TwinSet Designs - podcast cover

TwinSet Designs

Twinset Designs Podcast is hosted by identical twins, Jan and Ellen. They share their thoughts on life, their current fiber adventures (in knitting and spinning and…), and their exploration of the design world. And they laugh...a lot.
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Episodes

Episode 54 -- Just Ducky!!

In which we discuss connecting with old friends and friends of our daughter/niece, the Iditarod and Iknitarod, cold, snow, trips to the theater and to the emergency room, an interview with Sherill Roi who encourages us to spin 15 in 15, and a review of the book, "Solefull Socks".

Mar 22, 20151 hr 3 min

Episode 53 -- The Forecast is Babies!!

In which we discuss the cold weather, many babies on the way to knit for and to love, the coming onslaught of mud and (happily) mud sales, knittingless needles, Madrona, water and spirits. And in which we announce a chance to receive a free Craftsy Continental Knitting class from Lorilee Beltman (see the forum thread titled, "Why do you want to learn to knit faster?"), a 50% off sale on the same class, and a special for us promotion from Signature Needle Arts. Use the code TWINST5OFF when you ch...

Mar 06, 20151 hr 3 min

Episode 52 -- Five Years in the Making!

In which we discuss how good it is to be back, trips to Ohio to be with family, catching up at work, Sanibel Island get-aways, judgemental spinning, animal husbandry, rivers of birds and finishing a masterpiece!

Feb 17, 201557 min

Episode 51 -- Don't Call Me Shirley!

In which we discuss things. And for which there are no outtakes due to an incomplete edit just to get the episode out. I explain the very sad reason why in the introduction.

Jan 11, 20151 hr 2 min

Episode 50 -- turbogal AKA Lisa

In which we celebrate the milestone that is episode 50, discuss NYC trips, trip ups with deer, podcaster visits and prank calls, Wilson's continuing mastery of the chess world, precision dancing viewed at Radio City Music Hall with Jenny and light up swizzle sticks (!), pulling it together when your gauge is all over the place and a special outtake for your holiday merriment...oh, and turbogal.

Dec 21, 201453 min

Episode 49 -- Full Bellies

In which we discuss filling up our bellies at Thanksgiving, podcast endings and podcaster beginnings, cabbages and kings (well, not kings), fine dining in NYC and nights on the town in DC, visitors and the proper pie ratio, new members of the farm family and a bit of farm animal photography!

Nov 30, 20141 hr

Episode 48 -- Catch Me Up If You Can

In which we offer condolences to the "Car Talk family", start a new contest for a Boston Jen design, congratulate Wilson for his "Top 100" chess status, Marie's debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade*, Gale Woods Farm, Jan's new job, Buddhist housekeeping, NYC visits to daughter's restaurants (well, restaurants at which daughters play key roles) knitting retreats that bring healing, new playwrites and playing in parks, Dr. Yarn's anger management techniques, Spinzilla and designing for flow...

Nov 26, 20141 hr 15 min

Episode 47 -- Melancholy Bunny

In which many things are now out of date. Oops. Sorry about that. Key words: knitting spinning designing alpaca sheep

Nov 09, 20141 hr 16 min

Episode 46 -- They Say We're Crazy

In which we discuss trips to the ball game, trips to Sweden, trips to France, trips to the state fair, trips up north and trips to DC and we get plenty tripped up trying to explain an improvement on last episode's slick trick. Much other merriment ensues.

Sep 11, 20141 hr 3 min

Episode 45 -- You Say Potato

In which we struggle with our pronunciations, sip coffee from drip free mugs, observing wild life at work and at home, avoidance of camnesia, home grown peaches, traveling for business, tech editing for nice designers, overdone bike rides, learning along, mouse melons aka cucamelons aka Mexican Sour gherkins, pickling pots of pickled peppers, projects cleaned off the needles, managing to avoid being bitten by our knittin', discuss the value of discipline and accurate measurements, enjoy a visit ...

Aug 26, 201454 min

Episode 44 -- Back At It!!

In which we thank our camp supporters, have a great time chatting about the success that was TwinSet Summer Camp, discuss making play out of work on the Snake River, being surprised by San Antonio yarn shops, shared birthdays and harmonious gifts, taking daughters to birthday dinners, welcoming Heidi back from the trail, various knitting bites (including a real doozy for Ellen and the recurring theme of ignoring pattern instructions), spinning many yards of yarn and using many wheel ratios, insp...

Aug 06, 20141 hr 26 min

Episode 43 -- We Can Haz Math Skillz!!

In which we discuss the kindness of Susan B. Anderson, the TwinSet Dolls World Tour, quiet Independence Days, an abundance and a dearth of cherries, biting off more than one should chew, a new to Dale sailboat, drinking rum punch (possibly to excess), the arrival on the farm of Hedy, Ada, Grete and Grace, and Ellen's compulsion to calculate.

Jul 08, 201447 min

Episode 42 -- Cleaning Off the Needles

In which we discuss pre-summer vacation (for some of us), 3 blind mice sightings, multiple LYS visits to include the wall of Cascade (Natural Stitches in Pittsburgh, PA and Fibre Space in Alexandria, VA), the PA Women Veterans Symposium, family gatherings, nature hikes wherein all appendages are retained, achieving apprentice grader and sorcerer status, losing one's car keys and the kindness of strangers who are now true friends and our living dolls.

Jun 25, 20141 hr 18 min

Episode 41 -- Podcaster Shout Out!

In which we mention many other podcasters, and in which we discuss squirrel kings, sailboats, shorn alpaca and sheep, getting our hackles up, visits by fast knitting friends, not buying a fleece and then buying one after all, a daughter-in-law hiking the Appalachian trail, sealing up our fine fiber and TwinSet Summer Camp!

Jun 05, 201453 min

Episode 40 -- But We Digress

In which we evidently discuss everything whether it relates to the planned content or not.

May 25, 20141 hr 18 min

Episode 39 -- The Wolf Closest to the Sleigh

In which we discuss the craziness that has been our lives in the last month, fiber classes, fiber judging, birdies at our feeders, finally seeing signs of spring in Minnesota, Yarnover and Fiber Fest, visiting family and friends, healthy animals, paying taxes, wearing jelly beans and harvesting golf balls.

May 06, 20141 hr 8 min

Episode 38 -- Marco Polo!!

In which we discuss ongoing winter, the first signs of spring, a broody hen, a great knitting class with Candace Eisner Strick, insane activity in Jan's life (that ended up preventing her from getting this episode edited for THREE weeks...yes, that's right, three weeks), the languishing effort to get the Fair Winds Farm etsy shop open, our knitting and some tunisian crochet, the availability of the Paving Mitts pattern from Ellen, choosing yarn colors for a multiple yarn project like those mitts...

Apr 20, 201436 min

Episode 37 -- Teaser!

In which we discuss the ever continuing winter (in the frigid north), being inspired by new spinners at Gale Wood Farm, bringing home ribbons from the AOA show, the danger of loose dogs, chess party animals, putting the best edge on a garter stitch baby blanket, swatching for socks, colors to dye for, and getting gauge in the worst possible way.

Mar 30, 201451 min

Episode 36 -- Spring Forward!

In which we discuss the continuing cold weather, alpaca escapades, animal visitors, renewed work on UFOs, extreme knitting repair, four and a half miles of singles, improving the likelihood that a yarn substitution will be successful, the wonderful designs of Aurélie Coras, stick on pockets, Iditaknitting, and in which we enjoy a visit from Dr. Yarn.

Mar 17, 201458 min

Episode 35 -- Show Notes to Follow

In which we discuss business trips with drive by yarn shop stops, discover we are both connected to an Indie dyer, alpaca barn parties, yet more snow, class with Abby Franquemont, cranking and spinning, cabled yarns, spinning wheel maintenance, a bit of outside work for Jan and a trip to the MN Closed Chess Championship for Wilson. (Congrats, Wilson!)

Mar 02, 20141 hr 2 min

Episode 34 -- Of Buns and Birds

In which we discuss buns of the bunny variety, birds of the painted variety, quick trips to Mexico and the Sunshine State, Spin Off judging, ice storms, back spasms, cast-ons and cast-offs, marking hanks of handspun and Russian Joins in honor of the event taking place in Sochi.

Feb 16, 20141 hr 10 min

Episode 33 -- Retreat!!!

In which we discuss our recent experiences at retreats (Ellen at the Knitajourney Mid-Winter Retreat in Duluth, MN and Jan at Tina's Fiber Retreat in York, PA), farm medical procedures from which several of the animals would have like to retreat, the dangers of knitting lace after the drams, the value of The Knitting Guild of America Master Knitter classes, the whimsical and classic designs of Ann Kelly, plying yards and yards of Corriedale Cross a slick trick and some other stuff -- to include ...

Feb 02, 20141 hr 1 min

Episode 32 -- A Living Doll

In which for some unknown reason we sound muffled. (I did have a stuffy nose and sinuses, but Ellen was healthy so that's not the reason and I processed the file in the same manner, so that's not the reason. Urgh! Sometimes this podcasting stuff is hard! Well, you can still understand us, so you're getting it as it is.) And in which we discuss the cold (maybe that's it, we were wrapped in scarves and mufflers?), haunted barns (maybe a ghost is choking us?), idea weekends with ideas that Ellen ca...

Jan 19, 201449 min

Episode 31 -- Bitten by Our Kittens

In which we discuss our good fortune at Christmastime and in the opening days of 2014, Valor the Ram, a strategy for giving, the great alpaca drop of 2014, getting back to work on some big knitting projects, our review of 2013 and our goals for 2014, how to take stock and why you should eat more beans. (Be sure to listen to the outtakes if you want to understand the title!)

Jan 13, 20141 hr 7 min

Episode 30 -- We Believe!!

In which we discuss the return of the light (and the owls), ice lanterns, the great Weaver's Guild of Minnesota fiber estate sale, finally receiving processed fiber from the spring shearing, Christmas visits, what's in Ellen's pocketses, the best Christmas card ever, seeing Santa Claus, publication of Ellen's pattern "Bitsy Baby Beanies", successful design modifications and a winner of the Swagger DALKAL, some knitting and spinning and Ellen endures Jan's singing.

Dec 22, 201351 min

Episode 29 -- Hats a Lot of Knitting!

In which we discuss* our Thanksgiving celebration, knitwear on fire, alpaca with trench-o-phobia, cold and snowy weather, planning to make the most of your knitting time, shades of colors, crispy duck skin and foregone conclusions for the outcome of the Army-Navy game. (Navy will win, in case you are wondering!) *And all in less than an hour!

Dec 13, 201358 min

Episode 28 -- Podcasting Across the Atlantic

In which we abandon our usual format to welcome a fellow podcaster to the microphone. You'll have to listen to find out who it is! And in which we discuss what's going on on both sides of the Atlantic, a bit more about ourselves, and of course, our knitting.

Dec 03, 201359 min

Episode 27 -- Knock, Knock...

In which we extend our thoughts and prayers to those affected by storms near and far, and in which we discuss nasty colds, prolonged podcasting absence, rapid Master Knitter responses and successes, the end of an era in which Solveig reigned in the world of Bohus, responsible use of GPS and liquor, Finnsheep, the Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat, visiting with dear friends, Blacker Yarns, designing colorwork mitts and more!!

Nov 28, 20131 hr 23 min

Episode 26 -- More Felfs, Less Chemo!!

In which we discuss the Cat Bordhi Fall knitting Retreat, Frog Tree Yarns, the impressive research of David Krag (who with the help of knitters will eliminate the need for chemotherapy for many cancer patients!!!), Yoda and Red Roosters, Master Knitter II Submission madness and wild and crazy chess players, aquaknitting, The House of Jerky, super food, dressing like twins, the designer Melinda VerMeer (she does not have a pearl earring) and how knitters can do great good in the world. (More felf...

Oct 31, 20131 hr 36 min

Episode 25 -- Three + One = Five

In which we discuss trips to Ohio, visits with siblings, fiber processing workshops, the secret to drum carding, poncho-mania, knitting and saunaing in the north woods, prize winning knitting, the size of Wilson's head, the size of Ellen's head, Jan's loss of brain cells, dizzes and punis, safety to dye for, and the good fortune to be heading to Cat Bordhi's Fall Retreat.

Oct 04, 20131 hr 2 min
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