Episode 253: Travel & Tasting

 

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 253 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. For full show notes with photos check out my website. 

 

This week's segments included:

• Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• From the Armchair
• In my Travels
• KAL News
• Events
• Contest, News & Notes
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

 

Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

• Zach’s 1st Birthday Teddy
• Yarn: Knit Picks Brava in the Dove Heather, Silver, Mint, Tranquil and Marina colorways
• Hooks: D (3.25 mm) for stuffed parts & H (5.0mm) for Granny Square
• Pattern: Theo the Teddy Bear from book: Snuggle & Play Crochet: 40 Amigurumi Patterns for Lovey Security Blankets and Matching Toys by Carolina Guzman Benitez
• Ravelry Project Page

 

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

 

Winter Mint Socks

• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
• Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Winter Mint Colorway (Yarnable December 2022)
• You can see more of the December 2022 Winter Mint themed packaged in my Vlogmas 2022: Day 2 video
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• About the colorway: mint green with specks of gray and blue
• Progress: Turned heel of first sock

 

Zebra Stripes Socks

• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
• Yarn: Patons Kroy in the Zebra Stripes Colorway
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• About the colorway:
• Progress: Turned heel of first sock and knit several inches on the foot during our trip to Nantucket

 

Musselburgh Hat

 

• Pattern: Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague ($7.77 US/ 6 GBP knitting pattern available on Ravelry or on Ysolda's website)
• Yarn: YarnBaker Fingering in the Blazer Colorway & On The Round Nimble Sock (unsure of colorway)
• Needles: US 2 (2.75) circular- 32 in (magic loop for beginning & end of project & US 2 (also called US 2.5) 3.0 mm 16-inch circular for the body of the hat
• Ravelry Project Page
• Size: Adult Medium
• Progress check- More than half way done. Added in second color

 

Mini Skein Hexagon Blanket

• Pattern: Basic Crochet Hexagon Pattern & Tips from Make Do and Crew Website & YouTube Tutorial
• Hook: F (3.75 mm)
• Yarn: Mini skeins from 2022 agirlandherwool Advent Calendar, 24 Days of Cheer Swap minis + other scraps/swap yarn
• Ravelry Project Page
• I've been closing the end of each hexagon with this join- link to Instagram post
• 4 rounds per hexagon.
• 3.75 inches each. Likely need over 300
• Twin sized blanket is 60x80 inches. 17x22 hexis- 374.
• Learned double magic circle from this YouTube video. The trick is to know how to pull both loops to tighten the loop.
• 196 hexagons done by 4/25/23 (151 washed/ 45 unblocked) More than half way there if my goal is 374

 

Children of Time Spinning

• Fiber: Into the Whirled Cheviot (4 oz) in the Children of Time colorway
• Twist direction: singles = Z plied = S
• This means when I'm spinning, my wheel is spinning clockwise and when plying my wheel is moving counter-clockwise.
• Ravelry Project Page
• About the Fiber: purple, plum, tans, browns and blues
• Progress: Finishing spinning all 4 oz

 

Benjamin's Christmas Stocking

• Pattern: Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Family Circle Magazine. Available in this web archive link. I've also saved it to my podcast Gmail Google Drive in case it disappears! web.archive.org-Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Our Archives.pdf
• Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, Hunter Green and White
• Hook: G (4.0 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• Progress: finished green panel. Finished the last ~20 rows of the red side on the train this week.

 

From the Armchair

 

1. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
2. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
3. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
4. "You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.

 

I'm also excited for new book from Virginia Sole-Smith- Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture.

• Check out Episode 265 of the Forever 35 Podcast & Episode 30 of the Struggle Care Podcast for Interviews with Virginia Sole-Smith about her book. Virginia also has her own podcast called Burnt Toast (and a Substack by the same name) which I've just started listening to.

 

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.

 

In My Travels

 

Check out our 2 part Nantucket Vlog series on my YouTube Channel: Part 1 & Part 2

 

 

KAL News

• Splash Pad Party Registration Opens May 1st. Sign up using this Google Form.
• To confirm you're signed up, check the Stats/Registration Spreadsheet here.
• The 8th Annual Splash Pad Party opens on Friday May 26th and runs through July 31st.

 

Events

• Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 6 & 7th at the Howard County Fairgrounds
• Mom & I are planning to attend
• NH Sheep & Wool: May 13 & 14 in Deerfield, NH
• Massachusetts Sheep & Wool: May 27 & 28th at the Cummington Fairgrounds
• Maine Fiber Frolic: June 3-4th at the Windsor Fairgrounds
• Vermont Sheep & Wool: Sept 30 & Oct 1 at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds
• Check out some West Coast (US) Events on the Seattle Knitters Guild site (thanks Kristen- kips206)

 

Contest, News & Notes

• Thanks to test knitters testing my Mas Vidas shawl

 

Life in Focus

 

I checked off two things on my 23 in 2023 list

• #1- Read 23 Books- now at 24!
• #23- Create a new music playlist. Riley’s. Plus CMA fest artists.

 

On a Happy Note

• Walking at the beach with Megg & Maria before Oisin's boat race. His team set the course record for the day!
• Laura came in from NY that evening and joined us for Tom's birthday dinner.
• On Sunday, I drove down to Orleans where Laura was house sitting to watch the Love is Blind "live" Re-union debacle on Netflix.
• Training at the gym & the energy that comes with it!
• Going w/ Riley and Mom to get our nails done before Nantucket. Riley took us for boba smoothies afterwards. We had a great time.
• Riley was showing a friend a nail polish in TJ Maxx that looks like mine and it was the exact color of OPI I always get- Don't Bossa Nova Me Around- and she bought it for me. So sweet!
• Nantucket! 4 day weekend was just the break I needed from work. The candy and cookie taste tests were a fun way to do something memorable without having to spend a ton of time or money.
• Getting Mom to watch on Love is Blind
• Watching The Sinner on Netflix with Dan.
• Working on a slide show for my friend's son's Bar Mitzvah.

 

Quote of the Week

Writer and psychoanalyst Marion Milner on the work required to be happy:

 

"Let no one think it is an easy way because it is concerned with moments of happiness rather than with stern duty or high moral endeavour. For what is really easy, as I found, is to blind one’s eyes to what one really likes, to drift into accepting one's wants ready-made from other people, and to evade the continual day to day sifting of values."

 

Source: A Life of One's Own

 

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Thank you for tuning in!

 

Contact Information:

• Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon!
• Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group
• Instagram: BostonJen1
• YouTube: Down Cellar Studio
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• Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio
• Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel
• Knit Picks Affiliate Link
• Bookshop Affiliate Link
• Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link
• Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/
• 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.