Knitting and fitness in 30 min or less. Shownotes can be found at windsweptknits.com. You can find me on IG and Ravelry as WindsweptMonique and on Facebook and Twitter as WindsweptKnits.
Ep 90 recorded 1/22/21
Segments this week include: Be A Helper Craftalaong, FOs, Wips, Stash, Spinning, Out and About Virtually, On the Run
Note on Ravelry – all links to Ravelry are clearly labelled as such – if a link does not say Ravelry, it does not go to Ravelry. Links to yarn are directly to manufacturer’s pages and should be safe for those still having rav accessibility issues.
So it’s been a month since I last recorded and what a month it’s been. 2021 definitely told 2020, “hey hold my beer”. With all the craziness happening the last few weeks here in the US and the terror attacks on the Capitol Building I had thought of skipping the Be A Helper Craft-a-long this year because my anxiety levels were hovering around vibrating-chihuahua-on-espresso for a while there, but after some reflection I think that we need it now more than ever.
Welcome to our 5th annual craftalong! Inspired by the famous Mr Rogers quote that in times of trouble you should look for the helpers, I'm encouraging folks to BE the helpers.
Be A Helper Craftalong
5th Be A Helper Craft-a-long has begun! We keep the rules simple.
• Anything you make for any charity counts, doesn’t have to be knit/crochet/woven or spun. ANYthing you make for ANY charity.
• One FO submission of the Google Form https://forms.gle/QdJuQUSr8uM7GoiF6
• Donating blood counts too
• Google Form closes when I wake up April 15th.
• Wips are welcome
One change this year - due to the ongoing accessibility issues at Ravelry, finished objects can be submitted via a Google Form. I have pages set up to share your beautiful work on Ravelry, but if you want to win a prize, please submit the Google Form. I will link to the Google Form repeatedly over the net few months here in the shownotes, on Ravelry, on IG, on FB and anywhere else I can think to post so you'll be able to find the link when you're ready to submit.
Link to submit your Finished Object/blood donation: https://forms.gle/QdJuQUSr8uM7GoiF6
FOs
Tan House Brook Shawl (Ravelry) – this is a pattern by Jennifer Lassonde of Down Cellar Studios in the Sekhment base, an alpaca/silk/linen yarn from A Hundred Ravens in the Nevertheless She Persisted colorway that I bought during the virtual Maryland Sheep and Wool. I’m doing a few rows each week
The Opposite of Strict (Ravelry) hat by That Metzbower Girl Designs and it’s a ponytail hat designed to use scraps. I used up the leftovers from the two RBG Dissent Cowls I made earlier this fall.
Princess Blanket by Carol Hladik – wearable crochet blanket.
WIPs
Wenlock (Ravelery) from Tin Can Knits. Knitting done. Need to weave in ends
Galliatt (Ravelry) by JimiKnits – pattern also available on LoveCrafts, using discontinued Longmeadow by Webs. I finished the front and am about 7” in to the back
Willowbrook Shawl (Ravelry) – pattern by Brenda Castiel in my own handspun cotton. Fiber from HipStrings. I used 2 braids, pulled apart the colors, spun them in rainbow order then chainplied it to maintain the rainbow. I am nearing the end of orange – there’s a lot of orange.
Pull Me Over sweater – This was my Christmas Day cast on, though I haven’t picked it up at all since then! Pattern by Andrea Black, using leftover Universal Yarns cotton that are leftovers from knitting my husband a sweater many, many years ago.
Slice of Summer (Ravelry) – my New Year’s caston using BaH yarns shawl ball
Ozone crochet top (Ravelry) – restarted it now that my crochet skills are better; already half way through the band of hexies that go around your ribcage
Stash
My family got me a subscription to Hipstrings Cotton Club! I am so happy to be a member again, I looooove her colorways. I got 2 2-oz braids (technically it was the December shipment) that are beautiful blends of purple, blue, brown, mauve and brown called Moody and On the Horizon. I’m thinking of pulling these 2 apart and making a chain ply, but not sure.
For Christmas I got 3 colors of Nomad Yarn’s hand-dyed Gelato series. This time I got the green, blue and purple to go with the pink, orange and yellow that I bought during a virtual fiber event last summer. Now I have a whole gorgeous rainbow and I need to decide what to do with it!
Spinning
Buchanan Fiber gradient spin – the 4th color is done and plied I’ve been spinning 10 min a day
Out and About Virtually
Lots of fiber events happening online this winter
Pigskin Party now through the Superbowl Ravelry Group I’m sponsoring for the 3rd year and also participating.
Vogue Knitting Live Upcoming Vogue Knitting Live @ Home Feb 11-14, Mar18-21. I got tickets for my birthday am taking classes with Bristol Ivy and Alisdair Post-Quinn and I’m very excited.
Stitches At Home Feb 5-7
GGKCS podcast is running their annual winter craftaong starting now through the end of Feb 2021, more details on their Facebook page.
Spa 2021 is virtual, sign up for their mailing list for further details.
If you have any events you’d like me to share please email me windsweptmonique@gmail.com
On the Run
We took our annual New Year’s Day hike. It’s normally a big group event in our town – groups of 30-ish people led by a guide on trails in our town. Of course it was a bit different this year. We hiked by ourselves on a new-to-us trail behind our local agricultural high school. Lovely trail plus the kids loved seeing the cows and horses. Other people on the trail but everyone maintained a safe distance and wore masks.
Belly dancing - great for bad knees and so much fun!
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