Robinznest Knits

Blowing Off the Dust

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 17:16:00 +0000

It's been over two years. More than two years since I have written here and still I can't get this place off my mind. Lately, I think about it a lot and feel a deep desire to write again. So here I am. Rusty and out of practice but with so many words swirling around in my mind, trying to find a place to flow and sort themselves out into sentences that have meaning and make sense.

I love January 1 and clean slates and new beginnings. I love the prospect of new mercies every morning! I love fresh starts and lists of goals. So what better time to re-start writing in my blog? I have lists and goals and ideas I want to put into words so here goes!

Christmas this year was busy and crazy and as our family continues to grow my house seems to continue to grow smaller. I am working hard at being content with what I have but I must admit, a bigger house would be a wonderful thing. Not a very probable thing as we are not that far away from retirement - but a wonderful thing none the less. It is good for life to get back into a routine but I have been busy planning out the goals I hope to achieve this year. I am not a fan of the "resolution" however, several years ago my good blogging friend, The Butler's Wife (how I miss her blog), challenged me to find a Word for each year. What a journey it has been! Last year my word was Anticipate. I thought of all kinds of good things that I could be anticipating. What happened was that I needed to relearn what the word meant. I learned to anticipate Jesus in every situation, good or bad. I began the year looking for an answer to a very deep and hard question in my life. Today, I still don't have any clarity, but I do trust that Jesus knows and I anticipate that at just the right time the right answer will come.

My 2015 Word is Abide. I re-read the book Shepherd's Abiding by Jan Karon as my Christmas book this year and the word stuck in my mind. I began hearing it everywhere. Old hymns containing the word started singing themselves in my mind. It's not a very common word so I began to realize that God was speaking. In many ways Abide seems like a continuation of the word Anticipate. As I abide in Him I can anticipate so much. I am going to find every hymn I can with abide in it and use them in my devotions. Abide. It is a lovely word.

I have set some fun goals for this year as well. Being an avid knitter, my sewing has gone a bit by the wayside. But for Christmas this year I made three of my grandsons Quiet Books for gifts. Whew! What a fun and exhausting project. Trying to work in my disaster of a sewing room was challenging and in the midst of sewing I started organizing my room which contains materials for every single craft I have ever done. I began realizing just how much "stuff" I have and I came up with an idea. For 2015 every single thing I sew or knit has to come from my "stash". I will have to buy buttons and zippers and maybe some thread to complete projects but I am not going to buy anything new to sew or knit. What a fun challenge. Already I made a new table runner for my dining room table using fabric and things I already had. I didn't have to buy anything! Gray is my new favorite color and I especially love it with the reds!

As soon as I finished the table runner I pulled out some fabrics to make a baby quilt for my three year old grandson, Ryan. I make a baby quilt for every grandchild and I am two behind. So Ryan will get his quilt, soon I think, and it is browns and teals and full of bears. I can't wait!

Another fun goal I have set this year is a reading challenge. My husband told me the other day he loves to see me reading. I used to read much more than I do these days and I miss it. So when I found this fun reading challenge the other day on facebook I decided to take it on. It should get me out of my box I think. One of the suggestions that bothered me was "read a graphic novel". I don't read graphic stuff. But then I remembered I want to read the book Unbroken and after seeing the movie I realized it is very graphic - but in a way that is historical and truthful and necessary to the story. So I will be okay.

I have always wanted to learn how to do calligraphy. The other day I was in a Hastings Bookstore and I saw a calligraphy kit on sale. It ended up in my hands so fast I didn't know what happened! I decided then and there that 2015 was the year to learn calligraphy. I haven't started yet - it seems a bit intimidating - but it will happen!

I have totally become a fan of the show Fixer Upper. I love, love, love Chip and Jo Jo Gaines. I became acquainted with her from reading the blog Mundane Faithfulness. When Kara told of how JoJo flew to her home in Colorado Springs to decorate her home for Christmas it touched my heart and I knew she was a Christian who walked her talk. I had never heard of the show before but I set my dvr to record all the episodes and my goodness - both my husband and I are hooked! And now we are inspired to work on our house. Our home is 15 years old and it is time to do some updates. So we have made a list of renovations and have already begun! The first thing was to complete a cupalo and weather vane for our barn. I love it!

Next on our list is a laundry room update - we are removing an old cabinet and installing "floating" shelves. We also have an old heavy piece of wood covering a cubby hole storage area under the stairs. The door has never been attached or functional so we are going to make a sliding barn-style door. Our main bathroom needs some paint and the "kid's room" needs a makeover as well. We are excited to see what we can come up with.

2015 looms on the horizon as being an exciting and fulfilling year. I am excited to learn new ways I can Abide with Him. I am looking forward to working down my fabric and yarn stash and turning it all into beautiful things. I look forward to learning new things and reading new books. And it feels so good to be back in this familiar place. Oh how I have missed it!

Episode 17 - March 2014 What's In My Knitting Bag?

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:21:00 +0000

Here is a list of all the projects I am taking on our 6 week trip:

Black Beauty Rides On Socks using Knit Picks Stroll in the Thunderhead colorway.

My Jaywalker Socks

Paint Chip Skirt

Mass Ave Knit Shop

Rotation sweater by Cookie A using Quince & Co yarn

Downton Abby Mystery KAL with Jimmy Beans Wool

Lorna Laces

Paton Kroy Sock yarn

Bunny Love by Susan B. Anderson

Socks on a Plane

Magic Ruffle Cake Shawl

Episode 15 - January 2014

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 00:14:00 +0000

Thanks for listening! I am hoping to get into a monthly podcast routine and hope this works better and more consistently. I'm so glad you stopped by the Nest today - here are the links to all the things I talked about:

Off My Needles:
Vanilla Latte Socks knit with Knit Picks Felici yarn in the Stream Bed colorway.
Dad Socks knit with Knit Picks Stroll in the Midnight Heather colorway.
Climb and Swirl Cowl - free Ravelry download! I really recommend this pattern. I used Lana Vida Hannah along with a strand of Rowan Kidsilk Haze on a size 11 needle.
Rocky Coast Cardigan knit with Cascade 220 superwash.
ZuZu's Petals (LOVE IT) knit with Twisted Fiber Art Catnip yarn in the Bookworm colorway.
For my new little grandson I knit Cooper's Sweater set using the Socketta Baby Cardigan pattern - a free Ravelry download. I used Paton's Kroy yarn in the gray brown red Marl colorway.
For my 2 year old grandson I knit Ryan's Fox Sweater using Willy the Wily Fox pattern. I used an inexpensive acrylic yarn and it turned out okay.
Ava's hat was next off the needles.
My Easy Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas using Knit Picks City Tweed DK in the Orca colorway. Thank you Barb for hosting the Bringing Back the Poncho KAL!
Finally I knit THREE sweaters and matching hats for my three grandsons who are brothers. I used three grays from the Knit Picks Swish yarn. I used the Gramps Cardigan pattern by TinCan Knits although I thought I was using the Gramps Cardigan by Kate Oates.

I promised to share a link for the Magic Knot.

My Happy Place:
If a picture paints 1000 words, then here is 2000!

Episode 14 - Summer's End

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 03:15:00 +0000

On My Needles:
     Vanilla Latte Socks
     My Vanilla Latte Socks
     Dad Socks
     My Dad Socks

Off My Needles:
     Freesia
     (My Freesia ) I Hate Cancer Prayer Shawl
     Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere
     Wispy Cardi by Hannah Fettig
     Andrea's Wispy
Qued Up:
     Backshore by Alicia Plummer
     Bunny Girl in a Dotted Dress
     Little Cotton Rabbits
     Climb and Swirl Cowl
   Loop Knits

Technique: I store my yarn in plastic ziplock bags inside plastic totes. How about you?

My Happy Place:
     XXX spinning wheel
     Football with my beloved Boise State Broncos!!

Episode 13 - Three Bags Full!

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:19:00 +0000

Off My Needles -

Waikiki Wedding Shawl
Tanis Fiber Arts Silver Label - Natural Colorway
Low Tide Cardigan by TinCanKnits

On My Needles -
Andrea's Wispy Cardi - Hannah Fettig
Rocky Coast Cardigan - Hannah Fettig

Qued Up
Freesia shawl
Bonny - TinCanKnits
Vanilla Latte Socks

On The Farm

Moseying on in - no idea what is about to happen!

Ivy

Skirting

Washing

Carding

Beautiful, beautiful yarn

Episode 12 - A Perfect Day

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:50:00 +0000

Finally! Everything worked out and I had a perfect day to podcast!
Here is what I talked about:

My Contest - join my Ravelry group and be automatically entered to win a deluxe edition of Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf by Alana Dakos.

Off My Needles:
Jelly Bean Baby Socks
My Jelly Bean Baby Socks
My Honey Cowl
Bunty Bunny Rabbit
Smock Coat

On My Needles:
Rocky Coast Cardigan
#32 Lace Shawl
Low Tide
Andrea's Wispy Cardi

Tangles and Knots:
Dad Socks/Vanilla Socks

Qued Up:
Autumn's End Pullover Sweater

Spin Report:
Knit Pick's WOTA Fiber
Three Bags Full by Judith Mackenzie

Review:
60 Quick Baby Blankets

My Happy Place:
I Am A Fiber Hooligan podcast
Debbie Macomber - Blossom Street Books

Episode 11 - Will the Real Episode 10 Please Stand Up?

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:03:00 +0000

Episode 11 Show Notes:

Mandy's Heart
Robin's Mandy's Heart
Mandy's Heart Socks
#32 Lace Shawl
Tanis Fiber Arts Silver Label
Downton Abbey KAL
Knit Picks WOTA Roving
Honey Cowl
Jelly Bean Baby Socks
Knitting Blooms - Finish it or Frog It February
Bunty Bunny
Gradient Cowl
Plucky Knitter Etsy shop
Rocky Coast Cardigan
Robinznest Knits Etsy Shop

Join our Ravelry Group - Robinznest - and you will be entered to win a copy of Alana Dakos's awesome book - Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf - a beautiful gift edition.

Singlehanded Knits - go give Mel a word of encouragement!

Episode 7 - Sweet Fiber Dreams

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Thanks for stopping by the 'Nest! For some reason I am no longer able to embed my podcast into my page from my podcast host - Podbean. Grrrrr......... I am trying to get this resolved but I think I may need to switch hosts. In the meantime you can download my podcast at iTunes or you can go to www.podbean.com and find me there. Or you can go to my facebook page - Robinznest Knits and find an embeddable player right under the cover picture. I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this causes and I hope to get it fixed soon.

Here are some of the things I talked about this week:

Squares for Comfort Charity KAL
My second pair of One Skein Boot Toppers
Robin Hood Hat

I have completed my first spinning project:

Brennan Cowl
Socks on a Farm
Judy's Magic Cast On
Rotation
Quince & Co Tern
Toothless
Playful Stripes Cardigan (I accidentally called this Playful Day Cardigan in my podcast - sorry!)
Rocky Coast Cardigan
Judith Mackenzies DVD's
Sheepish Sweater restored!!

Podcasts I am currently listening to:
Yarniacs
Blooming Knitter
2 Knit Lit Chicks

New great yarn!
Hannah from Loop

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Ravelry: Robinznest
Facebook: Robinznest Knits
Email: robinznest.knits@gmail.com
ETSY: Robinznest Knits

Shownotes - Episode 6 - The Voice, and I Don't Mean the TV Show

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:32:00 +0000

Hi Everyone-
I hope you find yourselves enjoying these autumn days and that your knitting is going well. Thanks for joining me for Episode 6. Here are the links for the things we talked about this week:

Thank you M.Gracie for the very nice iTunes review!

I have received so many compliments about my voice, which is really odd because I am used to hearing all the compliments about my husbands voice! Meet my husband, Chuck, as he shares his great voice with you.

Off My Needles:

Robin Hood
Queensland Kathmandu

On My Needles:
Socks on a Farm
One Skein Boot Toppers - pair #2
Malabrigo Worsted

Qued Up:
Rocky Coast Cardigan
Cascade 220 superwash

Tangles and Knots:
Sheepish Sweater

Spinning:
Respect the Spindle
Spinning is going spinningly...

Sew Fun:
my project bags

My Etsy store: Robinznest Knits

On the Farm:
Chickens and sheep are growing and thriving.
Last Saturday morning was so beautiful in the barnyard - it felt like a sanctuary.

My Favorite Things:
Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf

My prayers go to the people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

I'm on Facebook now as Robinznest Knits - stop by and "like" my page!

Thanks for stopping by. You can contact me on Ravelry as Robinznest or email me at robinznest.knits@gmail.com

Episode 5 - Trailing of the Sheep

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:50:00 +0000

Out and About
I attended my first fiber festival ever - The Trailing of the Sheep in beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho. I truly enjoyed every thing we did. I found a great blogger and a kindred spirit in Junelle. We ate lots of great lamb dishes, learned much about wool, and I bought my first drop spindle! Practice makes perfect, right?

Off My Needles:

Cambrian Cowl from Coastal Knits

Vanilla Socks are done - even though technically I knit 5 socks to get this pair :\

On My Needles -

Socks on a Farm by Lala of the Knitgirlls
Low Tide Cardigan otherwise known as Hawaii 2013 on my Ravelry project page.
Robin Hood Hat KAL with Mel from Singlehanded Knits.
Rotation by Cookie A

Tangles and Knots:
Ugh. Andrea's Wispy Cardi is in time out.
The aforementioned vanilla socks gave me plenty of headache but they are done!

New segment: You know your a knitter when......

On the Farm:
Chicken house has been winterized. We lost another chicken in the horse trough. Any ideas how to remedy this?
Sheep are easy keepers. Seriously.

Technique: A new and improved way of doing a simple SSK.

My Favorite Things: Reading glasses from the Target dollar bin. Yay!!!

In My Sewing Studio: I'm creating some project bags for my knitting and having a blast doing it. Here is my first prototype:

Calendar of Hope

Big thank yous to the most kind podcasters who have given me great shoutouts on their podcasts:
Jen of Down Cellar Studios
Barb and Tracy of 2 Knit Lit Chicks
Dawn of Wolfe Farms
Jessica from Knitting Brooklyn

Thank you to all who have left such sweet comments and reviews on iTunes. You all make me feel so happy!

Join my group, Robinznest, on Ravelry!!

Episode 4 - Happy Autumn!

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:44:00 +0000

You can link to episode 4 over in the sidebar, or you can download at iTunes at Robinznest.

So maybe recording a podcast at 4:45 A.M. isn't the best idea after all - my voice sounds really tired and I completely forgot to add the On The Farm jingle. Oh well, it is what it is.

Big thank you's to all the sweet comments left at Ravelry, iTunes, and here at the blog. Your words have really made me feel great about doing this podcast.

Contest Winner: karenswb (Ravelry name) is the winner of the Knitting desk calendar. Congratulations Karen!

Off My Needles: Sweetheart Skirt, Flower Cardigan and Hat, and One Skein Boot Toppers

On My Needles: Vanilla Sock, Wispy Cardi, and Low Tide

Qued Up: Rotation by Cookie A. BEAUTIFUL sweater!

On the Farm: We have a newly hatched baby chick! Who knew chicks REALLY hatched out of eggs! And for those who don't know, this is what a silkie chicken looks like.

My Favorite Things: Ravulous and Ravelry Photo Uploader have made maintaining my stash on Ravelry very do-able! Check it out to see if it works for you. County Plus also works through Ravelry to make tracking your rows and stitches so very easy.

Out and About - So excited to be attending the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Hailey, ID October 11-14.

My Happy Place: Miss Babs yarn has the BEST package presentation ever! I felt like I was opening a very special gift. And the yarn - Oh. My. Goodness. It is to die for!

Check it Out: Toe Up 2 at a Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. I give it 5 Cast On's - my highest recommendation! I also review The Sock Knitters Handbook by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott. This book also gets 5 Cast On's.

Episode 3 - Naked Chickens

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Listen to Episode 3 here:

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Thanks for coming back! A big thank you to my listeners for the kind and sweet words you have left me. I have found podcasting to be very welcoming and very fun!

In this episode I discuss my knitting, the plight of my poor naked chickens, and my first ever podcast contest!!!

Off My Needles:
I have finished the Sothia, using Madeline Tosh Merino Light. I love the pattern and encourge all shawl knitters to give it 5 cast on's. Five cast on's is the highest recommendation!

I also finished two quilt squares using the leftover Noro Silk Garden from my Silk Crescent Moon Shawl for the Knit A Square charity. If you don't already do charitable knitting, or are looking for another outlet I really hope you check this worthy charity out.

On My Needles:
I am excited to say that I am no longer a monogomous knitter! I have several projects going:
I am still plugging away on the Sweetheart Skirt for my sweet Ava Claire. It is nice, mindless knitting.

Working on the Flowered Cardigan and Hat set from Itty Bitty Nursery. Working with Manos Cotton Stria yarn which has wonderful color but no stretch, making it a difficult yarn to knit with. Still, it is unfortunate that it has been discontinued. I used it to make this and the brightness and depth of color is unbelievable.

I promised to not be defeated by the sock, so I cast on a vanilla sock using Juno Fiber Co. yarn called Buffy in the Sky Speckle colorway. So far, so good.

Technique:
This week I discussed swatching - before and after washing.

On The Farm:
My poor naked chickens are beginning to feather out - yay to free ranging! My sheep smell really good. And I'm trying to figure out what kind of spinning wheel to purchase. Ashcroft or Schacht?
My Happy Place:
Loving the fall season and all the happy knitting time provided by the return of Parenthood, all the political news shows, and COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

I WORE A SHAWL!!!! NOT ONCE - BUT TWICE THIS WEEK! This is huge folks. Huge! You may need to refer to Episode Two to get this. I now feel justified to buy the yarn to knit the Color Affection Shawl. Let the yarn shopping commence!

My First Contest: Being a new podcaster, I am realizing how special it is to receive comments and notes of encouragement. So here is my contest: leave me a comment either here on my blog, my ravelry group - Robinznest, or by email. If you leave a comment on iTunes you will get two entries into the drawing. The winner will receive a really great 2013 desk calendar called Knitting. It is a very pretty calendar with over 100 knitting patterns included. Can you imagine? Knitting inspiration every, single day! I also encourage you to leave comments with all the podcasts you listen to - it really, really, really makes a podcasters heart smile!

Thanks for stopping by the Nest. Until next time!

You can contact me at:

here on the Robinznest Knits blog
robinznest.knits@gmail.com
on Ravelry as Robinznest

Episode Two - Confessions

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Shownotes - Episode Two - Confessions

Listen to Episode Two HERE:

Podcast Powered By Podbean

This episode seems to have a couple of knitting confessions!

Off the Needles:
Lamb by Susan B. Anderson

First Confession:

My Ravellennics project, Sheep Run Socks, were an epic failure. Sad, but true. However, I will not be defeated by the sock.

I am thinking about casting on either this sock or this sock.

On the Needles:I'm still working on the Sothia. This is where the second knitting confession came in! I have shawl issues! I have made all these and have yet to wear even one :(
Shipwreck Shawl

Piper's Journey Shawl

Silk Moon Crescent Shawl

Duchess of Cambridge Shawl

Is there a Color Affection in my future?

I am also working on the Sweetheart Skirt for my little 3 year old granddaughter.

Qued Up:

A cardigan for my daughter
A Baby gift. Either this or this.

Both from Itty Bitty Nursery

On the Farm:
Check up on the latest happenings with the calf, the chickens and the sheep.
I discuss whether to coat or not to coat the sheep.

A Few of My Favorite Things:

ezPDF-Reader
Knitting Row Counter

Technique:

The difference between Fair Isle and Intarsia

Contact Me:

My blog: www.robinznestknits.blogspot.com
At Ravelry: Robinznest
by email: robinznest.knits@gmail.com

See you next time!

Episode Two - Confessions

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:32:00 +0000

Shownotes - Episode Two - Confessions

This episode seems to have a couple of knitting confessions!

Off the Needles:
Lamb by Susan B. Anderson

First Confession:

My Ravellennics project, Sheep Run Socks, were an epic failure. Sad, but true. However, I will not be defeated by the sock.

I am thinking about casting on either this sock or this sock.

On the Needles:I'm still working on the Sothia. This is where the second knitting confession came in! I have shawl issues! I have made all these and have yet to wear even one :(
Shipwreck Shawl

Piper's Journey Shawl

Silk Moon Crescent Shawl

Duchess of Cambridge Shawl

Is there a Color Affection in my future?

I am also working on the Sweetheart Skirt for my little 3 year old granddaughter.

Qued Up:

A cardigan for my daughter
A Baby gift. Either this or this.

ezPDF-Reader
Knitting Row Counter

Technique:

The difference between Fair Isle and Intarsia

Contact Me:

My blog: www.robinznestknits.blogspot.com
At Ravelry: Robinznest
by email: robinznest.knits@gmail.com

See you next time!

Episode One - An Introduction

robinznest.knits@gmail.com (Robinznest) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 23:39:00 +0000

Exciting things are happening at "the Nest"! Creating a podcast is something I have thought of doing for quite some time now. And since I had a few days off this week I decided to just go for it. In my first episode I talk about my knitting, my farm, how I am growing my sheep into sweaters and of course my sweet grandbabies. I hope to be able to embed an audio player in my posts in the future, but I am a very slow techie person and it is going to take me some time to figure it all out. In the meantime, if you care to listen, go to iTunes and search in the podcasts for Robinznest. If you listen, please be sure to leave a comment on iTunes, it helps move my podcast up in the search engine. I truly hope you enjoy it!

SHOWNOTES for Episode 1 - An Introduction

www.knitpicks.com - the first knitting website I discovered

http://www.knitpicks.com/cfpatterns/pattern_display.cfm?ID=75002220 - this is the pattern to the infamous Mr. Foster. Give him a try - he is an education in himself!

http://www.knitpicks.com/cfBlog/author.cfm/Knit%20Picks%20Podcast - This is the first knitting podcast I discovered.

http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com/p/podcast.html - This is a great website/podcast to follow.

http://knitmoregirls.blogspot.com/ -I have learned so much about wool and knitting on this site.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sothia - The shawl I am currently working on.

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Robinznest/lamb - In the podcast I said this pattern was called Sheep. My bad, it's really called Lamb.

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Robinznest/sheep-run-socks - This is my project for the Ravellenics! Wish me luck!

http://blogidaho.biz/earthlink/sheepshed.htm - The most awesome sheep/wool/spinning resource ever!