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Episode 109: All Art is Beta

by Brenda on January 13, 2012

In this episode: I mourn the bad end to a really good pair of socks. Alas, poor Uzu. I hardly knew ye at all. Yes, it’s a tragedy, but it might have a happy ending. If your freakishly tiny delicate feet fit my attractively felted Uzu socks, they can be yours. Leave a comment below.

I also reminisce about Chub Creek, my friendship with the boys, and our podcasting salad days. It would be lovely to see the Dink Dolls again. Can you help bring Dave and Gary home?

There’s juicy knitting goodness in the progress of Damson, still on the needles as I ponder right sides and wrong sides and edgings. Oh my.

I finally get my hands on knit, Swirl! Uniquely Flattering, One Piece, One Seam Swirl Jackets, by Sandra MacIver, and my head explodes from the genius. All the sweaters are on Ravelry, of course, but don’t forget to check the projects and see what other knitters have created. Inspiring? Oh, yes.

My Audible pick this week is Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, by Mary Roach. Also recommended, (though read, not listened to) is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers.

My Selfish Knitting Month continues with Lanesplitter Skirt and Claudia Evilla. Are there other great knitted skirts I should know about? Tell me all about them in the comments.

There are also Apologies, but they come last.

I do the Facebooks. Also the g+ and, of course, I’m still doing the twitter. Come find me!

Music by Dave Nachmanoff, Year of the Cat, from the cd Wordless Rhymes.

 

1 joanna January 14, 2012 at 12:33 am

So sorry to hear the Dink Dolls are missing! May they be returned home safely…
Love the Claudia skirt, not sure I can pull off the Lanesplitter. Don’t have the body for it. Claudia seems more forgiving….
Happy happy that you’re podcasts are more regular. Nobody does it better!

2 joanna January 14, 2012 at 12:35 am

Oh, Brenda, forgot to say:
Greetings from Colorado!

3 Jodie January 14, 2012 at 9:49 am

I love this most recent format for your podcasts! I’m a long-time listener who has really appreciated your work, and these most recent podcasts are my favorites. Thank you for them. (But please don’t send me felted socks; my feet are nowhere near delicate enough for them.)

4 Elspeth January 14, 2012 at 3:43 pm

Greeting from DC! Happy New Year, Brenda! (Belated, like all my hand-knit gifts…)

Loved the show, as always. Looking at all the pretty Swirl patterns on Ravelry is making me almost want to give that look another try– I am, how shall we put it, a bottom-heavy lady, and that silhouette has historically not been good to me (think bunches of fabric at my lower back), but all the things are so pretty!

5 rebecca January 14, 2012 at 4:49 pm

So sorry to hear about the shrinkage of your pajama socks. I wear a size 6 (US women) and I’m wondering if they would fit me! Just discovered your podcasts this past week and LOVE them!

6 rebecca January 14, 2012 at 4:52 pm

and…for knitted skirts – I’ve had my eye on the Filska skirt by Gudrun Johnston. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/filska

7 Rachel January 15, 2012 at 1:37 pm

awww… poor Uzu.

I can offer them a nice home with two kitties who neither nibble on or play with yarn to keep them company. I have size 5 feet. 😉

8 Karen January 15, 2012 at 3:58 pm

Chubb Creek was so lovely! I hope the boys find their way back home to you. I hope the real life boys podcast again one day.

9 Lise Mendel January 15, 2012 at 4:31 pm

Loved the episode, and I can so sympathize about ‘tweaking’. I have two freakish daughters (they wear size 6 US shoes) who would love your felted socks.

10 Laura January 16, 2012 at 12:32 am

So sorry about your socks! I wear size 7 US, but they sound like they might fit my feet. I’d love them.

11 Alessandra January 16, 2012 at 5:29 pm

Oh, those poor socks. I fear my feet would actually be too small for them (I have extremely freakishly small feet, English size 2 and 1/2). I hope the socks find a new happy home.

As for gardens, my strawberries are trying to fruit.

I hope the Dave and Gary dolls find there way home!

12 MM O'Brien January 16, 2012 at 6:25 pm

Hi Brenda,

Thanks for another great podcast. I hope the Dink Dolls find their way home. I also hope the pajama socks find a new home. Have you started their replacement pair yet? No worries about Welsh for Rainbow. I can’t wait to see it, but I know it will be on it’s way when you are ready. Stay warm!!

13 Emily January 16, 2012 at 7:13 pm

Brenda, I just wanted to say that I love the new format of the show! I’ve been listening since 2006, and it’s so nice to have regular Cast-On. The shorter episodes are great for my commute, and I really love just listening to you talk about your knitting – no need for any fancy bells or whistles. Thank you.

14 penny January 16, 2012 at 9:39 pm

oh i’m so sorry for your socks, they’re still too big for me (my feet are about the same size as Alessandra’s) … however, I have given a few pairs of felted socks a good home.

15 Catherine January 17, 2012 at 6:33 am

Love the podcast being listening for years.

My delicate feet will also fit your socks as this the size I’ve just knit for my first pair.

16 Sandra McIver January 17, 2012 at 9:36 pm

wow, wow, WOW! I’m the one with the “exploding head”, after all those compliments. Thank you so much, Brenda, for your off-the-charts review of my book, Knit, Swirl!. It’s been a dream come true to find that my book excites the knitting world and that my Swirl is considered a “a whole new form” of sweater. Hope you will enjoy knitting yours. But watch out, say I, who just completed Swirl #29, they can be addictive.

Again, many thanks,
Sandra

17 Hinke January 18, 2012 at 11:56 am

Hi Brenda,

first of all: thank you so much for al your great recordings, I cherish them!

Will be listening to the new episode in a minute, but for now a link to an awesome skirt a knitting friend of mine made:

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/RoxieNL/bulgarian-knitted-skirt

It looks great and great on her, Petra, and it’s drapey and elegant, an important quality for a knitted skirt.

18 Jammie January 18, 2012 at 4:39 pm

I’m so glad you brought up the new Mary Roach book. I read “Stiff” years ago! Now I can’t wait to listen to her new book.

Thanks for all you do,
Jammie

19 prairiepoet January 19, 2012 at 2:16 am

I hope the socks find a good home. They won’t fit me. I truly hope the dolls and the journal find their way back to you. Keep us posted. Thanks for the podcasts.

20 Karoline January 19, 2012 at 5:55 am

I’m sorry they felted. I wear a size 5.5 US. I totally want to knit the lanesplitter skirt as well now…

21 Felix January 20, 2012 at 1:14 pm

I hope you get your dink dolls back!

22 Alanna January 20, 2012 at 11:06 pm

I’ve knit a couple of skirts in the lately. The Floofy skirt is a great stash buster and good for one who wants to “own” the pattern. “Carmine” by Dutch knitting Design has been an excellent traveling skirt, knit in Berocco Touche, which is tencel. Sasha in Louet Euroflax is in my queue for the spring. Once you get going, you’ll probably prefer knitting skirts to sweaters. There’s less opportunity for fitting issues 🙂

23 Tres January 30, 2012 at 1:36 am

i have heard that you can use boil the felted socks in a combo of Vinegar and water and it will unflet them. i have never tried this but the person who told me about it has and it works. you might want to give it a Try.

24 CityMinx January 30, 2012 at 4:01 am

I had the dolls in NYC – this was at least 3 or 4 years ago. Dave has all the pix but I don’t think he ever added them to the site. I sent the dolls (with new tattoos!) on to Nico in Argentina, who I think sent them to Georgia perhaps? After that we lost the trail. I’ll see if Nico remembers who he sent them to, and maybe we can track them down from there… Let me know if you want a link the the NYC pictures, think I have the whole set on Flickr still

25 Caroline January 30, 2012 at 6:34 pm

If I’m not too late, my daughter who’s 10 1/2 would fit right into those – she’s got feet almost as long as mine, but she has the ankles and shins of a 10 year old. I’m probably too late, there’s even another episode posted…

26 Monica February 1, 2012 at 10:28 pm

Brenda dear,

Am I your only fan in Mexico? I’d love to see Uzu in person, I don’t care if they fit me or not, I’d tresasure any hand knit by you, my absolute favorite podcaster. One day I shall be independently rich and attend P3 wherever in the world it may be.

27 creatingruth February 6, 2012 at 11:50 am
28 Stephanie February 6, 2012 at 9:55 pm

Oh Brenda, my lovely! I was in the dyeing studio listening to you as I worked and that last song choice had me shakin’ my thang so much that I just spillt hot dye exhaust all down my trousers! Dumb old me …but what a great song. 😉

Really enjoyed the episode. Onwards to 110!

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