Woolful

Episode 72: Whitney Hayward – Small town roots, Japanese, Photojournalism, and Stone Wool

December 12, 2016

Sponsor: By Hand is a series of lookbooks that focus on different fiber and fabric “making communities” around the country. Each serial features photo journals and interviews with both up-and-coming and well-known yarn designers and dyers, local yarn stores, knitwear designers, fabric artists, and other makers who share the same philosophy and aesthetic of hand crafting functional forms to share and connect with others in the community. Projects, patterns, classes, and opportunities to purchase the artists’ work are also included, as well as opportunities to share what is beautiful and unique about each locale.

Issue #1 features Portland, Oregon – meet local yarn dyers, designers, companies, and an amazing local yarn store. Find recipes, exclusive knitting patterns made from our featured yarns, and other hand craft projects. Learn about some of the artists who make up Portland’s creative community, including a pastry chef, an indigo dyer, a letterpress designer, and a team of ceramics artists. Find hand making classes in Portland that will inspire and challenge you. Take a photographic day trip to Timberline Lodge and enjoy the beauty and diversity of Portland.

Coming up: Issue #2, featuring Portland and mid-coast Maine (to be released late Jan. 2017), and Issue #3, featuring Nashville (to be released May 2017). Learn more about By Hand at byhandserial.com and follow on Instagram @byhandserial

Fiber folk: Whitney Hayward has her hands in a lot of fiber goodness these days and if you’re on Instagram you may be familiar with her journey, from photojournalist and spinning maven to Twig and Horn and now the launch of her yarn line, Stone Wool. Whitney’s ambition and passion is evident as she tells her special story, one I’m sure many of you will be able to relate to. You can find Whitney at thestonewool.co and twigandhorn.com and on Instagram @whit_knits, @stone_wool and @twigandhorn

Sponsor: Tightly Knit Designs is a line of patterns by Sloane Rosenthal, a knitwear designer and lawyer in Northern California. She’s just released her first book of patterns, Independent Fabrication, a collection of accessory patterns using lovingly-chosen small-batch yarns. The collection includes five quick-knitting, textured accessories, including two hats, a cowl, and two pairs of mitts, showcasing dramatic cables and other knitterly details that are surprisingly straightforward to work. The patterns feature yarns from outstanding producers of thoughtfully-made, responsibly-sourced small batch yarns, including Sincere Sheep, Elemental Affects, Miss Babs, Alpenglow Yarns, and Jill Draper. The collection is available as a print and eBook bundle, a standalone eBook, and in individual patterns. You can find Sloane and the Independent Fabrication collection at tightlyknitdesigns.com, and on Ravelry and Instagram @skrosenthal

Giveaway: The winner of last weeks giveaway is Teresa Cochran. You’ve won a subscription to Taproot Magazine, congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Twig and Horn and they’re giving away the Ossify Mitts kit, featuring Stone Wool Cormo yarn in Tobacco 3 and Twig and Horn stitch markers and Brittany double point needles. To enter, leave a comment on this post.

Music by Jónsi.

132 Comments

Woolful Podcast

Episode 71: Deborah Robson – Weaving, Editing, Heritage Conservation and the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook

November 21, 2016

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Sponsor: Taproot Magazine, is a quarterly print magazine full of delightful stories and photos written by and for people living fuller and digging deeper. Each issue is created around a subtle theme, featuring amazing recipes, crafts, and tales, all with the intention of inspiring people who are interested in deepening their connections to their families, communities, and themselves as they strive to live locally and closer to the ground. The content in each issue consistently blows me away. It is fulfilling and inspiring. This coming weekend, Nov 26th is Small Business Saturday and Taproot will be launching their pop up shop, featuring all kinds of handcrafted goodies from tea to jewelry to ceramics and even a lip balm making kit. Make sure to visit taprootmag.com on Saturday to shop and support this very special curated selection of goods from makers we know and love.

And later this month the next issue of Taproot magazine SHARE will be arriving in your mailbox. And if you’re not already a subscriber, they’re offering $5 off a subscription or renewal with the code WOOLFUL. There is so much goodness in each issue. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at Taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.

Fiber folk: There’s a very good chance today’s guest Deborah Robson is someone who you’re familiar with from her incredible book Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, written in partnership Carol Ekarius. This book became a staple in my fiber library, introducing me to the vast array of sheep breeds and the qualities of their fibers. There’s a special story behind how this book came to be, along with Deborah’s rich fiber journey as a weaver, spinner, knitter and editor. I hope you enjoy getting to know this incredibly knowledgeable woman as much as I have. You can find Deborah at drobson.info.

Photos from: Deborah Robson, Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, Mary Macgregor, and tomofholland

Sponsor: I want to thank Taproot Magazine again for sponsoring this week’s episode. With the natural, easygoing and heartfelt focus of each issue, I find myself continuing to go back to it throughout the quarter, gaining a little something each time and looking forward to the upcoming issue. Make sure to renew or subscribe and receive $5 off with the code WOOLFUL. You can now also find the 2017 Taproot calendar with art by Jessica Roux. Visit Taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.

Giveaway: The winners of last weeks giveaway are Leslie and Sara. Leslie you’ve won the Churchmouse Pressed Rib Cap pattern along with two skeins of mYak medium yarn and Sara you’ve won a caddy of Harney & Sons Cranberry Autumn Tea. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Taproot Magazine and we’re giving away a year subscription to this wonderful publication. To enter, leave a comment on this post.

Music by Jónsi.

116 Comments

Woolful Podcast

Episode 70: Paola Vanzo – Rural Italian heritage, Tibet, Family and mYak

November 4, 2016

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Sponsor: Churchmouse Yarns and Teas is nestled in the little alcove of Madrone Lane on the beautiful Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound. Just up the street from the ferry, this was my first local yarn shop…a place I remember visiting in my teens, mesmerized and enchanted by this cozy yarn and tea emporium. It was what I dreamed of aspiring to as a knitter, a place I visited often over the years as I grew up and now look back on as a key memory in my fiber journey…a push in the right direction.

Churchmouse opened in 2000 with the intention to help people make their lives beautiful by making beautiful things. From their carefully curated selection of yarns, patterns, gifts and tea, it’s easy to see why Churchmouse has become a favorite for both local and distant knitters. Make sure to visit Churchmouse Yarns and Tea when in the Seattle and Olympic Peninsula area and visit online at churchmouseyarns.com to experience a bit of the magic from the coziness of your chair. And make sure to follow on Instagram @churchmouseyarns, and join the Churchmouse group on Ravelry for knitalongs and support from the design team.

Fiber folk: Paola is an amazing woman with an amazing story, from growing up in rural Italy to immersion in Tibetan life to finding herself in Brooklyn, with a family and a rich history and future for her fiber and textile company mYak. Like with many yarns, mYak has a rich story and impact on our global fiber community and I hope you enjoy getting to know Paola and the mYak vision as much as I have. You can find Paola at mYak.it and on Instagram @myak_us.

Sponsor: Flying Fibers is brought to you by the mother-daughter team of Jeri Robinson-Lawrence and Irina Lawrence. Both women are passionate about providing beautiful products to crafters of any skill, as well as promoting the preservation of rare breed sheep. In the yarn store, you can find a range of British yarns, including their exclusive yarn line, Yorkshire Medley.

In addition to owning a yarn shop, Jeri and Irina have a flock of rare breed Wensleydale sheep, and endangered Leicester Longwool sheep that they raise on their farm in York County. You can hear their fiber journey in episode 21 .

You can find Jeri and Irina at their yarn store in Landisville, PA, or in their booths at Maryland Sheep & Wool, and the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. Visit flyingfibers.com and follow along on Instagram @flyingfibers

Fall/Winter Woolful Knitalong: This week was the kickoff of the year long Woolful and Biches & Buches knit along. Let’s celebrate the cooler seasons, casting on one of Biches & Buches patterns or with one of their yarns. You choose how you’d like to join the knitalong and then we’ll get started. Visit bichesetbuches.com to be inspired and find your project kit or yarn and look at the previous post for more info on this knit along.

Giveaway: The winner of last weeks giveaway is Nicki Norris, you’ve won the Mae Pullover pattern designed by Andrea Mowry along with the yarn to make it from YOTH, and a set of Petoskey stone stitch markers from Wool and Honey. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Churchmouse Yarns and they’re giving away the Churchmouse Pressed Rib Cap pattern along with two skeins of mYak Medium yarn needed to make the hat. They’re also giving away a caddy of Harney & Sons Cranberry Autumn Tea. To enter, leave a comment on this post.