Episode 1: Taking the plunge!

Listen NowWe've finally taken the plunge and started a podcast and this accompanying blog. This has been percolating for a while, but as always, time flies by, and there are too many things to do, and not enough time.

Episode 1 of the Knit One, Crochet Too podcast includes the following:
1) our Monday morning weekend wrap up where we discuss our weekend endeavors, and I report on my ongoing designs and knitting projects
2) a mini lesson on color selections, with suggestions where to look for ideas for inspiring colors
3) a short reading of a knitting related essay

Here is what the failed (so far) capelet design worked in Linus yarn looks like - before frogging.
This is a close-up view (above) of the end where the 1" band turned into a 4" band...and still not big enough to go around the shoulders and arms, unless I place a buttonhole at the very top, and the capelet is worn open in the center. Not the look I was looking for.This shows you the entire thing...mostly finished...with all the small braided cables...ready to be ripped back...all the way down to the large cable band (which I actually ended up doing). Next photos will be of the finished garment, done like my original idea (the one that actually fits), but in the round, with no opening or buttons. Plus, there will be a matching hat. Yes, I do like to torture myself. :-)

The book of designs for the roller derby crowd is called "Knockdown Knits: 30 Projects from the Roller Derby Track" by Joan of Dark a.k.a. Toni Carr. As I mentioned, you can go to Amazon.com and look inside the book to see some of the featured projects. Some cute things, some interesting things, some things a little bit weird...but what do I know, right? I am the one who went dancing in the snow bank with the referee.
Oh, and did I mention that each sample in the book is modeled by a member of the Naptown Roller Girls? And if you are interested in our local roller derby team, Maine Roller Derby, you can read about them here.

In the 2nd section of the podcast, I give you tips on color selection. I know some knitters feel less than confident when trying to select colors for a multi-color project. I give easy tips for developing a reference list of matching color groups.
Here is the image (above) of the Pantone color guide I use to communicate my color choices to the dye houses. From left to right, above the color chips, you can see Ty-Dy Wool, 2 upcoming colors of Wrapunzel, and the Lucia Tee, a free t-shirt pattern that uses Ty-Dy cotton.
Here's a photo of the whole Lucia Tee. Isn't it cute? The pattern is written from finished size 34" to 50".

I did a lot of fiddling with the podcast sound file, trying to make it sound as professional as I can. But of course, as this is our very first program, I know things can only get better. So, please forgive any popping, smacking, talking over each other, mismatch sound level, and anything else that may need working on. I do invite you to post comments of specific peeves that we will try to address. Of course, we know we won't be everyone's cup of tea...and that's ok.

We just hope to bring you some insider information from the business end of yarn, and a bit more.

Enjoy!

Hélène