Cast On

Ghost in the Orchard. Four inches from done. I’d stare at the cable chart and the tiny squares would dance. Close my eyes. Open them. Over and over. The hands that made those cables could not remember how cables worked.

Endel Tulving‘s encoding specificity principle. Godden and Baddeley’s divers learning words underwater. Jonathan Spence‘s memory palace. And 60% of the total surface of our brains committed to our hands.

My second sweater - bricky red, carnelian buttons, the physical therapist who inadvertently retired it - became the Gaia Jacket from Jean Moss’s Sculptured Knits. Which became the red cabled vest I’m knitting now. Thirty years of memory in the same wool.

Serotonin stripped the filters. Melatonin locked the repair. Dopamine lit the paths. Norepinephrine broke the bridge. Memory is where it all comes home.

Music: Rore, Arrival; Waveshaper, Our Time (Instrumental)

If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can do so via Ko-fi or Patreon, or by spreading the word to a fellow knitter.

Tears in the kitchen. Three bananas on the counter and a recipe I know by heart but cannot, for the life of me, turn into a sequence of actions.

Seven ingredients. Too many decisions. My brain could not do seven. So I broke it down. Dry ingredients in one bowl. Wet in the other. Three and four. Manageable. The bread was good. I ate it in bed and felt unreasonably proud of myself.

The locus coeruleus is the brain’s attention control room. When norepinephrine depletes, everything arrives at equal volume. A dog barking becomes as important as the eggs.

An old friend helps out in the kitchen. And the moment when I realised the invisible labour I’d been doing for decades had only become visible because I could no longer do it.

Music: Jude Cosmo, Queen of Angeles; Waveshaper, Our Time (Instrumental)

An Eye for an Eye - would the animals we eat, eat us? Impossible Hats. Box Hill Picnic, from Jane Austen’s Emma. Dangerous Questions, where the danger is yours, not your opponent’s. This is what insomniacs get up to at 3am while you are sleeping.

Kent Berridge coined the term incentive salience. When dopamine runs hot, everything arrives pre-lit with significance. The creativity wasn’t a symptom - it was genuine creative product on the “this matters” signal.

A desire path is a trail worn into the landscape by human feet. Not planned. Just walked so many times it becomes permanent. Some of mine are still here.

Also: the duck question has a better answer than you think. And the horses are not going to like it.

Music: Tony Anderson, One Perfect Sunset; Waveshaper, Our Time (Instrumental)

If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can do so via Ko-fi or Patreon, or by spreading the word to a fellow knitter.

From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, Nighthawk n. a recurring thought that only strikes you late at night. Mine struck every night for eight weeks.

Zopiclone is a sledgehammer. Daridorexant is a key. One imposes sleep. The other removes the obstacle to it. There’s a big difference, and finding it changed everything.

Also: Jasper as Big Spoon. An AI health czar who suggested I should just pour ethanol directly on my brain to save time. And the thing I found at 3am that stayed.

Music: Christopher Wohrle, Dust; Waveshaper, Our Time (Instrumental)

If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can do so via Ko-fi or Patreon, or by spreading the word to a fellow knitter.

Trimethoprim for a UTI. Seven days. By day three, everything was hysterically funny. By day five, I could hear things that weren’t there. By week two, I couldn’t track yarn overs in garter stitch. Garter stitch.

The projects on my needles when my brain broke Bradford Road, Dark Days, Ghost in the Orchard were beyond me for the next four months. The only thing that still worked was drop spindling. Hands remembered what the brain forgot. So I made yarn.

The weird pantry. Lexical-gustatory synaesthesia from folate antagonism - undocumented, as far as I can tell. There might be a paper in it. Hit me up if you want to write it. I documented everything.

This is the first episode of Your Brain on Knitting - five short episodes, designed to be listened to back to back. One broken brain. Four neurotransmitters. And the knitting woven through it all.

Music: Hannah Parrott, The Feeling; Waveshaper, Our Time (Instrumental)

If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can do so via Ko-fi or Patreon, or by spreading the word to a fellow knitter.

Zabava Shorties disasters. The signs were there. Sometimes, you need to break up with a sock pattern. “It’s not you, it’s me. I don’t like you anymore.” Meanwhile, the Peppermint Pocket Skirt delivers enormous pockets perfect for sock projects, and Ruth Collins’ Top Down Centre Out method might revolutionize trouser fitting.

The Bradford Road wrap progresses through garter rectangles. Big Love Cardigan waits for cooler weather. But sewing succeeded where knitting failed—the Peppermint Pocket Skirt (free collaboration between Peppermint Magazine and Paper Theory) paired beautifully with the Block Tee, with right angle sewing tutorial making construction straightforward.

The revelation: Ruth Collins’ Top Down Centre Out trouser fitting method. Begin with fitted waistband, construct single-leg toile, achieve proper fit without body-shaming adjustments. Demonstrated through Stacey Taylor’s free YouTube series at The Crooked Hem.

Beyond practical successes and failures: Robert Pirsig’s concept of Quality from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Through memories of 4-H sewing club and Claire Schaeffer’s couture techniques, we consider how sustained attention gets woven into handmade items’ structure. What happens when we show up fully present—whether adjusting carburetors or setting sleeves.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; The Wilder Road, The Light the Heat; The National Parks, Who Knows

It's been a week of finishes and new beginnings. Off the needles, I've completed a Malabrigo hat and love the color pooling. You don’t hear me say that very often.

I've finally finished my Amande socks—though I must say I rather hated working both the nupps and wrapped stitches techniques. Sometimes you have to try things to understand what you decidedly do not enjoy.

My new obsession is Big Love by ANKESTRIK, a top-down cardigan with fascinating construction that I'm knitting in gorgeous Gilliat yarn. The pattern begins with a provisional cast-on at the shawl collar, and I minimised the inevitable ribbing alignment issues by using a Turkish cast-on and knitting across the first row rather than working the ribbing pattern.

For the shoulders, I chose Chinese Waitress cast-on, which creates a lovely firm yet stretchy edge perfect for shoulder seams. The Ravelry community provided essential modifications—working the fronts two inches longer than the back prevents the sleeves from rotating forward due to the unusual construction.

Many knitters went up a size or two for the sleeves, so I did my own spot-checking for sleeve pickup. Remember: Your measurement x gauge (stitches per inch) = Number of stitches you need for your desired size.

This sweater connects to larger work I'm doing on a capsule collection based on my Changing Clothes manifesto. I've been thinking more intentionally about getting dressed—not for others' gazes but for my own comfort in what I call "Secret Pyjamas." The goal is creating sustainable, perfectly fitting garments made by hand, including finally tackling my Everest of well-fitted trousers.

Behind the scenes, I've moved podcast hosting to Substack after twenty years with Libsyn. Yes indeed, I’ve been podcasting since 2005. Where has the time gone?

Music: "Who Knows" by The National Parks

If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can do so via Ko-fi or Patreon, or by spreading the word to a fellow knitter.

Finishing socks, saving the yarn, new projects from old, planning the perfect colourwork sweater, plus a bit of theoretical physics to prove what knitters already know: knitting is magic.

Links and references:

* Admiral Hanf yarn by Schoppel Wolle

* Lang Jawoll sock yarn

* Chessmaster, by Christian Mattausch

* Amande, by Josephine and the Seeds

* Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit

* Bradford Road Wrap, by Kristen Kapur

* Fox Paws, by Xandy Peters

* Soft Spot sweater by Elina Maaria

* ke21’s Soft Spot on Ravelry is one of the good ones

* Knitogami: Mechanics of knitted fabric as a curved surface (PNAS, April 2024)

* Dynamic Folding Knits: An exploration into self-folding and self-forming textiles, by Victoria Salmon

* Characterizing and predicting the self-folding behavior of weft-knit fabrics

* Handmade Lampshades, by Natalia Price-Cabrera

Music in this episode:

* Merrigan’s Reel – Jim Fidler

* That Thing That You Do – Cody Fry

If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can do so via Ko-fi or Patreon, or by spreading the word to a fellow knitter.

We travel from Iron Age fire-pits to mid-century homemaking manuals, consider the joys of stash organisation, and muse on the performative aspects of home decorating. There’s a deep dive into the ancient tradition of human-centred design through textiles, from spindle whorls to soft furnishings, a detour through the joys of vacuum bags and organza, a nod to Swedish Death Cleaning, and a look inside the Granny Cranny.

Books & Patterns

* Bojagi: Design and Techniques in Korean Textile Art by Sara CookA richly illustrated exploration of Korean wrapping cloths (bojagi), covering both traditional and contemporary piecing techniques used to create these beautifully translucent textiles.

* Knitting Fabric Rugs by Karen TiedeA practical guide to turning old clothing and fabric into sturdy, beautiful knitted rugs.

* Döstädning: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta MagnussonA wise and witty guide to decluttering, legacy, and letting go.

* Sophie Shawl by PetitKnitA minimalist garter stitch wrap that’s elegant, meditative, and endlessly wearable.

* Bradford Road Wrap by Louise TilbrookA cozy rectangular colour block shawl.

* Homerun Hat by Jonathon SuttonA clever design knit from the reclaimed yarn of a single baseball.

Check out Suzygirl’s Homerun Hat Huge thanks to her for allowing me to use her images.

Elsewhere

* Flash your stash in the comments, or tag me on BlueSky

* Granny Cranny Thread on Reddit

Replenishing the sock drawer with Priory Socks (project page).

My Secret Circles, below.

Porthos (project page), below.

I moved my decreases to the back of the heel, and the result is similar to Basic Biarritz and the Kite Heel, yet is uniquely mine and oh, is it ever sexy. The joy of a well-fitting heel cannot be overstated.

The short row method used in Zabava Shorties is still, hands down, the best method I have found for toes. You'll find the method for Jeny's Square Peg Heel here.

Cat Bordhi's gusset lessons may be found in her book, New Pathways for Sock Knitters.

You can read my notes on Kiba Light on my project page.

Knit to The Dress Diary of Miss Ann Sykes, by Kate Strasdin (Bsky)

Music in this podcast:

* Merrigan's Reel, Jim Fidler

* Coming Home, Dalton Day

In which an American Thanksgiving is celebrated in the UK, albeit a day late and a pumpkin pie short.

One of the first pieces of writing I recorded for Cast On in 2005, this has become one of my most popular podcasts. This particular version was rerecorded in 2011 for A Knitter’s Manifesto, and features sound design by artist, Felicity Ford.

It’s autumn. Time for finishing projects, knitting socks and celebrating the impending winter by taking the sweaters out of storage. This one is all knitting, and I make no apologies.

I'm channelling my grief in the time-honoured tradition: by knitting all the things.

I am filling the sock drawer starting with a riff on Winter's Gift, by Amy Snell, using Autumn Leaves and Tarmac colours and a traditional Scandinavian motif. Followed by Follow the Fleet, by Don Yarmon; and Priory Socks, by Louise Tilbrook.

Riff Socks, by Lise Brackbill and Toe-up Socks with Fleegle Heel, by Nitro Knitters, are waiting in the wings. Yes, that's a lot of socks on the go, but they're all necessary.

It's time to add twin stitch and triple stitch to your bag of knitting tricks. (The method is also known as Shadow Wrap Short rows.) Here's how you make twin stitches on the knit side and on the purl side.

There is still time this year to knit your own Clapotis '24 and participate in the massive ClapotisFest Contest (which I somehow forgot to mention while recording). I'm knitting my latest in handspun Shetland yarn made from Fellview Fibres gradient rolags.

My Kiba Waistcoat is on the back burner while I hunt for another skein of the discontinued yarn or choose an alternative in which to work the side panels. Do check out the project gallery. I wasn't kidding when I said this garment looks great on everybody.

Lastly, my new main project is Ghost in the Orchard by Thea Colman. I used Tillybuddy cast on for this one, and I'll have much to say about that in the next podcast. Once it became my main project, I worked this vest to the underarms in about a week. The yarn is Donegal Tweed, which was many other things before it became this vest.

Music in this podcast:

Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel

Layup, Who You Share it With

Off the needles and on; Tour de Fleece wrap up; notes from the production line; a new bag; a new spindle; good materials; and Bennet’s Boiled Potatoes.

Compared to some, mine was a paltry Tour de fleece output, still... I made time for fibre, and it did kickstart my spinning, which had been dormant since the move. I talked about Fellview Fibre rolags and my new spalted Beech drop spindle from Raven's Flight UK (the shop is empty at present, but the seller is worth a follow); rolags and batts from Etsy seller ReaderArts (currently on holiday); a half a bobbin's worth of Llanwenog; Cheers! You'll find Scintillation and Christmas Lights on Ravelry.

Noodlehead bags are awesome. I'm using the Making Backpack pattern, but they're all good, according to my sister, Pam. And Pam knows.

When I'm done with the backpack, I get to paint my kitchen in Farrow and Ball Dorset Cream. I'm looking forward to it.

Get your own Bennet Family Excellent Boiled Potatoes Tote

Music in this podcast by:

Jim Fidler, Merrigan's Reel

Sofia, Good Times

Knitting the slowest sock in the history of sock knitting. Tour de Fleece. The merits of taking small steps vaguely in the direction a goal. I’m thinking about style again, and looking for systems.

David Kibbe’s Metamorphosis: Discover Your Image Identity and Dazzle as Only You Can is one of the worst titles ever. And, yes, the price of this book is insane. Fortunately, there’s not long to wait until his book comes out. The publication date is 7 January 2025.

If you can’t wait to start your style journey, you can download a scanned copy of Metamorphasis here.

Obstinate, headstrong girls can get their Tees from The Spark Company

Music in this podcast:

Merrigan’s Reel, Jim Fidler

Right Where I Belong, Atlantic Runway

House projects have broken me; the summer of socks continues; the red that bled; Tour de Fleece; and a return to Clifford Byway. 

My new obsession for shorties led me to Zabava Socks. They fit very well, and work up quickly. The pattern is easy to follow and the results are moreish.

The Tour de Fleece Facebook Group is here.

The Holy Texts of Tour de Fleece: Fleece and Fibre Sourcebook, by Deb Robson, and The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs, by Sarah Anderson

Vacillate is officially in the queue!

You owe it to yourself to check out Wild and Wooly's mailing list.

Music in this podcast:

Jim Fidler, Merrigan's Reel

Voyageur, My Only Love

Jamie Drake, Beginnings

The weather. Men in shorts. The run down. Ta Da moments. And the moments just before a plan comes together.

The Red Edge is complete!

The chart for Red Edge was designed by Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunndown, and is from the book Poems of Colour, by Wendy Keele. I used the top down set-in sleeve method pioneered by Elizabeth Doherty. I talked about this method at length in 153 I, Curator.

My Summer(s) of Socks

2022: Ipomoea, Lunaria and the gradient-dyed pair of Syncopation socks that set Jeny Staiman on a path towards Polar Arc.

2023: Weekend Shorties, and Pan.

2024 Plans: Weekend Shorties redux, Footprint, Zabava, plus August Argyle's, once I have learned intarsia in the round. I have tons of sock leftovers (courtesy of my KBFF) and I'm having a blast playing with all the colours.

Read more about Gradual Stiffening, pattern 207 in A Pattern Language, by Chris Alexander, here.

Music in this podcast: Merrigan's Reel, by Jim Fidler; and I'm Back! by Royal Deluxe.

In this episode: The party dress; picking up threads; a project round up; and the big idea, spoken aloud.

The High School Art Teacher Dress by Vogue [(V1410)](https://simplicity.com/vogue-patterns/v1410)

I can highly recommend the following books by David Page Coffin: [Making Trousers for Men and Women](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Trousers-Men-Women-Multimedia/dp/1589234499/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FUKFXA8S92IP&keywords=making+trousers+for+me+and+women&qid=1707313032&sprefix=making+trousers+for+me+and%2Caps%2C1168&sr=8-1) [Shirt Making: Developing skills for fine sewing](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561580155/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2RNHMZFPAOVDC&keywords=david+page+coffin&qid=1707315304&sprefix=david+page+coffin%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-2)

Project Round Up

[Elm](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elm-3) socks

[Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/esther-18)

[Mirabelle Slippers](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mirabelle-slippers)

Music in this episode:

Jim Fidler, Merrigan's Reel [Bobby Saint](https://www.musicbed.com/artists/bobby-saint/43928), Feelin' Good

In this episode: Stash enhancement; hat boxes of joy; the rug of sorrow; knitting memory lane, letting it go. Repeat after me: It is okay to rest.

Thank you, past Brenda, for setting up [Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Brenda/esther-2) (by Camilla Vad) and [Boreal](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boreal-2) (by Kate Davies). Leftovers from Esther will become [Winter's Fern](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/winters-fern) hats.

My [Elm](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elm-3) socks, , by Cookie A, in Admiral Hanf.

The Red Edge is for Season 3 of [Lupin](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531336/), which I am hoping to watch next week, by the fire, with a cat on my lap.

Busting out hats using the [Two by Two](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-by-two-2) pattern.

Meet [onion](https://www.wildandwoollyshop.co.uk/shop/yarn/nettle-sock-yarn/), a truly sustainable sock yarn in oodles of colours.

If you like looking at very pretty old dresses, the [John Singer Sargent Exhibition at the Tate Britain](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/sargent-and-fashion) is for you. Read more about Madame X and listen to experts discuss the painting [here(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/20012492).

Genius Loci is my new favourite newsletter. [Get it here.](https://www.digest.andymarshall.co/)

Music: [Perfect Holiday, by Cassette Deck](https://www.musicbed.com/songs/perfect-holiday/45838)

In this episode: Undone by Cosmo/Cosmo undone; colour blocking that didn’t stitck; a summer romance; a bounty of beautiful sock yarn; packing projects for a journey with no end date; and the view from the Stone Cottage!

The sweater that was [Cosmo](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cosmo-cardigan) is no longer pining for the fjords. We are both happier for it.

The colour blocking that I thought might be the answer to knitting a longer Schneke did not work for me. Might have been the yarn. I’m still swooning over the spiral lace pattern. Full marks for [Schneke](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/schnecke-3).

If you need a yarn just like the discontinued yarn you're running out of, [Yarnsub](https://yarnsub.com/) is your friend.

My affaire de couer with shortie socks includes:

[Pan](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pan-8) (which looks better on the foot than off).

[Weekend Shorty Socks](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/weekend-shorty-socks). I had a blast choosing the colours of these and took many, many, many pics.

Next in the queue, [Zabava](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zabava-2), on sale through 31 October. I also plan to try out some new heel constructions this winter, starting with [Biarritz](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-biarritz-socks). It's also on sale through 31 October.

It's finally sweater season! Up first, the sweater of my long time dreams, [Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/esther-18), soon to be followed by [Boreal](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boreal-2). If I can complete these two AND finish the Red Edge, it'll be a very good winter.

Music in this podcast: Merrigan's Reel, [Jim Fidler](http://www.jimfidler.com/) [Boxes](https://www.musicbed.com/songs/boxes/33111), [Ben Rector](https://www.musicbed.com/artists/ben-rector/69)

In this episode: I have more projects on the needles at one time than ever before, and I talk about all of them. Also, we're buying a cottage, and trying very hard to remain detached until the contracts have been signed.

The Schneke Shawl spiral has been a little bit addictive. Now that I've reached the back and forth section of the first rectangular end, it's less so.

Not feeling the love for 24 Days Socks knit from the toe up. Time to call time out.

The August Argyle Socks are still just yarn and an idea at this point. It occurs to me that perhaps a swatch in the round of simpler intarsia shapes, like a square on one side, and a triangle on the other, might be a good practice piece.

Against All Odds is off the needles, and the fit is much more relaxed than anticipated. I don't hate it, it's just something to be aware of when you knit with linen.

The Cosmo Cardigan goaded me into nearly completing the yoke in about a week. I'm slowing down now, and saving this project for when I need a break from all the lace and fingering weight yarn.

[The Red Edge](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Brenda/the-red-edge-cardigan-poc) details make all the difference. I just love this project. Never gonna give it up. Never gonna let it down.

Knit to this: Tonia and I have been amusing ourselves with these fine podcasts, hosted by Danny Robins, from BBC sounds: The Uncanny Podcast is great fun. [Start here.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0010wp9) The Battersea Poltergeist is also creepy and very weird. But our favourite was The Witch Farm, because it takes place in Wales.

Music in this podcast: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel and [Hanna Trigwell, Never Gonna Give You Up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSDOcLfwM-I)

The Great Airing of the Stash 2023. Hibernating projects emerge, blinking, into the light. The Red Edge gets a new button band and top-down contiguous sleeve cap. Made progress on Against All Odds - closer to done than I remember. Love that. The butterflies from Paint Pan will be knit into stripes using the 24 Days Sock Pattern.

Then, after taking care to continue work on old projects, I went a little nutzy starting new things. Schnenke (really fun knit, clever and interesting shape). Gilet Parodia destined to become my new favourite Grandpa sweater. And my first ever Argyle socks from Anne Berk’s Diamonds Are Forever knit to the length of August Argyles.

The production line. Tiny arms. The trouble with Esther - I’d rather begin the yoke with GRANITE (not “graphite”). Ready to redesign the colorwork on the swatch. The sock makes a brief appearance before returning to time out.

I have not yet performed penance on recent stash acquisition, but I did just think up a great name for this project: The Squeaky Spinach Boreal. It’s perfect, right?

Ready to learn beautiful mending with Visible Creative Mending and micro skeins of joy (twenty pence piece for scale = roughly the size of a US nickel). Fiona’s very sad sleeve and the mend from last year.

Make your own Desert Boots in this online class from the Chicago School of Shoemaking. (Tip o’ the needles to Sarah S.)

Massive thanks to Kim Werker for her time, enthusiasm and inspiration. Kim’s current project with Kate Atherly is Digits & Threads, about Canadian fibre and textile arts. Their first book: Sheep, Shepherd and Land.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; Marie Hinds, Light Up the World

IKvetching is now free to all! Find it on Ravelry or on Jeny Staiman’s Payhip.

The Stitching show was fun, if a bit short on yarn. Next year, Wonderwool. That said, I’m pretty happy with this button. (Left: new button; right: with the incorrect button it replaced.) The button makes the knitwear. I have always said this.

I Can Make Shoes, and so can you. Check them out.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; Marie Hines, It’s Just the Beginning

The level of craft chaos was high this week, but Lilly’s retro-vibe pinnies are finished! Pattern is Bias Trimmed Apron from Little Things to Sew by Oliver & S, in lightweight linen with bias binding in designer fabrics from this UK eBay seller. Several knitsibs want an adult-sized version. Still looking - drop a comment if you know of something similar.

The Sock is not at a very interesting place, but you can see progress. The yarn is Coop Knits, Socks, Yeah! in Labrodorite (reads more dull green than grey). Happy with my decision to drop the reverse stockinette and make the diamond shapes both wider and taller. Progress will be slow.

Yarny goodness: arrival of the darks for my Magic Circles Afghan palette. The interspersed cakes are handspun and/or variegated - might be too dull chromatically speaking. The basket of clear bright colours is calling to me. Yes, 100% wool, blanket designated for HUMANS ONLY. May have to post a sign.

Gene Marshall is a rabbit hole. You’ve been warned.

Music: Jim Fidler, Merrigan’s Reel; Bear Jackson, My Way

This week’s quest: design socks that are plain but not boring to knit. It’s a tall f*****g order.

Thanks to Fetching designer Cheryl Niamath for her playful spirit and gracious acceptance of our mods. Cheryl models the version of Kvetching that Jeny knit for her; two versions of Fetching at different gauges; Jeny’s uses her interlock bind off.

After recording I realized I’d neglected to mention Knucks designer Pamela Grossman, whose beautiful top-down thumb gusset inspired the one Jeny and I used in Kvetching.

You say bojagi, I say pojagi. The work of a lifetime. A return of the light.

Falling down, playing in the knitting adjacent zone, beginnings, One Block Wonders, over under over under over under, and a new series!

The art of getting very, very close to knitting, whilst remaining emotionally aloof and at arm’s length; I bought yarn; the latest amazing design from the mind of Jeny Stainman; and someone saved my life tonight.

Science! Tiny sweaters. Little stockings. Charming wee hats. Stars. Rockin rolags. Colours! Floors that go squelch. Wait, that isn’t supposed to happen. 

FYI: There's nothing wrong with your ears. There was a mic incident during the recording, and I could not face do-overs. Pretend we're on the phone, and I'm doing all the talking.

Cosy-testing, for science; taking bivalents for the team; and rail journeys from the not-too-distant past.

Welcoming the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness by putting things in jars for later, admiring dramatic skies, planting for the future, knitting waistcoats and new hats, and the Discipline of Do Easy.

In this episode, summer rain, and the last of the summer socks; the return of things from our life; baking chocolate cookies; and more glorious stranded colourwork from Knitsonik and Friends, (aka my friend, Felix.)

Needles afire with summer socks; baking at midnight, running the numbers for Against All Odds; and standing atop of pile of new-made things.

A sock heel for gradient dyed yarn; re-making a home; memories of dump runs past; buttons, and the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. 

The knitting equivalent of eating dessert first; the knitting pivot; emergency socks; and the return of la mer.

In this episode, the Against All Odds sweater gets a pop of colour to break up the unremitting boredom of knitting stockinette in grey yarn. It only lasted for four rounds, but was glorious. The folly of working with charcoal yarn at dusk is discussed, along with its antidote, the Syncopation sock pattern. Also, Delia Smith and touch typing. And Dracula. 

The first and best news, Tonia is home. Teaching herself to mend in order to stave off boredom, and providing a lap for grateful pets who are as relieved that she is home as I am.

For the first time ever, I'm using Susie Myer's contiguous top down method for set-in sleeves to knit Against All Odds in Shibui linen yarn. It's easier than the row by row directions make it seem. 

Plus, some general musings on sweaters. 

Fiddly false starts. Ambushed by linen. The sound of knitting freedom. The answer is in the question. And why is everything I need already packed away in a box?

Simple tools. Sweaters for the Littles. Jeny Staiman’s amazing heel construction. And my spring sweater shortlist. Links to everything I talk about are at brendadayne.co.uk.

The eye of the storm has moved. Possibly. And there are many things about which to celebrate. But not knitting. Worst knitting month ever, at the end of which I learn valuable lessons from Jeny Staimen. And The Tech Bros are already yesterday’s news.

The return of a Skyscrapa. Flowers in pots. Books in stacks. Enormous sleeves. Hand sewing. Time, and what to do while it’s passing. Our house is officially for sale, and it’s time to cast on.

Knitting for little people. I can knit a rainbow, but should I? A honkin' huge ass box o’yarn. More about that amazing heel. Paint Pan Socks, again? Yes. (Shut up.) A foxy little knitting mash up. If it sounds like this one is all about knitting, that’s because it is. I really needed to talk about my knitting. What a relief.

Holiday on the good ship Covid. Rest, and being stingy with it. Painting all the things. Wintering.

A big reveal. Projects, projects, projects. Planning for my trip to The Big Smoke, and the new year. Plus a visit from an old friend.

Continental drift. A rhetorical question. One million ends. Milkshake on the sidewalk. And Sixty Six Coupons.

A baby sweater gone wrong. I mean, they're so small. How do you even have time to screw it up? I don't know, but I managed it this week.

Oh, and I fell in love. And had my heart broken. So. A big week for me. 

This week, I called time out, and used my time out to remove seven projects from time out and complete them all. Worth it, but kinda not worth it, if you know what I mean.

Today I am all about the milestones; those points on the path that tell you you've finally arrived somewhere. Plus, I share some lessons learned on how to unlock the information contained in those fractional numbers in yarn descriptions. There is some math involved, but it's totally worth it. I deconstruct the Graerup Pullover and make plans to find out why the Red Edge has been in time-out for so many months. 

Grateful thanks. Ripping and reknitting and ripping and reknitting. Grime. The black silk.

An unsettling week. Life plans derailed and knitting plans upset. Graerup ripped back. Podcasting from the liminal zone with inspiration from Abu Musa Jabir, Isaac Newton, Kierkegaard, and Chris in the Morning. There is quite a bit about socks.

Smelling wool. Sewing bras. Remembering clothes from the 70’s. Autumn is here. It’s finally here. Come. Join me. I’m the one in the sweater.

Unmade makes are calling; does it really matter if you’re off by a couple of stitches; trousers again, of course; and the start of a new series.

Huge thanks this week to guest reader, professional storyteller, and longtime friend of Cast On, Sage Tyrtle.

In this episode: sock of the damned; pattern blocks; ass poodles; effluvia; and chintz. Plus, mood music and some very sad tales. Hey, I don’t need to swallow in order to podcast.

Socks, socks, socks; the Red Edge all my makes since last September a last word on bricolage; climate change; social justice; another Venn; plus working your ass off on the things that matter most, like knitting a sweater. Or saving the world.

In this episode, colour gives my capsule wardrobe design process a much needed shot in the arm. This one is all about lush, gorgeous, juicy, delicious colour that makes you want to bite it. And I feel another design brief coming on.

Passing a kidney stone: the Attenborough version; sewing patterns and their history; resting comfortably; and a linen shirt.

If I ever meet Geoffery Rush in person, you can be sure I'll ask him how long it took him to learn to draft a suit jacket for the title scene in The Tailor of Panama.

A week where nothing much happens, and a new ironing board cover is cause for celebration. The beach figures prominently. And a suitcase. And bras, again. Trousers are on hold while I pursue the swimsuit of my dreams. Same old same old. Pretty much.

A listener let me know this week that the episode permalinks created by my hosting company, Libsyn, link to the old Cast On website, and not to the show notes at my current website (brendadayne.co.uk). I'm working with Libsyn to find a solution. Thanks for your patience.

Why do 500 bows from China cost £2.00, but 20 bows from Lancaster cost £4.30? Asking, and answering the hard questions. 

In this episode: Bows. Bras. Very slow fashion. Glamour is more than a feeling.

Rats, Riverview, and the Red Edge. Plus, we are all hipsters now. Sorry.

Pattern making and design, casting on some things, binding off some things, burning some things, and a design brief. With bonus dog snoring, and electronic interference from a phone, placed too close to the mic while recording. Mea culpa. Total rookie mistake.

Envision the work. Collect the materials. Commit to the plan. Make. That’s how you build a palace. That’s how knit happens.

Winter clothes move to off-season storage, and spring clothing moves in; bricolage informs my deconstruction of The Red Edge; and an interview with My Body Model founder, Erica Schmitz.

The weather continues charming.

Top tips for self care, including the one where all pink lipstick is improved by renaming it "Your Crazy Grandma". Yarn, fabric and a crazy-ass costume book arrive by post to save the day. Projects finished, and projects in Time Out that need to think very hard about what they've done. There really is a lot on the needles for someone who has an enormous bolt of toile fabric to cut into.

In this episode, sunshine, blue skies and spring cleaning. Lessons from the YouTubes; where clothes go when they die; and Jeny Staiman’s amazing brain.

On the needles this week, I got nothing. I made a sock toe. I knit a couple of gauge swatches. I’m very much in between projects right now. But, oh! The projects in my head. Who's your dandy?

What is sartorial style, who owns it, and how can I get some? Also, my socks are cursed. And a visit with JC Briar, the designer and programmer behind Stitch-Maps.com.

My capsule Venn is shaping up nicely. The first collection, Informed Simplicity, is characterised by The Maker’s Atalier.

Next up, we have David Rose Style (black and white fun!)

And third...possibly… Japanese Horror Film meets Spooky Little Girl? Yeah. I'm still working on it.

The title of this episode is said to hail from an 18th century suicide note, although the anecdote is, apparently, apocryphal. That said, when it comes to knitwear closures, I can definitely relate. Fortunately, there are better and more creative ways to minimize knitwear misbehavior, according to this week's guest, Laura Bellows, of JUL Designs.

That thing that you don't see, until you do.

I know there's a pandemic on, but the great biscuit shortage of 2020 felt extremely personal.

Watching democracy almost die makes me cranky. There was a clear choice between donning the pants of crazy, OR hunkering down and making stuff. I chose the latter.

This week I'm looking for more than assembly, order or editing. The novus jacket leaves many questions unanswered. 100 Acts of Sewing are considered, with Sonya Phillip. I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Celebrate endings, for they precede new beginnings.
Grieve the loss of the countless instants that you will never taste again;
Never to touch or to experience the same moment the same way again.
Commemorate the fallen whose hands once held warm,
But now bare the touch of Winter's frost.To remember those who will not venture into the New Year with us,
And to celebrate the fresh creation of life to soon release first breath to the world.
Honor the first day that grants our renewed life,
And prepare to discover new love and self-growth.

- Rilke

It is said the past is a foreign country, and this week my passport received a number of new stamps. Kirsty Hall pays a visit to the past as well, through her Granny’s Book. And I find the courage to do what needs to be done. It's all about self care.

Kicking off the first episode of Series 14, Mothers of Unvention, with conversations about the process of design, beginning with constructive discontent in identifying a problem, and the deep dive of immersion needed to find a solution. Don't knit like Antonio Banderas.

Finding my way out of the emotional wilderness, with a little help from the Brendas; my Quilt of Dreams and  Placemats of Awesome; Naomi Parkhurst makes words into stitches. Remembering A Snow Day.

Today we’re talking about space. Not space, the final frontier. The space we inhabit. The space where we store things. The space we’re allowed. The space in our homes that belongs to just to us. Guest, Lilo Bowman, offers advice for taking control of your creative space, from the purge and sort, to organizing, to making your creative space work reflect you. 

The one after five years.

Spindles! Drop, supported and those of unusual size; a suitcase full of Estonian wool, projects old and new, and Today’s sweater. Third time really is the charm.

It'll be alright on the night.

"Oh Stewardess..."