Episode 1: The one where I say anyways 1000000 times

Welcome Everyone,
so I decided to make a podcast/videocast called "The Fearless Knitter." My dad is working on a logo for me. A couple things I want to apologize for, my camera and sound suck and I need a new camera, I talk a lot with my hands and move around a lot do to anxiety (once I get comfortable recording that should stop), I said anyways a lot. I forgot to mention that I made a ravelry group (the banner will change once my dad finishes my logo), please feel free to join and start conversations as well. I did start an introduction thread, please introduce yourself I would like to see who's watching.



Show Notes:

Finished Objects
none that I can show :(

Works in Progress

• Triangle Wrap by Vickie Howell in Patons Classic Wool in Aran Colorway on size 5.5mm needles.

• Evenstar Shawl by Susan Pandorf in Unique Sheep Ling base custom dyed colorway on size 3.25 needles.

• Hitchhiker by Martina Behm in mystery yarn from Germany on size 3.5 mm needles. Hanging out in my Bird Leg monster bag.

• Toshette by Rebecca Hill in handspun Three Waters Farm BFL in Santa Fe colorway on size 4.5 mm needles.

Spinning
Finished spinning Spun Right Round Merino in the Playtime colorway.
Next on the wheel into the whirled BFL in the Vegetable Medley colorway.

To Podcast or not to Podcast

Welcome Everyone,
this week went by pretty slow, just working. Remember last week I talked about the charity event? Well, Tuesday I got a phone call that I won a door prize, I won a free class at the local yarn shop that I go to every week. I can't believe the luck I been having with knitting related prizes. I am very excited about my free class and immediately called the owner on her cell phone. She said I can either take a class or have a private lesson, if there is something I wanted to learn. I have a pattern in mind that I will need help to get started on, since the pattern confuses me. Yesterday, I went downtown to drop of my charity hat and pick up my prize, after that I hung out at the local yarn shop. So, this past couple weeks I been thinking about turning the blog into a podcast. I watch a lot of them and am friends with a podcaster and the podcasting community seems to be very nice. However, I don't know anything about the technical aspects, for instant what software to use or how to edit. My fiance is a computer buff and I have a laptop that has a camera and microphone build in, so I am sure I could do it. I think now my question is would any one even watch me babble about my knitting and spinning, I really can't think of anything that would make me unique from all the other podcasts. Well, let me know what you think in the comments below.

Finished Objects
Like I  said, I dropped off the charity hat. I just knitted a plain stockinette hat with a rolled brim and I added a pom pom. I think I used size 7 (4.5 mm) needles and some red heart that I donated as well.

I finished my Under Cover of Midgnight Hooded Cowl by Julie Turjoman out of the Vampire Knits book. I knit it out of Cascade 220 Heather Tweed on size 10.5 (6.5 mm) needles. I really like it and hope it gets cold enough this winter so I can wear it.

 

Works in Progress
I have absolutely no progress on the wedding shawl and all the other projects are secret knitting.

Spinning
Yay, I actually spun a significant amount. I finished the first 2 ounces of my Spun Right Round in the Playtime colorway and I am almost finished with the second half.

Last week I met up with my friend Pam, who let me borrow her spinning wheel. She asked me if I could spin one of her fibers and I get to pick. She bought a beautiful into the whirled in May, when we were at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It's into the whirled BFL in the Vegetable Medley colorway.

Enabling
I received my October fiber shipment. It is from no other than into the whirled  Merino in the Bodhi colorway. I love it, once again it has my favorite color aqua and teal in it. Also, they included the QR code on their label again, this time after I scanned it I emailed myself the link so that I can share it with you guys. The link includes a lot of information, which is very helpful in any fiber related craft.
Here is the link regarding info about Merino. The first picture is her inspiration picture, also this is the last nature inspired club installment.

I also purchased a few skeins at my local yarn store, but they are for secret knitting projects and I don't want to spoil anyone.

That's it for this week, next week again no plans. Please let me know what you think of the podcasting idea, you can leave a comment or private message me on Ravelry, I am StitchesPlease.

Happy Knitting,
Courtney

Happy Dance

Welcome back Everyone,
you might have noticed that I skipped a week. At my work two sicknesses were making the rounds, either you got a head/chest cold or a bad and I mean BAD stomach bug. If my stomach hears the words stomach bug, I am guaranteed to catch it and I sure did. However, now I am all better and since I missed a week I will have a lot to talk about.
I started getting sick past Friday, but was a trooper and dragged myself and my Fiance to the Montpelier Fall Fiber Fest. I met up with my friend Lesley and we ended up doing a little bit of shopping together. At some point she had to go and demonstrate spinning with our local Spinning and Weavers guild, I went and did some more shopping. We didn't stay too long, since I didn't feel too great. Honestly I wasn't too impressed and decided that next year in spring I will once again go to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and then in fall I will do a spinning/knitting retreat with a semi-local yarn shop. This year I had to pick between the fall fiber fest or the retreat.
So, then Sunday I didn't leave my bed all day and I ended up calling in sick at work on Monday and also stayed in bed that day. Yesterday, the local Spinning and Weavers Guild held a charity event called "Let's Stitch." That's where I donated that pile of yarn I showed a couple weeks ago. Also, me and Lesley hung out together and knitted hats for the charity.
Today, was a pretty big day for my family. My sister and her husband are expecting their first child and today we had a reveal the gender party. My sister, mom, dad, her husband and all of his family live in Arizona, however I live in Virginia. So, what we did is I was on Skype via one Ipad, my birth-father from Germany was on another Ipad and that way we were able to experience the whole thing. When my sister had her last ultrasound they informed the doctor that they didn't want to know the sex of the baby, the doctor gave them an envelop, which they gave to a bakery. Today, they cut the cake and whatever color was the filling is the sex of the baby. We are happy to announce that I will have a nephew, named Micah Ryan. I took some pictures via Skype, that I will add underneath this.

Finished Objects - FO's
Nothing :(

Works in Progress - WIP's
First up is the Evenstar by Susan Pandorf out of Unique Sheep on the Ling base in the custom dyed colorway on size 3 (3.25 mm) Hiya Hiya sharp needles. I finished the 2nd chart and am currently doing the set up for chart #3. Taking pictures is really difficult, because right now I increased to 560 stitches and my cable isn't long enough to spread the shawl out.

New on the Needles is my 4th quarter Loopy Ewe challenge, which is to knit with 2 strands held double. I chose to knit the Under Cover of Midnight Hooded Cowl by Julie Turjoman, it was published in Vampire Knits book. I am knitting it out of Cascade 220 on the heather base on size 10.5 (6.5 mm) needles. While knitting this I taught myself how to knit cables without a cable needle, just to know it.

Next project is also new, it is the Charity hat. I am knitting just a plain knit hat with a rolled brim out of yarn I am donating as well.

Spinning
None, I didn't touch the wheel in two weeks.

Enabling
I won something else. Last week I won fiber of my choice from The First Draft, I chose Rambouillet in the "Quiet Contrary" colorway. I will attempt to navajo aka chain ply this.

Next, all the things I bought at the Fall Fiber Fest. Here is a picture of everything, including my Tshirt.

First thing I bought is from Wild Hare Fiber Studios I bought Faux Cashmere, it is just as soft as the real deal and is 100% Microfiber Nylon, in the "Friend or Faux" colorway.

Next up I bought to skeins from a Lady who is from Germany and the yarn she was selling is like the yarn my aunt sent to me from Germany, except the way it is dyed. I bought two, since I couldn't decide. Anyway, her store is called Wolle's Yarn Creations (wolle means yarn in German). It's 100% cotton, very soft for cotton and both are gradiants. The first colorway is called "New Vintage."

The second colorway is called "Capri 2."

The whole time I was looking for a heavy variegated sock yarn at least 500 yards for the My Hope by Laura Linneman. I just couldn't find one, well when we were just about to leave I saw one I really liked, but again not enough yards. The last skein I touched at that booth was the same colorway, but the skeins were bigger to be exact they were 510 yards and it was the last one in the colorway. It's from Creatively Dyed Yarns on the Calypso base in the "Queen" colorway.

Next week I have nothing planned and hopefully I get lots of knitting done.

Happy Knitting,
Courtney