Episode 3
This week’s episode features the following segments: Backstory, Yarn Lover at Large, The Back Porch, The Front Porch, and Double Happiness.
Yarn Lover at Large
A little shop in Frenchtown has nice yarn selection and a wide variety of classes. Betty is a kind and patient teacher with a lot of expertise. If you visit The Spinnery, ask about Deadly Dudley; she’ll have a great story. Aside from some timely help with wheel maintenance (that’s my Louet on the operating table) I have two tips from the class to pass along. 1) Knit with the yarn you spin. Now. 2) To improve as a spinner, select a project you want to knit, look up the yarn specifications, and spin for that project.
The Back Porch
Two finished projects this week. My Shaelyn shawl, designed by Leila Raabe, is blocking. Shifting to US 
size 6 needles resulted in a much nicer fabric. And I finally completed my second weaving project and took it off the loom. The yarn is handspun, made from Into the Whirled fibers made for a spin-along hosted by the Knitabulls podcast. The photo inspiration was Lavinia’s character on Downton Abbey. I separated the fiber into piles of like color before spinning, and held the yarn double while weaving. In this photo, the fringe has yet to be cut.
Double Happiness
Three uses for lemons: 1) Combine the entire grated rind and all the juice of one lemon with roasted, peeled eggplant and some salt for a tremendous tapenade. 2) Soak thinly sliced onions or shallots (or garlic) in lemon juice for 15 minutes before adding them to a summer salad. 3) Marinate a lamb steak with the grated rind and juice of one lemon, salt, a splash of olive oil, and a handful of fresh chopped rosemary. Grill to medium rare. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
Links
I recently found your podcast and I loved hearing your thoughts on crafting in this episode. I too grew up in a family of crafters. I still have the handknitted and hand sewn Barbie clothes my mother made. {I am 59!] My sisters and I all have a wonderful collection of tole painting that she did. I learned embroidery, crochet , and knitting as a child. I drew and oil painted. It wasn’t until I found quilting when I was pregnant with my daughter 31 years ago and a return to knitting and crochet 10 years ago that I felt like I found my place in the fiber world. My hands are always busy doing one or the other. A day is wasted without some fiber in in my hands! Thank you for your thoughtful podcast. Much success to you.
I listened to this podcast Sara while making balls of roving from shetland and alpaca from our farm. It was very soothing listening to your voice and having the silky fibers running through my hands. I can totally relate to your comment about it being gratifying to make something and have something to show for your efforts. My career is similar to yours in that we don’t see the outcomes of our actions until much later, if within our lifetime, and I believe fiber arts keep us grounded and feeling productive. Your Mum sounds like a goddess! 🙂