Trish Knits.com

Tag: podcast

  • Post Florida Blankie Update

    rainbow striped blankie in progress

    Here’s the latest blankie update photo. I haven’t measured but I think I got about six inches or so done while I was on vacation. At this moment I am planning to work my way up to the next pink stripe before calling it done, since the first stripe was pink. Then I need to decide whether the blankie needs to have a border of some sort. At this point I’m thinking maybe an attached i-cord.

    So, while doing all of this knitting in the car on my trip, I listened to and got all caught up on the podcast Lime and Violet (or should I say, Violet, sans Lime? Where is she anyway? I miss her.) This podcast isn’t as much about knitting as it is about yarn and fiber and lots of wacky conversation… though of course there is some knitting, especially socks. I definitely would not listen to this podcast around my kids, but it is hysterically funny. I even caught my DH laughing several times. Now he knows why I’ve been known to guffaw out loud at night in bed (I use my iPod as a sound abatement sleep aid!)

    I also listened to many episodes of Sticks and String, by David Reidy from somewhere in the Blue Mountains of Australia. I also love this show, as he is always talking to someone new about the world of knitting. As I was listening last week I found myself wondering whether, since he’s in Oz, if he happened to catch any of the Countdown Spectacular 2 concerts that are happening there. BSG were playing and of course since they play pretty much only on that side of the world I’ve never had a chance to see them. Have I ever mentioned that I am their WebLady? BSG of course are the principal founding members of Australia’s super-group, Little River Band. But, I digress…

    I’m almost caught up now on David’s podcasts too and will look forward to the new ones each week.


    Look, Ma! I’m Petting a Dolphin!

    Trish petting female dolphin at Sea World

    Here’s a shot of me petting a dolphin at Sea World in Orlando. I don’t get the chance to get up close to animals very often, except for my own cats of course, but this dolphin trainer called the dolphin up out of the water so I could pet her. She also showed my son how to ask the dolphin to make that clicking sound they make, and the trainer also showed us how to ask the dolphin to wave her fin at us as in waving bye-bye. It was so cool that she responded to us, and this was a highlight of our vacation. Thanks for letting me share!

  • Knittin’ with Rhoda

    fingerless gloves made with sock yarn

    Hi again! Today I had a really nice visit with my knit buddy, Rhoda, who has been recovering from foot surgery. It was the first time we’ve seen each other since before Memorial Day, which is saying a lot because we’ve been getting together to knit every couple of weeks for about a year now. I often complain that I don’t get out much and don’t have much contact with the knitting community other than in cyberspace. Rhoda is my one really big exception and it is a wonderful one, to just sit and knit. Sure there is always a bit of show and tell, and sharing of resources. Today, she brought a copy of “Creative Knitting” Magazine (why I have not yet subscribed to this one, I don’t know, but I LOVE it!) and I had the Fall issue of “Knit Simple” (which I am finding increasingly underwhelming) and the Summer issue of “Interweave Knits“. (I am dying to receive the fall issue, which I hope will be coming soon!)

    LOOK what Rhoda brought me! Six weeks of recuperation from surgery meant lots of knitting time, I guess! And she brought me these adorable fingerless gloves! The pattern is Steph’s Sock Yarn Fingerless Gloves, and the yarn is Knitpicks Dancing. They are cotton, wool, nylon and elastic, which means they are warm, but not too warm, and despite the fact that they look small they are very stretchy. This is the kind of thing that is great to wear on a morning that is chilly but not freezing, and LOOK! There’s purple in them! Thank you, Rhoda!!

    While we sat and knat, we listened to Cast On, which continued the Camp for grownups theme, and to Lime & Violet, which had us laughing, but I did have to be careful that my 5-year-old wasn’t in the room!

    I did also re-purchase the Jordana Paige Satchel in Grape. I can’t wait for it to get here!!

    I may be a bit out of touch this week, but I’ll try to provide a blankie update by Friday. Ciao for now!

  • Knitting by Ear

    closeup of clapotis shawl, unfinished

    Here’s the thing. I hate writing posts with no pictures. So I decided to treat your eyes with a project on the UFO bin from 2005. Yes friends, this is my Clapotis. It is made from Rio de la Plata yarn, which is kettle dyed and reminiscent of Malabrigo, but because of its uniqueness in dyeing, I did not have enough yarn to finish the project at the size I was making it. Sure, I had enough balls in the same colorway and even in the same lot, but among the lot that I had there were three distinct piles that I could put my balls of yarn in… and they were all so different! Sigh. Someday I may finish this project anyway, in spite of itself.

    So, on to the real reason for my post today. I want to talk about the podcasts I’ve been listening to while knitting. I am sorely missing Brenda Dayne of Cast On at the moment, so I went in search of other things to occupy my ears whilst I am in waiting. I did find several worth sharing:

    • Sticks and String — a podcast by an Australian bloke who knits. He goes for the tried and true format pretty much defined by Brenda Dayne, but I do find it enjoyable. Especially since he is a relatively new-again knitter. It’s fun to listen to what he finds in the bottom of his knitting bag!
    • Stash and Burn — a podcast by Jenny and Nicole, which is very entertaining!
    • Lime and Violet — very fun! I think this one is worth a listen as well.
    • Let’s Knit2gether — this is a way cool video podcast that gets updated about once a month. This weekend, they have the second half of their essay on the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival up. Check it out!

    Truly it is so hard to decide which podcasts to listen to and which to pass up, because there are so many. I almost listen to podcasts more often than straight music on my iPod.

    Not much knitting in the cards today; I am going to see Hairspray with my daughter and Steve, then to Johnny Rockets for dinner. Then, alas, I have some actual work to do for my job… sigh. It never ends!

    I hope everyone is having glorious, breezy summer weather like we are today. Later!

  • Blankie Update Again

    rainbow stripey blanket in progress

    Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written an actual post, so I thought I would show an update on my progress with the rainbow striped blankie I’m working on. It’s finally starting to look like a blanket! But alas, I have a long way to go!

    If you’ve never seen my blankie before today, check out my April 5 post to learn about my methodology. It looks random but it isn’t, and I’m still looking forward to each color change as it occurs.The baby that will be the recipient of this is due in late August and I am worried that I won’t be done in time. Thankfully we have a trip to Florida coming up in August, which will mean at least 28 hours of knitting time in the car. That should help! Don’t tell anyone, but I think I am actually looking more forward to the car ride than the vacation itself. Yes, we’re going to Disney in August. (Have you checked their website lately? The music is obnoxious!!)

    Ok, it’s crazy to go in August, but the kids don’t have day camp then and we’d need to take off anyway to take care of them. I’m going to try to be “good” when we go there, but I hear that they don’t let people in wheelchairs ride the wheelchair accessible rides unless you get out of your own wheelchair and ride in one of theirs. This of course assumes that the wheelchair user can actually stand up or move easily, which hey, might apply to some people in wheelchairs, but leaves a lot of folks out, sweating in the heat. Something tells me I’m going to get lots of knitting done on this trip!

    Podcasts

    I am listening to several podcasts this summer. My favorites are of course Cast On, the KnitPicks Podcast, and Stitch Stud and his Bride. Of course I am partial to Cast On, and what fun! Brenda Dayne is taking her listeners to “camp” this summer! I shall enjoy this immensely while knitting by the pool. I admit to being secretly envious of all of those knitters who attend knitting camps, cruises or other events, and maybe this series will help me to feel a sense of community even when I am knitting in solitude.

    I do have to say that even though it is hard for me not to view the KnitPicks podcast with a degree of skepticism, given that after all, they sell the products they rave about, it is very well produced and fun to listen to.

    And stitch stud? So far I’m just enjoying the “guy” perspective on knitting. Check these out! All three are great things to knit by, and no, you don’t need an iPod to listen.