Cast On
by Brenda Dayne
Cast On began on Monday, 31 October, 2005, founded on nothing more than the desire to talk about knitting to people who get it. Since then, the podcast has evolved to focus on finding inspiration in the ordinary, using it to kick start the process of making stuff, and finding ways to carve out the creative time and space that allows you to work your ass off on the projects that matter most to you. Like knitting a sweater. Or saving the world. brendadayne.substack.com
Episodes
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217 Closer Than You Think
A culture of one sounds grand until it becomes a spreadsheet. Twenty garments, five categories, six with a date or a next step, and a lot of honest blank space. That is not failure. It is the handmade wardrobe becoming visible before it becomes finished: a map, not a shopping basket. The camp…
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216 Making
Everyone has worn something that felt like them. In this episode, that feeling starts with a teenage pantsuit made by Brenda’s mother, and widens into the question Claire McCardell asked in What Shall I Wear?: what happens when a woman dresses from self-knowledge instead of trend? The pantsuit is...
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215 Ease
The mirror didn’t care what I thought should be there. Steroids, weight, a body that changed without permission — none of that was the real difficulty. The difficulty was the gap: the distance between what the mirror showed and what I expected to see by now. That gap is where getting dressed…
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214 Enough
Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy. It’s a joke until you do the maths. Eight complete sweaters-worths of yarn in DK and fingering weight alone, not counting the oddballs, the luxury fibre, or the container of 2-ply jumper weight — one 25g ball of every single colour Jamieson & Smith make.…
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213 Fit
The quest for trousers that actually fit involved eBay-stalking vintage pattern drafting books - Flat Pattern Cutting and Modelling for Fashion (Helen Stanley, 1972), Pattern Drafting and Dressmaking (Dorothy Moore, 1971), Dress Pattern Designing (Natalie Bray, 1961) - a Craftsy class, and sixty...
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212 Low Impact
Vinted used to feel like the internet version of a Naked Lady party: somebody else’s wrong thing becoming exactly what you needed, for a fiver and postage. Then the pro sellers arrived, the charity-shop stock moved online, and resale started to look less like an exit from fast fashion than…
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211 Grace Notes
Ghost in the Orchard. Four inches from done. I’d stare at the cable chart and the tiny squares would dance. Close my eyes. Open them. Over and over. The hands that made those cables could not remember how cables worked. Endel Tulving‘s encoding specificity principle. Godden and Baddeley’s divers...
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210 Two Bowls
Tears in the kitchen. Three bananas on the counter and a recipe I know by heart but cannot, for the life of me, turn into a sequence of actions. Seven ingredients. Too many decisions. My brain could not do seven. So I broke it down. Dry ingredients in one bowl. Wet in the other. Three and four....
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209 Desire Paths
An Eye for an Eye - would the animals we eat, eat us? Impossible Hats. Box Hill Picnic, from Jane Austen’s Emma. Dangerous Questions, where the danger is yours, not your opponent’s. This is what insomniacs get up to at 3am while you are sleeping. Kent Berridge coined the term incentive salience....
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208 Nighthawk
From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, Nighthawk n. a recurring thought that only strikes you late at night. Mine struck every night for eight weeks. Zopiclone is a sledgehammer. Daridorexant is a key. One imposes sleep. The other removes the obstacle to it. There’s a big difference, and finding...
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207 Too Much World
Trimethoprim for a UTI. Seven days. By day three, everything was hysterically funny. By day five, I could hear things that weren’t there. By week two, I couldn’t track yarn overs in garter stitch. Garter stitch. The projects on my needles when my brain broke Bradford Road, Dark Days, Ghost in the...
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206 Quality
Zabava Shorties disasters. The signs were there. Sometimes, you need to break up with a sock pattern. “It’s not you, it’s me. I don’t like you anymore.” Meanwhile, the Peppermint Pocket Skirt delivers enormous pockets perfect for sock projects, and Ruth Collins’ Top Down Centre Out method might...
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205 Big love and secret pajamas
It's been a week of finishes and new beginnings. Off the needles, I've completed a Malabrigo hat and love the color pooling. You don’t hear me say that very often. I've finally finished my Amande socks—though I must say I rather hated working both the nupps and wrapped stitches techniques....
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204 Cart before the workhorse
Finishing socks, saving the yarn, new projects from old, planning the perfect colourwork sweater, plus a bit of theoretical physics to prove what knitters already know: knitting is magic. Links and references: * Admiral Hanf yarn by Schoppel Wolle * Lang Jawoll sock yarn * Chessmaster, by…
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203 Looking in
We travel from Iron Age fire-pits to mid-century homemaking manuals, consider the joys of stash organisation, and muse on the performative aspects of home decorating. There’s a deep dive into the ancient tradition of human-centred design through textiles, from spindle whorls to soft furnishings…
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202 A gentle pastime
Replenishing the sock drawer with Priory Socks (project page). My Secret Circles, below. Porthos (project page), below. I moved my decreases to the back of the heel, and the result is similar to Basic Biarritz and the Kite Heel, yet is uniquely mine and oh, is it ever sexy. The joy of a...
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Cast On Classic: A Snow Day
In which an American Thanksgiving is celebrated in the UK, albeit a day late and a pumpkin pie short. One of the first pieces of writing I recorded for Cast On in 2005, this has become one of my most popular podcasts. This particular version was rerecorded in 2011 for A Knitter’s Manifesto, and...
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201 Knitting through sorrow
It’s autumn. Time for finishing projects, knitting socks and celebrating the impending winter by taking the sweaters out of storage. This one is all knitting, and I make no apologies. I'm channelling my grief in the time-honoured tradition: by knitting all the things. I am filling the sock drawer...
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200 Work as written
Off the needles and on; Tour de Fleece wrap up; notes from the production line; a new bag; a new spindle; good materials; and Bennet’s Boiled Potatoes. Compared to some, mine was a paltry Tour de fleece output, still... I made time for fibre, and it did kickstart my spinning, which had been…
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199 The system
Knitting the slowest sock in the history of sock knitting. Tour de Fleece. The merits of taking small steps vaguely in the direction a goal. I’m thinking about style again, and looking for systems. David Kibbe’s Metamorphosis: Discover Your Image Identity and Dazzle as Only You Can is one of the...
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198 Picking up the threads
House projects have broken me; the summer of socks continues; the red that bled; Tour de Fleece; and a return to Clifford Byway. My new obsession for shorties led me to Zabava Socks. They fit very well, and work up quickly. The pattern is easy to follow and the results are moreish. The Tour de...
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197 Gradual Stiffening
The weather. Men in shorts. The run down. Ta Da moments. And the moments just before a plan comes together. The Red Edge is complete! The chart for Red Edge was designed by Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunndown, and is from the book Poems of Colour, by Wendy Keele. I used the top down set-in sleeve…
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196 A wide variety of displacement activities
In this episode: The party dress; picking up threads; a project round up; and the big idea, spoken aloud. The High School Art Teacher Dress by Vogue [(V1410)](https://simplicity.com/vogue-patterns/v1410) I can highly recommend the following books by David Page Coffin: [Making Trousers for Men and...
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195 You can't keep everything
In this episode: Stash enhancement; hat boxes of joy; the rug of sorrow; knitting memory lane, letting it go. Repeat after me: It is okay to rest. Thank you, past Brenda, for setting up [Esther](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Brenda/esther-2) (by Camilla Vad) and...
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194 What I did last summer
In this episode: Undone by Cosmo/Cosmo undone; colour blocking that didn’t stitck; a summer romance; a bounty of beautiful sock yarn; packing projects for a journey with no end date; and the view from the Stone Cottage! The sweater that was...
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193 The waiting phase
In this episode: I have more projects on the needles at one time than ever before, and I talk about all of them. Also, we're buying a cottage, and trying very hard to remain detached until the contracts have been signed. The Schneke Shawl spiral has been a little bit addictive. Now that I've...
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192 The dam busters
The Great Airing of the Stash 2023. Hibernating projects emerge, blinking, into the light. The Red Edge gets a new button band and top-down contiguous sleeve cap. Made progress on Against All Odds - closer to done than I remember. Love that. The butterflies from Paint Pan will be knit into…
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191 amazing technicolour dream shirts
The production line. Tiny arms. The trouble with Esther - I’d rather begin the yoke with GRANITE (not “graphite”). Ready to redesign the colorwork on the swatch. The sock makes a brief appearance before returning to time out. I have not yet performed penance on recent stash acquisition, but I did...
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190 Talisman
IKvetching is now free to all! Find it on Ravelry or on Jeny Staiman’s Payhip. The Stitching show was fun, if a bit short on yarn. Next year, Wonderwool. That said, I’m pretty happy with this button. (Left: new button; right: with the incorrect button it replaced.) The button makes the knitwear.…
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189 I want to do it this way
The level of craft chaos was high this week, but Lilly’s retro-vibe pinnies are finished! Pattern is Bias Trimmed Apron from Little Things to Sew by Oliver & S, in lightweight linen with bias binding in designer fabrics from this UK eBay seller. Several knitsibs want an adult-sized version. Still...
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188 The Road Trip
This week’s quest: design socks that are plain but not boring to knit. It’s a tall f*****g order. Thanks to Fetching designer Cheryl Niamath for her playful spirit and gracious acceptance of our mods. Cheryl models the version of Kvetching that Jeny knit for her; two versions of Fetching at...
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187 Fine work
You say bojagi, I say pojagi. The work of a lifetime. A return of the light. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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186 Square one
Falling down, playing in the knitting adjacent zone, beginnings, One Block Wonders, over under over under over under, and a new series! Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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185 Knitting Adjacent
The art of getting very, very close to knitting, whilst remaining emotionally aloof and at arm’s length; I bought yarn; the latest amazing design from the mind of Jeny Stainman; and someone saved my life tonight. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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184 Ornamental
Science! Tiny sweaters. Little stockings. Charming wee hats. Stars. Rockin rolags. Colours! Floors that go squelch. Wait, that isn’t supposed to happen. FYI: There's nothing wrong with your ears. There was a mic incident during the recording, and I could not face do-overs. Pretend we're on the...
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183 Yesteryear
Cosy-testing, for science; taking bivalents for the team; and rail journeys from the not-too-distant past. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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182 Epitaph
Welcoming the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness by putting things in jars for later, admiring dramatic skies, planting for the future, knitting waistcoats and new hats, and the Discipline of Do Easy. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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181 Big wheel keep on turning
In this episode, summer rain, and the last of the summer socks; the return of things from our life; baking chocolate cookies; and more glorious stranded colourwork from Knitsonik and Friends, (aka my friend, Felix.) Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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180 Things from your life
Lunearia is off the needles and I could not be happier with them. Next up: Ipomoea. Timeline hampered slightly by impending Secret Project deadline and a hurt-y shoulder. Lunaria I haven’t wanted to wear a Big Shirt since the 90s, then I saw the Cornell shirt by ELBE Textiles. Perfect for Tonia,...
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179 Midnight cakes and hay
Needles afire with summer socks; baking at midnight, running the numbers for Against All Odds; and standing atop of pile of new-made things. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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178 Taxonomies
A sock heel for gradient dyed yarn; re-making a home; memories of dump runs past; buttons, and the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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177 The Sea, The Sea
The knitting equivalent of eating dessert first; the knitting pivot; emergency socks; and the return of la mer. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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176 A skill to fall back on
In this episode, the Against All Odds sweater gets a pop of colour to break up the unremitting boredom of knitting stockinette in grey yarn. It only lasted for four rounds, but was glorious. The folly of working with charcoal yarn at dusk is discussed, along with its antidote, the Syncopation…
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175 Two Sweaters
The first and best news, Tonia is home. Teaching herself to mend in order to stave off boredom, and providing a lap for grateful pets who are as relieved that she is home as I am. For the first time ever, I'm using Susie Myer's contiguous top down method for set-in sleeves to knit Against All…
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174 The long game
Fiddly false starts. Ambushed by linen. The sound of knitting freedom. The answer is in the question. And why is everything I need already packed away in a box? Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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173 Not yet
Simple tools. Sweaters for the Littles. Jeny Staiman’s amazing heel construction. And my spring sweater shortlist. Links to everything I talk about are at brendadayne.co.uk. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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172 Flotation device
The eye of the storm has moved. Possibly. And there are many things about which to celebrate. But not knitting. Worst knitting month ever, at the end of which I learn valuable lessons from Jeny Staimen. And The Tech Bros are already yesterday’s news. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at...
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171 The eye of the storm
The return of a Skyscrapa. Flowers in pots. Books in stacks. Enormous sleeves. Hand sewing. Time, and what to do while it’s passing. Our house is officially for sale, and it’s time to cast on. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
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170 Storm day
Knitting for little people. I can knit a rainbow, but should I? A honkin' huge ass box o’yarn. More about that amazing heel. Paint Pan Socks, again? Yes. (Shut up.) A foxy little knitting mash up. If it sounds like this one is all about knitting, that’s because it is. I really needed to talk…
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169 Fish emerge from the ice
Holiday on the good ship Covid. Rest, and being stingy with it. Painting all the things. Wintering. Get full access to Brenda Dayne at brendadayne.substack.com/subscribe
About this show
Cast On began on Monday, 31 October, 2005, founded on nothing more than the desire to talk about knitting to people who get it. Since then, the podcast has evolved to focus on finding inspiration in the ordinary, using it to kick start the process of making stuff, and finding ways to carve out the creative time and space that allows you to work your ass off on the projects that matter most to you. Like knitting a sweater. Or saving the world.
brendadayne.substack.com
Hosted by
Brenda Dayne