Thank you for tuning in to Episode 110 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included:  

• Off the Needles
• On the Needles
• Brainstorming
• From the Armchair
• Knitting in Passing
• KAL News
• Events
• Contest, News & Notes
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

  Off the Needles   Frankensock #4

• Yarn: Various Scraps
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams
• Video Tutorial for Cate's Clasp Weft Join for Knitting available on my YouTube channel. Cate will be releasing a PDF soon. Check back here for a link.
  • Check out Cate's other brilliant works at Infinite Twist
  • This join is meant for non-super wash yarn. It has held up well in super wash socks, maybe because they are knit tightly. You may want to swatch if using a more slippery yarn, especially at a looser gauge.
• I also started  Frankensock #5

  Meghan's Birthday Socks

• Yarn: Bergere de France Goomy 50 in the Imprim Khaki Colorway
• Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams

 

Dan’s New Year’s Socks

• Yarn: KFI Luxury Collection (MCN)- Color 604, browns, light green and a teal
• Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)
• Pattern: OMG heel 52 stitches

  Stanley the Giraffe

• Pattern: Stanley the Giraffe by Little Muggles ($5 through Craftsy)
• Yarn: Vanna’s Choice
• Hook: F 3.75mm

  Orange Ninja + Brown Ninja

• Pattern: my own notes
• Yarn: Cascade 220 super wash
• Hook: C 2.75 mm

Pink Ninja

• Pattern: my own notes
• Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted- magenta
• Hook: D 3.25 mm

On the Needles   Kris' 2017 Birthday Socks

• Yarn: Mint Rain Twist Sock- Self Striping in the After the Storm Colorway
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams

 

  Fluffy Sheep

• Pattern: Chinese New Year Sheep/Lamb by Stephanie Jessica Lau
• Yarn: Bernat Pipsqueak (fluffy yarn) + worsted weight acrylic yarn

Brainstorming 

• Idea from TwinSet Jan re: options for Color Collusion shawl.
• I need to start Christmas stockings for this year.
• Eme wants partners for her bunnies sheep and elephant. She recommended I start with baby bunnies in fun colors! Can do.

From the Armchair Check out this cool documentary:   REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle the Planet- Documentary   Knitting in Passing

• My niece Emelyn (almost 13 years old) wants to finish the cowl she cast on last year after the RI Fiber Fest.
• Riley wanted to knit on socks at a fundraiser we were at last week, so she, Megg and I all knit together for a few minutes.
  
  

KAL News   12 Months to Christmas KAL

• Click here to find about more about this KAL.
• Check out: Chat Thread & FO Thread 
• Finish 1 project during each/all of the 12 months of 2017 that you plan to gift for the 2017 holidays. Post 1 item (max) per month of the year. Prizes will be drawn randomly throughout the year from all posts in the FO thread.

First Quarter Prizes:

• Project Bag of Winner's Choice from She is Sew Whimsical on Etsy
• Slip and Swirl Sock pattern by Kristi Barnwell

  WIP’ing 2017 in the Butt

• Declare a WIP from 2016 or earlier within the first 5 days of the month, posting a photo of it in the thread. Finish the project by the end of the month, update your post with your FO photo and you'll be eligible to win a Ravelry downloadable pattern of your choosing up to $8.
• Additional prize for March— Fibernymph Dye Works resist-dyed sock blank – either with sparkle or without – custom dyed in the winners choice of colors.

Events

• Where are Jen & Lisa?: check out the thread in our Ravelry Group
• Fiber Marketplace: April 8 (Maine)
• Connecticut Sheep and Wool: April 29, 2017
• Stitches United: April 27-30, 2017
• Gore Place Shearing Festival: April 29, 2017
• Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 6 & 7, 2017
• NH Sheep and Wool: May 13 & 14, 2017
• RI Fiber Festival: May 20, 2017
• Massachusetts Sheep and Wool: May 27 & 28, 2017
• Adirondack Wool and Arts Festival: September 23 & 24
• VT Sheep and Wool: September 30 & October 1, 2017

Life in Focus Happiness Project 2017 March Happiness Project- Automation

• I've made some progress
  • Set up my credit card to auto pay each month.
  • Set up my phone and Dan’s phone to auto upload our photos to Dropbox.
  • I am still looking for better photo management solution to replace iPhoto. Have any tips for me?
  • I've backed up my photos to Google Photos
  • I am working on a new habit of deleting photos off my phone each night before bed.
  • I purchased an eye-fi SD card from Amazon. This will send my camera photos onto my phone so I can edit, upload, share with others, put right into Project life app on my phone. I love it! It was easy to set and it is easy to use.

Contests, News and Notes   Fuller Craft Museum- Revolution in the Making: The Pussyhat Project (opens 1/21/18): article link     The Fuller Craft Museum is calling for submissions to come with a written description of the story behind the hats, which are often made as an act of meditation. Contributors are also asked to first send a photograph of their pussy hat to the Fuller Craft Museum before submitting, to make sure there is no overlap in design with other hats already received by the museum.   Patterns I'm excited about

• Slip and Swirl Socks by Kristi Barnwell of the In a Sknit podcast
• Susan B Anderson's Butterfly & Cocoon pattern available for individual sale on Ravelry

  Life in Focus Happiness Project 2017 March Happiness Project- Automation

• Struggling a little more with this one but I have made some progress.
• Only have 1 credit card. Set it to auto pay each month.
• Set up my phone and Dan’s phone to auto upload our photos to Dropbox. I store all of our photos and its easier and takes less time this way than having to take Dan’s phone and plug it into my computer.
• Still looking for better photo management solution. If others have tips. Have all Macs. iPhoto. Slow. crashes. Not ideal. I have lightroom from disc, not creative cloud. may move to one of those options but need to decide. In the meantime, at least our photos are safe and backed up.
• Also backing up ALL my photos phone and computer to Google Photo which I mentioned in this segment last month.
• Trying out new habit of deleting photos off my phone each night before bed. Strategy of pairing- write in journal and delete bad photos before bed
• Bought an Eye fi card from Amazon. Puts camera photos onto my phone so i can edit, upload, share with others, put right into Project life app on my phone. Really easy to use. Connect to the wifi network when it comes up. open app on my phone and photos download into the app. Download onto my phone's photo app only if I choose, which is nice! Easy to use. Glad I have it. Still may not always use it, but I enjoy having that option.

  On A Happy Note 

• Spring shopping. Not totally happy about the shopping process but happy to have a few things that fit well.
• Trying new recipes (I don’t enjoy the process, but the result make me happy)
  • New to me things: cooking lentils and trying chipotle sauce (to replicate bowl from B Good).
• Scrapbooking, documenting important memories, ordering photos from Persnickety Prints
• Hanging out with our friends daughters- Carina and Ella
• Dinner and movie for my friend Megg's birthday!
• Family fun at a local fundraiser.
• Emelyn asking to go on a birthday date with Dan (and him saying yes, but they need to go out for a fancy dinner!)

Quote of the Week "Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything." -Unknown