My Worst Tester Mistake Ever + 2023 LA Yarn Crawl | Podcast Ep6

[@louiserossiter4310]

Knit worthy is a great phrase I'm keeping that!!!

[@devorah1961]

I feel your pain. I've miscounted soooo many times and the reason - I don't know. I put it down to being tired. 😂😂😂

[@therapybycraft]

Lol booooo numbers. xD

[@Lisa_Flowers]

Allowing people to care for you assumes you have those people in your life to begin with, and not everyone does, or to the degree that they need. A lot of people engage in self care as a necessity and not a choice unfortunately. But your point still stands. Beautiful yarn and beautiful projects! Enjoyed hearing more into the test knitting process.

[@ThePineCottage]

🤣I can definitely relate to the “troll” feeling when knitting with 9in circulars!! I use them for sleeves, but my fingers hate me by the time I’m finished! A pleasure to visit with you, as always! ❤

[@therapybycraft]

Hi Nikol! Always happy to see you here. LOL oh man... if you were a fly on the wall when I'm trying to work with these itty bitty torture device needles, it'd make for some good entertainment. xD

[@ChicKnitChronicles]

i completely understand the 9" circulars...I cant do them either. The key is 12" circs. They are the real MVPs. Love them for sleeves too.

[@therapybycraft]

Oooohhh 12"... that's brilliant. Do you use them for socks with 64sts of fingering weight? I might have to look into that...

[@Oldorcuttyarnery]

Oh!! 9” circulars…you have to approach it as holding the needles differently! You don’t use your whole hand…just your fingers…it avoids the cramping. But - having said that - you do you…one at a time is fine if that’s how you like to do it! Just discovered your channel - thanks! I’m in Northern Santa Barbara County in California - come on up sometime! I have a yarn shop (only one in Santa Barbara County!) called @oldorcuttyarnery - great episode! Thanks! Lisa

[@therapybycraft]

Hi Lisa! Our family was in Santa Barbara for a trip last year - I'm so bummed I didn't think to check out The LYS up there. Thanks for the tip about the 9" circulars.. I may have to get some coaching to figure out how to only use my fingers, because... Lol... it is truly entertaining to watch me struggle with them. Thank you so much for tuning in - I'll definitely seek out your store if we're ever back in SB!

[@handmadebyflorence]

Hand knitted socks are a super practical thing for me! They match all the clothes I wear the most (lots of greys and beiges) and I wear them every single day, without really thinking about 'styling' them beyond matching the colour to my outfit. In the summer I like to wear cream lace socks the most, and I usually pair them with loafers or Birkenstocks since that's what I wear anyway.

[@therapybycraft]

Hi there! (btw - I love your podcast, and I may be having a bit of a moment reckoning with the fact that you stopped by my channel.) Thanks for sharing about how sock knits have been incorporated into your everyday life! That's ultimately what I hope they will be for me as well. As a matter of fact, I'm seriously considering buying another pair of Birkenstocks (the closed toe version) so I can wear them to work.

[@margreffle]

Oh my! I think everyone needs to be cared for by others occasionally. I love that comment.

[@therapybycraft]

Thank you, Marg. :)

[@sarahbee24]

Eunice!! It totally made my whole week when you signed up for my test knit of the Viola Tee! I'm SOOooo looking forward to see your finished version. 😄

[@therapybycraft]

LOL now if only I could’ve remembered the name of the tee correctly… smh 🤦🏻‍♀️😅 i’m excited for my yarn to hurry and get here so i can start!

[@lulugeorge4055]

Your sweater tank you are wearing is really nice!

[@therapybycraft]

Thank you! :D

[@julieknitsandspins]

I laughed out loud at Groan with me 😂😂😂 at 30 stitches over! I am knitting the Corran by Creabea and am too embarrassed at the mistake I made on the left front 🤦🏻‍♀️ 😂😂😂 I literally can never start do anything in the evening but plain stockinette SMH

[@therapybycraft]

Hahaha!! You totally get it then. The Corran is very close to the top of list of things I want to make this summer... thanks for the warning to PAY. ATTENTION. haha! xD

[@LATHEANDLOOMPODCAST]

Very glad to have discovered your channel Eunice! I was recently accepted for my first test knit and had to rip the collar out 5 times- totally my stupid errors, so I totally groaned with you!😂. Enjoyed the content and your lovely candid style. I could totally sit down and have a cup of tea and knit with you!🧶 Cher

[@therapybycraft]

That's wonderful! So glad you found me, Cher. Blahh ripping things out sucks for sure.. but I hope you have lots of fun during your first testing experience. :) A friend to have tea and knit with is totally the vibe I'm going for!

[@rachelraye285]

I love the chats! Your thoughts are welcomed and I am happy I found your channel. Good luck with the frogging of the sweater. Maybe you can use the yarn as is and pull from the garment?

[@therapybycraft]

That's a great idea. I haven't frogged it yet, so if I find something that is good for sport weight held double, maybe I'll forgo the caking all together! Thanks for being here! :)

[@Patricia808OGG]

You’re a doll - please continue because your videos are delightful!

[@therapybycraft]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're here. :)

[@birchandlily]

I love your honesty Eunice! Totally feel your overwhelm with the Resource Raglan. I love the premise, but it’s so hard to pick!

[@therapybycraft]

Right?? Your v-neck version is coming along so beautifully though. Now that mine is done, I totally understand why folks make multiple versions!

[@stina48]

It wasn’t a test knit, but I was knitting a summerknus last year which i put away in November to pick up again in the spring. I was almost through the yoke. I counted stitches I was 40 stitches over. The sweater was already too big as I lost weight. I started ripping back checkng at every increase and decrease, I thought the collar was big, I cast on on 40 extra stitches.😱😱 So I had to startover, wghich was ok, so I could make it smaller. My new resolution is to check counts at every inc/dec. Just found you, love it, love the speckles.

[@AntisocialAuntie]

Girl i am FEELING that frustration of working so long on a knit with a drastic mistake 😢 Glad to get a dose of puppy dog energy! Lots of love from the Pacific Northwest 🧡

[@therapybycraft]

Thank you!! The agony was so real..

[@AntisocialAuntie]

@@therapybycraft I just frogged and restarted my first shawl attempt. One mistake was going to be ignored but there were several that I didn't notice until I was done with the first ball of yarn 😭😭😭

[@helene4110]

Yes Eunice! You're famous now! Even on the other side of the Atlantic 😉 I loved what you said about self care. It's so true that sometimes "self care" becomes an injunction to be well... and can become so stressful! The irony... Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and ask (and accept...) the help of others is both a treat to ourselves AND to our loved ones. It shows how much we care and trust them and it works wonders in relationships of any kind. This makes me think of a story I was told years ago. One day I met a religious sister from the order of Mother Teresa and who used to know her well. She was telling me of a time in India when a young boy that had collected rags (it was his "job") went to the convent to offer them to Mother Teresa. The sister was the one welcoming the boy and her first reaction was to want to smile and say "thank you very much, how lovely" and then be on her way. Mother Teresa came, received the gift and proceeded to inspect every single rag, taking the time to make piles and sort the rags as if they were the most precious things. The sister saw the face of the boy beaming with joy and pride. I obviously wasn't present, but this story has stuck with me ever since. I don't have children (and probably never will as I turned 40) but as a teacher I try to receive the help and presents of my students with the same gratitude (and actually mean this gratitude, not fake it). Obviously I sometimes fail miserably, but I try...

[@therapybycraft]

What a beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing it. It goes to show how dignifying it is to allow others to give to us. By doing so, it communicates that they have something valuable to offer! :) I have no doubt that your students are thrilled when they can make their teacher happy - even if it needs to be faked sometimes. xD

[@hannahgknits]

How special to meet someone who loves watching your channel! Also- I used that color of Malabrigo sock for a hat a few years ago-- its one of my very favorites!

[@therapybycraft]

It really was. :) I probably should've mentioned though, that it's probably because the owner of Buku and the ladies there heavily promote this channel.. so my target audience is already there. haha! And that colorway as a hat - gasp. That sounds so beautiful.

[@bethpaschal7859]

As a mental health therapist, I agree fully with the need to be cared for by others by asking for specific help. That’s the best way to love ourselves and others.

[@therapybycraft]

Yes! Well said. 100%

[@maryglancy17]

I vote for your National Parks colors for socks and choose some other projects for your Malabrigo Sock yarns with no nylon. I made a pair with that base last year and not even considering the heels and toes (all in the same yarn as I did not think to use a regular sock yarn with nylon for those parts) the rest of the foot felted quickly with wearing inside foot wear after only three to four times. I do love your highly speckled yarn color ways. I’m firmly moving into those types or tonals for my own socks and using the wilder variegated/self striping more for the kids/younger people in the family.

[@therapybycraft]

Ahh bummer! I went ahead and used the speckled yarn. xD So far it's looking okay, but it looks like what you're experiencing is also happening to my socks, too. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, however! Glad you're here. :)

[@sknits7961]

Love your honesty so much, I so appreciate genuine you are. I'm very glad you see yourself getting wear out of your gorgeous v-neck! That has the be the most perfect soft dusty pink ever! So grateful to have your thoughtful insights and experience along for this test. PS your Ali's Sweater is one of my all-time favs ♥

[@therapybycraft]

💛💛💛💛

[@QueensYarnBoutique]

I felt your pain about the 30 stitches. Love your Helianthus Tank!

[@therapybycraft]

Thank you! It was 100% painful, but worth it in the end. xD

[@Veronica-gq7ly]

I also did the yarn crawl on the Friday, I have a budget so I didn't buy a whole lot of yarn, but I visited 5 shops closer to Pasadena, Los Angeles area.

[@therapybycraft]

Ah I love that! I wish I had been more aware of the knitting community and its events back when I lived in Pasadena. I loved Woolhaus when I went recently!

[@MartaBrzozka]

I feel your pain. Same here....easy top and I hadbto frog it twice. Like who is frogging twice😂

[@therapybycraft]

Lol girl. I think I frogged 4 times ones for 1 project. I almost burned all of my yarn out of frustration. hahaha

[@lisamartin9816]

OMG, that 30 extra stitches had me cracking up! My husband was just working on a hat for himself and confused as to why he ran out of yarn. Whelp, he cast on an extra 8 stitches, and didn't even realize it. It happens to all of us.

[@therapybycraft]

LOL Lisa! I'm glad I'm not alone. Also - I appreciate this comment SO much because I am imagining you cracking up at my humongous face on your TV screen, pulling out your laptop/ipad to write your comment. hahaha Thanks for taking the extra steps to commiserate with me. xD

[@casuarinagirl8067]

Hello from Australia. Your Chaika could you block it first as linen and silk will end up different. Also if you do block it once it’s dry roll it and scrunch it around as it will become a lot softer and have a more drape. It’s what I would try first before ripping it out 😬 thanks for sharing, happy knitting 🥰

[@therapybycraft]

Thanks for the suggestion! The yarn is lovely; it's the pattern I'm not quite sure about.. so we shall see. :) But I am glad to hear that the silk will be even more soft with blocking.

[@grannyvee5789]

You have my deepest sympathy. The older I get the worse I am at counting! So

[@therapybycraft]

Haha thank you! xD

[@lavendercottagefibrearts]

I found it very interesting hearing about your experiences test knitting. I haven't done any test knitting yet but am thinking of applying for a few in the coming months so it's really useful to hear about the experience.

[@therapybycraft]

Thank you for sharing that. I'm thinking about doing a video dedicated to test knitting, so hopefully you will find that to be helpful to you!

[@lavendercottagefibrearts]

@@therapybycraft ooh definitely! i will look out for it.

[@thesastre.clarissa]

I heard from Amanda of Knits by Mandy (who searched reddit for the answer) that the knitting community used to do audio podcasts before KZbin was a thing, and since KZbin became a thing, they moved onto videos (which makes sense) but I guess still called them knitting podcasts. 😅

[@therapybycraft]

ahhhh that is very interesting. thank you so much for sharing that piece of knitting podcast history! it makes total sense!

[@dianaricketts6640]

49:57 I just started working with Kathmandu as well. It definitely got softer when I blocked with a wash that had lanolin. It was still toothy (is that the right word?) but much more tolerable.

[@therapybycraft]

OOH that is such a relief. Thanks for letting me know!

[@queenofpixels5458]

I love the tank but I'm a buster gal and the problem I have with knitted tanks is the gap at the under arm. I can never seem to get it to where it doesn't show about an inch of bra at the under arm. I consider myself an intermediate knitter but fitting issues with bottom up patterns are definately were I have the most issues.

[@therapybycraft]

Man, I imagine that's kinda annoying. I'm not that busty and I STILL have issues with underarms and tanks - hand knit or otherwise!

[@ineslazalde9629]

What was the colorway for the Malabrigo sock yarn? I love it.

[@therapybycraft]

Oh, I didn't include that, huh? It's called Baco. :)

[@Oldorcuttyarnery]

Malabrigo sock = no nylon - why?? Who knows! Just came out last fall - Malabrigo Ultimate Sock - has nylon - same great colors….amazing yarn!

[@therapybycraft]

That's wonderful to hear. The colors are so stunning. I'll just have to make sure that I pick up the right base next time!

[@louiserossiter4310]

If your correct tank has positive ease when it should have negative ease why not use the wrong one to achieve negative ease and gift the correct one?

[@therapybycraft]

Not a bad idea! but the smaller one had way more negative ease than even the pattern suggested, unfortunately. xD