Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Episode 13- Back to the Coast

Thanks for checking out Episode 13!


This Week’s Segments Included:
On the Needles
Off the Needles
Brainstorming
From the Armchair
Life in Focus
Events
Crafty Adventures
On a Happy Note
Knitting in Passing
Quote of the Week

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On the Needles

Rocky Coast Cardigan
  • Quince and Co Lark- Storm Colorway
  • Size 11 Needles (10 ½ for the sleeve cuffs) in order to get gauge
  • Have about 5 inches down from the underarms now and I need 13” before I switch to the bottom ribbing.
  • Love this pattern! Have I mentioned that??


Color Affection Shawl by Veera Välimäki

Needles- US Size 6’s
Ultra Alpaca Fine


  • Turquoise Mix (light teal)- main color which I’ve cast on
  • Gray- Contrast color- stripe for section 2
  • Ocean Mix (darker teal)- stripe with others for section 3 and do the final border

Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth



Off the Needles


Heirloom Baby Blanket by Madeline Tosh

  • Yarn: TMA Yarn Soft Creations- Acrylic Yarn
  • Size 9 Needles
  • SO HAPPY THIS IS DONE




Peekaboo Mitts
Free pattern by Abi Connors
Berocco Ultra Alpaca in a Light Blue


Size 6 DPNs made these slightly smaller than the pattern calls for.

Brainstorming

Well, as you may have noticed, I didn’t get to 2 of my Ravellenics projects that were supposed to be Christmas gifts:
Crochet Tulle Scrubbies by Nadine Borovicka (Free Ravelry Download)
Odd Ends Cuff by Carina Spencer (Free Ravelry Download)
So I’d like to get a start on those...

I did attempt the Odd Ends Cuff. I had trouble w/ the half linen stitch... this video helped immensely!

Half Linen Stitch Video

Next up on my mental list are definitely some smaller, quickly gratifying holiday knits.

Would you like to participate in a forum about holiday knitting? A KAL? A swap? A challenge? Come over and chat in the Ravelry group or post a comment here on the blog.

From the Armchair

This week I reviewed Wearwithall: Knits for Your Life
which I received a review copy of from the publishing team.

This book retails for $21.95 US and can be ordered through their webpage which I will link to in the show notes.

A few of my favorite patterns.

Socks by Theresa Gaffey
Mittens also by Theresa Gaffey
Hats by Martha Alvarado
Toddler’s Cardigan by Gretchen Funk


Overall I think this book is really well done. If you have a family you knit for, if you’re looking for some staple pieces to round out your own wardrobe or if you do a lot of gift knitting I think this would be a good addition to your library. And I would say this is especially true for a newer knitter who maybe doesn’t already have a copy of some of these more classic patterns in their library.

Life in Focus


Photography blogs I get inspiration from:

Elizabeth Kartchener- Dear Lizzy Blog


  • She uses a variety of different cameras in addition to her Canon 5D Mark II, which is a pretty high end, professional digital SLR.
  • Did a post in July about photography for your summer trip. And often talks about how she shoots and sometimes, as in this post, puts the actual camera settings into the text so that you can see how she set up her shot.
  • I find these kinds of “creative people who take great photos” kind of blogs more inspiring than a photographer’s blog because while the photography quality and inspiration is still there I also get a lot of additional inspiration. With Liz, its how she puts her outfits together, the fun things she does for her girls- like making them gorgeous crowns and cakes and things for their birthdays, and how she decorates- both for every day life and for parties.
  • So I recommend you go over and give her blog a look- even if you’re not a scrapbooker. Its great eye candy!

Tara Whitney- Justbeblogged

  • Read her philosophy- http://tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged/my-philosophy/ 
  • I absolutely love Tara’s style. I love her approach of doing family portraits IN the family’s home. In their ordinary setting. And while some of their homes are particularly lovely- it doesn’t even really matter, because the way she does it and some of the effects she uses on the photos makes it look enchanting.

Events

Slow Cloth Talk


A Talk with Leonore Alaniz on Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 7pm at the Eliot School, 24 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain

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The Greater Boston Yarn Crawl 2012
Friday, September 28 though Sunday, September 30.

  • I will definitely be going- just not 100% sure which day. If anyone else will be in the area that weekend and would like to meet up for shopping and/or lunch or a drink, message me!
  • Ravelry Group
  • Webpage
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Stitches East
October 11-14
Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT

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NY Sheep and Wool in Rhinebeck  
October 20 & 21
Workshop Schedule is posted!
Vendors posted

Please let me know if you’re planning to go and if you’d like to meet up.

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FIBER FESTIVAL OF NEW ENGLAND
The third annual Fiber Festival of New England will take place Nov. 3 & 4, 2012 in West Springfield, Mass.


Crafty Adventures


  • Work continues with the sanding of the cabinets

On a Happy Note

  • I got a new computer!!! An iMac!

Knitting in Passing

Check this out- a yarn bombed plane!


Quote of the Week

  • “...nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should.” ― Julia Child


I’ll be back again in 2 weeks- but in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me!

Contact Info:
Ravelry: BostonJen
Ravelry Group: search Down Cellar Studio Podcast
Twitter: @BostonJen1
email: downcellarstudio@gmail.com
Show Notes: Downcellarstudio.blogspot.com
Facebook: Down Cellar Studio Podcast

Friday, August 10, 2012

Episode 12

Kim is back this week for more fun in the Down Cellar Studio!

This Week’s Segments Include:

On the Needles
Off the Needles
Knitting in Passing
In My Travels
From the Armchair
Life in Focus
Brainstorming
Events
On a Happy Note
A Contest
Quote of the Week


On the Needles



Off the Needles


In My Travels

Headed up to New Hampshire with the family and took what turned out to be a foggy boat ride out of Portsmouth Harbor. Check out the Isle of Shoals Boat Tour. I'm sure the scenery was beautiful- we just couldn't see it.


From the Armchair

This week Kim and I reviewed Knit Red by Laura Zander.
The review copy of this book was kindly provided to us by Jimmy Beans Wool.
Also check out Stitch Red.
Bottom Line: there were many beautiful patterns in this book. Definitely give it a look!

We also talked about our visit to The Windsor Button in Boston.

Kim realized after listening to The Knitmore Girls Podcast that she's a monogamist knitter! I, however, am definitely not :) To each his/her own.


Life in Focus

This week I answered some questions from the Photography Questions Thread on the Ravelry Group.
  • Barbknitz asked: "Somebody in another forum mentioned that you were discussion photography and they recommended Your Camera Loves You, Learn to Love it Back. Have you heard of this book?"
  • Answer: I have not heard of it, but it looks like a great resource for beginners and gets great reviews on Amazon. I'd recommend checking it out if you're looking to learn more and can't get to a class.
  • Catspawlace says: "I find it very difficult to get a good photo of lace shawls, mostly because of their size. Any ideas for effective ways of “posing” them?"
  • Here are links to a number of different poses and positions that I think would be great ideas for trying out! 
    • #1 wear your shawl! I always think that looks best, and am interested to see how its meant to be worn.
    • Drape over a dressform or even a wooden coat hanger
    • Lay it along a fence. Yes, Brenda Dayne's right it is cliche, but its effective! Here's her latest beauty.
    • Stretch your shawl out on the grass
    • Over the back of a chair or a bench
    • Hang on a tree limb
    • Hang on a clothes line (inside or outside
    • For a silly, clever idea- wrap it around a shawl at your local park!

Brainstorming




Events


Ravelry Group here. 


On a Happy Note


  • GoodReader App for iPad- great for making notes on knitting patterns! More of an in depth review to come. I found two good articles from the Tech Republic website. Great screenshots and tips here: One & Two.
  • Blackening Seasoning Recipe (for use on fish, chicken, pork)
    • 1 1/2 tablespoon paprika
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
    • 1 tsp Nature’s Seasoning
    • a dash or two of white pepper
    • 2-4 teaspoons cayenne pepper depending on how much heat you want
    • a dash or two of ground cumin

Quote of the Week

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” - Bill Cosby