001: Introduction Released: January 28, 2019 In this episode, Anne takes some time to introduce herself. She learned to crochet as a child and to knit several years later. On January 1, she took the plunge and signed up for the Master Hand Knitter Program offered by the Knitting Guild Association. The first song in the show is "Dead From the Beginning, Alive Till the End," by Doctor Turtle and available at the Free Music Archive. After the music break, Anne shares her first memories of yarn shopping with her mother, as well as some thoughts on her current local yarn store, Marji's Yarncrafts in Granby, Connecticut. Marji's is a delightful yarn shop full of the tried and true as well as items to add extra style to your projects, all in a cozy setting that will have you wishing you had the time to sit and knit for a while. The last time Anne was in Marji's, she picked up a Mybaggee mini zippered mesh pouch set that has done a perfect job at keeping her notions contained and orderly. The second song in the show is "MainSquare," by Jahzzar and available at the Free Music Archive. Next, Anne talks about blocking the preliminary swatch for the Master Knitter program. It was a little tricky and required two different blocking methods to get it to lie straight. A traditional wet block stopped the sides from curling in, but the tops required the "mega-steam" method as described by Deborah Newton in her book, Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters. It's a great way to get stubborn, natural-fiber knitting to lie flat without mashing your stitches. Listen to the episode for details! A great way to support the show and save money is to order your household detergent from Dropps. They will ship laundry or dishwasher detergent straight to your door, as well as fabric softener, scent boosters, oxi boosters, and more. Their eco-friendly packaging is recyclable cardboard and their formula is free from dyes and excess water. One Dropps laundry pod does the job of two pods from a certain national leading brand, and the price per pod is roughly half the price of most of the popular brands sold in the supermarket. They have plans for singles, couples, and families that ship to your door every four months. With Dropps, you no longer have to worry about running out of detergent and you'll likely end up paying much less than you were. Use our link and save $10 off your first order while helping to support to show! Anne rounds out the show by talking about what's on her needles at the moment: the Drops Loving Embrace pattern worked in Madeline Tosh Merino Light. Then, she finishes with two podcast recommendations: Cast On and Mastering the Knits. If I Thought I Knew How didn't satisfy your knitting podcast needs, give them a listen! 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. You can follow Anne on Instagram or Ravelry as @ithoughtiknewhow.