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Diana Gabaldon

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Diana Gabaldon joined Marly on the podcast to share what it has been like writing the 8 books in the Outlander series (7 published and one to come in March 2014), along with the excitement regarding the tv series based on the first book that Starz is producing and is expected to hit the cable airways in 2014. Click to Listen

The show began with the big SPOILER ALERT disclaimer so that all of the listeners knew Marly and Diana were going to talk about all things Outlander and nothing was going to be left out of the discussion. For me, that made the interview that much better because Marly was able to ask about specific scenes without having to tip toe around the topic.

Here is an excerpt from Diana’s bio on her wonderful website https://www.dianagabaldon.com/ :

“Diana Gabaldon is the author of the award-winning, #1 NYT-bestselling OUTLANDER novels, described by Salon magazine as “the smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D. with a background in scripting “Scrooge McDuck” comics.”

The adventure began in 1991 with the classic OUTLANDER (“historical fiction with a Moebius twist”), has continued through six more New York Times-bestselling novels— DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, VOYAGER, DRUMS OF AUTUMN, THE FIERY CROSS, A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES, and AN ECHO IN THE BONE, with more than twenty million copies in print worldwide.”

Smiling woman in a colorful blue shirt signing a book at a table surrounded by greenery.

So what’s in store if you give the podcast a listen?  You will find out the answers to the following:

  • Does Diana knit or crochet herself?
  • What kind of writing process does she use when writing the pages of her books?
  • Who was the inspiration for Highlander Jamie Fraser?
  • How long did it take for Outlander to find a publisher?
  • Will book 8 (My Own Heart’s Blood) be the final book in the series?
  • How does Diana react to feedback regarding certain scenes in her book?
  • How long has Diana be a presence on social media?
  • How does Diana feel about the casting for the main roles for the Starz series?

Join Marly and Diana as they talk about why Jamie and Claire have entranced so many readers for the past 22 years, and why the idea of “What makes people stay married for 50 years” has had such an impact on the development of the series.

Besides Diana Gabaldon’s website, you can also follow her on Twitter @Writer_DG or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDianaGabaldon .

*Giveaway* – leave a comment here with Diana’s secret word, and you could win a booklet containing the first 7 chapters of My Own Heart’s Blood.  Winner will be chosen the week of Oct. 14th! 

Marly Updates: 

Join Marly at STITCHES East in Hartford, Ct. Nov. 7-10th

New pattern available exclusively at www.KnitCrate.com

No podcast week of Oct. 6th as Marly is traveling to Detroit to film the next season of the Knit and Crochet Now TV show!

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Love of Knitting and Love of Crochet
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Frequently Asked Questions

Did Marly chat with Diana Gabaldon about knitting?

Honestly… yes! In the podcast, Marly and Diana talk about whether Diana knits or crochets herself. You can tune in to find out!

What’s the scoop on the Outlander TV series?

So here’s the thing… Marly and Diana discuss the excitement around the TV series based on the first Outlander book. It was expected to hit the cable airways in 2014 by Starz.

How did Diana Gabaldon get started with Outlander?

Yes! The adventure began way back in 1991 with the classic OUTLANDER. It’s described as a historical fiction with a Moebius twist, and it just grew from there!

Is book 8 going to be the last one?

Honestly… Diana and Marly touch on this! They discuss if book 8, “My Own Heart’s Blood,” will be the final book in the Outlander series. You’ll have to listen to find out!

Where can I find Diana Gabaldon online?

So here’s the thing… you can visit her wonderful website at dianagabaldon.com. Plus, you can follow her on Twitter @Writer_DG or on her Facebook page.

Hunter Hammersen

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On Tuesday’s podcast: Hunter Hammersen!!

Hunter comes to the podcast today to enlighten us all about her adventures in the world of self publishing and what is about to his the shelves!

Hunter started out going the “traditional” route of publishing, and teamed up with a publishing house and had a good time, however decided that the route of self publishing was more her cup of tea.  She discussed the ins and outs of photography, charts, editing, pattern writing, printing, all the little ins and outs of getting your designs out “in the wild”.

Hunter had some super fun news, as her new book (Ne’er Do Well Knits) was finished printing early, and she was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the UPS guy while on the show with Marly, and warned Marly that if she saw him, she was going to drop the phone and run for the door!

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Hunter later blogged on her own page the pictures of the boxes and books that arrived at her house, and she was SO excited to get them opened, it looks like it was a bit like Christmas at her house!

Hunter has self published 5 books/mini books now,

  • Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet (Volume 1)
  • Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet (Volume 2)
  • Ne’er Do Well Knits
  • Rabble Rousers
  • Silk Road Socks

You can order each of them through her website, OR you can enter in the giveaway below, and be entered to win Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet Volumes 1 and 2 as well as Ne’er Do Well Knits!

So, that brings us to the giveaway this week!  As always, leave a comment with Hunter’s keyword, and you can be entered to win!!

You can find Hunter on: her website/blog, Twitter, and Ravelry (where you can also purchase Hunter’s individual patterns).

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Clara Parkes – The Yarn Whisperer

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Thursday’s Podcast Guest: Clara Parkes!

Clara came on the show to promote her new super fun book “The Yarn Whisperer“!  (Also, she came on to try to get Marly to laugh so hard she’d snort.)

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From Clara’s website:

The book was born from a simple notion: We are what we knit. I’m not suggesting you’re a pullover or a pair of socks. But over the years I’ve realized just how deeply knitting itself—our stitches, materials, techniques—is a metaphor for who we are and the lives we live.

It began while I was sitting at a table for two, waiting for a friend to show up and suspecting that I’d been stood up yet again. I wondered: Is this how a dropped stitch feels? Or consider the traveling stitch, that blundering Winnebago swerving from lane to lane without so much as a how-do-you-do. Or garter stitch, the robust and wholesome friend who’s always overlooked in favor of the slender homecoming queen, stockinette?

The stories became more personal as my mind turned to my grandma, terribly self-conscious of the skintags that peppered her neck yet obsessed with adding bobbles to everything she knit. Or my parents’ divorce, a poorly worked steek that caused my young self to unravel.

The Yarn Whisperer is about my own life in knitting, both literally and figuratively. But it also explores our collectivelives in knitting. I’ve left many blanks for you to fill in. My hope is that it may help you see your own story, and your knitting, in a new, more meaningful light.

If you’ve listened you heard Clara’s wonderful chapter on bobbles, and is it just me, or who else wants to see her book turned into an audiobook??

Clara’s other books can be found here!  Other places you can find Clara: her blog, Knitter’s Review, Facebook, Twitter, Ravelry, and of course, on her BOOK TOUR!  Make sure you check to see if she’s coming to a town near you, and go check it out!  🙂

*Giveaway* – leave a comment here with Clara’s keyword, and be entered to win a copy of her super awesome fun book!!

MarlyBird-AD-StitchesMID2013-v3

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Craftsy.com/yarnthing
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Love of Knitting and Love of Crochet
Bijou Basin Ranch

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s Clara Parkes’ new book about?

So here’s the thing… Clara Parkes has a new book called “The Yarn Whisperer”! It’s all about how our knitting stitches and the fibers we use can be metaphors for who we are and the lives we live. She shares personal stories and leaves spaces for you to fill in your own knitting journey.

How does knitting relate to our lives according to Clara?

Honestly… Clara believes that we are what we knit! She uses examples like a dropped stitch feeling like a missed opportunity or stockinette stitch being the “homecoming queen” compared to the overlooked garter stitch. It’s a really neat way to think about how our craft reflects our experiences.

Can you tell me about Clara’s other books?

Yes! She has written other books that you can find if you look for Clara Parkes on Amazon. The post also mentions her blog, Knitter’s Review, and her social media, so there are tons of places to connect with her and her work.

Is there a giveaway happening?

Oh yes! To enter to win a copy of “The Yarn Whisperer,” you just need to leave a comment on the blog post with Clara’s special keyword. It’s a super fun way to potentially snag her awesome new book!

What makes yarn “crimp”?

Well… the page talks a lot about “crimp” in yarn, especially when discussing wool fibers! It’s a property of the fiber itself, and it’s really important for making nice, spun yarn. Many commenters love wool with a good crimp for texture and warmth in their projects.

Crochetville – Amy Shelton

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Hi Everyone!

Thursday’s podcast guest was Amy Shelton, from Crochetville!

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Amy was one of our most enthusiastic guests ever, and Marly was SO excited to have her on the show!

Amy Shelton comes from a family of crocheters. Although she learned the basics of crochet from her third-grade teacher, Amy’s mother and grandmother, longtime crocheters themselves, helped Amy expand her skills. She has been happily crocheting, left-handed, for over 30 years. Her right-handed daughter also crochets.  She taught herself how to knit.

In 2006, when Donna Hulka and Amy Shelton took over running Crochetville as a two-woman team, plans and goals for the future of the community started to come together. Although Crochetville has always taken countless hours to maintain, they began working at it from a new perspective: as a serious business rather than a hobby.

Visitors can simply browse or search to access the wealth of information on Crochetville. Additionally, those who become members by registering (which is free) can post messages, share photos, and participate in activities such as crochet-alongs, swaps, secret pals, and charity crochet. For a modest per-class fee, registered members can also take advantage of online crochet classes in Crochetville’s unique and interactive forum-based class format.
Donna and Amy say, “We hope you enjoy your time at Crochetville, and that you will find it to be well-moderated and family-friendly. We are committed to maintaining a site that is clean and easy-to-use with an atmosphere that is welcoming and encouraging to crocheters of all levels.”   The only information needed to sign up is your email and your date of birth, (so that Crochetville can comply with internet child safety laws), your information is kept private, and is never shared with other people/companies.

You can sign up to take classes on Crochetville, get help with a tricky technique, ask questions, find crochet events, as well as share and purchase patters, and have that great sense of community of crocheters!!  (How cool is that??  It’s a plethora of resources!)

Crochetville has partnered with Red Heart Yarn, and travels to the different shows around the country.  In their booth, they are constantly introducing Red Heart’s new yarns, have lots of great patterns and books, hooks and all kinds of other fun hooking things!  Make sure you look for them at upcoming trade shows in your area!

You can find Crochetville on Facebook, Twitter, their website, and their Ravelry group.

*Giveaway!!*  Use Amy’s keyword in your comments below to be entered to win a copy of Amy’s shawl pattern and 2 skeins of yarn to make it!

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Frequently Asked Questions

So, what exactly *is* Crochetville?

Honestly, it’s a super cool online community for crocheters! You can browse, search for tons of info, or even register for free to connect with other crafters… post messages, share photos, and join in on fun things like crochet-alongs and swaps. They even have online classes if you want to level up your skills!

Is it tricky to join Crochetville?

Nope, not at all! You just need to register, which is totally free. They only ask for your email and date of birth… they keep your info private, no sharing with other companies or anything like that. Easy peasy!

What kind of stuff can I do on Crochetville besides just chatting?

Oh, loads of things! You can get help with tough techniques, find local crochet events, buy and sell patterns, and just soak up that amazing community vibe. They’ve partnered with Red Heart Yarn too, so you’ll see their latest yarns and cool patterns when they travel to shows!

Can I take classes on Crochetville?

Yes! If you’re a registered member, you can pay a small fee to take online crochet classes. They have a really neat way of doing classes right there in their forum format, which sounds pretty interactive and fun!

Is Crochetville just for super experienced crocheters?

Not at all! Amy and the team are committed to making it a place that’s welcoming and encouraging for crocheters of *all* levels. So whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been crocheting for ages, you’ll totally fit right in!

Blue Moon Fiber Arts

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Today!  Blue Moooooooooooon!!!!  That’s right, Tina Newton from Blue Moon Fiber Arts!

Tina Newton was Marly’s guest today, and oh what a ball these two had today!!  Tina told us her story about how she got into the fiber industry, and what aspect is her favorite (spinning) and how she got started in hand-dying her spun yarn.  Blue Moon’s yarns are all hand-dyed (there are 29 different yarns, and 700 colorways…holy cow!!), and are dyed in small batches, and follow a very specific “recipe” for each, so if you see a colorway you love, make sure that you snap up a couple extra skeins!!

Some of Blue Moon’s (there are 29 different ones, we couldn’t list them all!) super yummy yarns:

Billy The Kid:

billy_the_kid_sk

Worthy:

worthy_fingering_sk

Woobu: (Note from Jolene…I just LOVE this name…cracked me up!)

woobu

Socks That Rock/Rockin’ Sock Club:

Tina has a kick booty sock club, that has taken off to epic proportions, and because it’s taken off and is now so big, there are only a certain number of spots available each other.  You can check out their page (here) about the Socks that Rock and Rockin’ Sock Club.  Make sure your family knows to get you a membership to Rockin’ Sock Club for the holidays, they open up the registration/gift certificates then so that you can be guaranteed a spot in next year’s club!

(Jolene here again…My personal favorite colors of the Socks that Rock yarn?  Medium weight After Sundown or Bejewelled.  🙂

Big time announcement, you heard it first here on YarnThing!!  **Blue Moon’s yarns are coming to local yarn stores!**  You’ve seen them in booths at trade shows, however, they are expanding and changing, and are going to go wholesale!

One of Marly’s favorite things obviously as a designer, is patterns.  Make sure you check out Blue Moon Fiber’s pattern selection!  They have quite the plethora of beautiful patterns, covering baby things, garments, socks (of course), and non-garment things.  Tina has scored the cream of the crop to design for her, so make sure you check out the pattern page.

Giveaway!!  Leave a comment here on the podcast notes, and use Tina’s keyword to be entered to win a skein of her super awesome fingering weight yarn, Worthy! (Who doesn’t want some silk and cashmere in their stash/wardrobe?!)

You can find Blue Moon Fiber Arts on: Facebook, Ravelry and find Tina on Twitter!

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Craftsy.com/yarnthing
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Love of Knitting and Love of Crochet
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many different yarns and colorways does Blue Moon Fiber Arts offer?

Honestly… it’s a lot! Blue Moon Fiber Arts has 29 different yarns and a whopping 700 colorways. If you see a color you love, you’ll want to grab a couple extra skeins because they dye in small batches!

What is the “Socks That Rock” club?

So here’s the thing… Tina has a super popular sock club called “Socks That Rock” and the “Rockin’ Sock Club.” Because it’s so popular, there are only a limited number of spots each year. You can get a membership as a holiday gift to guarantee your spot for the next year!

Will Blue Moon yarns be available in local yarn stores?

Yes! Big time announcement… Blue Moon’s yarns are coming to local yarn stores. They’ve been in booths at trade shows, but they’re expanding and going wholesale!

Can I find patterns from Blue Moon Fiber Arts?

Absolutely! Blue Moon Fiber Arts has a lovely selection of patterns, including baby things, garments, socks, and other non-garment items. Tina works with some super talented designers, so you’ll want to check out their pattern page!

How can I enter to win some Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn?

It’s easy! You can enter the giveaway by leaving a comment on the podcast notes and using Tina’s special keyword. You could win a skein of their fingering weight yarn, Worthy… which is made with silk and cashmere!

Halos Of Hope and Drew Emborsky

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On Thursday’s Special Podcast: Drew Emborsky and his amazing challenge for Halos of Hope!

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Drew has put out the Chemo Cap Challenge, to stuff the box in his Crochet Dude booth at Stitches East in November with as many chemo caps as he can possibly get!  Last year, Halos of Hope voted Drew as Man of the Year, and now he wants to show this amazing charity even more love and support with help from his fellow crafties, and our big hearted, awesome Marly, wants to help.

Drew has put out a coupon code for his website, where you can get 20% off your order of Drew’s yarn to give it a good “taste” between now and the end of September! (How cool is that??)

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To go with Drew’s coupon code for his yarn, which would be awesomely ideal to make caps with, Marly has put two of her best patterns up for FREE so that you can make as many as possible to help stuff the Crochet Dude’s Halos of Hope!

                                               gerri capsous chef

Marly’s “Gerri Hat” and Marly’s “Sous Chef Hat“

If you go to Marly’s Ravelry page, and click on Gerri Hat and/or the Sous Chef, and use the coupon code “HALO”, you will get these patterns for free.  Make as many hats as you possibly can, and send them off to Drew’s collection address, which is on his website here for you!

To make things even MORE awesome, Boye (the makers of Drew’s Crochet Dude Ergonomic Crochet Hooks), has made the most amazing donation/promise to cover the shipping of all of the hats that Drew collects for Halos of Hope!  How AWESOME is that???

(Note from Jolene: Okay, who else cried?  I was SO reaching for the Kleenex during this episode!!!)

This week’s little nugget to remember:  When God shines a spotlight on you, you should always stand next to someone who needs it. – Oprah (via Drew)

See you next week!!

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Let’s give some love to our sponsors! 
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Craftsy.com/yarnthing
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Love of Knitting and Love of Crochet
Bijou Basin Ranch

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s this Chemo Cap Challenge all about?

So here’s the thing… Drew Emborsky is doing this amazing challenge for Halos of Hope! He wants to stuff his Crochet Dude booth at Stitches East with as many chemo caps as possible… it’s all about showing this wonderful charity even more love.

How can I help make caps for the challenge?

Honestly… Marly’s put two of her best patterns, the “Gerri Hat” and the “Sous Chef Hat,” up for FREE so you can make tons of caps! Just head to Marly’s Ravelry page, find those patterns, and use the coupon code “HALO” to get them for free.

Is there a discount on yarn for this project?

Yes! Drew has a coupon code for his website where you can get 20% off his yarn. It’s the perfect time to grab some yarn to make those hats… and it’s a good “taste” of his yarn too!

What about shipping costs for the hats?

Oh my goodness, this is the best part! Boye, the makers of Drew’s Crochet Dude hooks, has promised to cover the shipping for all the hats Drew collects for Halos of Hope… how super awesome is that?!

Where do I send the hats I make?

You can find Drew’s collection address on his website. Just click the link that says “here” in the post, and it’ll take you right to the page with all the details for sending your wonderful chemo caps!