Saturday, October 8, 2016

Day Eight: Why Start a Podcast?

Some of my long time readers might be wondering where this idea to start a podcast came from so I thought I'd write a little about that.

I only started listening to podcasts at the end of the 2016 school year just after I'd been reading Sandra's Cherry Heart blog (which I highly recommend!) and her post talking about the Legacy Knit's podcast and Sue's 'stitching revolution'. You can read Sandra's post here. I was cross stitching again and feeling like everyone I knew had cross stitched years ago but had given it up besides myself and one close friend of mine (Hi, L!). So, I looked up the podcast and had a listen and, behold! A fan was born! I loved it! I loved hearing about their knitting and stitching projects and I loved their mother and daughter interaction (Sue and her daughter Chelsea co-host the Legacy Artz podcast). From there I looked into other podcasts that they mentioned and found myself down a rabbit hole and into a land that I had no idea existed.

The same thing happened to me about ten years ago when I found The Yarn Harlot's blog and, as a result, I started my blog Fibreholic. I found a community of like minded people that lived and breathed the making/crafting life that I too aspire to and manage to live some (most) days. 

It's hard to believe I wrote my first blog post ten years ago. Many, MANY knitting and crafting blogs have come and gone in that period of time and certainly my own two blogs have had times of empty but I've always come back to it. I love writing and this interactive, electronic community is something that I love and am continually inspired by.

So, I decided that if I'd had the nerve to write my first blog post ten years ago and look how much I've gained from that experience, then I could take a leap of faith and start a podcast too. Podcasting is a little more real, a little more raw and shows you a different side of personal that a written blog offers. Yes, I can get more intimate here on the blog than I'm likely to get on the podcast as my written voice is sometimes a quicker route to my soul but here there is some anonymity in that you can't actually see or hear me and I can edit out a sentence or paragraph that is too raw. With the podcast, my accent, my baby weight (can you call it that after your last baby is now five years old?!?), my double chins are there for all to see. Frankly, the first two podcasts were terrifying.

But, like most leaps of faith I've taken once I've forced myself over that hump of fear, I'm loving the experience. I'm meeting new people from all over the world. Like minded people like me. Some with children, some without, some with three (and four!) boys and some with three and four cats and dogs. It doesn't matter; somehow my little podcast is resonating with people and I am so happy about that.

There you have it - why I started a podcast. And the experience has been so good.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Day Seven: Fourboysandanlgirl Episode 3 Show Notes

Oops! I forgot to publish my show notes for Episode Three before publishing the show notes from Episode Four. Forgive me... and my apologies for the baaaaad screen shot picture below;)!



Gorgeous footage taken from Quidi Vidi Village, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Instagram: fourboysandanlgirl
Ravelry: 4boysandanlgirl

Ayrton Sweater by Jane Ellis (AKA Commitment Sweater) using Plymouth Yarns' Mushishi yarn in the Harvest colour way.

Short Sleeved Quick Knitted Cardigan by A Crafty House (Paid Pattern) in Lions Brand Wool-Ease Tonal colour Royal Blue.

Project Bag by Mrs. Brown's Bags

Hitchhiker shawl by Martina Behm using Little Bean Loves gradient Merino Cashmere Nylon (MCN) in the colour way 011.

Knit Along (KAL) with Lynne's Sunshine and Bubblegum Podcast.

Shawl KAL with Barbara's Knitting I Love Podcast.

Traditional rug hooking designed by me using a variety of natural and manmade fibres.

Rug hooking inspired by Deanne Fitzpatrick's style of hooking.

Noro Kureyon is the name of the yarn I used for whip stitching my fish rug's edges.

Podcast Love:

Christina at The Cozy Knitter also co-hosts the Dye Another Day podcast with Amanda of The Yarn Enabler Etsy shop.

Barbara at Knitting I Love podcast.

Kayleen from the Little Bean and Me podcast.

Katie at Inside Number 23's Podcast Colour work KAL.

Upcoming Patterns:

Yarn Cocoon By Cindy Moisant using Noro Kureyon (see above).

Movie Night Mittens by Betty Clay. I'm planning on using Richard Devries' worsted weight super wash yarn in colour way's Jewelbox, I.L.Y. and Oz Opal.

Caramel Slouch by Tin Can Knits in stash yarn.

LYS:

Cast On Cast Off

Canada Post Deliveries/Stash Enhancement:

Four Main Food Groups yarn on their MCN base from LegacyKnitz.














Thursday, October 6, 2016

Day Six: Fourboysandanlgirl Episode 4 Show Notes





I can't believe it but I posted Episode Four of my podcast today. It's amazing that I'm enjoying it this much. The picture above will bring you to YouTube and the podcast. Subscribe if you're inclined!

Show Notes:

Ravelry: 4boysandanlgirl
Instagram: Fourboysandanlgirl

Ayrton sweater by Jane Ellis. Click here for my project page on Ravelry. Plymouth Mushishi 100% wool yarn in the Harvest colour way.

My apologies - I forgot to add a picture of me wearing my new sweater. Stay tuned!

Caramel Slouch by Tin Can Knits (paid pattern) in Fine Merino 100% Superwash by Diamond Luxury Yarns.

Antler Hat by Tin Can Knits (free pattern on Ravelry).

Podcast Love:

Inside Number 23
Twitch and Stitch
Paws 4 Stitches

Hitchhiker Shawl by Martina Behm in Little Bean Loves Merino Cashmere Nylon (MCN) in the colour way 011.

Short Sleeved Quick Knitted Cardigan by A Crafty House (paid pattern) in Lion Brand Wool-East Tonal.

Upcoming Project:

Drake Cowl (free pattern) by Estelle Yarns using Drake yarn.

Pretty row house stitch markers from Dawn's Creations.

100 Subscriber Contest! Details to follow next week.

This episode's ocean footage was taped in beautiful Flatrock, NL.









Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Day Five: Fall Colours

I love Fall. It's my favourite season likely influenced by the fact that I'm a November baby;). I love the smell in the air, the crisp temperatures (sweater weather - yeah!), the change in the leaves. One thing I miss about several of the houses that we've lived in over the years not here in NL are the change of leaf colours.

Our current home was a new build when we bought it. Sadly, most newly built homes are placed on land that has been levelled of trees and our plot was no different. We are lucky to have a thick frame of trees on our property's perimeter but they are mostly black spruce and fir trees with two or three dogberry (Mountain Ash) trees scattered in for good measure. As you drive closer to downtown St. John's, the older, stately trees have just started to come into their own with Fall colours.

I thought it would be fun to walk down memory lane and I pulled some pictures from our time in Ottawa and Middleton, Nova Scotia to show off some of the trees and fall festivities close to where we were living years ago that I'm missing now.

The Rideau River from the Quebec side.


Orange, yellow and red reflections.




Wouldn't this make a gorgeous colour way for yarn?



These leaves remind me of crisp apples.




Moving onto Nova Scotia I couldn't find many pictures of the turn of the leaves. But, I did find pictures of Kentville, NS where the pumpkin people start to arrive at this time of year. If you happen to be near the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia right now, go and check them out.




Is there anything that screams 'Fall' more than pumpkin people walking through the leaves?




How are the leaves where you are?

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Day Four: Brigus

We were lucky enough to host one of DH's cousin's a few weekends ago (Hi, R!!!). DH only has two cousins (TWO!) and this is the first time we've been able to welcome one of them into our home seeing as we are in the extreme East and they live in Western Canada. It was a short and sweet trip but we really hope that she had fun because we all really enjoyed seeing her.

This was R's first time visiting the East coast of Canada and we wanted to give her a good all around tour to give her a sense of our beautiful province. Here are some shots taken on our day trip to beautiful Brigus, NL.

The community park grounds.





Brigus has canals that ebb and flow with the high and low tides.





I could include architectural pictures until you were bored. Here are a selection.

The building is called 'Ye Olde Stone Barn.'



The houses that the people of Brigus get to live in are just striking.



I missed taking a picture of the church itself but...


... I did capture one of the traditionally used church gate.


Here's a little bit of history for you regarding the town and it's founders. You can click on the plaque picture to enlarge them if you fancy a read.


Graffiti makes its way everywhere, doesn't it?




Couldn't you just move in?!?


I love how even the fences are designed in keeping with the architectural age of many of the homes and buildings.


And that's that. Just another gorgeous day in small town Newfoundland and Labrador.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Day Three: Spindrift Shawl


Those of you who follow me on Instagram can probably skip today's post entirely. During the ten days it took me to knit this shawl, I posted regularly about it on Instagram. However, I realize that I have friends and family out there who are not on Instagram regularly (or at all) so I've decided to dedicate one post to this lovely project, Helen Stewart's Spindrift Shawl.


I cast this project on the same night that I'd purchased the skein of Sweet Georgia's Tough Love sock weight yarn in the Mirror Pond colour way on September 1st. I completed it on September 10th. This skein was purchased during a visit with R (Hi R!) to Beehive Wool Shop in Victoria, BC and knitting it in ten days is a new record for me.


Likely the long airplane(s) ride across North America helped me get quite a bit done.



Don't you love my project bag? It's a drawstring bag from Brindy Linens a local print artisan and it's the perfect size for airplane travel.



And on I knit.



Here I'm knitting at the Geo Centre in St. John's where the boys were playing happily in the Kids Zone.


At home, I settled into my 'butt groove' spot with some company from Bella. She is great around fibre and rarely tries to play with it.


Then I started the picot edge bind off. Glorious!


Soaking before blocking.


Blocking on the guest room mattress with piles of blankets and towels to protect the mattress from getting wet. I used my new wire blockers that I'd purchased from Cast On Cast Off.


And finally it was ready to display.


I'm in love with this shawl. I've used it most days since it dried and it's the perfect size and warmth for the warmish fall we've been having here.


Just look at those eyelits! And that edging!


This shawlette was a pleasure to knit and I'd highly recommend it to a beginner lace knitter like myself!

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Day Two: Paw Patrol Party


I'm sitting here with an over full stomach, my body struggling to process an excess of sugar and fat with the knowledge that Youngest had a great party and now I have a month or so before the next one. Score!

As had been our tradition, there was a balloon forest in red, white and blue Paw Patrol colours.




Rubble is Youngest's favourite Paw Patrol character so he was the star of the heavily sugar-ified cake. This cake idea is straight from Pinterest and took me about twenty minutes to decorate. Compared to my usual 2 - 3 hours, decorating this cake was a dream. I even got some knitting in last night!



Paw Patrol was out in style from toys to napkins to plates to the papers under the Rice Krispie squares.


The paw print stamp from last year worked perfectly well for this year.


Youngest's banner was ordered from this shop on Etsy.com this year. I love it!


There you have it. Another party according to our 'formula' done and dusted.