• Off the Needles
• On the Needles
• Brainstorming
• From the Armchair
• Knitting in Passing
• KAL News
• Events
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

Off the Needles

• Pattern: Granny Square Christmas Stockings from Family Circle Magazine 1977
• Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Red, Everglade Heather and White
• Hook: F (3.75 mm)

• Yarn: sock yarn scraps
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams

• Yarn: Leftovers of black, white, gray, orange, yellow, tan
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams
• Cast on first sock

• Yarn: Sunsoaked Yarns Sock 80/20 Superwash Merino/Nylon in the Christmas Ribbon Colorway
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: Fish Lips Kiss Heel by Sox Therapist
• This was my #DCSpigskinparty17 Cast on!

• Yarn: White Birch Fiber Arts Merino/Nylon in the Nothing Says Screw You Like a Rainbow
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams

• Carina’s Hat + Ella’s Hat
• Pattern: Poppy Troll Hat by  Tawnya Myers (free crochet pattern)
• Hook: H
• Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in 2 colors of pink

• Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Crescent shawl that calls for 1 main color, a gradient set and a contrast color for the border. Over 800 yards (further details TBD)
• If you are interested in Test knitting, please email me (downcellarstudio at gmail dot com

• I love my Patriots Team bags and my football notions pouch from Danie of One Twisted Tree.
• Freckled Whimsy– was offering pre-orders of the “Rock you like a hurricane”- with some of the profits going to Hurricane Harvey relief
• I pulled out some Mint Rain self striping yarn
• I love my Colorful Eclectic Splash Pad Colorway and have some plans to crochet it into a shawl.
• I’m thinking of turning some Ross Farm yarn into a hat
• I have a couple Pearl and Plum Bags and Beautiful Syster project bags I’ll put back in the rotation
• My Plum Deluxe Teas are ready to go now that it’s getting cooler- Coconut Macaroon and Mindful Morning black teas are my favorite!
• I’d like to knit the Never Not Gnoming Pattern and an ornament from the Victorian Yuletide Ornament ebook
• My gallon jug of Unicorn Clean lives in the bathroom ready for woolly washing!

• Blurre by Deanne Ramsay $6.00
• Summer Morning by Yulia Tkachenko (free)
• Bella Vita Shawl by Wilma Westerberg (free)

From the Armchair

Knitting in Passing

My cousin Patrick loved the stocking I made for his new daughter. When he opened it, my cousin Grant commented how he has one but his younger sisters don’t which made him sad. I signed up to make some for them too!

KAL News

• Click here to find about more about this KAL.
• Check out: Chat Thread & FO Thread 
• The 12 Months to Christmas KAL is a craft-a-long that helps you prepare for the busy winter holiday season. Complete gift projects each month (or just in the months that you choose) so you don’t have to scramble in December. Find some cool new gift ideas, cheer each other on, and we’ll provide some motivation in the form of the potential to win prizes!

• Declare a WIP from the first quarter of 2017 or earlier within the first 5 days of the month, posting a photo of it in the thread. Finish the project by the end of the month, update your post with your FO photo and you’ll be eligible to win a Ravelry downloadable pattern of your choosing up to $8.
• At the top of the thread you can click on “Projects” to see what everyone has been working on. 532 projects that have been worked on, many finished since January! That’s amazing.

Pigskin Party KAL

• Wondering what this crazy KAL is? Check out this page which gives you the best overview with all necessary links. There’s also a helpful “Start Here” Thread in the Ravelry Group
• Check out the Rules but if you still have questions, come over to the Questions thread and ask. We’re happy to help.
• Put your Name on the Roster then claim your spot in the End Zone Dance Thread where you’ll track your points.
• For every 100 points, you’ll earn an entry into the drawing for the Grand Prizes
  • Continue to update this with all of the points you earn during the KAL
• Check out our amazing Sponsors; if you use their products, you’ll earn more points per FO
  • Find the coupons here.
• • Some of our Pro Shop Level Sponsors will be creating exclusive items for Pigskin Party participants. They may come out at different times and will likely be limited in quantities, so keep your eyes on this Exclusive Items thread in the group for all the latest news
• Scope out the prizes! Some will be given out during the KAL; some will be part of the Grand Prizes.
• Don’t forget to use #DCSPigskinParty17 on Instagram so we check out what you’re doing and you can be eligible for participation prizes.

• Atelier De Soyun 
• Colorful Eclectic
• Daisy Girl and Company
• Fancy Image Yarn
• Fibernymph Dye Works
• Inner Yarn Zen
• Joy in Rugging
• Knit Style Yarns
• Knitted Wit
• Knitters Brewing Company
• Knitty Kitty Bags
• Mekamika
• Nekozuki Knits
• Plum Deluxe Tea
• Prairie Bag Works
• Queen City Yarn
• Sunsoaked Yarns
• Woodsy and Wild
• Yarn Love

• Over 240 people on Roster as of 9/12
• A few things: you do not have to watch Football to participate. You can craft anytime not just during football games. You can post your points for your FOs in the End Zone dance thread anytime you want. Don’t have to do it immediately after you finish.
• Favorite Post in End Zone Dance Thread: Instructions (click gray heart- find it in your Favorites in your Notebook)
• Florence of Designs of Acadia has created a Pigskin Party Logo Tote Get yours today. They’re only $12.
• Monday Night Scavenger Hunt
  • Every Monday night Lisa will post a clue to an item by one of our sponsors. You have until the following Monday night to look up that clue and find the item.
• Kick It Off With Color : Our First Interception. Thank you to Sponsor: Yarn Love Yarn
  • Most football teams have 2-3 colors in their uniforms! Let’s get inspired by all that color and get some colorful projects off the needles/hooks.
  • Requirements:
    • Finish a project of at least 50 yards before 9/30 that contains at least 2 different colors
    • The 2 colors can be found within 1 yarn. You can use multiple yarns. Totally up to you.
    • If you have to ask if its two separate colors it’s probably not. Blue and light blue are not two different colors. Blue and orange are two separate colors.
    • These colors do not have to be your team colors, NFL colors or even any sports teams colors. It’s just the kicking off point for color combinations but don’t limit yourself.
    • Project can be knit, crocheted, woven, spun or machine knit.
    • Max of 2 entries per person.

Events

• Adirondack Wool and Arts Festival: September 23 & 24
• VT Sheep and Wool: September 30 & October 1, 2017
• Needles Up : Friday October 20 from 3-6p  conference center of the Delamater Inn, Rhinebeck NY
• Indie Untangled:  Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  The Best Western Plus Kingston, N.Y.
• NY Sheep and Wool: October 19-22 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY

Life in Focus

September Happiness Project: Learning

• Labor Day free streaming on Craftsy
• Thanks to  knittykitties  for gifting me a Creative Bug 3 month subscription. I can’t wait to try out a few classes.
• Thanks to DCAlaneknits for posting in the Episode 120 chat thread with this link to Mother Bear Face Tutorials: 2 Knit Lit Chicks Podcast.
• I’m looking forward to watching and learning about the Philosopher Wool Technique for 2 handed colorwork knitting. Planning ahead for colorwork baby sweater I want to cast on soon
• I watched a Podcasting 101 on Creative Live (9/11).
• Crochet Shawl (will be a first for me)
• Fish Lip Kiss Heel (will be a new heel for me)
• Thank you to Lisa for letting me borrow her spindle and some fiber and teaching me basics so I could play with spinning at home.
• Won’t get all of these done in next 15 days or so, but having found resources and prepped things out will set me on the right path and I’m really enjoying this focus.

On a Happy Note

• My cousin Kara’s wedding. So much fun! Wore my new black lace dress. Thanks for all of the compliments!
• HIIT training at gym. Really hard, but the 30 minutes goes by really fast. twice a week for 4 weeks. In the third week now.
• Fall coming. Very cool in the mornings here. My parents pool is closed (sniff) and I’ve had two weekends at home to get things done. Feels good.
• Family dinner and campfire time!
• Gretchen Rubin’s new book The Four Tendencies was released on 9/12. I was lucky to get tickets to the first stop on her book tour that night in Cambridge. Went with my friend Kim. We’ve read all of Gretchen’s books, listen to her Happier Podcast religiously and use her framework all the time at work. 

Quote of the Week

————