Thank you for tuning in to Episode 177 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes and photos can be found on my website. Click here.
This week’s segments included:
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor: Holly Press Fibers
Off the Needles Velvet Bear for Ella
Velvet Bear for Carina
The Parker Baby Booties
Cadet Colors Socks
Hattie’s Hedgehog
Ross Farm Blanket Square
On the Needles Mom’s Frozen Socks
Creepy Grafiti Socks
Front Loop Newborn Hat
I’m also knitting on a new design- the details of which I can’t share yet.
Pigskin Party ‘19
Brainstorming * I’d like to make a sweater with DK weight mustard yarn I bought during yarn haul in Sept. My plan is to swatch to get a gauge I like and then use the advanced Search on Ravelry to find a sweater that’s knit at that gauge. * Hat for my brother for his birthday. * Monkey for Millie’s 8th birthday- leaning towards the Chinese New Year Monkey by Stephanie Jessica Lau. * I need to repair a pair of Mom’s socks & Jeff’s Ice Time hat.
From the Armchair * I shared my review of the Yarnable Subscription Box. * Knitwise09 asked what I thought of Paintbox yarn. So far I’m really liking my socks with this yarn. Keep in mind, socks are usually knit at a tighter gauge which can help prevent pilling.
KAL News I announced the winner for the last of the Slay the Stash KAL months. Tune in to see if you won!
New for 2020: Quarterly Quests! Get all of the details here.
January 1- March 31 – sQuelch the Queue Knit any projects you had in your queue (prior to January 1). Knit as many as you can. You will receive extra entries for any patterns that have been sitting in your queue for over 5 years. Fine print* NO WIPS are allowed for these quests. Cast on the first day of the quest and whatever is finished by the last day will count.
We are looking for Prizes for this KAL. If you’re interested- please let me know! I’m also offering a discount on ads if you sponsor this KAL, Splash Pad or Pigskin. Emails went out to those on my newsletter this week. Sign up for my email newsletter to be informed about sponsor options.
Pigskin Party ’19! Not familiar? It’s a ridiculously fun make-a-long that runs all through the NFL football season. We typically have a couple hundred participants each year. For each FO you finish, you earn touchdown & field goal points. You also earn points for using sponsor products & fulfilling other challenges. For every 100 points earned, you get an entry into our Grand Prize drawing. We also have lots of prizes reserved for participation on Ravelry and Instagram to keep it fun and light.
Everything you need to know is linked in the Start Here Thread in the Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group including the Rules, Questions Thread, End Zone Dance Thread where you post your FOs, Coupon Code Thread, List of Prizes, Exclusive Items from our Sponsors!
Pro Shop Sponsors
Snack Shack Sponsors
Tune in to hear if you’re a December Participation Winner.
Our January Interception posted & is kindly sponsored by designer Windswept Designs (Monique Leonard)!
To be eligible to win
Events * Vogue Knitting Live NY is January 17-19, 2020 * Wayland Winter Farmers Market Fiber Days – Jan 26 & Mar 1 * 2/9/20: 3rd Annual Boston Farm & Fiber Festival at the Boston Public Market * 2/28-3/1/20: NETA Spa Weekend in Freeport, ME * 3/14-3/17/20: Knit North Yarn Crawl (north of Boston). Website not yet working. * Stitches United – March 26-29, 2020 in Hartford, CT * 3/28/20: Woolapalooza in Lincoln, MA
Ask Me Anything * Knitwise09- Would you please share more details on the Christmas Open House? Is food offered? Gifts? * Adoreknitsteph: your plans for 2020, knitting wise, travel, events, health plan. Design process. And why crochet over knitting. * Tune in to hear my answers.
Life in Focus Tune in to hear how I do my 2019 personal year in review.
Design/Podcast/Knit
Most Proud of- exceeding my goal of 10 patterns for the year. Yarn bombing project. Really cool fun project and event. $337 National Alliance on Mental Illness Massachusetts for 103 hat sales. World of Difference Campaign in February – Sold 49 copies & donated $100 to The World of Difference Institute. I designed 2 crochet patterns. GoodReader Tutorial FINALLY published. Hosted 3 successful KALs- Slay the Stash, Splash Pad and Pigskin Parties. Participation better than ever. Growing Ravelry Group. So much engagement.
New skills or knowledge. Learned crochet cables and how to make crocheted hats. Made my first top down triangular crochet shawl. Learned how to use newer version of Garageband on my laptop. First experience yarn bombing. Had to figure out how to make it big but still light and workable. My friend Beverly taught me some basic embroidery.
Knitting- 2019
2020 Goals
20 in 2020 (Gretchen Rubin)– these are more of a bucket-list type list of things I think will enrich my life.
My word of the Year for 2020: FLOURISH. This year is a year of building on the progress and successes from 2019. I will design more. I will lift more. I will be stronger. I will truly flourish.
Flourish: Verb: (of a person, animal, or other living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment. Noun: an instance of suddenly performing or developing in an impressively successful way.
Questions from Listeners:
Do you have goals for 2020? How will you measure? Do you have a Word for the year? Let’s chat! Come on over to the Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group!
On a Happy Note * Binging the Australian tv show Wentworth on Netflix. * My friend Laura visited over New Year’s. I brought her to the shore in my town for the first time in countless visits! We hiked together at my local state park. * My favorite Zumba teacher is back teaching twice a month so made a point to get there the first Saturday of the year. * I just had my annual physical and my doctor was very happy. All blood work even better than last year. * I saw the new Star Wars movie with Dan * I visited my best friend who was home sick. caught up with her and brought lunch and then got to hang out with my niece Aila for the afternoon. We worked on her science project and had a monster drawing challenge. * It was 66 degrees on Sunday! We opened up the house. Cleaned & organized together.
Quote of the Week Doing great work is not about never making mistakes or failing. It’s about making sure those mistakes have the minimum impact on those you serve, and that your failures inspire and inform new strategies in the future.”
– Cy Wakeman
Thank you for tuning in!
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