The SweetGeorgia Show – Details, episodes & analysis

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In this episode of The SweetGeorgia Show, Felicia Lo speaks with Heavenly Bresser, an accomplished fibre artist known for her expertise in spinning, knitting, and teaching. They discuss Heavenly's creative journey, the importance of community in fibre arts, and her passion for restoring spinning wheels. Heavenly shares her experiences in teaching and the joy of experimentation in crafting, as well as her strategies for balancing her artistic pursuits with family life. The conversation highlights the vibrant world of fibre arts and the connections that inspire creativity.

Takeaways:

• Heavenly explains the origin of her business name, Heavenly Knitchet.
• Heavenly shares her honest initial struggles with a drop spindle, including wrist pain and compacted fibre. 
• A turning point in Heavenly's journey was finding a local guild.
• She details her process of restoring antique wheels, which involves everything from replacing leather treadle straps to using a wood lathe to recreate missing parts.
• Heavenly reveals she is currently building her own Charkha.
• She offers unique one-on-one clinics to help students overcome specific hurdles, whether they want to learn to spin bulky yarn or master a long draw.
• To juggle raising a family, teaching, and restoring wheels, Heavenly uses a "patchwork" approach.
• Throughout the episode, Heavenly embodies a growth mindset: "I don't know how to do this yet, but I can learn."

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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 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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Felicia chats with Sasha Ball Rives, owner of the Stitch Space yarn shop in Missouri about a tragic experience that happened within the first year of the shop opening and how she made it through with the help of the knitting community.

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In the spirit of Spinzilla, we chat with Rachel Smith, a local Vancouver spinner and knitter who has been blogging about her knitting and spinning since 2009 at welfordpurls.com. Listen to Felicia and Rachel nerd out on spinning today!

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Today we are going local and talking to Fiona McLean and Amanda Milne — the duo behind Knit Social, a knitting events company based in Vancouver, BC. Together they produce Knit City, BC's largest annual fibre festival (Oct 2 to 4, 2015)

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Jane Richmond is a knitwear designer and fellow Canadian living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. She has been self publishing her designs since 2008 and today Felicia chats with Jane about her designs and collaborating on her latest collections.

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Meet Corrina Ferguson of PicnicKnits, a knitwear designer based in Jacksonville, Florida. Despite the hot weather in Florida, Corrina is still knits constantly. Today we talk about her new book of knitwear designs, "Warm Days, Cool Knits".

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Today we celebrate our 10-year anniversary of SweetGeorgia Yarns. In this episode, Felicia shares the stories of starting up and a few of the lessons learned over the years. And we thank the many people who helped bring us here to today.

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In this episode, I chat with our new design director, Tabetha Hedrick about her “behind the scenes” process while developing and working on this fall and winter collection for SweetGeorgia.