Episode 1: Getting my Sea Legs

Alright - the plunge has officially been taken! I hope you enjoy it, and forgive my nervousness...it's very different in front of the camera compared to behind it. :)

Let's jump into the show notes!

Finished Objects 

I have two - woohoo!

Dauphine Hat by Julia Farwell-Clay

Knit with Leading Men Fiber Arts Dramaturg base in "Ain't my First Rodeo" colorway. This was a very easy pattern and I highly recommend it! The yarn is yummy and I can't wait to work with it again in more colors! This particular colorway is a little hard to photgraph...under different lights it looks brown, gray, taupe...it actually has all of these colors in the yarn as well as a dusty blue, but it's funny how the light affects this particular yarn.

Wurm Hat by Katharina Nopp

Knit with Lana Grossa Meilenweit 6-Fach Special in the "Undied Tweed" colorway. This was from my grandmother's stash and I love when I have an opportunity to work with her yarn! The hat is super slouchy and squishy and I can't wait to use it this winter!

Vanilla Latte Socks by Virginia Rose-Jeanes

Knit with Patons Kroy Jacquards in the Rose Fern Jacquard colorway. I love how cherry these stripes are! The Vanilla Latte pattern is a favorite of mine...I've knit three pairs of socks with this pattern! I'm working both socks together in the hopes of avoiding the dreaded "Second Sock Syndrome"!

Hubby Socks - no pattern

Knitting these with CraftsMeow Ice Cream Sundae base in the "Packers Punch" colorway. He has been asking for socks since last football season - oops! In my defense this is my 3rd attempt at these socks...since I had never made socks for him before I just couldn't get the fit right. I think I finally have it this time. I'm not following a particular pattern, but I am pulling elements from some of my favorite patterns. The heel flap, for example is from the Vanilla Latte pattern. Go with what you know, right? :)

Spinning:

Spun with Little Monkey Stitch & Spin fiber in the "Seascape" colorway. It was such a bright, happy batt and I couldn't resist it! I spun it with a very basic spindle which I found at a local museum. You can find it HERE.

Cross Stitch: 

Once Upon a Time Sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

How cute is this??? Each month they release a new square and as you can see I am VERY behind! But I am working on it when I have some time and I really enjoy it. I used to cross stitch a lot when I was younger and had forgotten how much I liked it!

There you go...a peek at the things I have been working on over the last week or so. Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope to see you again very soon! :)

And I'm "Podcasting"!

Hi everyone!
So, I had this crazy idea. Why not start making videos again???

I took a hiatus for quite a while for a couple of reasons.
1. Technology. It was becoming darn near impossible to make videos with my dying Flip Camera. It was even harder to edit those videos with the program I had. I was attempting to make videos in one go, which is challenging for tutorials. Eventually I had to admit defeat.
2. Inspiration. This was linked to reason 1 a bit as well. I was running out of ideas for tutorials I could do in a single take and it was super stressful to get everything perfect in one try.  Also, my crafting interests were starting to shift a bit from exclusively doing paper crafting to including fiber crafts. Some of that also had to do with the next reason...
3. Time. My personal time is limited and therefore, quite precious. The family is getting older and more active, so I spend most nights running the Mom Taxi or helping with homework, trying to keep the house somewhat presentable, etc. Really no different from most people, right? But I just could give up crafting. I just needed to adjust crafting to fit my new lifestyle. I am a slow crafter and I like to have my supplies handy when I work. I started to lean toward fiber crafts because it was a new challenge, but it was also more portable. I can take my project bag with me and work on my socks or other small project while I am on my lunch break, or at my sons game or daughters dance class. I just need yarn and needles or a hook. So much easier than hauling my small paper trimmer, cardstock, stamps, ink, adhesive, Copics or colored pencils. I can do that at home where I can spread it all out in front of me, working at my own pace.

So what now?
I have a new camera - yay! I have played a bit with the editing software that came with my camera, but for now, I will plan on single runs of my videos. I am following the examples of some of the great video podcasters out there and we'll see how this goes.
My thought is to discuss projects I have been working on over the past week or two and show them in whatever stage they are in. That way I don't have to wait until I have something finished before I share it. I may still do tutorials here and there, but for the most part it will be a discussion of the process rather than the product. I may also do some product reviews now and then, depending on what I come across and whether it's something I think might be interesting to you. :) We all love a little enabling, right???
It won't be just knitting/crochet. Granted, it will take up most of what I talk about, because that is mostly what I am crafting these days. But I will still talk about paper crafts. I still make cards and dabble in new adventures like calligraphy and I would love to share that with you. I will also add bits about other things in my life...how I am trying to stay organized, things I am learning with my children, etc.
How often will I podcast? I'm not entirely sure. I will plan on every other week, but I would love to do it weekly if my schedule allows. I just don't know if that will be possible quite yet. My first "episode" is just about ready to be posted to YouTube so once I finish notes here I will publish it.

I hope you join me on this new adventure and enjoy it! I am excited to give this a try. I feel like I have been pretty disconnected lately, and there are so many wonderful people out there who have been so generous and kind to me. Thanks for that, truly. I'm looking forward to being back in the mix again and even meeting some new friends through this crazy little adventure. :)


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