Knit Knit Cafe

74 Seuss & Snow

2012-02-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

Nichs joined Abby and Ben for this episode.
Latte: Ben is knitting Borough Mittens, but without the flip tops. Nichs is knitting cabled socks out of Tosh Merino, worsted weight.
Abby's reworking the Lucky 13 hat to make one that is not felted. She's continuing with the Dahlia cardigan.
Nichs finished her Daybreak, which she knit from Happy Feet yarn. While knitting it, she discovered combination knitting, which made her stockinette much more even.
Abby's working on Julia Mueller's gloves Eddy and Meisi. She tried using Malabrigo sock yarn, but switched to Dream in Color Smooshy.
Caffeinated: Nichs and Ben are excited about Bonjour Cupcake in Olympia and suggest it's worth a trip, especially for the salted caramel flavor.
Abby reviewed Knit Simple Knitting Workshops.
Tip Jar: Ben suggests buying firewood when you can. (Olympia had a great, atypical snowstorm.) Abby extols the virtues of Goo Gone.

73 Questions, Questions

2012-01-17T08:36:00.001-05:00

Latte: Ben is working on Borough mittens from Knitty.com.

Abby is working on Dahlia, Shalder, My Heart Beets 4 U socks and Meisi gloves.
Grande: Ben finished the herringbone mittens.
Abby talks about fast vs. slow knitting and tight vs. loose knitting. She mentions combination knitting as a way to keep a more even tension when knitting back and forth.
Bitter Cup: Abby runs into difficulty with her Dahlia sweater, and praises the patterns of Chicknits and Ysolda Teague for their stylish designs and wonderful construction.
Abby tried to add conductive thread to the Meisi gloves using a technique from the Teknika gloves on Knitty.com.
Chai: Ben spent New Year's Eve at Occupy Wall Street. Abby shared what a wonderful time she had meeting Sasha Torres, host of the Spin Doctor Podcast, and she also did some interesting studies with different religious leaders, which culminated with a trip to the Islamic Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ben talks about seeing a wonderful frog exhibit at the Museum of Natural History.

Take a Bite: Abby asks for moving advice.
Bite Back: We were asked for yarn suggestions for the OpArt baby blanket. Ben recommended something with cotton; Abby recommended Cascade 220 Superwash, and they both discussed the pros and cons of Encore. We were also asked why people get so excited about knitting socks, and we had many answers.
Menu: Ben baked Challah and also made a modified version of Winter Minestrone and spaghetti squash. Abby gives her "generic frittata" recipe and she made Squash Parmesan soup with so-so results.
Tip Jar: Ben talks about discovering the Readability extension for Mozilla Firefox or Chrome. The extension allows you to save an online pattern in Kindle format and then mail it to your Kindle, leaving out the pdf conversion. Abby shares the tip of putting the bulk of your sweater into a drawstring project bag (hers is from Knowknits) when you are working on, say, a sleeve, to keep the bulk out of the way.
Announcements: We talk about SOPA, pending legislation which could severely impact everything online from photos to podcasts, and paves the way for unprecedented censorship. We urge you to speak out about this danger to our freedom.
We will both be attending the Madrona Fiber Arts Festival. Information about a podcaster meet and greet will follow, and we hope to see you there.

72 Emphasis on "Cafe"

2012-01-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

Announcements: Shirlee Claire is helping to organize a KAL for the Latticework Jacket.

Latte: Ben started the Herringbone Mittens. He continues to work on his original striped tie and the Java Socks.

Abby's plugging along on the Dahlia Sweater and Shalder. She started the Meisi gloves and plans to add conductive thread so she can text without taking them off.

Abby's planning to begin the Knotted Vest from Custom Knits 2 out of Madeline Tosh DK.

Stir: Ben had his first experience spinning on a wheel!

Chai: We went to Annie & Company, a delightful knitting shop on the Upper East Side. (BTW, they have a needlepoint floor upstairs, but we didn't go there.)

We visited a unique shop, My Plastic Heart. Abby began her "art toy" collection and Ben bought a book, The Unknown Portraits.

We stopped at Vivi Bubble Tea in Chinatown.

Ben had "dinner" at Pommes Frites, which only serves fries.

We cook! We mentioned Gojee, a great recipe site.

Ben made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies . Note that we used semi-sweet chocolate chips, which it says not to do. They were great.

We cooked Winter Minestrone and Tomato Basil soups from The Daily Soup cookbook

We made deep dish pizza dough from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American.

Abby made challah from her own recipe.

Banana nut cheesecake from125 Best Cheesecake Recipes.

Abby followed Ban's tip and got a Swiss Army Knife while Ben is hoping to get a Leatherman.

71 Together Again

2011-12-31T23:23:00.001-05:00

Abby continues to try spinning cotton!

Ben and Abby are together again in New York!

Ben reports finding his Java Socks, and he's working on them again.

Abby is still working on the Dahlia sweater, Shalder sweater and the Kleio shawl.

Abby cast on the Lucky 13 Hat from Pretty in Punk. There have been a few bumps, but she's determined to work it out.

Ben is looking forward to starting the Herringbone Mittens when he finds his suitcase!

Abby continues to do battle with spinning cotton on her Schacht Sidekick.

Ben asks our listeners: How do you pack knitting for a trip?

Abby keeps patterns on her Kindle or her iPad and can access documents on her computer using the GoodReader app.

Ben is excited about the massive strategy computer game Civilization V which is available on Steam.

Abby got a small wrist rest to combat "Starcraft blister" and recommends this!

Abby shared a tip she read in Spin Art by Jacey Boggs

Abby remembered that the construction for Vonica was quite unusual and a bit counter-intuitive.

Ben suggests that knitters carry a multi-tool or Swiss army knife or Leatherman.

We talk about the Nantucket Bagg which was originally designed as a tool bag/apron and is now marketed as a knitting bag.

Go Deep - Episode 68 & We Talk Too Much and Ben Makes a Steve Jobs Joke - Episode 69

2011-12-15T00:42:00.003-05:00

Episode 68

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Latte: Ben races against his yarn to finish another World War II Watch Cap.

Abby breaks down the construction of the Dahlia sweater. She struggles with cabling on the Rocky Coast Cardigan, and abandons it to start Shalder.

Grande: Ben talks about knitting in public at the bus stop, teaching three needle bind off while finishing the Dragon Slayer Earflap Hat, and receiving a lovely Norwegian Star Earflap Hat.

Abby finished the Cat Mittens. Paula from the Knitting Pipeline podcast inspired her to redo a too-tight thumb, and to simply cut into her knitting.

Abby finished Strata Sphere, finally!

Brewing: Ben wants to knit complex socks. Abby suggested Cookie A , Janel Laidman and Cat Bordhi.
Ben is trying to decide what to do with the Aurucania sock yarn and the Burgundy-Magenta Lustra yarn.
We talked about Elizabeth Zimmerman's Percentage System, Jared Flood's steeked cardigan, and Jane Ellison Queensland Collection 9.

Abby talked about The Knitter's Book of Socks and the new Jean Frost book and reading in depth.

Take a Bite: We talk about variegated yarns, including Noro and Creatively Dyed
Abby mentions The Knitter's Guide to Variegated and Hand Painted Yarn by Lorna Miser

Abby mentioned Miss Babs Yowza Whatta Skein for Cassidy
We talk about the Burn Test to determine fiber content of yarn and the McMorran balance for determining yardage relative to weight and WPI

Caffeinated: Ben talks about two Zelda Games and the 3Ds

The Tip Jar: Abby mentioned the Leslie Wind cable needle/necklace

Episode 69

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Latte: Abby is working on her Dahlia sweater and Shalder, but her Super Secret Socks are going to be frogged.

Ben is working on a Weasley sweater and a new knit tie.

Grande: Ben just barely finished his World War II Watch Cap, with less than a yard to spare!

Bite: Abby asks listeners for advice on The Who-induced tinnitus and how to study for her history exam.

Bite Back: Listeners ask: How did Ben celebrate his birthday? He visited a wine bar called Swing.

Taste: Abby reviews 60 More Quick Knits: 20 Hats*20 Scarves*20 Mittens in Cascade 220 Sport by Sixth&Spring Books.

Brewing: Ben seeks design inspiration from The Clash. Abby wants to spin for the Dragon Slayer Earflap Hat.

Demi Tasse: The Cloud!: a subway story

Caffeinated: Ben is caffeinated about The Roots' new album undun (language on the album is not work-safe) and plays a snippet of "Kool On" after the sign-off.

Abby is taking plenty of pictures with Instagram.

Bitter Cup: H&M Puts Real Model Heads On Fake Bodies.

Chai: The iPhone mugger is on the loose, Abby goes to see Latkes & Hams, and sings the praises of Holiday Markets.

Episode 67 - Scratch That

2011-11-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

Latte: Ben's working on Dragon Slayer Earflap Hat.

Abby mentions Wooly Wormhead's Going Straight

Ben is going to make Viking Hats.

Abby finished the knitting on Strata Sphere and has to block it

Abby is planning to swatch for the Rocky Coast Cardigan from the Coastal Knits book

We talk about Quince and Company yarns

Grande: Ben finished the Dragon earflap hat

Bitter Cup: Abby messed up the Dahlia sweater and is tinkling an inordinate number of stitches and rows.

Take a Bite: We talk about shawl shapes. Abby mentions "More than Circular" from Shawls and Scarves.

Ben talks about the advantages of seamless sweaters, and we talk about sock ribbing.

We recommend the Topdown Raglan Generator and The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns We mention EZ's percentage system (EPS) as well.

We talk about the Old Norwegian cast on. We have posted a video that demonstrates how to do this versatile and stretch cast on.

Taste: Abby reviews Knit Noro Accessories

Abby mentioned Jared Flood's Noro Striped Scarf

Caffeinated: Ben's excited about the new album from White Denim. Abby's excited about cooking from scratch. Most recently, she made a fantastic soup from the book The Daily Soup Cookbook.

Style - Episode 66

2011-11-17T21:22:00.003-05:00

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Latte: Ben is working on the dragon hat. Abby cast on the Dahlia sweater in Chickadee from Quince and Co.
Bitter Cup: Abby frogged her Cat Mittens when she was running low on yarn. Ben had some trouble with symmetrical charts. Abby discovered the reason for her yardage woes on Strata Sphere.
Brewing: We talk about style. References include What Not To Wear, Kendall Farr's The Pocket Stylist and Style Evolution, Advanced Style, and Jean Frost's Jackets and Custom Fit Knit Jackets.
Chai: Ben went to see Wild Flag at Neumos in Seattle.
Stir: Abby starts to spin with her new Sidekick, but had some trouble with long-draw technique.
The Tip Jar: Ben suggests that you get redundant with your patterns, Abby advises you to organize your needles, and asks for app recommendations to do so.

Imperfect - Episode 65

2011-11-08T21:07:00.002-05:00

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Announcements: We reveal the winners of Ben's Challenge: Stripepike's Hot Pink Orchid Thief and ExecutiveKnitter's Leopard Slippers.
Latte: Ben is still knitting the magenta earflap hat. Abby is still working on the Cat Mittens. She talks about twined knitting on the Klieo shawl.
Bitter Cup: Ben accidentally donated yarn he needed. Abby bought less and more yarn than she needed for Strata Sphere, and made some mistakes on the Cat Mittens.
Brewing: Ben wants to knit a Guy Fawkes Mask with a three-dimensional mustache, inspired by the Move Your Money march. Abby contemplates stitch definition and even knitting.
Taste: Abby reviews The Knitter's Life List by Gwen Steege.
Caffeinated: Abby is excited about Project Accessory. Ben recommends The Smiths' remastered collection Complete.
The Tip Jar: Ben suggests organizing your yarn and subdividing your stash. Abby reminds you to buy extra yarn in proportion to your project.

Eureka! - Episode 64

2011-11-04T20:42:00.002-04:00

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Announcements: Occupy Wall Street has put out a call for urgent winter donations including wool scarves and hats. See ravelry group.
Latte: Ben is working on a Seussian earflap hat using the chart from Beware of Dragons. He hasn't yet finished the Classic World War II Watch Cap. Abby is making progress on her her Strata Sphere. She's still working on the Cat Mittens, and the Klieo shawl.
Grande: Abby finished Cassidy. Again.
Chai: Ben and some friends threw together Doctor Who costumes for Halloween with mixed results, using several finished knits. Abby visits The Knitmore Girls in California. She visited Sweet Pea's Crepes, bought a Schacht Sidekick at Purlescence, and met the Jade of the Geek Girls Crafts podcast, Miss Kalendar of Brass Needles, and Laura, The Joy Of Cooking Fairy. She visited Bobbin's Nest, You can find the Knitmores' account of the trip in Episode 166.
Demi Tasse: Ben opens his yarn from Rhinebeck, Transitions from Gypsy Girl Creations.
Taste: Abby reviews Clara Parkes' The Knitter's Book of Socks.
Stir: Abby learns long draw spinning.

Llamas, Long Stories and Love - Episode 63

2011-10-30T16:20:00.003-04:00

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Announcements: Ben's Challenge ends Halloween at 5PM EST.
Latte: Abby finished her first Cat Mitten, and started the sleeves of her Strata Sphere. She continued work on My Heart Beets 4U, and she's just cast on Klieo by Romi Hill. Ben has cast on another Classic World War II Watch Cap, this one for himself.
Grande: Ben finished his a WWII Watch Cap and an improvised hat and pair of socks for the protesters occupying Wall Street.
Bitter Cup: Abby experienced some difficulties with grosgrain ribbon on her Cassidy.
Brewing: In an unscheduled Brewing segment, Ben seeks Abby's advice on other means of strengthening button bands.
Chai: Ben teaches an impromptu knitting class in the craft section of Powell's City of Books. Abby talks Rhinebeck . She encountered the Dahlia Cardigan in the wild, on its creator. She picked up some Sunna from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. She also encountered an interesting modification of the Cardiff Coat, and met Stephen West.
Bite: We ask: Do others expect you to knit for them? Do you feel “selfish” when you knit for yourself? Do strangers assume you are knitting for someone else? What’s going on here?
Caffeinated: Abby loves her iPhone, Ben is holding out for a Galaxy Nexus. Plus, a story.
Demi Tasse: A mix-up in the mail.
The Tip Jar: Ben suggests designing or improvising hats in slices. Abby suggests checking out patterns in person.

Mystery, Surprise and Suspense! - Episode 62

2011-10-12T01:32:00.004-04:00

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Opening: Ben is drinking Teavana's Matevana
Latte: Ben is near the end of his Classic World War II Watch Cap, shaping the crown as the show goes on. Abby is knitting Jorid Linvik's Cat Mittens and a top secret project. She's finally finishing her Cassidy in time for Rhinebeck .
Grande: Ben finished Daybreak, but hasn't blocked it yet. Abby talks about putting shawls in outfits. She's done with the Anemoi mittens, but had some blocking difficulties. She also finished knitting flowers for Miss Kalendar's wedding.

Brewing: Ben is planning a bulky cardigan. Abby contemplates spoilers and knitting.
Chai: Abby spent a day with a listener from the UK, and visited the farmer's market.
Demi Tasse: Ben sorts his stash.
Cup of Joe to Go: Abby shares stories from her knitting group at Joe: The Art of Coffee, and some pictures of swatches dyed with cake decorating colors. Ben and Nichs spot the Snapdragon Tam in the wild.

Announcements: The next two shows may be slightly delayed due to knitting-related travel. Abby will be at both days of Rhinebeck. Abby and Ben have founded a group to knit socks and hats for the demonstrators occupying Wall Street.

The Fall Line Up - Episode 61

2011-10-06T19:08:00.003-04:00

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Latte: Ben loses the Daybreak race and casts on the Classic World War II Watch Cap for a second time. Abby is seeing structure on Strata Sphere and talks about yarn combinations for the Anemoi mittens.
Brewing: Abby plans for hat repair. Ben is planning an Ouroboros scarf and unveils his fall/winter knitting plans.
Stir: Abby wants to learn about spinning with a plan.
Caffeinated: Abby shares a recipe for Beet Salad with Chevre.
Demi Tasse: Abby has found a great new solution to her vision problems.
Tip Jar: Ben talks about knitting around different color palette, Abby talks about the properties of superwash.

60 - We Find Bargains

2011-09-29T12:43:00.001-04:00

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Latte: Abby is back on track with Strata Sphere. She discovered the secret with a simple project: counting. She's continuing to work on My Heart Beets 4U socks, and has started the Anemoi mittens again with very different yarns (see above). Ben is making great progress with his Daybreak, and continues to work on the Java socks. He thinks that the beginning of classes next week will give him great knitting opportunities.

Brewing: We discuss planning a wardrobe and designing a line. Abby mentioned the use of a croquis as a tool for sketching. You can download your own croquis "families" here and here. The croquis is placed under tracing paper, you draw your garment, then add the parts of the body which would be showing (i.e. head, arms/hands, legs, etc.)

Taste: Abby reviewed 60 Quick Baby Knits. She recommends knitting as a great way to try out new techniques or perfect those you feel need work. She added that if you don't have a baby to knit for, there are many ways to knit for charity. You can find charity knitting lists here and here. The second link organizes charities geographically by state (sorry US only).

Chai: Ben had a very productive day at the Seattle Public Library Book Sale which is held twice a year in an airplane hangar in Warren G. Magnuson Park. His haul included the Moosewood Cookbook, as well as the original Stitch 'n' Bitch, Romantic Hand Knits, Knitting on Top of the World and Indigo Knits.

Abby found her bargains on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where she scored two leather jackets, one for her and one for Dalya, but advises you that you MUST haggle to get the best price.

Tip Jar: Ben suggests that different fibers really do behave differently: use it to your advantage. Abby shared a tip from Cat Bordhi: buy a small straight edged mirror to hold up to swatches, samples and swatch photographs to double your view.

Knitting Funk - Episode 59

2011-09-20T21:58:00.000-04:00

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Latte: Ben is working on the same projects as last time, and so is Abby(!!!)

Brewing: Ben's designing a sweater vest. He wants to shape it, unlike much men's wear.

Bitter Cup: Abby is in a funk. Nothing in her knitting is making her happy. She's decided to begin the Knitting Guild Association's Master Handknitter Program, Level II. If yo'd like to join her, or start Level 1 (or 3), click here.

Chai: Abby taught knitting at the TNNA booth at this year's Maker Faire. If you live near a Maker Faire, don't miss it!

Don't forget Ben's Challenge! Make something unexpected out of unloved yarn, post a photo on Ravelry to enter the challenge.

Check out some cool new podcasts: 2KnitLitChicks and Geek Girls Crafts!

Sheep, Cats, Dogs, Moose - Episode 58

2011-09-12T02:26:00.007-04:00

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Latte: Abby is working on Strata Sphere and learning to tolerate some small mistakes on the Anemoi Mittens, Ben is still knitting Daybreak and the Java socks.
Grande: Ben finished his bowtie, and talks about turning it into a proper pattern.
Brewing: Abby ponders in-class knitting, Ben chooses shoulders for an ugly sweater.
Taste: Abby reviews the Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook.
Caffeinated: Abby shares her experience with the literal bulletin board social media site Pinterest.
Chai: We recorded the music of the New York subway. Check it out.

The Last Woot of Summer - Episode 57

2011-09-05T21:36:00.003-04:00

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Ben is back in WA, but the New York stories continue...

Latte: Abby is working on Strata Sphere, Lisianthus, and an old UFO, Tree of Life socks. This required re-learning to knit backwards. Abby's favorite instructions for doing this maneuver can be found here. She also cast on Anemoi Mittens and had some real challenges with the Tubular or Italian cast on. Ben is knitting a bowtie (bowties are cool), Daybreak and the Java socks.

Grande: Abby finished her Intrepid Traveller socks, which she has named "Psockadelic".

Ben fondles the yarn at Brooklyn General

Home of egg creams and insane sundaes

Chai: Ben joined the Men's Knit Night at Knitty City. The next day, we journeyed to Brooklyn General with our friend Deborah, and we met Maria, host of Subway Knits there. We enjoyed some decadent desserts at the Brooklyn Farmacy, where it was too dark for Abby to knit backwards with black yarn. She wished she had her Stitch Light from Buffy Ann Designs. We ended the night, after a detour to Uniqlo, at the Columbia Knitting Group.

Caffeinated: We baked a cheesecake! Have a look:

The recipe is from Cheesecake Madness by John J. Segreto. This book is out of print, so we're going to share the recipe with you here:

Macadamia-Mocha Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

1 cup finely ground macadamia nuts

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 lb sweet butter, softened

Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened

8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate (the best quality you can find)

1 tsp. instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tsp. hot water

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups sour cream

3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

4 Tbsp sweet butter, melted

Topping:

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate (to make chocolate curls)

1/2 cup whole macadamia nuts

Pan: 10 inch springform pan

Crust: In a medium size bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, ground macadamia nuts, cinnamon, and butter. Blend well with fingers, fork or pastry blender. Press or pat the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a well-buttered springform pan. Chill in the freezer or refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Filling: In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until light and smooth, then beat in the cream cheese. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and add to the mixture. Add the dissolved instant coffee, the cocoa and the vanilla and continue to beat until very smooth. Beat in the sour cream and chopped macadamia nuts. Mix in the butter, then pour the mixture into the chilled springform pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it is firm around the sides and jiggly in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.

Topping: Prepare chocolate curls. When almost ready to serve, remove the sides of the springform pan, then decorate the top of the cake with whipped cream, chocolate curls and whole macadamia nuts.

More caffeinated: Abby will be teaching Knitting at the TNNA booth at the Maker Faire in Queens on Sunday, September 18th. It's a fantastic event you won't want to miss, with something for everyone -- really!

Shawl Together Now - Episode 56

2011-08-30T02:28:00.000-04:00

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Latte: Ben is still knitting Daybreak and the Java socks. Abby is still knitting the Intrepid Traveller socks, the Strata-Sphere sweater, Lisianthus shawl and a pair of original socks.

Grande: Ben blocks his shawl, and we walk you through it, in great detail!

Bitter Cup: Ben's first try at a bow tie didn't turn out exactly as he'd hoped. He's ready to try again.

Chai: We knit on the subway; nobody noticed. Then we visited the Lion Brand Studio, where we got to test knit cashmere and other exotic yarns that are available only at the Lion Brand Studio or online. We then went to the Kinokuniya Bookstore, where we lost ourselves in the knitting, sewing and fashion books and periodicals. You can find more information about Japanese knitting stitches here.

Closeup of Ben's Bitterroot Shawl on the blocking boards.

Get Effusive - Episode 55

2011-08-29T19:53:00.003-04:00

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Latte: On Abby's needles: Strata Sphere sweater, Intrepid Traveler socks, Lisianthus shawl. On Ben's needles: Daybreak, Java socks.
Bitter Cup: Ben and Abby peek at the spoilers for the Westknits Knitalong
Grande: Abby finished the Clandestine socks.
Brewing: Abby unvented a vertical buttonhole, after looking at the Tulips Buttonhole from TECHknitting.
Chai: Abby visited Knitty City and the Peacefood Cafe. And she's sharing a recipe for ginger-ade. Ben visited Infinite Yarns Inc. and picked out yarn with a five year old.
Bite: Ben's Challenge has now become a contest!
Taste: Ben and Abby flip through Knit Noro.
Demi Tasse: We rediscover Patricia Roberts.
Tip Jar: Now you can follow Abby and Ben on Google+

Out of the Comfort Zone - Episode 54

2011-08-15T22:57:00.001-04:00

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Latte: On Abby's needles: Clandestine socks, Intrepid Traveler socks, Lisianthus shawl. On Ben's needles: Daybreak, Java socks.

Brewing: Ben is designing a bow tie, using techniques he learned from Cookie A at Sock Summit. In the eighties, Patricia Roberts designed several sweaters with dimensional bows in the design. Abby is unhappy with the buttonholes on her Cassidy and is trying to figure out a better way. Abby is also swatching for Strata Sphere in Noro Silk Garden.

Chai: New York City is always full of surprises. This week, the basement of her building has bee turned into a home theatre, inexplicably sporting two humidifiers...
Caffeinated: Ben is excited about new clothing which breaks out of his typical style. Included in his new acquisitions are: Derby shoes, a bow tie, and some very LOUD suspenders! Abby is excited about the return of Doctor Who, and the Signature Needles she tried out at Sock Summit.
Tip Jar: Ben says: pick s yarn that is out of your comfort zone: make something from it! Abby reminds you that you can enlarge charts and make notes on patterns to make things easier to see.

Ish - Episode 53

2011-08-09T22:43:00.003-04:00

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Latte: Ben is working on the Java socks, Abby is working on Clandestine, a "Frankenstein" Rockin' Sock Club sock combining the two March patterns and a sock of her own divising. Abby also started Lisianthus, a lovely shawl by Romi Hill.
Bitter Cup: Ben started Daybreak but had to frog it and will start over. Abby had a disaster with Vonica, which is now in Time Out and may remain there a long, long time.
Brewing: We discuss the pros and cons of toe-up and top-down socks, and discuss other knitting dichotomies. Ben mentioned the Hat Heel Socks as another unconventional construction. Ben is planning a knitted plaid project and we talked about various ways to create plaid in knitting.
Chai: We talk about some more of our Portland adventures at: Burgerville, The Peoples' Sandwich, Voodoo Doughnut and Portland's lovely Rose Garden.
Tip Jar: Abby says: buy yarn! so that you can swatch generously. Ben says to draw inspiration from non-knitting sources and from such things as tree bark patterns, architecture and more.

Sock Summit Summary - Episode 52

2011-08-02T22:18:00.000-04:00

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Wow, Ben and I had the best time at Sock Summit! We abandon our usual format (but it will return next week).
Latte: Ben is knitting Java socks and Herringbone Mitts. Abby is knitting Vonica and Clandestine Socks.
Grande: Ben finished two knitted ties! if you'd like to make a knitted tie like the one Ben is wearing above, you can download the pattern and chart here.
We had an amazing time meeting listeners and taking classes from the likes of Cat Bordhi, Cookie A, Anne Hanson, Franklin Habit, Amy Singer and more!

The Big Five Oh - Episode 50

2011-07-20T10:59:00.002-04:00

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Latte: Ben is knitting another tie, Abby started Cookie A's Clandestine socks. Teri-knits suggested a tie in linen stitch, and Ben is going to try that with sock weight yarn.

Grande: Ben finished Bitterroot, but hadn't blocked it yet.

Brewing: Abby wants to knit a Kindle cozy, and is thinking of Argyle. Ben suggests using cotton so that fibers don't migrate into the Kindle's various ports.

Take a Bite: We begin our discussion of blocking with info and advice about blocking lace shawls.

Chai: Abby has had a few "New York Challenges" this week, from a dead mouse who apparently has relatives, to air conditioning woes and a stolen welcome mat.

Next week we'll be at the Sock Summit. If you want to me us along with many other podcasters, please go to the Bar-Maids booth #400 on Saturday between noon and 1:30 p.m. We look forward to meeting you!

Finally, if you want to to know more about us, check out our interviews with Susan at knitajourney. We recommend listening to Ben's first, since Susan interviewed him before she interviewed Abby. Enjoy!

Blame it on the Yarn - Episode 49

2011-07-14T18:41:00.001-04:00

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Latte: Abby doesn't have much on the needles other than Vonica and Pretty Twisted. Ben is still knitting Bitterroot.

Grande: Abby finished the Transition Point socks.

Bitter Cup: Ben tried to knit the Angelus Tie, but his yarn was too thick. Abby had another mishap trying to make a wedding shawl for her friend; she might blame this on the yarn, or else on the distraction of Duck Soup. She also stabbed herself repeatedly with knitting needles. Ouch!

Stir: For this year's Tour de Fleece, Abby's going for quality rather than quantity. Please join us on Team Sasquatch.

Demi Tasse: Abby recommends Adaptor, a free video format converter for Mac. Ben has come up with a book recommendation in the field of economics: Filthy Lucre by Joseph Heath. If you're not quite ready for that, try starting with Freakonomics.

Bite: Ben mentioned an article in Slate magazine about how ravelry is "better than facebook". We ask you what community you would like to see with a super-functional website, and how you envision that site.

Caffeinated: Lots of excitement this week. Ben has discovered Put This On, a cool site for men's fashion. Abby is (finally) knitting Cat Bordhi's "Sweet Tomato Heel". You can get the ebook here. Both Abby and Ben are excited about Google Plus. Try it, you might like it!

Chai: Abby has mice, yes, again. She recommends various Hudson River Parks as respite from the summer heat, and for their lovely vistas. Ben went bouldering at Smith Rock in Oregon (see photo above).

When you have listened to the episode, go have a look at this video. Enjoy!

Finally, we will be participating in a Podcaster Meet-up/ Meet and Greet at Sock Summit. Stay tuned for the details!

Tour de Freakout - Episode 48

2011-07-06T09:52:00.000-04:00

Listen here. (BTW, there is always a link to the podcasts on the right of this page.)

Latte: Abby continues to work on the Transition Point socks; Ben continues to work on Bitterroot.
Grande: Abby finished the Orchid Thief Shawlette, which you can see here.
Bitter Cup: Abby had issues with the Swing Set socks and they are now in time out. Vonica had a few burps too, but is now on track.
Demi Tasse: Ben had some thoughts on how to recruit more (especially male) knitters. One answer: knit in public!
Taste: Abby reviewed Knit, Swirl!, a book of amazing new sweaters by Sandra McIver. These gorgeous, drapy inventions are unlike anything we've ever seen before.
Bite Back: Ben reveals that he is studying for two degrees; one in History and another in Economics. Abby will reveal what she's studying in her Knitajourney interview with Susan, but invites you to guess!
Stir: Tour de Fleece has been a steep learning curve for Abby, but after much trial and error, and a great deal of help from Judith Mackenzie's The Intentional Spinner, by George, she thinks she's got it!

Tip Jar: Try to see colors in natural light and trust yourself!

Heel Obsession - Episode 47

2011-06-27T15:25:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

Taste: We reviewed some of the patterns in the new Knitty.
Caffeinated: Abby has gotten hooked on the TV show Breaking Bad; Ben is watching Oz.
Stir: Please join Team Sasquatch for the Tour de Fleece!
Bite: Our question for you: What is your learning style? Who or what are your teachers?
Bite Back: We talked about how you can measure how much yarn remains from a partially used skein. Abby mentioned the McMorran balance as a handy tool in this process.
Tip Jar: Abby talked about the TKGA Master Handknitter's Course, Level 1, which she took several years ago.

Tour de Orchid Thief - Episode 46

2011-06-20T20:42:00.001-04:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben continues to work on the Bitterroot shawl, and has picked up his Paraphernalia socks again. Abby is knitting the Transition Point socks, Swing Set socks and is closing in on the end of the Orchid Thief shawlette.

Grande: Abby finished the Marilinda socks (see photo above).

Brewing: Ben is looking for some new classroom knitting and would like to make some gloves out of sock yarn. Abby recommended patterns by Julia Mueller, which might be called the glove equivalent of Cookie A's socks. Ben also wants to find a way to support or stiffen a knitted brim on a hat. Abby mentioned Debbie New's book Unexpected Knitting which features, among other things, a seaworthy knitted boat, as a place to find unconventional textures and "hands" in knitting.

Stir: We invite you all to join Team Sasquatch. The dates for Tour de Fleece are July 2nd through the 24th. In preparation, everyone should pick a goal/project, prepare your fiber (if necessary), spin a one ounce sample, if applicable, and make sure all of your equipment is in good working order and accessible. Abby also recommended her favorite timer app, Kitchen Timer for Android. When time is up, you hear a rooster crow!

Taste: Abby raves about Teva Durham's new book Loop-d-Loop Lace. If you have any interest in knitting lace, run, don't walk, and get your hands on this book!

Caffeinated: Ben has been playing a "table top RPG" based on the Dresden Files books. Tonight he (with help from his girlfriend) is preparing a sumptuous Southwestern themed meal including nachos, meat and vegetarian fajitas and for dessert: flan!

News: Abby and Ben will be featured in a future interview episode of the Knitajourney podcast with the amazing Susan. If you don't listen to this podcast yet, you should!

Blinders of our own devising - Episode 45

2011-06-19T13:02:00.002-04:00

Abby's Cerisara. It took a long time for her to figure out where she was! (See Tip Jar)

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is working on the Bitterroot shawl and has also started making miniature sweaters out of sock yarn. We talked about other knitters who have made amazing miniature items, including Althea Chrome, whose knitwear appeared in the movie Coraline. You can find here website here. Abby continues to knit Cookie A's Marilinda socks, Swing Set, Vonica and has picked up an old UFO, Cerisara. She's also cast on The Orchid Thief shawlette by Ysolda Teague and Transition Point socks from the Rockin' Sock Club.
Brewing: Abby could not get gauge on Vesna with her yarn of choice and has thus abandoned that project for now. Ben is in the design stages for a cardigan with cables, set in sleeves and a shawl collar.
Take a Bite: We invite listeners to submit questions for discussion and/or answers from Ben and Abby.
Demi Tasse: Ben recommends some books for those who want to get excited about and read about history. They are The Devil in the White City, I Claudius and Claudius the God, and A People's History of the United States. Abby also recommended the magazine Mental Floss which studies the history of food in the current issue.
Stir: We are joining Team Sasquatch for the Tour de Fleece. Abby suggests you plan your project and make sure your wheel or other equipment is in good working order. Please join the Team Sasquatch Ravelry Group here! BTW, you don't have to be a spinner. Knitters, crocheters and others are welcome. Just set a goal. If you want to learn to spin, that, of course, is a very worthy goal!
Tip Jar: Abby uses the "coil-less pin" stitch markers to move stitches around when knitting two socks on two circular needles. She also recommends you keep good notes about where you are in your projects when you set them down. Ask her how she knows this....
Ben's tip is to try something new or challenging on a small scale. Knitting for babies and children is one option. Knitting miniatures might be another!

Extreme Knitting - Episode 44

2011-06-09T11:36:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is knitting the Bitterroot Shawl. Abby continues to work on the Marilinda socks and Vonica. She has also begun Swing Set socks.

Grande: Ben finished the He Said She Said Cowl; Abby finished the Elektra shawl (see photo above).

Brewing: Abby wants to cast on Vesna but is not sure about her yarn choice, or whether or not to use beads.

Caffeinated: Ben is excited about watching The Shadow Line, and Abby is enjoying her virtual trip to Seattle while watching The Killing. We ask: Has the way you watched TV changed with the new technology? Has this changed what you watch?

Demi Tasse: Abby is excited about the newest yarn and patterns from the Rockin' Sock Club. This much seed stitch she feels she can handle!

The DK Continuum - Episode 43

2011-05-31T09:02:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

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

2011-05-24T22:16:00.001-04:00

Listen here.

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

2011-05-16T16:10:00.003-04:00

Listen here.

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

2011-05-10T15:13:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

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

2011-05-02T16:18:00.001-04:00

Madison Square Park 1867


Madison Square Park 2011 Listen here.

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.

We Digress - Episode 38

2011-04-26T14:25:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

Latte: Abby is still working on Cassidy. She has started the sleeves, and also is still knitting the Marilinda socks. Ben is continuing on with his Paraphernalia socks.

Brewing: Ben is thinking up designs for whimsical 3-D yarn bombs. We talked about stuffing knitted items to give them shape and also about knitting with wire. Abby shared that her favorite stores for art supply inspiration are hardware stores. Abby is designing a small shawl. We discussed how we feel about knitting patterns and other things going "viral". Abby has surrendered to the Camp KIP KAL madness and is ready to cast on Daybreak with the yarns pictured above. They are from Malabrigo, Artyarns and Koigu. Abby also talked about the book Astounding Knits! where yarn bombing is just one of many fascinating examples of "knitting art".

Bitter Cup: Abby knit quite a bit of an Elektra shawl before deciding she was using the wrong yarn. We discussed the seductive nature of variegated yarns as well as the challenges of working with them successfully.

Chai: Abby had a visit from the exterminator and discovered that, even in New York City, there is no such thing as a "better mousetrap".

Bite: We ask listeners two questions: Do you abandon things you like when they become "too popular"? Also, what is the most ill-considered or craziest thing you've ever made (need not be knitting)? The last question was inspired by Susan from the Knitajourney podcast describing a vintage magazine she recently acquired. Ben talked about attempting to knit a dalek, which led us to.....

Caffeinated: We are both totally pumped about the new season of Doctor Who.

Demi Tasse: After Ben's discovery of a bag of googly eyes, Abby got curious and discovered this very amusing site.

Taste: Ben gave us an update about Knit Visualizer. It does, in fact, "know how" to vary the stitch count from row to row if you set it up properly. Again, you can download a free trial and the manual here.

Tip Jar: Ben talked about some of his favorite increases, lifted increases, which are sometimes called KLL or KRL, or, as Cat Bordhi calls them, La-Link and La-Rink. You can see Cat demonstrate these increases here.
Abby talked about some of her favorite project bags: Keep Calm and Carry Yarn, Goknits pouches, Pretty Cheep bags and Tom Bihn yarn stuff sacks.

Little Bread in the City Episode 37

2011-04-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is working on a heavily modified pair of Paraphernalia socks. Abby is making great progress on Cassidy and has noticed some subtle striping on her hand spun Marilinda socks. He is working toe-up using the Cat Bordhi technique and knitting them out of Fly Dyed Lacewing Sock yarn.

Grande: Ben finished Stephen West's Honegart (see above). Abby finished Transatlantic. Abby's still trying to work out the logistics of blocking a large item. Ben mentioned the google application SketchUp as a good way to build an online model of her apartment.

Brewing: Ben found a big bag of googly eyes and is planning to knit....something, using them. Abby wants to make a small shawl with her hand spun "Firefly" yarn. She found this generic shawl "recipe" that might serve as the basis for the shawl. She's looking at Barbara Walker's and Nicky Epstein's books for possible stitch patterns. Abby also wants to casts on Romi Hill's Elektra shawl. Also, Abby loves red!

Chai: Abby shared the perils of preparing for the holiday of Pesach (Passover), discussed the insane salad prices at her local Farmer's Market, and reminded you all to come to the opening of the Art Show Volumes II (see previous post for invite). She also mentioned getting Zipcar for a shopping trip to New Jersey.

Taste: We reviewed Knit Visualizer, which we both really like. You can download the manual and a free demo here.

Barista's Special: We announced the winners of our Stephen West knitalong!

Special Guest: Abby chatted with Ysolda Teague at Vogue Knitting Live back in January. Ysolda shares what we call a Bitter Cup.

Invite to Art Exhibition, as promised! (No, not a podcast episode!)

2011-04-14T18:33:00.000-04:00

You are invited to

the Opening Reception

VOLUMES II

An Exhibition of Art Curated by Tobi Kahn

FEATURING ARTWORK BY JTS STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF PARTICIPATING IN THE JTS ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM, INCLUDING:

Leah Schechter Bennett • Abby Cohen • Aryeh Davidson • Sarah Diamant • Sara Figueroa •

Gregory Gilbert • Jennifer Gersch • Sonia Gordon-Walinsky • Tamara Kohn •

Jonathan Kremer • Ilana Sassoon • Jennifer Stern • Demetrios Vital • Jeremy Willinger

Thursday, April 28, 2011

6:00–8:00 p.m.

The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary

3080 Broadway

New York, NY 10027

The JTS Artist-in-Residence Program is sponsored by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen, the Master’s Program in Jewish Art and Visual Culture,

and the Office of Student Life

Fun & Engaging but not Stupid Episode 36

2011-04-11T15:16:00.001-04:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is knitting Honegart from Westknits Book Two; Abby continues to knit the Marilinda socks.

Grande: Ben finished his Greek Key dice bag and is taking a break from making these. Abby finished Hawthorne but has not figured out how and where to block it.

Bitter Cup: Abby started a wedding shawl for a friend, but has been stymied by the way the pattern is constructed and printed. Cassidy is going along just fine now, but Abby inadvertently knit more on one front section than the other until she found a fix. Ben could not find the right buttons for his Filbert and is thinking of repurposing some fallen tree limbs to make wooden buttons. We both talked about knitting and how to keep track of what we're doing. Abby mentioned she'd seen instructions online for making a row counter bracelet.

Taste: Abby is using a pair of new ChiaoGoo lace Red Line circulars for her Marilinda socks and really likes them. She bought them on etsy from Grandma's Handknitting. Abby also mentioned that she was able to clean her Leslie Wind brass cable needle/necklace using toothpaste. This is reported to work on the Addi Lace Turbos as well.

Chai: Abby's looking forward to seeing the musical of Catch Me If You Can during her upcoming Spring Break. She also thought the latest New York Magazine issue about apartment living in New York was enormously entertaining.

Caffeinated: Ben is really enjoying the new music album by Maritime. They remind both Ben and Abby of Death Cab for Cutie, Minus the Bear and Of Montreal.

Barista's Special: You have until April 15th to post a photo of your Westknits project in order to be entered to win an autographed copy of Westknits Book Two. You can do it!

Vermin - Episode 35

2011-04-04T13:13:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

KAL Announcement! The Westknits KAL has been extended to April 15th. To enter the drawing for an autographed copy of Westknits Book Two, please post a photo of your finished project either on the ravelry thread, or link to it in a comment on the show notes. There is still enough time to start and finish a small project.

Latte: Abby's still knitting Transatlantic; she's loving Hawthorne and has cast on Marilinda socks (see above) from her handspun sock yarn. Ben is making another dice bag with a Greek Key pattern. He might felt it.

Grande: Ben finished his Flagstone. It was such fun to knit; complex and simple all at the same time. Abby finished the Surprise Socks.

Brewing: Ben is considering which Westknits project to tackle next. Abby still hasn't settled on a lace shawl, but it's coming!

Chai: Abby had various New York moments this week: President Obama tied up traffic in the neighborhood, it snowed on April Fool's day, but flowers are in bloom. Abby is going to have some pieces in an art show; details to follow. And yes, the mice are back in the apartment.

Taste: We reviewed Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh.

Caffeinated: Abby is being audited by the IRS. Enough said.

Tip Jar: Ben warns that using pencil to draft a pattern that you want to keep has its risks. Abby used her computer screen to magnify a sock detail and thus fix an error.

The Episode with No Name - 34

2011-03-28T18:15:00.000-04:00

It doesn't have a name because Garageband kept crashing and simply refused to save the file with a name! Either way, you can listen here.

We were joined this week by Ben's girlfriend Nichs!

Latte: Ben is still working on Flagstone, and he's fashioning a Converse sneaker inspired tag for imminent yarn bombing. Nichs is knitting a hat that leads a double life. Abby started knitting Hawthorne, and loves the feel of Mopsy yarn in her hands. She is determined to finish the Surprise Socks, and continues to work on Transatlantic and Cassidy.

Grande: Abby finished Ptarmigan and is in cashmere-loving heaven. She won't take it off, and is glad the weather is still cold.
Nichs finished a Snapdragon hat out of Malabrigo Rios.

Bitter Cup: The Surprise Socks are driving Abby crazy; they're too simple to really hold her attention, but too complex to knit on automatic pilot. Frustration reigns.

Brewing: Abby ponders the next big lace shawl project. Nichs wants to knit some chemo caps. Ben is wondering what to knit when the weather turns warm. Abby suggests lace!

Demi-Tasse: We are very excited that one of our favorite books, Sweater Design in Plain English is about to be published in a revised, second edition. Grab it!

Chai: Abby shares "New York's best kept secret" - Century 21. The store, not the real estate company! They are about to start selling online, so check it out here. Bargains are to be had!

Tip Jar: Spring is here, or will be soon. Before you put your knitwear away for the season, make sure you've washed and blocked everything first. Ben's cure for knitting ennui is to take a break and sew in all your ends. We think this is brilliant!

Non-segment: Abby reveals that she's been spending quite a lot of time on an art project in connection with an art show she's participating in that opens in April. Each participant was asked to create a piece of "book" or "book cover" art to be used in the promo poster. If you want to have a look at Abby's piece, here it is!

Abby Goes Batty - Episode 33

2011-03-22T21:31:00.002-04:00

Listen here.

Latte: Abby is working on some Surprise Socks for her mentor, Transatlantic for the Westknits KAL and has cast on Ptarmigan again thanks to a very generous listener who sent another skein of (gasp) cashmere! Ben is still working on Westknits Flagstone.

Brewing: Abby wants to knit a big lace shawl but is still undecided on a pattern. Meanwhile, she wants to finish Ptarmigan and also start and finish Hawthorne out of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Mopsy. Ben is trying to consolidate his notes from various sweaters he's designed so that he can publish them here. Go Ben!

Stir: Abby finished her 3 ply Lemon Meringue sock yarn from FiberOptic pin drafted roving. She's also experimenting with long draw, funky batts and "letting go" in her spinning.

Bite: Listeners have offered some great suggestions for the Evergreen Knitters' Group library, including the Stitch n' Bitch books, the Knitter's Book of Yarn, the Knitter's Book of Wool, the Nicky Epstein "Edge" books, and The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. Abby also recommended Bust magazine, edited by Debbie Stoller for the adventurous among you.

Double Chai: Abby visited and talked about Seaport Yarn. We also finally hear the Brooklyn General conversation between Abby and Melanie of the Savvy Girls Podcast.

Barista's Special: The Westknits KAL has been extended (at least) through April 7th. Knit on!

Demi Tasse: Ben and Abby got a kick out of a promo for a live-action Mario parody. Again, explicit language warning.

Tip Jar: Keep your ball bands! Put them inside your yarn cakes and when your project is complete, file them with pertinent reference information. Also, when you give a knitted gift, include a ball band for the care instructions.

Knit, knit!

I Love Lucy Episode 32

2011-03-14T13:22:00.000-04:00

Is this your granny's afghan?

Latte: Ben continues to knit Flagstone for our Westknits KAL. Abby's knitting was bitter this week!

Grande: Ben finished some dice bags; he's not sure how many. Abby finished the Distelfink socks and feels very accomplished!

Distelfink!

Taste: Abby sat down to watch a Lucy Neatby DVD and was transfixed. Meals went uncooked, laundry unfolded (midterms unwritten); you get the idea.

Bite: The knitting group at Ben's college wants to start a knitting library. We ask what you would put on your list of must-have knitting books. Books on our list include: Barbara G. Walker's Treasuries, Knitting in the Old Way, Knitting from the Top, everything by Elizabeth Zimmermann and Anna Zilboorg's Knitting for Anarchists.

Stir: Abby got some spinning time in and watched Abby Franquemont's DVD Drafting: The Long and the Short of It.

Bitter Cup: Abby started and frogged her Transatlantic shawl three times, but is now on the right track. Her Potpourri socks suddenly looked an awful lot like an old fashioned afghan after she listened to the Knitmore Girls' review of Around the World in Knitted Socks.

Tip Jar: We described how each of use uses Excel spreadsheets to help with out knitting. We've posted our "sample" spreadsheets, Ben's for Devon and Abby's for Cassidy so you can see what we were talking about. Ben's spreadsheet is here, Abby's is here.

On a final note, Abby warned against over-zealous trimming of yarn ends. If you don't give them enough length, they will pop out on the right side of your knitting, which is not a happy sight.

Excitable Barista - Episode 31

2011-03-07T16:18:00.001-05:00

Listen here.

Kitten Mittens!

Latte: Ben is churning out those stranded knitting dice bags. He's currently on his fourth one. Abby cast on Potpourri Socks, and continues to knit Cassidy, Distelfink and Bandwidth.
Grande: Ben finished three dice bags. Abby finished the Stricken socks and the Derry Raglan and Cowl. Ben also finished the Kitten Mittens.
Chai: Abby visited Wool and the Gang, a very unusual knitting shop in SoHo.
Taste: We reviewed The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie Wiseman.
Bite: Abby is in search of the perfect circular needle: slick, pointy tip, almost indestructible. Advice, anyone?
Caffeinated: Both Abby and Ben are reading the Dresden Files books and thoroughly enjoying them. Ben also recommends the audio books.
Barista Special: It's not too late to sign up for our Westknits knitalong! You can do that on our ravelry group, or via email.

Norwegian Star Earflap Hat, Ben finished it last week.

Tip Jar: Ben advises that a change in posture can really affect your gauge. Abby shared a few tips from the Wiseman book.

Just When You Think You're Done - Episode 30

2011-03-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is making a colorwork drawstring bag for gaming dice. He used Judy's Magic Cast On to start it. Abby is finishing Stricken, and continuing to work on the Derry Raglan, Distelfink socks, and Cassidy. She also cast on Bandwidth.

Grande: Ben finished the Norwegian Star Earflap Hat, and is almost done with Kitten Mittens.

Brewing: Ben wants to compile a small library of original stranded knitting patterns. Abby is thinking about summer knitting. She wants to spin, knit lace shawls and socks.

Bite: What is your next knitting challenge? Can we help? We're both wanting to take on intarsia. Ben is challenged by the "mohawk dragon hat" and Abby wants to knit the Geek Chic Argyle Vest.

Chai: Ben comes on strong at his local yarn shop.

Cup of Joe to Go: Abby celebrated her birthday with the Columbia Knitters who are both charming and skilled. And there was ice cream cake! Karoknits's Undergrowth hat was so pretty, Abby had to add it to her queue.

Barista's Special: We get our first knitalong underway with a Westknits KAL. Knit any pattern by Stephen West between now and the end of March. There will be prizes, including two copies of Westknits Book 2 donated by none other than Stephen West himself. Sign up on the ravelry board, or email us.

Bitter Cup: Abby learned, again, the perils of the "center pull ball/cake" and wasted more than two hours dealing with "yarn barf". Ben solved his girlfriend's yarn problem by cannibalizing a scarf.

Heckled! Episode 29

2011-02-21T11:40:00.001-05:00

Listen here.

Do you know what kind of birds these are?

I'm having technical difficulties uploading the podcast, but here are the show notes in the meantime! As soon as the episode is available, there will be a link to your right.

Latte: Ben is knitting the Norwegian Star Earflap Hat. Abby continues to work on Cassidy, Distelfink and the Derry Pullover. She is also trying hard to finish Stricken for the Spin Control KAL, but is not hopeful.

Grande: Ben finished his bias knit scarf; Abby finished Flagstone, which might just end up belonging to one of her teachers.

Chai: Ben had a whirlwind Madrona experience, and bought some lovely yarn, including: Dream in Color Starry, Angora Valley Fibers Lacewing Sock and Crown Mountain Farms sock yarn. He also met up with a bunch of friendly podcasters!

Stir: Abby is anxious to finish her yellow sock yarn so she can jump into some strange, experimental spinning, inspired by Jacey Boggs's Sit and Spin DVD.

Bitter Cup: Ben had some stranding mishaps, but Abby is disconsolate over her failed cashmere Ptarmigan. She cannot figure out why she didn't have enough yarn, and is so very, very sad.

Demi Tasse: Check out the Evolving English "Map Your Voice" website where you can hear English in its many regional flavors, and even add your own if you like.

Tip Jar: Abby ~~rants~~ shares her thoughts on how everyone can knit with high quality yarn. She also explains how she remembers how to do kitchener stitch without a visual or other aid. Ben refers to another grafting method from Techknitting.

Yes, we were heckled by Melanie of the Savvy Girls.

Brooklyn - Episode 28

2011-02-14T20:13:00.000-05:00

Listen here.

Latte: Abby continues to work on many, many projects. Ben is knitting his bias scarf and designing a Teddy Bear sweater. He's planning to knit replacement Hiking Socks but is having some difficulty finding the right yarn.

Grande: Neither of us finished anything!

Brewing: Ben and Abby are both pondering cast ons and other mysteries.

Bitter Cup: Ben's girlfriend learned the pain of stranded knitting with too-tight floats. Abby discovered that her Cassidy's fronts had been started with the wrong size needles.

Taste: We reviewed Westknits Book Two by Stephen West. We are both totally excited, once again, and you'll hear the word "clever" about 20 times. Our advice: buy it now!

Chai: Abby and Savvy Girl Melanie braved the wilds of Brooklyn and lived to tell about it. We visited Brooklyn General (although you'll have to wait to hear about it next time), La Casita Yarn Shop Cafe and One Girl Cookies -- yummy all around!

Tip Jar: Ben recommends Judy's Magic Cast On as the perfect provisional cast on. Abby found this neat yarn calculator on the Jimmy Beans Wool site.

See you next week. Knit, knit!

Startitis! Episode 27

2011-02-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Latte: Ben is knitting a bias scarf, but Abby has cast on (too?) many things this week, including: Stricken socks by Cookie A, Ptarmigan by Jared Flood, Distelfink socks by Mary Scott Huff and Derry Raglan from New England Knits.

Grande: Ben finished a hat, which he blocked on a dinner plate. Abby finished her Rumplestilksocks.

Brewing: Ben is designing a sweater for a teddy bear. Abby finally began her patternless, seamless cardigan from her hand spun BFL.

Bite: We ask how and when you substitute yarns. Do you have a method? We'd like to know.

Demi Tasse: Abby encountered three types of dpns this week with varied results: Lantern Moon Rosewood dpns, Kollage square dpns and Blackthorn carbon fiber dpns.

Taste: Abby and Ben are both laughing themselves silly watching Portlandia.

Chai: Abby reveals her haul from Vogue Knitting Live: Blue Moon Fiber Arts BFL Sport, Marine Silk Worsted and Silk Hankies; Tess Yarns Fine Cashmere and Donegal Wool Spinning Company 100% Wool.

Tip Jar: Ben recommends constraining your choices to enhance creativity. Abby is enjoying knitting her stranded socks and catching the floats every other stitch. Video to follow (watch this space!).

Extras!! Special thanks to Sarahmontie and Meshuggeknitter. Sarah sent Abby her Seaweed Scarf pattern, and some very cool Habu yarn for knitting jewelry (!!!) Meshuggeknitter (Diane) gifted Abby Walk Now from Irish Girlie Knits. Proceeds from this pattern are going to Autism Awareness.

Finally, Ben reveals the source behind his rav name, NumbersandNoise. It's from a comic book by Grant Morrison, The Invisibles. So now you know.

Ripe Tomatoes Episode 26

2011-01-31T22:49:00.000-05:00

Listen here.

Ben is on hiatus this week but will return next time!

Latte: Abby's working on the Canopy Socks, Cassidy, Tree of Life Socks and Flagstone.

Grande: Finished Norie hat and the Sideways Grande Cloche.

Demi Tasse: Abby is excited about a book she is reading: At Home by Bill Bryson

Brewing: Jared Flood recommended four books, which have given Abby the courage to knit fearlessly: Knitting without Tears, Knitting Workshop, Knitting from the Top and Knitting in the Old Way.

Tip Jar: Abby advocates knitting promiscuity.

Chai: Interview with Cat Bordhi recorded at Vogue Knitting Live. Cat mentions that she collaborated on the design of Frog Tree Pediboo sock yarn, and talks about her new website.

Stress and Inspiration Episode 25

2011-01-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is working on a hat of his own devising; Abby continues with the Canopy Socks and Cassidy. She's also started Stephen West's Flagstone and Gudrun Johnston's Norie hat. An original cowl is still on the needles as well.

Grande: Ben finished the Brambles hat with an unplanned modification. Abby finished Chadwick (see photo above).

Taste: Abby reviewed The Shetland Trader. She wants to knit everything in the book (except the leg warmers).

Chai: Abby had a fabulous time at Vogue Knitting Live, as well as other events around town. She met Felicia Lo of Sweet Georgia Yarns as well as Maria from Subway Knits. At VKL, she attended a lecture by Clara Parkes and took a class with Jared Flood. More tales of VKL will follow in later podcasts.

Bite: Inspired by Clara's talk, Abby wants to know "where are your knitting dollars going?" and "do you care"? There's a thread on the ravelry board where you can respond, or simply post a comment here.

Tip Jar: Ben recommends charting your designs before knitting them. Abby shares some handy things about ease that she learned from Jared Flood.

Knitting Anarchy Episode 24

2011-01-17T16:30:00.002-05:00

Listen here.

Latte: Ben is really working on Brambles. Abby's working on Cassidy, Canopy Socks and Chadwick.

Grande: Abby finished the Passerine Socks (see photo above) and a new logo for the podcast.

Brewing: Ben is designing Guitar Hero mitts; Abby has cowls exploding in her head.

Little Taste: Abby waxes rhapsodic about Anna Zilboorg's Knitting for Anarchists and suggests you get yourself a copy! One thing Anna explains is how changing needle size might not change your stitch gauge, but it can wreak havoc with your row gauge.

Stir: Abby is spinning Lemon Creme Foot Notes Unspun Pencil Roving from Fiber Optic Yarns. She is making 3 or more ply sock yarn.

A Bitter Cup: Ben's Beer Gloves attacked him and they are now doing time out in a corner.

Demi Tasse: We both love TV show "The Walking Dead" and the movie "Black Swan". If you are squeamish, however, you might want to avoid both. Abby also has discovered the "historical timeline" feature on Google Earth, where you can see a place literally change over time.

News & Events: Vogue Knitting Live is next weekend. Abby will be there. Will you?

It's a Man Shawl! Episode 23

2011-01-10T19:31:00.001-05:00

Listen here.

Pogona blocking (top) and off the wires (below)

Latte: Abby's almost finished with the Passerine socks, while she continues to work on Cassidy. She's also designed a simple cowl. Ben is working on Beer gloves.

Grande: Ben finished Chadwick, and Abby finished Pogona, both by Stephen West. Ben is so stoked, he is pursuing other "man-shawls" and welcomes your input!

Taste: Abby reviewed Color by Kristin, by Kristin Nicholas.

Tip Jar: Ben recommends keeping track of your needle sizes on ravelry; Abby talks about shopping for organizers in the hardware and sporting goods departments.

News and Events: Abby is thrilled and amazed to have won the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin'Sock Club contest. Here is a photo of the skein she named "Rumplestiltskein" for the win!

Abby will be attending Vogue Knitting Live and would like to meet you if you're going to be there. If you're new to New York, be sure and get yourself a Metrocard, some good maps and check out shopping opportunities (besides yarn)! You can find some shopping advice here. In SoHo, Ben likes Uniqlo, and Abby had to mention the new Doc Martens store on Spring Street. There are some wonderful apps for your smartphone which show you all the transit opportunities in NYC. For a listing of places to spend your money in NYC, look here, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Finally, don't forget about Camp KIP, organized by Jackie of the KIPing It Real Podcast. The camp is going to be full of podcasters, but space is limited, so if you want to go, get over to the website and sign up pronto!

Knitting for Knitters Episode 22

2011-01-03T17:15:00.001-05:00

Listen here!

Lots of talk this week!

Latte: Ben is working on Chadwick, and Abby is knitting Pogona, both by Stephen West. Ben continues to work on the "Weasley" sweater, see it in progress below.

The Weasley sweater, in progress.

Abby is also working on Passerine socks by Cookie A.

Grande: Abby finished the Snapdragon Mitts, and also Ben's birthday TARDIS socks.

Chai: Ben and Abby went to the Olympia Knitters' Group, where they met up with Rachel from the KnitCents Podcast and many other nice, friendly knitters! (See photo, top). They also attended an early-morning yarn sale at Yorkshire Yarns, and made quite a haul at 40% off!

Taste: Ben and Abby reviewed Power Cables by Lily Chin, and both gave it a thumbs up.

Bite: We ask, "Should LYS charge to help you with your project?" Please comment here or on the ravelry thread.

Demi-Tasse: Ben is very excited about a video/computer game called "Braid" which adds time as the third dimension in a side scroller platform game. You can purchase it here.

Brewing: Ben is inspired by some surprisingly soft acrylic based yarn, and Abby is going to design a top down sweater using her handspun.

Tip Jar: We revisit the idea of alternatives to the standard long-tail cast on. We've made a video of the Old Norwegian cast on, which you can watch here. We also recommend going to the zoo, a museum or other visually stimulating place for inspiration.

Ben is the Designated Driver Episodes 20-21

2010-12-22T11:42:00.001-05:00

You can listen to episode 20 here and episode 21 here!

Latte: Ben continues to work on the Weasley sweater, Abby is working on Cassidy, which she's KAL with Gigi of the Knitmore Girls, and she is almost finished with the Snapdragon Mittens, and is still working on the Blattwerk socks.

Grande: Ben finished the Link hat for his girlfriend. In case you don't know, Link is the main character in the Legend of Zelda games from Nintendo. Abby wants one, too. Abby finished the Maia shoulderette and wants to find a way to wear it without looking like an old lady.

Brewing: Abby is trying to figure out how to plan the spinning for the Texting Mitts; Ben wants to make Link gauntlets (hence the theme music throughout the podcast). We talked about looking in the book "Power Cables" by Lily Chin for cable inspiration and illumination.

Abby and Ben are making grand plans for a Knitwiki and Dishwiki (names may change). This was inspired by Meghan from Stitch It's Cranberry Cheesecake Pie. Meghan substituted agave nectar for sugar and greek yogurt for sour cream. Abby kept these modifications and added a crust made from 1 cup flour, 1 stick butter, 1/4 cup ground almonds and a tablespoon or two of agave nectar. We welcome your modifications, too!

Stir: Abby gave her wheel a nice, big drink of Howard's Feed 'n' Wax and recommend that you give your wheel the care it deserves! Also, she is trying to watch Tools for Spinners and stay awake at the same time. Interweave gives you a discount if you download their DVD's rather than pay for the "hard copies".

Bite: We would like listener input on how and what you pack for knitting when you travel. Also, "what are you doing here"? See Ravelry group for further explanation....

Tip Jar: When knitting two socks, sleeves, or mitts at the same time, put each ball in a zip lock bag with the corner cut off for the yarn to exit. Keeps them from getting tangled! Ben says: watch your gauge when you switch needles, for instance from circular to dpns or one circular to two. Abby and Ben both note that increases (and decreases) continue to make themselves "known" even after you're done doing them. When you knit a toe up sock, stop increasing when the width of the sock just touches your pinky toenail. Abby learned this tip from Cat Bordhi.

This garment was grown from bacteria - really!

Demi Tasse: Abby shared one of the New York Times' great ideas of 2010: Biocouture.You can read about clothing grown from bacteria(!!!) here!

Coming next week (or soon)! Knit-Ed - our episode about teaching and learning knitting.

Killer Scarves! Episode 19 (with notes from Episode 18 too!)

2010-12-06T22:52:00.001-05:00

Abby's "Firefly" hand spun. It bloomed beautifully!

Listen here!

Lethal knitting? Abby is compared to the murderous Madame Defarge, and relates the tale of Isadora Duncan's "death by scarf" as she speaks of her love for all things Cowl.

Latte: Ben is making a Brambles hat and preparing to make the "Weasley" sweater. Abby is knitting BFF socks, Maia, Tree of Life Socks and Coventry.

Grande: Ben finished the "It Looks Like Rain" sweater and Abby finished the Greenfield Cardigan!

We had a special guest, Deborah. Deborah is an intern at Vogue Knitting, and she is a busy student and yarn evangelist! You can find her blog here. Deborah is teaching people to knit and collecting hats for the needy. She hopes to distribute them at this year's Midnight Run. If you want to knit for charity, you can find a wonderful list of organizations here.

Tip Jar: Ben and Abby both like their wandas, and you can get one here! They also are both fans of KnitPicks Options Needles.

Taste: We reviewed Cookie A's new book, "Knit. Sock. Love."

Cat Dreams and Purple Legwarmers - Episode 17

2010-11-24T19:17:00.003-05:00

A close-up of the Vine Yoke Cardigan

Latte: Ben is working on some vanilla socks and a rediscovered sweater. Abby has spent most of her week in the frog pond, ripping out the Maia Shoulderette, but has had a fair bit of success with the Greenfield Cardigan.

Grande: Ben finished his Kindle case with an unusual closure. Abby has completed her Vine Yoke Cardigan.

Demi Tasse: A quick roundup of new knitting magazines. Interweave Knits has a great new article by techknitter.

Brewing: Abby is contemplating colorwork and shoulder shaping.

Bite: Do you ever dream about knitting? Do you know how to pronounce Eunny Jang's name?

Chai: Abby's secret crush revealed! Abby talks about seeing him on Broadway. Our mini-contest winner was Ms. Kalendar of Brass Needles. Also, Patrick Stewart with hair!

Caffeinated: Pie is the new cupcake. Bittersweet Chocolate Cherry Nut Pie and Apple Green-Chili Pie With Cheddar Crust and Walnut Streusel.

I Know You Are, But What Am I? - Episode 16

2010-11-19T03:46:00.003-05:00

Listen Here.

A simple picture of a simple sock

Latte: Ben is working on some vanilla socks and a kindle case. Abby is almost done with her Vine Yoke Cardigan.

Stir: Ben met up with Rachel (Roue) of the KnitCents podcast to learn to spin.

Bite: A quick reminder to prove that you were once a child. Don't be scared!

Chai: Abby went to see Pee Wee Herman live on Broadway with Dalya.

Mini-contest: Try to guess Abby's secret crush!

Brewing: Ben wants to modify God Save The Queen from Pretty in Punk for maximum ridiculousness, using Ella Rae Classic Superwash and Noro Taiyo. Abby has experienced a flurry of inspiration from reading The Knitter's Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn.

Tip Jar: Ben goes over the basics of the afterthought heel. Abby talks about learning to read your knitting.

Sharing the Embarrassment - Episode 15

2010-11-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

Listen here.

Ben in a lion costume that Abby made. He was around three years old.

Lots of random things in this episode! Here are the most pertinent links:

Chai: Abby dropped in on the Men's Knitting Group at Knitty City. They have recently been profiled in the Wall Street Journal!

Tip Jar: Ben shared some unexpected uses for Judy's Magic Cast On.

Taste: We talked about some of our favorite TV shows. Abby is almost through all of Deep Space 9, while Ben is working his way through The Next Generation. New shows that they both like are: Boardwalk Empire, Terriers and Dexter. Both are looking forward to the new show The Walking Dead, about zombies, of course!

Come join our ravelry group and spread your own embarrassment by posting a picture of yourself as a child! We did.

Ben is a Robot - and he never was a child Episode 14

2010-11-07T07:50:00.001-05:00

Listen here.

Grande: Ben finished this vest of his own design. He's writing up the pattern to share.

Latte: Abby continues to work on her CeCe sweater, frog mittens, Tree of Life socks, and she started the Girl's Best Friend socks out of Trekking Hand Art. Ben is furiously trying to finish his Mojo socks.

Brewing: Ben's thinking up a new strawberry hat. Abby bought yarn for the Vine Yoke Cardigan. She noticed that the new yarn, Tosh Vintage is called "worsted", while the Free Range she's been knitting with is called DK. The DK, however, looks heavier than the Worsted. What do you think?

We talked about hats we like and asked listeners to share their favorite hat patterns on the ravelry group. Some of our favorites are: Cranio, Dead Fish, Jayne and Brain Monster.

Taste: Abby reviewed New England Knits, a book of classics with a twist.

Tip Jar: Ben shared a technique for jogless joins in the round, and Abby shared some tips from Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English and Sweater Design in Plain English.

Finally, Ben claims that he was never a child, but there is evidence to the contrary!

Please join our ravelry group here!

It's Halloween -- and Episode 13!

2010-10-28T06:48:00.001-04:00

Listen here!

Don't forget about our donation incentive! Donate a dollar or more by Election Day and you'll be entered to win High Whorling and some fabulous fiber!

Ghoul-latte: Ben is working on a vest of his own design. He's almost finished and is employing a "partial steek" technique. Abby's is making great progress on both the Tree of Life socks and the Knitmore KAL CeCe.

Chai-Day the 13th: Abby tells a spooky story about her failed attempts to felt (full) a knitted project.

Tip Jar: Abby recommends getting a tape measure and using it! Ben extols the joys and benefits of spit splicing.

Brewing: Ben wants to knit a tie. Abby dissuaded him from lining it. Abby's working on a new sock pattern (it's a secret!).

Stir: Ben is checking his mailbox for his Jenkins Turkish Delight and we hope for a spinning section from him soon. Abby's still spinning the superwash merino from Becoming Art.

Taste: Ben was amazed and thrilled when he finally watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, and both Ben and Abby love Tim Burton's films!

Extra: Dalya crocheted a Pikachu hat for Halloween! Check it out:

Come visit our ravelry group or feel free to leave a comment here!

Long Episode with a Funny Finish Ep. 12

2010-10-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when Ben and I don't speak to each other for a week! Listen here.

Ben knits like the wind! He finished his Devon in a week and a half.

Latte:

Ben has a vest of his own design on the needles. Abby started several projects and frogged almost as many. She couldn't stop herself from casting on CeCe for the next Knitmore KAL.

Abby is also working on a surprise for Dalya, as well as the Tree of Life socks by Janel Laidman from The Enchanted Sole. Abby is also itching to cast on the Vine Yoke Cardigan by Ysolde Teague.

Grande:

Ben finished Devon! See above. Abby finally finished the Ada Lovelace socks. You can see them here.

Chai:

Rhinebeck, of course! It was chaotic, it was fabulous. The weather was superb and Abby managed some well-planned stash enhancement.

This fabulous haul includes luxurious, yummy Free Range yarn from Sanguine Gryphon, acid green super saturated sock yarn from Fiber Optic and three skeins of fingering weight from the incredible Creatively Dyed. Abby also purchased a beautiful Turkish Delight Jenkins Spindle for Ben from Morgaine at Carolina Homespun.

Abby also had fun meeting and seeing lots of knitters and podcasters! Here are just a few photos:

Stir:

Abby didn't spin this week, but she went a long way towards enabling Ben to start spinning - see above.

Taste:

We talk a bit about Debbie Stoller in general, and review her new book, Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting: Go Beyond the Basics. Abby is a big fan of Debbie's magazine, Bust. We also mention two classic knitting books which anyone who wants to design his or her own knitwear should own at some point: Knitting in the Old Way and Sweater Design in Plain English.

Bite:

We want to talk about yarn! What do you like, what don't you like? Which are your favorite yarns and for what purpose? We want this to be an ongoing investigation, so please let us know, either here, or on the ravelry group!

Finally, don't forget our donation incentive! Just click on the donate button, donate any amount, and you will be entered to win our fabulous prize package: High Whorling book and some tasty fiber!

Do Yiddish Cops Run in Doc Martens? Episode 11

2010-10-14T08:00:00.003-04:00

Listen here!

Wow, we did a lot of talking this week! Here are the links for everything we talked about.

Latte: Ben is knitting Devon by Norah Gaughan, with modifications. He's devised a spreadsheet which allows him to see everything that is happening "at the same time". You can see -- and download -- the spreadsheet here. Ben says: "the chart attached applies only to size XS, but the same format could easily be used for any other size. Sleeve increases of -2 are to be placed at either side of the sleeve. No stitches are bound off in this version of the pattern. Ones set aside are to be placed on stitch holders, spare needles, or waste yarn. They will either be grafted later or used to start the collar."

Brewing: Abby is getting ready for the Knitmore Girls new knitalong: CeCe by Chicknits. It gives her something to shop for at Rhinebeck. She's also getting ready to cast on the Serpentine Socks from her handspun Sunshine of Your Love.

Demi Tasse: We discussed various strategies for breaking in Dr Martens shoes. Ben recommends Overunder Lacing to make things a bit easier. You can find a tutorial here.

Stir: Abby has started spinning some yummy fiber from Becoming Art in the colorway Firefly. The shop still shows up on etsy, but it looks like they haven't offered anything for sale this month yet.

Bite: We review The Yiddish Policemen's Union and mention The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, both by Michael Chabon. We've heard that the Coen brothers are making a movie of The Yiddish Policemen's Union, but have no solid information about it.

The Barista reminds you that our October donation incentive is still happening! If you donate any amount $1.00 or more towards our production costs, you will be entered to win High Whorling along with some cool fiber! Just click on the Donation button at the top right of this page.

Last but not least, if you are at Rhinebeck on Sunday, please come to the Podcasters' Grip and Grin meetup! It's at noon, right next to the Ravelry meetup. Here's the ravelry map:

If you have any questions or comments, you can leave them here, or on our ravelry board. Have a yummy week!

Abby has a Super Power and Ben has Ennui

2010-10-08T10:46:00.002-04:00

Listen here!

Latte: Abby and Ben continue to work on their socks, but Abby has finished Acorns! (Well, except for the button band).

Brewing: Ben's having a little knitting ennui - he can't decide exactly what to knit next. Feel free to send recommendations! Abby's ready for another sweater, or she might just pick up her partly finished Kingscot.

Abby and Dalya took the yarn bus to the Flying Fingers Yarn Shop in Tarrytown, New York. We highly recommend it! Tarrytown is right next to Sleepy Hollow, so if you're up for a Halloween, Headless Horseman type outing, this might just be perfect.

Abby bought some sock yarn, some mystery gift yarn and some mohair for Dalya. She also scored these fantastic buttons:

If you're coming to Rhinebeck, don't forget our Podcaster "Grip and Grin" at noon on Sunday. Abby will be there with Kari from the High Fiber Diet, SavvyGirls Deborah and Melanie, Sydney from Knaked Knits, and others!

We love to hear from you, so please feel free to comment here, on our ravelry group, or PM Abby (Abbyknitz) or Ben (Numbersandnoise) on ravelry.

Have a delicious week! Knit, knit!

For those who asked: here's a picture of the "mouse repellant" shoes (which have not repelled any mice).

Jay and Silent Bob Go to MakerFaire Episode 9

2010-09-30T13:41:00.002-04:00

Listen here!

Latte: Ben has finished one of his Mojo socks, knit from Farmhouse Fannie's Fingering Weight. He loves using the sewn bind off, while Abby likes to use Jeny's Super Stretchy bind off. We discussed the merits of each.

Grande: Ben took scissors to his knitting and "refinished" his first sweater, Layers.

In "Taste", we review the podcast "Jay and Silent Bob Get Old" WARNING: this is not a podcast for the squeamish or highly sensitive. It is, however, both hilarious and heartbreaking, and well worth it if this is your sort of thing.

Cup of Joe to Go: Abby and Ben compare their experiences of knitting in class.

Chai: Abby went to the Maker Faire and had a fun and inspiring time. A knitted car cover (a great use for fun fur)

This is where anyone could learn to knit, crochet, embroider, felt or sew. Lots of yarn and fabric was given away for "make it and take it" projects.

Knitted New York!

Life size Mousetrap game.

Dalya (Abby's daughter/Ben's sister) learned to solder at the SparkFun tent.

Human powered vehicles of all kinds dotted the faire grounds.

Abby is inspired to add electronics to her crafting, and she purchased Fashioning Technology at the Faire. Abby will report back on her venture into what seems to her like the magical world of electricity.

Abby is going to Rhinebeck on Sunday, October 17th, and there might be a little podcast surprise. Let us know if you can make it!

Finally, we are trying our very first Donation Incentive! If you donate any amount from $1.00 to $100 you'll be entered to win a copy of Priscilla Gibson-Roberts High Whorling, along with some fiber to spin! Donations for this incentive can be made until October 31st, after which we will announce our winner. Just visit our Tip Jar (above) and click on "Donate".

We welcome your comments here or on our ravelry group.

We're Bi-Coastal!

2010-09-22T16:17:00.002-04:00

Listen here.

Ben and Abby got together via Skype. The sound quality isn't perfect, but we think it's pretty good!

Abby talked a little bit about the Ada Lovelace socks again, and revealed to those who might not know, that Ada Lovelace is a real historical person who was the daughter of Lord Byron (the poet) as well as the FIRST computer programmer!

Ben continues to work his Mojo magic. His yarn stash finally arrived, so more knitting should be forthcoming.

Abby gave up on the flame socks, but not before taking a few photos.

She frogged the flames and is now working on some near-vanilla socks with the gray yarn. This is her current "knitting in class" project.

"Acorns" proved more of a challenge than Abby originally anticipated, but she's having a great time with it now that she's gotten a few repeats done.

Neither Ben nor Abby had anything to share in "Grande". We just didn't finish anything this week!

In "Bite" we reviewed Boardwalk Empire. We'd love to hear your reviews as well. BTW, there are some cool wallpapers on the HBO site for you to download.

Ben has a cardigan "brewing"; he's working out some unique construction to eliminate some seams while emphasizing others. Abby continues to "brewed" about gauge, and noted that Amy Tyler did a "wraps per inch" experiment which showed just how subjective measurements can be. An excerpt of the article can be found here.

In "Stir" Abby has finished spinning her "sample singles" from the Susan's Spinning Bunny Merino-Tencel. She'll ply, swatch and report back shortly.

Chai brings us a story of Sukkah building in Olympia WA, and a rodent invasion in Abby's apartment. Bonus: Check out some very unusual sukkot (plural of sukkah) in New York City here!

Engaged with Gauge

2010-09-16T10:35:00.000-04:00

Listen here!

Sorry that the show notes are a little latte, I mean late!
Ben returned to WA, and Abby is solo, at least for now. She continues to work on Ada Lovelace, and has swatched and cast on Acorns.
Louisa is the size of a small city in Montana, and Abby contemplates what to do with this enormosity.
Abby went to Sag Harbor and enjoyed wearing Annis and Clapotis.
Review: Around the World in Knitted Socks and Sockupied; both from Interweave Knits.
Elizabeth Zimmerman makes a "guest appearance" to talk about gauge, from Knitting Without Tears.
Abby has two fleeces in her stash, both processed by Shari at Morro Fleece Works. One is a white Cormo from Sue Reueser's farm!

We Get Silly

2010-09-05T01:47:00.003-04:00

Listen here.

Ben and Abby really got a case of the giggles. Still, we managed to talk about a variety of topics. Ben is knitting a "Kindle Cozy" based on the Vespergyle mitten pattern. He's also thinking about how to incorporate conductive yarn into his mittens, like the yarn in these Dots Gloves.

His Mojo socks are turning out beautifully. Abby is working on Quincy by Jared Flood, but she's using some of her earliest handspun, so the pattern is being severely modified. Abby's also planning a gansey for someone out of her Tour de Fleece yarn.

Abby committed to using some of her stash yarn to knit both Acorns and Coventry from the latest Twist Collective. This is a response to an apartment that seems, impossibly, even smaller than the one she just moved out of.

After much discussion and listener input, Ben and Abby both decided that there really is no such thing as an introvert or an extrovert!

A trip to Habu Textiles was exotic, exciting, tantalizing and somewhat baffling. Abby bought some 40 micron stainless steel "yarn" from which she hopes to knit some beaded jewelry.

Ben and Abby lifted their coffee mugs to the new Kindle, and discussed knitting in class.

Abby takes notes with her Livescribe computer pen, an amazing gadget which captures your notes as well as audio and links them for future reference.

If you're making plans for October, Abby would love to meet up with you in Rhinebeck on Sunday.

Finally, don't forget to visit us on our ravelry board!

What's in a name? Apparently, quite a bit!

2010-08-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

Listen here!

This week, Ben had nothing to say, but Abby really ran off at the mouth! In Grande, I found that Louisa turned out very grande indeed!

I was refreshed without any calorie intake at Chocolate Bar, where I enjoyed iced fair trade Black Coconut tea.

I'm experiencing severe startitis, between the new Norah Gaughan book, Rowan magazine and some delicious patterns in the new Twist Collective: Hallett's Ledge, Hawthorne, Acorns, and Coventry. I'm also pretty excited about Rosemary Hill's Seven Small Shawls to Knit book.

In Stir, I contemplate serious swatching and sampling of my Superwash Merino & Tencel from Susan's Spinning Bunny.

Taste brings us Abby's review of Socks A La Carte 2 - Toes Up, and she throws down the gauntlet to Ben for his take on the book.

For Bite, I'm asking listeners to weigh in on questions about introversion and extroversion, as well as seamed versus seamless knits. Finally, if you have a favorite espresso maker or other great coffee maker, let us know!

A Trip to Soho and an Ethical Dilemma

2010-08-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

Listen here.

This week Abby is joined by her son Ben for the first (?) mother-son knitting podcast!

In the Grande segment, Ben has finished two kippot out of Tahki Cotton Classic; Abby has finished ----- nothing!

In Latte (on the needles) Ben talks about his Mojo socks. Abby complains at length about her trials and tribulations with Louisa but she was finally saved by some great photos and helpful notes posted on ravelry by globaltraveler here.

This week's Taste comes from Ben, who reviews Jane Ellison's Queensland #9, and the pattern "Tom" in particular. He raises this week's ethical dilemma after having perused Jane Ellison's Noro:Men Book at Canvasworks in Olympia, WA. He was especially taken with the pattern Montaro but asks how far inspiration can be taken.

Our Chai segment this week takes us on a trip to Soho and the East Village. We visited the amazing Purl Soho with our friend Urbanheart from ravelry. The store looks quite a bit like the website! Abby ogled the Japanese and Chinese collectible sewing kits, the fabric and other exotic offerings. Ben purchased some Farmhouse Fannie's Fingering Weight in Bramble. Abby, meanwhile, was seduced by Anzula's "Squishy" sock yarn which she compared to the Sanguine Gryphon's Bugga. Both of these are apparently hard to come by, but Purl has lots of Squishy in stock. Abby was enchanted by the magazine selvedge and is almost ready to ditch New York for the British countryside -- well, not quite.

Finally, we had a fabulous meal in the East Village at Caravan of Dreams which features organic, live, vegan food -- and it's Kosher, too! Live music and friendly service helped us cool off from a steamy New York City shopping trip.

Our itunes feed is working for us now, so you can subscribe and get your podcasts automatically. Thanks to Jasmin of the Knitmore Girls, we have a ravelry group as well, so come on over and talk to us. As usual, our theme music is by Jeff Wahl from "12 String" on magnatune. We look forward to seeing you next week; don't forget to bring your coffee, tea or whatever quenches your thirst.

Slightly R-rated, and a Holmes is not a House

2010-08-07T23:37:00.002-04:00

I continue to work on my Louisa sweater, despite frogging a day's knitting. I've selected the Mason-Dixon Outside the Lines Mitered Hanging Towel as my go-to subway knitting.

The Citron is finished, but not yet blocked, and a lesson is learned about gauge.

Ben and I took a trip to Downtown Yarns in the East Village, and were thoroughly charmed by this intimate and homey shop in the middle of New York City! Abby bought Norah Gaughan Volume 7 and learned a little about why some sweaters are knit in pieces.

My Tour de Fleece singles are plied and set. It was shocking to see how much dirt came out in the soaking! I need to play with it a bit to figure out what gauge this yarn wants to be; maybe it will turn into the Coraline sweater, but may be not. I'm looking forward to playing around with my new Phat Fiber box of goodies.

Hair sticks are my latest accessory for keeping comfortable in the city summer heat, and Dimrs are my latest "r-rated" secret.

Finally, we hear a bit about the lastest British creation from David Moffat of Doctor Who fame!

Episode 2: The sky, I mean the ceiling's falling!

2010-08-01T13:11:00.002-04:00

Listen to Episode 2 here.

This week my bathroom ceiling caved in, and there was a reported tornado in the Bronx! There's always something dramatic happening in New York City.

I started a new sweater, Louisa from French Girl Knits, a really fabulous book by Kristeen Griffith Grimes, that contains almost exclusively seamless patterns.

Meanwhile, the Tour de Fleece has ended in success. I got all my singles spun, which is what I was aiming for. After the singles get a chance to rest, I'll ply up the BFL I've spun. I am really, really ready to spin some bright colors now!

If you want to see some amazingly stylish individuals, check out Advanced Style. You will be, I think, both surprised and inspired.

I've been having a really fun time with my new Kuchulu Turkish Spindle from Jenkins Woodworking. Go have a look at the beautiful and exotic woods that Ed Jenkins uses, even if you don't intend to buy.

Finally, a detailed review of Rowan Magazine #48, which is full of beauty and inspiration. There's a reason many refer to the Rowan Magazine as "knitting porn".

Episode 1: Welcome!

2010-07-24T20:08:00.000-04:00

It's my very first podcast and I know it's a little rough. Podcasting from a tiny New York City apartment, I talk about what's on my needles: the Irtfa'a "shawl of shame", the delightful Citron, and Rockin Sock Club's "Ada Lovelace".

I've finished a Clapotis, and also the lovely shawlette Annis, which I knit from Miss Babs "Yet".

In my quest for the perfect three ply sock yarn, I finally finished spinning Crown Mountain Farms "Locomotive Breath", and now I'm trying to play "Tour de Fleece" catch up with some Louet Blue Faced Leicester, which I am planning to knit into Ysolda Teague's "Coraline" cardigan.

I review Lucy Neatby's "Cool Socks Warm Feet", which is a must, in my opinion, for every knitter's library, whether you make socks or not.

The music in this episode is "Sunshine" by Jeff Wahl from his album "12 String". It can be found at Magnatune.

And oh yes, I told a joke.