Monday, February 15, 2016

Episode 239: Happy Heart Day!



 SHOW NOTES

Happy Valentine's Day! This week's WIPs include gradient mitts, Jeck socks, Cache Cache cowl and Indigo Frost poncho. FOs include Sheila's Blue Ragg striped socks. We draw a winner of Amazing Lace and review Modern Lopi by Lars Rains. Check out the Ravelry group for a chance to win a PDF copy of this book!

Shout Outs:

Jan/Feb KAL/CAL will be to finish works in progress!  Get those old projects off the needles and start the new year off right.

Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.

We are reviewing Modern Lopi by Lars Rains this week.  You can purchase a copy of this book in PDF form on Ravelry or from Amazon.  We also drew a winner of Amazing Lace!

On The Dance Card:

Wendy is working on:

Jeck Sock by Regina Satta in Fibernymph Dye Works Bounce base, Lucky Cat colorway.

Cache Cache Cowl by Kiki Kawaii in Into the Whirled Manchester sock cashmere/merino/nylon yarn, Double Rainbow colorway

Indigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.

Sheila is working on:

Gradient mitts to match her gradient cowl and hat.

Rate Your Date:

Sheila finished:

Cuff down socks in Patons Blue Ragg Stripe, based on Susan B. Anderson's How I Make My Socks pattern.

Whirlwind Romance:

Nothing

Future Dates:

Sheila will knit Heath socks by Andrea Dietrich in BMFA STR lightweight in the Cables of Wrath colorway.

Wendy needs to finish her other projects.

Baubles & Bling:

Nothing this week.

Gossip & Innuendo:

For those of you who love Stitched by Jessalu Bags, she will have a trunk show at Circle of Stitches, 66 Wharf Street, Salem MA on March 19 during the North Shore Yarn Crawl!

BOOK REVIEW:

This week, we reviewed Modern Lopi by Lars Rains.  We both really liked this book.  The patterns are primarily sweaters, many with instructions for both men and women, which is nice.  This would be an excellent book for someone who wants to knit for themselves and a spouse without having to buy two sets of patterns.  There are also patterns for scarves/wraps and hats, and the book covers designs in 4 different weights of Lopi.  One of our favorite things about this book were the little stories the author told about his thought process behind the name or the design of each pattern.  For example, we loved the story behind the sweater that has both normal stockinette colorwork, and reversed colorwork with the floats on the front.  He named it after a pub crawl because you start out sober (knitting correctly) and then things go wonky after you've had a few!  The designs in this book are beautiful, and beautifully photographed.  There is a nice section on techniques in the back, and I think this book would be ideally suited towards a knitter with some experience in colorwork, or an adventurous beginning knitter.  I haven't knit with Lopi in a long time, and this book definitely reawakened my interest in that type of yarn!

If you want to win a copy of this book, please tell us which pattern you would knit in our contest thread in the Ravelry group.  We will draw a winner in Episode 241.

Fiber Events


NETA Spa Weekend Feb 26-28, Hilton Garden Inn Freeport Downtown, Freeport, ME

Connecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CT

Gore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MA

Maryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD

New Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NH

Rhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RI

Webs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MA

Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MA

Maine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, ME


Finger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock ME

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NY

Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VT

New York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NY

Fiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA








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