Cast On

Cart before the workhorse

Finishing socks, saving the yarn, new projects from old, planning the perfect colourwork sweater, plus a bit of theoretical physics to prove what knitters already know: knitting is magic. Links and references: Admiral Hanf yarn by Schoppel Wolle Lang Jawoll sock yarn Chessmaster, by Christian Mattausch Amande, by Josephine and the Seeds Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit Bradford Road Wrap, by Kristen Kapur Fox Paws, by Xandy Peters Soft Spot sweater by Elina Maaria ke21’s Soft Spot on Ravelry is one of the good ones Knitogami: Mechanics of knitted fabric as a curved surface (PNAS, April 2024) Dynamic Folding Knits: An exploration into self-folding and self-forming textiles, by Victoria Salmon Characterizing and predicting the self-folding behavior of weft-knit fabrics Handmade Lampshades, by Natalia Price-Cabrera Music in this episode Merrigan’s Reel – Jim Fidler That Thing That You Do – Cody Fry

203 Looking in

We travel from Iron Age firepits to mid-century homemaking manuals, consider the joys of stash organisation, and muse on the performative aspects of home decorating. There's a deep dive into the ancient tradition of human-centred design through textiles, from spindle whorls to soft furnishings, a detour through the joys of vacuum bags and organza, a nod to Swedish Death Cleaning, and a look inside the Granny Cranny.

202 A gentle pastime

Replenishing the sock drawer with Priory Socks (project page). My Secret Circles, below. Porthos (project page), below. I moved my decreases to the back of the heel, and the result is similar to Basic Biarritz and the Kite Heel, yet is uniquely mine and oh, is it ever sexy. The joy of a well-fitting heel cannot be overstated. The short row method used in Zabava Shorties is still, hands down, the best method I have found for toes. You'll find the method for Jeny's Square Peg Heel here. Cat Bordhi's gusset lessons may be found in her book, New Pathways for Sock Knitters. You can read my notes on Kiba Light on my project page. Knit to The Dress Diary of Miss Ann Sykes, by Kate Strasdin (Bsky) Music in this podcast: * Merrigan's Reel, Jim Fidler * Coming Home, Dalton Day

Cast On Classic: A Snow Day

In which an American Thanksgiving is celebrated in the UK, albeit a day late and a pumpkin pie short. One of the first pieces of writing I recorded for Cast On in 2005, this has become one of my most popular podcasts. This particular version was rerecorded in 2011 for A Knitter’s Manifesto, and features sound design by artist, Felicity Ford. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brendadayne.substack.com

201 Knitting through sorrow

It’s autumn. Time for finishing projects, knitting socks and celebrating the impending winter by taking the sweaters out of storage. This one is all knitting, and I make no apologies. I'm channelling my grief in the time-honoured tradition: by knitting all the things. I am filling the sock drawer starting with a riff on Winter's Gift, by Amy Snell, using Autumn Leaves and Tarmac colours and a traditional Scandinavian motif. Followed by Follow the Fleet, by Don Yarmon; and Priory Socks, by Louise Tilbrook. Riff Socks, by Lise Brackbill and Toe-up Socks with Fleegle Heel, by Nitro Knitters, are waiting in the wings. Yes, that's a lot of socks on the go, but they're all necessary. It's time to add twin stitch and triple stitch to your bag of knitting tricks. (The method is also known as Shadow Wrap Short rows.) Here's how you make twin stitches on the knit side and on the purl side. There is still time this year to knit your own Clapotis '24 and participate in the massive ClapotisFest Contest (which I somehow forgot to mention while recording). I'm knitting my latest in handspun Shetland yarn made from Fellview Fibres gradient rolags. My Kiba Waistcoat is on the back burner while I hunt for another skein of the discontinued yarn or choose an alternative in which to work the side panels. Do check out the project gallery. I wasn't kidding when I said this garment looks great on everybody. Lastly, my new main project is Ghost in the Orchard by Thea Colman. I used Tillybuddy cast on for this one, and I'll have much to say about that in the next podcast. Once it became my main project, I worked this vest to the underarms in about a week. The yarn is Donegal Tweed, which was many other things before it became this vest. Music in this podcast: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel Layup, Who You Share it With This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brendadayne.substack.com