Ask writer and blogger STEPHANIE PEARL-MCPHEE your questions!

9 Nov

Popular knitter and writer — and Lion Brand customers’ favorite blogger — Stephanie Pearl-McPhee will be our special guest on our 4th episode, which will be available at LionBrand.com starting November 27th. She’s the author of four extremely popular books and writes the blog, Yarn Harlot.

Stephanie will be answering YOUR questions, so leave a question here on the blog, e-mail us at yarncraft [at] lionbrand [dot] com by November 18th and YOUR question could be in the podcast!

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  • Cathy

    Having kind of started in the middle of your rise to fame, as far as discovering you, I went backwards and forwards with both your books and your blog. I have followed your blog for over a year now and have read almost all of your books – getting there :) Missed the chance to see you here in Cleveland. But the one thing I’ve wanted to ask is how amazed are you with how your life has gone from a knitting doula/mother, et al to a touring author/knitting humorist/guru/friend to the fiberarts community?

  • Tarah (tarahsolazy)

    As a doctor with a big interest in breastfeeding, I found your background as a lactation consultant very cool! Do you miss working with moms and babies? How long did you nurse your girls, and were you able to knit while nursing? I am not that coordinated.

  • http://megknits408.blogspot.com MegKnits408

    I join the ranks of “I Harlot,” frantically hitting the ‘reload’ key when the blog is busy… Adore you, want to knit like you and want to write like you. Now, about the question…

    I get it that you’ve been knitting for a long time, and I get it that you are a fast knitter (possibly related to the ‘knitting for a while’ thing, ya think?). What I don’t get is how you can knit fast *and* keep track of where you are in patterns. I can make my way through a stockinette sweater fairly quickly, but would die of boredom; knitting it in an interesting pattern is much more fun, but I would have to do it in one fell swoop so I didn’t lose track of where I was. How do you keep track of colors/stitches/rows so well when you knit in 3-5 minute increments of ‘found time’?

    - Meg

  • http://www.harridan.blog.co.nz eclair

    What do you do with all those washcloths you are given while on tour? Are they stacked up in the house, soundproofing Joe’s sound equipment? I worry about them taking up valuable stash space.

    And when are you going to do a world tour? Think of the blog fodder!

  • Beth

    Is there some knitting technique you have never tried that you really, secretly want to try?

  • Barbara Casey

    I don’t think this will ever get to you, Steph but just in case. . .I have been knitting for 50 years and always using the ‘throw’ method. I have always done two color knitting with this method. I was inspired by your beautiful stranded mittens to make a pair of gloves and decided that I would try to teach myself the coninental method. AAARRRGGGHHH!!! I have tried to stay with it. Any tricks? I am frustrated that it doesn’t get any smoother or quicker any faster.

  • Stephanie

    Am I the only one or is it taboo to talk about? I have looked for the answer everywhere to no avail.

    Why when I join knitting in the round, does it not join evenly no matter what I do? If I look at the cast on row of said knitting there is always a funky spot where it was joined, kind of like a little dip, or otherwise uneven place.

  • http://asqmh.livejournal.com Quiara

    This is the obligatory question (which you’ve promised to ignore): So . . . what about the gansey? ^_^

  • Megan

    Hi Stephanie,

    I read your blog regularly and I am in awe of the ever-increasing total for Knitters Without Borders (now well over $250,000). To what do you attribute this stunning success? Do you think that knitting just attracts generous people, or is there something about knitting (maybe wool fumes?) that inspires generosity?

  • Kathy Rodittis

    How do you knit so fast?!? For the love of wool, please tell us.

  • maddy in nc

    Been wanting to know – Is Ken the knitting blog master the same crafty scoundrel that tricked you into knitting those freakin birds?

  • Afton

    Do you ever feel the pressure to be “on” or should I say “funny” whenever you are around other knitters? Do you wonder if you will freeze up and say the most mundane thing while they are waiting around for you say something that will cause to roll on the floor, clutching their knitting needles and howl? Do you have take stress meds or did I just cause you to go down that path?

  • Ruth Machover

    Question for Stephanie:

    With so many projects “in work” how do you decide which one gets finished first/next???

  • carolyn modrell

    As a knitter of many years, your blog is so fun and interesting. My question regards grafting the toe of socks on #2 needles – my ole eyes have trouble getting this to look right any suggestions

  • http://knotminding.blogspot.com/ marianne

    mwahahahaha…Quiara beat me to it… the gansey question which will be ignored…

  • Lyn from PA

    For Stephanie,

    I have been knitting for about 50 years, but you have introduced me to a whole new world of knitting. THANK YOU!

    I have been asked to teach a class on knitting socks! I have never done this, any suggestions on good reference materials to help get me prepared?

  • Amanda

    What’s your favorite fiber to spin? Why? And do you like some wheels over others?

  • Marti

    And answer and a question:

    I know how to cure “join-dip!” Just exchange 1st and last stitches, pulling 1 through the other. Voila!

    Question: I love knitting socks, but no matter how hard I “snug” the yarn, (even using the 2 circular needle version so it snugs up against the thin cable) there is a ladder or run up the sock at the site of where one needle begins and another ends. How do I cure this!! I’m ready to give up on socks because I can’t find anything on this–and I’ve looked in a ton of sock books!

  • Michele

    You have written that we knitters would knit grass clippings with sticks if we couldn’t find yarn and needles. Let your mind go now: what fiber and tools would you knit with if they took away your needles and wool? And of course, money were no object?

  • http://www.nysfarm.com gwynivar

    How many pairs of socks do you knit a year, on average?

  • Baraka

    I’ve been knitting for a few years, and feel like I’m finally getting comfortable with it, but I’m wondering if knitters ever reach the stage of not re-starting a new project several times before it really gets going. I mean like six or eight times, as I seem to discover new areas of denseness with every new thing I try – lace, a first sweater, socks… just about every single thing, every new stitch pattern – and when I asked the ladies sitting round the table at my LYS, they all just looked at me and laughed (there were fortunately no DPN punctures when they were through rolling on the floor!)

    Is there hope that I will ever start a project and not frog at least 30 rows several times over before I figure it out?

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Just want to thank everyone for commenting! Please check back on Nov. 27 to find out if your comment was included in our episode!

  • Pingback: YarnCraft » Blog Archive » YarnCraft Episode 04 :: Behind the Scenes with the Yarn Harlot Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

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