And before you go, Dear Knitter here is your personal invitation from me: I would love to count you amongst the EBKpodcast community. You are welcome here. Subscribe today!
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And before you go, Dear Knitter here is your personal invitation from me: I would love to count you amongst the EBKpodcast community. You are welcome here. Subscribe today!
WANT TO LEAVE A QUICK REVIEW & BE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED FOR GIVEAWAYS AND PRIZES? CLICK HERE!
Aloha friend. I'm Mel, a really curious yarn fan who loves knitting, and is also obsessed with encouraging you to feel the same no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you're an adventurous knitter, or one in the making, we've got a lot more in common than you might expect. It wasn't so long ago, I'd get frustrated with too many cast ons, but never any completed projects, or endless piles of wavy yarn from ripped out knits. Fast forward to today. I love learning from languishing projects, and so called failed ones to every aspect of my life, fuels my creativity, and my creativity adds to my enjoyment of life. I created this podcast to share tips, mind shifts and challenges to help you do the same. So if you're a thoughtfully creative spirit, or someone wanting to grow in that direction, looking to love all the perfect commits, you make and embrace the ones with feature design elements to you're in the right place, friend. Welcome to encourage better your knitting podcast. I had a recent goal of using leftover yarns that really took me down a series of rabbit trails. I suppose I shouldn't say rabbit trails, because they honestly were additional opportunities to use yarn. Have you ever had a goal or goals in your knitting? Were they monumental tasks, akin to a marathon? Or were they more like quick win objectives, maybe one goal, or perhaps a bunch of them? On the podcast today, we will explore together a goal that I had. And the chain reaction that kicked off. This episode is part of my three GS series. And this g is goals. And I'm excited that we get to talk about it today. But I gotta tell you how important it is for me to avoid chatting only at you, which seems strange to admit, as it is a podcast that you are listening to. And I am recording it for you to hear you, dear listener are really more than a listener. Your thoughts and your stories actually enrich this podcast and the things that I share. So as you listen, know that you are always invited to give me your take on things discussed here. You can comment on the blog, or message me on Instagram, where I am M ski knits or reply to any email that I send. All the links to these ways to engage with me are in the episode shownotes. You dear knitter are integral to this podcast. And it's important to me that you know that. So important is your voice that I had an idea rolling around in my head for quite some time. And I think I'm going to need to put some legs to it. But before that, let's get back to the leftover yarn bits. is the image of a basket filled with tiny remnants of yarn, an imaginary thing for you, or do you actually have one? Maybe it's not a basket. Rather you have a jar or jars, bags, bins. You have an actual assortments of bits and bobs of leftovers in addition to mini skeins that you may have on hand and this is where I am going to do a small bit of bagging. Please, please let me know. It's not just me. As I'm sitting here in my library, recording this. I can look around and I have a huge glass jar I call it a jar. I'm looking up it's, it's, it's on the top shelf and its original use was for my gen T SCOBY. And Gen T or June T some people pronounce it is like kombucha. But it uses green tea and honey as a substitute for black tea and sugar. Well, I have four of these, though only three remain for the tea to be used. One is now for my yarn bits. It's actually really pretty up there. I have woven baskets, a metal decorative basket. Next to me is a whale vertebrae bowl. chicken wire basket. A drawstring camping bag? Well, not camping. Let's see. I mean that it's the drawstring cover to my camping sleeping bag. And it has been repurposed. All of these things are just in this room and filled Now I also used completely some smallest scraps for darning with left over yarn. And my friend. This is what is left. socks and even to make scrappy socks. So for this I would knit After I used a bunch of scraps last year. I am still a goal until the yarn ran out. And then I just added more yarn and kept getter. And I am hard at work at moving towards purposing these going. These were absolutely the perfect on the go project. And mini memory holders for that is what they are. Wouldn't you it truly it doesn't bother me that there are no two socks of these that I made. Like I have many, many socks that I knit one agree? Let me see. Okay, so here is one of the scrap yarn of and I wear them before the second sock is done. And that is keepers. I've got this little bit leftover from my Tecumseh because I actually never get around to knit the second one, sweater that I'm holding now. I love that sweater. And I wear it but I can't not wear them. But I also can't seem to get to the like it's my part time job. There's some fun packed into second one. So here's a little fun thing I've done and depending on when you hear this, I may still be doing this as I this gold yarn right here. I cast this on. Yes, I cast this plan to do it until I run out of scrappy yarns, but right Now I on when we first arrived here. And we hadn't yet bought this have made three bundles so far of assorted yarns, just like I house that we're in now. And I'd sit by the woodburner. And I'd mentioned earlier, I have some MIDI balls and mini skeins of 20 net a few parts of the color work. And I'd I'd enjoy looking grams or round about that with little memories tucked on some of these, and I've put in larger half skeins, you know, like I down at the harbor, all of Kodiak was new to us, then I'd was saying, I have larger skeins of things that I haven't used, read to my then sixth grader who graduates high school in less and I didn't break those down. Some of them are bigger. But um, than 30 days at the time of this recording. Oh, you're such a anyways, I made these little mini bundles for you to open one lovely yarn. Now this one is bigger than a golf ball, and a day, for a couple of weeks, like an Advent or, like, I like to think of it just a daily celebration. And I'm going to smaller than a tennis ball. And it is stray cat yarn, self share them with you, dear listener, as a thank you for all striping sock yarn, that I actually knit a pair of socks the kind reviews that you've been sharing lately. And the way from, oh my goodness, yes, I actually knit two socks that I'm choosing the winners is not super scientific. This is matched from this. And I gave it as a gift to someone here exactly how it happens. I asked my husband to choose a number. And I tell him between what number and what number based on locally. It is super bright. And it's a mix of springtime green. how many reviews, they're already tweak. And he doesn't Not a cloud in the sky blue. I'm not sure how to describe this know what he's choosing for I just say, hey, Dennis, pick a purple apart from the fact that it would be a fun purple. And number between one and 15. And he does, and I count that out in the reviews. And there you go. I'll read the review. And then the red is, well it's just a happy cheerful read that you can just contact me, and let me know it was you and where to brightens your day and the socks on your feet. Now, this one, send it. Now, I won't do one every week, because I have well, this yarn here has a tag tucked into it. The ball is another very scientific way to determine that. And I've got definitely golf ball size. And the tag says it's a BFL sock. this dice. And it's, it's, I have no idea where I actually got it from. But it is it's just kind of all over with different And it's the just like honey color. So imagine Winnie the symbols. And while that symbol, it's got two distinct symbols on Pooh and his pot of honey. And that's the color of this one. I it. And one side will have these little checks and they're green. used it for the funniest socks, a request from my aforementioned And then let's see if I turn it this way. It is a null set sign, kiddo that will be graduating soon. And I'll do my best to and it is a black null set sign. And the simple easy way to do it snap a picture and put it on the blog that adds to this podcast is I just roll it. And if right before I record, I get a check it's go time, if I get an all set, then it's not today. So conversation because she had very specific ideas for the it's simple, easy for you to enter. Getting these, it's kind somewhat striped socks, as we call them. And she requested of a fun way for me to connect with you. And it's no cost way them to wear with a pair of new Birkenstocks that she got last nothing for you to purchase. I know that you can leave a year. Yeah, last year it was so all these yarns are left over written review on iTunes, for Spotify and Amazon podcast. It's just a star rating. So for today, and until I figure out an after I started my goal of using up leftovers. I may have a lot easy way to bring people on Spotify and Amazon podcasts and left but my friend In the yarn I have used and released. Let me other distributors of this podcast. I'm just gonna go with share some more about that and hopefully something I tell you Apple podcast this week. But to join in and places you can't leave a written review. I'll look into it this week, if you about this whole process or progress. Hopefully it will be want to give me feedback as to where you are, if you can leave just the thing that lands with you and has you saying, Eureka!, a written review. Catch me up on that. And it'll have more I have found the way to solve my issue. Or at least maybe it'll details. But I just thought that this would be a fun way to say thanks. And also to share a little happiness to your fire you up for your creative imagination to just run with mailbox. Because the reviews when you give me a five star activities and things that you can do. review, it gives me like a five star surge in my heart. When I read the words that you share, it makes me so humble. And it really propels me to want to continue just digging in and thinking of thoughtful, substantive, substantive things to share with you. So I'm definitely going to be doing this through June. And I know I've got enough yarn for that. So if you have a stash though, here are a few ideas that I want to share that have helped me empty some baskets and jars and bins and bags. And here they are, number one, share the yarn. I've already discussed it and I need to say one more time. It is so much fun. You don't have to share it the way I do. If you come up with a neat idea on how you share your yarn. Let me know I'd love to share it with our audience. Number two, use bits to mend or even embellish your knits and I found that the eight to 10 gram bits worked well for repairing holes in my heels and toes of my hand at socks. Sometimes I would take little bits and just pick up and re knit the toe, rather than Darn it, or I'd pick up and I'd read it the heel. And that amount was perfect for any repair that I would need. Sometimes I would weave repair squares, or I wove, yeah, I wove repair squares, and did flaps and then it fixed them. But little bits to mend work perfectly. And also, like I said, to embellish, I can't tell you how many times that I've embellished on my hats and my leg warmers, and even sweater cuffs with scraps. Now, number three, I didn't mention this earlier, and I plan to talk about this one in a future episode. But for now, I will say that small gift knits were great, great fun. Top on my list. I did a bunch of triangles, just a bunch of them out of scraps. And I connected them. And I made buntings just happy little buntings and I started sharing them with friends. I decorated doorways and front porch. railings, and I did one on what do you call those things? hedge a little hedge next to somebody's house, another friend's house. I even decorated a planting station for a friend that has a nursery and have just knit and shared and it feels really, really good. Number four, make thick, quick knits. This is this is a great way to creatively make your own yarn. And just get rid of in a useful fun way, a bunch of yarn. So you simply just take a bunch of smaller yarns, you hold them together, you cast on and you can replace them as you go. And what's really fun is if you need a free pattern for that, you can go to the encourage better website. Actually, I'll just link it, it's my happy hat pattern. And that will be linked in the show notes. You click on the show notes takes you to the blog and heavy hat pattern will be there. So number five, you can make a lovely display and enjoy them. Just tuck your yarns in a jar and oversize jar. Lay them on a platter. I have a couple of platters that I used to only pull out for special occasions. And now they are out and they are lovely still lifes with some old special needles and an assortment of very special yarns. And it's pretty it's a way to invite art, the tools of art into everyday life. And inspiration will definitely strike you as you look at the assortment of the leftover Yarny goodness. Number six, you can rescan them. I've done this and I have found it very useful. rescan them into many skeins or small skeins, weigh them, tag them, and designate a space for them in your stash where you can reach for them when you are going to do color work, or small color work projects. So number seven, you tell me, share with me overlooked ideas that I didn't mention, you can email me and give me your best advice and your tips. And in doing so I can share them with our community of listeners. This community is really important. It's really, really special. And I know that you guys are filled with incredible ideas. Now, before we go today, I want to let you know that today was a green check. And I asked my better half to pick a
number. And here's the result:" Fun and real. I love how Mel encourages the freedom to be the boss of my knitting. The podcast is like sitting down with a friend who understands you" Chai mama 28 You are the boss of your knitting you guys. Thank you Chai mama 28 For that really lovely review And that reminder that we are the boss of our knitting. We don't go into this art and this this time of creativity locked in. Unless that's what we have determined we want from our activity. You don't like something, this is a safe endeavor that if you don't like it, you don't have to move forward with it. You can continue moving. By pulling it out, you can continue moving by setting it aside. You can continue moving by repurposing it, you get to pick and choose what you want to do, I get to pick and choose what I want and don't want to do. And it's very liberating to know that we are the bosses of our knitting. So I'm glad that you and everyone listening, I'm so thankful that you choose to sit down with me each week. So shoot me an email, Chai mama 28. And I will get your bundle out to you. For everyone else, you can grab your free hat pattern this week, the link is in the show notes. A happy hat is a great way to use bulky yarn that you have on hand, or to create your own yarn, and knit it. Create your own unique yarn that is unlike anybody else's in the world. And now my friend, I appreciate the time that you've spent with me. I hope that this has been as the name implies that it's an encouragement to you, and that this podcast encourages you in a better way. I know that creating each weekly episode is an encouragement to me to be better, to provide better to think better. And I just appreciate, like I said the opportunity to do just that. Now before you go, it's my wonderful opportunity to remind you that you are a treasure. You are a treasure to the knitting community and to this world. Whether you're making something, thinking about making something or you're making your way through ripping out something you are valuable and important not because of what you do, but simply because of who you are. I hope that the sun is shining on you where ever you are today. And I look forward to having this time again with you. Aloha for now.