Y KNIT -- genetically speaking

Tue, 2 September 2008

Episode 13: Yknitalong (featuring Larissa Brown)

Episode 13: Yknitalong (39:26)

Yknit 13, Yknitalong featuring Larissa Brown

You are not alone! Knitalongs (or KALs) have likely existed from the first moment two stitchers got together to kvetch and work on the same projects. Author Larissa Brown discusses her book Knitalong which provides an introductory course in online KALS, a history of knitterly communal behavior and some groovy patterns to sharpen your knitalong skills.

The following people and topics were mentioned:

Larissa's art
Yarnissima's Firestarter Sockalong
Olympic Sox 2008 KAL
Mrs. Dalloway's bookstore in Elmwood (Berkeley, CA)
Melanie Falick (STC publishing)
Martin Brown, Knitalong co-author, journalist and Larissa's husband
Michael Crouser photography
Wenlan Chia, author of Twinkle's Weekend Knits
Heather/The A.D.D. Knitter
Chawne/Cauchy09
whip up - handcraft in a hectic world
Knit a River
Peace Knits
Adrian Bizilia, Hello Yarn
Sarah Gilbert
Stumptown Coffee
Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks
(not mentioned on the podcast, but an oft-requested item pictured in the book) PezDiva's knitted strawberry pattern

KAL CONTEST
We've got a signed copy of Knitalong and a signed tote bag (for your KAL projects) for one lucky winner. To enter, please leave a comment about your most enjoyable KAL experience. Tell us on Yknit.com or on Ravelry under the Yknit group discussion. One winner will be randomly selected from all the entries. DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS SEPTEMBER 15, 2008.

CALLING ALL GUY KNITTERS!
The Men's Fall Knitting Retreat will be held November 7-9, 2008 at the Point Bonita YMCA Center, just north of San Francisco, CA. More details can be found on Ravelry or on MenWhoKnit.com. Please tell all the crafty guys in your life to get in touch with us if they'd like to participate. And if you know any businesses who'd like to donate yarn, patterns, tools or fiber, put them in touch with us.

Contest Winners
Episode #11, Man Camp: Unique Sheep donated a skein of their Footprints superwash merino sock yarn in a decidedly masculine "Grey Street" colorway. Our randomly selected winner from the entries is cristinabeena on Ravelry. Her prize is already on its way to Scotland.

Congratulations to our winner and thanks to everyone who participated!

We used snippets of the following songs in this episode:

Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46 by Edvard Grieg performed by Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields from A Portrait of Sir Neville Mariner (Philliips, 2000)
Knit One, Purl Two performed by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra Feat. Marion Hutton & The Modernaires from The Glenn Miller Story Vol. 15-16 (AVID Entertainment, 1942)
Vogue performed by Madonna from The Immaculate Collection (Maverick, 1990)
I Could Write a Book performed by Dinah Washington from For Those in Love (Emarcy, 1955)
Love is all Around performed by Sonny Curtis from Sonny Curtis (Aspirion Records, 2007)
Love is all Around performed by Hüsker Dü from Eight Miles High (SST, 1990)
Together performed by Joe Williams and Harry "Sweets" Edison from Together (Roulette, 1961)
The Coffee Song performed by Frank Sinatra from Ring-a-Ding-Ding (Reprise, 1961)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas performed by Boris Karloff from Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears a Who (Warner Home Video, 1966)
Git Along Little Doggie performed by Old Town School Of Folk Music (with digital drop ins by Larissa Brown) from Songbook, Vol.2 & 3 (Old Town School Recordings, 2007)

Always, a HUGE thank you to everyone who downloads and listens to Y KNIT.

Yknitalong? It's better to do it in a throng!

Direct download: YKNT013.mp3
Category: podcasts -- posted at: 10:27 PM

Comments[18]

Why KAL? Because you learn so much from the other knitters and there is always someone there to answer your questions. I love seeing all of the pictures as well. My favorite KAL was the 52 Pair Plunge - the challenge was to knit 52 pairs of socks from April 2007-April 2008, I managed to knit only 41 pairs, because I was seduced by lace knitting at the end of 2007 8P

posted by: Bev Love aka paletpc on Wed, 9/3 01:06 AM EDT

woo hoo...morning bus ride with the YKnit boys! This Wednesday is looking UP!

posted by: sean on Wed, 9/3 08:25 AM EDT

I did one of the Mystery Shawl-alongs before, and though I regretfully didn't complete it, I had a great time working on it with everyone else. For my, the best part of a knitalong is seeing what other people are doing in various stages of completion. Their projects are exactly like mine, only different, and I love seeing the differences. The different yarns used, the photos... It's all part of the community experience that I really like.

posted by: Ria on Wed, 9/3 12:18 PM EDT

I've never actually participated in a knitalong. I've bought the yarn a couple of times (most recently for the Ravelry-driven February Lady Sweater KAL), but I can never get it together to do it. If you count the knitting olympics as a KAL, I did do that in '06. I knit my first Clapotis in 6 days! Being an LYS employee, I have supervised several knitalongs. That's the best - I get to tell people what to buy and what to do, but I don't have to do the work myself :-).

posted by: Jocelyn on Wed, 9/3 03:14 PM EDT

Say what? You boys name-checked me? SO.EXCITED.

posted by: Heather on Wed, 9/3 06:33 PM EDT

I think my favorite KAL so far has been for the February Lady Sweater. I hopped on the bandwagon very near the beginning, so it was great to have so many other people knitting it at the same time and working out the kinks in the pattern.

posted by: Sarah on Thu, 9/4 08:16 AM EDT

I took part in a charity blanket knitalong recently. The blanket started in Norway, came to England, then I sent it to the US, where it circled a few times and was finally given to a grateful hospital. I enjoyed it, especially as I got to try Norwegian chocolate, and to send some of Cadbury's finest to the USA.

I love the Knitalong book, I saw it in a shop but was too stingy with myself to buy it. If I don't win I shall place it on my Amazon Wish List. But would begging help....?

posted by: serenknitity on Thu, 9/4 09:52 AM EDT

My friends and I had a local charity KAL. We made tons of tiny preemie hats, booties and blankets for some local hospitals. And then ended up sending them out of state as well to other people to donate to their hospitals. Cheryl
p.s. I love your podcast!

posted by: Cheryl Juhl on Thu, 9/4 03:54 PM EDT

I haven't done a KAL yet -- but did get Larissa's book out of the library and am making her barn-raising quilt from all of my left-over sock yarn. Only 41 more squares to go. . .

posted by: Penny on Thu, 9/4 05:53 PM EDT

Earlier this year I participated on ravelry's Hat Attack, a spinoff of sock wars. Technically these things are KALs, since you're knitting the same thing as everyone else. But the added fun is the perversity of trying to knit it faster in order to prevent your target from finishing his/her wip, thus 'killing' that person, so that YOU can finish it and go on to kill again. As one raveler put it: knitter go smashy smashy!

posted by: brella on Thu, 9/4 09:15 PM EDT

My only kal was with Helene Rush (k1c2)on her knits yahoo group. We did the painted diamonds bag in paint box. This was fun and the first time I did anything like that. It was last year and I still have the handles to complete. I guess I can say that I'm 98% finished. Now that it's fall I might just finish it.

posted by: Sara on Fri, 9/5 07:34 AM EDT

I did the Mystery Shawl 3 KAL last summer. I learned how to knit lace as it went along. Having the shawl broken into parts made it less threatening to me. Having a group who posted photos of works in progress was inspiring, and helped me to decide how (and if) I wanted to finish the mystery. I also met several neighbors in the online group and met others from the group who dropped in at my work and saw me working on it. I even finished the shawl!

posted by: Rita on Fri, 9/5 11:09 AM EDT

My favorite KAL is the one I just started with my good knitting friend, Kristina. She always visits from out of town so we can attend the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival together (it's near my home). Last May, we decided to knit the Must Have Cardigan together. She bought yarn at the festival; I bought it later in the summer. We set a cast-on date of Labor Day. So we've just begun. It's so great to call someone up, or email, and ask questions or check progress. And at the end of it all, we have a wonderful momento of the experience: a sweater!

posted by: Janelle on Sat, 9/6 10:17 AM EDT

My first KAL was with my pal Tracy. Tracy lives in Qatar and I live in the US. She's a dear dear friend and when she suggested we tackle a Cat Bordhi sock pattern together I jumped at the chance to walk through that maze with a friend. It's good to have a hand to hold onto when entering a new world. It was also really exciting to be having this experience together even though we are on different sides of the planet. We cast on together, cast off together, cried on each other's shoulders, celebrated the genius of CB, and ended up with two pairs of well fitting socks for our family members. The KAL gave an immediacy and a purpose to my knitting which is usually meandering and amorphous. I loved that. And I got to hang out with my good buddy in Qatar checking in regularly and celebrating together. Good times. That is why I like KALs. Life/Knitting is more fun together. And yay too Ravelry and Flickr that make sharing the journey more tangible.

posted by: Mary aka turtleknitter on Sat, 9/6 02:58 PM EDT

My best experience in a knit-along is the Six Sox knitalong. They gave me courage to try new techniques instead of making the same ones again and again. Thx to the KAL, I tried toe-up, 2 sox-at-once, and even more scary, a Cat Bordhi pattern that was so totally different that I couldn't predict how it would look at all, from reading the pattern.
So I credit the KAL with making me a more adventurous knitter.

Thanks for your podcasts - love them !

posted by: brenda on Sat, 9/6 06:26 PM EDT

I participated in one of the charity blanket knit-alongs for the Stitch It! Podcast. The blankets are going to kids in hospitals, so I thought it was a good cause. It is also great now adays, with Ravelry and other sources, to be able to track the progress of your work.
I also happened to do one of the early projects for the Knit-Along book, so I'd love to win the signed copy and see if my name is in it!
Great episode...

posted by: Deb on Sun, 9/7 09:22 PM EDT

I have to admit my knitalong experience is sparse to say the least. I guess my favorite was sockapalooza 4 as I really participated and enjoyed seeing what others did! I did participate in one of the ones for the book, but as it was my first, I was a little unsure of the knitalong concept. I just knit. Great podcast, I'm really glad I found you guys!

posted by: Jennifer on Tue, 9/9 01:13 PM EDT

So far my favorite knitalong has been Ravelympics. I know I never would have finished the Hemlock Ring Throw and 2 WIP's if I didn't have that deadline, plus I had a ton of support through the whole process. You guys are great- love the podcast!

posted by: Andrea on Sat, 9/13 02:24 PM EDT

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