The Shinybees Knitting and Yarn Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 148 - Stash Fit Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

After the revelation of Ep 146, where I talked about seriously considering a Full and Complete destash, which may or may not have been a mid-Corona crisis, this week I review a method for creating a stash that fits. It's not some ghastly attempt at enforcing small stashed and yarn diets - far from it. The StashFit process is a well designed method for achieving a stash that creates joy and excitement, instead of guilt and dread. Cate Carter Evans of Infinite Twist is the dyer behind the system, and she surveyed and worked with many knitters to refine the StashFit process, as well as determine the optimal stash size. Full shownotes at www.shinybees.com/148 Music for this episode is from Adam and the Walter Boys, with 'I Need a Drink', used with kind permission.

Ep 147 - Knitting For Comfort Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

Some patterns to comfort or soothe might be what you need right now. This episode has five patterns with that cosy, comforting feeling for you to check out. Also there are three resources for finding great podcasts by BIPOC and/or Women of Colour on all kinds of subjects. It's not always easy to identify podcasts made by hosts from a more diverse range of communities due to siltation on search. Luckily, there are great directories out there to help! Full shownotes and links at www.shinybees.com/147 Music for this episode is by Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink' available on iTunes.

Ep 146 - Life Audit aka What Happens When You Consider and Full and Complete Destash May 26, 2020

Show notes

Have you ever considered a complete destash? As in, getting rid of all your stash, totally, and starting again from scratch? Or not starting again? In this episode Jo confesses to having more than a passing consideration for getting rid of all of her painstakingly-assembled-over-nine-years-and-three-continents stash. It's triggered somewhat of a life audit in other areas (or maybe vice-versa). Jo asks some tough questions as to why this might be happening, and invites you to come along on the ride whilst the stash audit takes place. Full shownotes at www.shinybees.com/146 Music for this episode with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys, 'I Need a Drink' available on iTunes.

Ep 145 - Cats to Knit and Crochet May 20, 2020

Show notes

This week, we're all about the cats. Despite being a non-cat lover, it is hard to deny that there are some great patterns out there for cat themed - well - everything! Whether you are looking for knitting or crochet, fine yarn to heavy yarn or even cat hair, there is a suggestion for everyone today. 1) Cat in a Corset by Anna Hrachovec 2) Cat Love by Sweater Freak 3) Cat Hair Finger Puppet by Kaori Tsutaya and Amy Hirschmann 4) Cat in the Night Mittens by Lumi Karimitsa 5) Slouchy Cat Hat by Maria Gilligan 6) Cat Lover Blanket by Marken of the Hat & I 7) Cats Love Sweaters by Christine Landy 8) Dinosaur by Sara Thomas 9) Cat Window Valence by Christine Nault 10) 095 Cat Sphynx Findus with Wire Frame Amigurumi Full shownotes at www.shinybees.com/145 Music for this episode with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Ep 144 - Stay on the (Kitty) Couch May 12, 2020

Show notes

Hello and welcome to all new and returning listeners! I planned for today's episode to be a short one, however, once I got into the flow of chatting, it ended up being a full lengther. There's been lots of chat in the Shinybees Podcast Community on Facebook. I'm still looking for a new home beyond Facebook. I've found social media and the news to be extremely negative at the moment. I've responded to this by judiciously muting and blocking of overly negative people and content. This has been an overwhelmingly positive thing. Sidenote – school whatsapp groups are the work of the devil and should be avoided. I've also been taking part in Home by Yoga With Adriene. This is a 30 day freebie program on YouTube for a daily practice. She's non-judgy and it feels quite achievable. Be kind to yourself, dear listener. You're trying your best, and nobody is running the same race that you are. Kitty Couches are the order of the day, in particular the Kitty Couch – Green Sofa pattern by Candy Clayton. You can get this belter on Ravelry for $1.99. Give your cat the personal sofa they truly deserve in one of three exciting shapes! I did a pattern pick way back where I had a pattern pick with cats wearing hats, including a pimp hat (I think that was called 'my pimp paw is strong') On the knitting front, I'm still working on the Compass Sweater by Tin Can Knits. This pattern is being knit in Susan Crawford Vintage Excelana DK, which is a great workhorse yarn. I would love if the pattern had options for waist shaping, which they usually are in Tin Can Knits patterns. Even a recipe for the shaping in the notes area would be really useful. I've also finished my Lush Cardigan in Countess Ablaze Grande Merino DK. I've finally found suitable buttons to complete the garment, courtesy of Jess at Ginger Twist Studios. These are from Incomparable Buttons, which manufacture handmade ceramic buttons in South Africa. The company has a strong focus on economic empowerment. The colour of the yarn is great, but I think the merino is too soft; it's already bobbling at this gauge. The other two Lush cardigans have been plumper DK and the resulting fabric has been thicker, denser and harder wearing. What I'm reading… Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Saltwater by Jessica Andrews Wonder by RJ Palacio A Discovery of Witched by Deborah Harkness. You can find me over at goodreads.com/jomilmine Full shownotes are at shinybees.com/144 and music from this episode (with kind permission) is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

Ep 143 - Useful Resources For Beginner Knitters May 05, 2020

Show notes

Staying home has encouraged a wave of new and returning knitters. After receiving many knit-related requests over the past 6 or so weeks, this episode is a compilation of my favourite ones. Finding good resources, particularly free ones, can be a bit tricky I find. I'm also massively fussy about certain things that probably don't bother many people! My favourite resources are: Sheep and Stitch, Very Pink Knits, Purllinknitting, Knitty Grotty by Aneeta Patel and Knitting 1010 - Knitting For Beginners at Paradise Fibers. With that caveat, you can find links to all the resources at shinybees.com/143 Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink' - available on iTunes.

Ep 142: Eat, Sleep, Knit, Repeat Apr 25, 2020

Show notes

Today we're having a bit of a catch up, with some knitty chatter along with some discussion of recent reads during lockdown. I'm also gardening quite a lot at the moment, so I talk about that. There hasn't been a huge amount of knitting at Chateau Shiny. I've noticed on social media that this seems to be a fairly common problem for knitters at the moment. As such, there has been a lot of planning and looking on Ravelry, and not a lot of knitting. I'm taking the attitude that this is like an athlete preparing for a race. More of a mental approach to knitting. As there hasn't been a lot of actual knitting to discuss, today, it's more of a covid time capsule of what's going on here. My hope is that I can keep you company for 30 minutes or so, a little bit of light entertainment with a side of knit. Life in lockdown continues. The children continue to alternate between being bored and being too tired to do any school work. The Beast produced some choice Covid artwork, declaring her death from 'bore'. It was terribly Victorian of her. Not Charlie Dimmock Gardening has featured in the creative pursuits over the past week. I'm not the most accomplished gardener, so it's been trial and error, including the regrettable purchase of four Buxus balls. What I didn't know from Pinterest, is that English Buxus smells of cat pee. Joy. I've also been accidentally ordering massive plants from the local garden, due to not having any pictures or dimensions. I've been planting some Begonias into hanging baskets and playing frost roulette. They're not supposed to be planted out yet I don't think, but I went for it as the weather is due to be good for the next couple of weeks. As long as it isn't frosty, it should be fine. If you have any good recommendations for gardening people to follow, who aren't too serious, please let me know! Mini Driver Lockdown has reignited my love for driving. A new car is high on the list for post-covid life. My current ride is called Norman. Remember the Twix advert that was all grey, and the main character was Norman? He had a very grey and boring life, until he ate a Twix. This is how Norman the car makes me feel. The speakers are – frankly – inadequate for singing along to Tiffany. Wholly lacking in bass, despite being the upgraded speaker pack. You can hear about how Norman tried to kill me in the pod retreat 2 episode. Poppy the Naughty Nova features in the first car story. My Mum is an absolute demon when it comes to running cars on fumes. The Nova was once stolen and used in a smash and grab at Debenhams. Despite me thinking my second car was called Rob, I remembered afterwards it was actually Derek. Curry has also been bringing me deep joy in lockdown. My favourite curry house has reopened and is providing the fine people with excellent curry. Gratitude has been high. Lockdown has recreated a semi-permanent feeling of post-China come-back, where when you find a little victories in being able to get things easily. Or read signs. What things can you do today to get a little victory? Knitting-wise, there hasn't been a lot, as afore-mentioned. It's difficult when knitting is a method for grounding and calming the mind, or as a creative act. I've found it strange that I don't want to knit. This is also for no good reason; it's almost a mental block. I'm not at a hard point in the pattern, I've enjoying the yarn, I just can't be arsed. Not being able to be arsed isn't really a feeling I am accustomed to associating with my knitting. Instead, I have taken to researching what patterns I will be knitting when the mojo comes back. I have just purchased Evolution by Susan Crawford. Orchidacae is definitely my pattern for the Nurturing Fibres yarn. I also love Denby, which is part of the collection. This is a colourwork hat with both a beanie and slouchy option. You can order the printed book at susancrawfordvintage.com and you will receive all the pdf patterns as they are released, followed by the printed book. Beaded knitting seems to be calling to me at the moment. I might need to knit a Boo Knits pattern when I can get some beads. A lot of people don't enjoy the stop-start nature of beaded knitting, but I just love the fancy sparkly effect. Enquiries have been increasing from people looking for baby knitting yarn. I've also had a lot of people asking about learning to knit resources. I will cover these in the next episode as the free resources can be incredibly hit and miss. I'm also planning to crochet a African flower blanket. Reading I've read the following recently: Recipes for Love and Murder – Sally Andrew Death on the Limpopo – Sally Andrew Old Baggage – Lissa Evans Unnatural Magic – C M Waggonner The Last Smile in Sunder City – Luke Arnold You can find me on Goodreads if you want to connect there – www.goodreads.com/jomilmine Music for this episode is by kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys, available on iTunes.

Ep 141 - Methods for Repairing Hand Knit Socks Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

Today's episode is all about repairing hand knit socks. I have a pair of socks that I have accidentally worn through the heel of, and I wanted to repair them. I've collated some resources and options for repairing knitted items. If you're struggling with existential crises/dread/ennui as a result of over-thinking everything, Dr Shiny's recommendation is vigorous consumption of comedy videos and memes. And Tiger King. Link to Bits n Pieces by Artemisia Methods for Fixing Hand Knit Socks The easiest way to repair worn-through hand knits, is to repair the thin patch before it actually wears through completely. You can do this using several different methods. Using reinforcing thread is a popular way, where you follow the pattern of the stitches to make the existing ones more sturdy. You could also use the same yarn you used initially, if you have any available. You could go in-between and use a finer gauge yarn to duplicate stitch and strengthen the yarn. This method is known as Swiss darning or duplicate stitch. It's helpful to have a darning mushroom or egg to do the repair, to spread the stitches out to make them easier to see. It will also help to avoid sewing the two sides of the sock together! Apparently an incandescent lightbulb will also suffice as a stand in. If you've already worn through the fabric and are the proud owner of a holy sock, you're going to need a different approach. This will take the form of making a patch of some sort. You can either pick up stitches and knit a patch, or knit a patch and sew it on. There are a few options that are a combination of the two as well. There are videos linked in the show notes. Full shownotes and links at www.shinybees.com/141

Ep 140: Knit Accessories, Essentials and Variations Apr 03, 2020

Show notes

Today there is a review of Knit Accessories: Essentials and variations as well as some DK pattern ideas for sweaters and some random chat. I have found my way back to my knitting this week. This may have been due to admitting I was struggling with finding the mojo for the knitting. I realised part of the problem was that knitting, for me, is a way of ordering my thoughts. This became apparent when the thoughts immediately began to race upon picking up the needles. I decided to sit with the feeling and luckily, it appears to have abated and I can knit again. Love for Podcasting I am really enjoying being back behind the mic on a more regular basis. It seems that podcasting is a form of reaching out for me. When I started the show, I lived in rural Limpopo in South Africa and was quite isolated. It was hot, not many people knitted and the knitters that were in SA were a long way away in Joburg or Cape Town. I feel like this recent inspiration is connected to that – once again, I am physically isolated, despite being at home and near friends. I love that it is a running joke about how I know someone wherever we travel. These friends are – more often than not – as a result of the podcast or knitting. I also love how I can 'be' with people all over the world via the podcast. Just this week, I've been on an oil rig in the North Sea! Audio is a conversation and I love the idea of keeping you company. DK Weight Pattern Ideas Feedback I have just brought back a sweater quantity of Nurturing Fibres Supertwist DK in the colourway Sapphire from South Africa. I have found that there weren't many patterns that were appealing to me on Ravelry. I asked the lovely listeners of the show for some suggestions for patterns. Laura Stephens suggested to look at patterns by Libby of Truly Myrtle. Lori Hathaway suggested to look at the patterns by Kim Hargreaves. Then there was a big confusion about Kim Hargreaves (knitwear designer) versus Kim Catterall (bird on Sex in the City). Oops! There also was some chat about Rowan Kidsilk Haze which surely must have reached the stage of being knitting nostalgia now. I have settled for now on one of two patterns for this yarn. The choice is between Cloudburst, which was originally part of the Drift Collection for Eden Cottage Yarns. The other option is Orchidaceae, which is by Susan Crawford and is part of her new collection, Evolution, which is available now. I was intending to buy this collection anyway, so I was pleased to be reminded about this. Habitation Throw Is knitting anything like a garment beyond you right now? If so, Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade has just made her Habitation Throw free for the month of April 2020. The pattern is still for sale and all proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to the UN Refugee Agency. Yoga Don't compete with other people or yourself is the main feedback for yoga. If you fancy something different for the kids, they can try Cosmic Kids Yoga. Sammy's Calamities I have great ambitions of writing a series of childrens' books based entirely on the calamities of Sam. These are all true stories of actual perils experienced. Podcast Recommendations We Fix Space junk Diary of a Space Archivist Review of Knit Accessories, Essentials and Variations by Kate Atherley This book was originally published in 2012 and was re-released last week. I offered to review this as I am getting a lot of requests for suggestions of how to get into knitting at the moment. This book is ideal for that purpose. The book begins with a section on 'before you start'. I know that when I got back into knitting, it was lead entirely by some somewhat dodgy yarn found in Poundstretcher. I like how the recommended yarns include indie and commercial yarns, hitting all the budgets. It also has a section on substituting the yarns for non-wool yarns and different fibres. Swatching is covered in a decent amount of detail. This is a subject that ca often be skimmed over in beginner-suitable books. Let's face it, swatching isn't fun and you can usually get away without it for accessories. The necessity of the activity is explained and there are instructions for how to alter your needles if your gauge is off. The side notes that accompany the patterns are solid and really help to draw attention to the important points. My favourite aspect of the book is the addition of the 'design your own' element for each group of patterns. This takes all the maths out of making alterations to your projects, particularly for yarn changes. The book contains lots of examples of projects knitted in different weights and dye styles of yarn. In summary: Pros Design Your Own sections in each group of patterns Cheat tables for the yarns and lengths Cons Would love to see some DK in the patterns Links to videos or tutorials for the techniques would be great additions Full Shownotes at www.shinybees.com/140

Ep139 - New Normal Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

Getting used to a new normal is tricky. This week has been challenging for most people and today there is a little bit of chat about that, along with a review of Wist Tha Bahn by Joy McMillan. You can hear more from Joy in her interview on the podcast at shinybees.com/118. This is a collection of 6 multi-colour shawls with Northern roots designed by Joy. All the patterns use British wool produced in the UK and dyed by The Knitting Goddess. Full Shownotes at www.shinybees.com/139

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