I had been toying with designing a hat for a while, and I ended up with a pattern that’s warm and appeals to those who think they do not usually look good in hats. It is traditional, but with a twist, and it is oh, so easy for beginners to understand.

And so, The OhSo:

The OhSo Hat: Easy, Warm, Double-Brimmed
Oh, so easy to knit. Even a beginner can knit it in a day or two.

Oh, so warm – Like, really warm.

Oh, so wearable. The Renaissance-style double brim complements any size face, which makes it perfect for anyone, including those who feel they do not look good in hats.

What you need to know before knitting your OhSo:

1- How to cast on using a long-tail cast on (you may also use the Twisted German or Old Norwegian cast on).

2- How to knit in the round on a circular needle. You may convert the pattern to double points, Magic Loop, or the Traveling Method, but the directions are written for two circular needles.

3- How to purl.

4- How to knit two together (K2tog)

5- To finish the top of the hat: How to knit with two circular
needles. Again, you may use double points, Magic Loop, or the Traveling Method.

Supplies needed:
1- 110-120 yards of any chunky (bulky) yarn. Super bulky is also an option.

2- Two 6mm (U.S. 10) circular needles – one with a 16-inch cable. The second size 6mm (U.S. 10) circular can have a cable length of any size. Or, if you prefer to knit on two circular needles from beginning to end, you may use whatever cable lengths work best for you.

3- A ruler and a soft tape measure.

4- A large-eye tapestry needle

5- Optional: Knitting needle tips to protect yarn from coming off the needles as you try on your hat.

Gauge: 3-4 stitches per inch. Because this is a one-size fits all user-friendly pattern, the design allows for flexibility in gauge.

The pattern has no abbreviations, and it is easy to understand.

If you are a member of the Knitting is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, we have a Knit-A-Long for the OhSo Hat there. Here’s the link:
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knitting-is-gluten-free—fiber-is-gluten-free/1973453/1-25
If you’d like to purchase the OhSo Hat pattern, it is $4.00 here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ohso-hat-easy-warm-double-brimmed Feedback welcome.

Love to all,
Lee
PS: Many thanks to daughter Michelle for modeling the hat.

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find and write to Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free
Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

Many who have gluten-intolerance (or other food issues) find themselves feeling down from time to time. If you are one of them, and if you would like to know you’re not alone, there is an excellent thread going on in the Knitting is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knitting-is-gluten-free—fiber-is-gluten-free/1922516/1-25#7

I hope you’ll come by and share a hug, whether it is to relate to feeling depressed or to give a few uplifting words on how things can (and will) get better.

The holidays can be tough when it comes to food, especially for those who are recently diagnosed . . . but with friends who care, life is good.

See you there.

Love to all,
Lee

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find and write to Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free
Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

I spent endless hours in preparation for the event. I got up early and shopped for a day’s worth of gluten-free food, came home and then did the most important thing: I packed my knitting.

It’s always important to bring too much stuff–food and knitting, both–but especially knitting. The way I see it, a knitter can live without food for a while, but a knitter can never live without a bag filled with enough projects to last a few months (and that’s only if the knitter is going out for an hour or so).

For a five hour trip? Well . . . let’s just say Howard had to talk me down from renting a tour bus.

So, after waking pre-dawn and packing like pioneers loading a Conestoga wagon, we vowed not to think about the price of gasoline, smiled, and made our way to the Allegan, Michigan Fairgrounds . . .

It rained like crazy on the way — flash flood crazy. It wasn’t easy driving there, but by the time we arrived, it was a beautiful day.

As we pulled up, I said, “Wow, plenty of parking. This is great. I’m really glad we got here so early.”

Not.

As it turned out, we were a week early, which was just a little more early than we had planned.

I cringed. “Oh no. I’m sorry, Howard. I guess I must have gotten the date wrong.”

Howard’s eyes became sling-shots.

I wanted to say, So, what’s with the look? Are you kidding? This is not a problem. I have enough yarn for a week. Pick a parking spot.

But instead, I pulled out a few snack bars and handed them to Howard. He likes to eat when he is, shall we say, just a tad frustrated.

So, let’s start this blog post all over again . . .

On Sunday, August 21, Howard and I drove up to the Michigan Fiber Festival. Howard still liked to drive, thank goodness, especially considering that two attempts at going to the Michigan Fiber Festival upped my combined knitting time to TEN solid, roundtrip hours.

The best part of all those hours on the road: I finally finished Howard’s Sock Love 2 socks — a perfect gift for someone so entirely understanding of my addiction:

This time, we arrived without a snag. Once there, I shopped while Howard sat and listened to music on his iPod. He probably listened to a lot of David Olney considering that we went hear David perform at a house concert the night before.

Howard is great that way. He actually loves coming with me to fiber-related events. Not because he loves fiber arts. Oh, no, no, no. It’s because he loves to have long stretches of time to listen to music. Time where he is away from everything. Time where there’s nothing else to do but listen. Time where he doesn’t have to feel guilty about just sitting there for hours, indulging in one of his greatest pleasures.

Any knitter can certainly relate to that feeling.

Side note: Someone recently asked Howard about what a person can learn by going to fiber festivals and trade shows, and he joked, “I don’t know what Lee’s learned, but I think I’ve learned that if a person were to choose between crack and yarn, they might be better off choosing crack. It’s not as addictive . . . and it’s way less expensive.”

The Festival overflowed with vendors — over 200 of them — almost all of them independent artists with booth after booth of goods that were not only beautiful but painstakingly produced.

For me, most exciting part of the festival was visiting the Wonder Why Alpaca Farm booth, where I had the opportunity to meet owner Andrea, who is also a member of the Knitting is Gluten Free Group on Ravelry:

Andrea is an amazing person who, after starting her alpaca farm in the fall of 2008, grew to become an expert at in producing, as she calls it, Wonder Roving and Wonder Yarn (from, where else: her Wonder Herd).

Then, in 2010, Andrea became a Certified Sorter Apprentice. If you’re wondering what that means, here, in Andrea’s words, is the answer from her website:

What does this mean?
It means that I am trained to look at fleeces to determine their textile grade.

Why is this important?
It’s important because fiber needs to be properly sorted to make a better quality product. There is more usable fiber from each alpaca and less waste at the mill when properly sorted.

What are the advantages?
As a fiber producers, you will receive an individual sort record for each alpaca, a sort summary for the entire clip, assistance with herd management and increased usable fiber which means increased profit potential along with suggested uses for each grade of fiber I sort.

So, if you own an alpaca farm and find processing fiber or skirting too overwhelming, Andrea is the miracle-worker who can help see you through.

I went crazy over Andrea’s yarns and stood for what seemed forever trying to decide which skein to buy . . .

I settled on a bulky yarn in her Deep Sunset colorway:

The wool is a mixture of targhee wool, huacaya alpaca, suri alpaca, and merino wool — here’s a close-up:

I’d been working on designing a hat pattern, and I knew Andrea’s yarn would be perfect for it.

I love this skein so much. On the way home, I kept grabbing it and squeezing it. I felt as though I were a child cuddling a new stuffed toy.

Since then, I’ve started the hat, and the yarn is a dream to knit with – I’ll keep you posted on how it is coming. In the meantime, I’m enjoying this yarn so much, I know I’ll definitely want to purchase more yarn from Wonder Why Alpaca Farm in the future.

I wonder if she has enough to fill a tour bus?

Love to all,
Lee

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free. (Thank you, Nenah, for your most generous donations to the Camp KIP raffles each night!)

Find and write to Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free
Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

“Dr. Stefano Guandalini, Medical Director, of the Celiac Disease Center at the University of Chicago, shares his analysis of the Safety Assessment . . .”

Dr. Guandalini is a hero of mine. He brought an understanding of celiac disease and gluten-intolerance to the U.S.A. — many of the positive changes in the celiac community can be traced back to the wonderful work Dr. Guandalini has done.

At the time, the medical community felt that celiac just wasn’t a problem for North Americans. Dr. Stefano knew better. He realized that it wasn’t that people here didn’t get celiac disease, it was that they weren’t being diagnosed. He has also consistently been on the cutting edge of understanding the importance of taking non-celiac gluten-intolerance very seriously.

From The University of Chicago:

Dr. Guandalini, originally from Naples, Italy, was shocked to learn how few Americans were diagnosed with Celiac Disease when he came to the United States in the early 1990’s. Dr. Guandalini quickly discovered the reason for the lack of diagnoses in the United States.

It wasn’t that it was less common (in fact, current research shows the prevalence of celiac disease is approximately 1 in 100 Americans); rather it was that U.S. medical doctors had for years been taught that celiac disease was extremely rare and were therefore not screening patients for the disease.

More . . .

Dr. Guandalini is founder and medical director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. Dr. Guandalini received his medical degree from the University of Messina, in Italy, in 1971, where he graduated with high honors. After his pediatric residency at University of Messina, he completed his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the prestigious University of Naples, where he became an Assistant Professor. In 1977-79, he spent two years as a research associate in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he did active bench research on the pathophysiology of diarrheal disease. Shortly after he returned to Italy, he received a promotion to associate professor and then became a full professor at the University of Naples in 1988. From 1990 to 1995, Dr. Guandalini served as the Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of Catanzaro.

Dr. Guandalini’s scientific and professional career has focused on diarrheal diseases of children, with a major emphasis on celiac disease. In 1990 he coordinated a national effort in Italy resulting in the publication of the largest series of patients ever published, which resulted in the revision of the 20-year-old ESPGHAN guidelines for diagnosing celiac disease. These new guidelines are currently used worldwide both for pediatric and adult celiac patients.

I hope you enjoy reading what Dr. Guandalini has to say about gluten-free labeling laws. Comments welcome.

Love to all,
Lee
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What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find and write to Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free
Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

I’m back from summer hiatus. I’ll have a knitting update soon, but for now, it is important to begin with this important press release from the Food and Drug Administration:

Begin copy . . .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today reopened the comment period for its 2007 proposal on labeling foods as “gluten-free.” The agency is also making available a safety assessment of exposure to gluten for people with celiac disease (CD) and invites comment on these additional data.

One of the criteria proposed is that foods bearing the claim cannot contain 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten. The agency based the proposal, in part, on the available methods for gluten detection. The validated methods could not reliably detect the amount of gluten in a food when the level was less than 20 ppm. The threshold of less than 20 ppm also is similar to “gluten-free” labeling standards used by many other countries.

People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Celiac disease damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. About 1 percent of the United States population is estimated to have the disease.

“Before finalizing our gluten-free definition, we want up-to-date input from affected consumers, the food industry, and others to help assure that the label strikes the right balance,” said Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods. “We must take into account the need to protect individuals with celiac disease from adverse health consequences while ensuring that food manufacturers can meet the needs of consumers by producing a wide variety of gluten-free foods.”

The proposed rule conforms to the standard set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2008, which requires that foods labeled as “gluten-free” not contain more than 20 ppm gluten. This standard has been adopted in regulations by the 27 countries composing the Commission of European Communities.

The FDA encourages members of the food industry, state and local governments, consumers, and other interested parties to offer comments and suggestions about gluten-free labeling in docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 at www.regulations.gov [note from Lee: see below]. The docket will officially open for comments after noon on Aug 3, 2011 and will remain open for 60 days.

To submit your comments electronically to the docket go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!home
1. Choose “Submit a Comment” from the top task bar
2. Enter the docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 in the “Keyword” space
3. Select “Search”

To submit your comments to the docket by mail, use the following address:

The Division of Dockets Management
HFA-305
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

Include docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 on each page of your written comments.

For more information:

Federal Register Notice (scroll to FDA–temporary link will update when document publishes on Aug. 3):
http://www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Gluten-Free Portal (scroll to Gluten-Free):
http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuidanceRegulatoryInformation/Topic-SpecificLabelingInformation/default.htm#gluten

FDA’s Proposed Rule on the Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm077926.htm

Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuidanceRegulatoryInformation/Topic-SpecificLabelingInformation/ucm265309.htm

Consumer Update on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm265212.htm

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

. . . end copy

Please spread the word. We need as many people as possible to voice their opinion.

Hugs to all,
Lee

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find and write to Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free
Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

AND I FINISHED IT!

I knit the last couple rows at the airport while waiting for my flight home. Here is a close-up to show the colors better:

I named it my Camp Kip New Mexico Sunrise Shawl, in honor of Camp KIP and with love for the way a New Mexico sunrise/sunset looks when I visit my daughter Michelle in Las Cruses, MN. You can find details of this project on Ravelry, here.

I loved working on this pattern and am now a huge fan of Designer Stephen West. I learned about him while listening to The Knitmore Girls Podcast, and soon after, the Knitting Pipeline Podcast inspired me to choose this pattern as my first Stephen West Design.

This was my first pattern shawl. I will always affectionately think of it as my Camp KIP 2011 shawl. Not just because I finished it before I came home from camp, but because it anchors me to the people I met there.

Every time I wrap this shawl around me, I will wrap myself in the memory of the most incredible group of knitters — all of them friends now.

For those who do not knit, let me tell you: If you ever want to meet the most charismatic people in the world, find a group of knitters . . . and then watch out, because before you know it, you’ll become addicted to wanting to be around them.

I promise: you’ll want to befriend every knitter in the world.

Who knows, you may even want to start knitting yourself.

Why are knitters so much fun to be around?

1- Knitters are an incredibly intelligent group of people.

2- Knitters are have sharp, quick wits, and many (if not most) are great humorists– some specialize in deadpan, others in one-liners, while others tell the most entertaining stories. Regardless, they’ll keep you engaged, and they’ll keep you smiling.

3- Knitters are as resourceful as they are creative. They know how to turn a problem around and make everything okay. This is a special gift, yet I’ve never met a knitter who doesn’t have it. It amazes me.

4- Knitters are attractive. Forget the old stereotype of a babushka-clad granny hunched over a squeaky, mediocre knitting project. Today’s knitters are trendy and hip, and they come in all ages.

Young knitters (the majority now) are wise beyond their years. The rest have more spirit and youth than any non-knitter, regardless of age.

Here’s the thing: Knitting is magic in the way it urges a brain to behave. Knitters find it almost impossible to knit and worry at the same time. Seriously. If you’re a knitter, pay attention to what happens to you when you have an urge to worry about something. If you’re like many, you’ll find that you have to put your knitting down in order to do it.

So, imagine a camp with over 100 people, all of them knitting, spinning, talking, laughing, sharing, caring, being creative, being resourceful . . . and here’s the most important part:

LOVING ONE ANOTHER UNCONDITIONALLY.

Knitting just does that for people.

Okay, now add Cedar Creek Conference Center to the mix — great staff, sparkling clean accommodations with the halls decorated with the most amazing handmade quilts — over 200 of them . . . food . . .

Oh, time out about the food! For those with food needs, allergies or intolerances, Cedar Creek will cater to you. I ate there for three and a half days without issue. Talk about heaven.

I have multiple food issues, yet I was able to relax and enjoy my stay knowing that they were taking the very best care of me. On top of it, the kitchen and wait staff really cared. It was wonderful.
(If you plan on going there and you have food intolerances, be sure to call ahead to let them know. If you do, they will take especially good care of you.)

There’s a brewery on site, a golf course, a western town, and more. Being gluten-free, I didn’t visit the brewery, but I had a great time at a wine-tasting . . . and tasting . . . and tasting.

Knitters are pretty damn good party people, too.

It was a blast meeting all the podcasters who were there. You’ll find the list here. Jackie from KIPPING It Real was the brainchild behind the whole thing. Talk about someone with talent, resourcefulness, a sense of humor and filled with love: Jackie is it.

But so was everyone there. That’s what made Camp KIP paradise.

Wow, and to think that if I hadn’t been diagnosed with all of my crazy food-intolerances, I may never have taken up knitting again.

What a blessing.

Love to all,
Lee
What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free. (Thank you, Nenah, for your most generous donations to the Camp KIP raffles each night!)

Find and write to Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free

Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

This week, Howard and I bought a new enamel cast iron Dutch oven.
Gluten free boeuf bourguignon, here we come!

Julia Child’s original recipe for boeuf bourguignon is very gluten-friendly, by the way. Just substitute gluten-free flour for the small amount of flour in the recipe. It is perfect.

So, lovers of Julia Child as we are, we were excited.

When we got home and inspected it, I noticed a flaw in the enamel on the side that exposes the cast iron underneath. Not good — it will give way to more exposed cast iron over time.

“Oh no,” I said. “It’s flawed. We’re going to have to take it back.”

Howard paused, thought for a minute, then said . . .

“Are you sure this isn’t just a design element?”*

Love to all,
Lee — *PS: For non-knitters out there, I’ll quote from The Secret Language of Knitters by Mary Beth Temple: “Design Elements: noun: Mistakes. As in ‘The fact that one sleeve is five inches longer than the other is not a mistake, it is a design element.’”

Till next time . . .

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free

Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

This year, the Expo will take place in Chicago, Dallas . . . and here’s good news: there will be an Expo in another major city, to be determined.

You can vote for your favorite city by visiting the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Site — more information below.

Chicago: Tickets available now. If you want to attend only the vendor fair: Tickets are $11.50 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.gfafexpo.com or at the door. Kids under 12 are free.

There will be TONS of free handouts and samples.

April 29 – May 1 (April 30-May 1 are full days for the public)
The Wyndham Hotel
3000 Warrenville Road
Lisle, Illinois 60532
(708) 555-1212

Hotel deal available here: http://gfafexpo.com/expo/chicago/hotel-information/

If you wish to take advantage of the other perks or attend cooking classes/hear speakers, the tickets are $175 a day. There’s a full line-up of speakers/demos both days, with breakfast and an optional dinner outing included.

Schedule here: http://gfafexpo.com/expo/chicago/cooking-classes/schedule/

List of presenters here: http://gfafexpo.com/expo/chicago/cooking-classes/presenters/

There is also a bread baking class on Friday for $75 that promises to teach you “how to bake really amazing gluten free bread,” here: http://shop.gfafexpo.com/products/baking-class

Dallas: - Tickets available starting May 15
October 1-2

The Westin Park Central
12720 Merit Drive
Dallas, Texas 75251
(972) 385-3000

Hotel deal available here: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1102080540&key=2BA52

Two full-days of gluten and allergen free cooking demonstrations by notable chefs, cookbook authors and nutritionists – watch the site for more information to come.

• Come one or both days (October 1 & 2, 2011)
• Admission to Vendor Fair each day (site did not specify if this was free)
• Printed Recipes & Information
• GFCF lunch and Gift Bag

More information:

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo Website: http://gfafexpo.com/

Vote to bring the Expo to your city here: http://gfafexpo.com/expo/other-cities/vote-for-your-city/

Are you going — I’d love to meet you — let me know. Have you gone in the past? What did you think of the Expo website and list of classes/demos/lectures? Let us know by posting a comment — would love to hear more!

Love to all,
Lee

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free

Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved

In her podcasts, Paula always has a short segment entitled Nature Notes. In Episode 27, she talks about American Eagles. Listening to her helped inspire Howard and me to visit Starved Rock State Park, for which I will always remain most grateful. It was wonderful to rekindle positive feelings about winter – feelings I had not felt in many years.

It amazes me how someone can say a few simple words about something–all the while probably laboring under the assumption that while the words may form an interesting story, they certainly aren’t life-changing . . . and then the words go out . . . and then they touch a person in a form never anticipated . . . and then miracles happen in a beautiful and unexpected way.

Thank you, Paula.

Note to knitters or want-to-be knitters: Knitting Pipeline overflows with knitting tips including book reviews, heartfelt stories and on the blog side, videos. Paula draws much of her inspiration from her admiration of–and friendship with–Elizabeth Zimmerman, the woman who revolutionized the modern practice of knitting. Paula often shares EZ memories, letters and stories with her listeners. Each one is more endearing than the next.

Like so many of us, I love a number of podcasts, and I’m sure I’ll be highlighting more of them in the future. Just as with Knitting Pipeline, some of them have enhanced or changed my life. I fall in love with the shows and often feel as though I know the podcasters personally. As such, I have become a podcast-aholic of sorts.

Countless knitters take pleasure in listening to podcasts while knitting, but for many of us, the gratification goes deeper . . .

Perhaps what attracts us to podcasts is how– just as we can touch the projects on our needles, we can reach out and touch the show. When listeners leave a comment on show notes, write a review or participate in a forum, the podcasters almost always listen. They care. They relate to us and respond. It isn’t like listening to a radio or television show where the host is so inaccessible that letters get buried or answered by an auto-signature machine.

There’s more to it though, and I have been trying to analyze exactly why podcasts attract me as they do. Regardless of if a podcaster is slapdash or sophisticated, there is something about podcasts that touch me in the most profound way. For months now, I’ve been trying to understand why.

Until writing this I had yet to figure it out, but (and this is one of the cool things about blogging), while I was putting this post together, it hit me . . .

I am dating myself when I say this: Podcasts remind me of the “underground music” radio shows I used to treasure waaay back in the Sixties. As it is often said, knitting isn’t a hobby; it’s a lifestyle . . . and the same is true of music.

Whether it’s blues, psychedelic, grunge, punk, hip hop, country, classical . . . or whether it is something as simple as a favorite lullaby: When a person becomes entrenched in music, it defines the person and creates a culture the person might not otherwise have known . . . and the same is true of knitting . . . and so it goes . . .

I found the following definition of underground music on Wikipedia:

While the term comprises a range of different musical genres, they can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity.

Bingo!

Replace the word “musical” with “knitting,” and you get a perfect portrayal of what life in the knitting community is all about. No wonder podcasts have touched knitters in such a deep way.

In April, I’ll have the pleasure of being part of Camp KIP, a knitting retreat with a number of podcasters attending. Camp KIP is the brainchild of Jackie from the KIPPING it Real Podcast (another favorite). I look forward to attending, making new friends, and to thanking podcasters for making a difference in my life.

The knitting lifestyle is wonderful and, as defined above, has added so much to the values knitters share: sincerity, intimacy, an emphasis on freedom of creative expression . . . and an appreciation of artistic creativity. Podcasts help add to it.

If you have a favorite podcast, please feel free to comment about it at the end of this post — you are welcome to include links.

In addition to reading the posts here, if you’re new to podcasts and would like to explore more about knitting podcasts:

1- Check out the Podcast Junkies Group on Ravelry – in particular, see the “What is Your Favorite Knitting Podcast” thread.

2- Ravelry has an extensive list of podcasts here.

Now it’s your turn: Which podcasts are YOUR favorites, and why? Leave your comments, below. Feel free to post your love for ANY podcast, whether it be about food intolerances, knitting, or whatever.

Love to all,
Lee

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you to Designer Nenah Galati and Knitting Korner for helping support Knitting is Gluten Free.

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User Name: LeeBernstein
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Here in the Midwest, we are bracing for a snow storm – they say Northwest Indiana may get up to 20 inches of snow, along with drifting, slipping, sliding, shivering, moaning . . . bitching.

Flashback to childhood: Snow was magnificent back then–a playground of white in a fairyland world. The first snow was always the best snow because it reminded me of how there would soon be sledding, snowmen, and with luck, no school.

My best friend and I used to play a game. Upon having spotted the first snowflake of the year, one would phone the other to squeal “Happy first snow!” The friend who telephoned the other friend first was the winner. THE WINNER–that’s the key. Snow was all about winning back then.

In youth, the miracle of precipitation is seen as a victory of nature.

Somewhere along the way, I lost those feelings.

Maybe it was learning to drive that did it. All it takes is one good skid to remind oneself just how threatening snow can be.

Or maybe it was aging and listening to people talk about how each winter gets harder and more painful to bear.

Pain does indeed have a lot to do with it. This makes me wonder if perhaps my dread of winter came from my not realizing to what extent gluten-intolerance was messing with my body. Part of this was witnessed by my having developed Raynaud’s Syndrome which, among other things, keeps my hands and feet almost-always cold. For me, it became worse each year.

I also stopped absorbing nutrients and lost Vitamin D. This caused weakness and pain, and it caused my arms and legs to go numb in the winter.

That was then.

Last month, Howard and I visited Starved Rock, Illinois, where countless Bald Eagles spend winter every year. It was snowy, icy, and colder than cold, yet I was able to bird watch outside for as long as I wished.

To aid my Raynaud’s, I wore two pairs of socks and three pairs of gloves, much of it wool (hand knit by yours truly). Remember the little brother from the movie A Christmas Story? That was me, bundled in layers as I toddled into the snow.

Starved Rock was beautiful. The Bald Eagles gave us goosebumps . . . and the snow? It was splendid. It filled me with the same delight I knew as a child. Being there reminded me of how, as an adult and before I was diagnosed, I was a “starved rock” of sorts – void of mobility and hungry for things I’d yet to understand.

It has taken me a while, but I’ve grown to realize that my having been diagnosed with gluten-intolerance was a gift of nourishment, not a curse of deprivation.

It has now been over a year since my diagnosis and the beginning of my gluten-free (and now, corn free) diet.

My body absorbs nutrients.

I am not in pain the way I once was.

I feel younger than I have in many years, and . . .

I am knitting again.

With knitting added to the scene (another love I left behind in childhood), life turns into a landscape where cold weather draws winter even closer to my heart. Nothing hugs winter better than wool.

Winter has become a playground again.

As I listen to today’s storm warning, I know all is well. When the storm hits, I’ll pray everyone stays safe, then I’ll knit in the knowing that what I hold keeps me warm inside as well as out.

Bring on the snow. These years have become my formative years, and I look forward to the flurry.

Love to all,
Lee

What do you wish you knew how to knit? Find the BEST, guaranteed knitting and crochet tutorials here. Thank you for supporting Knitting is Gluten Free.

Find Lee on Ravelry:
User Name: LeeBernstein
Visit the Knitting Is Gluten Free Forum on Ravelry, here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-is-gluten-free

Copyright Lee Bernstein, all rights reserved