quince and co

Episode 65: Susan Anderson – Wisconsin homegrown, teaching, learning to write a book and knit toys

August 19, 2016

Sponsor: Knit City is the premiere fibre arts festival in Western Canada, showcasing local fibre artists such as dyers, spinners, weavers, pattern designers and notion makers. It also hosts a wide spectrum of Canadian and International knitting and other textile craft instructors. This special event is taking place in Vancouver BC, October 1-2, 2016 and this year marks the 5th anniversary of the show. Featuring classes and lectures from some amazing folks, including todays guest Susan Anderson, a large vendor Marketplace, free demonstrations, local food trucks and more. Knit City is proudly produced by Amanda Milne and Fiona McLean of Knit Social Event Co. To find out more info and register, visit knitsocial.ca and follow along on Instagram @knitsocial

Fiber folk: When I think about fiber folks who I’ve been most inspired by over the years, Susan Anderson is one of the first that comes to mind. The first knitting book I ever bought was her Itty Bitty Toys book, and it became dogeared and well loved. Since that time I’ve come to realize the joy and spark Susan brings to our fiber worlds…through her infectious passion behind what she does and her loyal dedication to her community. I hope as you listen today that you come to love Susan as much as so many of us do. You can find Susan at susanbanderson.blogspot.com and on Instagram @susanbanderson

Photos: Susan Anderson / Carrie Hoge / Snail Stitches / Quince and Co

Sponsor: Sunday Knits has quickly become one of my new favorite yarns to knit with. Started in 2008 by Carol Sunday, Sunday Knits is a collection of 4 merino and merino blend yarns and beautiful patterns designed by Carol. From the 100% extra-fine Australian merino to the French Angora, all their fibers are humanely sourced and then milled in Italy to Carol’s meticulous and caring specifications. Aside from this yarns obvious qualities, they’re a dream to knit with…so soft yet sturdy and the breadth of colors are beautiful and perfect for color work. And if you enjoy knitting shawls, make sure to take a look at Carol’s latest pattern, Dancing with Bears, a little warmth and a lot of style makes this beautiful shawl a wardrobe staple, and an enjoyable knit, in any of Sunday Knits’ 5-ply yarns. Visit Sunday Knits at sundayknits.com or if you can make a trip to Roscoe, Illinois near the Wisconsin state line, make an appointment to visit Sunday Knits gorgeous studio. You can follow on Instagram @carolsundayknits

New pattern: And today I’ve released my newest design for Little Woolens, the Weston hat pattern. I first came up with this design when I was pregnant with my son and over the years I’ve knit countless variations for friends and family…waiting to take the time to write the pattern and share it with all of you. It’s the perfect quick knit, and just in time for Fall. You can find it on Ravelry, search for the Weston hat.

Giveaway: The winners of last weeks giveaway are Branwynne, Amaia and Annie, you’ve each won a bag of various Habu yarns to experiment and play with. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaways are sponsored by Sunday Knits and Susan Anderson. Sunday Knits is giving away the Dancing with Bears Shawl pattern and kit and Susan Anderson is giving away a pdf copy of her most recent toys book String Along Toys made with Quince and Co yarns. To enter and be one of the winners, leave a comment on this post.

Music by Jónsi.

118 Comments

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 44: Ryan Fitzgerald – Political and environmental studies, architecture, family business and Quince and Co.

December 23, 2015

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. I was thrilled to find that the most recent issue Shelter had a yurt on the cover, being that we just finished building our own yurt. This morning I laid in bed after having spent our first night in the yurt, reading this issue and soaking up all it’s goodness…for the head, heart and hands. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at Taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.

Fiber folk: Like many of you, I’m a lover and supporter of Quince and Co yarns and all that goes into bringing this amazing brand to our fingertips. But many of you might not know the man behind the scenes. Ryan Fitzgerald is an integral part of what Quince and Co is today, working alongside his mother Pam and their incredible team to provide some of the most compelling pattern and yarn collections. His journey is a unique one, from environmental and political studies to architecture and then finding himself increasingly invested in Quince and Co. You can find Ryan at quinceandco.com

Sponsor: I want to thank Taproot Magazine again for sponsoring this week’s episode. Right now Taproot has a special holiday pop up shop featuring goods from some of our favorite makers. From wooden bowls and planters to screen printed and paper goods. I highly recommend taking a look at taprootmag.com and helping support all these amazing makers and Taproot who has brought them all together.

Woolful Knit-a-long: And if you’ve seen the latest issue of Taproot, Shelter, then you know of the most recent pattern from Carrie Bostick Hoge, the Portland Pullover, designed in Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter yarn. I’m in love with the elegant yoke of this design, and it’s neckline. So much so that starting January 1st I’ll be hosting the next Woolful knit along featuring the Portland Pullover. I’ve ordered my yarn today and I hope you’ll join me in the New Year, rewarding yourself with some selfish knitting after the holidays. I’ll share more on the blog in the coming week. And if you don’t already subscribe to Taproot, visit taprootmag.com to subscribe or grab the latest issue Shelter which is where you can find this pattern.

52 Weeks of Wool: I have an exciting new project starting in January, 52 weeks of wool. Each week I’ll be hand spinning a new wool breed from a fiber flock from here in the US or abroad, and sharing my experience through photos, on the podcast and in a blog post. My goal for this project is to handle as many different types of wool as possible, and share a bit about each farm and flock that the wool comes from, helping bring light to many sheep breeds and producers. If you have a flock, fiber farm or know someone who does, I hope you’ll consider joining me on this project by sending me a small tuft of fleece to spin. If you’re interested, shoot me an email at hello@woolful.com.

Update: And for those of you who listened to last week’s episode, you know that we are in the process of insulating our yurt with wool insulation from Montana Green Insulation, which happens to be last week’s guest. The 500 + lbs just arrived and we’re gearing up to spend some long days under the yurt insulating the flooring. We’ll eventually also add a second layer of insulation to the walls, but for now insulating the flooring will help us the most. Stay tuned as we share more of our process and the results.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway is, Lissa Zambo. You’ve won the most recent issue of Taproot magazine and two gorgeous skeins of handspun Polwarth, mohair and silk yarn and the Groh shawl pattern from Boho Chic Fiber Co. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Taproot Magazine and they’re giving away a two year subscription to Taproot. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on today’s episode’s blog post.

Music by Jónsi.

106 Comments

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 40: Pam Allen – Motherhood, Nursing School, Coastal Maine, and Quince and Co

November 10, 2015

Sponsor: Loop is London’s leading local yarn shop, created by Susan Cropper in 2005, with the intention to bring the joy of colour, texture and design to the local fibre community. The shop itself is a warm, friendly place…full of inspiration and charisma, and you can see the care Susan has taken to create an inviting environment where folks can find the yarns they love and learn from the masters of their crafts…including Juju Vail, Jane Lithgow, Stephen West, Helene Magnusson, and Melanie Berg to name just a few.

This Fall Loop celebrated their 10th anniversary, and to celebrate they released their newest book aptly named, ’10’…featuring twelve gorgeous patterns from designers Meghan Fernandes, Stephen West, Rachel Atkinson, Paulina Popiolek, Donna Higgins, Kristen Kapur, Ysolha Teague, Juju Vail, Tif Fussell, Claire Montgomerie and today’s guest, Pam Allen. I’m a big fan of Susan’s eye for composition, with each pattern being beautifully photographed and knit in a color dyed just for Loop. The Meandering Shawl by Stephen West is on my list to make this Winter. You can find the book at Loop, their shop online and at a handful of lovely local yarn shops.

Loop has an extensive online shop in addition to their cozy London shop in Islington. Make sure to visit Loop in person if you’re nearby or just passing through, and online at loopknitting.com and on Instagram @looplondonloves.

Fiber folk: There are a handful of special soul’s in this fiber industry, that have laid the groundwork and forged paths for what it is today and what it will become…having been a great influence on so many fiber folks. Pam Allen is one of these people.

From motherhood and design, nursing school to Interweave knits, Classic Elite and now Quince and Co…Pam’s fiber journey is an inspiring one. When I first began talking with Pam, she started out by telling me that what she hoped to share was her personal journey…and honestly, that’s exactly what I hoped she would say.

You can find Pam in her Coastal Maine home, making and designing, or in the mountains on a hike. You can find her company Quince and Co online at quinceandco.com and on Instagram @quinceandco.

Sponsor: 6 Bits Storybooks, a digital quarterly publication for knitters who love to immerse themselves deeply in their knitting experience…from the mouths of story tellers: knitters, photographers, writers, designers, friends & nature. These storybooks incorporate designs, imagery, location, words, learning and tools to create an deeply engaging experience, taking readers on a journey. 6 Bits was created by two incredibly passionate and inspiring folks within this community, Melissa and Melody, and this past month they released the first issue Unearth of this beautiful digital editorial magazine, featuring articles from international knitters and dyers, where you hear the ‘whole’ story behind the designs and modeled in beautiful environment tied to the issues theme. Visit 6 Bits Storybooks at 6bitsstorybooks.com to subscribe to this stunning new publication and follow along on Instagram @6bitsstorybooks.

And this past week 6 Bits launched their first Knit A Long, an opportunity to join in and knit a project from the first issue, Unearth. This time of year there are so many thing happening, our attention and time have many demands that may keep us from finishing projects, but don’t let that deter you from joining…embrace it as a starting point! So grab your issue of Unearth or find the patterns on Ravelry and start soon and simply be proud of what you do knit!

Man on the street: For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked the question, “Does your natural environment influence your fiber arts?”. We had some great answers from Abby @abbygoodknits, Carmen @theneedleseye, Hope @hopehawley, Shannon @whiskeyknitter_shannon, Sonja @atreebytheriver.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway is Tera, you’ve won a skein of Jill Draper’s yarn Rifton. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway’s are sponsored by Cream City Yarns and Loop London. Cream City Yarns is giving away two skeins of Quince and Co Osprey yarn in Caspian and Loop London is giving away a copy of their newest book ’10’. To be one of the winners of this week’s giveaways, leave a comment on this blog post.

Shop Update: It’s been awhile since I’ve given a Woolful Mercantile update, but being that Fall is upon us and I’ve got a few wonderful restocked and new things in the shop, I wanted to make sure and let you all know. If you’re on Instagram you may have seen the Sheep Breed calendar I announced. This is a special collaboration between artist Emily Fratson and myself, featuring 12 beautiful sheep breeds illustrated in watercolor, alongside 12 natural dye plants. Each of these sheep were inspired by folks from the podcast or other fiber friends. There’s only a few left in the shop, but soon there will be a handful of local yarn shops carrying the calendar as well, so stay tuned.

As for yarns, I am most excited about the most recent batch of Moeke yarns, which includes two yarns that you’ll only be able to find in the Woolful shop…Heritage which is a blend of Moeke’s new Transylvanian Merino and black Elena wool AND a 100% Transylvanian Merino naturally dyed with Madder to create a beautiful coral variegated look. The founder and creator of Moeke yarns is the wonderful Ioana, which you can find more about in Ep 8. Visit woolfulmercantile.com to check out all these goodies.