Episode #15 Show Notes: Cast On

Cape Cod Roundup:
The Best Sale Section Ever: Ladybug Knitting Shop in Dennis
Best Sock Yarn Selection: Blue Heron Yarn in Barnstable
Best "Serious" Yarns: Adventures in Knitting in Harwichport

New to my stash:
Socks that Rock

Hill Country Yarns

Austermann Step

Opal

And some sweatery stuff you wouldn't be interested in. Oh, you were?

Have you seen the new Knitpicks Harmony needles? Yeah, I found them the night before the email splash. Cha-ching! Anyone wanna give me a full set? They're preeeetyyy.
Jury's out on the Addi Lace, though.

Some shops:
Feather Falls Fiber is a listener-run new shop with some looovely colorways and great prices.
Thank Ewe: I've bought from there before and loved their customer service. They used to focus on soft pastely colors, but their newer yarns are deeper and FAB!

In the news:

The second round of the Hill Country Yarn Contest launched on 9/1. Full entry info can be found here, but in essence, you buy a skein of yarn and can enter in. I just got my first skein, and can wholeheartedly recommend it! And $15 is beyond affordable for luxury sock yarn. Winners can win up to $100 worth of Hill Country Yarns, and the winning patterns will go to the members of the second round of the Sock Club. Entries are due 12/31/07, and the signups for the second 3 month round of the Sock Club open 12/1/07.

The New Sock Knitter Series:

Kimmie decides what stitch pattern, how many stitches to use and whether to go toe-up or top down.

Resources:
for top-down:
Tubular Cast On
Casting on over two needles
Two socks on two circs casting on and setting them up
Or, a magic loop variation
Or, another one

For toe-up:
Judy's Magic Cast On
Cat Bordhi demonstrates Judy's Magic Cast On (video)
And a similar technique here
Twisted German Cast-On (video)
Turkish cast on (also, two socks on two circs)
Square toe cast on
Here is a neat one: Emily Ocker's Circular cast on

I know I have some other ones around here somewhere... From memory, Meg Swansen shows a few in the DVD Knitting Glossary. Try casting one on and then yarn over. Knit the cast-ons and purl the yarnovers (for 1x1 ribbing)