Thank you for tuning in to Episode 308 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
• 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, Suburban Stitcher, The Wandering Purl & agirlandherwool Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Born to Be Mild Socks

• Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Born to Be Mild Colorway
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

Granny Square Chicken

• Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Worsted in the Palm Springs Colorway
• Pattern: Granny Square Chicken by Sweet Softies- $3.99 crochet pattern on Ravelry.
• Hook: G (4.0 mm)
• Yarn- self striping with cream, rust, peach, dusty pink, dusty orange. I didn't change color between rounds- I just let the self striping yarn do its thing. I used an organza bag to put the polyfill in.
• Put the tortoise shell glasses I bought at Another Yarn on her but they're a little big.

Essex Beanie

• Pattern: Essex Beanie by Justine Walley (AlyseCrochet). $5 crochet pattern available on Ravelry
• Yarn: Berroco Ultra Wool in colorway 3361 Kale (used 68g/ 148 yards for the hat, before the pom pom)
• Hook: I (5.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Sheri's Christmas Socks

• Yarn: Gusto Wool Echos in Colorway 1515
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• I cast this on to bring to Rhinebeck on my Lemonwood Mini Minder (I have this Art Deco one) so I could walk and knit.

Traveler Sweater

• Pattern: The Traveler by Andrea Mowry ($9 pattern available on Ravelry & the designer's website)
• Yarn: Hazel Knits Small Batch Sport (90/10 SW/Nylon)
• Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• Body was done and seamed before I left for Rhinebeck but I had to rip back the sleeve twice because I mis-read the instructions. Finally on track now.

Yarn Cozy Lite

• Yarn: Cascade Heritage Yarn (75% SW Merino 25% Nylon) in the Highlighter Guava colorway
• Pattern: Yarn Cozy Lite by Knitty Natty- $6 pattern available on Ravelry
• Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
• Progress: I have about 1 inch of knitting left.

Game Day Party Socks

• Yarn: Mandi's Makings SW Merino Fingering Weight Yarn in the Pigskin '25 Exclusive Game Day Party Colorway. Green mini skein for heel from Goosey Fibers (Wizard of Oz Advent Calendar yarn)
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Ravelry Project Page

Pucker Brush Farm BFL Sweater Spin

• Fiber: 16 oz of multi colored BFL roving from Pucker Brush Farm (purchased at Rhinebeck 2025), 4 oz Merino in a mustard color
• Ravelry Project Page
• I am planning to knit a Traveler sweater inspired by Emily Curtis' handmade version- click here for her Ravelry Project Page. I was thrilled to see a recent post on Emily's Instagram that she made a YouTube video about this spin/knit. Emily made a 2-ply where

Gary's LeHigh Hat

• Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood. $5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & Brooklyn Tweed Site
• Yarn: Cesium Yarn Strong DK ( 75% SW Merino/25% Nylon) in the One More Sleep Colorway
• Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) & US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

From the Armchair

• The Names by Florence Knapp. 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 Rhinebeck 2025 Friday Highlights:

• Seeing Kacey of Kacey Knits in person at Indie Untangled
• Seeing Maggie of Yarnaceous Fibers, Emily of Fan Girl Fibers & Jamie of Pacific Knit Co
• Seeing Christy of Yarn Cafe Creations (she signed up as a Snack Shack Sponsor and donated a skein of yarn)- she also had these cool trinket dishes. I bought 3 for gifts! Love them.
• Of Dust and Dew had beautiful pottery. I waited too long and didn't get the chicken vase I had my heart set on.
• It was my first time at A Woolen Affair.
• Ran into Lori & Justine of Skein Yarn Shop in RI & co-hosts of the Skein Scoop Podcast on Youtube. and their friend Hope of Hope Made Yarn Co. I was thrilled to bump into friend Sarah- themartiniknitter and Katie from Twice Sheared Sheep
• They had a beautiful art installation called Tributary- "A collective art installation as a celebration of community, creativity and collective power."

Saturday & Sunday Highlights:

• Saturday- we met up with our friend Lauren (lbeth21) and we spent the day together. Lauren kindly gifted me two bars of her homemade soap. Check out her Instagram- Happy Cat Suds (website coming soon)
• One our first stops was to see Jess and Roger of Stitched by Jessalu. It was an emotional visit and we didn't get a photo together. Across the barn, we saw Beth (mdquilter) along with Pigskin Sponsor Kim Shaffir.
• 2p Meet-up: Thank you to everyone who came out.
• Sunday morning we started with breakfast at a diner before heading to the fairgrounds. We made it over to see Amy of Ross Farm.
• I ran into Hope again and she gifted me a beautiful sock set from her yarn store-Hope Made Yarn Co.
• Sunday we left around 3/3:30p drove through Saugerties to get dinner so we popped into The Perfect Blend yarn store before we ate.

KAL News Pigskin Party '25

• Event Dates: KAL Dates- Thursday September 4, 2025- Monday February 9, 2026
• Find everything you need in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group
• Official Rules
• Registration Form (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes)
• Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form
• Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc.
• Coupon Codes are listed in this Ravelry Thread
• Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread
• Questions- ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com

Updates In This Episode

• Our Official Sponsor for Quarter 1 (October): Love in Stitches with Knitty Natty is hosting a Cozy Up Challenge. Check out the details in this Ravelry Thread. Remember, projects need to be finished by 10/31 but you can enter for points until 11/5/25.
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 2 (November)- Twice Sheared Sheep is hosting the Count On It Challenge. Details in this Ravelry thread.
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 3 (December)- Suburban Stitcher (minis will be involved)
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 4 (January)- Yarnaceous Fibers
• Charity Challenge (runs through Thanksgiving)- details in this Ravelry Thread (21 of you have already asked for the address to mail in items! THANK YOU). Please email me to request the address.
• Pink Challenge (runs through 10/31)- details in this Ravelry Thread.

Commentator Update There's been a lot of activity in the huddle thread recently. Players have been discussing a range of interesting topics such as: * strategy for shopping at fiber festivals, which was partially inspired by Rhinebeck but certainly applies to any festival * suggestions for patterns to use up mini-skeins * recommendations for cruises * board game recommendations * how to balance manicures with crafting time * ideas for handmade gifts for someone going into memory care * and what to do when you've simply lost interest in a project As usual, if you can't keep up--just jump in! I also wandered over to the endzone dance thread today. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of pink projects, cozies, and pink cozies! But players have also recently finished a few Halloween themed projects Links below go to Ravelry: * Karen805 finished a Spiders in the House MKAL Shawl that is super cool! It even includes a colorwork spider motif! *Chiamira finished a Halloween Party Cowl that is all over colorwork and includes cats dressed up like pumpkins! * Cbass and Adrie9 finished Gnettle and Gnumpkin gnomes (from sponsor Imagined Landscapes) * and following up on a previous report, Sandima finished the Wednesday costume for her porch goose...so cute! I am always amazed by the huge variety of projects that pigskin partiers complete! It is so fun to see what everyone likes to create! Events

• The Fiber Festival of New England. November 1 & 2
• Sunkissed Fiber Festival: January 24-25, 2026- just outside Tampa, FL

Life in Focus I shared a bit about my recent fibromyalgia pain flare. On a Happy Note

• 300 Paintings at ART
• Bethany of the Wandering Purl sent me 2 of her Pigskin exclusive bags with notions pouches!
• Dad and I went to my nephew Garret's hockey game together.
• The foliage is gorgeous this year.
• I signed up for Lauren (agirlandherwool) self striping club and got my first skein! Its great!
• Love is Blind Season 9- it was a wild and crazy season. I enjoy chatting about it with my friend Laura and am thrilled that the reunion will air while I'll be in NYC with her.
• So many deer in the yard in the last week and even a buck who has made a few appearances.
• We had fun at a friends' movie night watching Young Frankenstein.

Quote of the Week "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always." ― Mahatma Gandhi ------ 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.