Happy Halloween

Listening and Watching

I am reposting here a couple of topics that I posted on the Prairie Knit Wits Group on Ravelry.  Some of the Knit Wits were wondering about podcasts and video casts to watch and I started a thread there, but thought I'd post here as well.  This is not all of the ones I listen and watch to, but the top ones.

Hope you are having a great weekend!!

I never listen to the radio in the car anymore, I always have a podcast, mostly knitting that I am listening to.

Here is my list that I listen to through the Podcast App on my iPhone in no particular order. What do you listen to?

The Yarniacs Podcast -- Love the sweaters they are knitting and stalking

NH Knits -- love the wooly yarns and the chickens in the background

Curious Handmade -- Helen Stewart

Knitmoregirl’s Podcast -- I’ve been listening to them for several years, some great tips

Prairie Girls Knit & Spin -- because they attend some of the same Retreats I go to

2 Knit Lit Chicks -- I get great book recommendations from them and knitting

Woolful -- I love her fiber and knitting journey, if only I was 30 years younger

TwinSet Designs -- pretty spotty podcasting lately, but they are leading super busy lives, but when they do podcast I love listening to them

Knitcircus Podcast -- because I see Amy a couple of times a year and I love the yarn!

Knitting Pipeline - Paula

In a sKnit -- Kristy used to have a video cast and has converted to a podcast, I have not listened yet, but on my list for next week

Wrapped in Wool -- because I met her in Rochester last year

I watch a lot of You Tube Channels all related to knitting. It started a year ago when I was off 10 weeks with foot surgery. I lost my knitting mojo, but desperately craved knitting contact. You Tube Knitting Channels kept me company during the days while I sat with my foot up. Now, mostly on the weekends and at least one or two nights during the week, I’ll turn on one and catch up. There are very few t.v. shows that I actually watch, now that baseball is over. It is like having my knitting peeps with me, I can knit with them and they have turned me onto some great yarns and patterns!!

Who do you watch?

I’ll post more down the road. As I was making my list, I realized there are a lot of knitting video casts I watch periodically, but here is a good start, all can be found through You Tube:

Kristy Glass Knits - LOVE the interviews she does

Espace Tricot - Great shopping and yes, I have ordered from them based on what they show, absolutely want to go there someday!

Fruity Knitting - Oh the color work!!

Yarn Pimp - seriously, if this shop wasn’t in New Jersey, I’d be there - the Indie yarns she has

Grocery Girls Knit - You have to watch them!! But be prepared to spend some money, they are enablers!!!

The Yarn Hoarder - She is semi-local and I see her at events

The Gentle Knitter - soft spoken but love her knitting esthetic

Knotty Knit Wits - They are a hoot!!

Stockinette Zombies - I attend their retreat in Rochester

Dramatic Knits - They are local and I love Leading Men yarn!!

LegacyKnitz - Mother/Daughter team and they started dyeing yarn about a year ago

Kay Jones - Husband/Wife video cast from England, so cute together and sometimes you get a glimpse of England history with them

Knitography - American living in Norway and knitting ala EZ

lupinehook - I met Aleesha and her husband last year in Rochester and will meet Liz next year. It is like keeping in touch with friends via You Tube

Periscoping Sisters
Ninja Chickens
Ruby Moss Cottage
The Workshop Girls
Knitters League
Tanis Fiber Arts

Looking Back Looking Forward

Last week -

The mailman came, bringing fun from the Great Pumpkins!

the next day, she came again--

Hospice was on Thursday.  The call went out a couple of weeks ago that they were in need of mens prayer blankets, and these lovely prayer blankets came in.

Work had our annual retreat on Friday at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.  I particularly liked the interactive side.

This morning I spent time knitting with the Knit Wits.  When I came home, I cuddled up with my current knitting project to finish it, and took advantage of its length to cover the legs while knitting on it.

Tonight is done, weighed and posted to the lupine about ravelry group contest for October!  Next week, I'll block and show you the finished project which should be done well in advance of the baby shower I am going to next month.

And Kindergarten School pictures came out last week.  Oy, it is hard to believe she is in kindergarten.

Looking forward - November is my birthday month and a major one!  I am going to enjoy it and am already thinking about what to do differently as a ahem 60 year old.  I am looking forward to what lies ahead!

Have a great weekend!

The Forecast

It was a rainy Sunday.

I took advantage in the early morning to sit out on the porch and knit.  With the forecast this week, those sit on the porch and knit days may be very few.

It was a lazy Sunday, the rained turned heavier, and it cooled down so I had to move inside with a new pot of coffee and a new creamer, so very Fall like.

And then came Monday!   And what looks like to be sweater weather, turtlenecks and hefty shawl weather on the horizon.

When You Can't Go To Rhinebeck!

You get together very early in the morning with your Knit Wit friends!

You knit like you are in New York for most of the day!

And you end the day with a hashtag!  #winebeck  originally it was #whinebeck, but I love this one much more!

A Me Day!

When you work full-time, I heartily recommend taking a me day every once in a while.  One of those days where there is no particular agenda, a get up when you want to day, take a shower when you want, maybe do a bit of laundry and do lots of knitting and maybe watch a podcast or two to round out the day.  And most of all, don't tell anyone you are doing, except for work!

I did make a bit of a list of some things that I might have wanted to accomplish on this me day, but with no real absolutely have to get it done items, just a kind of list of things that I might want to tackle should I decide to venture out of my chair.

I finished up my 2nd Avenue Wrap and it has made its way down to the blocking table for later this week.  It felt so good to get it done and off the needles and into the lupine hook group.   It has been a great traveling project, but I was really ready to move onto another WIP for October.

Into my  second pot coffee for the day (because it was a Me Day and I can if I want to), I cast on my second sleeve of the Hiro Sweater.  It appears that Fall is definitely coming and I am in a sweater knitting mood, and this cast on fell into the category of cleaning up a couple of WIPS for October program.

I am loving the Merino Cashmere Nylon Worsted weight yarn I am using for this sweater.  It is from Sun Valley Fibers and is so nice to knit with.  It is a squishy, cuddly yarn, that I can just imagine how it is going to feel when worn.

While knitting today, I found a new podcast to watch.  The Workshop Girls is a podcast from the Wool Workshop out of Roanoke Virginia.  I am finding I enjoy watching podcasts that yarn shops are doing. It gives me a chance to see what is happening all over the country when it comes to yarns and projects. With baseball over for me, I love settling down at night with a hot cuppa and a podcast and my knitting!

As I look at my list for today, there are still some things on it undone, but I am okay with that.  That is the cool thing about a me day, it is all about me and what I want to do.  It was a great day, and I think I'll schedule another one again soon!

Finally Finished Friday

A block for a blanket that the Knit Campers are putting together for one of our friends that had a little misshap.

Next week, after I am sure that the blanket has made it to its destination, I'll share it with you!

For now, I'm off to Iowa to celebrate this boy's 2nd birthday!

What's On The Needles This Week?

I've embarked on a baby knitting project this week for a friend who is having a baby early next year.  I'm starting with my old stand-by baby blanket/Hospice blanket, Heavenly Heathers.

 I've pulled out some of my Pacifics to put into it.  I'm not sure of the placement yet on all of them, but I do like the way they look in the bag.

I've got a yellow to add to it as well, as I pulled the colors out of a mobile that she has on her registry and I thought it may need some of the brightness  in it.

Mail Call Monday!

Even though it is Columbus Day and technically there isn't any mail today, I am showing some cool mail that came in this weekend!

The new Laine Magazine, with not only good articles, but some lovely knits.  And the new Marie Wallin Shetland book - I ordered mine through Janine Bajus, feral knitter.  Lots of lovely sweaters in it!

And not knitting related, but the new Lego catalog came out  and I am wondering why with all the cool shops they have in the Lego book there isn't a yarn shop?

Just things that make you go hmmmm?  Happy Monday Knitters!

October FO Wanna Be

For the month of October over on the lupine hook group, we are celebrating Annette's birthday with a KAL.  She got to choose the plan and her plan was to work on projects from stash and weigh the results in October. 

 

I choose some of my WIPS that I really want to have as finished objects come the 31st.  And why not do them as part of a KAL as motivation.

 

First up, my 2nd Avenue Wrap.  I am finally past the green.   

 

Next up is for Hospice next week and so doable.  It is Tin Can Knits Grain Shawl and it can do double duty for the Grocery Girls Group.

And finally, a baby blanket or it may make its way to Hospice later in the month. Just depends if I find something I like a little better for a friend's baby.

I also weighed the start to my Hiro Sweater, but I really know this one won't be done in October, at least I don't think so.

Happy Thursday Knitters!!

Hello, October!

I love when a month starts on the first and it is the first day of the week.  And because it is, it is time to set some goals for the rest of the year here at PJKnits.

We finally got rid of those 90's this past week,  the days have been  drop dead gorgeous and there has been a hint of sweater weather coming.  It is not going to happen this week, but we can see it on the horizon, which means it really is time to start thinking about sweaters and sweater knitting.  I've got my bag of sweater knitting next to my chair and so many more that I want to cast on right now. I am so ready to start blogging about sweaters!

But, before I can go full in  sweater knitting, I have a couple of knits that I need to work on and get them finished.  Both of these are easy knits and great take for knitting in public and you don't have to schlep around a ton of yarn for them.

Grain, by Tin Can Knits is for Hospice.  Not only do I want to have it ready for the next time we meet there, but I really want to know how much Madelinetosh I will have left of it to use for a Hospice blanket.

My 2nd Avenue Wrap by Amy Miller.  I am loving working on it, even though there is quite a bit of to go.  Right now, I just want to be done with the green eyelet and move onto the next section and a new color.

The yarns here are some Lolodidit and some Sun Valley Fibers, and I am love them all!

Have a great day knitting and enjoy this first of October!