Episode 272: Birthday Bonanza!

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 272 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included:

Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
Brainstorming
Knitting in Passing
From the Armchair
KAL News
Events
Contest, News & Notes
Life in Focus
On a Happy Note
Quote of the Week

Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

Same as It Ever Was Hat

Pattern: Same as It Ever Was by Sarah Jordan ($6 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Beatnik colorway
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
Ravelry Project Page

Nimbus Vest

Pattern: Nimbus by Berrocco Design Team (free knitting pattern)
Yarn: Worsted Weight 100% Wool (from Rhinebeck 2022) held double
Needles: US 10 (6.0mm)
Ravelry Project Page
Notes: I added length to the body before the underarms. I worked 13 inches before the sleeves (4 inches longer than called for)
Goofed up working on front left. Didn’t read the instructions well and I bound off stitches for the underarm on the RS of the piece instead of the WS. Thankfully the rows were very short after that, so ripped back and was able to fix it in less than an hour.
Seaming- I seamed the shoulders and then the sides before setting in the sleeve. I should have done it in this order 1) shoulders 2) sleeves, 3) sides. This post from Amy Herzog was helpful re: Setting in Sleeves.
Collar- added a row of SC around the collar to make it look a little neater.
Finished Project 700g.

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

Jenny’s Blanket

Pattern: Modified Sedge Stitch Blanket by Nicole Mansfield ($2 crochet pattern available on Ravelry)
Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids in Sky Blue, Teal, Mint, Cyan, Jade Green and Aqua
Hook: I (5.5 mm)
Ravelry Project Page
Progress: Finished all 5 color-block sections. I am using the 6th color for the border because the blanket was already long enough with 5 colors. The pattern has 2 border options, a scalloped edge & a modified picot edge. The latter is what I was planning but I think instead I’ll use a bobble edging.
- I first used this border on a Cozy Clusters Blanket (Ravelry project page here). I learned about this edge technique on this website.

Same as It Ever Was Hat #2

Pattern: Same as It Ever Was by Sarah Jordan ($6 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
Yarn: Kingdom Fleece and Fiberworks. No colorway listed.
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
Ravelry Project Page
About the colorway- pink/mauve base with taupes, blues, greens and other pinks/maroons.

Declan’s 2nd Socks

Yarn: Patons Kroy in the Greener Pastures Colorway
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
Ravelry Project Page
Green, black, gray, cream, mustard stripes + gray/green/white self patterning stripe.
Progress- I finished the first sock and turned the heel on the second sock this weekend.

FearLESS Socks

Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz DK (75% Merino, 25% Nylon) in the FearLESS Colorway
Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm)
Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
Cast on for the smallest size and that fits well.
About the Colorway- Special Colorway “FearLESS” available in DK, Steel Toes (sock) and Cozy Toes (sock). Sue & Chelsea are donating 50% of sales to our FearLESS Living Fund.
Progress: Leg of the first sock is almost done!.

Brainstorming

Greyhaven Hat by Robin Ulrich. $5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry
Chicken Family Crochet Pattern by Atomic Crochet Shop on Etsy. $5 crochet pattern on Etsy.

Knitting in Passing

Millie finished the headband she’d started for Mom.
Riley made Mom a chemo hat on a knitting loom in craft class at school.
I cast on for a hat with the Plied Yarn we bought for Millie at the Farm Fiber Days event in January and handed it off to Millie to knit a hat for her Dad.

From the Armchair

Bad Mormon by Heather Gay. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
Spare by Prince Harry. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.

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.

KAL News

Pigskin Party ’23

Tune in to hear about:

Quarter 4 Challenge: Cable It Up winners
Participation Prize Winners
Commentator Update

The mad dash to get all those points entered was in full swing on Saturday night (superbowl eve). As of the time I looked, players had entered 299 projects since the start of February!

On the boards, HikesandBikes (Nikii) shared their experience with a new approach to the tubular cast on where you use Judy’s Magic Cast On. I’d seen this on Patty Lyon’s instagram and was intrigued so I was super interested in what Nikii thought of it (as were others).

There’s also been some talk of knitting and walking. Loonyhiker shared that when she knits and walks she has a lot of interesting conversations because people are fascinated that she can do it. Deafelis shared the hot tip that Lowes or Home Depot are great places to practice because the aisles are wide and the floors are smooth (so fewer tripping hazards). Azknitwit noted that an indoor mall might be a great place to practice too!

Finally, continuing with a recent theme about how yarn and how many projects to bring when traveling, Socalknit girl shared a sad cautionary tale of how to recover when disaster strikes the one and only project you brought on vacation.

Thanks for a fun season! Mary

Events

Check out all of the details about our Fiber Community February FearLESS Living Fundraiser including the participating makers.

To make a personal donation, you can use this link

Please use the option to “Add a Public Comment” to let us know you’re part of this Fiber Community Fundraiser.
I recommend including your Instagram/Ravelry user name so sponsors doing prize drawings and confirm/find you.

More About This Project:

February 9th is my mom, Diane Lassonde’s, birthday. Diane came up with the idea for the FearLESS Living Fund when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer in December 2021. Since then, each birthday we celebrate with her is precious and this year, with your help, I want to make her birthday month even MORE special by raising funds for this charity she’s created.

The FearLESS Living Fund picks up where the Blind Center of Nevada’s services leave off, helping their outstanding clients to live more fearlessly in pursuit of their dreams. In 2023, we gave out over $9,000 in scholarships. You can watch a video of the event here. With your help, we can raise even more.

Contest, News & Notes

New Videos on the Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel

Let the Mystery Unravel February Box
Yarnable Unboxing– February 2024
Diane Lassonde Health Update #10 including more background on the FearLESS Living Fund inspiration with videos from the Blind Center of Nevada and more information about our February Fundraiser.
Check out this video with Lisa from Fibernymph Dyeworks about the FearLESS Living Fund and her custom colorway- Dream Big
Check out this video with Sue from Legacy Fiber Artz about the FearLESS Living Fund and their custom colorway- FearLESS

Life in Focus

2024 Word of the Year- Heart

In sorting jewelry with Mom, I found a pair of gold earrings and a necklace that coordinate; both have hearts on them. I’ve been wearing them most of the time and loving them. Connection to her and to my word, which is a million times better than any of the items I was looking at on Etsy.
I hung the heart collage photo poster in the dining room with painters tape! Let’s not overcomplicate things!

24 for 2024 list

Get 2 massages beyond the one per month at Massage Envy
End the year with more money in the bank than when I started in January.
Make & assess goals each month of the year – Jan done
Read more books than you did in 2023 (50)
Organize a fundraiser for the FearLESS Living Fund
Come up with better temporary & more permanent storage for memory items. Bought a beautiful box to put items in. Store in hutch in diningroom where I work most days.
Visit 1 new (to me) museum or historical site
Add one new indoor plant to my collection
Buy/make/work with Dan/Oisin on at least 1 plant stand for the living or dining room
Publish at least one new pattern
Knit at least 1 finished project with handspun
Knit/crochet myself a new sweater
Make a Christmas afghan for the living room
Take a class
Purge at least 20 items from my wardrobe
Go skiing
Watch at least 5 of the movies on the Jen/Liz movie list
Do something special for our Anniversary in May
Do a regular (ideally monthly) review of Dropbox Camera Uploads to delete unnecessary items
Buy a new quilt and/or duvet cover for our bed
Buy a new blow dryer.
Get my car detailed
Buy new curtains for living room Ordered 3. We picked one! I ordered more, they arrived and we hung them up! YAY!
Try a new local restaurant

On a Happy Note

The whole family went to Garret’s hockey game and out for dinner after.
I’ve been trying out Dinnerly meal kit delivery service. So far, I’m really enjoying the 2 meals a week I’m getting. The food is fresh and the portions are generous. If you’d like to try it, you can use this link to get a free box. There is a limit, so don’t wait. If the link doesn’t work, please email me and I can get a unique offer sent to your email address.
Birthday dinner at Mom’s on her actual birthday with Mom, Dad, Jeff and the kids + Dan.
Dad & Riley lipsyncing to Taylor Swift. Hilarious!
Birthday dinner for birthday twins, Diane & Hattie. Karaoke, hair shaving, presents, cake and lots of silliness.
I planted amaryllis from a bulb that was gifted to me and its flowering beautifully! I’m so excited.