Thank you for tuning in to Episode 309 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
• Crafty Adventures
• Knitting in Passing
• In my Travels
• KAL News
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Fibernymph Dye Works & Imagined Landscapes Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins 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
• Project Notes & Mods: did not increase after ribbing as called for. Knit 7 inches before working decreases. I used 52g of yarn and have 56g remaining so I can make another hat with this yarn.

Gary's Delaware Hat

• Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood. $5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & Brooklyn Tweed Site
• Yarn: Robin's Promise Yarn Co, Two Birds in the Hand (DK 4ply 100% SW Merino) in the White-Tailed Robin Feather Colorway
• Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) & US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• About the Yarn- purchased Rhinebeck Weekend at CAKEpalooza. Its a mostly solid royal blue.
• This project is living in my new Stitched by Jessalu Rhinebeck 2025 bag. I think this will be my fall/winter hat project and I'll just keep the needles in here and keep replacing the yarn.

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)
• Ravelry Project Page
• Natalie's video support for the stretchy i-cord bind off is great.

Vivienne'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: Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, Hunter Green and White
• Hook: G (4.0 mm)

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins 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.
• I found 4oz of Ironwood Hill Farm Roving- Finnsheep combed top that I purchased in April 2021. Unfortunately I can't find more of this on Cece's Wool site or Ironwood's etsy shop, but I think it will give me the idea for a tan/brown color plied with the colorful yarn, so I'll spin just enough to make a sample yarn-- but this Finn is spinning like a dream. Where could I get more? Send suggestions my way

Spectrum Socks

• Yarn: Woolens & Nosh Targhee Sock in the Spectrum 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 colorway- skinny stripes of color with 1 round of black between. Colors include Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, 3 shades of Blue, Pink + Purple.
• Progress: I've passed the heel on the first sock

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
• Yarn: Pigskin '25 Exclusive- 60 points
• Progress: First sock done. Onto the leg of the second sock.
• Hattie knit on them at her uncle's birthday party.

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
• Sleeve progress- knit a few more sets of decreases on the first sleeve. Still have a second sleeve to go and the whole hood. Focusing a bit more on Christmas gifts coming up so this one will be taking a backseat.

Brainstorming

• Queen Elsa Amigurumi by Chiara Cremon. Free crochet pattern available on Ravelry. You can find lots of cute character patterns on her Instagram account.
• Zach- maybe something spiderman

From the Armchair

• Heart the Lover by Lily King. Amazon Affiliate Link. Check out the October Book Club Episode of the Bad on Paper Podcast where they talk about this book.
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Amazon Affiliate Link.
• Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. 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. Crafty Adventures During Gabriella & Zachary's sleepover we pained and made plastic ornaments with spiraled pipe cleaners inside. So cute and easy! Knitting in Passing A cute preteen girl came over when I was crocheting on the train to ask what kind of hook I was using and then asked if I was making a stocking for Christmas. I asked if she crocheted. She said yes but didn't offer more. When she went back to the grown up she was with, they gave her a big high five. So cute. Then the gentleman across from me who saw me counting rows then asked what happened if I lose count. Told him I could read the stitches. He congratulated me onto who new addition to our family. In My Travels I shared highlights from a recent trip to New York City.

• I spent a wonderful morning at the MET
• Aida Silvestri- artist from Eritrea who had a triptych of pieces on display.
• Her work is motivated by social concern, but it also explores the camera's ability to connect people to a place. In these portraits of immigrant women, the artist strategically blurs her subjects' faces. This gesture, born of a need for protective anonymity, seems to evoke a greater enigma of the self. Mapping the course of migration to London are lines of thread stitched into the surfaces of the print- permanent, identity-altering interventions. Silvestri regards her series as a documentary project dedicated to those travelers who never reached their destination.
• Two embroidery samplers from Bostonian women from the late 1700s that were just beautiful.
• We visited the Chelsea Flea- I got a cool pair of earrings
• We got cookies from Levain Bakery
• We made a quick trip to Knitty City and Laura picked out yarn for a hat
• Musical- Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York
• We also saw Blue Moon at the movies. Tells the story of Lorenz Hart's struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of "Oklahoma!".

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
• Check out this Ravelry Thread with helpful tips for the event, crowd sourced from our incredible players.

Updates In This Episode

• Our Official Sponsor for Quarter 1 (October): Love in Stitches with Knitty Natty- Winner Announced
• julicorn.makes made a Maxine Hot Water Bottle Cozy by Laura Penrose (fair isle snowflakes)- Ravelry Project Page
• MrsZoom made Knitty Natty's Yarn Cozy Lite with the new football exclusive pattern in Colts colors- Ravelry Project Page
• Random number generator chose yesthatshelby as our winner!
• Pink Challenge is over- details in this Ravelry Thread. Winner Announced!
• CinderGA made Defying Gravity Socks by Lisa Ross- Paper Daisy Creations- Ravelry page
• Wizabef knit the Elinor Mittens by Irene Nielson- Ravelry Project Page
• Random number generator picked Alice Ortega who knit the Barn Swallow Socks by Cheryl Toy- Ravelry Project Page
• Count On It Challenge hosted by Twice Sheared Sheep, Official Sponsor for Quarter 2 (November). Details in this Ravelry thread.
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 3 (December)- Suburban Stitcher Details announced. See details in this Ravelry Thread.
• Stay tuned for more about our Official Sponsor for Quarter 4 (January)- Yarnaceous Fibers
• Charity Challenge (runs through Thanksgiving)- details in this Ravelry Thread (36 of you have already asked for the address to mail in items! THANK YOU). Please email me to request the address.

Commentator Update (links in this section go to Ravelry) Quarter 2 is in full swing and, when I looked today, 9 players had already submitted for points for the Q2 challenge! Are you still thinking of what you can make that is at least 60 rows, using a row counter? Here are some ideas!

• Hats! Many of our early Q2 finishers completed hats.
• Neferetri, Hollyelyse and Janknitdun completed beautiful cabled hats...I bet the row counter came in handy for those projects!
• Kimbuktu7 completed a lovely colorwork hat
• Adrie9 completed a lovely two colored musselburgh hat
• Neckwear is also a popular choice among our early Q2 finishers
• Mikkaelab completed a lovely crocheted cowl and a knit bandana!
• Sandyrlevin also completed a cowl in steelers colors (note--she used a pattern by PSP Knitty Natty too)--Way to rack up those points!

There's still plenty of time for you to get your projects in for Q2. These finishers have definitely demonstrated that there are plenty of patterns with at least 60 rows that work up in a flash! PepperRN added in Pigskin Party Tips Thread on Ravelry If you are budgeting but still want to support sponsors buy something re usable. Stitch markers can be used in 1 project and then when finished in the next. I like knitting hats for charity so I bought a hat pattern from a sponsor. I put that pattern with a sponsor bag and sponsor stitch markers and can knit it over and over during the PSP. On a Happy Note

• New York City! I took the train this time which was a great option. Laura and I had dinner with two of her pilates clients.
• We all enjoyed Gabriella and Zachary's first sleepover. We watched the KPOP Demon Hunters movie and after going to bed early and reading the Hot Air Balloon book, wehad fun hunting for the orange eyed monster! Dan made the kids pancakes and we'll put their photos on the collage wall in the guest room. Gabriella asked for a unicorn and a ghost Spiderman. Zach wanted Spiderman.
• I received a really nice message from my cousin Gayle who was visiting her friend in NH and let me know that Mom's shawl that she chose was keeping her warm. Love you Gayle!
• My childhood friend Maribeth has shared a few photos of things her family has found when cleaning out her parents' attic- costumes and things my mom made. It was sweet of her to send me those photos so we could reminisce.
• I finally got to join Beth's Karaoke Night Zoom (part of the Love in Stitches Membership).
• Dad is recovering from a back injury but doing better.
• We successfully moved my grandmother into the Memory Care side of the independent living home she's lived at for 5 years. Hope this will be a good fit for her.
• I got a massage this week!

Quote of the Week "In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures. The bed is white and silent, and much life can hide beneath its blankets." ― Cynthia Rylant, In November ------ Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information:

• Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon!
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• Instagram: BostonJen1
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• 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.