Episode 308: Rhinebeck Recap

 

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 308 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:

 

• Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins
• From the Armchair
• In my Travels
• KAL News
• Events
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

 

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitched by Jessalu, Suburban Stitcher, The Wandering Purl & agirlandherwool

 

Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

 

Born to Be Mild Socks

• Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Born to Be Mild Colorway
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

 

Granny Square Chicken

• Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Worsted in the Palm Springs Colorway
• Pattern: Granny Square Chicken by Sweet Softies- $3.99 crochet pattern on Ravelry.
• Hook: G (4.0 mm)
• Yarn- self striping with cream, rust, peach, dusty pink, dusty orange. I didn't change color between rounds- I just let the self striping yarn do its thing. I used an organza bag to put the polyfill in.
• Put the tortoise shell glasses I bought at Another Yarn on her but they're a little big.

 

Essex Beanie

• Pattern: Essex Beanie by Justine Walley (AlyseCrochet). $5 crochet pattern available on Ravelry
• Yarn: Berroco Ultra Wool in colorway 3361 Kale (used 68g/ 148 yards for the hat, before the pom pom)
• Hook: I (5.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

 

On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins

 

Sheri's Christmas Socks

• Yarn: Gusto Wool Echos in Colorway 1515
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• I cast this on to bring to Rhinebeck on my Lemonwood Mini Minder (I have this Art Deco one) so I could walk and knit.

 

Traveler Sweater

• Pattern: The Traveler by Andrea Mowry ($9 pattern available on Ravelry & the designer's website)
• Yarn: Hazel Knits Small Batch Sport (90/10 SW/Nylon)
• Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page
• Body was done and seamed before I left for Rhinebeck but I had to rip back the sleeve twice because I mis-read the instructions. Finally on track now.

 

Yarn Cozy Lite

• Yarn: Cascade Heritage Yarn (75% SW Merino 25% Nylon) in the Highlighter Guava colorway
• Pattern: Yarn Cozy Lite by Knitty Natty- $6 pattern available on Ravelry
• Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
• Progress: I have about 1 inch of knitting left.

 

Game Day Party Socks

• Yarn: Mandi's Makings SW Merino Fingering Weight Yarn in the Pigskin '25 Exclusive Game Day Party Colorway. Green mini skein for heel from Goosey Fibers (Wizard of Oz Advent Calendar yarn)
• Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry)
• Ravelry Project Page

 

Pucker Brush Farm BFL Sweater Spin

• Fiber: 16 oz of multi colored BFL roving from Pucker Brush Farm (purchased at Rhinebeck 2025), 4 oz Merino in a mustard color
• Ravelry Project Page
• I am planning to knit a Traveler sweater inspired by Emily Curtis' handmade version- click here for her Ravelry Project Page. I was thrilled to see a recent post on Emily's Instagram that she made a YouTube video about this spin/knit. Emily made a 2-ply where

 

Gary's LeHigh Hat

• Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood. $5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & Brooklyn Tweed Site
• Yarn: Cesium Yarn Strong DK ( 75% SW Merino/25% Nylon) in the One More Sleep Colorway
• Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) & US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Ravelry Project Page

 

From the Armchair

 

• The Names by Florence Knapp. Amazon Affiliate Link.

 

Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.

 

In My Travels

Rhinebeck 2025

 

Friday Highlights:

• Seeing Kacey of Kacey Knits in person at Indie Untangled
• Seeing Maggie of Yarnaceous Fibers, Emily of Fan Girl Fibers & Jamie of Pacific Knit Co
• Seeing Christy of Yarn Cafe Creations (she signed up as a Snack Shack Sponsor and donated a skein of yarn)- she also had these cool trinket dishes. I bought 3 for gifts! Love them.
• Of Dust and Dew had beautiful pottery. I waited too long and didn't get the chicken vase I had my heart set on.
• It was my first time at A Woolen Affair.
• Ran into Lori & Justine of Skein Yarn Shop in RI & co-hosts of the Skein Scoop Podcast on Youtube. and their friend Hope of Hope Made Yarn Co. I was thrilled to bump into friend Sarah- themartiniknitter and Katie from Twice Sheared Sheep
• They had a beautiful art installation called Tributary- "A collective art installation as a celebration of community, creativity and collective power."

 

Saturday & Sunday Highlights:

• Saturday- we met up with our friend Lauren (lbeth21) and we spent the day together. Lauren kindly gifted me two bars of her homemade soap. Check out her Instagram- Happy Cat Suds (website coming soon)
• One our first stops was to see Jess and Roger of Stitched by Jessalu. It was an emotional visit and we didn't get a photo together. Across the barn, we saw Beth (mdquilter) along with Pigskin Sponsor Kim Shaffir.
• 2p Meet-up: Thank you to everyone who came out.
• Sunday morning we started with breakfast at a diner before heading to the fairgrounds. We made it over to see Amy of Ross Farm.
• I ran into Hope again and she gifted me a beautiful sock set from her yarn store-Hope Made Yarn Co.
• Sunday we left around 3/3:30p drove through Saugerties to get dinner so we popped into The Perfect Blend yarn store before we ate.

 

KAL News

 

Pigskin Party '25

• Event Dates: KAL Dates- Thursday September 4, 2025- Monday February 9, 2026
• Find everything you need in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group
• Official Rules
• Registration Form  (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes)
• Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form
• Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc.
• Coupon Codes are listed in this Ravelry Thread
• Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread
• Questions-  ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com

 

Updates In This Episode

• Our Official Sponsor for Quarter 1 (October): Love in Stitches with Knitty Natty is hosting a Cozy Up Challenge. Check out the details in this Ravelry Thread. Remember, projects need to be finished by 10/31 but you can enter for points until 11/5/25.
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 2 (November)- Twice Sheared Sheep is hosting the Count On It Challenge. Details in this Ravelry thread.
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 3 (December)- Suburban Stitcher (minis will be involved)
• Official Sponsor for Quarter 4 (January)- Yarnaceous Fibers
• Charity Challenge (runs through Thanksgiving)- details in this Ravelry Thread (21 of you have already asked for the address to mail in items! THANK YOU). Please email me to request the address.
• Pink Challenge (runs through 10/31)- details in this Ravelry Thread.

 

Commentator Update

There's been a lot of activity in the huddle thread recently. Players have been discussing a range of interesting topics such as:

* strategy for shopping at fiber festivals, which was partially inspired by Rhinebeck but certainly applies to any festival

* suggestions for patterns to use up mini-skeins 

* recommendations for cruises

* board game recommendations

* how to balance manicures with crafting time

* ideas for handmade gifts for someone going into memory care

* and what to do when you've simply lost interest in a project

 

As usual, if you can't keep up--just jump in!  

 

I also wandered over to the endzone dance thread today. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of pink projects, cozies, and pink cozies! But players have also recently finished a few Halloween themed projects Links below go to Ravelry:

* Karen805 finished a Spiders in the House MKAL Shawl that is super cool! It even includes a colorwork spider motif!

*Chiamira finished a Halloween Party Cowl that is all over colorwork and includes cats dressed up like pumpkins!

* Cbass and Adrie9 finished Gnettle and Gnumpkin gnomes (from sponsor Imagined Landscapes)

* and following up on a previous report, Sandima finished the Wednesday costume for her porch goose...so cute!

 

I am always amazed by the huge variety of projects that pigskin partiers complete!  It is so fun to see what everyone likes to create!

 

Events

• The Fiber Festival of New England. November 1 & 2
• Sunkissed Fiber Festival: January 24-25, 2026- just outside Tampa, FL

 

Life in Focus

I shared a bit about my recent fibromyalgia pain flare.

 

On a Happy Note

• 300 Paintings at ART
• Bethany of the Wandering Purl sent me 2 of her Pigskin exclusive bags with notions pouches!
• Dad and I went to my nephew Garret's hockey game together.
• The foliage is gorgeous this year.
• I signed up for Lauren (agirlandherwool) self striping club and got my first skein! Its great!
• Love is Blind Season 9- it was a wild and crazy season. I enjoy chatting about it with my friend Laura and am thrilled that the reunion will air while I'll be in NYC with her.
• So many deer in the yard in the last week and even a buck who has made a few appearances.
• We had fun at a friends' movie night watching Young Frankenstein.

 

Quote of the Week

 

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”

 

― Mahatma Gandhi

 

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Thank you for tuning in!

 

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• Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/
• Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.