a knitting podcast from a yarn and needle junkie who just happens to be a man
Episode 7: Sock Camp Survival (featuring Tina Newton) (33:23)
YKnit Episode 7: Sock Camp Survival Experience the bucolic serenity of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Camp Crow's Feet sock knitting camp.

Laugh along with the gentle Socks that Rock sock club members as they embody the mature and peaceful spirit of knitting, surrounded by the majestic Pacific Northwest on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington.

Stephen and his mother spent a week under the stern tutelage of Cat Bordhi (Insouciant Socks), Cookie A (Traveling Stitches), JC Briar (Cast-on Cornucopia), Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and BMFA dye mistress Tina Newton (Rock the Sock).

In addition to classes, there were toilet paper cozies and sock puppets. And a "talent" show. And there were monkeys. Lots and lots of mini hand-knit sock monkeys. And photos to prove it!

Campers and Sockateers share their favorite camp memories (Ravelry IDs ):

  • Jen (FurrPurls)
  • Kristin (KristinK)
  • Casey (RubyCakes)
  • Sockateer Hot Flash (HotFlash)
  • Lisa (ConvolutedString)
  • Ariel (Stariel)
  • Claire (ClaireKnits) who almost drowned
  • Sockateer Cockeyed (Cockeyed), the amazing sock monkey designer
  • Sheila of the amazing monkey calls
  • Lou (HappyStasher) donate at KnittersForKnockers.com by May 10 to enter the raffle
Tina Newton, color genius and owner of Blue Moon Fiber Arts, describes her journey from spinner to yarn dealer and the madness that is Sock Camp.

Finally, the entire experience is summed up in the amazing camp yodel by Celia (CeliaMcC).

Contest
BMFA released a new colorway just in time for camp. Win a skein of Knitters Without Borders in Socks That Rock lightweight by donating to Doctors Without Boarders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Donate here and let us know how much you gave so we can share how generous Y KNIT listeners are. Email us at yknitguys [AT] gmail [D0T] com. One lucky winner will be selected at random!

If you'd like to buy one for yourself, they're available on BMFA's website and $3 from each skein goes to the invaluable work of MSF. Also, the Funky Sock Monkey pattern and kits are available for purchase.

Sock Camp cannot be contained by the mere 33 minutes of a single podcast. There were many, many, many more knitters who were interviewed, drunken late-night after-parties, and antics galore. We're sorry we couldn't fit everyone into this episode. If you want more, you'll just have to come join us next year!

Y Knit? It's Campy!

We use snippets of the following songs in this episode:

  • "Holiday for Strings" Walter Schumann from The Voices of Walter Schumann (RCA, 1958)
  • "Sabre Dance" Les Baxter and his Orchestra from Les Baxter's Wild Guitars (Capitol, 1959)
  • "Satan Takes a Holiday" Jack Malmsten from Organ Spectacular (Liberty, 1963)
  • "Saturday Night on Saturn" Les Baxter and his Orchestra from Space Escapade (1957, Capitol)
  • "Sleep Walk" Henri Rene and his Orchestra from The Swingin' 59 (Imperial, 1959)
  • "The Monkey" Yo Majesty from Yo EP (Out There Recordings, 2006)
  • "Colors" Ice-T from Colors - Original Soundtrack (Warner Brothers, 1988)
EDIT: Due to my sloppy coding, Cat Bordhi's class wasn't appearing and Cookie A's link was not working. They have been fixed and I meant no disrepect. They are geniuses (geniusi?) who inspire me daily.
Direct download: YKNT007.mp3
Category: podcasts -- posted at: 3:18 PM
Comments[11]

    can't wait to listen...I'm downloading right now and will save this for my commute to work tomorrow morning! Looks like it's PACKED.

    posted by: sean on Wed, 5/7 08:04 PM EDT

    This is HYSTERICAL. I found you from the Yarn Harlot blog. I am so jealous you know her, but you 2 are So funny,too. I don't even really like sock knitting--give me DK weight or bigger or give me death--but I this totally made me want to go to sock camp. Maybe we just need a campy knitters camp! I will listen again and again!
    p.s. I'm Laroze on Ravelry, but I'm too scared of getting totally sucked in to have done anything with it!

    posted by: laura rose on Wed, 5/7 08:39 PM EDT

    Love it Stephen!! Brings back all the happy camp memories!! You captured it so well...and I'm still laughing :)

    posted by: irishgirlieknits on Wed, 5/7 10:39 PM EDT

    Two things! First, thankfully you were with me during my 1 hour bus trip (it usually takes 20 minutes to get to work...just by the way.)

    Second...I'm not sure if I should be scared of what happened on that island. Sounds hysterical and, well, a bit scary! LOL. A little bit "Lord of the Flies"

    Thanks for accompanying me on my commute, boys.

    posted by: sean on Thu, 5/8 10:23 AM EDT

    (ignore my laughter, please!) Has it been three weeks ago, already?!?

    The best part was that I could *see* you and Tina talking while listening.

    Thanks!

    posted by: JustJen on Fri, 5/9 12:32 AM EDT

    i searched itunes for a knit podcast that doesn't fall flat and failed. i gave up. then, not looking, there yknit was. fabulous, fun, interesting with sound effects yet. professional, smart, fast, well paced, and yet somehow everyone opens up to you in interviews. in other podcasts, these same people are guarded and boring. with you guys, they laugh and open up. genuine laughter. you guys rock.

    posted by: ace on Fri, 5/9 05:35 AM EDT

    OMFG that pic of you two on the Yarn Harlot's blog is just too freaking rad!!

    posted by: Heather on Sun, 5/11 12:14 AM EDT

    OMG! Did I hear Mike say he's going to camp next year?!!! Too fun! I was LOL with the first portion of the segment! Great job, hizKNITS and WonderMike!

    posted by: Leslie on Sun, 5/11 08:55 PM EDT

    You know, you guys are just hilarious!

    posted by: Elemmaciltur on Tue, 5/13 07:11 AM EDT

    haha really fantastis

    posted by: Yarn on Fri, 5/30 03:20 AM EDT

    Yodeling sock knitters... I'm afraid... hold me...

    posted by: Shibaguyz on Fri, 1/23 08:08 PM EST


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