Review: Cast On! The Podcast for Knitters

Listening to Cast On along the coast of Kauai.I originally posted this review on August 6, 2006, but subsequently changed the date to give it a little more time on the front page. Go check out Cast-On. You won't be disappointed.

We got back from Hawaii late last night. It was an awesome trip. I am already planning our return trip to Kauai, our favorite of the islands that we went to. Despite the fact that every day was action-packed, I did get a lot of knitting done - mostly on the balcony between about 4:30 - 6:30 a.m. while Moxie was asleep and I could sit and watch the sunrise while the ocean swept past below. It was very peaceful. Project MIL was completed and gifted to my mother-in-law who was thrilled beyond my expectations, the Daktari skirt is half done, and I have a nice start on the back of the Prairie tunic, which I had to rip completely and start over (the pattern is fine - it was my own silly mistake). I have a gazillion wonderful photos, including pictures of the River Stole for my project notes, and a couple cute snaps of my MIL in Project MIL, but a full 50% of the pictures were taken on my Contax 167MT, which is a film camera, so before I do any of those posts, I have to wait to get the film processed and scanned. Although the process is slower, I love taking pictures with my Contax. It's awesome, and I know the results will be, too. Anyhoo, in the meantime, I thought I would take the opportunity to do a review of Cast On! I've been meaning to start adding reviews of books, podcasts, etc. to the line-up around here, and I think that now is the perfect time.

For starters, if you don't "get" podcasting, or don't have an ipod and think that you can't join in the fun, think again. A podcast is really just an audio file that you can listen to on your computer as if you were listening to NPR in your car. If you need more info, check out No ipod required, a great site to get you started. Personally, I am long time Mac user and like to listen to my pod casts on an ipod, but there are other methods you can easily use to access this fun new media. Oh yeah, and if I didn't already mention it, podcasts are free.

And now, finally, a bit about Cast On! I think I'm going to have to start by simply gushing. I love this podcast. If I were on a desert island and could have only one audio show, this might very well be the one. The feeling it gives me to listen to Brenda Dayne's melodious voice reminds me of the way I have often felt listening to Ira Glass' This American Life - huddling in the snow in my truck in the middle of a Chicago winter so as not to miss those last few precious words. I take Cast On! with me everywhere - hiking in Griffith Park, on the BART when I go to San Fran for work, all over the Hawaiian Islands on vacation, into bed at night while knitting and falling asleep - and it transforms the landscapes within which I move, and imprints upon me a memory of where I was when I listened to one segment or another. I don't say this lightly. There are many great podcasts and NPR shows out there, and several that I will huddle in my truck for, but this one is very special.

Gushing aside, here are some of the things that make me like this podcast so much:

Music. Cast On! is a mix of knitting segments and pod-safe music to knit by. When I was listening to the very first podcast and Brenda mentioned that her plan was to combine the two, my first thought was: "Oh shit. I was so looking forward to trying this podcast out, and now I'm going to have to fast-forward through this crappy music to get to the knitting content." Not so. Now I know that we all have different musical preferences, but I can honestly say that I think the musical selection on Cast On! is as good as that of any good indie radio station that gets real play. It reminds me of a great indie music show that I used to listen to when I went to school in Iowa. At its absolute worst, I find the music listenable and have never had to fast-forward through. At best (which is far more frequent), I find myself listening to songs multiple times and sometimes even purchasing an album. I think podcasting may change the face of the music industry permanently and for the better. Cast On! has been a great entre into the world of podsafe music. Brenda includes links to the artists in the show notes on her site, so it is always easy to find the music if you decide you must have something. I give the music a thumbs up.

The Essay. This is usually the meat of the program, and can be anywhere from somber and touching to wildly, hysterically, belly-slapping funny. It almost always involves knitting and some connection between knitting and other aspects of life. Brenda sits down and writes this segment out and then builds the rest of the show around it. It is slightly different in tenor than the other segments, simply because Brenda reads aloud rather than just speaking conversationally. It always takes me a minute to adjust to the shift in her voice, but once I do, I'm in. Brenda has a lovely writing style, and the pieces tie the show together into a unified whole.

Today's Sweater. Brenda originally called this segment "What I'm Wearing", and it will always be so-named in my head. This is one of my favorite parts of the show, in which she revisits sweaters that she has made in the past and talks about choosing the pattern, the yarn, her feelings and what she was doing while making the sweater, and details about the sweater's construction. What I like best about this segment is that it combines the emotional component of the knitting and the technical aspects. Because Brenda often knits patterns from Interweave Knits, which I have from way back when, it gives me a chance to revisit those patterns and learn something about them. Although we have different body types which necessarily dictate different preferences for sweater shaping, I have picked up some interesting construction ideas by listening to this segment. As someone who designs knitted pieces, it is also interesting to me to hear about what fits and is flattering on someone else. Finally, because Brenda goes back to her earlier sweaters in Today's Sweater, you have a chance to see the evolution of her knitting and knitting choices over time, which I always find fascinating.

Guest Appearances. There are several podcasters and a few bloggers who appear on the show on multiple occasions - notably Dave of Chub Creek, Sage of Quirky Nomads, and Franklin of The Panopticon, each of whom has been a guest host on the show in a past episode. All of these guests are wonderful and entertaining in their own right, and it is a real treat to be brought into the circle of Brenda's podcasting family and get a chance to meet them. After hearing them on Cast On!, I've added all three to my list of internet sites to visit regularly.

Advice and Rants on Podcasting. Different listeners have varying opinions about the inclusion of these little tidbits about podcasting which sometimes get strewn amidst the knitting content. Personally, I find this content fascinating, and if Brenda wanted to do an entire podcast about which microphone she likes best and why I'd be right in line to download it. Her occasional mentions of equipment, software, editing techniques, extraneous sound muffling, etc. have really piqued my interest in podcasting. Although I doubt I would ever do a full-blown podcast show of my own, I think it would be fun to do an audio blurb here and there so that you guys could hear my voice. I love hearing other bloggers voices and seeing their photographs. It's just one more piece of the puzzle.

Random Musings and Antecdotes about Family and Life. This should probably be higher up in the list, because the entire show is infused with stories of Brenda's sons, Chris and Zach (see Chris, I put you first, since you're the oldest and don't get as much podcast time living far away from Wales), her partner Tonia, and the dogs who have great names that I am blanking on. Toby and Ruby, maybe? You'll have to listen and find out! Two of my favorite episodes, Pulling a Geographic and Green are all about family, and they are wonderful. Green includes a beautiful guitar piece, composed and performed by Zach, which practically moved me to tears when I heard it. Brenda, if you are reading this, I would be eternally grateful if Zach would somehow make this recording available to us, and I would be happy to pay good cash money for it. Seriously.

Audience Participation. Another wonderful thing about Cast On! is that everyone is encouraged to submit and be involved. On the sidebar there is an area to leave an audio message - be sure to check it out and join in the fun.

Great format, lead-ins, transitions... Last but not least. This may sound like a lame thing to note, but it's true. If Brenda Dayne wasn't at least a college radio station DJ in her interesting and varied past, I will be shocked. She has format down from beginning to end. Her opening theme song never fails to make me smile. It is perky, humorous, and just the right length that she can comforatbly let us know what the episode will contain. I inevitably baaah along with the sheep. Similarly, her "Today's Sweater" theme is catchy and makes you sing along, in happy anticipation of a wonderful sweater story. These seemingly little details are one of the things that make the difference between a well-done production that people return to and a stream-of-consciousness whateva mess. Future podcasters take note. Just as finishing can make or break an otherwise wonderful sweater, format and transitions can make or break the podcast. Brenda has this down.

If you're still here reading, I'm not sure why. You should get your butt over to Cast On! now and download all 32 episodes. I'll be back in a few days to tell you more about Hawaii and the knitting that took place.