Today’s episode is sponsored by Dizzy Blonde Studios. For beautifully hand-dyed yarns and inspired knit design, please visit DizzyBlondeStudios.etsy.com. Look for us at Stitches West in Booths 906 and 908!

Podcaster Throwdown (1:17)

Check out Episode 8.5 for Throwdown information.

Hat Tallies are updated in the Running Tally thread in the Podcaster Throwdown Group.

There is virtual way to participate. You can now donate for your favorite team. Click here and choose your team. $5 is equal to one hat for your team! Each $5 lets Halos of Hope to ship 16 hats to cancer centers and hospitals around the country. The board is all volunteer, so all the money goes to shipping.

Check out the Podcaster Throwdown group in Ravelry. There will be prizes for participating in the Throwdown group on Ravelry, courtesy of XRX. Check out the Halos of Hope website and Ben’s interview with Pam Haschke on Fiber Hooligans.

Designer Brenda Castiel has all of her hat patterns and hat/mitt set patterns at a discount until February 28th, just use coupon code HALOS. Also, thank you to Brenda for her generous donation to the podcast.

The February incentive pattern is Tenderfoot. Post in the February Thread in the KnottyGirls Group.

There are some some awesome prizes for participating for Team KnottyGirls.  Check out Episodes 10, 11, 12, and 13, as well as the Prize Page for prize listings.

XRX has some overall prizes, see Episode 19 for those. There are some other prizes from Marly Bird, Webs, Heather Ordover, Annie Modesitt, and Dizzy Blonde Studios.

Send your hats to Purlescence Yarns, tagged for Team Knotty. Shipping information is here.

Purlescence Address:

Purlescence Yarns
your name & the name of your team
564 South Murphy Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Shoutout to El Segundo Slipt Stitchers. We also mention Fiber Hooligan Podcast.

Catching Up: (9:58)

Laura has been working on her yarn clubs (Mean Girls Yarn Club and Sunnydale Yarn Club as well as prepping for Stitches West. She's been watching Almost Human and making stitch markers.

Jen has been working at work. Ron is getting surgery soon, which she hopes will help with some of his health issues. She's been prepping for Stitches West. She's also been working on some music.

In the Knitting Bag: (15:35)

Laura has been working on an Assquack in Berroco Comfort in Licorice and Knitpicks Brava in Pumpkin.  She is also working on converting Steggie Bib by Elaine Fitzpatrick into a blanket square for WendyLadyWares' bereavement blanket.  And she is working on Down the Garden Path by Michele DuNaier out of Lambie Toes in Special Hell.

Jen is working on her Sweetheart of the Rodeo sweater (her own design) out of Wollmeise DK in So Long Kitty (pink), Shalimar Breathless DK in Snopea (green), and Dream in Color Smooshy in Butterpeeps (yellow).  She is also working on a shawl out of Mean Girls Yarn Club for the Ravellenics, a plain hat in Knitpicks Brava in Wine, and a preemie hat out of Baah La Jolla in My Sweet Valentine.

We mention the Roosimine Socks by Caoua Coffee.

Finished Objects: (26:33)

Laura finished a Scallop Hat by JT Creations out of Knitpicks Brava Sport in Sienna Brown. She resized the pattern for using sport weight yarn.

Jen finished a Barley hat by tincanknits out of Peter Pan Wendy Yarn in Milk Chocolate.  And she finished her secret cowl, which will be revealed soon, but it's out of Sunnydale Yarn Club yarn.

On Deck: (29:40)

Laura will be making some pompoms for her Jayne Hats for the passport game at Stitches West. She will figure out and start a hat to knit at Stitches, and she wants to make a Broncos hat for her brother for his birthday.

Jen will be making more hats, her Watership Down KAL shawl, and her Stitches homework.

We mention the Gerri Hat by Marly Bird.

Knit Culture: (33:51)

We interview Lauren Riker, winner of the Fiber Factor. For those of you brave enough, she does have a pattern for a Santa Costume. And she is running a a knit-a-long for her Owl in One pattern.

We check in on our stashdown goals. We're both doing okay, although Jen has slipped in her no buying yarn goals on some Wollmeise sock yarn and Fab Funky Fibres. And she got some Wollmeise lace (which was allowed). Laura fell down on some yarn for the passport game, but we wonder if it's stash or work. We talk about how hard it is to resist sales. Laura hasn't knit a lot, but she has been destashing. Jen has knit up a lot of her stash.

Post your February’s Theme is Love. Post your finished “Love-themed” object in the thread and you might win a copy of Cascadia by Amanda Milne and Fiona McLean, courtesy of Cooperative Press.

We announce a flash prize. From when the episode goes live until February 28, post your knitting with something red (or red knitting or red stitch markers--it's open) in the thread and you can win a set of conversation hearts stitch markers from k8erpillar.

We mention the Mr. Show sketch with the pre-taped call-in show. (This may not be safe for your kids--watch it first and decide).

Geek Culture: (1:02:57)

We talk about the new Captain America: Winter Soldier trailer, the casting of Paul Bettany as Vision in Avengers 2, and the upcoming season of Orphan Black.

Events: (1:14:05)

We will be at Stitches West, which is February 20-23 in Santa Clara, CA at the Convention Center.

You can use the coupon code W20 to get $2 off a marketplace ticket.

Dizzy Blonde Studios and Skeindalous Yarns are sharing a booth (booth 906 and 908). The Dizzy Blonde booth is a collection point for Halos of Hope hats for Team KnottyGirls (the final collection point!). With prizes! Shout out to the Purlescence Girls (who have the booth across from us) and we are right next to Halos of Hope (Booth 904) and across from Purlescence.

We are both doing the stitch marker swap.

We will be doing a meet and greet Saturday 12:00-1:00 at the Dizzy Blonde Booth.

At the Dizzy Blonde Booth there will be products from:
*Dizzy Blonde Studio
*Skeindalous Yarns
*Hiya Hiya
*5elementknitr
*RKs Mom
*Jamie’s Metalworks
*Jelby
*Cards By Erika

Follow KnottyLa on Twitter and/or Dizzy Blonde Studios on Facebook for Flash sales.

Jen will be at the Student Fashion Show and Banquet on Saturday night as well.

The Los Angeles Yarn Crawl is April 3rd-6th. Jen is not crawling (she is out of town). Laura is having a meet and greet on Friday April 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30 at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company.