Episode 169: Apparently, We Stink!

This week's WIPs include a vanilla sock, a cabled cowl, the Star Leaves shawl, the crocheted Rita Rabbit and a colorwork mitten knit from handspun. FOs include Sheila's finished and blocked Tan House Brook shawl. Baubles and Bling include BMFA sock yarn, an awesome monkey Tervis, and a strange offering: all natural deodorant.

SHOW NOTES

KAL/CAL:  We are hosting a Stash Busting KAL/CAL for the month of July.  Post a pic of your finished project made from yarn purchased at least 6 months ago in the July Stash Busters Thread and get that stash under control!  A winner will be drawn at the end of the month.

We are also hosting a Donate a Shawl Charity KAL/CAL.  Check out all the awesome prizes we have in our contest thread on Ravelry.

On The Dance Card:

Wendy is working on:

Star Leaves Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen in Fleece Artist Saldanha 2 in the Starlight colorway.

Rita the Rabbit by Lydia Tresselt in Caron Simply Soft Light

Deathflake Mittens by Sissel KB, using her warm/cool color experiment in Portfiber Polwarth (4oz) in the Prickly Pear color way

Sheila is working on:

One vanilla sock in SKnitches Syncopated Sock in the Seriously? colorway.

City Creek Cowl by Susan Lawrence in Madelinetosh Vintage

Rate Your Date:

Sheila blocked:

Tan House Brook Shawl in Gypsy Girl Creations gradient.

Whirlwind Romance:

Wendy is currently spinning:

Frabjous Fibers in the Breeze colorway and Into The Whirled in the Take it to the Bridge colorway (by spinning them randomly together).

Future Dates:

Sheila plans to knit a headband and mitts. Wendy needs to finish all of her WIPs.

Baubles & Bling:

Wendy and Sheila bought:

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock medium weight mystery bags which contained two mill-end skeins of yarn during a recent on-line sale.

Wendy and Sheila received:

All natural deodorant from Only Goodness Inside (we are not sure who sent this or why, but Sheila is going to try her sample out!)

Wendy received:

An awesome Sock Monkey Tervis from my fairy godmother Netta!  Thank you, Netta!

Gossip & Innuendo:

Book Contest:  A Knitter's Gallery of Mitred Squares by Jill Bigelow-Suttelow and Jane Bigelow. Wendy forgot to start a thread, but it's up now here.

Charity Comfort Shawl KAL/CAL:  This is a new contest organized by our friend Lise from Webs! She organizes donated comfort shawls for people in her church community, but she has recently lost a few of her helpers.  If you donate hand knitted or crocheted shawls to her effort, you can be eligible to win a $50 gift certificate to Webs (one prize will be drawn), a skein of Webs anniversary yarn custom dyed by Lorna's Laces yarn (two prizes will be drawn), a pattern of your choice from KNitDesigns, or a skein of Wollmeise donated by our amazing viewer, Katluvz2knit, or a bag, yarn and stitch markers donated by the lovely Samantha Boggia of Knitrundig!

The contest will run until August 31, 2014.  Shawls should be sent to:

Webs Warehouse
ATTN:  Lise Gill
6 Industrial Parkway
Easthampton, MA 01027

(Note:  The earlier address will still work, but this is the much more direct mailing address which Wendy should have used the first time.  Oops!)

You can knit or crochet shawls specifically for this charity event OR go through your stash and give away some shawls to a good home.  There is no specific fiber content required - they can be machine washable or handwash only.  There is no specific pattern or size.  Lise will make sure your donations go to people in nursing homes, hospice care, new mothers or other people that need a comfort shawl.

You may post a picture of your donation (one picture per shawl - make sure to post them separately to get multiple chances at the prize) in our Contest Thread.

Tour de Fleece runs from July 5 through July 27th this year.  Wendy will be spinning for Team Dyeabolical.  There is a TdF contest thread in our Ravelry group where you can win a bump of fiber from Wendy's personal stash by posting a pic of your finished TdF projects.

Upcoming fiber events in our area:

Fiber Revival at Spencer Pierce Little Farm in Newbury, MA 8/9/14.  Wendy will attend this event.

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival at Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NY 9/27-9/28/14.  We do not plan on attending.

VT Sheep and Wool at Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VT 10/4-10/5/14.  We do not plan on attending.

Stitches East in Hartford, CT 10/9-10/12/14.  Wendy plans on attending the Saturday marketplace.

Rhinebeck at Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NY 10/18-10/19/14.  We plan on attending for the weekend.

New England Fiber Festival at Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA, 11/1-11/2/14.  Wendy plans on attending.

The Gathering at Sunday River, Newry, ME, 11/7-11/9/14.  We do not plan on attending.