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Tag: YouTube podcasts

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Creative People = Inspiration

I had the most wonderful day with my friend Louise yesterday. First, she took photos of me and my new shawl (pattern coming soon).

I was pretty excited this morning when I went through the photos and wrote out my pattern. I’ll be recording a few videos for the techniques too. I’ll post the basic pattern here for free but I’ll also publish a paid version with the videos and all the gauges you can use with the details on needle size, stitch count and yardage. Eeeeeek!

After we got the photos taken and warmed up a bit (that wind was arctic yesterday), we went to work on a basket I started about 13 years ago. Yes, you read that right! I made the body of this basket with a group of women from my old spinning guild but I never finished it. It’s been living in a tote for all this time, taunting me. So I asked Louise if she would help me finish it (hers is finished and we used it as a model). How cute is this basket?

I laid awake last night (because hot flashes 🤪 – also, I figured out how to insert emojis) and imagined how I could sew a little liner for it so my knitting needles wouldn’t fall through the little cracks. The possibilities… of new fabric. Shhhhhh, you heard nothing!

When the basket was finished and my hands were raw, I spent some time working on my crochet star (see last post: https://mimimustknit.ca/bookmarks-knit-or-crochet/) and a pair of socks.

THEN, we started imagining what it would be like to host a knitting/creative retreat in our area. We talked about other pattern designs, a circular sock knitting machine (that we are considering sharing the cost of), etc. WE. HAD. SO. MANY. IDEAS.

I adore spending time with creative people. We feed off each other and there’s literally no limit to what we can imagine.

This morning, I finished my crochet Bookmark for Wine Lovers. I read the instructions wrong at the end and used the secondary colour to finish the side. I think it looks cute like that. Right? Hope the designer doesn’t mind. 😉

It’s still wet but it’s going to be so cute when I put the fringe on! I can’t wait to use it. I think I did ok for my first try?

I ordered some snaps to use with leather so I can make a shawl cuff to go with my new finished Wiley Shawl. I tried to make one yesterday with fabric snaps but it was a fail.

OMG! I can’t believe I almost forgot that THIS happened…

I read Project Hail Mary and saw the movie last week. Amazing book, great movie. When I saw this sweater on Ryan Gosling, I thought “sweet Baby Jesus! That looks just like a Mary Maxim sweater”. But I didn’t give it a second thought. WELL, yesterday, I noticed that it’s all over Instagram! It was even on CBC, NBC… What is happening!?

I posted it in my stories and two people asked me to knit them one. I’m dying… I couldn’t stop laughing all day yesterday.

So, yarn order is going in when I have the last of the measurements. Pattern already purchased. This is actually happening! I’m making a Mary Maxim sweater (but not in the acrylic kit they sell on their site – squeeky acrylic gives me the ick so I try not to use it if I don’t have to). I will use yarn made in Canada at our very own Briggs & Little in Nova Scotia – the oldest woollen mill in the country. ❤️

So, that’s what I’ll be doing for the next few weeks I gather.

Off to Montreal tomorrow to hang with the kid. He told me to bring my “gym clothes” so we can go to the gym together. I wonder if he knows that I work out in my underwear most of the time at home. I would NEVER subject anyone to that IRL so… now I have to find some appropriate workout clothing. Garh!

What are you working on?

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I’m on YouTube. Did You Know?

It’s hard to believe I forgot to mention that I have a YouTube channel. I used the same name as this blog. It’s also my Instagram username.

I started my Mimimustknit channel a few years ago. I haven’t been very consistent in posting videos over the years but my first one went up in April of 2019. Since that time, I’ve posted a total of nine videos that would be considered knitting vlogs or a podcast. Most of those have been in the last year. But I’ve also posted many tutorials over the years. I initially used YouTube to post how-to videos that were related to the knitting classes I was teaching here in Cornwall. I wanted people to be able to refer to those videos if they couldn’t finish the project over the three hours in class. The quality isn’t stellar and I should have made each project ONE video with each step instead of 10 videos in one playlist. But we learn as we go – like everything else.

I’m not sure why I wanted to start vlogging. I’m not aiming to earn extra money from my channel, or to become an “influencer” (does anyone else find that term annoying?), nor do I think my life is that interesting that I think people should watch what I’m up to. But if I can inspire a few people to try a new pattern or a new craft, then I’m winning!

Five years ago, I discovered knitting podcases/vlogs. I actually wrote a post about it in February 2017. I don’t think I could account for all the money I’ve spent on patterns and yarn because of knitting podcasts. But I’m also eternally grateful (after getting a grip on my spending) for all the inspiration I got from other knitters who were talking about their projects in their videos. I recently found a lady who purchased equipment to start her own little wool mill at home. Dudes! I’m thinking that a mini-mill might be a retirement gig for me so I’ll keep up with her vlogs and see how it goes for her.

Through my YouTube channel, I met my friend Lorelei. She watched my first ever Vlogmas back in 2019. Through her comments and then Instagram messages, we became friends. Soon enough, we were chatting all the time – almost daily. Then we started exchanging actual letters (who does this anymore). One day, I checked her address in my map app and realized she was only three and a half hours away from me. So I decided I would go visit. We recorded our first vlog together. It was so much fun that when I went back in January of this year and we recorded another one. Her channel is Handmade by Lorelei, if you feel like checking her out too. She does paper-crafting videos, fountain pen and ink videos, some jewelry-making videos. It’s a really fun channel if you’re into that stuff. I get a lot of inspiration from her.

I don’t have a lot of subscribers at this point, 270 I think last I checked. But it’s fun to know that 270 people are interested in watching me talk about my knitting, crochet, spinning, books, life, general MAKING and even some travel.

So I’m off to do something creative now. Might see you soon!

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New Obsession: Knitting Podcasts

Dudes!  Did you guys know about this?  I feel like I’ve been living under a rock.

Here’s how I discovered knitting podcasts:

I’ve been following knittingexpat (Mina Philipp) on Instagram for a long time.  Then in November, I went to Qatar and the UAE.  When I was in Qatar, my friend Joanne told me about this little island called Bahrain and how pretty it was there.  I wish I had been there longer because I would have flown over for a day or so.  (I’m into counting countries now.)  A week goes by and I see something on Mina’s Instagram that she’s in Bahrain.  AS IF!  So I go on YouTube and watch my first ever Knitting Expat podcast.  I was immediately hooked.  OMG!  How come no one told me about this before!???  I went back and started from her very first episode and watched EVERY SINGLE ONE.  Hooked.  Netflix has gotten no love from me since.

Seriously people!  Knitting podcasts are really bad for my budget.  I don’t want to tell you how much money I’ve spent on patterns and yarn in the last few months.

Here’s some yarn-porn for you.

This stuff is amazing.  The two colours are merino/cashmere/nylon and the grey is merino/cashmere/alpaca.  It’s going to become (most likely) the 3 Color Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli.  I know that in my last post, I said I didn’t like cowls but… I think I can make an exception for this one because it’s gorgeous.  Who knows?  I might even change my mind about cowls.

I now know about a billion hand-dyers, designers and project bag/notions makers.  I’m so amazed.

From Mina’s blog, I learned about so many other podcasters but I wanted to watch something Canadian.  Then I came across the Grocery Girls Podcast.  These two sisters are HI-LARIOUS! They interact much like my sister and I do, except my sister is not at all crafty.  From watching them, I discovered so many more yarns, so many more patterns.  Dudes, I didn’t know who Joji Locatelli was!  I had some of her patterns in my Revelry queue but had no idea she had so many amazing patterns.  Same goes for Melanie Berg, Lisa Mutch, Martina Behm.  All these ladies have designed some amazing shawls that I’m itching to cast on.  My horizons have been broadened.

I’m also stalking Voolenvine Yarns, Plucky Knitter, Woolen Boon, Flock Fibre Studio (Canadian!), PolkaDotCreek (Canadian!), Hedgehog Fibres, Hue Loco, Long Dog Yarn, Ancient Arts Fibre (Canadian!) on Etsy and Instagram.  I could go on.  And on.  And on.  There are so many fabulous dyers out there.  It really makes me want to start dying yarn.  I’ve never been a fan of dying… but I’m slowly realizing how much fun it could be.  I just have to find good bases now.

I’m SO inspired!

If you haven’t yet watched a knitting podcast, GO.  NOW.  And keep a pen and pad nearby.  You’ll need it.  Trust me.  🙂