This week I answer a question about how and when you should wind yarn and the best ways to store you stash safely. I also talk about the WIPs I'm whipping through and a special way that knitters are getting together to change the world for the better. Show Sponsor   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links: Pukka lemongrass and ginger tea Stash Appreciation Ravelry Thread Morning on the Dock Podcast Craftsy articles: To Wind or Not To Wind: How to Store Yarn  How to Wind Yarn into a Ball  Winding videos: Really nice clear video on how to HAND wind a centre pull ball on WEBS yarn.com Paula from the Knitting Pipeline winding yarn with a Scandinavian tool called a Nøstepinne. Using a winding tool– thick needle or pencil Or a turkey baster. Sock Blockers: Wire from Loop Knit Pro from Suffolk Socks If you want to order some custom oak sock blockers from Ginger Twist - just email Jess to inquire! New needles: Knitpro Zing from Meadow Yarn Circular Addi Lace Needles from Meadow Yarn What's in the WIP? Monkey Socks Finished! Immensely satisfying after nine years! Mina’s Two at a Time Socks using the Fish Lips Kiss heel:  I'm ready to cast on with Mind The Gap Nimbus self-striping sock yarn from Trailing Clouds Oleum Socks by Rachel Coopey in John Arbonne Exmoor Sock I realised I have gauge problems, so I'm going to have to frog. A new secret design (!!) using Copper Corgi’s Gradient in Peacock (and I'm also tempted by Pink Hot Chocolate) but I'm prototyping in Blue Sky Alpaca Upcoming Events Three Things For Yarn Love. I was listening to Episode 29 of the Yarn of The City and they're starting a bit of a movement.The idea is to have everyone declare three things they want to do for the yarn and fibre community around the world. The hashtag is #3thingsforyarnlove and I'm really excited to take part. So far, I've come up with: 1. Support Patty Joy, the creator of the  Fish Lips Kiss heel who is fighting breast cancer right now and raising money for a reunion with her kids by selling her sock heel pattern. She's Sox Therapistp on Ravelry, and hosts the 12 Socks Challenge annually. Paula from Knitting Pipeline is going to be helping to spread the news about her pattern at the Georgia retreat, and I'm hoping to do the same at Cumbria. I'll also be gifting the pattern to some people. 2. Support Knit Aid (which I heard about from Wool and The Gang) They are hosting a Mass Knit In Event to create squares for blankets for refugees. It's happening Valentine's Day, Sunday 14th February 2016 Time: 11am – 2:30pm Location: The Book Club, 100-106 Leonard Street, EC2R 4RH I can't go, but I'm going to spread the word and knit some squares to send along, as they're accepting donations of 20cm by 20cm squares in the lead up to the event. 3. TBA! The Unravel Festival at Maltings is on Feb, 19th to 21st. Unfortunately this is term time here so I can't make it, but it's sure to be a wonderful event. The Curious Handmade Country House Retreat is happening on March 14 to 17th 2016 in Cumbria, UK. All the spaces are sold out, but there is a waiting list. If you'd like me to add you, please get in touch! The Edinburgh Yarn Festival is March 18 to 19 2016 The Knitting Pipeline Georgia Retreat is on April 3 to 6 in the USA. That's all for this week, and for January! I can't believe that the first month of the year has flown by so fast. Until next week, happy knitting!  

This week I chat about creating more space in my life, finding a sense of ease in all my tasks and in my knitting, and planning how to use some of my stash for specific projects during this week of Stash Appreciation Month! Show Sponsor   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links: Great episode (77) on knitting goals from Shiny Bees Podcast. KAL News I’m excited about the The Finish It KAL being hosted by Lina Knits on her Ravelry Group. It’s running for the month of February, so we have lots of time to wrap up old WIPs! A couple of stash-busting KALs I mention: Wooly Wormheads 12 Hats in 12 Months - great for using up single skeins. Annual Stash dash by The Knit Girllls - focus on using up quantities of stash measured in km and miles! What’s in The WIP Monkey Socks I cast on the other sock! I’ve gotten halfway down the foot and by the time this is published I think I’ll be finished! Magic Cake Shawl: I picked this up again this week and it’s such a fun knit. All the new colours are so motivating, and I think I’ll have this finished before this year’s Knitting Pipeline Georgia retreat! Mina’s Two at a Time Socks using the Fish Lips Kiss heel: I have my foot template made for these and some fun yarns to work with, so I want to do several pairs. I reclaimed some yarn from an abandoned WIP Colinette’s Jitterbug in Raspberry. I also have some Mind The Gap Nimbus self-striping sock yarn from Trailing Clouds, and I want to knit up a pair in that, too. I also have Stray Cat Socks in Sunshower and a beautiful natural-dyed skein from Natasha at Taking a Moment in Time, which are both calling out to be beautiful socks. I have two sweater quantities of yarn in my stash A gorgeous gradient set from Copper Corgi, but I’m not sure what pattern to use for it. Blue Sky Alpaca Silk in Plumb Colourway which I specifically bought to make the Dahlia Cardigan by Heather Zoppetti Events The Unravel Festival at Maltings is on Feb, 19th to 21st. Unfortunately this is term time here so I can't make it, but it's sure to be a wonderful event. The Curious Handmade Country House Retreat is happening on March 14 to 17th 2016 in Cumbria, UK. All the spaces are sold out, but there is a waiting list. If you'd like me to add you, please get in touch! The Edinburgh Yarn Festival is March 18 to 19 The Knitting Pipeline Georgia Retreat is on April 3 to 6 in the USA. Registration is now open, and I'll be going! That’s just about it for this week! Happy knitting!

Show Sponsor   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links Yarn alert: my huge yarn crush on Anzula Squishy started last year when I used it for the new samples of my Afternoon Tea Shawl but it's been pretty hard to get your hands on in the UK. I've gotten the news from Meadow Yarn that they now have it in stock, so go have a look for yourself! I love the colours so much I'm tempted to buy it all up, Stash Appreciation Month notwithstanding. Stash Appreciation Month thread on Ravelry Lina Knits Video Podcast on YouTube Lina's Blog The Finish It KAL will take place on her Ravelry Group Mina from The Knitting Expat Podcast and Marsha from Fairy Little Twitch and Stitch are in the middle of an engrossing Sock Knitting Competition   What's in The WIP I finished my Cave Point Shawl! I love it.The pattern is by Paula Emons-Fuessle from Knitting Pipeline and it was an absolute joy to knit. It's also available as part of the gorgeous Shawls 2015 collection from Quince and Co. I knit it in Quince and Co.Chickadee in the Audouin heathered colourway. Still working on my Times Square by Norah Gaughan I'm waiting until I have time to be monogamous with my Reyka Pullover by Cirilia Rose so I'll probably wait until I've finished Times Square. Monkey Socks Oleum Socks by Rachel Coopey Some vanilla socks, developing a personal "recipe" the way Mina has, using the Fish Lips Kiss heel. Mina's Two at a Time Socks - free pattern on Ravelry Magic Cake Shawl by Paula from the Georgia Retreat The Curious Handmade Wardrobe Challenge is back on, and I'm already adding goals to my list for this quarter. Libby from Truly Myrtle is hosting a Wash Dress Sew-Along from the 12 to the 24th of Feb. I want to join in! You can sign up to her Mini Mag in the sidebar of her blog if you'd like to get updates about that. Washi Dress Pattern from Made By Rae I also want to make the Squam Westwater Tunic before I head off to Squam! Events The Unravel Festival at Maltings is on Feb, 19th to 21st. I can't go, but I know it will be a wonderful time. The Curious Handmade Country House Retreat is happening on March 14 to 17th 2016 in Cumbria, UK. It's sold out, but if you'd like to be put on the waiting list, please get in touch! The Edinburgh Yarn Festival is March 18 to 19 The Knitting Pipeline Georgia Retreat is happening  April 3 to 6 in the USA, and I'll be going! Registration is opening up today! That's all I've got for this week! Happy knitting!

    We're in the second week of Stash Appreciation Month, and I've made great progress on reviewing, organising, and documenting my stash, which has been a really lovely process. On today's episode I talk about how that's going, what it's like to be plunging into the new year, and my Word of The Year for 2016. You can join in chatting about Stash Appreciation in the Ravelry thread here. Show Sponsor   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links We spent our holidays together here: Lake Taupo in New Zealand I spent some more time thinking about my word for the year and finally arrived at Ease. These podcasts helped me as I weighed the possibilities: Elise Gets Crafty Podcast Wellpreneur Other podcasts that I've found helpful as I think about my goals for 2016: The Slow Home Podcast Knitting Expat Episode 42 What's in the WIP So close to finishing the first piece of my Times Square by Norah Gaughan I picked up my Cave Point Shawl by Paula Emons-Fuessle after not touching it for a while. And some exciting top secret new design projects! The Curious Handmade Wardrobe Challenge is back, and I'm participating again. Join us in the new thread for this quarter. Knitvent 2015 Winners! I'm delighted to announce our three winners! I drew three posts randomly, and all of the projects that one are actually gorgeous: Meadow Yarn Voucher: #9 The Ice River Snood by KayJay1809 Blacker Yarn Voucher: #96 Winter Wonder Shawl by LaurieBo Fringe Supply Co. Voucher: #31 Kindling Hat by Izziebeff   That's everything for this week! Happy knitting!

Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their very special Acadia yarn. Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. You can find Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links I give some tips to help you choose a word for the year. Susannah Conway - finding your word for the year email mini course What is your word for the year? January Podcast Theme is Stash Appreciation Month The rough structure for the month is: Week 1: Review Stash and organise - this may include editing and destashing Week 2: Document the stash - "manage what you measure" Week 3: Make some goals and maybe "rules" Week 4: Plan specific projects with stash yarn Are you keen to join in?