Episode 281: Ready to PARTY!

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Thank you for tuning in to Episode 281 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included:

  • Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
  • On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
  • Brainstorming
  • From the Armchair
  • Knitting in Passing
  • KAL News
  • Events
  • Life in Focus
  • Ask Me Anything
  • On a Happy Note
  • Quote of the Week

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors:

Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

Declan’s 70s Socks

  • Yarn: Patons Kroy Stripes in the Seventies Stripes Colorway
  • Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
  • Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
  • Ravelry Project Page
  • Finished August 3rd
  • Total for Stash Dash: 278.2 meters (304.2 yards)

Log Cabin Mitts

  • Pattern: Log Cabin Mitts by Karen Templar (free knitting pattern available on Ravelry & on this site)
  • Yarn: Barnyard Knits, Fuse Fiber Studio, One Twisted Tree (shop formerly own Prairie Girl Danie) + other leftover sock yarn
  • Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm)
  • 9 sections of garter stitch log cabin. I decided to knit the 2 squares concurrently so I’d remember which yarns I used for each section, not reading ahead enough to know that you were supposed to work them slightly differently to make matching mitts, but that doesn’t bother me at all, so I just went with it and mine are opposites. I like that I can see all of the colors on the top or bottoms of my hands. 
  • 60g fingering weight yarn (held double)
  • 253.8 meters for Stash Dash

Rafa’s Hat

  • Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in the Cielo y Tierra colorway
  • Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)
  • Pattern: Rafa’s Hat by Joji Locatelli (free knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
  • Ravelry Project Page:
  • Started July 9. Finished August 7th.
  • Total for Stash Dash: 115.2 meters

Laura’s London Socks

  • Yarn: Qing Fibre Dashing Fingering Base in the Salt colorway (cream with blips of neons & gray) & a 50g Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes Micro Skein in a Mystery Colorway (gray)
  • Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
  • Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
  • Ravelry Project Page
  • Bought the Qing Fibres Yarn in London in November 2022 with Laura. She chose this skein from my stash in 2023 not realizing we bought it when we were together.
  • Total for Stash Dash: 272 meters

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

Wool Ease Hexagon Blanket

  • Pattern: Basic Crochet Hexagon Pattern & Tips from Make Do and Crew Website & YouTube Tutorial
  • Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick. Centers in colorways- Fern, Coney Island, Seaglass, Slate. Borders- Wheat & Oatmeal
  • Hook: 10mm (N/P)
  • 2 rounds of color- 1 round of wheat or oatmeal
  • 30 done in July. 47 done by August 7th. Had to order more yarn (twice) and ended up with 96 hexagons. The blanket is nearly the size of a full sized comforter.
    • Last summer’s hexi blanket was fingering held double- 60×84 inches and took about 300 hexis which were 4 rounds each (these have only 3). (Check out the Ravelry Project Page here)

Berry Bliss Socks

  • Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock (75% SW Merino/25% Nylon) in the Berry Bliss Colorway (May 2024 Yarnable Box) & Legacy Fiber Artz Glitzy Toes (pink mini from 2023 Advent Calendar)
  • Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
  • Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
  • Ravelry Project Page
  • Progress: I’ve finished the heel on the second sock.

LFA Helical Socks

  • Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes in the Portal Colorway & a Mystery Colorway (both 50g skeins: 75% SW Merino, 25% Nylon). Knit Picks Felici in the Beatnik Colorway
  • Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
  • Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
  • Ravelry Project Page
  • Cast on in June 2023.
  • Finished the first sock and am nearly to the heel on the second sock. I’m helical striping the LFA yarn and used leftover Knit Picks Felici Self Striping Yarn (purple, blue and a pumpkin orange) for the heel and toes.
    • You can’t tell its striped at all. Looks like 1 cohesive colorway.
  • Progress: first sock finished, nearly to the heel on the second sock.

Brainstorming

  • I’m debating starting my first Woolens and Nosh advent sock early since December is hectic I never get as far as I’d like.
  • I thought I could make a sweater from me with the leftovers of Mom’s Rhinebeck Sweater yarn, but it doesn’t look like I’ll have enough yarn, so that project is on hold. Perhaps I’ll look for more yarn to add to it and save it for that.
  • Dan’s Litchfield Hat with Welcome to Litchfield Handspun (Ravelry Project Page)
  • I’m planning to knit socks for my friend Sheri.
  • My niece Aila asked for socks for Christmas. She’d like these Daisy Socks- pattern on Ravelry.

From the Armchair

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.

Knitting in Passing

Last Saturday, Oisin came here to Work with Dan. When Megg, Tom and Hattie came to pick him up they stayed for a chat. Hattie got out the ponies and Barbies, then she abandoned that to knit on my Berry Lemonade socks with me. She did fantastic after a quick reminder of the stitches and even took my feedback about putting her left index finger on the second stitch on the needle to prevent that from falling off while slipping the stitch she just worked, off the left needle.

Hattie asked to start her own pair of socks (ambitious) and tried on scrappy helical socks I started in November (Ravelry Project Page)

She tried on the scrappy helical socks I started in November and they fit. I need about 1.5 inches before toe on the first sock, so I should pick those back up soon.

KAL News

Pigskin Party ’24 #DCSPigskinParty24

A special THANK YOU to our team

  • Umpire- Wendy- socalknitgirl
  • Commissioners
    • Emily- (ElsaandEm)- Llama Conference
    • Alicia (almariecraft)- Alpaca Conference
    • Nicole (KnitterNicole)- Sheep Conference
  • Commentator- Mary (Maryklute)
  • Playoff Prediction Contest:  Check the Ravelry Group on 9/4 for post. Choose the NFL team you think will win the Super Bowl this year (before the thread closes on 9/19). Correct guesses will get you extra points.
  • Tailgate Talk Challenge– Click here for Ravelry Link
    • Great way to get to know your team. There will be daily prompts from 9/5 through 9/16. Answer them in your Team thread in the Ravelry Group. If you answer them all, no more than 2 per day, you’ll get 150 points (as long as you enter them on the Points Tally form by 10/1). 
  • This year, we’ll have 4 primary challenges during the full months of the event- Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan. Stay tuned for those details. The sponsors are:
    • October: Thelittlewolfknits
    • November: Twin Mountain Handcrafts
    • December: Fangirl Fibers
    • January: Fibernymph Dye Works

Other current & upcoming events:

I have 9,273 meters as of August 25. Jasmin is on the board with 5,910 meters

Sending much love to Jasmin & Gigi after hearing about Gigi’s recent stroke. 

Events

Know of an event I should spread the word about? Let me know!

Life in Focus

Mom Update: After Whole Brain Radiation, Mom went right into 5 targeted radiation treatments to help reduce the size of the cancer in a lymph node that was pressing on nerves that then get in the way of her right vocal cord. As of about mid-July, she didn’t have any voice, and they hoped to correct that. On her last day of that radiation, she also had a PleureX cathetered installed in her right lung to allow regular at-home drainage to keep that pressure off her lung. The day after that- Dad and I tested positive for Covid and by Monday Mom had too. Thankfully Dad and I had only mild symptoms and Mom had none- which was a blessing because the insertion of that port left her riddled with pain for days.

Now she’s coming out of that but starting a new chemo. We’re hopeful that this will take away some of her pain and its already meant she doesn’t need her lung drained as frequently. Hoping September will be a better month for her than the last couple.

Ask Me Anything

NDoyle asks: What has been your favorite item you’ve made this year and why?

Marilynknits- What gauge do you knit your socks at?

  • 8-8.5 sts per inch.
  • 56 sts on US 1.5 needles= 6.5 to 7 inch circumference

On a Happy Note

  • I am very relieved that Covid was mild for us, especially for my Mom. Also very grateful that my brother who was on vacation in Virginia just as we came down with Covid, ended up having a bicycle accident that left him with bruises all over and a broken rib- but is going to be OK. I made everyone promise we’d all stay out of the hospital for one full week!
  • Visits with my cousin Jenny and her daughter Vera who often come over to see my Mom.
  • Weekend pool time, especially with our youngest niece and nephew who are absolute fishies!
  • My dear friend Nathan (only a couple years older than me) had a successful heart and kidney transplant only 1 day apart from each other but is recovering well. Our family all bought t-shirts and made donations to help his family and got a great photo to send him poolside one afternoon!
  • My Mom wanted to get eyelash extensions so she, my cousin Jenny and I all went and it was a lovely experience.
  • Dan and I picked up my grandmother and we all went to my cousin Nancy’s Surprise 60th birthday. Mom and Gram both had a great day that. Beautiful sunny poolday with all the kiddos swimming, I caught up with many of my cousins who I don’t get to see all the time, learned there’s another new baby coming in January and enjoyed fresh pizza from a woodfired oven. We also sang to my grandmother.
  • From there, we headed to Terri’s Graduation Party. She runs the dancing school where I met Kris & Megg, two of my best friends who have 5 of our niblings. Dan’s younger brother Dave played in the band, the kids all played together. We got to see Terri’s brother who came up from FL, and Conor, Carly and baby Miles after they were in Nantucket for a couple weeks.
  • Dinner & Les Mis with Kris, Aila and Megg.
  • At Mom’s chemo treatment, we got to see my friend Waveney who was my officemate in my first job at the hospital 22 years ago and her son, Tighe, checked us in at the Infusion Clinic. As soon as I said hello, his whole face lit up with a smile and he came around and immediately hugged us all. It was pure joy! He’ll be back off to college soon.
  • We hosted a 90th birthday party for my grandmother at The Tavern in her assisted living facility. I put together all sorts of cool photo decorations & used some of her old picture frames for the tables and guests could take them as favors. Dan DJed, and my Dad, our friend Sharon & cousin Susan prepared the food) and the kiddos all acted as bartenders. Hattie even went around and took photos.
  • All of the joy and hope coming out of Democratic party with coverage of the DNC. It feels great to have a candidate I’m truly joyful about supporting.
  • A quieter weekend- getting ready for my friend Marta to arrive from Barcelona (if I’m a bit MIA that’s why)

Quote of the Week

One evening in August, you have an errand outdoors, and all of a sudden, it’s pitch-black. It is still summer, but the summer is no longer alive.

~ Tove Jansson

——

Thank you for tuning in!

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