Home! (with some podcast reviews)

I'm home, I'm home. I don't have to travel anywhere for a while! I am so thrilled that I'm almost speechless - NOT!

Yesterday was a massive podcast session. I was unable to sleep so I woke up at 3 am and knitted and read till it was time to get ready for the flight back. Then I listened almost all the way home. One thing that jumped out at me yesterday was the interaction among the regular podcasters. There are references to each other 's content and the people sprinkled throughout the podcasts and it only starts to make sense after you listen to a number of them.

knitTherapy: A knitter in Michigan discusses her knitting, books, yarn and her life. I don't have anything negative to say about this podcast because it is exactly what a knitting podcast should be. However, I didn't enjoy it. I think this is just a matter of personal preference - just like some of us like some yarns and don't like others and our tastes are not the same.

Knitting Psychos: A podcast from a recent Californian. Again, this is also about her life, yarn, books, etc. But somehow, I found this more interesting. I can't explain this except to say that it is my personal preference and that I am not discriminating against knitTherapy in any way.

I also viewed video podcasts for the first time. Previously, I had been skipping over these as I came across them at times when I couldn't view them. Yesterday, however, I was knitting the body of a sock so didn't need to look at my knitting, the light and the place were conducive to viewing and thus, I viewed/listened to two video podcasts. I think these are absolutely fabulous for knitting, especially for techniques.

Another comment that I've meant to make in previous blog posts and forgotten is that podcasts can be large and take a long time to download. I have a pretty good wireless connection most of the time - backed by broadband. But I was surprised at times with how long it took for the podcasts to download. I am subscribed to a large number, which contributes to the problem but just in terms of size, some of the podcasts are quite large. The video ones all are but some of the audio ones are large also. Just something to watch out for if you are trying to download and update your player in a hurry.

Knitting Step-by-Step: This podcast is like a visual pattern with tips and techniques. I viewed the tail end of the Mitten series and the beginning of the sock series (the current project). It is very easy to listen to. The lighting and the contrast with the background can be better in some scenes . I found that the nail polish on the hands of the instructor reflected the light and the resultant glare was a bit distracting. But this was only on some demonstrations.

Lets Knit2gether: This is also an instructional podcast but a bit different. I viewed the episode on Stitch N' Pitch and it was very entertaining and interesting. Not a lot of knitting instruction, of course and more like a news show. The second episode was on lace and reading lace charts. A bit more advanced than the Knitting Step-by-Step podcast but just as useful and educational. I liked the variety.

Lime and Violet: More on this one in my next post as I became brain dead through their second episode and quit listening. I listened to the first one on my last flight of the day. It was very, very long (approximately 90 mins) but quite interesting. Lime and Violet is one of the popular podcasts and one mentioned in other ones I had listened to. Lime and Violet interview Scout of Scout's Swag - a popular indie dyer. If all the podcasts are over an hour long, I probably won't listen to them as part of a regular rotation.

A comment on the length of podcasts: I really enjoyed the Knitters Uncensored podcast but the length is just not something I can commit to. So that is a matter of personal preference and is not a criticism of the podcast itself. That is why I say the same thing about Lime and Violet.

My total FO tally for the last 2 trips was 2.75 pairs of socks in 2 weeks and 3 days. I finished 2 pairs and only have the leg and cuff to finish on the second sock of the third pair. For a change, I actually took the correct amount of yarn. I threw in the third 100 gm sock yarn ball as insurance and unlike previous trips, I needed the insurance. Usually I take way more yarn than I need.

Pictures to come. In the next week, you will be flooded with pictures. I feel the blog is very visually boring as I've been just text oriented for so many weeks.