Heirloom Beans! Bonus Episode with Franklin Habit

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Franklin Habit is well-known in the world of knitting. He writes the Panoptican Blog and is the author It Itches, a stash of knitting cartoons. He is also a photographer and a popular teacher at knitting gatherings. Franklin's classes about photographing your knitwear always sell out in record time. Franklin is an avid researcher of knitting history and his articles that have appeared in, among other places: Knitty, Twist Collective and The Weekly Stitch. 

In the course of our chat, Franklin mentions the Men's Knitting Retreats and two of its founders,  QueerJoe's Knitting Blog, and Knitterguy. Franklin also refers to Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears. 

Our conversation was recorded during the very first Vogue Knitting Live! in New York City back in 2011. Enjoy! 

Franklin will be at the 2013 New York City Vogue Knitting Live! 

104 - Magically Thinking

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Latte: Ben is working on the Java socks, and is almost done! Abby hasn't cast on anything new this week. She did have to restart Ben's Smartphone Mitts because somehow her gauge got off. 

She is also suffering from a bit of PYD, "Precious Yarn Disorder" that prevented her from starting the Brickletown Mitts from her handspun. She will get out her McMorran balance and see if she has enough San Francisco Nights hand spun to make both socks and mitts. 

Brewing: We talk about design, of course. Ben offers advice and Abby commits to sketching a sweater design by next week. Abby referred to Cookie A's book Knit Sock Love for an example of the way different design ideas can be shown on a flat "exploded" view of a sock. We take a slight detour and mention the now-infamous "Ikea Monkey". Abby also mentioned Jean Frost's method of doing a "practice knit jacket" with sweatshirt fabric. 

Menu: Abby made Vegetarian Borscht from Barbara Kafka's Soup, a Way of Life. She managed to spread the work out over three days and thus the experience was relatively stress-free. The borscht was fabulous!

Sofa: Ben delves further into the music/knitting connection. 

103 - Knitting is Yours!

David Byrne in Stop Making Sense  the "Big Suit"
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Latte: Ben is back to knitting the Java socks, and he says that his solution to "second sock syndrome" is to take a long break between knitting the first and second socks. Abby, after much thought, decided to frog back her Bright and Sunny Cardigan to correct the mistake in the raglan increases as well as the "unhappy" skein join. Abby is enamored of the tubular cast on she used on Ben's Smartphone Mitts. She used the technique explained in Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks, Warm Feet. Abby likes wearing fingerless mitts for the Berkeley climate, and she's going to knit the Brickletown Mitts by Elizabeth Doherty.  

Bite: Abby wants to know whether any listeners can direct her to a Mac app (preferably free) for creating a genogram. If you know, please get in touch! Ben suggested Abby check out the website alternativeto.net 

Sofa: Ben is reading David Byrne's How Music Works. We discuss creativity, Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense and the connection between music and fiber! If you don't know Talking Heads, we recommend you start with Fear of Music. Note: Many scenes from Stop Making Sense are available on YouTube, but we highly recommend watching the entire movie start to finish because it is so beautifully directed.

We invite listeners to join us in a to-be-scheduled hangout where we design knitting to represent music. Are you game?

And finally, we ask: what makes knitting a fulfilling experience for you?

102 Don't Know What I Was Thinking

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Listeners: How have you found ways to make apparently wasted time and/or energy useful?

Bitter Cup: Abby started some socks for Ben a year ago that have been languishing. They are going to be frogged and turned into Smartphone Friendly Mitts by Dieuwke van Mulligan. 

Abby missed a raglan increase in her Bright and Sunny sweater and rather than fake it, she plans to frog back a very long way to the mistake, correcting a bad skein change in the process. We made a passing reference to Stumbling on Happiness as Abby tries to make the best of everything. Ben and Abby both reiterated their enjoyment of the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. Ben also referenced an NPR piece called You Can't Possibly Read It All, So Stop Trying. 

Brewing: We talk about low-cost and no-budget holiday gift giving. 

Bite: Ben would like suggestions about what he can knit from lightweight cotton yarn in many colors. Ideas?

Chai: Our friend Mary enabled us into Zachary's Pizza, a Berkeley tradition, and very wonderful! Not so wonderful was an influx of ants who tried to get out of the rain by invading Abby's apartment. Mary said that cinnamon is an ant deterrent. Anyone know about this?

Stir: Ben needs some hands-on spinning help to get him hooked. Abby finished the San Francisco Nights sock yarn and she is very happy with it! She started another 3 ply sock yarn from the color way Touch Me. Both San Francisco Nights and Touch Me are from Crown Mountain Farms. Abby is also spinning some woolen yarn from Lucy, a Merino-Corriedale fleece on her Matchless, which is newly cleaned and shined with Wood Beams. 

Sofa: We talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and what makes for a classic TV series. Ben says Buffy is the "Great Unifier". 

101 - Tinking About Creativity

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Grande: Abby finished knitting Marin from her handspun Shadow on the Wall from Crown Mountain Farms. It is rather small and Abby hopes it will "grow" when she blocks it.

Brewing: Ben contemplates the waffle stitch yet again. Abby and Ben discuss limitations and how limitation and structure can foster creativity. Abby wonders how and why Paula (of Knitting Pipeline Podcast) knits without reading a pattern through before beginning. Abby doesn't think she could knit successfully without checking the "road map" of the pattern before starting out. Abby is casting on  Brenda Petipa's Tribute socks, which is a reinterpretation of the Frost Flowers shawl stitch pattern. Abby enjoys knitting socks in a solid color yarn, and is using Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Beachglass. 

Bitter Cup: First, a tip from our friend Mary (Twistle): When Mary puts a project aside due to a problem, she "undoes" the problem before setting the project aside, and makes note of where she is in the project. This helps her avoid discovering projects that are in process and in a dysfunctional state. Ben's Bitter Cup is amusing: he began sock two of his toe-up Vinland socks and managed to knit cable patterns on both the top and the sole of the foot. Ouch! He frogged and is back on track now. Abby is not happy with her Transitions yarn socks. The way the yarn changes colors has proven very displeasing to her in the socks she's knitting, so to the Frog Pond they will go. A second Epic Fail was attempting to make the Rippling Ribs vest from some hand spun BFL from two years ago. The yarn made some very unhappy swatches so that project is - so far - a "no go". 

Menu: Ben and friends made a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner, notable for Ben's introduction to roasting chicken (after being a vegetarian for more than half his life). Abby played with her slow cooker for Thanksgiving and Ben's friend Henry made Maple Sugar Pie which sounds amazing! 

Wired: Abby discovered from listeners Puffygriffinclaw and Memphisholli that the Roku Box can be used to watch video podcasts (and listen to audio podcasts as well). To do this, you have to add a Private Channel to your Roku channels via your account in your browser.  

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Episode 100 is sponsored by Grandma's Knit and Crochet

Latte: Ben is working on a highly modified version of the Vinland socks from The Anti-Craft. He is pretty sure he's using Knit Picks' Stroll Solids.

Bitter Cup: Abby reports on her Odelia repair and losing her place yet again on the Marin shawlette.

Brewing: We talk about possible projects, stranded mittens, shaped socks and more. We also explore the myth of multi-tasking. Ben notes similarities between knitting and music; both are rhythmic and mathematical. 

Events: Abby will be attending the Pajama Jammy Jam on Black Friday, along with the Knitmore Girls. Ben and Abby will both be at Madrona in February. Stay tuned for a podcaster meet and greet!

99 - Everybody Makes Misteaks!

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This episode is sponsored by Grandma's Knit and Crochet "Local access to needles when you need them!"

Brewing: We talk extensively about mistakes!

Wired: We discuss the Roku Box. Abby has one, and she likes it!

Announcement: If you would like to knit for victims of Superstorm Sandy, please contact OREY at Oreyorg@gmail.com. You can also drop off warm clothing at 201 West 70th Street, New York, NY 20023 between Amsterdam and West End. Leave items with the doorman and mark Attn: Rachel Chopra, Apt 18G

98 Sock Irony

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Latte: Abby started another pair of socks! They are Danube by Janel Laidman. She's using Gypsy Girl Transitions yarn she bought at Rhinebeck last year.

Stir: Abby fixed her Matchless, with lots of help from Schacht.

Brewing: Ben is working on a new design and creating a new kind of interactive pattern; Abby ponders knitting for other people.

Wired: We both love Pandora. Abby thought the SNL Bruno Mars Pandora sketch was pretty funny.

Announcements: Would you like to help the victims of Superstorm Sandy? Head over to Maria's (Subway Knits) and join her fundraiser incentive; there are many knitting prizes to be won, and you will be doing some good for the charity of your choice.

97 Barista's Back!

Ben as a lion, age three.

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Latte: Abby finished Provence by Janel Laidman. She was somewhat disappointed with Tosh Sock, and plans to generally avoid knitting socks with 2-ply yarn in the future. In The Intentional Spinner, Judith Mackenzie says that a perfect sock yarn should have three or more plies.

Stir: Abby is spinning and also has found her SPAKAL yarn!

Brewing: Ben has completed his Excel Tool for a basic beginner's hat. If you are feeling brave, please become a Beta Tester. You can download it here and give it a try! 

Abby has thought long and hard about which sweater to knit for the Knitmore Girls' SPAKAL. She's decided on Dark and Stormy, but it's renamed Bright and Sunshiny because the orange yarn is so cheerful. Abby used her McMorran balance to determine how much yardage she has of the hand spun yarn. 

Donuts KAL: Abby's decided to make hers a steeled cardigan with zipper. She's excited about this choice!

Taste: Abby reviews Knitting From the Center Out by Daniel Yuhas. 

Flavor of the Day: Ben is excited about JC Penney, Target and the new Uniqlo online store, all for menswear. Abby talks about Project Runway and then takes Ben back to his memories of home made costumes in his childhood.

Sofa: Ben likes Tame Impala's new album Lonerism. Check out the track Elephant here.

96 Knitting Without a Net

Java Socks: Complete!

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Brewing: Abby finished the Java socks! She is working on Provence, socks by Janel Laidman from the Knitterati sock club.

Ben is designing an Excel tool for a Beginning Knitter's Watch Cap.

Abby mentions the "Belly Button Start" for beginning knitting a circular project.

Abby is excited about the Null Hypothesis Scarf, which is double knit; a technique she's never tried. The pattern is from Needles and Artifice a book of steam-punk type patterns.

Our google+ Hangout was really fun! We will do it again. During the hangout, Ben performed "Sweater Surgery" on Erik, a sweater he made long before the podcast even started. Ben steeked for the first time, using Eunny Jang's crochet steeking tutorial. Ben's no longer afraid of the steek. He's now thinking of making Jared Flood's Rockaway Cardigan from Brooklyn Tweed.

Sofa: Ben talks about new music, The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Warning: explicit language on this album.

Abby has been listening to and enjoying the Pop Culture Happy Hour  podcast. From that podcast, she discovered the the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast. Ben suggested that the A/V Club's Gateways to Geekery is a good place to find jumping in points for "cultish" TV shows and the like.

95 - Out of the Doldrums

Abby's Marin, from handspun

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Brewing: Ben rails against the scarf as a first knitting project. Abby is almost finished with the Java Socks at last! Ben is going to try knitting sweaters at home to get his mojo back.

Stir: Abby's Matchless has suffered a bit from the cross country move, but Schacht is, as always, providing great customer service.

Chai: Abby visited the Berkeley Rose Garden and recommends it to everyone. Go there! Now!

Abby is working her way through the 41 Walking Tours of Berkeley book.

Sofa: Ben recently re-watched Bladerunner. Abby and Ben both love this movie and recommend it. Ben has also been enjoying Curb Your Enthusiasm which, we agree, you will either love or hate. Ben also mentioned Archer and Arrested Development. Abby is watching Call the Midwife and finds it very compelling. Ben once again recommends Louie.

Wired: Ben is experimenting with new high tech ways of playing music, and he has created a "drum kit" from an old Rock Band video game control kit, using a program called, appropriately, Drum Machine. This is a great example of repurposing things, and we can apply this to knitting! Abby read that "first person shooter" games are good for the brain, especially for older people. The article recommended Call of Duty but Ben recommends Team Fortress Two.

GET CREATIVE! Please join us for a google+ hangout on Sunday, October 14 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Pacific Time. We will be creative together for one hour. Just pick something you want to work on and show up! 

94 - We Schedule Inspiration

Announcements: We are going to do a Knitalong for Ben's Donuts Hoodie pattern. Abby is going to do modifications to fit a curvy shape.To do the modifications, Abby is going to refer to the Big Girl Knits books as well as Little Red in the City. Ben will make himself very available to help everyone who participates in the Knitalong if questions arise. 

Brewing: Abby will begin her modifications by sketching options for adding shaping and redistributing the stripes. If you want to sketch your designs, try tracing them over a croquis. You can find a variety of croquis here. Ben experienced designing during a Speed Writing event, and we are going to set up a Google+ Hangout for anyone who wants to spend some concentrated time designing or working through a problem.

Abby is racing to finish the Java Socks before Ben does. She also learned that leaving a project idle for too long can result in "pattern amnesia". Better to read it all through before trying to pick up where you left off.

Sofa: We talk about the music and especially the video Putty Boy Strut by Flying Lotus. Abby marathon watched Season 3 of Covert Affairs. Ben is re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Abby enjoyed the most recent episode of Project Runway when the designers made baby clothes.

Wired: Abby had a bumpy upgrade on her iPhone to iOS 6 leading to a new phone (thank you AppleCare.) Ben has also upgraded to Jelly Bean (Android) and he is enjoying having his phone tell him what to do via an app called Google Now. Ben says that design interfaces are moving away from the brushed metal look and towards simple Tron-like interfaces. Ben thinks that Google Now is anticipating what Google Glass will do. Ben also is excited about the computer version of an old video game, Jet Set Radio. We talk about how learning skills keeps any "hobby" interesting. We do bring this back to knitting!

93 Remodeling

Brewing: Ben has designed a sweater that's been published in the new Knitty! His "Donuts" hoodie can be found here. 

Abby has begun her Niebling and finds it interesting, not all that difficult, and to be approached one stitch at a time.

Mishke has Abby's head spinning. She's trying to figure out the best way to organize the pattern to ensure a successful knitting. Abby has found that not only does she enjoy knitting with Signature needles, but she thinks her knitting is better for it!

Sofa: Ben is excited about Lev Grossman's The Magicians and he and Abby discussed what it means when someone calls a book "Harry Potter for adults".

Chai: We went to A Verb for Keeping Warm, and is now a fan.

92 Clusterfluffle!

We pick up the second half of Abby's conversation with Susan and begin with Brewing:

Susan knitted the Buccaneer's Cardi but the yarn didn't seem quite right for the edges. Susan crocheted an edge on the cardi and completely changed the look of the sweater and the edge.Susan now wants to get better at crocheting, so has decided to crochet a sweater to hone her crochet skills. She has selected a pattern from Vogue Knitting by Dora Orenstein. Susan has told herself, however, that she must finish three WIPs before purchasing the yarn for the sweater. 

Susan is also planning something for a deconstructed sweater she found in a thrift shop. She has dyed the yarn and wants to knit a sweater that will incorporate some silk scarves she found in her closet. 

Abby wants to knit Marin by Ysolda Teague, so….She's challenging herself to find an apartment first. If her apartment hunting is successful today she will buy the pattern and yarn at Verb!

Bitter Cup: Abby's Event Formerly Known as the Ravelympics was a total fail. 

Susan invented a great new word: Clusterfluffle. Please use it liberally.

Chai: Susan went to the Public Day at the Convention of the International Old Lacers, Inc. where she saw amazing and inspiring lace, including bobbin lace, tatting and of course, knitting. So far, she is resisting the lure of the lace pilllow. In counterpoint to Susan's refined lace outing, Abby went to a fabulous and unforgettable Weird Al concert at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.

Stir: Susan has been spinning thick, yummy yarns. She went to Black Sheep Gathering where Sasha of the Spin Doctor podcast "fleece whispered" to Susan to spin some rustic three-ply and a thick and thin singles. Susan asked Abby to "whisper" about some Crown Mountain polwarth top and Abby suggested a three-ply fingering or sport weight yarn. Abby continues to spin "San Francisco Nights" from Crown Mountain. Susan at Abstract Fiber replaced the somewhat "felty" fiber Abby bought at Black Sheep Gathering.

Flavor of the Day did not appear in this week's podcast.

Tip Jar: Susan talks about muscle memory and how you can learn things with your body and let your brain relax and recommends getting in over your head. 

91 Knit Knitajourney Cafe

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Welcome Guest Barista Susan Dolph from the Knitajourney Podcast!

Latte: Susan has many (too many?) things on her needles. Right now she's knitting a pair of socks from The Sock Knitter's Handbook: Expert Advice, Tips and Tricks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott. 

Even though Susan does not love socks, she is trying to finish a pair anyway, and she's almost done! She is also working on her "Flaming Whitby" Whitby cardigan out of orange Lamb's Pride Worsted. Abby feels challenged to knit something from a Rowan Magazine. Susan is also knitting the Tremont jacket  from Bryspun Kid-N-Ewe discontinued yarn from Jean Frost's first jacket book. Because she doesn't like bobbles or dots, Susan is going to "teach herself crochet" and apply an edge from Around the Corner Crochet Borders: 150 Colorful, Creative Edging Designs with Charts and Instructions for Turning the Corner Perfectly Every Time by Edie Eckman. 

Susan also will line her jacket, which will be another new experience for her. 

Finally, Susan is making a hat and mitten set for her Mother out of gray and red Cascade Lana d'Oro. It is her original pattern.

On Abby's needles: Java socks. She's also knitting the final ribbing for her Rocky Coast Cardigan. She is also using Lamb's Pride Worsted. Abby once knit an Einstein Coat from Sally Melville's "The Knit Stitch" out of Lamb's Pride Bulky and it is as warm as a winter coat. Abby has also started knitting a Color Affection shawl out of Cascade Heritage Silk. It's especially fun to knit because it's on a Signature needle.

Grande: Susan finished the Maia Shawl by Romi Hill. She's knitting it out of Pagewood Farms "Army Girl" color way. Susan also finished an Ishbel out of a Madelinetosh yarn. (merino light/) in Cosmos. Susan doesn't like to move stitch markers when she's knitting lace and prefers the type of lace in Wrapped in Comfort that doesn't change spacing. Susan does not use life lines; Abby recommends them. Susan also finished a sweater from a 1956 Bernat pattern book. She knit it out of Tofutsies, wholly using the Continental method of knitting, which is not her preferred knitting style. 

Abby, at long last, has finished the Dahlia sweater! Abby learned a good lesson in using blocking wires from Gigi of the Knitmore Girls.

90 It Goes Sideways

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Latte: Ben is almost finished with Ebbtide and his original hat design. Abby is working on Java Socks, Rocky Coast Cardigan. 

Grande: Abby finished the Absinthe socks.

Bitter Cup: Abby's SPAKAL sweater has been giving her a variety of problems.She is trying to solve them with -- wait for it -- math! Frogging Irt'fa'a; trying to pick up Lysianthus but found a broken needle.

Brewing: Ben wants to knit complex stitches with dark yarn. Is this possible? Abby is "brewing" about serious lace knitting, i.e. Herbert Niebling after being enabled by Mary. Mary also provides this week's "Tip Jar": knitting is all one stitch at a time. Abby says she will take the plunge!??!!!!

Abby is developing the best ways to organize a stash, and she is enjoying using the Bento app.

Stir: Abby is spinning San Francisco Nights and she's spinning it "non-classic": singles to the left and plying to the right. This is, according to Judith Mackenzie, is a better yarn for Continental knitters (pickers).

Taste: Abby reviews The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet by Hunter Hammersen The idea of Curiosity Cabinets reminded Abby of the work of artist Joseph Cornell.

Flavor of the Day: Ben begins a conversation about mixing patterns in clothing. It's such a big topic that we are going to continue this conversation in future episodes. For the coming week: take some time getting dressed and see what ideas occur to you!

89 - A Million Knitters

Latte: Ben picked up Ebbtide again. Abby is working on the Absinthe socks, Java socks and the Rocky Coast Cardigan. She's also swatched for her SPAKAL sweater.

Stir: Abby plied her Tour de Fleece yarn; it is heavier than she expected but beautiful. She's having a bit of trouble spinning Targhee and recommends Crown Mountain Farms to Ben.

Brewing: Abby needs a system for checking for errata. She keeps forgetting to do it. How can this problem be solved?

Chai: Ben went to the Baghdad Theatre in Portland for dinner theatre. He said Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter was so bad it was good. Ben urges you to seek out your local movie/dinner theatre. Abby is enjoying California, the Republic of Knitmore, the Purlescence knitting group and more!

Bitter Cup: Abby cannot knit something simple, i.e. the Java socks, without making mistakes! She has learned: when possible, make sure your needles and yarn contrast with each other. Abby was also "stained" by her Tour de Fleece yarn.

Tip Jar: Ben reviews how to wet splice yarn. Abby recommends Waze for iPhone owners who want turn by turn talking GPS. 

Announcement: Our Fashion and Style segment will henceforth be called Flavor of the Day.

88 We Have Adventures!

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Latte: Ben and Abby discussed a comparison of their two takes on the  Java socks. Abby's is knit from Hazelknits Artisan sock yarn. Ben'sis BFL Flying Sock from Fly Designs What accounts for the difference? Could it just be that we're different knitters? We used the same size needles. Ben's yarn is 2 ply; Abby's is 3 ply. The properties of different sock yarns are discussed in Clara Parkes's book The Knitter's Book of Socks.

Brewing: Ben is going to "Pass the Hat" for the event formerly known as the Ravelypics. He will create a tumblr for submissions. 

Abby is thinking about knitting Eadon (the SPAKAL sweater) but she's not sure yet.

Stir: Abby finished the singles for Tour de Fleece then started spinning with her Jenkins Swan. She is now spinning Targhee roving by Abstract Fiber that she bought at the Black Sheep Gathering.

Poor Ben! Abby gave him some fiber and he couldn't spin with it. Verdict: It's TERRIBLE fiber! Ben needs to get some good fiber. Maybe what he has is moth-eaten? It's totally falling apart.

Chai: Reflection Farm! The Northwest Regional Spinning Association group of 2080 Spinners were having a day! Sherrill of the Barely Knitting Podcast told us how to find them!  Ann, one of their members, talks about her sheep Ewelanda and her lamb Littlelanda

We had a wonderful adventure at an undisclosed location :)

We also went to some of our favorite Olympia spots: Burial Grounds and Bonjour Cupcake. 

87 Fiber and Filters

Latte: Abby's still working on the Rocky Coast cardigan and the Absinthe Socks. The chart is making more sense this week.

Stir: Please join Team Sasquatch for Tour de Fleece. Abby has decided to spin Crown Mountain Farm's Shadow on the Wall fiber for this event. She's using her Sidekick and plans a three-ply sock yarn.

Abby also taught a friend to spin on her Jenkins Turkish spindle. Sadly, the spindle shaft broke, so they made some CD spindles until a better one can be purchased.  

Bitter cup: Well, the broken spindle shaft. We believe in using best tools for teaching so the CD spindle was a last resort. Abby taught her kids to sew on her Bernina instead of a lesser sewing machine.

Ben's bitter cup is that he hasn't had a chance to knit all week. He's going to see if audio books on his commute free up some knitting time.

Abby and Ben briefly talked about Haruki Murakami's book Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

Brewing: We talked about how to keep knitting during a life change and/or transition. Ben finds his current TV watching is a social activity that currently precludes knitting.

Abby expressed a need for a social-knitting friendly portable project. At Ben's suggestion  she's going try knitting the Java socks. 

Bite: We've received many suggestions for a name for our "Fashion and Style" segment. Please let us know in the show thread or by PM which you like best: 

Toppings

Flavor of the Day

Barista Recommendation

Java Jacket

Macchiato 

Steamer

Fashionbarista

Latte Art

In Season

Barista

Designer Bean

Chai: 

Abby saw a Flamenco performance at The Mandolin Cafe which is, sadly, closing on July 15. We love Farmers' Markets! There is also one at Ben's work.

Caffeinated: Abby shares some of her Instagram Tips and Tricks. She has many photography apps, including: Camera 360, Camera+, Snapseed, DeluxeFX, PicFX, FilterMania2, ToonPaint, GroupShot, 360, Dynamic Light, Grungetastic, ColorSplash, MarbleCam, Popsicolor

Ben has been working out at his local CrossFit, and highly recommends it.

KCLWoods were kind enough to send me photos of some beautiful wood spinning and knitting tools. 

86 - Fleeced!

Podcasters! Clockwise from top left: Anatomical Erin, Kristine (Yarnings), Rachel (Knitcents), Karen (KnitWits), Abby, Susan (Knitajourney) Missing from photo: Sasha (Spin Doctor) 

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First an apology: Show notes for episode 85 have gone missing. They will be posted as soon as they show up.

Latte: Abby continues to knit the Rocky Coast cardi and the Absinthe socks. The chart is confusing, but Abby is using GoodReader to keep track.

Ben is slogging on with the Java Socks. He is suffering from some knitting ennui. 

Question for listeners: Do you want a style and fashion segment? What should we call it?

Brewing: Ben wants to design and knit one hat a week for a while and circulate the hats in Olympia to see where they go. He plans to publish the patterns as well. 

Abby is trying to figure out what to do her my SPAKAL yarn in case she doesn't have enough yardage for Eadon. She noticed that people said more yarn is needed, this may have to do with the weight of the yarn. 

Bitter cup: Abby has the wrong clothes, wrong shoes, etc. Decision fatigue strikes again.

Take a bite: We answer a question about keeping both sides of a Stephen West shawl equally stretchy.

Chai: Lots of talk about Ben's Graduation and the Black Sheep Gathering

Also we've been spending lots of time in Olympia and have visited The Reef, Darby's Cafe, Burial Grounds, and Last Word Books.

Coffee art at Burial Grounds

Caffeinated: Why we love Mad Men.

Bite: How do you use your queue? Favorites?

Tour de Fleece June 30 through July 21. Please come join Team Sasquatch, set your goal, and start spinning!

Tip jar: use anything to change your nitpicks interchangeable. I used a twist tie, stripped of its paper. 

83 & 84: Turn a Heel, Turn a Corner & Knitting? Not So Much

Columbia Knitters Knit Night

Latte: Ben continues with Ebbtide and a self designed hat

Abby is continuing on the Berlin Socks, and the Adrian vest

Taste: We review Judith Makenzie's video The Gentle Art of Plying

Abby's undecided about her SpaKAL yarn. She's trying to decide whether or not to use it for Eadon.

Stir:Ben spun on a Turkish spindle and plied too! Abby cleaned and polished her wheel with Wood Beams and started a bump of Crown Mountain Farms Superwash Merino in San Francisco Nights,  

Take a Bite: We answer questions on subjects such as : Doctor Who, Sock knitting (again!)

We talk about socks. You can find sport weight patterns in Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson You can also download the Knitmore Vanilla Sock here.

Chai: Abby has been on the town! She saw A Streetcar Named Desire, War Horse and Peter and the Starcatcher. Ben  mentioned Kurt Vonnegut speaking about the trajectory of story plots. Abby also took a tour of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  Abby even went to a Yankee game!

Ben went to the Hungarian Pastry Shop to have his spindling lesson.

Finally: Abby graduated and was ordained! If you are so inclined, you can actually watch the  ceremony here.

Karoline, who gave Ben a spindling lesson also made these amazing cupcakes for Knit Night.

82 - The Braidy Bunch

Homemade spinning wheel

Latte: Ben continues to work on the forever Java Socks. He has a bit of second sock syndrome and we talked about how to knit two socks at a time on two circular needles

Abby has started Berlin Socks from Hazel Knits Artisan sock and she has also picked up the Adrian vest.

Bitter cup: Ben had some tough times with Ebbtide , Abby abandoned the Hickory Socks and Kleio was a nightmare - but turned out beautifully.

Menu: Ben did breakfast: Bagels, eggs and Lox!

Stir: Abby is just about finished with her SPAKAL singles and is ready to do some adventurous spinning. Ben spotted a homemade wheel at knitting group.

Chai: Abby is one of thirteen artists whose work is currently part of the Volumes III: Ex Libris art show. If you're in New York, please come and see it. It will be up until November 1st.

Caffeinated: Ben recommends a tumblr site with a four letter word in its name (you have been warned. You can find it here. He is also excited about Jason Webley's new album.

Abby took a wonderful workshop with the OpEdProject and recommends it to all listeners.

81 Together Again

It's springtime in New York City!

Latte: Ben is working on Ebbtide. Abby's working on Kleio, the Rocky Coast Cardigan and Hickory Socks. Ben is enjoying his Chiao Goo needles.

Brewing: Ben has committed to have two designs ready to publish by September. One will be a sweater. The other will be some type of scarf or bandana. Abby has picked up the gauntlet and said she will finish her sock pattern by September as well.

Stir: Abby's spinning for SPAKAL and is well on her way!

Caffeinated: We're excited about: Instagram for Android, Zenbound2 and Dominion.

Tip Jar: For consistent and loose bind offs, try using a dpn a few sizes larger than the needles you've been using.