Episode 45: To Give and To Receive
Little Cabin Knits is a biweekly podcast all about knitting, mental health, advocacy, and life happenings here in the wilds of Alaska with a little bit of Hygge sprinkled throughout. I’m your host Emily. I am a knitter, crafter, mental health therapist, and explorer of my home state of Alaska
This week’s episode contains:
Admin
spotlight
’raise a cuppa
On the couch
Personal skill set: A Talk with Family on Gift Knitting
A time for hygge and
Contemplation Corner
Admin
· Andersmillknits on IG and Ravelry
· Between Knits and Purls on Youtube
· You can find all the show notes on our website: https://andersmillknits.wixsite.com/website
· If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on Little Cabin Knits you can email me at littlecabinknitsAK@gmail.com
· Between knits and purls will be live on July 24th at 9am Alaska Time. You can join us wherever you are in the world! It’s my birthday and I wanted to spend it with you so bring whatever project you are working on and come knit live with me and my cohost Steph. If you want to actually be on the screen you can email me at betweenknitsandpurls@gmail.com and I will send you the link. Otherwise you will be using the chat feature in youtube to share with us. I can’t wait to knit with you!
Spotlight
This week I want to spotlight a newer podcast and one that I have come to love.
Gravel Knits is an audio podcast hosted by Kelsi (bikebrewewes on IG) and Caitlyn (Gravelknits on IG)
These ladies are so welcoming and fun. I really look forward to my precious time listening to their podcast when I’m out on my walks.
Kelsi rides bikes, mainly on gravel roads, hence the name of the podcast, and Caitlyn focuses on CrossFit and running races.
I love hearing how Kelsi brings her knitting on each ride.
They currently have 15 episodes out. Each episode is different sometimes they interview people, sometimes they talk about current projects, sometimes they post small episodes in which they talk about a certain technique or past projects, but every episode they drink a new bear flavor and though I don’t drink I am always fascinated by the flavor combinations they share.
One that continuously haunts me is the pumpkin pie beer they drank one episode. At first, I thought “gross!” lol but the more I thought about it the more I realized how well the sharp flavor of Hopps would pair so nicely with pumpkin spices. It’s given me inspiration to try new nonalcoholic drinks in my neighborhood which led me to a local kombucha brewery, and I am currently sipping on their blueberry kombucha. So delicious! Thank you, ladies, for helping me expand my flavor profile!
Raise A Cuppa
Today my friends, like I mentioned, I am sipping on a locally brewed kombucha, blueberry flavored. The taste is at once strong and light and I know my belly is grateful for the healthy enzymes!
Well it has been a hot second right? So much going on in my world between wedding prep, family and family emergencies, work, and the 2 podcasts. I’ll admit that I have struggled during the month of July to find my knitting mojo. I know it will come back I am just impatient for that day to arrive.
Last week Mr. Radio and I celebrated his 42nd birthday by trying out a new BBQ shack that opened down the street from us and then I made him bring our food and his presents on a picnic. Yes, it was his birthday and yes he didn’t want to go but afterwards he said to me “I love how you make me do things and afterwards I always think how fun it was.”
It was a hot day and we were sweating on our picnic blanket and poor Watson, our faithful poodle mix, was panting he was so hot. But we loved it.
This Saturday I turn 40, and after I spend some quality time with all of you knitting live on YouTube, Mr. Radio is taking me camping to Kenai Lake. A place I have not camped at in over 15 years. I can’t wait! The lake is glacier fed and ice cold, so I want to be brave and go for an invigorating swim. All I asked is that Mr. Radio have the fire blazing at the camp site when I get back.
There have been a lot of bear siting’s in this area this summer so we will always be prepared with bear spray and a gun with bear bullets. Not that we want to use them, but we need to be safe. In addition, we will be making sure not to leave any food or drink out of the camper, so they won’t smell the deliciousness of the food and come hunting.
I am so excited to go camping. This summer we’ve have only made it out once, see the camping episode from June, as we have had so much to do with work and the wedding. This may well be our last camping trip this summer, so I plan on making the most of it!
On the Couch
· Wedding Socks
o Pattern: Tea and Scandal by This Handmade Life
o Knit on US 1.5 needles
o Yarn: 3 sisters Fiber, in the colorway faded rose, on her Moxie Base.
o Free pattern on Ravelry
o Yarn: scraps and leftovers about 5 grams per flag
o At present I’ve counted 35 bunting flags completed. They are so fun!
o I plan on stringing them up at the wedding.
· Snowberry by Shannon Cook
o Yarn: Alaska Jude’s Yarn in her SW Wool worsted weight monster skein of 8 oz.
o The yarn doesn’t have a colorway it is soft greens, blues and whites and I can’t wait to cast on!
o This yarn was a gift from a dear old friend who surprised me with it yesterday, July 20th by stopping by my house. I cried it was so wonderful!
o I haven’t cast this on yet, It is to be my birthday cast on this Saturday!
· Summer Festival by Tikki knits on Ravelry
o Yarn: Gifted to me by Knit Picks, I am using their new High Dessert sport yarn in the colorway Lupine a beautiful and rich flowery pink/purple colorway
o I am currently on the body and working my way through the beautiful lace motif that is on there.
o I am looking forward to knitting pockets for the first time!
o You have a chance to win a sweaters quantity of this yarn! On Between Knits and Purls Youtube Channel, once we reach 1,000 subscribers we will be giving away
§ 8 balls of High Desert in your weight and colorway of your choice + needles for your project AND
§ 8 balls of Knit Picks Wonderfluff again in the colorway of your choice + needles for your project
o So if you haven’t already subscribed to our channel go over and do so! We are less then 100 subscribers away from this great giveaway!
· Jelly Roll Blanket by Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears
o This pattern was gifted tome by my cohost Steph of Farmsteadknits on IG
o This is a scrappy blanket using leftovers and mini skeins.
o I am using my Merry Everything and Happy in July swap packages to knit this up. I have two partners and I am loving opening my little mini skein packages each day this month!
o I am currently on the first row of this blanket and I am using the green colors that my swap partners sent me.
o I plan on each row of the blanket being a different color focus. I’m thinking the next row will be in all the beautiful pinks they sent me!
Personal Skill Set: A Talk with Family on Gift Knitting
The month of July is big in my family for birthdays. Mr. Radio is on the 15th, my sisters is the 22nd, mine is the 24th, and I have cousins, Uncle, Aunts, and one grandmother, who is sadly no longer with us, that also have birthdays this month. All this got me thinking about giving and receiving.
Join me as I talk with my mom, and my nieces and bout the joys and trails of knitting gifts and the perspective of receiving handknits.
A Time for Hygge
As you all know I am all about comfort and I want everyone around me to feel comfortable as well.
One way that I do this is by giving gifts inspired by my love of Hygge lifestyle. For Jeremy’s birthday we indulged in a sweet carrot cake, one of his favorites but as we try and not eat sweats very often this was a great hygge moment and gift. We totally indulged in large slices of the cake accompanied by double dark chocolate ice cream. We then took the remaining cake over to my mothers for a family get together last weekend and the nieces and nephews savored every bite!
Gift giving is all about the thought behind it. I steer clear of giving gift cards as it feels less thoughtful, however, if that is truly what the receiver wants than it is most thoughtful to give that.
For me I love to give things that bring people closer together. My sisters birthday is this week and I searched high and low for what I had in mind: a set of three necklaces that each of us three sisters could wear daily so that we are connected no matter where we are in the world.
Giving thoughtful gifts that promote the feeling of hygge in another’s life is so rewarding. Hand knit gifts rank high on my list of giving. Here is a short list of other Hygge inspired gifts you may think about the next time you have an opportunity to give someone something special:
1. Slippers so they can cuddle up on a cold night
2. On the subject of cuddling: a large fluffy blanket
3. Candle to light the night and fill the air with soothing fragrance.
4. Bath salts to indulge in their next bath while also relieving the swelling of aching joints (the older I get the more I need that kind of bath time)!
5. Tea or Coffee of a decadent variety they might not buy for themselves.
6. A journal to write their inner most thoughts in. Perhaps accompanied by a special pen.
7. A hand turned mug to sip that decadent tea or coffee in
8. A special treat from your local bakery
9. A picture of you with them, or a beautiful poster or artwork to cozy up their home.
10. A plant to clean the air in their home or make it brighter and more earthy.
All of these gifts can be handmade by you, or thoughtfully purchased in your community. The main takeaway is that the gift is thoughtful and from your heart.
Contemplation Corner:
There are so many beautiful quotes about giving that I couldn’t choose, so here are a few of my favorites:
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”- Anne Frank
“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have” - Jim Rohn
“Giving is the only way to receive more.” - Lailah Gifty Akita
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” - Unknown
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