Sponsor: Taproot Magazine, is a quarterly print magazine full of delightful stories and photos written by and for people living fuller and digging deeper. Each issue is created around a subtle theme, featuring amazing recipes, crafts, and tales, all with the intention of inspiring people who are interested in deepening their connections to their families, communities, and themselves as they strive to live locally and closer to the ground. The content in each issue consistently blows me away. It is fulfilling and inspiring. The most recent issue PRESERVE features a collection of wonderful finds as we step in Summer. With lessons in arm knitting, preserved lemon and infusion recipes, stories in farming and woolworking, and a collection of preserving how-tos. There is so much goodness in each issue. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at Taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.
Fiber folk: It’s no secret that Maine is one of the epicenters of this fiber world, with its designers and yarn companies, but a lesser known but just as vital part of this community are the shops, more specifically PortFiber, a special fiber, spinning, dyeing and weaving oasis in Portland, Maine. Casey Ryder, the owner of PortFiber found herself on a path that’s lead her to finding further fulfillment in making and building part of this fiber community. You can find Casey at portfiber.com and on Instagram @portfiber.
Sponsor: I want to thank Taproot Magazine again for sponsoring this week’s episode. With the natural, easygoing and heartfelt focus of each issue, I find myself continuing to go back to it throughout the quarter, gaining a little something each time and looking forward to the upcoming issue. Just recently I pulled out the archive issue BREAD, with plans to build a cob oven in our backyard. I’m looking forward to getting started. I highly recommend you visit Taprootmag.com and subscribe.
In Residence: I’m excited to share a new weekly addition to the Woolful podcast, In Residence. Each quarter we’ll be joined by a farmer, designer, entrepreneur and artist in residence…discussing topics and questions asked by you the listeners. In Residence features the best of the best in business, farming, knitwear design and fiber arts and this is your opportunity to ask and learn from these incredible folks.
This Summer quarter we welcome Entrepreneur in residence Veronika Jobe of YOTH, Farmer in residence Tamara White of Wing and a Prayer Farm, Photographer in residence Kathy Cadigan and Designer in residence Mary Jane Mucklestone.
So now it’s up to you, these wonderful women are ready to answer your questions and discuss your areas of interest. Do you have a question or topic regarding farming, knitwear design, fiber business or photography that you’ve always wanted to know more about? Email them to hello@woolful.com and later this month tune in to hear their answers.
Event: Mark your calendars for a special event happening at Elaine and Mike’s farm, Old Homestead Alpacas. On June 18th they’ll be hosting their second annual open barn event, a day full of fun, fiber and some great history. So if you’re in the Walla Walla area, it’s worth the visit to meet and get to know both Elaine and her fiber family. I encourage you to visit Old Homestead Alpacas on Facebook and on Instagram @oldhomesteadalpacas
Giveaway: The winner of last weeks giveaway is Susan M, you’ve won a skein of Old Homestead Alpacas Suri Alpaca yarn. Congratulations!
This week’s giveaways are sponsored by Portfiber and they’re giving away a 4oz. batt of the Summer Maine Fiber Club, Jacob from Catawampus Farm, and a $30 gift card to PortFiber’s online Etsy shop. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.
Music by Jónsi.
63 Comments
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! I just love following YOTH on IG, and seeing/hearing/learning more is absolutely fab. The other entrepreneurs interviewed are so delightful – thank you!
This was a nice, light podcast. I really look forward to each one. And what a fun giveaway!
The ethics of yarn stores! Casey sounded cool. Loved her passion for craft!
What a great story. Loved this weeks podcast. Only a relatively new listener, but i’m working my way through all the episodes! Great give-away too, would love to win.
So good! Please toss my name into the hat!! Never enough fiber!!!
Oo, I’ve heard to many good things about Portfiber. Awesome!
It is so interesting to listen to the fiber journeys of others. There are so many similarities and yet each one is unique. Another lovely podcast. I need to visit Maine someday.
Oh WOW, I was just looking at PortFiber’s Etsy shop. Hope you pick me!
I really enjoyed listening to Casey’s story. I am a new spinner and enjoyed hearing about her store PortFiber. The next time I get to Portland I will definitely stop in.
I just stumbled across your site, quite by accident and I am DRAWN in- just mesmerized by everything I saw and read! I cannot wait to read more and I feel a PINNING mania coming on….
I recently found taproot and am in love! I would love to try their fiber.
Her story could be the story of most of us….. hooked on crafting at a young age and then finding our Zen in knitting.
I especially liked her experiences at the local library.
Wonderful to listen to as always. I’m always so inspired!
Oh, I’ve always wanted to spin Jacob fiber!
Another wonderful episode! Heading to Maine next month, and I can’t wait to visit the shop.
So happy to hear Casey on this episode!!! She taught me to spin and I just love Port Fiber!!!
Another inspiring episode! Love the nuggets of information learned through this podcast.
Thanks so much for another great odcast!
Still have yet to hop on the spinning bandwagon, but this may be the nudge I need!
Another great episode! Thanks!
Your podcast is incredible & this is a truly great giveaway! Thank you so much!
Just found your podcast and am beginning at the beginning. What a great resource! Thank you!
Finally finished spinning a Romney fleece I bought back in December 2014 while listening to this episode, so I’d love to be the recipient of this week’s prize!
Great episode! I hope to visit Portland, Maine and Port fibers some day.
Every one of your episodes is joy. Thank you!!
Love your podcast many thanks !
I really enjoy your podcast so much and am looking forward to In Residence! New to spinning and would love to try this beautiful Jacob.
I love living in Maine. Even though I haven’t met many of the prolific fiber people who live here, I love knowing that there is such a wonderful community in my state.
Really enjoy the podcasts and feel especially inspired to check out taproot magazine this week. Would love to visit play with that Jacob fiber too!
Another great interview, Ashley. I would love to visit Casey’s Portland shop to see some of the awesome colorways on her Etsy shop in the flesh: such hilarious names! Her spinning group sounds amazing too. What an enviable resource for that town’s fiber community.
Always wanted to spin port fiber!
wonderfull podcast as usual!!!! great pleasure to hear while knitting! Thanks
Yet another great episode. Newer listener, and I eagerly wait for each episode to be posted!
Another interesting podcast. Thankyou. My idea of perfect is listening to Woolful podcasts as I do fibery things. This time I was combing out a fleece from White Gum Wool.
Ah so much of this journey speaks to my crafty heart! Except I had no cousin to craft with, and only one fiber store that closed down early in my fiber journey. I did with my sister a little when I was younger, but eventually it was just me in my room playing with yarn 😀
It’s my first time listening, and it was great to start with this one since I’ll be visiting Maine for the first time in August. Now I know of at least one must-see LYS!
Sweet interview. It’s my dream to be like her grandmother.
Another great story! You just never know where life will take you, but when you stick with what you’re passionate about, it just might take you some place amazing.
Another good episode and I loved Casey’s laugh. Hope to one day visit Portland Maine and her shop has been on my list! Thanks for the great giveaway.
I love Casey’s energy!
Lovely!
What a wonderful episode! I loved listening to Casey and hope to visit Port Fiber in person someday. I’ve spun two Port Fiber braids and would love to try my hand at some Jacob. Thanks for the great giveaway.
I can’t imagine life without creating. You should make your slogan “patchworking my life”. I love that, and I feel the same!
Adding it to Portland wish list. Thanks for sharing.
I love the idea of the residences! I think that’s super cool and look forward to seeing what that brings.
So much joy and peace in this podcast episod as always ! Thanks++++
I’ve recently started spinning and am hoping to visit Portfiber this summer!
What a wonderful journey. Thank you for sharing.
Oh! I chuckled about the wheel on the subway, then to see the photo here on the blog. Even better! Thanks for making me smile.
I’m a NewEnglander, and I am now thinking there is another great retreat opportunity….. Hmm.
Great episode! As a child I was introduced to crochet and cross stitch but I never caught on to knitting until recently. All of my childhood and early adult experiences were with acrylic yarns. I think I was oblivious to the fiber community until very recently and have now found a love that I wish had been discovered 20 years ago. So little time and so much fiber to knit!
Great episode! I wish I could visit port fiber in person!
I was so excited to hear you’re planning to visit Demetrio in Oaxaca! I went 10 years ago and it was one of my favorite trips ever! He is an extremely talented weaver, dyer and teacher. We gathered lots of natural dye ingredients and he guided my sister and I with our woven projects. His wife made us wonderful meals too! just a very memorable experience!
I just learnef of you from I believe Taproot. I am so in love with everything they do and am so excited to have been introduced to your podcast. What an inspiring day of listening to episodes. I love wool, knitting and useful wild plants and now I’m certain I need to learn to spin and dye. Thanks for the inspiration!
Very good podcast! It is so interesting to hear how people get started in the fiber world. Just wish I lived closer!!!
Thank you for the opportunity to win such a lovely prize! I love listening to your podcasts.
What an amazing episode! I need to try PortFiber asap! 🙂
Another brilliant episode. I definitely need to plan a fibre trip to New England.
Another yarnshop om my list to visit!
Working my way through back episodes. Would love to do a New England yarn crawl!
We’re heading up to Portland next weekend. I’ll have to check it out 🙂
Thanks for sharing another wonderful story!
Just beautiful, from start to finish.
I’m in love with taproot, such a. Wonderful magazine!
Also a trip to Oaxaca sounds amazing.