Two Ewes Fiber Adventures: A Podcast About Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Crochet, Dyeing-- All The Ways To Play With Yarn And

A little knitting and crochet progress, and a lot of discussion about the complicated topic of consumption.  Climate beneficial wool cloth, thrift store finds, supporting local farmers and small dyers, and (gasp!) knitting from stash for a year are all part of the conversation. Marsha has many things in progress (remember when she was a monogamous knitter?) but has been working exclusively on her Rodeo Drive Poncho.  She loves the Berocco Ultra Alpaca yarn and is enjoying the simple but elegant construction of the pattern by Staci Perry.  Kelly worked on socks while recording, but other than that the only other project has been some negative crochet.  Ugh!  Due to a mistake that she still needs to figure out, she did the second half of the back panel and the second front both inside out. The shell pattern is markedly different on these new pieces of the cardigan--until you turn them over and look at the back.  But no one wants a sweater with two right fronts!  Ripping out has occurred so the offending pieces

New projects this time for both Marsha and Kelly. Also lots of poncho talk and information about The Great Poncho Adventure.  The Ewes are making ponchos!  There are also two yarn giveaways announced this episode. For photos and to subscribe to the podcast, visit the shownotes on our blog. Marsha's Projects Marsha has started her shawl with the NoCKRs yarns she got from Duren Dyeworks last year in commemoration of the retreat.   The pattern is Good Vibes by Nadia Crétin-Léchenn.   She was ready to start her poncho with some Spirit Yarn, but decided that it was not the right yarn for the pattern.  Instead she is going to find some yarn that is better suited.  Late breaking news!  Marsha got some yarn for the poncho! The pattern she is using is The Rodeo Drive Poncho by Staci Perry. Kelly's Projects Kelly has made some progress on the crocheted Crazy Stitch Cardigan. It's a pattern by Michelle DuNaier.  She has started on the shoulder and is almost ready to start the second side of the sweater.  She also had

Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan is finished and the Two Ewes are celebrating!  Project planning has begun for Marsha's next blanket and Kelly is once again making progress on the handspun Funky Grandpa cardigan. Join us for a fun episode full of fiber adventures! Marsha's Projects The epic blanket is finished!  Marsha finished Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan and it is fantastic!  The pattern is Garter Squish by Stephen West although it was made to be bigger than the pattern.  Finished measurements are 6'8" x 5'7" and it weighs 5 pounds, 8 ounces.  This blanket contains the memories of her father Frank.  It was made from yarn that she used to make him a sweater many years ago.  It also contains the Spirit Yarn from destashes, the Goodwill, and yarns from friends (including our listener HockeyRachel).  This blanket is filled with good karma! During the podcast we had another live bind-off.  Marsha finished another washcloth or dishcloth.  This one was the Atomic Washcloth pattern and she edged it with crochet while we w

There is knitting in the show, but we spend the first 15 minutes in non-fiber chit chat. Does that tell you how we feel about our knitting right now? We are both in a project low right now with long term projects and projects in transition phases. Finishing these items and the excitement of new cast-ons will come in time, but for right now we battle the long project blues. Projects Marsha continues to work on the Stephen West Garter Squish afghan she is calling Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan. She is working color twelve of fourteen and is ready to be done. It is hard to work on because it is getting so big and heavy. Definitely not portable! Marsha has been highly distracted by her new addiction...wash cloths! She as made WAHMingIt by Amber Perry, Spa Day Facecloth by Anne Mancine, Atomic Washcloth by Nanette Cormack, and is working on Ballband Washcloth by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. * As I was writing the show notes I realized that I made the Atomic Washcloth completely wrong. The peach color should be stock

Knitting a blanket, an octopus, and some wash cloths have been keeping the Two Ewes in stitches these days.  Fleeces, yarn, and fiber friends were in abundance at Lambtown last weekend.  In addition, two public pledges will keep the Two Ewes accountable for some future projects!  For photos to go with the links, see our blog! Marsha's Projects Marsha  continues to work steadily on her Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan but found she needed to take a break from it. She discovered washcloths!! She has made two from the pattern All Washed Up by Jill Arnusch and is almost done with Diagonal Knit Dishcloth by Jana Trent. Both are free patterns. Kelly's Projects All octopus, all the time!  Kelly has more than half of the tentacles finished and has been working mostly on this project. She did finally get back to the Mesa poncho by Yumiko Alexander so she could finish it in time for her sister's birthday.  Finding buttons from the stash will finish it up! There has also been some casting on/hooking on!  The Curious Case cr

Beautiful Autumn days, ongoing projects, an Enzo the Poodle update, and some of our listeners' knitting are the topics of this episode.  Marsha is coming to you from Seattle, as usual.  Kelly is coming to you from a tin can somewhere on the Central Coast of California.  :-)  She forgot to plug in her microphone and was recorded through the not-so-good computer microphone.  Sorry for this rookie podcasting error! Shortly after the last episode Kelly started to work on Opus the Octopus.  He was the perfect project for her conference knitting.  One sleeve of the Handspun Funky Grandpa was finished so that the needles could be re-purposed for the octopus, but that was the only other project she touched in the last two weeks.  Marsha continues to work on Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan and has passed the halfway point. She'll be starting the ninth color of thirteen.  She gives her hands a break by working on her Havasu Falls Shawl.  The Ewes share information about listeners' projects (including a beautiful shawl, a gr

Our monogamous knitting continues, but the wool fleece auction, bees, and planning for upcoming fiber events has kept life interesting! Project Updates Marsha continues to work on Frank's Spirt Yarn Afghan using the pattern from Stephen West called Garter Squish. She loves how the afghan keeps changing with each additional color. The afghan currently is about six feet wide and about 36" long. The afghan is no longer very portable, so Marsha is back working on the Havasu Falls shawl by Alison LoCicero. It's pretty good social knitting right now. Marsha also washed the black Wensleydale-Cormo-Merino cross fleece she bought at The Black Sheep Gathering. Kelly continues for work on her Funky Grandpa cardigan that she is calling Handspun Charlotte Cardigan because she is using handspun from a sheep named Charlotte. She reports on her experience of redoing one of the sleeves. Kelly also discusses dyeing yarn for the her next project, Opus the Octopus by Cate Carter-Evans. She is motivated by the need to have a proj

Knitting monogamy and the fall semester have combined to reduce the yarn crafting of the Two Ewes this episode. Both are making progress on their Epic Adventures, though. View photos, and subscribe to the podcast at our Two Ewes Fiber Adventures blog! Kelly has finished all the squares needed for the quilt that she started over 30 years ago. Now on to the sewing together! Kelly also started a new sock project for meeting knitting. The Angler's Loop socks have an interesting cable pattern along the back of the sock. The pattern is designed by Andrea Mules. Marsha has been moving along on Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan. The pattern is the Garter Squish by Stephen West. She is on the third color now and, at the moment, is knitting on this project exclusively.  Marsha did something she never thought she would do. She bought a tie-dyed skirt! This is not your grandfather's tie-dye. She talked with the dyer about the technique (which includes dye removal as well as overdyeing) and is inspired to try some tie-dye.

Civil War Socks, two epic projects, and a few rants from the Two Ewes are on the episode this week! Finished and Started Kelly finished the Civil War Socks (pattern by Karin Timour) and they fit her husband perfectly. The choices of yarn color were made as a result of reading this Civil War discussion board post. Marsha finished prepping the yarn for Frank's Spirit Yarn Afghan and she has cast on. This will be a long-term project. She is also continuing work on the Havasu Falls Shawl that she is making from a Freia gradient yarn. Kelly has started working on her long-term project, too. It is a quilt top that she started while in high school. Since the last episode she has made progress on this quilt, which she is planning to use as a queen-sized bedspread. It is a hand pieced quilt in the "Split Rail" design and is made from sewing project scraps from her childhood and teen years. For example, one of the fabrics is from the "Swirl Skirt" that Kelly had in the 1970s. Kelly has also started a Mesa poncho for

Spinning, dyeing moth-proof yarn, crocheting bears, and knitting handspun singles are adventures in this episode.  Kelly gives an extensive review of knitting with handspun singles so that spinners will know how to use their yarn without always plying it.  Marsha has been researching the meaning of the old-fashioned "moth-proofing" that was done to her spirit yarn.  We hope that both topics are interesting and helpful to you! For show notes with pictures, see http://twoewesfiber.com Marsha's projects Marsha has not done too much knitting recently but she has made some progress on the Havasu Falls Shawl by Allison LoCicero and completed spinning 10 ounces of golden Shetland roving that she got at the Black Sheep Gathering.  She has also been doing a little more over-dyeing in preparation for the the afghan project she is making with spirit yarn.  Detailed information about the preparations for this project (including the math that we discussed in the previous episode) is in the Project Page for Frank's Spirit

Math, over-dyeing, color theory, and an interesting discussion of the Faroe Islands join knitting and spinning in the topics of this episode. Kelly's Projects Kelly has won the battle with the first of the Civil War socks. Several adjustments for fit were needed, but the finished sock is now perfect and it is on to the second one. The only other knitting has been on the NoCKRs shawl. The desire to use as much yarn as possible of both colors has led to some pattern modification experiments. Kelly has been doing a lot of spinning with two different wool/angora blends. One is a dyed gray and the other is a natural white. She also continues working on the CVM fleece with both a fingering/sport 3-ply and a bulky singles yarns on the wheels. Marsha's Projects Marsha was doing really well on her Fairfield Cardigan by Michele Wang but discovered she knit past the point where she should begin decreasing for the shoulders. Ugh! She now needs to do some ripping back. She started a shawl call Havasu Falls by Allison LoC

Show notes coming soon.

Knitting, spinning and preparing for the Black Sheep Gathering has Marsha and Kelly so excited that they can't stay on topic!  Lots of interesting (we hope!) tangents in this episode. Marsha has finished her Ricky for All Seasons by Vera Sanon.  She loves the look and the fit and recommends the pattern.  She is still working on her Spirit-Yarn-a-Long project, a shawl called Sunny Delight by Brian Smith.  This will be great train knitting for her train trip to Eugene for the Black Sheep Gathering.  Kelly cast on and finished a Spirit Yarn project.  The Bethel Tank has been in her queue for about two years. She used some coned cotton that she and Marsha had dyed a couple summers ago in a dyeing experiment.  Along with the cotton she carried along a strand of rough-spun linen coned yarn. The Spirit Yarn Along will continue until June 30 in the Ravelry Group.  Winners will be chosen randomly from the discussion participants.  Share your projects and Spirit Yarn stories. While discussing the projects Marsha specu

In this episode you will only hear one half of the Two Ewes. Kelly finished up the school year with a cold and wasn't able to record. We didn't want to miss reaching out to everyone so it is short episode with Marsha. Well, Kelly does make a short appearance at the end of the podcast since at editing time she had a little better voice! Kelly has finished two projects!  She decided that a good day to bind off the I Love My Husband scarf was their 32nd anniversary.  It was one of the projects that she brought on the camping trip they went on.  She also finished the Edie tee by Isabel Kramer.  She decided not to add the neckline edging, but she did add a moss stitch edging to the hem and sleeves.  The yarn fabric washed up nicely in a cold water machine wash and a trip through the dryer. The hem and sleeve edges are rolling up, so it will need a bit of ironing there. She continues work on the Latticework Cardigan and hopes to finish before the Black Sheep Gathering.  Breaking News!  The sweater is finished!  The

� Kelly and Marsha have been busy with non-fiber responsibilities but still made progress on various projects and even started a few. Kelly finished a crochet gift for a first-time-father-to-be. Since it was a math department colleague, she made Pi Guy for the new baby. She is currently working on the scarf for her husband, the Edie tee and the crochet Latticework Cardigan that she cast on for the Spring Fever Knit/Crochet Along. Marsha continues to work on her Fairfield Cardigan by Michele Wang, but progress has slowed because she has started new projects. (What was she thinking!) She has finished the deceases for the armhole and will soon start the shoulder and neck shaping. She is making good progress on her Ricky for All Seasons by Vera Sanon and is about to start the shaping decreases for the body. In Episode 41 Marsha discussed her plans for a shawl using the Spirt Yarn from the NoCKR's detash room. She took home with her a skein each of Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lana D'Oro (multi), Knit Pics Capra (brown)

We did it! Kelly and Marsha completed the Big Sur 21-Miler walk on Sunday, April 24th and in this episode the talk about the experience. We also give updates on projects and announce the the winners of our Spring Fever Free-for-All. Kelly finished all her Star Wars Amigurumi! They were sent to her brother-in-law just in time for "May the Fourth be With You." He really loved them.  Check out Kelly's project page to see all the fun she had posing them with each other for pictures. There are still more of them that she might make but for now the Star Wars toys are done! Kelly is currently working most on the shawl out of the NoCKRs 2016 yarn from Duren Dyeworks. She decided to reuse the New Beginnings pattern by Boo Knits. She has one shawl from this pattern that she loves and she decided she could make some adjustments so that it will work with the two colors and use up all the yarn. Kelly has swatched for the Edie t-shirt out of the Queensland Collection Savannah.  This is the yarn that Marsha and Kelly both

The Two Ewes record together this week since Marsha is visiting Kelly for the NoCKRs retreat (last weekend) and the Big Sur 21-miler (coming up this weekend).  You'll hear about what inspired us at the retreat, the progress we've made on our current projects, and our plans to meet more listeners.  We also talk about the idea of Spirit Yarn. The retreat was a great way for Kelly to get miles of spinning done! She worked on more of the yarn for her mother's Shibui Axis vest.  Two large bobbins were filled and that should end up being 4-5 ounces of yarn once it is plied.  Kelly also knitted on the Funky Grandpa cardigan that she is making out of handspun.  Both of these projects turned out to be great social projects.  Marsha worked on her Fairfield Cardigan by Michele Wang.  She also started the Shetland Crescent shawl by Kieran Foley, but made better progress on the sweater.  The projects at the retreat were so fabulous that Kelly was inspired to immediately queue the Mesa by Yumiko Alexander.  It is a versati

Our adventures continue. Marsha has a revelation about lace and another about her mama bear ferocity. :-) Listen to us discuss current projects, bees, a puppy, and some "Fiber in the Wild"! Kelly continues the Star Wars crochet saga and has finished Luke, Han, Leia, and Jabba. Creating tea cosies would be a similar sculptural activity and Kelly recommends a look at the work of Loani Prior , an Australian knitter who is also on Instagram as @queenoftheteacosies. She has also finished the Wensleydale yarn she is making for her Aunt Betty to use for a Simply Garter Vest. The yarn is loosely spun and plied--a good way to make sure that the longer, courser wools don't end up feeling like wire. In fact, the yarn is shiny, silky, and very spongy in the skein. For the Spring Fever Free-for-All Kelly has "chained up" the Latticework Cardigan by Michele DuNaier. At this point she is almost ready to separate the sleeves. The crocheting is fun and fast. It would be even faster for an experienced crocheter. This is Kelly'

What's new with the Two Ewes? Well, not much knitting, but lots of other things have been going on. Both Kelly and Marsha are participating in the"Leave It" Division of the  Caithness Craft Un-Knit-Along (UnKAL).  There is also a chat thread for this UnKAL in the Twinset Designs Ravelry Group.  Marsha has put her Striped Study Shawl in the closet and Kelly has sent her Playground Shawl out to recess. :-)  Meanwhile Kelly continues crocheting on the Starwars amigurumi. She has four done, Jabba on the hook and is planning at least ten more for the May the Fourth Be With You deadline!  The designer's (Lucy Collin) Flickr page has even more ideas than the book that came with the kit! The Easter Bunny came out so cute and was so fun, Kelly decided to make a toy for both the "grands." The Purple Bunny was a free Drops Designs pattern with a few modifications that can be found in my project page.  The purple mohair brushed up really nicely to make a slightly furry bunny. The companion toy was Marshall from Paw Patr

Marsha and Kelly start off talking about Kelly's beautiful commute down the Salinas Valley (aka John Steinbeck's Long Valley).  She hasn't stopped to take photos, but here is an example of what she sees two days a week. As she commutes, she has been listening to podcasts--many of them non-knitting related.  One that she discovered and just had to try because it sounded so unusual is the Chameleon Breeder Podcast . The topic of raising chameleons led to the topic of raising bugs and this week's episode is about stick and leaf insects. Even more fascinating is the discovery that there is such a thing as the  Ovogram insect egg swap service. Insect breeders use it the same way knitters use a mini-skein swap! The guest on this week's Chameleon episode owns the  Full Throttle Feeders bug supply company. Kelly is now addicted to this informational podcast!  On her commute today she also listened to True Crime Garage. Another fun (but totally irreverent) true crime podcast is White Wine, True Crime. Marsha fills us