Episode 266: At Last! Christmas!

Check out this episode!

Episode 266: At last! Christmas!

This episode will upload Jan. 3, 2026

Comments are welcomed! Either comment here or go to our group on Ravelry.

Buy Dr Gemma a Ko-Fi, if you're enjoying the podcast and feeling up to it. Remember that I am still working, though, so feel free to give the money to a charity instead.

I will NOT add you to any of my follower groups currently, due to robo-accounts. Please follow me here. You can contact me through our group on Ravelry or on this blog.

Warm Thanks : episode 265 got some great responses:

Chrisaah: loves What You are Looking for is in the Library! She has worked in a library, has a mum-librarian, and loves how everyone finds themselves in at least 1 chapter.

Knitwish is already a fan of “the Healing genre” and, wonderfully, has added to our list:

DCAlaneKnits: “ I just love the Rios yarn.

If you steek it, do you need to be extra careful about the stay stitching and covering the edges? It seems like it would be too slippery to stay out..” I’ll let you know!

My communities: on Finch, on Reddit, on the ground in the SCV and AV, in this group.

My birds are still on holiday in Maui.

 Finch app ID is XRVW2WQW3C.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 12 and 11.5 (2026): ALL INFO IS RIGHT HERE!  It's the info thread on Ravelry. Yes, I made my hotel reservation.

I will try to post wheel pics.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 11.5 is scheduled for FEB 7, 2026.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 12 is scheduled for Nov 14, 2026.

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

This is a Developing thread, so check back often.

Registration for CFR 11.5 (2026):

Via Paypal to Dr. Gemma at gemmadw AT yahoo.com
Payment is due at time of registration and is NOT refundable.**
Sign-ups now ongoing
Loretta 1031 left a message about donations for her crocheting club for school kids. This still applies! Her club’s latest achievements:

 

What's On My Hooks and Needles:

Finished:  

Winter Doodle Cowl: back to that endless snowflake/pine bough

 

Beloved's Holiday Doodle Stocking

 

In Progress:

Stash toss 2025 (102 in, 140 out) 

The 10-square bag:

Doing the sides, all the blocks are joined. Done up the side panels. Thinking of the liner, digging out an old flannel sheet.

Lakeside cardigan : Remaining: 1 set of front on panels, each is 2x2, weaving those ends, attaching, then major remaining seams.

September Sweater: It's crocheted and has been on my Rav projects page for months. I’m done the second torso piece and I've sewn it all together. On the left arm! That will leave the bottom ribbing section and some fixes on the bottom of the other arm.

Rag Doll revitalization: she’s so…CLEAN! And now her hair is recovered by just adding Woobles yarn. Needs a few stray stitches to be finished.

Coco Strange Brew: because a girl needs her popcorn knitting on the train. Right now, I’m on the body tube! About 11.5”.

Coral Strange Brew:  On sleeve #2.

Meg the Wooble Gingerbread Lass--kit and Grun the Druid Bear (Mini Crafts)

Quilt squares and organizing—none this week—we are at 69 finished so far. 10 more in the early stages. Fusible interfacing pre-cut rectangles for t-shirt quilts

Dizzy Blondes: still spinning the LS BFL Giverny. 

Using the electric eel 6.1.

Wheels coming to CFR11.5: Ashford Traditional ca. 1994, probably antique flax wheel, ca. late 19th, early 20th c.

  

Strategy : 4. Say no to status quo

5. Seek out problems

6. Empower everyone 

AW shoot! 

Donate used running shoes: Soles4Souls or One World Running

Donate old medals to We Finish Together

Upcoming:

Mardi Gras Madness: March 1, 2026

Sugar Daddy 5K: June 20, 2026

Be the Light 5K: Sept 26, 2026

SC Marathon 5 K: Nov 6, 2026

Fluffy Books: 

Finished The Rainfall Market and  What You are Looking For is in the Library. Listening to/reading In the Sanctuary of Wings. 

 

Something I Really Like: my overnight fangs! (Look just below the bottom of my teef!)

Project back episodes on Proton- episodes 51-100 of the new series are up for the month of December.

Put a Lid on It: 

Tea tastings return! Plum Deluxe’s Advent Calendar has begun!

Day : 14: Nope--lavender

Day 15: nope.

 

Day 16: not really.

 

Day 17: yes! 

 

Blather:

Wednesday and Jolabokaflod: paperwork, cleaning, lazy morning and BOOKS and BROWNIES!

  

Thursday/ Christmas! YEAH! The gift of time!

   

Friday: fog, rain, and more tasks and cleaning 

Saturday: vague wandering in the sunshine

Sunday: expedition to Kura Sushi: robots, touchscreens, and a conveyor belt:

 

 

LGBTQIA+ LIFELINES:

Community Resources:

Books I’ve Used: A Knit/Crochet Library on the Ravelry group for CogKnitive

My Favorite Resources to Buy: The entire list can be found right here.

Skills and techniques list : links

 

Calendar: 

Romjul vacation: Dec 20-28 and Jan 1st.

CFR 11.5 (2026): Feb. 7, 2026 

Mardi Gras Madness: March 1, 2026

Sugar Daddy 5K: June 20, 2026

Be the Light 2026: Sept. 26, 2026

SC 5K, 2026: Nov 8, 2026

CFR 12 (2026): Nov.14, 2026 

And Minerva gets the last word: Ready for the atmospheric river to land.

Episode 265: Hither and Yon

Check out this episode!

Episode 265: Hither and Yon

This episode will upload Dec. 27, 2025 

Comments are welcomed! Either comment here or go to our group on Ravelry.

Buy Dr Gemma a Ko-Fi, if you're enjoying the podcast and feeling up to it. Remember that I am still working, though, so feel free to give the money to a charity instead.

I will NOT add you to any of my follower groups currently, due to robo-accounts. Please follow me here. You can contact me through our group on Ravelry or on this blog.

Warm Thanks :

DCAlaneKnits: thanks for checking episode 263 after I reloaded it.

ChrisAah: Thanks for the summer update!

My communities: on Finch, on Reddit, on the ground in the SCV and AV, in this group.

My birds are still on holiday in Maui.

 Finch app ID is XRVW2WQW3C.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 12 and 11.5 (2026): ALL INFO IS RIGHT HERE!  It's the info thread on Ravelry. Yes, I made my hotel reservation.

I will try to post wheel pics.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 11.5 is scheduled for FEB 7, 2026.

Cogknitive Fiber Retreat 12 is scheduled for Nov 14, 2026.

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

This is a Developing thread, so check back often.

Registration for CFR 11.5 (2026):

Via Paypal to Dr. Gemma at gemmadw AT yahoo.com
Payment is due at time of registration and is NOT refundable.**
Sign-ups now ongoing
Loretta 1031 left a message about donations for her crocheting club for school kids. This still applies!

What's On My Hooks and Needles:

Finished: I frogged a vest! 

In Progress:

Stash toss 2025 (102 in, 138 out) 

The 10-square bag:

Doing the sides, all the blocks are joined. Done up the side panels. Thinking of the liner, digging out an old flannel sheet.

Lakeside cardigan : Remaining: 1 set of front on panels, each is 2x2, weaving those ends, attaching, then major remaining seams.

September Sweater: It's crocheted and has been on my Rav projects page for months. I’m done the second torso piece and I've sewn it all together. On the left arm! That will leave the bottom ribbing section and some fixes on the bottom of the other arm.

Rag Doll revitalization: she’s so…CLEAN! And now her hair is recovered by just adding Woobles yarn. Needs a few stray stitches to be finished.

Coco Strange Brew: because a girl needs her popcorn knitting on the train. Right now, I’m on the body tube! About 7”.

Coral Strange Brew: rather an accident because I did not have the sleeve for the first Strange Brew handy. On sleeve #2.

Winter Doodle Cowl: nope.

Beloved's Holiday Doodle Stocking

Quilt squares and organizing—none this week—we are at 69 finished so far. 10 more in the early stages. Fusible interfacing pre-cut rectangles for t-shirt quilts

Dizzy Blondes: still spinning the LS BFL Giverny. 

Using the electric eel 6.1.

Wheels coming to CFR11.5: Ashford Traditional ca. 1994, probably antique flax wheel, ca. late 19th, early 20th c.

  

Strategy : 1. Let go of assumptions 

2. Be proactive.

3. Don’t make excuses (for failure or lack of effort).

AW shoot! Recovering my ankles by trading in my crocs for newer ones

Donate used running shoes: Soles4Souls or One World Running

Donate old medals to We Finish Together

Upcoming:

Mardi Gras Madness: March 1, 2026

Sugar Daddy 5K: June 20, 2026

Be the Light 5K: Sept 26, 2026

SC Marathon 5 K: Nov 6, 2026

Fluffy Books: 

Listening to The Rainfall Market and In the Labyrinth of Drakes. Reading What You are Looking For is in the Library.

 

Something I Really Like: Japanese Healing Fiction genre

   

Project back episodes on Proton- episodes 51-100 of the new series are up for the month of December.

Put a Lid on It: 

Tea tastings return! Plum Deluxe’s Advent Calendar has begun!

Day : 10

 

Day 11:

 

 

Day 12:

 

Day 13:

 

Blather:

The restocking: crocs with fur, pj’s, holiday china, soaps, cleaning supplies

Thursday: homecoming, nips, purrs, patients

Saturday: a family day in Glendale, lunch at Seabutter

Sunday: holidays “fixes”—frogging, spot cleaning, cooking, roomba updating

LGBTQIA+ LIFELINES:

Community Resources:

Books I’ve Used: A Knit/Crochet Library on the Ravelry group for CogKnitive

My Favorite Resources to Buy: The entire list can be found right here.

Skills and techniques list : links

 

Calendar: 

Romjul vacation: Dec 20-28 and Jan 1st.

CFR 11.5 (2026): Feb. 7, 2026 

Mardi Gras Madness: March 1, 2026

Sugar Daddy 5K: June 20, 2026

Be the Light 2026: Sept. 26, 2026

SC 5K, 2026: Nov 8, 2026

CFR 12 (2026): Nov.14, 2026 

And Minerva gets the last word: I get by with a little help from my friends