Episode 278: Game ON!

 

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 278 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website.

 

This week's segments included:

 

• Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• Brainstorming
• From the Armchair
• In my Travels
• KAL News
• Events
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

 

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitched by Jessalu

 

Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

 

Be Fearless Socks

• Yarn: Area 51 Fibres Sturdy Alien Base in the Be FearLESS Colorway
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• About the yarn: this self striping colorway is a bright rainbow colorway that's meant to mimic the logo for our FearLESS Living Fund
• Meters for Stash Dash: 290.4 meters

 

Raven Socks

• Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn in the Raven Colorway from the Yarnable Box.
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• About the Yarn: Speckled colorway with a cream base. Green, gray/black and hot pink colors speckled in.
• Meters for Stash Dash: 256 meters

 

Beer Hat

• Pattern: Beer Stein Hat by Lindsay Hoffman (free crochet hat available on this blog)
• Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun Yarn- Hepplewhite & Red Heart Super Saver- Gold
• Hook: G: 4.25 mm (started with an H but thought the gauge was too large.
• Other Materials: 3 Pipe Cleaners
• Ravelry Project Page
• Dan's friend Chris' wife asked for this for her husband (he excitedly agreed). He's a brewer and manager at one of our local breweries, Vitamin Sea, so maybe he'll sport it to work.
• Meters for Stash Dash: 120.7

 

Total for Stash Dash meters for this episode: 667.1 meters

 

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

 

Vera's Christmas Stocking

• Pattern: Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Family Circle Magazine. Available in this web archive link. I’ve also saved it to my podcast Gmail Google Drive in case it disappears!
• Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Red, Everglade Heather and White
• Hook: F (3.75 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

 

Riley's 16th Birthday Flower Top

• Pattern:  Riley found in this TikTok video
• Hook: G (4.0 mm)
• Yarn: Caron Skinny Cakes in the Grape Raisin UVA colorway (purchased 3)
• Ravelry Project Page
• YouTube Video
• Linked instructions

 

Let the Mystery Unravel 2023 Blanket of Calm

• Pattern: Blanket of Calm by Casapinka (free crochet pattern)
• Yarn: Woolen Women Fibers- Let the Mystery Unravel subscription + Cascade Heritage Sock yarn in the Forged Iron Colorway
• Hook: 3.25 mm (D)
• Ravelry Project Page
• You can find my Let the Mystery Unravel Unboxing Video on YouTube in this Playlist
• This subscription is not available to new subscribers but there's a new one coming in the Fall.
• Blanket Pre-Orders for the Murder She Knit club are available now! Please consider using my Affiliate Link.
• The patterns for this kit will be the Northeasterly Blanket by Melissa Alexander-Loomis (knit version) and the Northeasterly blanket by Katy Stevens (crochet version). 
• Progress: I finished 5 (of 9) my May squares.

 

Static Musselburgh

• Pattern: Musselburgh Hat by Ysolda Teague (7 GBP Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry & on Ysolda's website)
• Yarn: Knit Picks Static Fingering Weight Yarn in the Peppercorn colorway
• Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) & US 2.5 (3.0 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

 

My Little Unicorn Socks

• Yarn: Andre Sue Knits Sock Blank in the My Little Unicorn colorway
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
• Ravelry Project Page
• Gray background with white and pink unicorns that look like My Little Pony. My inner 80's child loved this one.
• Progress: Started in July of 2023. Past the cuff of the second sock when I picked them up. I knit the leg and heel over Memorial Day Weekend 2024.

 

Trish's New Orleans Socks

• Yarn- Cat Tails Yarn in the Chartreux Base (75% Superwash Merino, 15% Nylon, 10% Silver Stellina) in the Christmas Bonfires Colorway (part of the Down in New Orleans Collection)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
• Trish purchased in New Orleans in 2024 (exclusive colorway for the Quarter Stitch). $34.
• Progress: at the heel of the first sock

 

Julia's Cozy Clusters Blanket

• Pattern: Cozy Clusters Baby Blanket by Leelee Knits (free & paid options available on the LeeLeeKnits website)
• Yarn: Caron Cinnamon Swirl Cakes in the Hibiscus Colorway (purchased 3). 1 skein of Loops & Threads Impeccable in Orange for the border)
• Hooks: H (5.0 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• I initially bought 2 skeins based on the size of a similar blanket I made with this pattern, but after coming to the end of the first skein I knew it wouldn't be large enough. I probably should have/could have used an I hook.
• 2 row repeat that is easy to memorize. Almost done with the 3rd skein. Plan to finish the first week of June.

 

Brainstorming

Took a chair off the side of the road- the arms are ripped at the front but the rest looks great, so I am going to crochet covers for the arms!

 

From the Armchair

 

• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
• Wellness by Nathan Hill. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.

 

Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.

 

In My Travels

Aila and I drove out to Great Barrington for Eme's Associate Degree graduation ceremony. We enjoyed dinner at Steam and an ice cream afterwards. In taking Eme to pick up their pottery pieces for the year to bring home, I got to see and hear all about it!

At the graduation ceremony the next day, I was chatting for awhile only to look up when asked what I was knitting to see Crispina French, who I know from her vending at Rhinebeck! Talk about a small world!

 

KAL News

• Summer Bingo with Monica & Cortney of the Craft Cook Read Repeat Podcast
• Tour de Fleece- check out this Ravelry Group for official details. Saturday, June 29, 2024 through Sunday, July 21, 2024. Rest Days: Monday, July 8 and Monday, July 15. There are challenge days, Teams and prizes.
• Colors of Fall with the Yarniacs Podcast Group. June 20- September 22
• Summer Spin In with the Two Ewes Fiber Adventures Podcast Group- May 27 - September 2
• WIP Bingo with Cerulean Orchid- June 1-30th. (several West Coast US LYSs participating but you can join online too)
• Summer Sock Camp with the Crazy Sock Lady
• The Knit Girllls are hosting their annual Stash Dash Event from May 24-August 31,2024.
• Discord link: knit girllls discord
• Jasmin (of the Knitmore Girls Podcast) & I are competing again this year. Check out my Stash Dash Spreadsheet here

 

Events

• Flock Fiber Festival- August 9-11 in Seattle, WA
• Adirondack Wool & Arts Festival; September 21 & 22, 2024 in Greenwich, NY (GREEN-Witch)
• Vermont Sheep & Wool: October 1 & 2, 2024 in Tunnebridge, VT
• NY Sheep & Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck): October 19 & 20, 2024 in Rhinebeck, NY
• For more West Coast (US) event- check out the Seattle Knitters Guild Site.

 

Know of an event I should spread the word about? Let me know!

 

Life in Focus

I give a quick update on my word of the year HEART, which I've been seeing hearts in/on the trees lately! I share a quick goals update and a health update about my parents.

 

On a Happy Note

• Dan and I celebrated our 20th Anniversary on May 22nd- the 143rd day of the year (which happened in 2024 only because its a Leap Year- usually Day 143 is May 23rd).
• Minot's Light Lighthouse's light signal, a 1-4-3 flashing cycle adopted in 1894, is locally referred to as "I LOVE YOU" (1-4-3 being the number of letters in that phrase), and it is often cited as such by romantic couples within its range.
• Friday of Memorial Day Weekend we went out for dinner (to use up a gift card- which we still had $1 left on when we left) and to a friends' house for a fire.
• Saturday & Sunday pool days
• My niece Riley got her learner's permit and drove us home from the grocery store!
• Teddy and the snorkel (so cute)
• Baby Vera's first swim
• The long weekend allowed me the extra day off to clean out our pantry and my closet. I switched out my winter clothes for summer ones, took donations to Savers and did shopping and meal prep for the week. It felt great.
• Deer and turtles abound!

 

Quote of the Week

Writer and designer Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, on what causes old age:

"The producer of old age is habit: the deathly process of doing the same thing in the same way at the same hour day after day, first from carelessness, then from inclination, at last from cowardice or inertia.

Habit is necessary; but it is the habit of having careless habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive... one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways."

Source: A Backward Glance (lightly edited for clarity)

 

Thank you for tuning in!

 

Contact Information:

• Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon!
• Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group
• Instagram: BostonJen1
• YouTube: Down Cellar Studio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio
• Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio
• Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel
• Knit Picks Affiliate Link
• Bookshop Affiliate Link
• Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link
• FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada
• Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/
• Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.