Episode 4 – No Judgey!

 

 

Hello Everyone! Thank you so much for checking us out if you’re new and if you’re a previous listener, welcome back 🙂

Shops We Mention

Coloring Book Yarns on Etsy
Knitty Kat Bags on Etsy
Spanish Peacock
Viking Santa on Etsy
Two if by Hand Fibers on Big Cartel
The Loopy Ewe
Desert Vista Dyeworks
Yarn Vs. Zombies
Jimmy Bean’s Wool

Podcasts We Mention

Knit 1 Geek 2
The Knitgirllls
The Fat Squirrel Speaks

Events

Fan Expo Canada – August 28-31, 2014 – Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Stash Dash – May 28-August 7, 2014

Tour De Fleece – July 5-27

The Crochet Crowd Stitchcation – Crochet at least 20 squares that they provide for you in at least 8 different colours and enter to win an awesome prize pack from Red Heart! Check it out!

Royal Winter Fair – November 7-16, 2014 – Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario

Finished Items

Katy finished 1 sock from her Desert Vista Dyeworks ‘Happy Birthday Cupcake’ socks. She also finished a couple knitted and crocheted dishcloths and a crocheted bath puff!

Happy Birthday Cupcake socks

Cupcake sock part deux!

Bath Pouf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wips!

Valerie is working on the Orchid Thief Shawl by Ysolda Teague in ‘Quidditch Debt Coma’ that Katy had dyed for her a few years ago.  She found a very informative video tutorial on the ‘garter tab’ cast on by CCKnits on youtube.

She is also working on a Bernat Basketweave Dishcloth and the Corner to Corner Afghan from The Crochet Crowd challenge from the Summer of last year for her new baby nephew. She is also working on the ‘Flowers in the Snow’ Afghan.

Basketweave Dishcloth

 

C2C baby afghan

 

Katy is working on all the things she’s been working on in the previous episodes but she has cast on Lala’s Simple Shawl in Red Heart Stardust in pink using 4mm needles as a gift.

 

 

 

 

 

Spinning

Valerie is still spinning the lavender fibre from the Fibre Garden.

Katy finished 136 yards of a 2 ply sport-dk weight yarn from Squoosh Fiber Arts on Etsy – 100% SW Merino wool – all spindle spun and plied. But since she needs practice for the Royal Winter Fair, she is spinning the rest of the braid on her wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

We Got Stuff!

Valerie got a gorgeous Celtic Cross pendant for her birthday from her Hubby!!

Claddagh Cross Pendant

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katy got another skein of Jack is Back! from The Loopy Ewe, Botanical Knits 1 & 2 by Alana Dakos and she wants to knit EVERYTHING!!

 

 

 

 

 

She also got a lovely skein of yarn from Coloring Book Yarns on Etsy as a gift for a friend (so we can’t show a picture of the actual yarn just yet… cause Emily listens to the show 😉 sssshhhhh) but just know that it’s gorgeous and there was excellent customer service and super fast shipping!!

 

 

 

 

 

What We’re Watching and Reading

Valerie is watching the newest and last season of True Blood on HBO Canada and she is also watching Shogun with her Husband. She had finished reading the latest Diana Gabaldon book ‘Written in My Own Heart’s Blood’ and both Valerie and Katy are looking forward to watching ‘Outlander’ on tv in August – on Stars network in the States and Showcase in Canada.

Katy is still watching 24 (and blaming Karen of Knit 1 Geek 2 for getting them hooked), Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan (he is ‘wildthingsdom’ on Instagram)… and WWE with her Husband. NO JUDGEY!

BIG SHERLOCK ANNOUNCEMENT!!! There will be a Sherlock Special as well as 3 new episodes next year!!! Filming for the special (which will be 90 minutes long) will begin filming in January 2015.

STOP!… You had me at Yarn!

Valerie has been drooling over the colourway called ‘Calico Cat’ by Yarn Vs. Zombies which looks just like a cute calico kitty 🙂 As well, she has found the July colourway of Lorna’s Laces called ‘Beach Blanket Bingo’ available at Jimmy Bean’s Wool which is so bright it’s bound to make anyone happy just looking at it!

Katy was drooling over some whorls that The Spanish Peacock had posted on his instagram account with the script of the One Ring burned on top! He should just take all her money!  As well, she was looking for a supported spindle bowl on Etsy and ran into this cool shop called Viking Santa!  He’s got lots of cool spindles, bowls and other spinning accessories – cool name at the very least 🙂  And she was unable to resist a braid of Polwarth/Silk fibre from Two if by Hand in the colourway ‘Moon Pie’ as in… Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory! It’s gorgeous, as is all the other colours she has available, and Katy is looking very forward to spinning Moon Pie 🙂

Borrowing…

Katy briefly borrowed from Amy Beth of The Fat Squirrel Speaks video podcast – Shameless Self Promotion – to let you know that herself and her mom have an etsy shop now that has project bags and notions pouches available. You can find it at Knitty Kat Bags on Etsy 🙂

As always, you can always leave us messages here on the blog or visit our Ravelry group or contact us by visiting our ‘About’ pages here on the blog! Take care everyone!

Episode 2: Cast on ALL the Things!!!!

 

 

WARNING:  This is a very fangirlish episode, as we talk about Nathan Fillion, Kristen Bell and Ian Sommerhalder!

Also, Val apologizes in advance as she was sick with a head cold at the recording of this episode.   She tried not to snuffle and wheeze too much for our listeners!

Events:

Quilters Show – Brock University – St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
June 11 – 14th, 2014
Admission $5 per person per day – $6 Parking
There’s a paneled jury, marketplace, classes and more!

Niagara Falls Comic Con – Scotiabank Convention Centre on Stanley Avenue in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada
June 6-8, 2014
Admission: $25 per person for a single day pass, $65 for a weekend pass
Lots of guests, comics, gaming, table-top gaming and cosplay competition!

Fan Expo Canada – Metro Toronto Convention Centre – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
August 28-31, 2014
See the website for admission prices and guest list! Sci-Fi, Comics, Horror, Anime, Gaming and Cosplay!

52 Weeks of Dishcloths – On the KnitPicks Blog!  One new washcloth to knit or crochet for every week of the year! Val is most definitely participating, check out the one she made for me!

Stash Dash – Stash Dash is a challenge to all knitters, crocheters, weavers, and spinners to use up 5000 metres of yarn or fibre from your stash! Brought to you by The Knitgirllls podcast, they are very cheater friendly. If you have a bunch of WIPs on the needles, you can finish them off and the entire yardage counts to your Stash Dash totals! See their ravelry group for more details!  Both Katy and Valerie are participating – we may not reach the 5k goal but getting WIPs done is the key! Below you can find page one of Katy’s Stash Dash checklist… there’s more people, there’s more…

Works in Progress

Valerie is working on the edging of the baby blanket for her friend in the States who had a little baby boy!  She can’t wait to send it out to her friend so her little guy can enjoy it!

She is also working on a crocheted shawl for herself in Red Heart Comfort Chunky. Going to be great for late summer, early fall 🙂

And on the washcloth addiction list, she’s cast on a Round Lacy Dishcloth using Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in Smokey Wine. It’s a knitted dishcloth and it’s turning out so nicely.

Katy is working on … too much! LOL  First she had a pair of Stitch Surfer Socks by Louise Robert from Knitty. She’s knitting it out of Must Stash Yarn in the Colourway Elsa and Anna (from Frozen! eeeee!) and the yarn is just gorgeous. The Stitch Surfers are a little intimidating to look at, but Diane of the Knitabulls Podcast has some great tutorials!

Also on the needles is the Trillian Shawl by Martina Behm and the yarn is ‘Girlfriend’ from Yarnloft by Elysia on Etsy!  The colours are fantastic and it is a nice bouncy yarn, perfect for the garter stitch and Martina’s patterns are so potato-chippy and it’s perfect for mindless tv knitting.

Katy also has a pair of Afterthought Heel Socks by Laura Linneman, which is a free pattern on Ravelry. The yarn is ‘Happy Birthday Cupcake’ from Desert Vista Dyeworks. She is going to do a true afterthought heel… which means cutting the yarn (eek!)! But all will work out we’re sure!

And the last thing on the needles, in another Sherlock bag from Bag End Bags on Etsy, is the Orchid Thief Shawl by Ysolda Teague. This shawl is gorgeous and the yarn she’s using is ‘Orchid’ from Quaere Fibres on Etsy in her sparkle sock base! It’s beautiful and this shawl is more special because Katy is knitting this with her Mom and Val!!!

*** We also invite you to knit along with us with one of your loved ones for our first Loved Ones’ KAL!! Just join up with someone you care about, pick a pattern for both of you to knit together and have fun!  Post your status in our Ravelry Group! There will be a KAL thread opened soon and take your time, we’ll run the KAL until September 30, 2014. ***

 

What the Mailman Brought…

We got our needles from China!!! They are very nice and comparable to the Ciao Goo Red needles with the nylon coated cable and stainless steel needles. The tips aren’t as sharp as the Ciao Goo needles, but they are very nice and smooth and have the bend near the cable join to make them more ergonomic and easier on your hands.

Katy got her Desert Vista Dyeworks order in and it contained ‘Happy Birthday Cupcake’ and ‘Solid Chocolate Zombunny’ both in her Viso base!

And the most awesome Sherlock Holmes bag from Little Monkey Stitch N’ Spin on Etsy!  It’s gorgeous, and Katy is a super fan of Sherlock Holmes and all three actors; Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch are portrayed on the one side, and on the other is quotes from the books with pics of bees, beehives, fleur de lis, and pictures of Sherlock Holmes himself. The bag is nice and fits a pair of socks easily and it has a strap with a snap on it so you can attach it to your purse, bag or even your wrist and it has a secure drawstring closure! She also included a few freebies!!! Thank you so much! 😀 Katy is also enjoying the mini snag free stitch markers in Southwest that she ordered to match the bag 🙂 They fit up to a 3.75mm/US5 needle.

 

Val received from Katy a little gift of two Bernant Handicrafter Cotton yarn skeins in Ahoy Ombre and Love.  As well, Katy gave her a little stitch marker that is a skull and cross bones blinged out with little rhinestones.

 

What We’re Watching

Valerie is watching Game of Thrones on HBO, she intends on watching the HBO Movie, Normal Heart and she has just started watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix (and is in love with Damon Salvatore but don’t tell her husband).  She also watched the season 2 finale of Hannibal (on NBC) and can report it was bloody and full of cliffhangers.

Katy is watching 24: Live Another Day (she totally blames Miss Karen from the Knit 1 Geek 2 Podcast for getting her hooked on 24) every Monday night and you can find seasons 1-8 on Netflix (Val has a lot of catching up to do!), Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan on the Discovery Channel on Tuesday nights and she got to watch the Veronica Mars movie… which did not disappoint…she implores for anyone to bring it back to TV!!!  You can catch Seasons 1-3 of Veronica Mars on Netflix as well.

As always, we hope everyone has a great week and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to do so, and check out The Stitch Sisters Podcast group on Ravelry!