Episode 34 - Sock Season




The Crochet Circle show

Summary: Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 34 – Sock Season   In this episode I cover: CALs, Yarn review; Final Destination; En Route; Designs in Progress; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats; Big Uo and J’adore?   This podcast is sponsored by KNIT IT - HOOK IT - CRAFT IT Thanks to everyone who tunes in to the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.  1 - #SockAlong 2018 CAL This CAL is starting to shape up rather nicely.  Here’s what you can look forward to: It runs from Saturday 29th September – 31st October 2018. You can join in with crocheted or knitted socks. Designers, podcasters and yarn dyers are getting involved with the CAL. You can get the full details closer to the CAL start date on both Ravelry and Instagram (#SockAlong2018) Tamara is organising a blog hop which will start on the 15th of September, two weeks before the CAL starts. The chatter thread(s) will be available on Claudia (Crochet Luna’s Ravelry page), the FO thread will be hosted by Kathryn from the Crafternoon Treats podcast Ravelry Group and I will head up the Instagram # and information. Behind the scenes we are pulling together some great crocheted sock patterns for you to try out. These range from free to paid for and beginner onwards.  My blog hop is all about choosing the right yarn for crocheted socks and that will come out before the CAL starts so that you have time to get your paws on yarn if you need to. There will be prizes for winning entries into the Ravelry FO thread and those using #SockAlong2018FO The CAL officially starts on 28th September when a bunch of us will be gathered for a picnic at Yarndale.    2 – Yarn review – ‘Tor’ – Blacker’s 2018 birthday yarn Blacker Yarns sent the podcast some of their latest birthday yarn to squish and review.  I asked for some extra skeins so that another clan member could also have a squish with it.  I sent three of the mini skeins to Jo (@jofeatherandthreads on Instagram) and I have been playing with the other three mini skeins. Jo's full yarn review is up in the yarn review Ravery thread in The Crochet Circle Group.      3 – Final Destination I finished yet another Loft which is a crocheted DK version in gorgeous wine colours.  Again, this is in Knit by Numbers by John Arbon Textiles and will be available to squish on their show stand.   When I was over in Northern Ireland, Louise at Lighthouse Yarns gave me some vintage Irish linen.  I have a bout 1kg of this linen left after I crocheted up a Zeens & Rogers Market Bag for a friend.      I did manage to whip up a pair of my standard socks using the Alley Cat (AKA Dirty Tiger) yarn that I bought over at Ewe & Ply in July.  I have used West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply for the contrast heel and toes in colourway ‘Poppy Seed’.     4 – En Route Time is 100% against me at the moment.  I have very little personal crocheting time and so things like my summer top have languished in a project bag.  I am desperate to get to it but I just have too many design and show deadlines at the moment.   My Verity V neck is my only real WIP at the moment.  Once this episode is out, I plan on getting some time back for me, myself and I.     5 - Designs in Progress Heg tre is the pashmina/cowl that I have been working on, called Arete.  You can see where it will be steeked - where the stitches differ.  It's going to be nail biting stuff!     6 – Feeding the habit I took a little look in my Stash Palace the other month and felt a little overcrowded by it all.  That is usually a good time to stop spending or at the very least, slow it down and concentrate on making things instead.  I even declined more Icelandic wool from my Dad… That said, I had some lovely things liven to me at the Southern Wool Show.  Flic has taken pity on my phone and bought me a child’s stopwatch so that I can get my phone fixed and hopefully not break it again!  Ali gave me some dodgy yarn which isn’t at all dodgy and Helen baked some AMAZING brownies that clearly can’t be shown here because they got wolfed at the end of the show during take down.   So, here’s what has been incoming this month:     1 – Wild Wool from Erika Knight – a blend of wool and nettle. 2 – Some gorgeous hand spun from Mary at Marethdale.  I went to see her at The Pop Up Wool Show at Port Sunlight.  3 - Supposedly 'dodgy yarn' from Ali of the Little Drops of Wonderful podcast.  4 - Hand Spun from Jo at Dancing Goat Crafts. 5 - Present from Flic to preserve my phone! 6 – Studio Donegal’s ‘Soft Donegal’ in shades 5528 & 5219.  I bought these from Louise at Lighthouse Yarns when we were over for Yarnfolk. 7 – Woolganic Knitters Yarn from Australian Fleece Wool in shade CHB8.  I forgot to add it to the photo!       Harvest Hues from John Arbon Textiles ready for a crocheted Arete pashmina/cowl.   It’s a blend of Zwartbles (35%) and Merino (65%) and is only £11 per 100g.   7 - Quick News Beats  Global Hook Ups – The next Global Hook Up is due to be on Saturday 15th September 2018 (BST) Time: Saturday 15th September 2018 8:30 PM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join There is then a second one on Sunday 16th September at 9am (BST) Time: Sunday 16th September 2018 9:00 AM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join   Thanks to everyone that came to say hi at the Southern Wool Show.  I was hugging people right left and centre.  It was an amazing day and I am hoping to be there again next year.  My next show is Yarnporium in London on the 2nd & 3rd November.  It’s a whopper of a show and I have lots of stuff up my sleeve for it. It’s all very exciting!   8 – Big Up To everyone that is helping to pull together the #SockAlong2018.  I am really stretched for time at the moment, so having so many great people being involved is making it a better and more interesting CAL.  Huge thanks and appreciation going out to Caroline, Tamara, Kathryn, Claudia, Vicki and Deanne.  Let’s get some socks on the hook.      9 – J’adore Song – Of course I have a new song to obsess over and it’s another dance remix.  It’s called ‘Send me on my way’ by Rusted Roots and it’s a Jesse Bloch remix.  You may recognise the original from the film ‘Ice Age’. TV – We have gone back to watch Green Wing for the umptieth time.  This really is proper, silly, British humour.  It can be a bit sweary, so if that’s not your thing then don’t look it up! Autumn - It’s a bit Autumnal round these parts but I’m still managing to eek out a few more times sitting outside (with a blanket) as I work.  I love the Autumn and the fact that soup, log fires and blankets are back on the menu.   Fay x Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: Knitithookit Instagram: Faydhdesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Ravelry Group: Search for The Crochet Circle Podcast in Groups