so he will likely cast on again. The next version will have steeks, maybe even crocheted steeks! There are some great tutorials on how to do this maneuver here and here, and a video tutorial by Meghan of the Stitch It Podcast here. A few years ago, Abby knit Portrait by Norah Gaughan, which was stranded, and knit in flat pieces. It's not an experience she's anxious to repeat. Abby cast on a Daybreak and an Elektra and feels she has shawlitis/Spring startitis.
Grande: Abby finally resolved her blocking issues and Transatlantic is now truly complete.
Chai: Ben wandered around in the woods on his campus where he encountered two exciting yarn bombs. Abby had a brief study respite in Madison Square Park where once there was a hand and now there is a head. The exhibition, Volumes II opened, and Abby was excited to have people see her pieces and to hear comments about them. 
Stir: Abby started spinning the yarns for Texting Mittens. She has encountered some challenges learning to spin a merino/silk blend for the first time. 
Brewing: Stay tuned for another knit along. Details will be announced very soon.
Caffeinated: We are making plans to attend Sock Summit 2011. We hope lots of you will be there!
Bitter Cup & Tip Jar: Abby bought some yarn online from the Sanguine Gryphon, but one of the yarns showed up looking very different than it had on her monitor. This might be due to her use of the program f.lux, or perhaps she needs to calibrate her monitor.