It’s a Purl, Man

so… I am having some issues with my recording software… I will try again tonight to get the show up. Sorry for the delay

So I have not found a whole hell of a lot of time to do much knitting recently. I can’t believe how many groups I have missed in the last couple months. I long for my knitting groups in the same way that other people long for dinners with the family.
What I have been doing is being sick and working. Lucky for me I have stopped being sick. So the thing I do most these days is work, which is not so bad. The new job is great, the people are nice, the hours are flexible. You think I would think this would be enough. Sadly, I think do to my previous job I have become too jumpy about work, making me a huge stress ball all the time, for no good reason.

So at my last job I had a real communication issue. People would not really let me know how I was doing, except through the grapevine. This made me crazy and extremely self conscious. I worry about what people think and always fear that people were not being straight with me. It’s a horrible feeling. in the end, I am glad my last job ended when it did because I realized after the fact that I had all this fear and anger built up inside of me and I was not dealing with it very well. So now I need to start to let go of it. It’s a hard task that will take many days of yarn overs, like my chuppah.

My knitting groups became the place where I would unwind and join the rest of my knitting family. And now that I am missing groups and being crazy… I miss my groups all the more.

There is no substitute for group, I have been to two sheep and wools in the last month, not the same…

So… if you are still with me a couple of quick notes:

• The Boston Knit Out & Crochet Too 2007 is coming and we are looking for sponsors and contributors. I am again helping out with the event, feel free to contact me or go to the website for more info at bostonknitout.com
• I am still looking for people to share what is on there needles, I will be lurking in the yarn shops this weekend, but would love it if you called in to let me know what you are working on. 206-888-4187
• I still need to contact my drawing winners, I have not forgotten you…
• This weeks show will feature and interview with Carol Martin at Farmhouse Yarns
• I am thinking about taking some time off soon and re-launching the website with some pretty graphics and a release schedule, if you have some ideas about how to improve the site or show please drop me a line at 2skiens@itsapurlman.com

I was planning on doing a show last night about the Bosworth’s and there awesome spinning tools at Journey Wheel. They are a lot of fun and were very nice to let me come into there house to record a show.

Oh well… perhaps I will con someone else into recording while I have no voice.

Laurie pointed out this commercial about sheep by the VITAMIN WATER people.

I also love this one by Budweiser. (Didn’t need to see that)

Just wanted to share these with all of you… te…he….

How are you doing? How are your projects coming along? Have you had a chance yet to knit outside in the glorious weather (assuming you live on the east coast and have seen nice weather)? What’s been going on where you are? Give me a call sometime 206-984-4286, I have missed the sound of your voice.OK… it’s been a month. It started out as a weekend prank and suddenly the month just disappeared on me. There I was in central park talking with Kat, and then… whamo!! it’s May. Imagine that, without warning all the sheep and wool fun is back. I thought i would have more time, I thought I would be able to get into shape before going on the road again to visit the sheep and wools. Oh well… I guess it’s that time again.

So I bet you are wondering what is happening with the show. The really cool news is that I have finally gotten the toy of my dreams (Zoom H4) and I will never want again for recording on location, which means I will be talking to more knitters than ever this summer. So watch out Boston Knitters, I am armed and dangerous.

In the next couple of shows i will be sharing some interviews with a Merino Wool Farm, a drop spindle manufacturer, and a Hand Dying Genius who are all within a three hour drive from my house. All of these people are insane enough to follow there fiber obsession and take it to the next level. They are so wonderful to have sat down with me and talked about what they do. I will also be working at getting the last of the 2006 recordings out there, but I think these will become mid-week releases… I think more things to listen to after such a long silent period will really make this fiber festival season exciting and fun.

Finally, I have a problem and need your help. I have a UFO that I am not going to be able to get done for my mom for mothers day, or perhaps even memorial or labor day. Can you suggest some good excuses or things to say to her to let her know I still love her, but that damn sweater is just not at the top of the knitting bag, and with my Chuppah on the way… it may not get back to the top of the bag until I am a married man. If you can help me I would be very excited to share some free shwag I have recently received from my friend Lee.

Love,

Guido

p.s. I hope to see you soon at the NH or MA sheep and wool. Perhaps we can sit and record something for the show with my new toy. Sadly I cannot make it to the MD sheep and wool, I was just there and cried a little as I left BWI.

Well… My pumkin has a wedding dress and as soon as I have recovered from this long weekend I will post some great new episodes.

Soon, a day or two, I promise.

I am accompanied on this episode by the fantastic Stitchy McYarnPants. We take a trip in her Museum of Kitschy Stitches to find some of the origins of the male patterns. She has promised to add images of the exhibits on her site.
Some background, I have the following categories of male sweater patterns:
Mud Colors (most sweaters for guys are grey, black, navy, brown, or some combo of such)
Man Stripe (think abercrombie and finch)
The Cosby Sweater (nuff said)
Cable, rib, gansey (usually in a mud color)
NEW Lil Boy’s (upsized childrens sweater)
NEW Women’s Matchy (designed for her first and should have been left at that)

Please comment about this show, I am really interested in anything you have to say about the guy man issue.

MUSIC : Katrina’s Sitch and Bitch by Kentucky Jelly

IMAGES: Sttchy has posted the images in this post

 

 IAPM26: Going Old School [34:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On today’s show I share the discussions I had with local yarn stores that were at Stitches East.

INTERVIEWS (in order of appearance on show)
Marie Connolly of Stitch DC in Washington D.C. (with acrylic heckling from Brandon Mably)
Carol of Rosie’s Yarn Cellar in Philly, PA (who also writes Go Knit In Your Hat and makes hand dyed yarn at Black Bunny Hop)
Lorraine Guadet of A Good Yarn in Baltimore, MD
Chris Cahs of Cloverhill Yarn Shop in Baltimore, MD

MUSIC
Darling by The Jon Conahan Group

 

 Standard Podcast [28:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So I put a duckie on ZE-FRANKS website.

Can you tell which one is mine:

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2007/01/011707.html

Also… I love his video podcast and am honored to have claim sponsorship of the episode with the dancing Peniseses.. or is that Peni? (it’s not dirty, it’s second life)

1. Podcast weekly unless I have already let people know that I need to change my schedule
2. Master the art of the half hour show
3. Put up all my remaining recordings from 2006 up in January
4. Do not let my podcasting get in the way of my knitting projects
5. Shave beard more often

OK… so these are just a few of the resolutions… And so much for number one.

But I thought I would start by saying this year I want to bring more regularity to this podcast… and if not regularity at least more communication. So that you guys don’t wonder about my fate or the fate of the show.

We are both good.

This weekend, I had some business to take care of both personal and professional and I am now trapped in my office hoping to complete the professional stuff and do not see myself being able to do the show tonight. But somehow this month I will get out all the left over recording from 2006…

This week I was struck with the a true understanding about Yom Kippur, jewish day of atonement. The act of dealing with the business of last year in hopes of getting a running start at the new businesses of next year is really a cleansing thing. In that vein, I will try to get last years recordings/events/interviews out to you and start thinking about new things that I want to share with the world. Also, for those of you waiting for a prize, I will send them out this week. There should only be two of you…

Anyhow… I would love to hear from everyone this month about old business that you are trying to clear off your own agenda. Please let me know how you will close out 2006.

see ya later