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Category Archives: Events
Knit Dizzney 2015 (or Laura and Jen get pixie-dusted)
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Come spend the day at the Disneyland Resort with Dizzy Blonde Studios and The Knotty Girls! You can purchase tickets online, or purchase them at the park. The official Knit Dizzney meet-up will be at the Hearthstone Lounge in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at 1:00pm.
This makes it feasible for you to enjoy either park, or just join us for the meet-up and not miss out! We’ll have goodie bags for the first 40 fiber crafters to arrive, as well as some fun games and prizes. Of course, there will be plenty of time to sit, knit/crochet and visit during the most crowded part of the day. If you’re just coming to the meet-up, there is free parking in the Downtown Disney parking lot for up to 3 hours, or up to 5 hours with validation from one of the Downtown Disney restaurants or cinema. Hearthstone Lounge DOES NOT validate, so plan accordingly. So come join us for a day of fun, fiber & frivolity!
And if spending time at the Happiest Place on Earth with a bunch fiber fanatics isn’t enough, there’s also a ton of exclusive swag, but only for a limited time, so get yours now by filling in the pre-order form at the bottom of this post. T-shirt pre-orders close August 4th, yarn pre-orders will close on August 14, 2015, as will the project bags, if we haven’t sold out before then.
For more information on the yarn see Dizzy Blondes Studios’ post “Think Happy Thoughts!”
For mor information on the project bags see Dizzy Blonde Studios’ post “Once Upon a Tink”
And finally, for more information about the t-shirts please see Dizzy Blonde Studios’ post “Tink Dizzney T-shirts!”
ORDERS ARE NOW CLOSED
Thank you!
Episode 39: Skewing Manly (or Laura and Jen Have Too Many Relatives)
Thank you to Knitwhisperer for their kind donation.
Catching Up: (0:47)
Jen saw Saint Vincent, The Book of Life, and Interstellar. She enjoyed them all. The acting is great in Saint Vincent; Book of Life is beautiful, and she definitely thinks Interstellar is definitely worth seeing, but she wasn’t wild about the ending. She’s been reading Game of Thrones and really liking it. They celebrated a big birthday for Ron with a really nice party and her parents came to visit. She’s been spinning up her Knitpicks Wool of the Andes roving. She’s trying to make a 2-ply fingering. And she went to WeFF. She had a lot of fun and won a ton a stuff in the door prize drawings and bought some really nice roving from Morro Fleece Works and RedFish DyeWorks and buttons.
Laura was a vendor at WEFF and had a good day. She split her booth with Kamalei’s Naturals. She bought some yarn from RedFish. She went to Disneyland with her brother and his kids. She’s been watching Buffy Season 3 to prepare for the Sunnydale Yarn Club. She also finished the first half of Season 7 of Doctor Who. She’s been dying a lot and trying to keep her mind off of some health concerns that are most likely nothing, but that are causing some stress.
We mention Forbidden Woolery.
In the Knitting Bag: (20:05)
Jen has been still working on her Heirloom Layette Set by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence out of Cascade Heritage in Snow. She has not yet heard back from Knitpicks, so she will create her own edging. And she is working on the sweater instead. She’s working on her plain socks out of FabFunkyFibres 15 Coloured Rainbow self-striping yarn. She started The Age of Brass and Steam by Orange Flower Yarn out of Feederbrook Farms Entropy in the colorways Nebula and Paradox–she is going to do a gradual transition between the two. She also started a plain Customfit pullover using Cascade Heritage in Deep Plum. She is doing a close-fit, 3/4 length sleeve in tunic length, with a scoop neck and seed stitch border. And finally she started the Porcupine Blanket from 60 Quick Baby Knits out of Cascade 220 Superwash. She thinks the porcupines look more like hedgehogs.
Laura is working on the Motoring Madness mittens by Audrey Nicklin for her husband out of custom-dyed Dizzy Blonde DK. She is also working on Knitted Scale Mail Gloves in an Iron Man theme by CraftyMutt for her granddaughter’s father. She is doing them out of Brown Sheep Worsted in the Red Fox colorway. She decided to crochet the repulsors and applique them on, instead of doing intarsia. And she continues to work on her Yggdrasil Afghan by Lisa Jacobs out of reclaimed Berroco Vintage Chunky in Mocha. She’s on the applied edging and it’s a lot of knitting.
We mention Sock Architecture by Lara Neel.
Finished Objects: (28:15)
Jen finished her Chickadee Cardigan by Ysolda Teague from Little Red in the City out of Quince and Co. Chickadee in Rosa Rugosa, Slate, Egret, and Lichen. She just needs to put buttons on it, but she loves it so much she’s been wearing it without buttons. The sleeves are little short for her taste, but just because she likes really long sleeves.
Laura finished a hat for Halos of Hope out of Knitpicks Brava Worsted in orange, lavender, and some neutral greys and browns. PM or email Laura if you’re local and have hats for Halos; she is willing to send them.
Devil’s Tower (31:43)
Jen has been working on finishing (weaving in ends etc) on her Playful Stripes Cardigan and on her Mustachioed blanket.
Laura may put her Yggdrasil in Devil’s Tower to work on some gift knitting. (So she is decidedly not participating in the Knitmore Girls Grinchmas Contest).
We mention Watty’s Wall Stuff
Frog Pond: (36:40)
Luckily, we have both avoided the Frog Pond.
On Deck: (36:51)
Jen will make a layette based on the Baby Yours Sweater. She will make a second Playful Stripes Cardigan, the Hitofude Cardigan, and a Rockefeller for Ron.
Laura will make the Night Blooming Shawlette for the Sunnydale Yarn Club KAL. She also has on the list Quinty by Bernadette Ambergen, the Death Star by Patricia Castillo, Ink by Hanna Maciejewska, the Crochet Fan Shawl by Valerie Martin, and Art Déco and Dreambird by Nadita Swings, and the the Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig.
Knit Culture: (42:55)
We talk a little bit of Stashdown. We loved October’s entries. Congratulations to ShadowAP, you win a copy of Sock Architecture, courtesy of Cooperative Press. November’s theme is food, so put your FOs in the thread. December’s theme is “A Gift for Myself”. Knit something that you really love. Treat yourself. Use that skein that is so pretty or work on that project that you love.
We review Knitting 20th Century Art by Deborah Tomasello. We totally love this book. The patterns are really clever and inspired and there are nice overviews of modern art movements. We both appreciate the whimsy and the beauty of her patterns and we like the styling.
Geek Culture: (54:39)
We talk about the discovery of part of Amelia Earhart’s plane.
We also talk about the Rolling Stone Reader’s poll about the Ten Best Stephen King books. We weigh in our favorites and would love to hear about your favorite horror books.
And there is a Firefly Clue Board game. For serious.
Events: (1:03:16)
Stitches West is February 19-22 and both Jen and Laura will be there. Laura is vending and Jen will be taking a ton of classes, but come say hi!
Vogue Knitting LIVE! is at the Pasadena Convention Center on April 17-19. Laura may take some classes and Jen may go to the marketplace.
Episode 24: Captain Puerto Rico (Or Laura and Jen Need Neck Models)
The I Flunked the Written Cowl for the Sunnydale Yarn Club
This episode is sponsored by the new and improved Dizzy Blonde Studios. Check out our new website at www.dizzyblondestudios.com
Catching Up: (00:55)
Laura was at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company for meet and greets for the Los Angeles Yarn Crawl. We mention Trendsetter Yarns, Baah Yarn, and Reywa Fibers. She got to take a day off and go to Disneyland, where she got to meet Thor and see a lot of props from the Marvel Universe movies. She’s on Round 3 of her final Nerd Wars tournament for a while. She is still working out some of the bugs for the new Dizzy Blonde Studios website. She will use her Etsy shop for patterns and clearance yarns and one-off skeins. She’s also fighting a cold.
Jen was at the Craftcation Conference in Ventura. She stayed at a hotel right on the water. She loves Ventura. And she took a cookingclass with Aida Mollenkamp. She learned to make preserved lemons, took a drawing class, took workshops on branding, social media, and blogs, got to listen to Melanie Falick on a panel, did some embroidery classes (and got embroidery kits from Ugly Baby and La Ru (with patterns from Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching). She’s reading Swamplandia!. She’s working on a monologue from the play Educating Rita for her acting class. And she’s going to write on her blog more. And she released a a pattern! It’s currently exclusive for the Sunnydale Yarn Club, but in six months, you can buy it.
In the Knitting Bag: (15:53)
Laura is working on the left hand version of the Hand to Hold Dishcloth by Rachel van Schie. She has done the right hand square in Berroco Vintage DK in blue. She is also working on a blanket square using the Fruity Oaty Bar Chart by Elizabeth Herac out of Berroco Comfort in a sage green. She is working on her vintage man sock in Lambie Toes in the color No Touching Guns. And she’s continuing to work on the Broncos hat for her brother out of Knitpicks Brava in blue, orange, and cream. And she has put a few leaves on her Leftie by Martina Behm, out of a Miss Babs kit in slate and reds.
Jen is also working on a Leftie out of Knitpicks Palette in Cream, Rouge, Spearmint, and Aster. She is very happy that she went stashdiving. She is working on a Leah’s Lovely Cardigan out of Malabrigo sock in Eggplant. She is working on her Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig out of Fibre Company Organik in Highlands. She regrets not doing the sleeves before she finished the body, so there is less to flip (something she learned fromThe Knitmore Girls), because the body of this sweater is heavy.
We mention Melissa’s custom colorway from the Loopy Ewe.
Finished Objects: (26:36)
Laura finished the right hand Hand to Hold Blanket Square, the Leaf on the Wind “Wash Cloth” by Becca out of Berroco comfort worsted.
Jen finished her 2×2 ribbed scarf out of Patons Wool Classic in the colorway Kimono for the charity Interval House.
Devil’s Tower: (28:45)
Laura has been really good about pulling things out of the Devil’s Tower. Jen’s Rocky Coast Cardigan is hovering around Devil’s Tower. And her Watership Down KAL shawl is Devil’s Tower because she doesn’t have the brain power for it right now.
Frog Pond: (30:55)
Jen has been lucky, but Laura has not been. Laura frogged her initial Bronco’s hat because the pattern with the stripes was looking too feminine. In addition, she put a knot in at the color change and the knot came undone and it unraveled. Plus, she couldn’t figure out a way to do the color changes she liked, so she frogged it and started over in a new pattern of her own making.
On Deck: (33:20)
After Nerd Wars, Laura plans on making an Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig out of Dizzy Blonde Sock in Timey Wimey (TARDIS Blue). She also will be making some more blanket squares for Nerd Wars.
Jen kind of wants to re-make her Sweetheart of the Rodeo cardigan, because it’s knit at a small gauge in high twist yarn (Wollmeise DK). She may just cut out the colorwork and re-do it as embroidery. Or maybe she will re-make a new one out of fingering weight. She wants to make the Chickadee from Ysolda’s book Little Red in the City in Quince and Company Chickadee in Slate, Egret, Lichen, and Rosa Rugosa. She also wants to make a Lauriel Cardigan (also by Ysolda and from Little Red in the City) out of Wollmeise DK in Pesto.and a pair of Water for the Elephants socks by Rose Hiver in some Knitpicks Stroll in a bare (natural) and Summer Blooms (pink). She also has an idea for some mitts with jacaranda blossoms embroidered on them.
We mention Celestarium and Southern Skies by Audrey Nicklin.
Knit Culture: (40:06)
We answer a question from our Knotty Talk Thread. knitallthestuff asks
Here’s one that falls more under “discussion topic” than “request for help/info”. When selecting what patterns to knit/crochet and which ones to do next, how do you juggle all the conflicting desires/intentions:
1. OMG, SHINY! Must. Make. Now.
2. I should do this now, so I can get some use out of it before next year.
3. It would be really nice to have this, but I should wait until X date (see #2).
4. Other deadlines, whether externally- or self-imposed (Christmas, Birthdays, Ravellenics).
5. That skein of ___ is calling to me from my stash. I must use it and love it and call it George.
We answer, but we want to know what you think. We come up with the overall answer of “it depends on the mood and the pattern.” We both determine that we are more motivated by the pattern than the yarn. Laura has had a great need for deadline work for Nerd Wards and booth samples. Jen takes the cast on time into account. We mention a bunch of patterns, including Yggdrasil and the The Princess Shawl.
But we really want to know about your motivations. So let us know in the Ravelry thread for this episode.
We also announce prizes for the overall Podcaster Throwdown.
PlainJayne12 knit the most hats overall (for Team Sock-a-holic). The most prolific knitter for Team KnottyGirls was Karen E. They both win an “Almost the Works Package” for any Stitches event in 2014 or 2015, donated by XRX Books.
Carrie M. of The Yarn Sellar contributed the most hats overall. She got the residents of a correctional facility to knit and donate 99 hats for Team Craftlit. She wins a membership to the second patrol of the Sunnydale Yarn Club donated by Dizzy Color.
Robdob contributed the most virtual hats. She raffled off a shawl and donated the proceeds to Team Sock-a-holic. She wins a prize package consisting of a 40th Anniversary Large Eden Drawstring Bag from Della Q, 1 Set each Knitters Pride Dreamz US Size 5 in 24” & 40”, Valley Yarns Pattern Series Snowdrop Baby Blanket, and 10 balls Valley Yarns Longmeadow in Natural, donated by WEBS.
Our team MVP is Peggy Baxter (pbaxter), president of ESSS, who was such an enthusiastic supporter. She wins a two-year subscription to Knitter’s Magazine, donated by XRX Books.
Random Drawings:
4 Mini-skein samplers donated by Skeindalous Yarns
1. Estella A
2. Meshuggeknitter
3. Bluesjules
4. Seajaneknit
5 skeins Blondee Merino/Superfine Alpaca blend donated by Dizzy Blonde Studios
1. Kim Rennick
2. indigodogmt
3. CrispyBacon
4. JudithLee
5. Mary
3 Books donated by Heather Ordover of Craftlit
1. What would Madame Defarge Knit?–Edith
2. What else would Madame Defarge Knit?–Susan from Brea
3. Grounded–Barbula
2 skeins of 100% Yak Yarn donated by Bijou Basin Ranch
1. Dark Blue–Glenda from Fullerton
2. Light Sandy Brown–knitsnhikes
1 4oz./100g. Skein Skeindalous Joi Sport 100% BFL in Candy Floss donated by Skeindalous Yarns–Barbula
A copy of History on Two Needles donated by Annie Modesitt–Ruth L
A digital pattern collection of Marly Bird’s patterns donated by Marly Bird herself–Karen E
3 Needle Cases donated by Knit Totes
1. RKSmom
2. Fred from ESSS
3. afreyedknot
2 50-gram skeins FibraNatura 100% linen donated by Laura
1. Regatta color–Shanda S
2. Purple color–KnittyBarb
A Project Back Pack donated by the KnottyGirls Knitcast–E Gould
3 Knit stitch marker sets donated by the KnottyGirls Knitcast
1. k8erpillar
2. Kay from Ladera Ranch
3. scmusicals
2 Crochet stitch marker sets donated by the KnottyGirls Knitcast
1. ariane
2. Lifewithmonkey
Thank you so much to all the prize doners, to everyone who contributed hats (virtual or real) or gave someone yarn to knit hats or contributed in any way. You all did an amazing thing for Halos of Hope.
Geek Culture: (1:01:01)
We talk about knitting webcomics. We mention Worsted for Wear and Knit Princess. We love both of them. Jen also mentions other webcomics she loves: Questionable Content and xkcd. And we want to know what cool stuff you find on the internet. So we started a thread in our Ravelry group where you can post any cool knitting-related or geek-related things you find on the internet. Share the love.
Events: (1:05:29)
Signups for Patrol 2 of the Sunnydale Yarn Club will start April 17th and close on May 2nd. There are 32 spots in the club; if more than 32 people sign up, names will be drawn for the spots on May 5th. First installment will go out in June. Pricing, details, and the signup form are at dizzycolor.wordpress.com
We are planning an event for World Wide Knit In Public Day. Details to follow, but our event will be either June 21 or June 22.
We are both going to the CogKNITive retreat run by Dr. Gemma of the CogKNITive Podcast on July 25.
Jen will be at the Retzlaff Winery Fleeces, Food, and Fun event on June 7th.
We also mention Pear Pie with Red Wine and Rosemary.
Thanks for listening to our 25th episode. Our next milestone prize will be at 1000 members, so join the Ravelry Group. And don’t forget to post your finished April projects in the April Thread. You can win yarn!
Episode 22: Wearing Fichus to the Opera (Or Jen Reads Faster than she Talks)
Catching Up: (1:07)
Laura has been basking in the afterglow and trying to recover from Stitches West. She’s also been dying custom colorways for two stores for the Los Angeles Yarn Crawl. She’s been watching Broadchurch. And she’s been working with her nephew to design a new Dizzy Blonde website. And she’s really wanting a Disneyland trip.
Jen wants to go to Disneyland too, but her back needs to recover from Stitches. She’s been doing some music with Ron (who’s been nicely recovering from his surgery). She’s been reading Sandman Overture. And she’s been watching a lot of West Wing and Star Trek.
In the Knitting Bag: (8:04)
Laura has been working on her Leftie by Martina Behm, out of a Miss Babs kit in slate and red.
She’s also been working on a Teddy Bear Wash Cloth by Elaine Fitzpatrick in Berroco Comfort DK in some shade of brown.
Jen has been working on her Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig out of Fibre Company Organik in Highlands. She’s also working on a vanilla sock out of Opal Sock Yarn (Petticoat series in greens and purples and yellows). She’s worked a bit on her Watership Down KAL shawl. And she finished the Mustachioed blanket by Christina Behnke out of Cascade 128 Superwash in Aporto and Black. She might want to line it, because she hates the backside of intarsia.
We mention the Playful Stripes Cardigan by Alana Dakos, 60 Quick Baby Knits, 60 More Quick Baby Knits, and 60 Quick Baby Blankets.
Finished Objects: (16:46)
Laura finished the Scallop Hat by JT creations out of Knitpicks Brava Sport in Sienna Brown.
Jen finished her shawl for the Ravellenics out of Mean Girls Yarn Club.
Frog Pond: (18:16)
Jen had some trouble designing her shawl because she kept realizing she was going to run out of yarn and having to change the way she was going to knit it. She realized that designing a pattern for Ravellenics is probably not the smartest thing.
Devil’s Tower: (20:07)
Laura has put Assquack into Devil’s Tower. It needs to be assembled, but she is sick of hats.
On Deck: (20:37)
Laura will be making a Nigh Side Hat by Preita Salyer for her brother in Broncos colors of Knitpicks Brava. She will also do some blanket squares for some of her Browncoat Nerd Wars friends who are expecting. Some will be in the Dizzy Blonde DK.
Jen wants to make the Water for the Elephants socks by Rose Hiver in some Knitpicks Stroll in a pink and a natural. She also wants to make Chickadee by Ysolda out of Quince and Company Chickadee. She wants to make more baby things for the new niece or nephew, but she will have to buy more yarn because she does not have a lot of baby-appropriate (aka SUPERWASH) yarn.
Knit Culture: (23:45)
We do a little more of a Stitches West recap. Jen loved all of her classes, even though recommends Edie Eckman’s Where Do They Get Those Numbers? class for mathphobic knitters. She makes it really easy. Laura loved her Brooke Nico class about German and Japanese lace. We mention Brooke Nico’s new book, Lovely Knitted Lace: A Geometric Approach to Gorgeous Wearables. We mention the Yarnover Truck.
We are proud to be knitting aunties to the youngest of the Knitmore Girls. We loved meeting Miss Kalendar‘s baby, Steve from It Takes Balls to Knit, Pam from Halos of Hope, Tammy and Ben from Fiber Hooligans, Rick Mondragon, and all the listeners we got to meet. And one final special huge thank you to the girls from Namaste for their support of the Podcaster Throwdown.
And Laura wants to thank Erika, Donna, and Liz for the help in the booth. Jen wants to thank Melissa for being a great travel companion.
We talk about the Podcaster Throwdown. We WON! Despite having a lot fewer listeners than some podcasts (which just makes our listeners even more awesome!). But everyone put up a great fight. Thank yous to all of you who sent hats, donated money or prizes, to Pam, Ben, Purlescence Yarns, all the podcasters, Steve Haschke (who coordinated all the hats), and the El Segundo Slipt Stitchers.
Finally Tally:
Team Knit Knit Cafe: 126 + 26 = 152
Team CraftLit: 280 + 20 = 300
Team Knitmore Girls: 802 + 125 = 927
Team Knotty Girls: 876 + 89 = 965
Team Sock-A-Holic: 442 + 165 = 607
Team Ready, Set, Knit: 300 + 8 = 308
Total Podcast Throwdown contribution: 2,826 + 433 = 3,259
General hats, on Stitches West show floor: 289. Previous 10 virtual hats were identified as belonging to Team Sock-A-Holic and now appear in their totals.
GRAND TOTAL for Stitches West, 2014: 3,115 actual hats + 433 virtual hats = 3,548
For the Ravellenic Games, Laura didn’t even cast on. She was too busy with Stitches West prep. Jen finished, but just barely, because she frogged the shawl too much.
We talk about the Stashdown. March’s theme is March Madness. Post a finished object on the theme in the thread to win a prize! We announce winners for February. Jill Serenity wins the love challenge with her two cowls. She wins a copy of Cascadia by Amanda Milne and Fiona McLean, courtesy of Cooperative Press. Buzzedangel won the Red flash challenge with her red Hexipuff. She wins a set of conversation hearts stitch markers from k8erpillar.
Geek Culture: (42:29)
We point out some amazing math-geek knitting articles by Evelyn Lamb. Go read “The Stunning Symbiosis Between Math and Knitting” and “Roots of Unity: Knotted Needles Make Knitted Knots.
We’re also a big fan of the infographics that Casey put together in celebration of Ravelry reaching 4 million members.
Events: (43:55)
The Los Angeles Yarn Crawl is April 3rd-6th. Jen is not crawling (she is out of town at Craftcation). Laura is having a meet and greet on Thursday April 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30 at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company. She is having a second meet and greet (also at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company) on Saturday April 5th from 12pm to 3pm.
We will be doing something for WWKIP, so watch this space for details.
Our next milestone prize will be at 1000 members, so join the Ravelry Group.
KnottyGirls KnitCast 