Knitmoregirls's Podcast
A Mother-Daughter Knitting Podcast.
Director's Cut: Selecting a fleece - The Knitmore Girls Podcast





















Sandi Luck (from Purlescence Yarns) discusses selecting fleeces.

When picking a fleece:

1- Smell it. Does it smell wrong? Sour? Ill. That's a "no" sign.
2- Has it been jacketed? They are less likely to grow mold or have sunbunt tips.
3- Is there a whole lot of vegetable matter?
4- Has the fleece been skirted?
5- How do the fibers look? Is there a noticeably damaged location?
6- Snap the lock by your ear. Does it sound like a guitar string? That's good. Crackling is bad.
7) Look out for short cuts.

If you can't touch the fleece, listen closely to the judging.

Judging is done by:

1) Staple length, by breed
2) Color quality
3) Strength of fiber
4) Damaged tips
5) quality of Shearing

With micron count: Low numbers are soft, high numbers are coarse.

Direct download: fleece_selection.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:04pm PDT

A Verb for Having Fun - Episode 62 - The Knitmore Girls Podcast





















This episode has been sponsored by:

purl logo
This week: Merino fiber dyed by Pagewood Farms. Available by weight. Local folks, come learn to spin with us in our Drop Spinning Basics class, starting July 25.


On the Needles: (00:27)

ROAD TRIP! We go up to Berkeley with Miss Kalendar (from Brass Needles) to A Verb for Keeping Warm and Lacis.

Jasmin's favorite thing at Verb- the 70% Superwash Merino/ 30% Silk sock yarn. Gigi's is the Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend, dyed with Indigo. (Not on the Verb website yet, sorry!)

Lacis is delightfully overwhelming. Gigi describes a chatelaine. You can see Jasmin's pictures here. Jasmin discusses circular shawls, "Alison" shawls, the Mandala shawl that GretchDragon
knit for her, and the circular blocking wire. Gigi's favorite thing of the day were the Iris Silk pins!

Jasmin found a notions pouch at Target. (She shares Jackie's, of KIPing it Real, love of school supplies.) Not available online, but it's the Innovative Storage Designs Pencil Pouch.

We discuss "The Fashion Show". In the finale, Anna has a knit dress [picture #5] (reminiscent of the Venus Rising Cardigan, by Lucy Neatby).

Jasmin is knitting the Cable and Cowl Cardigan by Mathew Gnagy out of Cascade Eco + (in navy blue). Jasmin drafted up a chart, made some changes, and is loving her Leslie Wind Cable Needle Necklace.

Gigi is working on her acrylic baby blanket, and practiced different joins because of the Lucy Neatby DVDs. (Jasmin has a retraction, and directs you to look at the DVD content list on Lucy's site.)

Jasmin's Adamas has rows that are getting longer. And longer. And longer. Jasmin has been wearing her Katarina around and about!

Thanks to Susan Rife, for her lovely article in the Herald Tribune!

Events: (33:26)
- Sock Summit: Aug. 6-9. Portland, Oregon. Meet and greet TBD.
- Monterey Wool Auction: [Click on "Sunday"] August 16th, 12:30
- PIQF: October 15-18. Santa Clara Convention center. Gigi is taking a class from Robbi Joy Ecklow.

Mother Knows Best: (35:04)

Gigi discusses lining knits. She uses her Nicky Epstein Striped Houndstooth bag as an example. Gigi talks about a class she took on lining knits from Jean Frost (author of Jean Frost Jackets), and recommends that anyone interested in lining knits take it.

When KNITTERS Attack! (43:34)

Knitters are patient- UNLESS- they're waiting for a yarn shop to open.

Straw into Gold: ( 45:36)

Tour de Fleece: Stage 15. Jasmin admits to being a lousy draft rider.

Jasmin has finished her Mango from Redfish Dyeworks, her Albatross from Crown Mountain, and only has to ply Tallulah. Post your finished stuff/works in progress to the Team Spinmore thread!

Jasmin finished spinning some Tussah silk (from A Verb for Keeping Warm, color Vermillion II). She has wound the first ounce onto a plastic bobbin. (Alden Amos' book can be found here.) It is going to grow up to be a handspun Aeolian, which ChloeSparkle and Miss Kalendar are doing as well.

Jasmin is spinning some Abstract Fiber 50% Cashmere / 50% silk in "solids" (blue) which will grow up to be a Cold Mountain stole.

Gigi bought some "Gentle" from Lacis for a lace wrap.

Jasmin has a moment of weakness in the Lace Gauntlet Throwdown.

Direct download: Episode_62.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:54pm PDT