Episode 266: Head to Toe

Down Cellar Studio Podcast

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 266 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:

• Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• Brainstorming
• From the Armchair
• In my Travels
• KAL News
• Events
• Contest, News & Notes
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Rising Tide Fiber Co, Enchanted Etchings, Chit Chat Knits Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins 3 Crochet Charity Hats

• Wool Ease Thick & Quick Bedrock Hat. Ravelry Project Page. 9 mm crochet hook
• Standard circle increases up to (inc, sc5)
• Lion Brand Baby's First Hat. Ravelry Project Page. 8 mm crochet hook.
• I added a large flower using this tutorial from Instagram by tanoshiimajo.
• Purple Crochet Hat. Ravelry Project Page. 8 mm crochet hook. Mystery yarn.

Perry's Christmas Hat

• Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood
• Yarn: Goosey Fibers, Squishy DK. OOAK colorway
• Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) for ribbing. US 7 (4.5 mm) for body.
• Ravelry Project Page
• Notes- This is the 14th time I've knit this pattern. Yarn was a sample from collab with Cait for my Stay Out of the Forest Hat which you can find on Ravelry & LoveCrafts.

I blocked & sewed the buttons on Mom's 2023 Rhinebeck Sweater

• Pattern: Carbeth Cardigan by Kate Davies (~$8 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & this website)
• Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) for the ribbing and US 9 (5.5 mm) for the body
• Yarn: Sweitzer Fiber Mill mystery yarn purchased at Maryland Sheep & Wool 2023
• My Ravelry Project Page

I added belt loops to Mom's Wave of Change Cardigan- Ravelry Project Page. On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Liz's Socks

• Yarn: Area 51 Fibres Sturdy Alien Base ( n the (80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon) in the National Periodic Table Day Colorway (self striping with rainbow and gray)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry )
• Ravelry Project Page

Jen/Riley's Matching Hexi Blankets

• Pattern: Using this photo tutorial & this video tutorial.
• Hook: D (3.25 mm)
• We are making 4 round hexagons.
• As Riley finishes one, she texts me and I work up my corresponding mini. We've done 4 so far.

Let the Mystery Unravel 2023 Blanket of Calm

• Pattern: Blanket of Calm by Casapinka (free crochet pattern)
• Yarn: Woolen Women Fibers- Let the Mystery Unravel subscription + Cascade Heritage
• Hook: 3.25 mm (D)
• Ravelry Project Page
• Check out the October Unboxing video
• Progress: I finished the 3-round border in the dark gray.

Welcome to Litchfield Spinning Project

• 4 oz of Texel from Into the Whirled- Welcome to Litchfield
• Ravelry Project Page

Christmas Stockings

• Pattern: Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Family Circle Magazine. Available in this web archive link. I’ve also saved it to my podcast Gmail Google Drive in case it disappears! web.archive.org-Christmas Stockings to Knit and Crochet from Our Archives.pdf
• Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, Hunter Green and White
• Hook: G (4.0 mm)
• Patrick's Stocking- Ravelry Project Page
• Melissa's Stocking- Ravelry Project Page

Brainstorming

• I received my Woolens & Nosh Advent socks. I wound up the contrast color and I'm going to plan to finish both cuffs before December 1st.

From the Armchair

1. The Armor of Light by Ken Follett (read by John Lee). Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
2. Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.
3. Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.

Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases. In My Travels Fiber Festival of New England

• Ran into Jean (Mazzy Girl), Amy (CapeNeddickknitter), Michelle- chellescrips, Jen, Carlos, Aurora & Zelda.
• Jess & Roger and team from Stitched by Jessalu. Donated a percentage of their sales to our FearLESS Living Fund. Donation for $350 came through this week and we are so grateful. If any other sponsors would like to do a fundraiser like this in the future, let us know! We'd love to help promote it.
• Check out our video to see the Eastern States Exposition Center, see what we bought and all of the fun eye candy!

KAL News Pigskin Party '23 #DCSPigskinParty23

• Official Rules
• Find everything you need on my website or in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group
• Register using this Google Form (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes)
• Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form
• Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc.
• Coupon Codes are listed in this Google Doc & in this Ravelry Thread
• Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread
• Questions- ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com
• Updates this Episode
• Tune in to hear if you won an October Participation Prize.
• I also announced the winners of our Announce Q1 Challenge winners- hosted by Paper Daisy Creations.
• Quarter 2 Challenge: Embrace Nature brought to you by our Official Sponsor of the Quarter Bella Fio. Runs 11/1-11/30/23. Full details can be found in this Google Doc and in this Ravelry Thread.
• I gave a sneak peek of our Quarter 3 Challenge. Check out the Waymaker Cowl by Amanda Massingill (Mandi's Makings). Free knitting pattern available on Ravelry.
• WIPs Challenge: Finish WIPs you started before the Pigskin Party kicked off on 9/7/23! If you finish them between 11/10/23 and 1/10/24, you'll earn 150 points. Full details can be found in this Google Doc and in this Ravelry Thread.
• I announced October Participation Prize Winners, Quarter 1 Challenge Winners & gave a sneak peek of our Quarter 3 Challenge hosted by Mandi's Makings. Check out The Waymaker Cowl on Ravelry.
• Update from Commissioners:
• There is lots of excitement about the Q2 challenge.
• Most of the people who have finished have completed hats. If you poke around the scoreboard and the chat threads you’ll see so many stunning examples. For example, quite a few folks have finished patterns from the knitting the National parks book.
• Juliepoolie71 made the Crater Lakes hat. Ravelry Project Page.
• Esalaza made the Hawai’i Volcanoes Beanie. Ravelry Project Page.
• Knitternicole made the Theodore Roosevelt Beanie. Ravelry Project Page.
• But you don’t have to knit a hat for this challenge. Hollyelyse finished a whole colorwork sweater for the challenge (in 10 days!) Check out the Ravelry Project Page.
• You don’t even have to knit for this challenge. You can crochet or spin too. For example:
• Sarahsyarn86 is crocheting adorable granny squares that have daisies in the center. Check out the Ravelry Project Page.
• Katanorand is working on a spinning project using fiber in the colorway strawberry fields. Check out this Ravelry Post.

Events

• My cousin Linda's friend is looking for warm handknit/crocheted items for adult and youth homeless in Massachusetts. They set up tables on Thanksgiving and put all of the handmade items on the fence outside their church in Woburn center. Calling for all makers who want to donate. PM me on Ravelry or email me at downcellarstudio at gmail.com and I'll give you the address to send them to. Any fiber type welcome. Hats, scarves, mitts, shawls, blankets. Anything warm is welcome!
• I'll be participating in Vlogmas again this year. Is there anything you especially want to see? Let me know and I'll see what I can do. Check out previous years playlists: Vlogmas 2022 Playlist & Vlogmas 2021 Playlist
• Vogue Knitting Live- New York City: January 25- 28, 2024

Contest, News & Notes

• Scrappy Helical Clasp Weft Tutorial available on my YouTube Channel.
• In this video I show you how to use Cate's Clasp Weft Join along with Helical Knitting to create really fun and vibrant scrappy socks without having to weave in a million ends!
• Check out my trip with Mom to New England Fiber Festival.
• November Yarnable Unboxing Video is available.
• Coming soon- life/health updates recorded with Mom.

On a Happy Note

• For Halloween, Mom & I reprised our Sanderson sister roles. I trick or treated with Hattie for a little while then hung out by the fire with family and friends.
• Megg & I bought a 5 pack of tickets for shows at the Boston Opera House this season. Our first show was November 1st, Frozen. We were able to add on two tickets and bring Millie and Hattie with us. We had an absolutely magical night!
• On the Saturday while Mom & I were at New England Fiber Festival, Riley was texting me. She did her first hexi all on her own! Then a couple more! When she ran out of minis, she moved onto her Riley Rose Cowl and sent a photo of her knitting and watching Gilmore Girls. Be still my heart!
• Watching Gabriella & Zachary for the afternoon.
• Finally making a dent in my Christmas shopping. My goal the last couple years has been to be completely finished before December 1 so I can really enjoy December. Sometimes I'm better at that than other years, but I'm going to really try hard to get that done by my deadline this year.
• One of my cousin Lauren's friends from Amsterdam gifted me a pack of Stroopwafels which I enjoyed with coffee in my new chicken mug from NE Fiber Fest!
• We went to Flight Club in Seaport District of Boston for Conor's 35th Birthday- just after I found out he and Carly are expecting their first baby in June (right around my. birthday)!

Quote of the Week Bad luck in small doses can cast a glittering light on the rest of life. –Ann Patchett ------ Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information:

• Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon!
• Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group
• Instagram: BostonJen1
• YouTube: Down Cellar Studio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio
• Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio
• Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel
• Knit Picks Affiliate Link
• Bookshop Affiliate Link
• Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link
• Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/
• Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.