013: The One Before the Break
Released July 30, 2019
In this episode, Anne reviews Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece yarn, the Olearia cardigan pattern, and a handful of yarn shops in New York City! There’s a giveaway in this episode and news about a hiatus, so be sure to listen for details!
Winner-winner!
Congratulations to the three winners of the episode 12 giveaway: DawnColbert, Pet_he1per, and TraceyWescott! They got to choose from a Harriet’s Hat or Harriet’s Headband pattern!
As of the episode launch, sales of the Harriet’s Hat and Headband patterns have exceeded $38,000!
If you’d like to be a part of the Morehouse Merino Knit Along for the Harriet’s Hat or Headband, join in at their Facebook page!
To enter the giveaway for episode 13, you must listen to the episode. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to listen, or subscribe through iTunes of the podcasting app of your choice to download the episode to your device!
Progress on the Master Hand Knitter Program
By choice, Anne took the last two weeks off. (Honest!) But during the hiatus, she should be plugging away at it, so stay tuned for the mid-hiatus episode on September 10, 2019.
In the episode, she did a mini review of a book she picked up to use a reference. It’s called Knitting off the Axis, by Mathew Gnagy. It’s full of patterns that use sideways knitting, short rows, and other “off kilter” knitting methods for interesting garment construction.
Yarn Shops
Anne was able to visit a total of 5 yarn shops during her time in New York. Listen to the episodes for details, or visit their websites:
Lion Brand Yarn Studio
Purl Soho
Knitty City
String
Seaport Yarn
Cotton Fleece Review
Brown Sheep sent Anne two hanks of their Cotton Fleece in the Spryte colorway to review. She has been a fan of this yarn for over ten years now, so she was more than happy to be able to play with it again!

In the past, Anne has used Cotton Fleece for garments for her children with great success, so she tested it out again on an Olearia cardigan, designed by Georgie Hallam. She was very pleased to find the yarn to be the same great quality as when she was knitting for her own little ones. The sweaters for her girls were well loved at the time and are now stored away for grandchildren, still in beautiful condition. She has every expectation that the Olearia she knit will maintain it’s beauty just as long.

The 80% pima cotton, 20% merino wool blend is light enough to be suitable for single-layering in the summer or to act as a light cardigan when the sun has gone down. It’s also suitable for household items like cushion covers and afghans. The addition of the wool to the cotton gives it a softer hand than a straight worsted-spun cotton typically has, and it helps the finished item retain it’s shape.

This used to be a “workhorse” yarn in Anne’s household, but it fell out of her yarn arsenal when she lived in the Philippines. Now that she’s back in the US, she’s grateful for the reminder of how much she loves Cotton Fleece and is plotting future projects!
Giveaway
The giveaway for this episode was generously provided by Brown Sheep. They sent Anne and extra two hanks of Cotton Fleece in Spryte to pass on to a listener. To learn how to enter, you must listen to the episode! The winner will be chosen by random number generator and informed on August 9, 2019. The giveaway is open only to those with a US mailing address, or those with a mailing address in the UK who are willing to wait until mid-September for their prize to be mailed.
Hiatus
Working on the podcast and everything it entails takes about 10-12 hours per week. After 13 episodes, Anne needs a bit of time to regroup, fix a few things, and plan the next bath of episodes. (Not to mention that she needs to get cracking on the Master Hand Knitter Program!!)
She will be back with an episode on September 10 before she and her husband head off to Scotland to attend Shetland Wool Week. Then, she will disappear again until October 22, 2019, when season two will begin!
If you are subscribed to the podcast through an app, the episodes will just appear automatically. If you listen through the website, be sure to follow I Thought I Knew How on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest so you are informed when the episodes launch
Featured Music
The first song is “When We Were Young” by Thomas Berg. This was followed by “What I Need,” by Torelli and the Fuse.
If you are a musician who would like a song featured on the program, or if you have comments or feedback, please contact the show at anne@familypodcasts.com.
Support the Show
Order your laundry detergent from Dropps and support the show at no extra cost to you. Dropps is vegan, plastic-free, effective and less expensive than most of the brands in the grocery store, and it arrives at your door on a delivery schedule that works for you.
Affiliate Notice
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Additionally, if you click through a link to another merchant’s site, it may mean that I receive a small percentage of your purchase as a thank you for sending you there. This happens with no additional cost to you.