Episode 334 Do All the Good You Can

Please consider donating to fund ovarian cancer research by Dr. Katherine Fuh at Washington University, St. Louis MO.

Make check payable to Washington University. Your donation is tax deductible.

Mail to Knitting Pipeline, PO Box 549 Washington IL 61571.

You can follow me on CaringBridge.

Thank you to the knitters at the Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat for starting this fundraiser!

My husband joins me in this episode. I finished Cobblestone #3 by Jared Flood and am abandoning my Northeasterly (any takers?) New projects are Toadstool Dolls by Susan B Anderson and Miss Marple by Nadia Crétin-LéChenne.

Book Review on To the Point: The Knitted Triangle by Leila Raven. Quince & Co 2019. Bob gives a lesson in triangles. We also blether about nature.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Haste ye back!

Paula

Episode 334 Do All the Good You Can

Polar Pizazz + Sonoran Christmas

Here are a couple of particularly popular, recent highlights from my Instagram page:

Recently, this lovely and very talented customer – “swissmissdenise” on Ravelry – posted her delightful Polar Chullo variation FO. (Her photo shown here with her permission.) After she knit my Polar Chullo hat pattern for her husband, she took her favorites among the Polar Chullo charts, grabbed her leftovers + six more hat-size Spindrift yarn packs, centered everything over a basic, dropped-shoulder silhouette using a sweater-appropriate Spindrift gauge (not sure of the exact gauge she used, but I’d shoot for somewhere around 7.5 sts/inch myself) and *poof* – magic! What a fantastic job she did! Isn’t she adorable in her new pullover?!  Thanks for sharing your magnificent work, Denise!! 

I knit these using my “Kilim” design, one of many free Christmas ball patterns you’ll find on my website, MaryAnnStephens.com . I sent them off to Jamieson’s of Shetland last week for their Christmas appeal to help raise funds for an MRI machine for Shetland. Imagine the terrible accidents and painful conditions that regularly require MRI scans for proper diagnosis. Now, can you imagine having to take a boat or flight to the mainland while in that painful condition before a diagnosis is possible? Heartwrenching!! Knitted Christmas baubles of all types, from devoted Fair Isle knitting fans from all over the world (even from the Sonoran Desert in Tucson, AZ ) will decorate the Christmas tree in their Lerwick, Shetland shop window this holiday season. Eventually, they’ll be auctioned off and the funds will go to #mrimaakers, the group that’s spearheading the MRI campaign. For more information, see my Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/maryannstephensknits/ and visit https://mrimaakers.com/ . Jamieson’s shop address is: Jamieson’s Of Shetland, 93-95 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland ZE1 0BD

Polar Pizazz + Sonoran Christmas

Episode 333 Embroidery Meets Knitting

I finished lengthening the Odette Hoodies for my granddaughters. In order to distract from a different dye lot of Quince & Co Lark, I added a kangaroo pocket and embellished with embroidery. I share with you how I added the pockets and I give some embroidery tips.

My husband joins me in this episode for Nature Notes, In The Pipeline, and High Note/Low Note.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Episode 333 Embroidery Meets Knitting

Timbers Hat, updated

Timbers Hat, first released in 2006, now reworked in Jamieson’s Shetland Heather Aran yarn. Colors shown = Horizon (lighter)+ Cosmos (darker).

My Timbers Hat design, first released in 2006, has always been a favorite. The worsted weight Dale yarn I used for it originally was discontinued years ago, so I’ve upped my game, updated the pattern to my now-usual format and reworked it in some wonderful Jamieson’s Shetland Heather Aran for a slightly denser, warmer, more durable hat.  The plaited trim is a lot easier than it looks and only takes a few rows,  making it super-quick, along with the rest of the hat that’s knit at 19 stitches over 4″ / 10cm.  I love that, even with this relatively heavy weight gauge, I can still fit in some beloved, traditional Fair Isle / Norwegian motifs.  Bonus: It’s unisex, so it makes for some perfect gift knitting.  Hope you enjoy it!

The usual suspect, sporting the updated Timbers Hat in Heather Aran, up on Mt. Lemmon, in Tucson, AZ.

The updated pdf is available for purchase at the same, old $5 price, on either my online shop or on Ravelry.  I also have the Jamieson’s Shetland Heather Aran yarn packs on my site, available here. The old pattern worked fine, no mistakes, didn’t need corrections, only a fresh, and currently available, look. If you already purchased your Timbers Hat on Ravelry any time since 2006, I’ve already sent out Ravelry notices offering you the chance to download the updated version.  If you bought it directly from me and would like the updated version, just message me, letting me know the email you would have used for your order, along with the approximate date of purchase, and it’s all yours.

Happy Quick Knitting!

XOXOXOXOX,

Mary Ann

Timbers Hat, updated

Episode 332 Maine and Repair Tips

I finished Cobblestone #2 and started on #3. I share how I lengthened the Odette Hoodies by Carrie Bostick Hoge. These fit my granddaughters perfectly right now but they needed a few more inches in the body of the sweater.

The Knitting Pipeline Retreat in Kennebunk, Maine was fabulous, as always! I share some highlights from the retreat.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Haste ye back!

 

Episode 332 Maine and Repair Tips

Rose Arbor Hat

My new “Rose Arbor Hat”, knit in Jamieson’s of Shetland’s DK 100% Shetland wool yarn. PDF and yarn pack in colors shown available through my MaryAnnStephens.com online shop.

This hat was inspired by the upcoming “Rose City Yarn Crawl” in Portland, OR. The last couple of years,  Jamieson’s US distributor, Simply Shetland, a sponsor of the yarn crawl, asked me to donate some of my patterns to go along with their magnificent yarn to become kits for Rose City Yarn Crawl door prizes.  It was a sweet, little way to show my support of Jamieson’s, Simply Shetland and Portland knitters, so I was happy to share.  When I was asked for a donation for this year’s yarn crawl, thoughts of “Rose City” inspired something a bit beyond my existing archives; hence, the birth of my “Rose Arbor Hat”, which Simply Shetland will be generously putting up as kits and sharing as door prizes in Portland for this year’s event.

I was really pleased with the smooth fit and resulting blossom on the crown of Rose Arbor Hat.

The Rose Arbor Hat is a close-fitting ladies’ hat knit in 6 colors of DK yarn. The brim’s twisted stitch trellis is capped by bands of Fair Isle roses and leaves that run to the top, forming a crowning blossom. Instructions for knitting an alternate, simple ribbed brim are included (although I think you’ll find the chart and notes for the “trellis” to be friendly and fun.)

For those of you who can’t wait, or can’t make it to Portland (or figure your luck with door prizes is about the same as mine), here’s a link to the pattern PDF page on my site, here’s my yarn pack page and here’s the pattern PDF on Ravelry.  You can also get previews and updates about my designs by following me on Instagram.

I hope you have great fun knitting the Rose Arbor Hat.  Wear it in health and happiness while you “stop to smell the roses”!

 

Rose Arbor Hat

Episode 331 Toast to Good Health!

I finished Cobblestone #2 and want to start on a third one. I am knitting on my Northeasterly strips and started a pair of mittens for The Maine Mitten Project.

The CT I had on August 8 showed no signs of cancer, ovarian or otherwise. Praise God! Thank you for your support throughout my treatments.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and Knitcircus Yarns.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Haste ye back!

 

 

 

Episode 331 Toast to Good Health!

More on downloading my newly-free Hedgerow pattern

This morning, a message was left for me in the Ravelry comments for my newly-free Hedgerow design, making it clear that the author of the message did not like my solution of directing folks to my regular, for-sale pattern page for them to get the free gift of my Hedgerow design because getting my PDF for a grand total of zero from my for-sale patterns page still necessitates leaving addresses.  I’m always a bit baffled when people feel compelled to complain about something that has been offered to them for free.  If I don’t like something about a free offer, I simply pass it by and get on with life.  But this commenter has made not only a negative supposition, but also a fair point.  If any of you might feel the same, I want you to know the solution (at least I hope it’s a solution) I’ve come up with to address what I dearly hope will be no more than a few cases of this scenario.  Here’s the comment and my reply:

Another way to get my newly-free pattern.

More on downloading my newly-free Hedgerow pattern

Follow-up on my co-opted Hedgerow – it’s now FREE!!

After responding to the many sweethearts who reached out to me with their kind support last night, and mulling over this wretched situation early this morning, I’m now running on about two hours of sleep.  Over night, Voolenvine’s posts showing her copycat Klara Socks were removed from YouTube, Instagram and Ravelry.  I woke up thinking: “This is not the first time something like this has happened and, sadly, it’s probably not the last. I’d love to just wipe the slate clean and simply move forward with happier things.” And then I saw Voolenvine’s second, saccharine-laden, extremely-hard-to-believe response on my Instagram post.  Now that her socks have been removed from her posts, she maintains she had “absolutely  no previous knowledge” of my design.

Below, you’ll see I saved a screenshot of her Ravelry project and you can compare it to my Hedgerow work.  You be the judge!

What’s so very “special” about Voolenvine’s “project” is that she carried on for several minutes, in a few different YouTube podcasts, about how her socks were entirely inspired by her dear great-grandmother.  (BTW, as you’ve probably figured out, I am oh-so-definitely NOT her great-grandma!)  I just cannot let that *&^%$@#* stand!

Comparing my Hedgerow projects and my chart illicitly posted on Pinterest to #Voolenvine’s magically similar result used for her Klara Socks.

You’ll also see the bulk of my Hedgerow chart was illictly copied and posted on Pinterest.  (Thankfully, Pinterest removed it for me a few weeks ago.) I don’t know just when it showed up there, or who pinned it there originally but I’ll wager it was there long enough for Voolenvine, and maybe plenty of others, to put it to good use.  Nonetheless, it’s still mine.  And now, it’s yours, too!

I’ve decided it’s time to “turn lemons into lemonade”. I always seem to have so many things going on, and I self-critically slave over each design for what seems an eternity, so I’ve never really done much to develop a significant social media presence. It has become all too easy for dishonest folks to co-opt my obscure designs and pretend that they’re their own.  Well, that’s not going to happen this time!  If you go to my knitting patterns page on my online shop, you’ll find that my Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens PDF is now free.  Yep, FREE! It’s still copyright protected, and it’s still a $5 pdf on Ravelry.  But, for those of you kind enough to follow me here, or on Instagram, and visit my quiet, little shop’s pattern page, I’m happy to put it out there as free.  Maybe in return, you might help me crawl out a bit from social media obscurity so that my years of work can become known for what it has always been – my own, original designs.

Many of you super-kind sweethearts have purchased Hedgerow in the last 24 hours while I’ve been figuring out what to do with this mess.  And now it’s free!  Oh, I know I’d be bummed if I just laid out $5 for something that’s now free.  So, if you’re one of the dear knitters who purchased this since yesterday, please just send me a message through my website’s contact page and it will be my pleasure to send you any other single PDF of mine, no matter the price tag, in Hedgerow’s place.

Thanks again and happy knitting! xoxoxoxoxoxox, Mary Ann

The cover page to my Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens PDF. ENJOY!!

Follow-up on my co-opted Hedgerow – it’s now FREE!!

Help! My designs are being stolen!

Way back in 2012, my Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens design debuted here on my TwoStrands blog. That’s the cover page to my original design which you see, above. Months ago, I redid them in Shetland DK yarn.  You can see that version on my website here.  Today, I see that someone who goes by “Voolenvine” has stolen my copyrighted Hedgerow chartwork, plunked it on a pair of otherwise plain socks, called it her own “Klara” sock design and, as you can see on her 8/2/2019 YouTube channel video, she carries with a long story about her “inspiration” for “her” (stolen) design.  Here’s the link to her YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJdmwX_5ckE

You’ll see her “Klara Socks” using my stolen Hedgerow design show up 7:14 minutes into her video and she shows them, claiming them as her work, for more than 3 minutes, up until 10:24.

Oh *$&%#@$, she’s done the same in more of her YouTube videos!  The previous episode, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJdmwX_5ckE, has more of the same lies, claiming my Hedgerow chartwork as her own.

You can also see “Voolenvine”‘s Klara Socks” on Instagram, where a (possibly entirely innocent and unsuspecting) test knitter shows her test knit, with my Hedgerow chart work on it, in progress: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0vyuMypPHI/

 

Interestingly, Voolenvine does not show these socks as WIPs on dear, old Ravelry, where my Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens PDF has sold for ages.

I’ve commented on these pages and I’m submitting official complaints about this infringement to YouTube and Instagram.  Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to stop thieves and posers from infringing elsewhere.  Sadly, I’ve found copies of my chartwork on many sites over the years and, no doubt, some will continue to pop up here and there.  But, this is, by far, the most outrageous theft yet.  Can you believe she went to the trouble to build an extensive narrative involving her great-grandmother around this?  Nuts!  Since this is so blatant, since I know many of you dear readers are also indy designers and it’s highly unlikely that my design work is her only theft, you folks should know about this.  Somehow, there may be more chapters to this saga!

 

 

Help! My designs are being stolen!

Episode 330 Momo’s Knitting

Today’s episode is very special to me as I remember my grandmother on the 121st anniversary of her birthday, her knitting, and life lessons she taught me. I also share how I met Elizabeth Zimmermann both in her books and real life and how she became my knitting mentor through our exchange of letters over a period of years. Thank you for listening!

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and Knitcircus Yarns.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Haste ye back!

Paula

 

Episode 330 Momo’s Knitting

Eagle Crest Retreat Information

Knitting Pipeline Eagle Crest Retreat

October 30-Nov 2, 2019

Eagle Crest Camp and Retreat Center (A Ministry of the Salvation Army) is located in rural Washburn IL, along the hilly bluffs of the Illinois River. Eagle Crest is easily accessible by car, about a 30 min drive from Washington IL or Peoria. The address is 823 Columbia Rd, Washburn IL 61570.

• Arrive Wednesday October 30, 2019 (check in time 3-5 PM)
• Check out by 10 am Saturday, November 2, 2019.

 

Single Occupancy            $430.00

Double Occupancy (will have your own bed)       $330.00

$200 for commuters

 

Includes:

• 3 nights lodging in Heartland Lodge. Rooms are simple motel-style with private bath.
• All meals from Wednesday dinner through Saturday breakfast.
• Small, intimate retreat with lots of one-on-one time.
• Your own Knitting Pipeline Retreat Bag.

Complete information and download is on the Knitting Pipeline Blog and both Knitting Pipeline Groups on Ravelry.

Hosted by Paula Emons-Fuessle

Knitting Pipeline Podcast www.knittingpipeline.com

Paulaef@aol.com                           PrairiePiper on Ravelry

Eagle Crest Retreat Information

Episode 329 Back in the Saddle

Thank you to all of you for your prayers and well wishes! Also, thank you for coming back to listen after my surgery and last 3 treatments. Your support means so much to me and my family!

I share modifications that I made on my first Cobblestone and I am halfway through Cobblestone #2 by Jared Flood. I share a knitting disaster with my husband’s Norwegian Ljuskofte. My husband joins me for Nature Notes, The Blethering Room, In The Pipeline, and High note Low Note.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and Knitcircus Yarns.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Haste ye back!

Paula

Episode 329 Back in the Saddle

Canyon Wall Vest

My new “Canyon Wall Vest”, in four adult sizes, using nine colors of Spindrift, seventeen 25g balls in all.  Circularly knit in traditional Fair Isle style without any type of steek reinforcement.  Pattern includes not only the usual text and motif charts, but additional layout charts, too, making color + motif tracking throughout the shaping process a piece of cake. Sizes are: 36 (39 3/4, 42, 46 1/4)” / 91 (101, 107, 117) cm.

PDF on my website.      Spindrift yarn pack on my website.      PDF on Ravelry.

Canyon Wall Vest in progress in Ventana Canyon, Tucson, AZ

Back of Canyon Wall Vest, 39 3/4″ finished chest size shown.

Canyon Wall Vest

Episode 328 My Nature Co-host Joins Me

 

I am almost finished with the Cobblestone by Jared Flood. My husband and I talk about our nature walks, activities we did when our family came to visit, and some of what we are watching.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and Knitcircus Yarns.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

I'll be having surgery so will be taking a break for the next 6 weeks or so. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/paulaemons-fuessle.

Haste ye back!

 

Episode 328 My Nature Co-host Joins Me

Episode 327 Maine Retreat 2019

Links to registration information is available in the blog post, in both Ravelry Groups, and here.

Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat 2019 September 22-26, 2019 Sunday 2:00 PM through Thursday 11:00 AM

Episode 327 Maine Retreat 2019

Episode 326 Tomten Jacket, Millie Doll

 

In this episode I talk about progress on the Cobblestone by Jared Flood using Elizabeth Zimmermann Percentage System; the classic Tomten Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann; and Millie Doll by Susan B Anderson with Quince & Co.

This episode is sponsored by Quince & Co and Knitcircus Yarns.

Knitting Pipeline is a Bluprint Affiliate. Bluprint offers affordable online classes and supplies. When you use the link in the sidebar on my blog before purchasing I receive a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Haste ye back!

Episode 326 Tomten Jacket, Millie Doll

Episode 325 Ides of March

Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. You can find me on Ravelry as PrairiePiper and on Instagram and YouTube as KnittingPipeline. There are two groups on Ravelry, Knitting Pipeline and Knitting Pipeline Retreats. Come join us there!

Episode 325 Ides of March

Episode 324 Surprise Episode

In this episode I share my holiday travel knitting, Galiano Socks by Tracie Millar, and projects I am working on.

The February Retreat in Washington IL Feb 15-16 is still on and we have openings! I plan on being there at least part of the time.

This episode did not have many notes and I jump around a little bit. I hope you understand.

Thanks you so much for all your well wishes since I shared my diagnosis of ovarian cancer. I am feeling strong even though I got a little teary at the end of this episode. (I recorded the ending several times and could not make it any better.)

Thank you for sticking with me, Friends!

Haste ye back!

Paula

 

Episode 324 Surprise Episode

Episode 323 A Necessary Break

This is a 5 minute update on what is going on in my life and why I will be podcasting sporadically for a while.

Haste ye back and hold your knitting close!

Paula

Episode 323 A Necessary Break

Episode 322 February Retreat Information

This episode contains registration information for the Knitting Pipeline Retreat.

February 15-16, 2019

Crossroads United Methodist Church

Washington IL 61571

Fee is $30!

Registration links are on the blog at www.knittingpipeline.com and in the Knitting Pipeline Retreats Group on Ravelry.

 

 

Episode 322 February Retreat Information