In this podcast I introduce you to Tina Birch, our vice-president. Over the next few months, I’m looking forward to your meeting all of the Knit Picks staff. Each one has their own history regarding how they got started knitting and what keeps them knitting. As much as I enjoy hearing different accounts of challenges met, I’m sure you will appreciate Tina’s story as well.
After that, I’ll review a new book that has got me thinking about summer knitting as a way to prepare for next winter. And, there is a surprising twist to What’s On My Needles this week.
 
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First, I need to give you an apology for the brevity of this podcast. This week was filled with activities that kept me away from my taping equipment and computer. Lots of out-of-town visitors, a quick two-day get away with Bob and golf. You will hear all about it in the podcast.
My mind has been focused on wool all week. It must be because I have been thinking about buying a new spinning wheel. That led to the podcast topic – the structure of wool fibers, how that changes depending on the breed of sheep and what it means in terms of the finished yarn. Armed with a bit of knowledge, I hope you can feel much more confident choosing wool yarns for particular projects you have in mind.  
All the time away from the office gave me plenty of time to knit. And, to reflect on how nicely …

Have you ever had the experience of another knitter telling you that you were knitting “wrong”? Well, a listener asked me to talk about the differences between English vs. Continental knitting and it brought back memories of my own encounters with dogmatic knitters. I decided to use the comparison of knitting styles as a way to highlight knitters’ individuality and encourage you to embrace whatever method works for you.
 
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This week I would like you to meet Diedre Hess. She is our Inventory Manager. Diedre’s love of fiber began on her family’s farm right here in the Pacific Northwest. Her interest in sheep husbandry eventually led her to knitting. We are lucky to have such a well-trained person helping to design yarns and keep track of their travels as they come to us from far away vendors.
 
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This week I would like you to meet Kim Cameron. She is our Inventory Manager who focuses on books and DVDs. Kim loves all sorts of crafts and has been looking forward to sharing a few of her adventures with you. After that, I’ll be catching you up on my knitting progress and chat a bit about ribbing.
 
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Let’s get out and share the joy of knitting by taking every opportunity to Knit In Public! Every time you pull out your needles you invite people to ask questions and maybe be inspired to give knitting a try themselves. And, you’re bound to finish more projects by taking advantage of all that extra time!
 
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What to do when you are in a knitting slump? After blaming my attitude on a messy house and disorganized yarn stash, I finally came up with an idea that will keep me focused, challenged and knitting for the next year. I will be working through the projects in Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac beginning with the month of July. If you’d like to knit along with me or just observe, please join the Yahoo group that I created here: Elizabeth’s Year
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There are so many things happening in my knitting world. I have a plan to kickstart my dyeing agenda. It sure helps to break things down into small pieces and try something completely unique. Unexpected lessons I learned at the Black Sheep Gathering help me choose gift projects with a good chance of turning into something that will truly be appreciated. The Knitter’s Almanac Knit-A-Long has gotten off to an energetic start. I am so pleased with my renewed enthusiasm for knitting!
 
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This week I would like to introduce you to Carissa Barrett, our Educational Content Developer. I like to think of her as our In-House Reference Librarian. Not a far leap for Carissa because she has a degree in library science. She is responsible for all of the informational material you find in The Knitting Room and in our catalogs.
 
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This week I want to talk about one of my all time favorite techniques – steeking. I know there are a lot of knitters who have absolutely no idea what steeking means and others who do know but are terrified of it. Let me give you an outline of how handy steeks can be for knitting in hopes of convincing you to give them a try. Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann will give you instructions for several ways to use this handy technique.
 
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