Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 53 – Rainbows and silver linings.   
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 General Update; Old Dog New Tricks; Final Destination; Designs on Progress; Quick News Beats and Big Up.   
This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. 


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1 – General Update
Things are a little strange just now.  We are in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, UK residents have been told to stay at home and life is more than a little up in the air!
So, I am really hoping that you are all safe and well.  I am sending lots of love to you all.  Extra love and hugs to those of you that are frontline staff and key workers.  You are keeping the country going and we are all hugely appreciative for the hard work and effort you are putting in.
 
2 – Old Dog New Tricks
This month’s top Crochet Clan tip is from Rachel (thepulledstitch on Ravelry and has a blog on called Pulled Stitch (link)).  Rachel’s top tip came via Susan of Peppergoose Design (link).
It’s all about how you set up your slip knot, ready for your starting chain. If you have your tail end to the right and working yarn to the left to make your slip knot, pulling the working yarn will tighten your knot and pulling the tail end will loosen it.
 
If you reverse this out to that the tail end is on your left when you make your slip knot and the working yarn is on your right, the tail end will tighten the knot and the working yarn will loosen it.
 
This means that once you have worked into your starting chain or completed your foundation row/round, you can gently pull on the tail end to neaten up your work.
My top tip is to point you towards a blog post I wrote a couple of years back.  I have noticed on Instagram that many people are using their ‘Stay at Home/Lockdown’ time to finish up projects. 
Whilst the post is called “Ideas on Blocking and Finishing Garments” (link), there is a wealth of information in that post – I really went all out!  So, if you are trying to make the most of some enforced home time, grab a cuppa and give the blog post a read.
 
3 – Final Destination
I have two crocheted FOs and two knitted ones. The first, knitted one is a Hay jumper (link) which is from Laine knitting magazine, Issue 3.  I used my precious John Arbon Textiles Yarnadelic in colour Badi Da (link).  The yarn was bought in January specifically for this project and I really love it.  I think it’s my favourite knitted jumper to date. 

Image text: A finished jumper on a dark wooden floor.  The jumper is a mixture of a petrol teal and brown/copper melange.  There are two lacework panels that go from the rib, up and over the shoulder.
  
If you want to know more about this yarn, I wrote a review a couple of months back (link). 
My second FO is a pair of socks for a friend.  I promised her a hand-knitted pair some time ago as a birthday present.  Katie is currently quarantined at home because she is on the at-risk list and so I thought that hand-knitted socks would be nice to receive in a parcel – possibly with some chocolate.
The main yarn is a very old skein that was unlabelled and the pink contrast heels and toes are some yarn I had left from crocheting socks in Kathryn’s (Crafternoon Treats) yarn (link).

Image text: A pair of very bright knitted socks with spiralin