Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 43 – Monogamous Me.
 
My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile. 
 
In this episode, I cover Old Dog new tricks; Perth Project Runway update; Final Destination; En Route; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats, Big Up and J’adore.
 
This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. 


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1 – Old Dog New Tricks
I have recently been on a frogging spree.  I had a few things in my wardrobe (crocheted and knitted) that I just wasn’t wearing and I know I can put the yarn to better use.  So, I frogged a cowl and a top.
 
When you do this, the resulting yarn has kinks in it.  These kinks are the memory that was crocheted in – and it tends to remain in the yarn.  From experience, it is much better to freshen the yarn up before you use it again.  I once knitted a pair of socks from a sock blank and even though they have been worn and washed many times, the fabric still shows the kinks and I’m not that fond of them because of it.
 
So, to get around that, here is what I suggest you do with your frogged yarn:
 
1 – Re-skein it.  I use the back of two dining chairs to create the circular loops that make up a skein.  You could also use an umbrella swift if you have one, but I find it just as easy to use chairs.
2 – Make sure you tie your skein ends together and place a tie in at least one other place around the skein to stop it getting tangled. 
3 – Submerge your skein in water.  I would usually add a wool wash to this so that I am giving the yarn a clean at the same time.  After about 20 minutes, take the skein out of the water and squeeze out as much excess yarn as possible.
4 – Hang your skein out to dry.  This is best done outside because it will drip.  I pop the skein onto an s-hook and hang it from my washing line.
5 – To get all of the kinks out, attach something heavy to the bottom of the skein with another s-hook.  I used one of our camping torches as a weight.
 
I tested two skeins in this manner, one with a weight and one without.  The skein without the weight still had some little kinks in it – but it was linen which I often find has kinks in it.  The skein that was weighed down is lovely and kink-free.
 
Here’s a link to a tutorial video from HueLoco on how she re-skeins and ties her yarn.
 
I have another quick trick for you.  It seems that many, many, many of us didn’t know about the little cone that can be detached from Gutterman thread bobbins.  If you look at the bobbin, you will see that there is an extra bit at one end.  That end can be twisted off and inside you can store your needle and thread or trap down the loose end!  I know.  It’s actual magic!
 
2 – Perth Project Runway update
Thank you to everyone that gave suggestions for a garment that I could crochet for Perth Festival of Yarn and the catwalk.  The suggestions were fantastic and I have pulled them all into a bundle on Ravelry for you to look at. 
 
I looked at all of them and created a shortlist of five:
 
1 – Citizen Pullover by Kabila Sri Ponnusamy
2 – Liza Pullover by Yuliya Tkacheva
3 – Blurred Lines by Addydae Designs
4 – Bark Sweater by Sidsel Sangild
5 – Bruni Top by Elven Handmade

ALT TEXT: Photos L-R show the five different Designs
1 - Citizen Pullover has a main colour of light grey with diagonal stripes  in both directions in a dark coral.  Shor