A Yarn Story – Details, episodes & analysis

This special episode comes to you from Redmond, Oregon where I - Carmen, owner of A Yarn Story - host my mother, Gisela, for a special in-person conversation.

We discuss our shared passion for knitting and crafting, diving into Mom's history with sewing and knitting that began in her childhood in Germany. Mom recounts her journey from teaching sewing in Colorado to managing a store and eventually creating patterns and working on high-profile projects for fashion magazines in New York.

I loved exploring Mom's innovative approaches to knitting and her love for combining yarns (which have certainly influenced my philosophies) on selecting knitting projects. We take a look through a collection of Mom's beautiful handmade sweaters and chat about the importance of community and creativity in crafting.

We wrap up the episode with talk about upcoming events at A Yarn Story, including our luxury knitting retreat in Bath, England (where Mom will join as a special guest!)

Subscribe for future episodes
🔔 Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE this episode for more knitting inspiration and behind-the-scenes stories from our fibre-filled world. It really helps the channel grow :)

Chapters
00:00:00 - 00:00:41 - Introduction
00:00:41 - 00:05:03 - Gisela's Crafting Journey
00:05:04 - 00:09:01 - From Germany to the US
00:09:02 - 00:18:14 - Stretch & Sew Career
00:18:15 - 00:24:51 - Glamorous Travels & Projects
00:24:52 - 00:29:42 - Knitting & Community Connection
00:29:43 - 00:44:20 - Gisela's Sweater Showcase
00:44:21 - 00:48:14 - Current Projects & Future Plans
00:48:15 - 00:53:07 - Closing Remarks

Enjoy!

#knittingpodcast #summerknitting #knittingtips #knittinginspiration #knittingpodcast #knitting #howtoknit #knittingtutorial
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Ask us anything!
Click here to submit a question for the podcast
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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story,
128 Walcot Street,
Bath,
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239
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Huddle Podcasting Ltd

This episode was produced by Huddle Podcasting Ltd. Learn how you can harness the power of podcasts to grow your business at www.huddlepodcasting.com

Welcome to the final episode of Season 3. Honestly, where does the time go?! In this season finale, Carmen and Kayleigh share their FOs, what they're both currently knitting and Carmen has an exciting new project on the needles. We finish by answering your questions in the Q&A segment.

Thank you so much for tuning in this Season. We're taking a break for a few weeks while planning for Season 4, so do subscribe and share this podcast with your knitting friends - it really helps us grow the show!

Subscribe for future episodes
🔔 Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE this episode for more knitting inspiration and behind-the-scenes stories from our fibre-filled world. It really helps the channel grow :).

Chapters
00:01:04 - Cat chat - meet Kayleigh's cats!
00:05:14 - Wine segment - a lovely white wine from Wolf Wines
00:09:05 - Carmen's FO, the Starfall beret by Rastus Hsu
00:16:15 - What Kayleigh is knitting - the Field Sweater by Helga Isager
00:20:42 - What Carmen is knitting - Bella Blocking by Anne Ventzel
00:23:04 - Carmen's tempting new project: The Djo Sweater by Sophie Ochera
00:28:49 - Q&A Segment:

1. What are the best yarn combos for the Andrea Mowry's new Framed sweater?
2. What's currently in your knitting / notions bag?
3. Have you thought about coming to the US and hosting a knitting retreat?

Enjoy!

#knittingpodcast #summerknitting #knittingtips #knittinginspiration #knittingpodcast #knitting #howtoknit #knittingtutorial
-----------------------------------
Ask us anything!
Click here to submit a question for the podcast
-----------------------------------
Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story,
128 Walcot Street,
Bath,
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239
-----------------------------------
Huddle Podcasting Ltd

This episode was produced by Huddle Podcasting Ltd. Learn how you can harness the power of podcasts to grow your business at www.huddlepodcasting.com

This week Carmen is joined by Amanda as Kayleigh is working on her PhD this month. We dig into Amanda’s career as a knitwear designer and what it’s really like working full time as a designer (including what it was like working for Mohamed Al-Fayed!)

Happy Knitting!
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Chapters
(00:01:13) Wine we're drinking
(00:04:59) Meet knitwear designer Amanda
(00:06:21) Realities of working as a kniwear designer for magazine publications
(00:22:48) Working for Mohamed Al-Fayed (and turning down Harrods!)
(00:27:00) What does a design process look like and what Amanda's working on
(00:45:10) Knitting retrets with Amanda (subscribe for retreat updates here)
(00:46:36) What we're wearing
(00:50:19) What Carmen is knitting 

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Show notes
The wine this week is a Spanish Syrah from Carmen’s Good Pair Days box called Topico.

What we're working on:

• Amanda has two designs she’s finishing up: one for Walcot Yarns using Fluff and one for our upcoming retreat using The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering.
• Carmen has her Pressed Flowers Cardigan on the go and is nearly done with the ribbing

What we're wearing:

• Amanda is wearing a slipover by Petitknits, the Stockholm slipover using Walcot Yarns Origin (Wild River) held with Isager Silk Mohair (100).
• Carmen is wearing the Plump it Up shawl by Maxim Cyr in Fluff (Shadow) & Spincycle Yarns Plump (Rosy Maple)

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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story,
128 Walcot Street,
Bath,
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239
-----------------------------------
Huddle Podcasting Ltd

This episode was produced by Huddle Podcasting Ltd. Learn how you can harness the power of podcasts to grow your business at www.huddlepodcasting.com

Welcome to A Yarn Story. After our wine segment we take a diversion into the house-buying process in the UK (!) before we dive into Carmen's new coaching venture. We share what we've decided to knit for the upcoming KAL and announce that we're heading to Unravel festival of yarn.

Happy Knitting!
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Chapters
(00:01:17) Wine segment
(00:09:04) Kayleigh's mega big news
(00:18:08) Carmen recaps her trip to Puerto Rico
(00:22:45) Carmen announces her new coaching business
(00:37:48) Knit-A-Long update (there's still time to join - DETAILS HERE)
(00:40:22) Kayleigh's KAL yarn choices
(00:44:52) Carmen's KAL yarn choices
(00:59:32) A Yarn Story is heading to the Unravel festival of yarn
(01:03:55) Taylor Swift chat!!
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Show notes
Wine is 28 which is a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from China that was recommended to us by our friends at Wolf Wine.

Carmen is now an officially certified business coach and talks more about her plans on that front. If you want to hear more about Carmen’s take on business, particularly marketing and team building, she was recently interviewed on the Teames & Co. podcast and you can listen to that episode now.

Walcot Yarns will be at Unravel Festival of Yarn in February and will be sharing a booth with Les Garçons! If you are coming to the event, please do stop by and say hello.
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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story,
128 Walcot Street,
Bath,
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239
-----------------------------------
Huddle Podcasting Ltd

This episode was produced by Huddle Podcasting Ltd. Learn how you can harness the power of podcasts to grow your business at www.huddlepodcasting.com

Welcome to this podcast episode where we're delighted to welcome Susan back onto the pod!
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Chapters
(00:02:14) What we're about here at A Yarn Story
(00:04:00) Wine chat
(00:13:33) Our best achievements of 2023 and knits we're working on in 2024
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Show notes
Thank you to Susan’s husband for sponsoring the wine on this episode! We had Le Demoiselle which is an organic and bio-dynamic wine which we really enjoyed.

Carmen is working on Camisole No. 4 by My Favorite Things Knitwear in Knitting for Olive Pure Silk and she decided (with the help of Susan and Kayleigh) that her Liebling in Spincycle Plump does actually fit and doesn’t need to be ripped back!

Kayleigh is wearing her most recent test knit for Lily Kate France, the Overdrive Vest which she’s done in Walcot Yarns Origin. The other moss stitch pattern she mentions is Weidlinger by Nadya Stallings for Brooklyn Tweed.

Susan is wearing her Liebling in Plump and finishes Dala Sweater by Eleanor Mortenson live on air! She used The Urban Purl Merino Singles with Isager Silk Mohair and then finally combines Spincycle Dyed in the Wool with mohair for the colourwork.

Join our first Knit-A-Long of 2024
It’s our first KAL of the year and it starts soon, we’ll be working on Pressed Flowers by Amy Cristoffers. Get more details here.
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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story,
128 Walcot Street,
Bath,
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239
-----------------------------------
Huddle Podcasting Ltd

This episode was produced by Huddle Podcasting Ltd. Learn how you can harness the power of podcasts to grow your business at www.huddlepodcasting.com

Happy New Year! We're back for our first episode published in 2024 and we're excited for a huge year.
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Chapters
(00:00:22) Cocktails with Kayleigh
(00:09:19) Normal service resumes - cocktail review
(00:24:02) What we're wearing
(00:31:14) What we're working on
(00:38:16) Shirley Brian Deconstructed Fade Set colours
(00:46:04) Carmen makes Kayleigh jealous with her new backpack!
(00:50:08) Carmen buys herself a present!
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Show notes
The cocktail is from Yellow Belly Kelly.
Get the details of our next Country House Retreat.

What we're wearing:

• Kayleigh has her Tessellated Vest by Andrea Mowry on, she’s used Walcot Yarns Opus in HIckory, Fluff in Amethyst and Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool in Shades of Earth
• Carmen is wearing her Fierce by Kate Oates in Walcot Yarns Origin Fireweed and Spincycle Yarns Dream State in Dream World

What are we knitting?

• Kayleigh has a test knit for Maxim Cyr on the go, “Plump it up” using Walcot Yarns Fluff and Spincycle Yarns Plump (2 skeins of each are needed)
• Carmen is working on Liebling by Camilla Vaad in Spincycle Yarns Plump Next Level. She’s adapting the pattern to make it a t-shirt and is adding bust darts for a perfect fit.

Lastly, Carmen is working to finish her Stockholm Vest by PetiteKnit in Isager Tweed and Silk Mohair.

We show off some of the gorgeous new Shirley Brian Deconstructed Fade Sets, they are all glorious to be honest.

Kayliegh is very jealous as Carmen grabbed a Spincycle & Ritual Dyes Knitters Backpack collaboration. It’s beautiful.
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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story, 
128 Walcot Street,
Bath, 
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239

Welcome to the final episode of 2024! Firstly, Carmen has lost her voice so - while we think it sounds lovely and husky - we apologise if she's a little hard to hear!

In this episode, we dive into what we bought at Rhinebeck. So, if you've ever wondered what yarn a knit-shop owner buys, listen on! You can also watch this episode on our YouTube Channel.
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Chapters
(00:01:16) What we're drinking (it's non-alcoholic this week!)
(00:06:45) Where A Yarn Story began
(00:21:40) Long-overdue Rhinebeck debrief
(00:26.01) Our thoughts on being recognised at yarn / knitting shows!
(00:31:42) What we bought at Rhinebeck
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Show notes
We're drinking: Pentire Drinks.
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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story, 
128 Walcot Street,
Bath, 
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239

Welcome to this Christmas special of A Yarn Story podcast. This week, Carmen and Kayleigh are joined by two special guests and we announce a super exciting GIVEAWAY! Scroll down for how to enter 👇
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Chapters
(00:00:57) Introducing our guest hosts - Susan and Amanda
(00:03:31) The wine segment (unofficially sponsored by Good Pair Days!)
(00:15:49) What it's like studying knit design and fashion at university
(00:22:24) What Susan is wearing
(00:29:08) What Amanda is wearing
(00:35:21) What Carmen is wearing
(00:39:20) What Kayleigh is wearing
(00:43:40) Wine review - red wine!
(00:48:53) GIVEAWAY announcement - details below
(00:55:55) A new pattern from Amanda
(01:06:30) Christmas cake vs Christmas pudding
(01:13:47) Our finished objects
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Show notes
Amanda Jones and Susan Byrne join us as special guests this week. Kayleigh and Carmen might have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble recently and so we are letting them set the record straight for themselves.

Competition
Win a stunning Hide and Hammer Leather Bumbag in a delicious bright orange leather.

How to enter
1. Subscribe our YouTube Channel
2. Tag two friends in the comments on this video
3. Follow Hide & Hammer and A Yarn Story on Instagram

Ts&Cs

• Giveaway is open until 23:59pm on December 22, 2023
• Winner will be drawn at random and announced on December 24, 2023 - what a perfect Christmas gift to yourself!

Also discussed
The stunning new pattern from Maxim Cyr called Plump It Up is now available at A Yarn Story.

Susan also shows off some recent finishes including: Same but Different by Cheryl Faust in mYak Medium + Spincycle Dream State, two Shifts - one gift and one for herself in three skeins of Next Level and lastly a Sophie Scarf by Petitknit in Knitting for Olive Compatible Cashmere.
-----------------------------------
Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story, 
128 Walcot Street,
Bath, 
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239

Welcome to Episode 3! This week, discover the most important thing beginner knitters need to do to improve fast and why some yarns bobble more than others (and why)
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Chapters
(00:01:41) We talk the language of love!
(00:06:14) Wine chat
(00:20:36) The secret to getting good at knitting
(00:26:42) What we're wearing
(00:31:54) Why some yarns pill more than others
(00:33:44) What we're working on
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Show Notes

• Wine we're drinking: Boina from Portugal thanks to Good Pair Days
• Kayleigh is wearing Sitsijakk by Aleks Byrd in Walcot Yarn's Origin (pacific and high desert)
• Carmen is wearing Epernay by Thea Colement in Walcot Yarn's Origin Grape Blossom
• Kayleigh is working on the Andrea Mowry's Tessellated Vest
• Carmen is working on the same vest in different yarn

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Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story, 
128 Walcot Street,
Bath, 
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239

We're delighted to introduce FLUFF - new yarn we've created in collaboration with Walcot Yarns x Les Garçons.
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Chapters
(00:03:44) Wine tasting. Lune Rousse from Wolf Wines in Bath (thanks Carmen's Mum for sponsoring this week's bottle!)
(00:11:37) What Carmen and Kayleigh are working on
(00:20:27) Introducing Fluff! Meet our NEW yarn!
(00:41:03) Custom-made Spincycle Yarn
(00:50:02) Pattern suggestions for Fluff
(00:55:27) Wrap up 
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Show Notes
Wolf wines: https://www.wolfwine.co.uk/

Carmen finished her Kangas shawl by Aleks Byrd using Dyed by Delz BFL Twist DK in Abador’s Water and Vincent’s Highland Coo.

Kayleigh is test knitting Piping Hot by Lily Kate and using Spincycle Yarns Dream State in Bright Idea along with Garthenor Organic Beacons in Hummingbird.

Introducing Fluff, a brand new yarn collaboration from Walcot Yarns x Les Garçons! Fluff is a sport weight brushed yarn made of 55% Baby Alpaca, 18% fine merino, 17% mulberry silk and 10% Yak and it’s 100% Dreamy.

Fluff pattern suggestions:

• Instant Crush by Joji Locatelli
• Seela by Jonna Hietala using Walcot Yarns Origin and Fluff held together
• No. 14 from My Favorite Things Knitwear using Walcot Yarns Opus and Fluff
• Moonbumps shawl and the Bumpy cardigan both my Maxim Cyr
• Cumulus Blouse, Novice Sweater and Agnetee cardigan by PetiteKnits
• Lovenote by Tin Can Knits
• Ranunculus by Midori Hirose

Custom Colourway from Spincycle Yarns - Next Level - has arrived on all three yarn bases and it’s absolutely amazeballs!
-----------------------------------
Get In Touch

Social Media: Instagram | TikTok
Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Email: hello@ayarnstory.co.uk

Visit us:
A Yarn Story, 
128 Walcot Street,
Bath, 
BA1 5BG
+44 (0)1225 429239