Monthly Archives: July 2014

Episode 78: 199…wait

After today the podcast will be on a 2-3 week hiatus. I will talk to you all in August! Today I talk a lot about socks, a little cross stitch, and a few things I bought online.

♥ Sock it to Summer is ongoing through 31 August, 2014. Please be sure to enter those finished pairs of socks in the group! We’re about to round the 50 finished pairs mark!
♥ The podcast will be on hiatus for 2-3 weeks while I go back home to collect my children. Shows will resume their weekly schedule starting in September.

FOs:
♥ Base Testing socks in a 75/25 superwash corriedale/nylon blend

WiPs:
♥ Handspun socks using some Pigeonroof Studios I spun for Tour de Fleece last year

Stitcher’s Corner:
♥ Leroy by iamnotadoll on Etsy

Stash Enhancement:
♥ Safety eyes from 6060 on Etsy
♥ MoonRover Polwarth top “The Grand Budapest”
♥ Spun Right Round Ramboillet top “Jelly Fish”

Episode 77: Feeling 32

Today I talk about some finished socks, another pair of socks on the needles, some cross-stitch, and a little enabling thanks to my birthday this last Sunday! Remember, kittens: Sock it to Summer is still on going through 31 August. Please join the Ravelry group and enter those finished pairs!

Show Notes: Episode 77

Show Notes: “Feeling 32”

♥ You still have a little over a month to join Sock it to Summer if you haven’t already: go check out the Ravelry group for details.

FOs:
♥ July Personal Sock Club

WiPs:
♥ Base Tasting- Simply Sock Yarn Co: Poste Yarns “Petra, Jordan”

Spinning A Yarn:
♥ MoonRover January 2014 club colorway

Stitcher’s Corner:
♥ Mysterious Halloween Town Club
♥ Woodland Sampler
♥ There is an active coupon code for the Pumpkins through Noon PST on 29 July! Type in “BIRTHDAY” at check out to get 26% off your order!
♥ Leroy from iamnotadoll on Etsy

Stash Enhancement:
♥ MoonRover July 2014 Club colorway plus some mini skeins to match my Momijigari sock yarn!
♥ Manos Del Uruguay Allegria “Bataclana” – I checked and that is the correct name for the colorway…and it also means “Stripper.” So now we know.
♥ aaronmakesstuff spindle

Show Notes: Episode 76

♥ Please come join us in the Ravelry group!
♥ The podcast is now on YouTube, if you prefer to watch there. Please remember to give my videos a thumbs up and do the same for other podcasts you enjoy!
♥ You can also find the podcast on iTunes if you’d prefer to watch there. You can also access the feed from Feedburner if you use a different podcast aggregater.

Show Notes: “Busy Days”

♥ Sock it to Summer is half over, but there’s still plenty of time to play along if you’d like! Please join us in the Ravelry group and post up those finished pairs of socks. And remember your #SitS2014 hashtag on social media so that we can see what you’re working on!

♥ Did you know there are now 105 members in the group now? Amazing! Welcome to everyone who has chosen to join us in there.

FOs:
♥ June Personal Sock Club
♥ 2 dresses made with Burda Young Fashion #7603

WiPs:
♥ July Personal Sock Club

Spinning A Yarn:
♥ MoonRover January 2014 club colorway. Slowly but surely working through this one.

Stitcher’s Corner:
♥ I’m keeping up on my Mysterious Halloween Town Club pattern from the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery! There is plenty of time to join and play along if you would like.
♥ I also did a little work on my Woodland Sampler, also by FPS.

Stash Enhancement:
♥ MoonRover “Study Time” Falkland Top
♥ Hello Yarn June 2014 club colorway, “Mignardises.”

Talking Shop:
♥ I am currently working on dyeing more yarn for Lamby Toes. I should have an update later in the weekend or early next week. Be sure to watch my InstaGram feed and the Ravelry group for update announcements!

Episode 76: Busy Days

I’m back from the first part of my vacation with a little bit of craftiness to share with you all! I have finished socks, a couple of dresses, cross stitch, and a few pretties to share.

2014 Stashdown: Q2

The timing of my first vacation this summer could not have been more inconvenient in terms of blog posts: I missed not only my monthly yardage tally, but also my quarterly Stashdown post at the end of June. I’m only just now feeling ready to play catch up and talk about my results for the quarter.

Second and third quarter of the year are always rough for me; it’s when the weather starts to heat up, and I simultaneously stop knitting and start purchasing more yarn. Because buying more yarn will magically make me forget how disgustingly hot it is outside and inspire me to work at twice my usual pace. Or something. My numbers for Q2 are modest, but a step in the right direction. I managed to use/destash almost twice as much yarn as I brought in. And honestly, had one of my Indies not closed shop and a skein of another Indie I’ve been searching for gone up for sale, my amount in would have been much lower. I’m still chuffed with the result. I’ve made it halfway through 2014, and I’m still very much in the green. I’m hoping I can keep the momentum up through the end of the year and have my first ever year of actual stash reduction.

I’m still not counting hand spun yarn as stash out or in as of yet, so that has some impact on my stash size; these are just my numbers for commercial and hand dyed yarns. I think 2015 will be the first year that I count hand spun in with my numbers. I suspect that will be…enlightening. But yardage tracking always is.

Here’s to another quarter in the green! Time for Q3.

June 2014: Wrap-Up

Yardage Totals 2014:

January: 1,510yds

February: 1,227yds

March: 1,492yds

April:1,451yds
May: 695yds

June: 611yds

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

Year To Date: 6,986 yards or 3.97 miles

It’s hard to believe, kittens, but I did manage to get some knitting done in the month of June. Not much, but some. It was a busy month filled with preparations for the shop opening and tons of cross-stitch. As the weather heats up, my knitting mojo tends to wane. Hopefully as the fall arrives, it will be back in full force. Have you been up to much, kittens? Staying cool? Or perhaps you’re a sun worshipper and are enjoying some time outdoors?