Sisters of the Holy Fiber -Episode 19- A Hermione Moment

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Projects of the Moment: WIPs Report

TinyKiwi picks her Granny Rose Square Triangle back up after two three weeks of neglect and vows to finish the horrible thing.

RambunctiouSky plugs away at her Shawl of Doooooom Evenstar Shawl, while her second pair of Socks for Terri are in time-out.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Finished Objects! (2:44)

RS’s FOs: Starfish Bottle Topper/Cat Toy~!

Preemie Hat

TK’s FO: It’s a Slouchy Hat! More importantly, it’s done!
*******HAT PIC TK!******
Accidental Brainy Moment, where TK teaches that you can cast-on over two needles if you’re a tight knitter (then pull one out when you’re done casting-on) and it helps keep your cast-on row from being too tight.

Brainy Moments (8:27)

TK made the long-promised tatting video, but hates it, so will re-do next week.

RS reminds us, if you don’t know how to make something, just ask! People won’t bite your head off, we promise.  By the Power of Raverly vested in me, we can help you make a bobble.

Hyperventilate (13:19)

RS geeks out playing the old-school version of Zelda. Much wandering around and dying ensues!

TK worries about the quality of the upcoming TV show Constantine and the upcoming Maleficent movie.  Fingers are crossed, but breath is not being held. Maleficent has been one of TK’s favorite villains for as long as she can remember, so the new movie makes her very anxious.

Books to Stick Your Nose In (18:34)

Book of Stitch Symbols [Crochet] {Japanese Vogue’s Golden Series Basic Book}: Well understood basics in the first person …Sorry if my translation is a bit wonky.  I’m by no means a proficient translator, but I content myself by usually being at least a smidge more understandable than Google Translate.
編み目記号の本 かぎ針あみ (日本ヴォーグ社の基礎BOOKゴールデンシリーズ) はじめての人にもよくわかる基礎の本
Lovely book though.  Very helpful if you like to make amigurumis or work off of Japanese patterns.

I Spy (21:04)

TK gets too excited. She sees a Red-Tailed Hawk, American Crows, a Phoebe, House Sparrows and Finches.  Interrupting TK is interrupting to remember she also saw sheep and goats. So cute!  TK learns from the British Goat Society that the little dangly bits from the chin of the goat are called tassels or toggles.  Now you know! She also saw a mostly-intact lizard skin.  Crazy!

RS sees a Red-Headed Woodpecker crossing the road.  She doesn’t know why he’s crossing the road, but our investigative reporters are getting right on it. She also see lizards and wishes to see snakes.  We then start making snake-alluring sounds of a dubiously alluring nature.

Ear Party (30:00)

TK’s been enjoying Elliott Smith and is bummed to learn he’s passed on (I’m always late to the party), but it makes the suicide scene in The Royal Tenenbaums make more sense, as they used Smith’s “Needle in the Hay” song and Smith was a known suicide risk who eventually (most-likely) took his life in 2003. Stop killing yourselves angsty singer/songwriters!  TK is currently addicted to his song Alameda.
She also listens to Liszt (here’s a link to Miserere du Trouvère de Giuseppe Verdi played by Stéphanos Thomopoulos) and we talk about the craaazay people who play Liszt.  Take care of your hands people!

RS talks about how the best place to find classical CDs is thrift stores, ’cause nobody wants them (except us apparently!) and they’re cheap! So there’s your brainy tip for the week. 😉

RS listens to her favorite clarinetist Sabine Meyer. Our hero(ine)!

Walks in the Urban Wilderness (35:40)

RS went on one hike.
TK gets a long day of gardening one day, plus extra gardening days and one walk, so she feels like this week’s goals are met.

Then we wander into Random Remnants (37:00ish)
And we talk about how we hate buying shorts, but it’s on the docket.

RS cleans trumpets! 15 years of unwashed student trumpets is apparently really, really gross.  We can imagine! Our sympathies!

Sisters of the Holy Fiber Podcast–Episode 3–Those Wily Montagu’s!

Sisters of the Holy Fiber -Episode3- Those Wily Montagu’s <Click to listen to audio only!

The sound and video are sometimes mal-synced again as we’ve been having some persistent technical issues. We’re working on it, so thanks for bearing with us! ❤ We’re hoping to have it all ironed out by next episode.

Projects of the Moment: WIPS Progress Report
Tiny Kiwi has made no progress on her OWL shawl or BROOM hat+socks. It’s shameful!  The Fibonerdy Shawl by Kourtney Robinson is based on Fibonacci’s number(s), so extra mathematical geek points if TK ever gets to it.
TK clarifies her Miss Jane’s Hat is not Jayne’s Hat, but hopes you’ll love her anyway.  She’s still plugging away at it!  Made with Malabrigo Arroyo in Vaa, if you haven’t been listening in previously.  It’s a dream to work with! ❤

This is also the part where we plug the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup group on Ravelry!  Fantastic group, fantastic people, and great for motivation.  Check ’em out.  The references to OWLs, BROOMs/Missions/Phoenix’s,  homework/classwork, and detention are all about that group.

As TK is a beginning knitter, she loves her Cast On, Bind Off book by Leslie Ann Bestor

Rambunctious Sky is still working on her Gemini pullover, pattern free through Knitty. She practices knitting in the dark so she can knit through her opera class during the movies parts.
She’s also eschewed more swatching and has finally cast on her Sashiko Sweater by Ellen Gill.

We talk about how it’s good to imagine how you’re going to finish a project, before you begin it.  RS learned this tidbit through knitter’s “finishing school”, TK learned this from her poor beleaguered metalsmithing teacher. (So sorry, Ms. B!)

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane–It’s FOs! (11:34)

TK has cranked out the Catesby Three Hour Cowl for Quidditch’s Speed Trials, which actually took her about 5 hours, but she’s not complaining since it came out so swell.  It’s a crochet pattern where you crochet through the back of the stitch only to make the raised pattern.  She used Ton of Wool by Ms. Gusset, and feels that it just flies the the fingers!  Love the pattern & love the yarn!

Things to Hyperventilate Over (19:53)

RS has been addicted to playing Badland (a for-pay app for iPad) which has a cute little fluffy guy you’ve got to navigate through some beautiful environments while you keep ’em from all sorts of assorted doom.  By Frogmind an indie developer, so check ’em out! We totally don’t make any money from these endorsements, this really is just stuff we like (and are addicted to.)

(22:28) TK talks nail art, and expounds about the new things she’s found while on the quest for the perfect Slytherin nails (and the prefect green!)

Sinful Colors nail polish in Calypso (1181) is a lovely deep, deep green (almost green-blue) and is holding up well on TK’s toes.  Only one coat needed, but TK slathers it on thick the first time! 🙂
TK also tries “i ❤ Nail Art” pen in fine Pearly White (360) color, by Sally Hansen, and likes it, but it produces thicker lines than she’d hoped for.  Might be great for doing french tips easier though, and unlike markers it uses real nail polish.  Holds up ok, but has worn away quicker than the Sinful colors.

Photo colors aren’t true, so I tried to get the block behind the text to be the same color, but who knows if it worked?! Computer colors drive me batty anyway.

We talk about the tiny crochet polar bear going around, made by Kim Lapsley.  It’s sooo tiny and adorable, so check out her Pinterest page that we’ve linked to find the bear and others of her work.

We also talk about Tiny Owl Knits’s small knit charm bracelet patterns. They are also super cute! Her website is here.

Lastly, TK geeks out about a new flavor of tea she’s found from Lupicia Fresh Tea, (link is to the U.S. store) called Tsugaru Green. Delicious!  The taste of apple is a refreshing addition to the green tea, and the aroma is sweet and inviting.

TK confesses to breaking out in song with little provocation.  Is she perhaps convinced that her life is secretly a musical?!? Time will tell.

Books ta stick your nose in (31:53)

The Life and Selected Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
She’s so sassy!

Shiny! (34:59)

In which TK extols the virtues of new (used) boots for a myriad of costuming options.

Brainy Moments–How To: Tips and Tricks (36:03)

RS discusses the increases in Gemini…she doubted, but then was reassured by her housemates.  She also made an adjustment by casting on 4 extra stitches underneath the arms.  It worked!

TK shares a tip for the (digital) industrial driers at the laundromat…Hold down the power button at the same time that you hold down the temperature setting button, and the temperature of the drier will display!  Let us know if it works for you!

TK asks RS what she uses to wash her delicate knitwear–she uses Soak (Aquae), so TK may get some as she’s finally making a few not-machine-washable things and needs a solution. (Cue the highhat.)

I Spy: Nature lover’s segment (45:40)

RS sees her first snake in the wild! SO exciting! TK squees, but that’s ’cause she loves snakes.  TK recommends the coffee-table book of snakes called Serpentine by Mark Laita, as it contains beautiful photographs.

TK tries once more in vain to catch her fly-by hummingbird, but no success.  She also bemoans the fact that all the animals think winter is over and have begun their mating routines, including the Mourning Doves and Mockingbirds.  She wants more “winter.” People who have real winter must surely mock her, but she stands firm.

Musical Menagerie (51:56)

RS demonstrates the free app called The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, very useful for music teachers (or those wishing to enhance their child’s musical knowledge.)

TK shares two very relaxing YouTube links that she likes:
11 Hours of Tranquil Birdsong
&
10 Hours of Rain on a Tin Roof

Random Remnants (55:12)

TK begs RS for fabric strips to make the zoori’s we talked about in a previous episode, but is denied since RS is planning a scrap rug!  Send me your tired, your forlorn, I mean your scraps.

We discuss joining something like the Weasley Sisters’ Cardio Knitting Challenge or starting up our own “Walks in the Urban Wilderness” fitness section, so we chat about what we could do, since we both need to get moving more.  Right now the goal for both of us is to get out and walk twice a week, so we’ll check back in next week.  We’re low-impact kinda gals!

Also, you can hop on over to the Weasley Sister’s Rav Group to follow along with their Cardio Knitting challenge, if you’d like to set fitness goals with the motivation of possibly winning sock yarn to spur you on. ❤

That’s it for this week.  Thanks for joining us!