Explore every episode of the podcast The SweetGeorgia Show

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, host Felicia welcomes Grayson Erlbacher, the general manager of Erlbacher Knitting Machines. They discuss the vibrant community surrounding circular sock knitting, the importance of events like the crank-in, and the history and evolution of knitting machines. Grayson shares insights into the company's journey, the significance of fostering a supportive environment for knitters, and the future of machine knitting. The conversation highlights the blend of craftsmanship and community in the fibre arts world. 

Takeaways

• The crank-in experience fosters community and connection among knitters.
• Erlbacher Knitting Machines emphasizes a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere at events.
• Understanding the manufacturing process enhances appreciation for knitting machines.
• Community feedback is crucial for improving events and experiences.
• The history of knitting machines is rich and tied to significant historical events.
• Grayson transitioned from nursing to managing a family business in knitting machines.
• The company has seen a rise in younger knitters interested in machine knitting.
• Crafting has become a lucrative market compared to traditional industries.
• Erlbacher Knitting Machines focuses on customer satisfaction and support.

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, host Felicia Lo interviews Andrew Bryson, a passionate weaver and teacher, who shares his journey into the world of inkle and tablet weaving. Andrew discusses his background in fibre arts, the intricacies of different weaving techniques, and the importance of overcoming the fear of starting a new craft. They discuss the freedom that comes from pursuing creative passions without the pressure of commercial success, the cultural significance of weaving across different societies, and the need for a shift towards sustainable practices in fashion. 

Takeaways:

• Andrew Bryson has been weaving for about five years and has a deep respect for historical weaving techniques.
• He emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge within the fibre arts community.
• Inkle weaving is a form of band weaving that is warp-faced and often involves hand manipulation for patterning.
• Tablet weaving is more complex and allows for a variety of techniques and patterns.
• Both inkle and tablet weaving can be as intricate as multi-shaft loom weaving.
• The loom is just a tool; the creativity comes from the weaver's choices.
• Starting with weaving can be daunting, but it's important to overcome the fear of making mistakes.
• The value of the process and learning in fibre arts is often overlooked.
• Materials should not be treated as too precious; the experience of creating is what matters.
• Balancing a full-time job with a passion for weaving requires intentional time management.
• Pressure on creativity can stifle artistic expression. Creative freedom allows for exploration without constraints.
• Weaving is a universal cultural practice; these techniques are vital for cultural preservation. Historical techniques connect us to our past.
• Learning traditional crafts cannot be replaced by technology.
• The fast fashion culture lacks sustainability.
• Repairing items is a growing movement.
• Engaging in fibre arts fosters community and creativity.

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Join Felicia Lo from SweetGeorgia Yarns as she reflects on the company's upcoming anniversary! September 2025 marks 20 years since its humble beginnings, starting with hand-dyed yarns made right at her dining room table. Felicia shares her amazement at how quickly time has flown by since starting SweetGeorgia Yarns and talks about how and why they founded the School of SweetGeorgia and now the new SweetGeorgia Community.

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In this episode of the SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo speaks with Fiona McLean and Amanda Milne of Knit Social about the evolution of Knit City over the past decade, the challenges faced during the pandemic, and the exciting expansion of their events to new locations. They discuss the importance of community in the fibre arts, the introduction of new shows in Montréal, Calgary, and Toronto, and the unique retreats they offer. The conversation highlights the resilience and adaptability of the knitting community, as well as the innovative approaches they are taking to engage with new audiences and continue to grow their events.

Takeaways

• It has been 10 years since we last spoke together on the SweetGeorgia Show.
• We were just about to launch our first Knit City Montréal when March 2020 pandemic shutdowns took place.
• We have four shows across Canada now: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montréal, two shows happening each year.
• We have a really great group of makers participating in our events and volunteers helping to make them possible.
• We love bringing people to, and showing them, how beautiful BC is with our local retreats. Tours have also expanded to Europe.
• The Knit City Emerging Makers program was first launched in Calgary, and it will be for the first time in Vancouver in 2025.
• We might just have to get a little bit creative with the venue for Knit City Vancouver. It's exciting to see how the show is going to evolve.
• There are always new people coming in who are super interested in fibre arts.
• We love seeing the different demographics come in, including more men and younger people.

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In this episode of the SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo speaks with Britt Garber, a designer and advocate in the crochet community. They discuss Britt's journey into crochet, her design philosophy, the importance of community, and her initiatives like the Makers of Color Collective. Britt shares her experiences with Tunisian crochet, the challenges of designing patterns, and her commitment to inclusivity in the craft. The conversation highlights the significance of representation and support within the crafting community, as well as Britt's future plans for teaching and expanding her reach.

Takeaways

• Britt started crocheting in 2015 and founded the Makers of Color Collective in 2019.
• She is self-taught and initially struggled with crochet before finding her passion.
• Britt emphasizes the importance of designing patterns that she enjoys making.
• Tunisian crochet is gaining popularity and offers a unique blend of knitting and crocheting techniques.
• Britt created a Discord community to foster support and connection among crocheters.
• The Makers of Color Collective aims to uplift and support makers of colour in the crafting industry.
• Britt believes in providing opportunities for others and sharing resources within the community.
• She values authenticity and encourages others to embrace their identities in crafting.
• Britt is focused on teaching and expanding her reach in the crochet community.
• She plans to continue creating patterns and supporting other designers.

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo speaks with Evie Schwartz, a multifaceted fibre artist whose path has taken her from accidental yarn making to intentional spinning and weaving. They talk about Evie’s creative evolution, her love for historical textiles, and the role of community in the fibre arts. The conversation also explores time management, the importance of preserving textile history, and how to inspire the next generation to engage with craft. Evie shares updates on her current projects, including her participation in the Tour de Fleece, and reflects on the value of approaching textile work with intention.

Takeaways

• Evie's journey in fibre arts began with crochet at age six.
• She transitioned from teaching to focusing on spinning and weaving.
• Evie's YouTube channel showcases her passion for historical textiles.
• Community engagement is vital for learning and sharing in fibre arts.
• Time management is crucial for balancing multiple crafting projects.
• Textile history is an important narrative that needs to be shared.
• Evie encourages teaching kids about the origins of their clothing.
• Tour de Fleece fosters community and creativity among spinners.
• Intentionality in choosing materials affects the final fabric outcome.
• Evie believes in the importance of diverse storytelling in fibre arts.

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, host Felicia Lo speaks with Star Athena, a multicraftual creative and founder of the Tour de Fleece. They explore Star’s journey through the fibre arts, her experiences across different crafts, and how the Tour de Fleece grew from a small idea into a global community. Star reflects on her creative path, the impact of her autism diagnosis, and the healing nature of making. Their conversation highlights the value of community, personal growth, and the joy that comes from crafting.

Takeaways

• Star Athena's journey in fibre arts began at a young age.
• She has a diverse background in various crafts, including knitting, spinning, and crochet.
• The Tour de Fleece was inspired by her love for cycling and spinning.
• The event started small but grew into a global community of spinners.
• Star emphasizes the importance of creativity without strict rules or guidelines.
• She has experienced burnout in her crafting journey but continues to explore new avenues.
• Star's diagnosis of autism at 45 has changed her perspective on creativity.
• Creative pursuits are seen as a form of meditation and healing for Star.
• The impact of the Tour de Fleece on the crafting community is profound and lasting.
• Star values her identity beyond the Tour de Fleece, focusing on personal growth and creativity.

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In this episode of the SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo speaks with Victor and Amber Mazza, founders of Gealach Fola Acres, about their transition from military service to becoming first-generation farmers and textile producers. They share their experiences in the Navy, their deep passion for fibre arts, and the challenges they face within the local textile industry. The conversation touches on their vision for the farm and mill, including their plans for fibre production and building community through the creation of a local tartan. They also talk about acquiring and restoring mill equipment, emphasizing sustainability and the importance of supporting local farmers.

Takeaways:

• Victor and Amber are first-generation farmers who founded Gealach Fola Acres in 2022.
• They met while serving in the US Navy in Japan.
• Amber has a long-standing passion for textiles, starting with crochet at a young age.
• Victor has always dreamed of a self-sufficient homestead for fibre and food.
• The couple aims to process local wool and bast fibres at their mill.
• They are addressing the challenges faced by small farmers in the local textile industry.
• The acquisition of mill equipment was a significant milestone for their business.
• They designed a community tartan to unify the local heritage and families.
• Their farm spans 81 acres, mostly wooded, with plans for fibre trials and production.
• They actively engage with the community through events and social media.

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In this week’s episode, Felicia chats with Lisa Graves, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Weft Magazine. Together, they talk about how the magazine began, how it's structured, and what kinds of topics readers can look forward to. They also dive into the value of weaving education, both in-person and online, and what makes Kawartha Weaving studio such a special place to learn. Their discussion touches on the challenges and rewards of teaching weaving, the rich content featured in Weft Magazine, and the vibrant community that surrounds the craft.

Felicia and Lisa also explore how weaving education is evolving. They talk about the importance of mentorship and community, as well as the role technology and social media play in supporting the craft. From the benefits of online learning to the continued relevance of guilds, their conversation highlights the many ways weavers can learn, grow, and connect, always with an emphasis on sharing knowledge and building community along the way.

Please join us for this inspirational conversation around craft, learning and community.  

Takeaways

• Lisa Graves is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Weft Magazine.
• Weft Magazine aims to provide accessible knowledge about weaving.
• The magazine is structured around specific themes each issue.
• Future issues will explore topics like warp, drape, and sustainability.
• Kawartha Weaving offers a unique retreat-like learning experience.
• Lisa emphasizes the importance of in-person learning for weaving.
• Online teaching has opened doors for students unable to attend in person.
• The community aspect of weaving is vital for education and support.
• Weaving education should empower students to work independently.
• Lisa's studio is designed to create a welcoming and inspiring environment. Ergonomics and technique are crucial in crafting.
• Online workshops can enhance learning experiences.
• Structured learning formats improve student retention.
• Guilds play a vital role in preserving weaving skills.
• Mentorship is essential for passing on knowledge.
• Social media can inspire new weavers.
• Sharing details about projects helps others learn.
• Community support is key to sustaining interest in weaving.
• Technology can bridge gaps in traditional learning.
• Encouraging others to teach fosters a vibrant craft community.

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In this week's episode, we are excited to welcome Celeste Angello, known as the Cranky Spinster, about her journey into the world of circular sock knitting machines (CSM). They discuss the importance of community, the process of restoring antique machines, and tips for beginners looking to get started in sock knitting. 

Celeste shares her experiences with crank-ins, the innovations in the CSM world, and the creative possibilities that come with using these machines. The conversation highlights the rich history of sock knitting and the excitement of exploring new techniques and ideas within the craft.

Takeaways:

• Celeste identifies as a maker, encompassing various crafts.
• Crank-ins are essential for learning and community building.
• The best sock machine is one that works, regardless of age.
• Budget and intended use are key factors in choosing a sock machine.
• Beginners should focus on mastering the basics of sock knitting.
• The online community for sock knitting is vast and varied.
• Innovations in sock knitting include 3D printed machines and accessories.
• Creativity in sock knitting is limited only by imagination.
• Restoration of antique machines can be a rewarding process.
• Celeste shares her journey and encourages others to explore the craft.

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo chats with Amy Sadler, editor of Knitty.com, the longest-running free knitting magazine online. They talk about how Knitty got started, Amy’s path through the knitting world, and how both the magazine and the community have evolved over the years. Together, they explore the changing landscape of online platforms, the role of Patreon and BlueSky in building community, and how designers can find support while navigating the pressures of creative work. 

This conversation offers thoughtful insights into the heart of the fibre arts community, along with advice, inspiration, and a look at the trends shaping knitting and crochet today. Please join us!

Takeaways

• Knitty was founded in 2002 and has become a staple in the knitting community.
• Amy Sadler's background in editing and proofreading shaped the quality of Knitty's content.
• The magazine started as a way to centralize independent knitting patterns.
• Knitty has launched the careers of many well-known designers in the knitting industry.
• The transition from print to online allowed for more detailed and accessible patterns.
• Community engagement has shifted from traditional forums to platforms like Patreon and Blue Sky.
• Amy emphasizes the importance of making patterns understandable for all knitters.
• The knitting community is diverse, including many neurodivergent individuals.
• Knitty remains free to readers, supported by patrons and advertising.
• There is a growing interest in returning to long-form content and blogs.
• Monetization strategies for creators include Patreon and YouTube views.
• Support from patrons can lead to feelings of guilt for creators.
• Good design and quality patterns are essential for success in the knitting industry.
• Trends in knitting are influenced by yarn availability and fashion.
• Cropped and oversized designs are currently popular in knitting.
• Crochet is gaining recognition and popularity among knitters.
• Resources like Knitty provide valuable information for knitters and designers.
• Innovation in design is crucial for standing out in a crowded market.
• Building connections and consistently producing good work can lead to greater visibility.

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Designer Aimee Sher joins Felicia Lo for an inspiring conversation about creativity, inclusivity, and the evolution of modern knitting. Aimee shares her journey from knitter to designer, offering a behind-the-scenes look at her thoughtful design process, her commitment to size-inclusive patterns, and how yarn choices shape her work.

They dive into the influence of fashion trends, the role of accessibility in pattern writing, and the impact of community through test knitting and teaching. Aimee also reflects on how her Taiwanese heritage and climate awareness influence her craft and how she balances her love for knitting, weaving, and spinning with the demands of a growing business.

Tune in for an honest and uplifting conversation full of insight, inspiration, and a glimpse into what’s next from Aimee Sher.

Takeaways

• Aimee's journey into fibre arts began after having a baby.
• Knitting provides a sense of purpose and identity for parents.
• Inclusivity in patterns is a priority for Aimee.
• Accessibility in pattern design is evolving.
• Aimee's designs focus on practical and wearable garments.
• The importance of considering different body shapes in sizing.
• Yarn choice significantly influences design decisions.
• Aimee avoids following other designers to maintain originality.
• The trend in knitting is shifting towards more fitted garments.
• Aimee's creative process is heavily influenced by the yarn itself. Aimee designs primarily for her customers and test knitters.
• The knitting process can be time-consuming, often taking 40-60 hours for a sweater.
• Trust from test knitters is crucial for successful designs.
• Cultural background influences Aimee's design choices and fabric selections.
• Aimee's grandmother was a professional crochet designer, linking her to her heritage.
• Designing with climate in mind is important for Aimee's work.
• Aimee enjoys exploring various textile arts beyond knitting, including weaving and spinning.
• Balancing craft and business is a challenge for Aimee, requiring careful time management.
• Aimee finds joy in the creative process and the learning that comes with it.
• Future projects include new patterns and expanding her shop offerings.

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo welcomes Andrea Lui for a thoughtful conversation about crafting and health. Together, they explore the importance of ergonomics while we craft and share preventive measures to help ensure many years of comfortable, joyful making. Andrea also speaks to the powerful role crafting can play in supporting our mental health.

Andrea shares her journey from casual crafter to physical therapist, now specializing in craft-related injuries, and emphasizes the importance of staying aware of how we move while we create. They touch on common concerns like carpal tunnel syndrome and offer practical tips to support a sustainable, daily crafting practice.

Whether you knit, spin, or weave, this episode is a gentle reminder that caring for your body is just as essential as the work you bring into the world.

Takeaways

• Crafting can transform your relationship with your craft.
• Knitting became a retreat from the busy world.
• It's important to connect with the crafting community.
• Many crafters experience pain but don't seek help.
• Preventative measures are key to avoiding crafting injuries.
• Posture and ergonomics significantly impact crafting comfort.
• Choosing the right tools can enhance crafting experience.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome is common among crafters.
• Mental health benefits are significant in crafting.
• Awareness of body mechanics is crucial for long-term crafting. 

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In this episode of the Sweet Georgia Show, Felicia explores the work of Radical Weavers, a community weaving studio in Stirling, Scotland. Founded by Mairi Breslin, the studio supports young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds through weaving workshops and inclusive teaching methods. Peter Dickie, Mairi’s son, runs the studio’s commercial offerings and community work, showcasing the transformative power of weaving.

The Radical Weavers organization, which started as a small hobby, has grown into a community hub that offers therapeutic weaving workshops and support for individuals facing challenges. Through inclusive and inspiring programs, the organization empowers people to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. The Radical Weavers’ commitment to diversity and inclusion has earned them recognition and support from the community.

Takeaways:

• Radical Weavers focuses on building community through weaving.
• The studio supports young adults who are neurodivergent or LGBT.
• Weaving is used as a therapeutic tool for trauma recovery.
• Accessibility adaptations are made for individuals with disabilities.
• Tartan weaving is evolving with innovative designs and materials.
• The V&A Museum residency showcased the creativity of the studio.
• Personal stories highlight the transformative power of weaving.
• Future plans include opening a Tartan Centre in Scotland.
• The organization aims to be self-sufficient and community-driven.
• Inclusivity and support are at the core of Radical Weavers' mission.

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Loose Ends is an everyone-is-welcome movement that aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with textile projects people have left undone due to death or disability.

In this conversation, Felicia Lo speaks with Masey Kaplan and Jen Simonic, co-founders of the Loose Ends project, which connects crafters to finish projects left behind by loved ones who have passed away. They discuss their backgrounds, the inception of Loose Ends, and how the project has grown to include thousands of volunteers across the globe. The conversation highlights the emotional impact of crafting, the importance of community support, and the future aspirations of the organization as they navigate challenges and seek to expand their reach.

Takeaways

• Loose Ends was born from a desire to help those grieving.
• The project connects crafters to unfinished projects left behind.
• Community support is vital for the growth of Loose Ends.
• The organization has grown to over 33,000 finishers in 74 countries.
• Crafting serves as a universal language of comfort and connection.
• The founders emphasize the importance of planning for unfinished projects.
• Loose Ends aims to expand beyond textiles into other crafts.
• Volunteers play a crucial role in the success of the project.
• The organization is adapting to challenges in the crafting community.
• Crafting fosters genuine human connections and kindness.

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The SweetGeorgia Show is set to return with a fresh perspective, aiming to explore the deeper intentions behind crafting. This isn't just a podcast about textiles and handcrafts; it's a conversation about the innovation and identity that these crafts represent. We want to understand how the act of making things shapes our identities and how these identities transcend geographical boundaries.

In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo reflects on her journey as a maker and the evolution of her brand, SweetGeorgia. She discusses the importance of community in crafting, the challenges and joys of creating, and the renewed focus of the podcast on meaningful conversations about the act of making. With a commitment to fostering connection and creativity, Felicia invites listeners to join her on this new adventure in exploring the stories behind crafting.

Takeaways

• The SweetGeorgia Show is celebrating its 100th episode.
• Felicia started the podcast to reconnect with her craft after a break.
• The podcast has evolved alongside SweetGeorgia's offerings.
• Creating videos for YouTube was pivotal for Felicia's teaching.
• SweetGeorgia now offers over 115 video-based courses.
• The podcast aims to explore the deeper meaning of crafting.
• Felicia emphasizes the importance of community in crafting.
• Listeners are encouraged to engage through comments and Discord.
• The podcast will be available in both video and audio formats.
• SweetGeorgia's mission is to spread joy through color and craft.

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This week Felicia is talking with writer and spinner: Debbie Held from Atlanta, Georgia. If you've been following our news at SweetGeorgia this year we created a brand new Ambassador Program this past August and introduced nine people in the knitting  and fibre arts world to help SweetGeorgia share the love of colour and craft and Debbie is one of those ambassadors. Debbie was chosen as an ambassador due to her passion for handspinning and her ability to share it with the community in such an encouraging and inviting way. She has written for Interweave, Schacht Spindle Company, Spin Off, Ply magazine, and more. And her writing has led to teaching opportunities all over the world.

We hope you'll join us for the chat today!

"...finding spinning has brought me an entirely new, incredibly rewarding life... I just feel lucky." - Debbie Held on how her life drastically changed when she was introduced to the art of spinning

• 1:24 Debbie chats about what got her into spinning in the first place
• 5:41 Felicia asks Debbie how she combined her creative life and her professional life
• 9:08 Debbie chats about how spinning helped her in her darkest times in life
• 13:15 How Debbie encourages people who want to spin for fun or for a career
• 17:30 Felicia chats about her new e-spinner with Debbie and how spinning can look different for everyone depending on their circumstances in life
• 20:57 What other kinds of fibre arts are in Debbie's life?
• 22:03 What kind of spinning trends Debbie is seeing lately
• 24:53 Debbie and Felicia chat about being multi-craftual makers
• 25:49 Debbie chats about the fear of creating and how it can hold you back
• 29:48 Debbie chats about her column "Her Handspun Habit"
• 34:24 Debbie chats about her exciting trip to Scotland to research some very rare spinning wheels
• 44:18 Where you can find Debbie online
• 47:34 Felicia's Final Thoughts

Website: www.debbieheld.com

Instagram: @doodler01

Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/people/doodler01

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

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This week on the show, Felicia is chatting with Claudia Gossens: the owner of the yarn shop Lanaphilia in Germany. Claudia has a joyful passion and excitement for yarn, fibre, knitting, and colour in everything she does and recently began sharing her experiences on her podcast: Wollinspirationen (available in German only).

It’s always wonderful to be able to chat with yarn shop owners from all over the world so we hope you’ll join Felicia and Claudia for their conversation!

  "...the feedback is enormous and I love it, it's just like having a huge amount of good knitting friends." - Claudia Glossens on how her podcast, Wollinspirationen enhances her fibre arts world

• 1:20 Claudia's nickname
• 2:31 How Claudia started knitting and how it became such a large part of her life
• 5:05 Knitting over language barriers
• 8:47 Claudia's favourite things to knit
• 9:45 Where Claudia finds inspiration for her knitting projects and her goals to finish before 2019 ends
• 12:45 Does Claudia have any other fibre interests other than knitting?
• 13:35 Claudia discusses her interest in spinning
• 15:21 What Claudia does with all her handspun and the difficulties and fun of blending certain colours with carding and knitting
• 19:00 Learning more about colour and the ones that suit you and bring you joy
• 21:32 How Claudia started running her yarn store: Lanaphilia and her biggest challenges in running a yarn store
• 27:01 Claudia chats about her Lanaphilia works as an online-only yarn store
• 27:45 Felicia asks Claudia about what knitting trends she's finding in Germany and online
• 29:45 Felicia asks Claudia if starting her podcast Wollinspirationen has affected what inspires her.
• 36:42 Where you can find Claudia online
• 37:56  Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway

Website: www.lanaphilia.de

Podcast: https://wollinspirationen.de

Instagram: @lanaphilia

Ravelry Group: https://www.ravelry.com/groups/lanaphilia

Claudia is giving our listeners a chance to win a copy of her  pattern: Taurus a triangular shawl that plays with slipped stitches. Thank you Claudia!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram,

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This week, Felicia is joined by Kara Gott Warner and Stephanie Palmer of The Knitter's Planner. Kara has been on our show not once, but twice before, as she is the former editor of Creative Knitting Magazine and is now the host of the Power Purls Podcast. She is also a coach for creative women and entrepreneurs and is now the editor of The Knitter's Planner. If you want to listen to Kara's previous episodes with us they are Episode 24 and  Episode 50. We are also joined by Stephanie who is the creator and publisher of The Knitter's Planner.

Please join us this week and get ready to nerd out about planning and time management!

"...we live in a hybrid time... we are in between two worlds in a sense... I do love my digital planners... but I think that there is just no replacement for putting a pen to paper... there's something meditative about it that you don't get with digital planning and there's a peaceful calming portion and there's a different level of commitment when you're thinking of your own goals and how you're structuring your time with pen to paper... that I just don't think digital can replace." - Stephanie Palmer on analog planners in a digital age

• 1:20 Stephanie and Kara introduce themselves to the listeners
• 4:12 Felicia asks Stephanie why she decided to first make The Quilter's Planner
• 5:40 How is The Knitter's Planner different from other planners?
• 9:03 Sunday-Starter vs Monday-Starter: the customization options in The Knitter's Planner
• 13:24 Discussing how to merge a digital and analog planning systems
• 17:05 How using a planner can make a difference for fibre artists who want to create more
• 22:34 Chatting about the fear of "ruining" a beautiful planner
• 24:28 Discussing everyones personal workflow around their planner
• 29:50 How to plan around the holiday season
• 33:06 Tips for people who are not planners, but want to become one
• 35:43 Where people can find The Knitter's Planner
• 37:22 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Website: www.knittersplanner.com

Instagram: @theknittersplanner

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KnittersPlanner

Stephanie and Kara are giving one of our lucky listeners the chance to win a free custom Knitter's Planner! This is a giveaway you certainly don't want to miss!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episo

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This week on the show, Felicia is chatting with Abby Glassenberg: a sewing pattern designer, craft book author, writer, and teacher. Since 2005 she's been writing a blog called While She Naps: which is about the home sewing industry and creative entrepreneurship with a focus on craft publishing, fabric manufacturing, feminism, and social justice. Ten years after she started the blog in 2015 she co-founded Craft Industry Alliance and now serves as its president.

Join Felicia and Abby as they chat about the crafting industry and the challenges makers have as they pursue the dream of turning their passion into a sustainable business.

"...I want to be where people are... and see what it's all about and not... live in fear... when I posted that there were a lot of people who were... really scared of Tik Tok... this is going to steal my privacy... and I understand the fear... about it but I just also feel like... get in there and play... see it with [your] own eyes... I would rather take a look myself than... believe the hype and... not make my own decision" -  Abby Glassenberg on crafters being on the new social media app, Tik Tok

• 1:29 Abby chats about when she began creating and how she stared her business
• 8:39 How Abby transitioned crafting from her hobby to a business and how it affected her audience base, and how business itself can be creative
• 13:58 Abby and Felicia discuss a common question in the industry: If you help other crafters succeed in their business, aren't you creating competition for yourself?
• 19:23 Abby chats more about Craft Industry Alliance and what it has to offer members
• 23:14 Felicia asks Abby what are the biggest challenges the craft industry and business owners are currently facing
• 26:53 The opportunities Abby is seeing in the creative industry space
• 29:44 Crafting and Tik Tok? Abby discusses the new social media app and how crafters could be a part of it
• 34:45 How Abby's business has changed now that her children are older
• 38:39 Abby discusses the team behind Craft Industry Alliance
• 41:03 What's coming up in the Craft Industry Alliance
• 45:33 Felicia's Final Notes and Special Discount Code for Craft Industry Alliance Membership

Abby's Blog: www.whileshenaps.com

Craft Industry Alliance Website: www.craftindustryalliance.org

Abby's Instagram: @abbyglassenberg

Abby Glassenberg Design Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/AbbyGlassenbergDesign

If you are a small business owner and are interested in joining the Craft Industry Alliance, Abby has created a special discount code for our listeners to receive 20% off the membership fee! Use the code: SWEETGEORGIA at checkout to receive your discount. Thank you so much Abby!

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every emai

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This week Felicia is joined by weaver, teacher, and designer:  Kelly Casanova, from Melbourne Australia. Kelly runs an online weaving school called:  Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons and has been working tirelessly to create ongoing weaving instruction, initially with a rigid heddle loom and now with multi-shaft looms. Kelly has been a huge inspiration for Felicia because Kelly was creating online weaving tutorials when there weren't any available.

Join Felicia and Kelly as they chat about the involvement and control that weaving offers a fibre artist and how to encourage others to start weaving.

  "...I felt like I was always looking for something really authentic, like I could do it from start to finish and have as much involvement in the process as I possibly could. And weaving was it for that because I could get the fibre, I could spin it, I could dye it, and then I could weave it, and then I could sew it..." -  Kelly Casanova on her love of weaving

• 2:09 Kelly chats about how she first got into the fibre arts
• 3:43 What was it about weaving that captured Kelly's interest so much?
• 5:19 What is Kelly's favourite fibre or yarn to work with?
• 6:20 Kelly discusses her upcoming course on studying Japanese techniques of dyeing and weaving
• 8:37 Felicia asks Kelly how she comes up with her course ideas for her online school
• 12:38 Kelly explains what students can learn at her online school
• 14:05 Kelly gives advice to first-time weavers and how to get started
• 16:49 Felicia and Kelly chat about how to encourage more weavers to create content for the Internet
• 18:31 What are the differences Kelly sees between weaving on a rigid heddle looms weaving on a floor loom?
• 21:30 Felicia chats with Kelly about her Etsy shop and her experience selling on that platform
• 23:06 Kelly's tips for production weavers
• 25:19 Kelly describes why she loves the online weaving community
• 27:19 How Kelly finds the time for self-care in a busy life
• 31:29 What Kelly has planned for her online school
• 33:36 Where can you find Kelly online
• 34:12 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Website: www.kellycasanovaweavinglessons.com

Online School: www.kelly-casanova-weaving-lessons.teachable.com

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/kellycasanova

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/kellycasanovaart

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kellycasanovatextileandfibreartist

Instagram: @casanova_kelly_weaver

If this week's conversation has inspired you to give weaving a try, then enter down below to win 5 free weaving patterns from Kelly's Etsy Shop!

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This week on the show, Felicia is talking with Cameron Taylor-Brown: an artist, weaver, and educator. Cameron studied fibre arts at the University of California, Berkeley with Ed Rossbach and then textile design at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. Since 1985 she's lived in Los Angeles where she's still active in arts and education. Her work is widely exhibited and has been featured in many publications including Fibre Art Now, American Craft, Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot. She teaches design and colour workshops at schools, guilds, museums, and conferences throughout the United States and at ARTSgarage: a teaching studio in Los Angeles. Cameron recently curated the exhibit Material Meaning: A Living Legacy of Anni Albers, which was on view at the Craft in America Center in Los Angeles.

Join Felicia and Cameron as they discuss Cameron's past and present in the arts.

  "... I always felt confident that I knew... the material well, but initially I was afraid of public speaking... that was my most nervous thing was standing up in front of a group of people... but what I realized was... when you're teaching... a visual medium the people that you're talking to are focusing on the medium that you're talking about, they're not focusing on you and so I began to realize I was the narrator, but they were looking at something else. The minute I figured that out... it was a lot less scary for me to talk to people... and then it's just about sharing something that you love and figuring out to explain it to people so that they own it, not you... one of the really important things when you're teaching is I don't want to create clones of myself. I want people to discover who they are and what their journey is and help them in their particular journey, and I think that's the art of teaching.  " -  Cameron Taylor-Brown on her transition from maker to educator

• 1:36 Felicia and Cameron chat about how Cameron used to be a sales rep for SweetGeorgia Yarns
• 2:35 Cameron talks about her "retirement"
• 3:56 How Cameron got into the fibre arts, specifically weaving
• 9:00 How Cameron made the jump from maker to educator
• 12:43 Cameron chats about her teaching studio: ARTSgarage
• 19:45 Felicia and Cameron chat about the difficulty of knowing where to start when you want to pursue a new fibre arts skill
• 23:00 Felicia asks Cameron if she has any suggestions for anyone wanting to turn their textile art into a business
• 35:50 Felicia and Cameron chat about the exhibit she recently curated called: Material Meaning: A Living Legacy of Anni Albers
• 46:18 Felicia's Final Notes

Website: www.camerontaylor-brown.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CameronTaylorBrownStudio

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This week on the show Felicia is joined by Angela Smith, the founder and creative director of Purl & Loop. Felicia has mentioned Purl & Loop many times before on the SweetGeorgia YouTube channel because, as an avid weaver, she is a huge fan of their looms. Please join Felicia and Angela as they discuss all things weaving and the big challenges faced when starting out a small business

"...it's an industry I was drawn to because, unlike real estate... well in real estate everyone thinks everything's an emergency... there are no emergencies in fibre. No one was ever going to call me up at 9 o'clock on a Friday night and tell me they had to look at 10 different looms by 9 am on Saturday morning... " -  Angela Smith on what inspired her to transition from the world of real estate to the world of fibre arts

• 0:51 Felicia and Angela chat about how they first met
• 1:27 Angela describes her company, Purl & Loop
• 2:57 Angela chats about some of Purl & Loops newest projects , including a "delicious" sounding Cord Taco
• 4:29 How Angela got into the world of fibre arts and started Purl & Loop
• 7:18 Felicia asks Angela how she transitioned from the world of real estate to owning a fibre arts supply store
• 11:57 Angela chats about the studio space Purl & Loop occupies
• 15:45 Angela discusses how the partnership with Liz Gibson helped advance Purl & Loop into a larger studio space
• 22:15 Chatting about the laser cutter and process that goes into creating the looms
• 25:15 Discussing the amazing team behind Purl & Loop
• 26:46 Is Purl & Loop going to venture out beyond weaving supplies?
• 29:07 Angela chats about Purl & Loop's new circle looms
• 30:58 What does the future hold for Purl & Loop?
• 32:47 Where you can find Purl & Loop online
• 33:38 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Website: www.purlandloop.com

Instagram: @purlandloop

If this week's conversation has inspired you to give weaving a try, then enter down below to win a free circular loom from Purl & Loop! Thanks to Angela and her team for giving our listeners a chance to win one of these gorgeous looms!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

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This week on the show, Felicia chats with Abbye Dahl: a Vancouver-based knitwear designer and professional photographer. Abbye is no stranger to SweetGeorgia Yarns as she created a collection of hat patterns using our yarns called: Cloche Knits. Abbye has also designed a follow-up collection called Cloche Knits 2. If you haven't seen the photos in Cloche Knits, they are stunning and elegantly shot. Now Abbye is about to share her deep photography knowledge and experience with knitters and she is created a course specifically teaching knitwear designers how to photograph their garments.

  "...one of the things I love about knitting... is the colours and the textures are so rich and... as I was doing it I was like 'Ah these things are... calling out to be photographed' So then I would spend time with my knitting just taking pictures of it... just being really inspired by all the different textures and then I was sitting at home and I'm like 'Well I have all of these awesome pictures of my knitting... just sitting on my hard drive, what can I do with this? How can I start sharing this with other people?' So I would honestly say it was the photography that got me to start designing just because I felt like I really wanted people to see these pictures of knitting, so I might as well write a patter to go with the pictures. " -  Abbye Dahl on what inspired her to start designing knitwear patterns

• 1:30 How did Abbye get into the fibre arts?
• 4:46 Abbye chats about the cloche-style hats she designs and what she loves about them
• 8:11 Felicia and Abbye talk about the Louise Poncho that Abbye designed for her Rockies collection
• 10:38 Felicia asks Abbye about her experiences in photography school
• 13:21 It's a small world after all: Abbye chats about her connections to two of our former podcast guests: Mariana Frochtengartenand Katrina Stewart
• 15:14 Discussing Abbye's upcoming Photography for Knitwear course
• 20:10 How designers can work effectively with knitwear models
• 27:02 The challenges of self-portraits
• 30:50 Abbye's chats about editing and re-touching knitwear photography
• 32:41 How Abbye's new photography course can be for non-designers as well
• 34:38 Where you can find Abbye online
• 36:09 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Website: www.abbyeknits.com

Knitwear Photography Course: www.abbyeknits.com/photography-for-knitwear

Instagram: @abbyeknits

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This week, Felicia is chatting with Rachel Price and Kate Burge of Spincycle Yarns. Spincycle Yarns is a very unique yarn company as they create small batch mill-spun yarn, spun from fibre that they hand dye so the yarns look and feel like handspun! You have probably seen Spincycle Yarns featured in such designs like Andrea Mowry's The Shiftcowl and Nightshift shawl among many others. Join Felicia, Rachel, and Kate as they chat about all things colour and spinning!

  "...the first time we ever hung out  it was Easter Sunday and we went to my... house... and we had... a pound of fibre and we're like 'Alright, let's go crazy and dye it' and we did and it was like so much fun  and we just... I don't know like as opposed to crafting by yourself, when you find your crafting soulmate to work with it's so much more fun." -  Kate Burge on meeting her best friend (and future business partner) Rachel Price

• 1:21 Rachel and Kate introduce themselves
• 3:05 Rachel and Kate chat about how they started spinning yarn
• 4:32 What made Rachel and Kate make the decision to go into business together?
• 7:03 How do you go from selling handspun yarn to production dyeing and spinning?
• 9:33 Sport Weight vs Fingering Weight: What's the difference and does it really matter?
• 11:43 Where Spincycle Yarns sources its fibre from and how they choose what fibre goes into their millspun yarns
• 15:30 Can yarn construction techniques be experimented with when you have your own mill?
• 17:34 How many colourways is Spincycle Yarns producing right now?
• 20:32 How do Rachel and Kate draw the boundaries between work and play when running a yarn business?
• 26:36 Felicia asks Rachel about how she learned how to weave in Harrisville
• 30:07 Do Rachel and Kate teach textile arts to the public?
• 32:35 What changes have Rachel and Kate seen in the knitting world over the years? And the fun of collaborating with Andrea Mowry
• 40:10 Where to find Rachel and Kate online! Also you can find Spincycle Yarns at Knit City in Vancouverthis year at the Starlight Knitting Society booth!
• 43:32 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Website: www.spincycleyarns.com

Instagram: @spincycle_yarns

If you want to get your hands on Rachel and Kate's beautiful yarn, enter our contest to win 2 free skeins of their brand new colourway: Castaway! Thank you so much to Rachel, Kate, and the hardworking Spincycle gang for making this giveaway possible!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

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This week, Felicia is joined on the show by Mariana Frochtengarten: a textile artist and art educator with an extensive background in dyeing. Specifically, she's had more than 20 years of experience in resists dyeing techniques like batik and shibori. A few years ago, Mariana worked at SweetGeorgia as one of the dyers in our dye team but now has begun teaching art. This past summer, Mariana has once again been reunited with us as we recorded a course for The School of SweetGeorgia all about shibori dyeing techniques. Join Felicia and Mariana as they chat about textile arts and it's many different values in our society.

  "...focusing on technique, teaching technique but also just... approaching textiles as a language, as a form of expression, as a way of doing something that... is in a way... is so present in every culture and in everybody's life so that was really a way for me to... link with community, link with people..." - Mariana on why she enjoys being an art educator

• 1:24 Mariana chats about her background in dyeing
• 4:23 Mariana and Felicia discusses the struggles of making a living off of your craft without feeling you are losing the personal, handcrafted quality of the product
• 9:45 Mariana chats about how her production dyeing turned more towards community work and teaching people about textiles
• 12:58 Felicia asks Mariana about her experience in art therapy and using art therapy to help new immigrants to Canada adjust to their new life
• 20:19 Chatting about the importance of the process of creation
• 23:08 Felicia asks Mariana about how her values have changed over time
• 26:01 Felicia and Mariana chat about the loneliness of dyeing and how to make it a more social process
• 29:16 Discussing Mariana's Shibori Dyeing Basics course on The School of SweetGeorgia and the element of surprise that goes with resist dyeing
• 32:20 Where you can find Mariana online
• 35:26 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Instagram: @nanafro

Email: nanafro@gmail.com

Shibori Dyeing Basics Course Forum Page: www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/community/forum/shibori-dyeing-basics

If you want to check out Mariana's course on shibori dyeing and all of our other fibre arts courses in The School of SweetGeorgia, enter our contest to win a free 3-month subscription! 

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram,

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On this week's episode, Felicia is chatting with Eli: a London-based Norwegian knitting pattern designer highly influenced by traditional Norwegian knitting. She is also the hostess of the Skeindeer Knits podcast and has published over 100 episodes! Join Felicia and Eli as they chat about colourwork knitting!

"...me personally I think you can change things that have been a certain way and it will still be that thing and ok but even if it's not that thing anymore... that's how things take on new forms and become interesting and new things... either way I think that's cool" - Eli on wether a design is truly considered a traditional Selbu mitten or not

• 0:49 Felicia and Eli chat about Vlogmas and when Eli visited the SweetGeorgia studios for a knit night
• 3:30 Eli discusses how she first got into knitting and knitwear design
• 9:37 Felicia and Eli chat about Selbu mittens and why Eli is hesitant to accept her nickname "The Queen of Selbu Mittens"
• 14:30 Discussing the thumb of the Selbu mitten
• 15:43 Eli discusses the unique features of Norwegian stranded colourwork knitting
• 20:05 Felicia asks Eli if she feels any pressure as a Norwegian knitwear designer to uphold the traditions of Norwegian knitting styles
• 21:24 Felicia asks Eli about how she started her YouTube podcast
• 27:04 Eli gives advice to anyone wanting to start their own YouTube channel
• 30:50 Eli chats about being a PHD student and knitwear designer at the same time
• 33:10 Felicia asks Eli about her plans for after she gets her PHD
• 34:47 Where to find Eli online
• 36:12 Felicia's Final Notes

Website: www.skeindeer.com

YouTube Podcast: www.youtube.com/skeindeerknits

Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/designers/skeindeer-knits

Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/skeindeer-knits

Instagram: @skeindeer

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

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This week Felicia welcomes Benjamin Krudwig: a textile and fashion designer from Lafayette, Colorado. Benjamin teaches tapestry and rigid heddle weaving in shops along the Colorado front range. When he isn't designing, he's spending time with his wife and two cats!

Join Felicia and Benjamin as they discuss how to welcome more people into the fibre arts world!

"What I've figured out that works best for me is scheduling it into my life... from this time to this time I'm going to be in my studio. And whatever the means it could be weaving, could be sewing, could be sketching... I've carved out that time for me... there isn't really a magic wand except for try to make it a priority... if we don't put that into our schedule then it's never going to happen... I think... allowing yourself to have that is important. " - Benjamin Krudwig on finding the time for fibre arts projects

• 2:00 Benjamin chats about how he got into the fibre arts industry
• 4:45 Benjamin shares what he is most passionate about at the moment in the fibre arts
• 5:31 Felicia asks Benjamin about his fashion line and sewing with handwoven fabrics
• 8:23 How does Benjamin find time to do so many different projects?
• 12:33 Bejamin's perspective on how to bring people to the fibre arts and possible challenges Millenials face trying to get into the fibre arts world
• 20:00 What does Benjamin have planned for 2019?
• 21:27 Benjamin's advice for those who want to get into the fibre arts but don't have a lot of extra income to play with
• 24:29 Felicia asks Benjamin about his project for the spin along Schacht held as part of their 50th anniversary celebration
• 26:09 Where you can find Benjamin and his many projects online
• 28:08 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway!

Website: www.benjaminkrudwig.com

Fashion Website: www.benjamincollyn.com

Fibre Arts Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BenjaminKrudwig

Fibre Arts Instagram: @benjamin_krudwig

Fashion Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BenjaminCollyn

Fashion Instagram: @benjamin_collyn

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/benjaminkrudwig

Benjamin is generously offering a custom made t-shirt from his fashion line in his printed branch or mountain fabric! 

Click here to enter the giveaway »

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This week, Felicia is talking with Sarah Resnick, the founder of GIST Yarn & Fibre: a little shop dedicated to providing beautiful and unusual yarn and weaving supplies to inspire the community of weavers.

Join Felicia and Sarah as they discuss the resurgence of weaving within the crafting community!

  "I... like the process of... making it but... one thing I love about weaving is that it's so tangible... and it's so great for making things that people will have for a long time... the Jewish prayer shawls that I have woven... stay in their lives for a long time and I like the fact that... through a process that comes with a lot of love... there is a finished project that really... can have a meaning in someone's life or in my own " - Sarah Resnick on wether she is process-driven or project-driven

• 1:23  Felicia asks Sarah how she discovered yarn and the fibre arts
• 8:14  What equipment Sarah is currently weaving on
• 9:02  Is Sarah project-driven or process-driven?
• 10:58  Sarah's favourite things to weave
• 12:04 Felicia and Sarah chat about baby wraps
• 17:56  Other than her Etsy shop and baby wrap business, what other textile and fibre projects has Sarah pursued?
• 20:50 Sarah's advice for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the weaving world and how GISTis helping to spread weaving education
• 24:28  The recent resurgence of weaving and what draws people to the craft
• 26:31  How Sarah finds time for her own personal weaving projects
• 27:41  Sarah's future plans for GIST
• 29:56  Where to find Sarah online
• 30:48  Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway

Website: www.gistyarn.com

Podcast: www.gistyarn.com/podcast

Instagram: @gistyarn

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/gistyarn

Sarah is giving one of our lucky winners a chance to win 3 cones of Gist Yarn & Fibre's newest weaving yarn: Duet! Duet is a beautiful cotton linen blend yarn that is perfect for your next weaving project!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

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This week, Felicia has a special in-studio guest: Katrina Stewart of Crafty Jak's. Crafty Jak's was founded by the mother-daughter team of Judi and Katrina as a way to share the things that they love about crafts and the fibre arts such as hand-dyed yarns, as well as hand-dyed and hand-carded spinning fibre. Katrina also teaches various spinning classes at our SweetGeorgia studios as well as other yarn shops in town. We have also recently released a video-based online workshop called Carding for Colourwhere Katrina teaches fibre preparation techniques.

Join Felicia and Katrina as they chat about fibre, spinning, colour, and everything in between!

 "...When you've put so much time and energy into something... it feels like you can't just throw it away. But I think too if you can look at it from 'What did I learn from that experience?' and take that knowledge away, then it really hasn't been wasted in the same way... It's one of those things where if we look at it as a learning experience then it's not wasted." - Katrina Stewart on felted fibre and learning

• 1:52 Katrina chats about how she got started with fibre arts
• 6:29 Felicia asks Katrina what end results she is looking for when making her carded fibre and preparing fibre
• 8:52 Katrina talks about her steep learning curve she encountered on her spinning and dyeing journey and all the felted fibre along the way
• 12:29 How did Katrina make the transition form having a photography business to a fibre business?
• 17:06 What Katrina brings from her career as a photographer to her fibre arts business and competition in the hand-dyed industry
• 25:39 Felicia asks Katrina how she balances the slow nature of carding fibre with the business requirements for efficiency
• 30:50 Katrina chats about her new book she published with Rachel Smith - Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour
• 34:07 How Katrina and Rachel met and became friends and collaborators
• 38:05 The difficulties of managing a business and raising a family
• 46:53 Katrina's plans for 2019
• 51:42 Felicia's Final Notes and Giveaway

Website: www.craftyjaks.ca

Instagram: @craftyjaks

Order a copy of Unbraided here: www.craftyjaks.ca/ourstore/books/unbraided-the-art-and-science-of-spinning-colour/

Order an e-copy of Unbraided here: www.blurb.ca/b/9456971-unbraided-the-art-science-of-spinning-colour?ebook=695655

Katrina and Rachel are giving away a copy of their new book: Unbraided: The Art and Science

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This week Felicia welcomes Coty Jeronimus to The SweetGeorgia Show. Coty is one of the  co-founders of Nomad Noos: a new mission-driven luxury yarn company that is dedicated to the concept of slow cloth and slow fashion. Coty and her co-founder Alessandra work to bring handspun, sustainably sourced yarn from Mongolia and Nepal to the hand knitting community. At the core of their mission is this question: What if your favourite knitted project not only gives you a good feeling but also has a positive impact on the world too?

Please join Felicia and Coty as they discuss the process of making beautiful and sustainable yarn!

  "...I was like wow you know I like to knit and I like yarns and I... really want to do something and to show that even with a small brand you can be transparent and you can be traceable and doing good... as a knitter you take time to knit and then have a supply chain where also this is valued.. that was in fact the seed to start Nomad Noos" - Coty on the reason behind the creation of Nomad Noos

• 2:14 Coty explains what the Nomad Noos business entails
• 3:30 Coty chats about the kinds of animal fibre Nomand Noos uses in their yarns and how it's collected
• 8:28 Felicia and Coty chat about how the fibre is processed after being collected
• 10:36 Felicia asks Coty about the team of spinners Nomad Noos employs and their kickstarter campaign
• 17:24 Discussing what happens to the yarns after they are spun
• 21:49 How Nomad Noos got started
• 26:30 Discussing the value of slow cloth and slow fashion
• 28:21 What does the name "Nomad Noos" mean?
• 29:28 Where to find Nomad Noos online
• 31:27 Felicia's Final Notes

Website: www.nomadnoos.com

Kickstarter Campaign (ends June 14th 2019): www.kickstarter.com/projects/nomadnoos/luxurious-yarns-with-a-mission-by-nomadnoos

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nomadnoos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nomadnoos

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

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This week Felicia is chatting with Hanna Lisa Haferkamp who runs HLH Designs: a project bag and knitting tool company. Alongside HLH, Hanna Lisa also runs a successful coaching practice for creative business owners and co-founded and currently runs Making Stories: an independent knitwear design publishing company.

Join Felicia and Hanna Lisa as they discuss how to start, run, and sustain a creative business.

 “Starting off a production based business, starting off small and really focusing on making products that are really really good that you’re proud of… even if that’s in just really small batch numbers… that’s key and that will allow you to then gradually… make more sales and then reinvest the money… into more raw materials and then figuring out what kind of business model really works for you… wether it’s a shop update based… wether you’re doing wholesale or not… I think that can all gradually come as long as you’re really focused on making a really good product and figuring out what your unique story… your niche is. ” – Hanna Lisa Haferkamp on production based businesses

• 1:12 Felicia reminisces about how she first found out about Hanna Lisa and her work
• 2:17 Felicia asks Hanna Lisa to introduce herself to the audience and how she got started in the creative world
• 10:06 Hanna Lisa discusses what kind of clients she supports through her coaching practice and the financial problems experienced when trying to be a knitwear designer or small creative business owner
• 15:15 What is Hanna Lisa’s advice when it comes to becoming a top knitwear designer?
• 18:05 Felicia and Hanna Lisa discuss pattern pricing: What’s a fair price to charge?
• 20:27 Hanna Lisa chats about what it’s like to start a manufacturing business like HLH Designs
• 23:44 Hanna Lisa describes her main product: her project bags
• 26:32 Hanna Lisa and Felicia chat about the “Slow Business Experiment”
• 35:15 How Hanna Lisa splits her time between 3 businesses
• 39:00 Hanna Lisa’s advice to those that want to start a creative business
• 42:55 Felicia asks Hanna Lisa what her plans for 2019 are
• 49:19 Felicia’s Final Notes

Website: www.hlh-designs.com

Business Coaching Website: www.hannalisahaferkamp.com

Making Stories: www.making-stories.com

Business Instagram: @hlh.design

Personal Instagram: @hannalisahaferkamp

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram,

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Our guest this week is Tien Chiu: a master weaver and (in Tien’s own words) a “certified colour nut”. Tien’s work has been exhibited in museums and featured on the cover of Handwoven magazine. She’s the author of Master Your Craft: Strategies for Designing, Making, and Selling Artisan Work; a book about creative process in craft. She has woven hundred of handwoven fabric swatches and dyed over 2,500 yarn samples in her quest to understand colour. Tien now teaches about colour in weaving at warpandweave.com.

Please join Felicia and Tien as they chat about weaving, colour, and the courage to make mistakes.

 “You can do so many things with weaving… There’s this thing that I think of as the ratio between head and hands… it’s the amount of design time versus the amount of time that you spend making something. So I like solving puzzles… and with knitting there’s not as much to think about… I can design something in knitting that will take a lot longer to knit than it will to design in general… with weaving I find that 80% of my time is spent in design and that’s the part that I really enjoy… It will take me months to design something that will take me about a week and a half to weave.  ” – Tien Chiu on explaining her love of weaving

• 1:18 Felicia asks Tien how she got started with the fibre arts
• 4:36 Tien describes how she became a textile artist full-time
• 7:55 Tien chats about how she discovered one of her main passions in life: weaving
• 12:22 Felicia asks Tien about her weaving equipment
• 14:48 Tien offers words of encouragement to those who are curious about weaving but don’t know where to start
• 16:44 Tien discusses her time with studying with master weaver Laura Fry
• 21:52 Felicia asks Tien how she furthers her weaving education on her own after spending time with Laura
• 27:05 Tien chats about her online school Warp & Weave that teaches classes about colour and weaving and her phenomenal library of Procion MX fibre-reactive dye samples on her website
• 33:27 Felicia asks Tien what her goal is in creating this school to teach about colour
• 38:38 Where you can find Tien and her work online
• 39:32 Felicia’s Final Notes and Giveaway!

Warp & Weave: www.warpandweave.com

Warp & Weave Courses Page: www.classes.warpandweave.com

Tien’s Blog: www.tienchiu.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/warpandweavecolor

Tien is giving away a free pass to her online course: Colour Courage for Weavers -Basic! If you’d like a chance to win one of this amazing course, click the link below and enter this episode’s secret word. Thank you so much to Tien for donating t

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This week, Felicia is chatting with Dianna Walla, a knitwear designer currently based in Montreal, Canada. Originally from the United States, Dianna has also lived in Northern Norway for 2 years. The nordic region continues to have a strong influence on her work and she is especially inspired by stranded colourwork in Norwegian knitting. She’s created  many colourwork patterns for magazines, yarn companies, yarn stores, and her own brand: Paper Tiger. She also creates videos dealing with colourwork and related topics on the Paper Tiger YouTube channel.

Please join Felicia and Dianna as they discuss revitalizing colourwork knitting in modern aesthetics.

 “The hardest thing is figuring out what to relinquish control of, because sometimes when you end up working for yourself it’s because you like to… have control over what you’re doing and as soon as you hand it off to somebody else you’re… trusting them with this piece of your work which matters a lot to you… But it makes a big difference… ” – Dianna Walla on the pros and cons of outsourcing aspects of knitwear design

• 1:57 Dianna discusses how she came to love knitting
• 3:23 How did Dianna expand her knitting skills?
• 5:30 How did Dianna get into knitwear design
• 7:00 Digital or analog designing: which does Dianna prefer?
• 8:33 Discussing the balance between Dianna’s creative world and academic world and the complications of translating knitting patterns
• 13:05 How to go about becoming a knitwear designer
• 16:00 How does Dianna find balance between photography, creating tutorial videos, marketing, and all the other aspects of being a self-published knitwear designer
• 18:42  The differences between Dianna’s two blogs: Cake and Vikings and Paper Tiger
• 23:19 What trends are currently being seen on social media in regards to knitwear design
• 25:52 Dianna describes Norwegian style colourwork knitting, why she loves it, and how she uses it in her designs
• 29:29 Felicia and Dianna discuss yarn selection regarding colourwork knitting
• 33:33 How do you help customers find colours that work for them and work well together?
• 38:04 What Dianna is exploring right now
• 40:08 Is there anything Dianna knows now that she wishes she had known when she started?
• 41:42 Where to find Dianna online
• 42:33 Felicia’s Final Notes

Instagram: @cakeandvikings

Website: www.paper-tiger.net

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PaperTiger

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or

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This week, Felicia is chatting with Caitlin Hunter. Caitlin runs her own knitwear design company called Boyland Knitworks and lives in Oregon with her husband and three boys. Caitlin has a degree in apparel design and manufacturing and worked as a designer in the traditional fashion manufacturing industry before leaving her career to care for her children before becoming the successful knitwear designer she is today. Caitlin’s garments feature fantastic stranded colourwork and are designed to be fashionable, comfortable, and fun!

Please join Felicia and Caitlin for their discussion on fashion, colour, and designing!

 ” In fashion for so long we women have been… stuffed into uncomfortable garments. So there’s nothing really less flattering than seeing somebody who they might look great standing still but they can’t walk in their outfit… or they’re pulling on their hem, adjusting things… it’s not fun to be that person… To try to find that happy balance between looking good and feeling good… that’s my sweet spot. ” – Caitlin Hunter on designing knitwear that’s fun to make and wear

• 1:18 Caitlin chats about how she got interested in knitting
• 8:15 Felicia asks Caitlin what inspires her knitwear designs
• 10:53 Talking about comfort in knitwear patterns
• 11:53 Felicia asks Caitlin what she thinks makes a knitwear pattern go viral
• 14:17 Does Caitlin get nervous before launching a new design?
• 17:12 Chatting about the price of knitwear patterns. What is the value of a pattern and how much work goes into being a knitwear designer?
• 21:08 Caitlin and Felicia talk about trying to find balance between work and family
• 27:15 Caitlin discusses her passion for stranded colourwork knitting
• 30:13 Colour dominance in stranded colourwork knitting
• 32:14 How Caitlin chooses colours for her projects
• 33:10 Is there anything Caitlin wishes she had known before becoming a knitwear designer?
• 34:30 What is currently inspiring Caitlin and what plans she has for 2019
• 37:10 Where you can find Caitlin online
• 38:32 Felicia’s Final Notes

Instagram: @boylandknitworks

Website: www.boylandknitworks.com

Ravelry: Boyland Knitworks

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our show! Until next time, enjoy colour!

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This week’s guest is Alanna Wilcox: a Master Spinner, art educator, weaver, knitter, artist, author, and teacher! Alanna has also written an incredible book on spinning, A New Spin On Colour and a dyeing guide, Dyeing To Get The Colours You Want.

Please join Felicia and Alanna as they discuss spinning and Alanna’s massive dye formula project she is undertaking!

• 1:45  Alanna chats about how she got into the fibre arts
• 4:01 Alanna shares her journey of becoming a Master Spinner
• 7:44 Felicia asks Alanna to share more details of the intensive Master Spinner course
• 10:10 Alanna discusses her personal goals with spinning
• 12:15 Alanna shares with us the massive dyeing project she is currently undertaking: colour matching dye formulas
• 17:55 Felicia and Alanna discuss the number of primary colours one can use while dyeing
• 21:36 When Alanna’s project will be available to the public (Note: as of this episode publication, her colour formulas are now available for purchase on her website!)
• 23:32 Felicia asks Alanna how she keeps track of all her swatches and samples while completing this project
• 25:20 Is colour sense and colour theory something anyone can learn?
• 27:17 Alanna chats about what it takes to teach fibre arts
• 30:56 Felicia asks Alanna how she manages to balance teaching, dyeing experiments, and having a family
• 32:52 Alanna chats about her 100 Day Project 
• 35:04 Felicia and Alanna chat about electric spinners
• 37:43 Where you can find Alanna online
• 38:46 Felicia’s Final Notes

Instagram: @spinnybuns

Website: www.alannawilcox.com

Colour Matching Dye Formulas: www.alannawilcox.com/colormatchingdyeformulas

Facebook: Alanna Rothschild Wilcox

Alanna is giving our listeners a chance to win an e-copy of her book A New Spin on Colour and 5 free dye formulas! If you’d like a chance to win this awesome prize pack, click the link below and enter this episode’s secret word. Thank you so much Alanna!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please le

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Sylvia is a knitwear designer who has self-published several knitwear design collections. She is well-known for her Waiting for Rainshawl which is one of the first shawls of this design to use short rows and lace together. Sylvia is also a photographer and does all the photography for her gorgeous collections.

Please join us this week as Felicia and Sylvia discuss photographing knitwear!

• 2:05  Felicia and Sylvia reminisce about when they first met at Knit City years ago
• 4:48 Sylvia discusses her passion to teach other designers photography
• 7:01 Sylvia and Felicia chat about how perfectionism can interfere with artistic progress
• 7:54 Felicia asks Sylvia what her process is as a self-publishing knitwear designer
• 11:07 Discussing the "creative gap" of what vision you have in your mind versus the results you get
• 11:51 Chatting about moody and dark photography trends coming into fashion and the cyclical nature of trends
• 17:46 Discussing the challenges of photoshoots and finding models
• 22:06 Sylvia explains why she left photography school and the issues in fashion photography today
• 24:49 Felicia asks Sylvia if she keeps photography trends in mind when she does her own knitwear shoots and designs
• 26:02 Talking about Sylvia's latest purchase of a Lensbaby lens
• 27:53 The gear Sylvia recommends for photography
• 28:47 Felicia asks Sylvia how she gets her beautiful "thrown in the air" shawl photos
• 31:35 Sylvia discusses what she's working on right now
• 33:33 The difficulty of sizing in knitwear patterns
• 36:49 Felicia and Sylvia chat about dealing with the discomfort of seeing photographs of yourself
• 40:43 Sylvia offers advice to those wanting to get into knitwear design or photography
• 43:35  Felicia asks Sylvia how she manages to publish knitwear designs on her own
• 47:09 Where to find Sylvia online and her new YouTube podcast
• 48:30 Felicia's Final Thoughts and giveaway!

Instagram: @softsweater

Website: www.softsweaterknits.com

Ravelry: softsweater

Ravelry group: www.ravelry.com/groups/softsweater-knits

YouTube: The Wrong Side Podcast

Facebook: Softsweater Knits

Sylvia has generously offered our listeners a chance to win a hard copy of her shawl collection Gentle Armour: Five Shawls for Sensitive People! If you'd like a chance to win these gorgeous patterns click the link below and enter this episode's secret word. Thank you so much Sylvia!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we're doing here, please

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This week Felicia is chatting with Andrea Rangel: a prolific and popular knitwear designer living in Victoria, British Columbia. She is the author of two books: Alterknit Stitch Dictionary and Rugged Knits. Although creating knitting patterns and planning workshops keeps her busy most of the time, Andrea also loves cycling and hiking when she can. She also has a great passion for sewing and dreams of having a wardrobe that is entirely handmade!

Please join us as Felicia and Andrea discuss colourwork motifs and how to modernize them.

 “I think the thing about knitting is that it’s so infinite… I never stop learning, there’s always more… That is really exciting.” – Andrea Rangel

• 1:17  Felicia and Andrea chat about the recent Knit Social industry retreat on Galiano Island
• 3:58  Felicia asks Andrea what her plans for 2019 are
• 6:03  Andrea discusses her other crafty interests and how she started knitting
• 11:30  What pulled Andrea into the knitting rabbit-hole
• 15:56  Unique knitting niches and groups on the Internet
• 17:18  Andrea’s design process and how she organizes the many steps that go into publishing a pattern
• 23:55  Digital vs Analog:  How Andrea keep track of her project management
• 26:25  Felicia and Andrea chat about bullet journalling (and their lack of Instagram fanciness)
• 28:18  How do you knit for fun when it’s also your job?
• 32:33  The ladies chat about Andrea’s book: AlterKnit Stitch Dictionary
• 36:28 Felicia asks Andrea how she modernized colourwork motifs for her book and designs
• 41:19  “Remember: what matters is how you feel about your work.”
• 43:40  How did Andrea create her tidy swatches pictured in her book?
• 50:54 Andrea discusses where you can find her online
• 52:00 Felicia’s Final Thoughts and prize giveaway!

Instagram: @andrearangelknits

Website: www.andrearangel.com

Ravelry: Andreakr

Ravelry group: https://www.ravelry.com/groups/andrea-rangel-knits

Twitter: AndreaRKnits

Facebook: Andrea Rangel Knits

If you’ve been inspired by Felicia and Andrea’s conversation and want to give stranded colourwork knitting a go, enter our contest to win a free copy of Andrea’s book: Alterknit Stitch Dictionary!

Click here to enter the giveaway »

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre art friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether i

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Welcome to the first episode of season four of The SweetGeorgia Show! Thank you all for your patience in waiting for this season as it’s been a long time coming. Last year was a busy one of new challenges as we worked diligently to grow my online fibre arts school: The School of SweetGeorgia. Now that the school is off the ground,  it’s time to get back to having great discussions with some amazing artists.

Please join Felicia this week as she kicks off the fourth season of The SweetGeorgia Show!

• 0:53 Why she started The SweetGeorgia Show
• 2:35 Why she took a year off of the podcast and why she created The School of SweetGeorgia
• 3:52 The creative itch and the fear that accompanies it
• 7:13 Felicia’s Final Notes

Every Friday Felicia posts an episode of my vlog “Taking Back Friday” on the SweetGeorgia YouTube channel! In this vlog, Felicia discusses what current project she’s working on, happenings at the SweetGeorgia studio, and how to organize life more efficiently to have more time for the crafts we love.

Thank you so much for joining us this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow fibre arts friends. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. We read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your support of the fourth season of The SweetGeorgia Show! Until we meet again, enjoy colour!

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Thank you for joining us this season on The SweetGeorgia Show! This is the last episode this season and we are doing things a little differently from usual. This week, Felicia is by herself and wants to share with you the idea of “seasons”, why we do this podcast, and why we make it in the way that we do. Perhaps this discussion of seasons will inspire you to think differently about your own crafting life.

Please join Felicia this week as she discusses the Seasons of Craft!

• 1:58 The first season: Seasons of Life
• 7:17 The second season: Seasons of Creativity
• 10:55 The third season: Seasons of Productivity
• 14:26 The fourth season: Seasons of Rest
• 18:58 Felicia’s Final Notes

Thank you so much for joining me this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your fellow knitting friends. And if you like what I’m doing here, please leave a rating and review on iTunes for the show. I read each and every email and bit of feedback, whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so I welcome your comments.

Thank you all so much for your support of the third season of The SweetGeorgia Show! Until we meet again, enjoy colour!

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This week Felicia is joined by Jane Stafford: production weaver, teacher, and business owner behind Jane Stafford Textiles on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. For over 35 years, Jane has been exploring weaving and has built the most extraordinary career in textiles. Jane is the instructor for Louet dealers in North America and you might recognize her from her teaching on Louet’s instructional DVDs and videos. It’s also no coincidence that Jane shares her name with Louet’s newest table loom. The Jane loom is an acknowledgement of Jane Stafford’s years of contributions towards weaving loom design. Seriously, how many people can say that they have a weaving loom named after them? Jane is also the recipient of teacher of the year award from Handwoven Magazine and now teaches exclusively from her studio on Salt Spring Island and her online weaving guild.

Join Felicia and Jane this week as they discuss Jane's humble beginnings of weaving her first piece of fabric to creating an online guild so she can reach weavers all over the world!

• 2:22 Felicia reminisces how she first learned about Jane from a book on a coffee table many years ago
• 3:27 Jane discusses how she first got introduced to weaving
• 9:00 Did Jane ever feel like quitting during the long process to becoming a weaver? Jane also discusses the frustration of having so many teachers with different methods.
• 11:15 Weaving is attractive to many different kinds of people. Some are very exact and precise, some are very free and unstructured. Felicia asks Jane what her personality is when it comes to weaving. Also, the method Jane used to save herself from the tedium of production weaving.
• 20:02 Is Jane still into production weaving?
• 21:32 How Jane started to teach weaving to others
• 25:20 Jane gives advice on how one can start something as seemingly-complex as weaving
• 29:04 Jane and Felicia discuss Jane’s online weaving guild she’s developing
• 34:38 The ladies discuss mistakes and problem solving in weaving and the dangers of perfectionism
• 38:02 Chatting about how weavers can find support when they are learning online
• 40:28 Jane discusses her plans for the guild for 2018
• 44:00 Felicia asks Jane what she considers is good design for weaving and how people can get there
• 47:17 Jane created the online guild so she could reach more people and have more time for her own personal weaving projects. Felicia asks Jane what she is looking forward to making.
• 51:49 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here's where to find Jane online:

• Website: www.janestaffordtextiles.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/janestaffordtextiles
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/janestaffordtextiles
• Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/browse/show/weave-with-jane-stafford
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.ca/janestaff

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This week Felicia is joined by Anna Hunter: knitter, business owner, entrepreneur, community leader, and now shepherdess and homesteader. For some of our listeners in the audience who are from our local Vancouver, BC area, you’ll recall that Anna was the founder of the Baaad Anna’s yarn store in East Vancouver. About two and a half years ago, she sold the store to a longtime friend and customer Paula who has continued to build the store. Since that time Anna, her husband, and her two young sons have had some big adventures on their new farm Long Way Homestead.

Please join us as Felicia and Anna discuss the challenges one faces when starting your own farm!

• 1:43 Anna talks about how she was first introduced to knitting and how she was inspired to open Baaad Anna’s
• 7:00 Felicia asks Anna how her strong beliefs in community building has affected her decisions in creating Baaad Anna’s and her current business ventures
• 9:34 Anna talks about why she decided to sell her yarn store and move to Manitoba to start a farm
• 13:01 Talking about starting up the homestead and the Kickstarter that made Anna’s SponsorSHEEPprogram possible
• 18:54 Anna and Felicia discuss the SponsorSHEEP program in more detail and how it changes the way fibre artists view the materials they work with
• 24:00 Garlic VS sheep, escaping llamas, and how Anna documents all that she’s learning living on a homestead
• 27:09 Anna discusses why local wool production is so important and the lack of wool mills in Canada and how it affects our carbon footprint
• 36:32 With all the responsibility of keeping a homestead going, does Anna have time to knit?
• 40:13 What kind of sheep Anna raises on her farm and some nerding out over sheep facts
• 44:25 How Anna’s family has adjusted from living in the big city to now living on a rural farm
• 46:07 Where to find Anna online to follow her family’s adventures and information on upcoming SponsorSHEEP opportunities
• 47:15 Felicia’s final notes

Here’s where to find Anna online:

• Website: www.longwayhomestead.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/longwayhomestead

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This week Felicia is joined by Romi Hill, a knitwear and jewelry designer. Romi is an inspiration as a knitwear designer who has been working in a very specialized niche in the knitting world. She designs gorgeous shawl pins that go with her equally gorgeous lace shawl patterns. Romi’s work is breathtakingly delicate and awe-inspiring so it’s no surprise her Ravelry group is over 9,000 members strong!

Please join us today as Felicia chats with Romi about how she found her passion in designing lace shawls and crafting exquisite shawl pins.

• 1:22 Felicia asks Romi how she first got interested in knitting and jewelry making
• 9:02 Romi describes how she changed her career from music to knitwear and jewellery design
• 16:25 Romi and Felcia chat about Romi’s Pins and Lace Club which is now in it’s 9th year!
• 19:44 Felicia chats with Romi about her subscription based business model, her e-book subscriptions, her 7 Small Shawls to Knit collections, Romi’s secret “sock hate”, and her 7 reSizeable Shawls pattern collection
• 27:24 Felicia asks Romi how she writes her lace patterns (chart VS written)
• 30:13 How to choose yarn for lace projects
• 37:06 How Romi chooses colours for her lace projects
• 38:52 Where to find Romi online and keep up with her latest works
• 41:45 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here’s where to find Romi online:

• Website: www.designsbyromi.com (Check out this site to sign up for the 2018 Romi’s Pins and Lace Club!)
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/romidesigns
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/RomiDesigns
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignsbyRomi
• Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/-romis-studio

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This week Felicia is joined by Sivia Harding, a knitwear designer who has been working with fiber and art ever since she can remember. As a youth she became obsessed with the fiber arts and dabbled in weaving, spinning, and dyeing as well as other activities. She finally came to knitting in the year 2000 and almost immediately began to design. Sivia is best known for exceptional lace and bead designs. Her patterns also include accessories, garments, and Möbius creations. Sivia has been widely published in books and collections including Jared Flood’s Wool People series, Twist Collective, and Knitty. She also self-publishes as Sivia Harding Knit Design. Since 2009 Sivia has also been travelling  and teaching at larger venues and shows.

Please join us as Felicia and Sivia chat about how to add a little extra splendour to your knits with beads!

• 1:43 Felicia and Sivia reminisce about when Siva used to live in Vancouver, BC and Sivia’s first big venue teaching gig at Sock Summit
• 6:33 Sivia chats about her love of fiber arts from an early age and how she got into knitting and design
• 13:20 Felicia asks Sivia how she got into what she is best-known for: beading in knitting
• 17:50 Felicia asks for tips for knitters who want to add beads to their projects but feel a little apprehensive
• 22:15 Sivia gives us a glimpse into the history of the bead industry and how some bead companies specifically advertise to fibre artists who work with beads
• 24:20 What kind of designs Sivia is focusing on presently
• 26:30 Felicia asks about the current trend of knitters moving away from lace weight yarn into thicker yarns
• 29:50 What classes and retreats Sivia has been teaching, including her time at Vancouver’s own Knit City
• 36:25 Felicia asks about the knitting community in Portland
• 39:40 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here’s where to find Sivia online:

• Website: www.siviaharding.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/siviaharding
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/siviahardingknitdesign
• Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/sivia-harding

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This week Felicia chats with one of her personal heroes in the world of hand-crafted colour: Kristine Vejar. Kristine is a natural dyer, teacher, owner of A Verb for Keeping Warm and the author of The Modern Natural Dyer. She is also the founder of many thoughtful projects including The Seam Allowance and The California Wool Project.

Please join us as Felicia and Kristine discuss Kristine’s rich and fascinating journey through textiles, yarn, and colour.

• 1:24 How Kristine got into natural dyeing and created A Verb for Keeping Warm
• 9:26 Describing the set up of the studio at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, California
• 11:42 Felicia asks Kristine how she learned natural dyeing
• 13:29 Discussing the difficulty of doing natural dyeing on a large scale and the issues that come with natural dyes like colour consistency
• 19:57 Felicia and Kristine chat about Kristine’s book: The Modern Natural Dyer and the challenges that came with creating it
• 27:57 Felicia asks Kristine what she learned on her trips to Iceland, Indonesia, Oaxaca, and Japan
• 34:16 What Kristine plans to do with all her natural dyeing research
• 36:38 Discussing the “universal truth” of makers around the world
• 39:33 Kristine discusses the keynote address she gave in June 2017 at the Flag and Wool Fiber Festival
• 44:08 Felicia and Kristine discuss what the value of the things we make
• 47:35 Where to find Kristine online
• 49:25 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here’s where to find Kristine online:

• Website: www.averbforkeepingwarm.com – Sign up for the monthly newsletter to keep up with all the happenings at Verb!
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/avfkw
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/avfkw
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/avfkw
• Creativebug: www.creativebug.com/instructors/a-verb-for-keeping-warm

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Today Felicia welcomes another yarn shop owner to the show: Carmen Schmidt. Carmen is the owner of A Yarn Story,  a knitting shop in Bath, England. She’s also begun a new venture called Walcot Yarns, with the goal of producing luxurious yarns and fabulous patterns for knitters and crocheters alike. A Yarn Story opened almost 3 years ago in 2014 and has become a destination shop for knitters and yarn lovers.

Please join us this week as Felicia and Carmen discuss creating a knitting community through colour!

• 1:38 The ladies chat about how they first met when Felicia was teaching at Unwind Brighton in the UK. Carmen also chats about how she started A Yarn Story.
• 5:00 Why is the shop called A Yarn Story?
• 6:28 Carmen shares some of her favourite “yarn stories” from customers
• 8:45 Felicia asks Carmen what her vision for A Yarn Story was when she first decided to open a yarn store and how she tries to foster a knitting community through her shop
• 11:14 How Carmen chooses which colours of yarn to stock in the limited space in her store and what colour trends Carmen has been observing lately
• 16:00 Felicia asks Carmen about the rise of popularity of knitting in Europe
• 17:52 Felicia asks Carmen how she made A Yarn Story the successful yarn store it is today in a tough economy
• 20:30 Carmen talks about her latest venture: producing her own line of yarns called Walcot Yarns
• 25:52 Felicia asks Carmen why she feels driven to start a yarn company now when so many new yarn companies are being created and there is so much competition
• 29:07 What is next for Walcot Yarns?
• 31:05 Discussing planning (or lack thereof!)
• 32:32 What is currently capturing Carmen’s imagination and attention knitting-wise
• 36:40 How you can find A Yarn Store and Walcot Yarns online
• 37:42 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here’s where to find A Yarn Story and Walcot Yarns online:

• Website: www.ayarnstory.co.uk
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ayarnstory/
• Twitter:www.twitter.com/ayarnstory
• Website: www.walcotyarns.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/walcotyarns/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/walcotyarns

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This week, Felicia talks with Meghan Fernandes and Lydia Gluck: the two co-founders and editors of Pom Pom Quarterly. If you aren’t already familiar with what Pom Pom is, it’s a beautiful, fresh, and modern quarterly magazine for knitting, crochet, and craft that was founded back in 2012. It’s a magazine that has lovely patterns, thoughtful articles, and useful tutorials.  This past summer, they celebrated their 5th anniversary of Pom Pom. In the past 5 years, they have expanded out from magazine to also designing and publishing books, hosting awesome events, and producing a monthly podcast called Pomcast.

Meghan is a former American transplant to London, where she lived for a decade. Now back in her native land, she is at the helm of Pom Pom in North America. While in London she wrote her MA dissertation on knitting in 20th century women’s literature and worked for a publisher, a gallery, and a knitting shop, leaving her with a random but particular set of skills that could really only lead to running a knitting magazine. Meghan now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and baby daughter.

Lydia was born in London, grew up in Wales, studied in Manchester, and left her heart in Mexico. Lydia has a background in linguistics, and spends a lot of time trying to draw parallels between knitting and grammar. Now she heads up the London Pom Pom office, which is pretty much her favourite job ever.

Please join us this week as Felicia and the Pom Pom ladies discuss creating a new and unique voice for fibre artists!

• 1:35 Introducing the dynamic duo behind Pom Pom and chatting about how they celebrated the magazine’s 5th anniversary
• 4:35 Felicia asks the ladies about tips on how to survive knitwear photo shoots
• 5:20 How Pom Pom Quarterly began
• 7:20 Discussing what Meghan and Lydia thought was missing from other knitting magazines when they decided to start Pom Pom
• 9:00 How Pom Pom makes it work without being funded by advertising and how the magazine is able to attract readers from a wide range of ages
• 12:15 Felicia asks Meghan about her master’s dissertation on knitting in 20th century women’s literature and how feminism fits into Pom Pom
• 17:10 Chatting about Knitting Outside the Box: a  new collaboration between Pom Pom Press and Bristol Ivy
• 18:44 Felicia asks Meghan and Lydia how they manage to continue Pom Pom Magazine while living thousands of miles apart
• 22:16 Is there a difference between knitting communities in the US and the UK?
• 23:49 Lydia chats about her new hobby: weaving
• 26:25 What Pom Pom has in store for the future
• 28:00 Felicia's final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here's where to find Meghan and Lydia online:

• Website: www.pompommag.com
• Instagram - Pom Pom: www.instagram.com/pompommag
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pompommag
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/pompommag
• Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/pom-pom
• Instagram - Meghan: 

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Today Felicia is joined by Norwegian knitwear designer Linda Marveng. With a background in architectural history, Linda’s design work is stunningly sleek, fashion-forward, and often highly textured with intricate cables. Linda has had several dream jobs in the yarn industry including working for Rowan as a design consultant and also at Loop (a heavenly yarn shop in Islington, London). In 2012, Linda published a Norwegian knitting book of patterns called To rett en vrang Designstrikk.

Please join us today as Felicia chats with Linda about how she transitioned from working for various yarn companies to designing her own knitwear visions.

• 1:55 Felicia and Linda chat about the Kathe Cardigan using SweetGeorgia’s Superwash Sport forInterweave Knits
• 2:26 Linda shares how she learned how to knit as a child in school
• 4:11 Discussing Linda’s educational background in Art History and how she found her way back to the knitting world
• 8:26 How Linda got her job as a design consultant for Rowan and the role she played for the company
• 13:40 Felicia and Linda talk about her time working for Loop in London
• 16:32 Linda discusses how her previous experiences helped influence her knitwear design career and process
• 19:42 Chatting about the process and vision behind the patterns in Linda’s book: To rett en vrang Designstrikk
• 25:09 Felicia asks Linda about the intricate and challenging nature of her textured and detailed patterns
• 27:42 The ladies chat about the recent resurgence in popularity of knitting in Europe
• 30:47 What projects Linda has in store for the future
• 32:58 Where you can find Linda and her designs online
• 34:00 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here’s where to find Linda online:

• Website: www.marveng-puckett.com/linda
• Ravelry Group: www.ravelry.com/groups/linda-marveng
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lindamarveng
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/linda.marveng

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This week Felicia is joined by knitwear designer, Emma Welford. Emma lives in Western Massachusetts and has been knitting since 2007 and designing since 2011. She is a fellow multi-craftual maker who also sews her own clothes, crochets, and spins on her Lendrum spinning wheel. Emma is no stranger to SweetGeorgia as she has designed two amazing patterns for us in the past: her Fall Break socks and the adorable Ribbonscardigan.

Please join us this week as Felicia and Emma discuss slowing down and enjoying the process of creation!

• 2:39 Emma chats about her main passion before she started knitting seriously: sewing without patterns. Felicia also asks Emma how she got into knitting in 2007.
• 5:11 Felicia and Emma talk about slow fashion, mindful making, and wearing your handmade knits more by examining if they truly fit into your everyday wardrobe. The ladies also ponder if one can truly have too many sweaters.
• 9:12 Emma and Felicia discuss the “instantaneous pattern lust” on Ravelry and if it causes knitters to make before thinking
• 11:05 Talking about minimalism and how Emma tries to slow down the process of creation to enjoy it more
• 15:15 How Emma chooses her colour palettes and her suggestions to others on how to pick yarn colours for projects
• 20:50 Frosting VS Cake: the struggle of choosing neutral yarn colours in a store
• 23:12  Emma chats about her time working at Webs – America’s Yarn Store
• 26:16 Emma gives suggestions on how to balance working a day job and designing knitwear
• 30:00 Chatting about Emma’s latest project: a collaboration e-book of patterns called Join Hands (Proceeds from this project will be shared equally between the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center)
• 31:10 Felicia and Emma discuss bullet journalling
• 34:26 Where to find Emma online to keep up with all of her latest designs and projects
• 34:05 Felicia’s final notes and podcast giveaway!

Here’s where to find Emma online:

• Website: www.emmawelford.com – Sign up for her monthly newsletter to keep up with Emma’s latest work!
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emmawelford/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/welforddesigns
• Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/groups/emma-welford-designs

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When you think of mastery in the fibre arts, a few names may spring into your mind. You might think of experts in the field who are working professionally, proficiently, and prolifically. In the field of weaving, you may think of Laura Fry.

Laura Fry is a full-time professional hand weaver who started weaving in 1975. In her 40+ years of her weaving career the focus of her weaving has evolved and, in addition to still being a production weaver, she is a dedicated teacher in the field and currently teaching the master weavers certificate program at Old’s College. Laura herself earned certification as one of Canada’s master weavers in 1997 and was the 27th weaver to achieve this honour. Laura has also created two series of videos with Interweave: The Efficient Weaver and Wet-Finishing for Weavers.

Please join us for this week’s discussion as Laura chats with Felicia about her journey to becoming a master of her craft.

• 1:56 Laura discusses how she discovered weaving and decided to make it into her career
• 4:44 Laura chats about how health issues in the last few years has gotten her back into spinning
• 6:40 Felicia asks Laura about her training and education as a weaver
• 9:45  Laura breaks down the Old’s College Master Weaver Program
• 14:12 Laura gives advice to those who would want to learn weaving through self-study instead of a school program
• 20:25 Discussing how Laura keeps herself fit and healthy enough to keep  up with the intense physical demands of production weaving. Laura also gives Felicia some tips on posture while weaving.
• 24:15 Felicia asks Laura how she chooses colours for the pieces she will weave and sell
• 32:30 Laura chats about efficiency in her weaving
• 37:30 How Laura manages the busy schedule of being a business owner and a production weaver
• 41:28 Chatting about Laura’s current work in progress: a book called The Intentional Weaver
• 46:27 Is there anything Laura would have done differently looking back on her career in the fibre arts?
• 53:16 Felicia’s final notes

Here’s where to find Laura online:

• Website: www.laurafry.com
• Blog: www.laurasloom.blogspot.ca
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LauraAnnFry1