Jay and Silent Bob Go to MakerFaire Episode 9

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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!

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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

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!