I loved your story about the little boy who you showed how to spin, and he gave you a handmade gift. I have a similar story. I was set up at a craft show selling items I had made on my sock machine (no, I don't sell socks). I always bring my machine with me and sit and knit on it during the slower parts of the show. I always get a lot of attention from children. One particular little girl was fascinated, so I let her come behind the table and give it a few spins. She was so excited. About an hour later, she came back and gave me a handmade paper box with a lid she made. I was so touched I nearly cried. I cherish this little box and keep it on my sock machine table! You just never know what kind of impact you will have in someone's life. I know this sweet little human made a huge impact on my life. ❤🥰

Awe, that little boy sounds like such a sweet heart! I started tearing up when you were describing him giving you such a precious gift! It sounds like a wonderful experience as well. I love those socks you made for your friend as well. Reminds me of a spiral galaxy!

Forgot to say how much I appreciated your comments about desired changes in sweater shape, I'm with you there.

Hearing your story about the little boy warmed my heart. My 4 year old is autistic and he’s fascinated by things that spin. He loves to look at things and investigate how they are put together or work. When I wind up my hanks of yarn he loves to watch my swift spinning around and around ❤

Oh, your story about the little boy! I literally cried when I heard that the knitting was a gift for you.

Great episode Roxanne. Love the story of the young boy, that is precious. Thanks for reminding/encouraging us to play with fabric or yarn etc. Kids are not the only ones that learn through play.

What a lovely child to make you that sweet gift. I bet his parents were thankful for your time with him. You may have made a future spinner.

Great episode. Thanks for the information and entertainment.

For World Wide Knit in Public Day this year, the Dallas Handknitters Guild set up in front of the DMA Cafe at the Dallas Museum of Art. There were quite a lot of groups that came through asking questions.

My local craft group met up for WW Knit in Public Day and watched my dad’s band play at an outside concert. The front row was all of us knitting and crocheting 😂

The apron turned out great and the math fabric made me laugh. I love that you are tackling sewing and it's been interesting to watch.

Roxanne, I'll bet that little boy could become an accomplished spinner under your tutelage...he probably loved the rhythmic sensation and the repetitive nature of the process ! Kudos to his parents for recognizing his curiosity toward craft ! I admire your own exploration into new challenges to keep crafting an interesting pursuit...don't fret about the camp shirt, you can always add some well-placed darts in the back, and possibly the front too, to draw in the excess fabric so you get a more pleasing fit...Love your channel :)

Great podcast!🎉. That was a lovely experience and exchange you had with the young boy you showed how to spin and he shared a token of his talent. 😊. I love that you are a learning and sharing person, and it’s all good. I enjoy gardening or sewing in the mornings and knitting in the afternoons.

I just love your topics of discussion, Roxanne, every Casual Friday. I laughed, because do we ever actually learn to read all the directions? Hmmm…. Any way, I divide my crafting time by time of day. First thing in the morning it’s quiet and I have some time for spinning. Later in the morning, my sewing room light is at its best and that’s a good time to sew. In the evenings I sit in the tv room with my pup, and that’s where my knitting projects live. Also, my e-spinner lives on a rolling cart. I can easily pull it out of the corner where I leave it plugged in, and the foot pedal is with it, and so is my current fiber. Very convenient.

That was an amazing thing that the little boy did for you. A treasure to keep. I really admire your quest to learn and your attitude to the progress and errors that you make in your crafting journeys. 🇬🇧

I think your foray into sewing and what you are learning is wonderful. I've been sewing for over 50 years and trust me, I still mess up and sew things bass ackwards. It's always good for a laugh. As for rotating all those crafts, I have to - I get bored way too easy to just stick to one. And with pesky 'frozen shoulder', it's also necessary, so I don't stay in one position too long. I usually rotate through 2 or 3 a day. For example, I'm currently building a wooden bench for the patio. I'll work on that for a couple of hours. Then I'll switch to sewing projects. I'm making muslins - a princess seam bodice, a skirt and tank top, before I cut out the real fabric, and then I'll move to knitting after a few hours - a summer tank. Honestly, I have about 10 knitting WIPs....if you're looking for something to finish! 😂🤣 Speaking of dyeing, I have 4 skeins of wool I've been searching for, but need to dye black, so I can finally finish a sweater before winter. Love the little boys knitting gift to you. It's so sweet.

I love that blue blouse you made. It is very cute, a lovely color for you and Very nice with those pants!! Craft Rotation: I do a variety of crafts and enjoy them all so I like to rotate and partly because I think it is good for my hands doing different motions to avoid hand pain. I spend 2-8 hours most days doing some kind of craft. I usually have 5-8 WIPs that I rotate and mostly just because one or another is what I feel like working on. Occasionally one or two will go into time out for various reasons (it is too hot to knit on a wool sweater just now in Alabama) or if something is giving me trouble. Also there might be a deadline so I put more time into that project. But usually if I have several hours I will work on 2-3 different things during the day mostly because I just want to. I go with what I feel like working on. I don't do huge projects that take months anymore. I know that I prefer mostly small to medium projects so that is what I do. I knit, crochet, embroider, cross stitch, rug hook, rug punch, sew and paper crafts. But I am always open to trying new crafts too. I love your videos because I have learned so much about knitting from you. I love how you share the whole process. Thank you so much for sharing!!

As an autistic person, that sounds like such an amazing experience for that boy! Thank you for giving him that wonderful experience!

I change craft depending on my physical health. During the week I usually only knit because I can do it on the way to work and during my lunch break. On weekends if I'm doing good I'll usually sew (I sew standing up), if I can't stay up but my legs don't hurt to much I'll spin, if I need to stay in bed I'll knit or embroidered depending on how my hands hurt. I am lucky enough to have enough space to leave almost everything accessible. I just had to pack my knitting machines but it's not a space issue, it's a baby kittens issue so as soon as they find a forever family I'll be able to get them out again.

Love your philosophy on learning! Sometimes I’d like to knit complex things without a pattern and I worry about “wasting” time or yarn, but in some ways no experiment can be a waste.

You rock, Roxanne. You certainly are challenging your brain. That camp shirt is a good project. You are learning so much about construction and fit. Which when you have mastered construction, the fitting will be the bigger puzzle. My hat's off to you. ❤🎉

Great episode!

Busy, busy woman Roxanne. Love your content and while I’m watching/listening to you, I knit. I have a couple of audio books that I knit to. Right now I’m going to have some lunch and then get back to my sewing project (Pattern Emporium - balloon sleeve top). Haven’t sewn a garment for a while because I’ve mostly been doing alterations and running repairs (mum can you fix this zip please!!). btw that little lad sounds adorable all credit to his parents for encouraging him. 🙋🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Lovely story about the little boy . You made his day. I think I am in the same place , since it takes a while to make a garment , I am worried about spending what knitting time I can get and ending up with something that is not flattering on me just for the sake of making it , I do not fit into the category of being able to pull off a boxy draped look.

Thanks for the wonderful learning session, always so interesting!

Your socks for your friend are such a lovely color. The story about the little boy was so cute! I love your apron, a lot!! Your blue shirt is a great blue and does match your pants and the color is great on you. It will be interesting to see the camp shirt finished. You are one busy lady!! They say keep an active mind.

You have fully answered a lingering question I've had about the analogy of a mock-up in knitting - I feel so informed now! Thank you!

As always, enjoyed your podcast! Love your blue top and your camp shirt too, even with the collar issue. As you said , it’s a learning process and you can bet you won’t make that same mistake again. Keep up the great work, it’s inspiring!

You look so good in ths self made blouse, I sure get your sewing passion also. I lve in a small space so I focus on knitting only, have few wips at a time, maily a pair of socks and a bigger project, so no craft circuit for me. Would your handspun Norvegian wool be too itchy for a cowl ? You could enjoy knitting the The Traveler Cowl by Andrea Mowry or the Paris in Berlin by Joji Locatelli or the Knit City Cowl by knittedblissJC. This last one could also be used as a shrug for a smaller person like you. I love your openness and eagerness to learn, no mistakes, just learning. This is so inspiring.

Spinning that time of year can be chilly sometimes in our neck of the woods. That was a nice looking little loom. Awe, that was a sweet little gift. Bouncing between crafts....the struggle is real lol. It's not always easy to get "good forward progress" so sometimes it simply requires monogamy on a given project lol. Creating the perfect fitting "base sweater" is a great idea. Maybe make a cowl or child's sweater from Tellybean knits? It's unreal how small the movement is on that big wheel to get that much spin going...crazy. I was gonna say pick the collar out and re-sew lol. Sometimes we just aren't in the right head space for sewing LOL. Yeah, I would think camp shirts would be a little boxy. It will be comfy though.

Enjoyable montage of your projects! Yes, aim to learn something every day 🤗

I start my day with weaving, then around 2 or 3 pm I switch to spinning and or fleece prep. Around 5 I sit down to watch/listen to "TV". I keep a list of Watch Later KZfaq video that I watch while I knit. Of course, there are days where only some or none of that gets done because I'm gardening, hanging out with friends or family, or maybe going for a stroll in the woods.

For variegated yarns I like that the socks don’t necessarily match. But that’s because I get a thrill from asymmetry

WWKIP day fell on my college reunion weekend at Macalester, so I sat on the campus lawn and knitted to the sound of bagpipes.

I love that you show your whole process....all of it. Thank you.

I, too, loved your story about the boy you showed how to spin. What a special memory for both of you! I am a multi-crafter as well. I spin, knit and weave. I want to sew a few quilts but have not started those projects. I sewed garments through high school and college, and stopped when I needed “career clothing”. i.e. the tailored suits of the 1980’s. I have sewn a bit of home dec through the years. I would like to get back into garment sewing now that I am retired. I don’t need “career” clothing and really despise fast fashion. Anyway, to answer your question re: how do I work on the various projects, I do a circuit as well. Usually I start with spinning as that is relaxing to me. From there, I usually weave a bit for 2 reasons: I am relatively new to weaving, thus I need all the practice I can get. And, when I have my larger rigid heddle loom and frame in my fiber room, it eats floor space, thus I try to get those projects off the loom as soon as possible to open up floor space. Then, I knit. On occasion I will have a crochet project going, but that is rare. I usually have 2 knitting projects going: one that is simpler for “tv knitting” and one that is more complex, usually a sweater or other garment. Also, I like to have a lace weight or fingering weight project going on smaller needles with a dk or worsted weight project going on medium sized needles to alter what I am doing as I have wrist tendonitis and right thumb arthritis: variety of needle sizes helps to reduce pain. Anyway, I do a circuit almost all the time. That way, I see progress on everything and vary what my hands are doing to avoid pain. And, when I starting to finish one of my projects, I am sampling or gauge swatching for the next project. You are encouraging me to give garment sewing another go. We don’t have much in the way of fabric stores like we used to, just a JoAnn’s and one independent store that is not close to me. I visited it about a year ago and was not impressed with what they had to offer re: fabrics for garments I would want to make as quite a lot of the store was devoted to the bridal and fancy dress market. Maybe I will give your method of using less expensive fabric from JoAnn’s a go for practice pieces until I can find a good fabric store. Take care; wishing you lots of fun and learning during Tour de Fleece!

Love your philosophy on learning!

Hi Roxanne. Like you told: 'doing something' at the projects I want to finish within a certain time, that's my way too. I also have one knitting project that's only to take with me when I go on bicycle-camping trips. It doesn't have to be finished soon, but it's small packable and light-weight and it gives me something to do in the evenings (as long as there's sunlight) next to my tiny tent. Once finished it will be a lace shawl. When I'm knitting a pair of socks I always start the second one immediately after finishing the first one, but for the rest I can work on the socks as long or as short as I want (If needed I can even knit a pair of socks in a week). Most of the time the pair of socks is one of my WIPs. I like having one or two knitting projects and one crochet project, as well as one or two projects for other techniques.

As always, loved your video. I'm always amazed at the challenges you set for yourself to continue learning. (And I had never heard the term camp shirt, so I learned something too!😂)

For your spun yarn that is sufficient to make a shawl, you might be interested in seeing the hap patterns by Patricia Anne Fortune, or “knitography”, a shepherdess in Norway, raising heritage sheep & studies traditional Norwegian knitwear. With her family, teaching and now also farming. She has Instagram and a YT channel, but not too active now. Enjoy!

I am a quilter and a knitter. I don't really have a system for managing what I am working on, but I tend to only have two knitting projects and two quilting projects going at the same time. I just work on whatever I feel like... but I only do it for fun. Selbu spinnery is near Trondheim, Norway. Very interesting to listen to you today!

I have a routine that works for me now with sewing in the morning and knitting in the afternoon. Sewing is much quicker and often needs more concentration so I can relax a bit in the afternoons.

Thanks for a great video as usual! The Casual Fridays are my favorite in general, but I definitely consult the tutorials as things come up. I’ve never been a big goal setter, but have started doing it with my knitting and crochet projects and plan to add sewing soon. I sit down every few weeks and list all of my WIPs in each craft, and make another list of things I want to do. Then I look at my calendar and map out my crafting goals for the next 3 or 4 weeks. (Whatever fits on one page). For each week I choose which projects I want to work on and make reasonable goals. For instance next week’s list might be 3 squares on my crochet blanket, one sleeve of a sweater, and a magazine review for level 3 of the MHK program. I just use a lined journal and keep it open on my desk. It’s nothing revolutionary but I find I get so much more done than before. Good luck finding the idea that works best for you!

I thoroughly enjoyed your video, Roxanne. Loved the story about the boy, I imagine spinning could be a calming activity for him. Have you tried spindle spinning? The principles are the same (I think) as with the great wheel but it is far more transportable! I love your attitude to research and learning. Kia kaha

I’m the current president of our local guild and we held Knit in Public day at a farmers market. It was such a great day. We had samples of our knitting (which people kept wanting to buy, 😂) and we gave free knitting lessons. It was so well received. As far as your small amount of yarn, do you have enough for mittens or gloves? I knit a pair with a simple two color motif with both being undyed natural fibers.

Just wanted to say I enjoyed your podcast today. I do multiple crafts myself. I knit a lot , so when I want to sew I don’t feel guilty about putting my knitting aside for a bit. I spin and this year I am spinnng with a group. I joined for inspiration and a purpose. And encouragement to get as much as I can spun. That is for socks,bfl ,silk,. Then socks of corriedale and mohair.. I want to see how they hold up verses with the nylon. No pressure and no prizes, just cheering each other on. And enjoying the spin. Good luck with your dye project.

The American Craft Council has a KZfaq channel in case you’re interested.

I found you during the pandemic when I was learning to knit and now I love that you talking about your sewing. I am learning to sew and also experimenting with patterns. I am about to finish my first camp shirt, B6924, and I'm on the last step of putting in the button holes. It's a bit scary.

Love your show. Excited to see your progress on different crafts. I am a quilter, knitter and. crocheter. Quilts at home, knitting and crochet in groups or when in the road. Hard to lug a sewing machine. I have done that before. Forgotten to turn something inside out. You can add a contrasting bias binding to hide the raw edges. Maybe use the same binding to finish off the sleeves and lower hem. It will look like you planned it.

So odd with the sock, looks chunky. Instead of fingering weight, love the colors.❤

Hi Roxanne, I just discovered that I dont get notifications about your channel because it is listed as "content for kids". Did not realize this until now. One other knitting channel I subscribe to has the same issue. I find your videos informative, interesting, and well made. Thanks.

Have you ever added short rows to the upper back of your sweaters so that front and back hang evenly on a person with a rounded upper back?

You know you can share your Tour de Fleece progress with us, of course! You could overcast the inside out collar with a contrasting thread and call it a design feature. You might start a trend!

NGA was an organization that my English-style knitting Quaker great aunt attended in Wrightstown, Bucks County, PA.

How about a shrug? Easy to wear when you just need a bit of extra warmth round your shoulders but don’t need a sweater.

I think the color on the collar of your sewn shirt could look like an interesting, intentional design choice when you’re done. I think it might be nice. I suppose you could do a hooded cowl or a balaclava with your yarn. It would at least use up more than a hat would. I get the impression you wouldn’t be interested in making stuffed animals or home decor with the yarn but that’s an option I suppose (I also don’t make these things, just trying to thrown out ideas).

the inside out shirt collar- Just call it raw finish. Embroider it fancily and be done!

Finger-less gloves out of the grey yarn