Episode 70 and a three-year anniversary

That sounds rather more momentous that this episode actually is! But I hope you enjoy it:

Episode 70 notes

Start to 5.23

Intro chat and what I’ve been up to generally.

5.23 to 27.19

Reflections

Reflections on the last three years of podcasting and all the things that have happened to completely change my life. If you want to revisit previous episodes you can access the full list from the menu above here on the blog, or look on the YouTube channel and look for all the videos there.

27.19 to 42.11

Finished makes and makes in progress

Well, maybe that is quite momentous but I’ve actually finished two things.

The first is the retro granny square blanket that I’ve been working on almost since I started podcasting… but it did turn out well in the end. I didn’t follow a pattern – well, I started with the retro granny square that I used in my retro granny square bag and then added a few rows of linen stitch (UK dc, ch1, dc etc) and then just worked a giant granny square.

I’ve also completed a shawl, which is going to be a new design… eventually. I’m trying not to overpromising and say it will be out soon. But I’m working on it and it will be going off for testing in the other Dreamcatcher colour ways and hopefully in some of my own yarn too.

Like many people, I have oodles of projects that I’ve started and not finished. Some I work on fairly regularly and am content for them to ease towards completeness at a snails’ pace. Others I’ve lost my mojo about and could do with a bit of a kick to get them done.

So I’m thinking of launching a summer finish along again with plenty of time to get all those forgotten, long-standing makes out of hibernation and back on the needles and hooks.

Two of the projects I’ve made progress with since we last chatted are my socks using the first ever sock yarn I got at Loop many moons ago and the Dathan Hap by Kate Davies, which I’m working up in the Colourwork Jewels that I saved for myself.

I don’t mention this but it seems appropriate to put the link in here. I also published a video this week with my musings on learning to make socks. Its mainly insights from my sock making journey but many of the observations are also very relevant to making crochet socks. You can see the accompanying blog post here.

42.11 to 47.35

Sock club news and some experimental crochet

I dyed up a mini egg colour way for the April sock club as it was so tempting to do something Easter related. The main colour way is Ostara and the two minis were Vintage Cadbury and First leaves. People have been making some gorgeous things with them and one of my tasks high on the to-do list is to put together a section on my website to feature each month’s colour way and the makes.

Sign ups for the sock club from May until September are now available in my Etsy shop. The May sock club is already in the process of shipping (international pre-orders have gone off) and UK pre-orders will go out at the end of April. There are some pre-orders left and the colour way will be revealed towards the end of May and the remaining sets will be available for sale once revealed.

I’ve also reserved a set of the April sock set for myself this month and have been doing some experimental crochet. Not a sock but a wrist warmer. This isn’t quite right, so I intend to frog it and redo it but I thought I show up my thoughts so far.

I used my prototype as a stage setting for my new Game of Thrones inspired markers and to mark the start of Season 8 – the last one ever, sob…

47.50 to 52.46

A bit of BIG NEWS

I won’t spoil it…

52.46 to 1.01.09

Visiting Spring into Wool

I went to Spring into Wool at Leeds Grammar school last weekend and got just two things – but they are both very exciting.

The first were a set of three gorgeous hand thrown pots which turned out to have been made by Fay of the Crochet Circle Podcast. She was vending with her business, Knit it – Hook it – Craft it. I didn’t know that she had made the pots when I asked to buy them, but this revealed something very interesting…

The only other thing I came home with was a gorgeous plaited fibre from WitchyCraftyLady… this will get me my spinning mojo back, I’m sure.

1.01.09 to end

Finally chatty bits and news about the Etsy shop video…

Celebrating three years of podcasting

As a big thank you, I’m going to offer a 10% discount code for my Etsy shop to last 2 weeks from the release of the podcast. You can see a separate video about all my new colour ways and a bit of information about what is coming after Easter. I was going to do this as part of the podcast but it would have been waaaay too long.

I’ll also be offering a special giveaway in Episode 71 – I want to give this a good amount of time in the podcast and there wasn’t time in today’s episode.

Thanks, as ever for watching and if you like what I do on YouTube and want to support me with a small subscription to my Patreon space each month you can access all my videos 24 hours early and get the first news of discounts and special offers. I also do an audio podcast just for $6 a month patrons. Some of the content is public so you can have a look without subscribing xxx Kathryn

Go have a nosy at the Crafternoon Treats Patreon space.