stash

Episode 34: Brooke Sinnes – Boarding schools, California, Natural Dyeing and Sincere Sheep

September 15, 2015

Sponsor: I wanted to thank one of our sponsors for this week’s episode, Fancy Tiger Crafts, a beautiful yarn shop based out of Denver Colorado. This inspired place is owned and operated by self proclaimed fiber nerds, Jaime Jennings and Amber Corcoran…two women who’s hope and journey have allowed them to share their knowledge, adventures and passion in fiber, and this is reflected in their beautiful shop as well as their endeavors in creating their own yarn Heirloom, which you can find in their shop, both in person and online. Make sure to share and visit fancytigercrafts.com

Fancy Tiger Crafts has an exciting event coming up in the beginning of October, Wool Day at the Lyons Farmette…a local fiber retreat which will include your choice of two classes, a catered lunch and a cocktail hour. What could be better than spending a day of spinning, knitting and dyeing in the presence of fellow fiber enthusiasts and a fiber animal bunch…ending with cocktails with the Alpacas. For more information and to register, visit fancytigercrafts.com/events.

Fiber folk: I first met Brooke a couple years ago when I sat across from her at a little knit gathering Karen from Fringe Supply Co had at her studio. At the time I wasn’t aware that she was the force behind Sincere Sheep, but it didn’t take long for me to get to know the passion, knowledge and love this woman has for the fiber industry. She’s so giving with her knowledge and has been a great encourager and connector for my own fiber pursuits, enlightening me about wool classing and encouraging me to attend a local wool classing certification and introducing me other fiber folk who have great wisdom to share. But more than all that, she’s an extremely hardworking mother who naturally dyes the most beautiful collection of domestic yarns. You can find Brooke at SincereSheep.com and on Instagram @sinceresheep.

Sponsor: I wanted to thank our other sponsor for this week’s episode, Stash, a local yarn shop based in Corvallis Oregon who will be celebrating their 4th anniversary next month. The owner, Sonia was a very early supporter and encourager of the podcast and it’s been so great to get to know her a bit and watch all the positive energy she puts into her shop and fiber community. This week Sonia a new podcast, Stash, where she explores topics around creativity, motivation, and staying inspired while running a creative business through conversations with all types of makers. Make sure to visit when in Corvallis and online at stashlocal.com…and stay tuned in the next couple weeks as Stash launches their new online shop, carrying many of the same wonderful yarns, notions and patterns you find in store.

Farmyard Tales: I’m beginning a new segment on the podcast that will rotate with the regular Man on the Street segment…it’s aptly named Farmyard Tales…fun and encouraging anecdotes from farmers and their farmyards…starting with mine.

Many of you know that back in April we welcomed a flock of 4 Icelandic ewes to the ranch…Ethel, Louise, Lucy and Alice. We bought them from a lovely woman near us who thought they might be pregnant from an escaped ram. We watched them over the following month and yes, it did appear as though they might be pregnant. We had a vet out to confirm and opted to skip the ultrasound because he also believed they were pregnant and we’d know soon enough, right? Wrong. The very fluid possible due date has come and gone and so it appears we just have fat sheep. Because of their new greener pastures, small added grain for “pregnancy” and thickening fleeces…it would appear we’ve been duped. This is after much anticipation of lambs, including building projects to prepare for them..haha. What is it they say? That everyday is a lesson in farming? Well this was a humorous and humbling one for sure.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway, is Judy from Judy in the Dyes! You’ve won the Pompeii hat kit, which includes a skein of natural SilverSpun yarn and a skein of dyed SilverSpun yarn, along with the Pompeii Hat pattern. Congratulations!

The giveaway this week is sponsored by Sincere Sheep and we’re giving away, not one, but three Brookfield Shawl pattern kits, which includes a skein of Sincere Sheep Silken Fingering and Brookfield a pattern created by Annie Rowden for Among Friends, a collaboration between Brooke of Sincere Sheep and Lorajean of Knitted Wit. To enter this giveaway and be one of the three winners, leave a comment on this post.

Events: For all of the UK listeners, I wanted to bring your attention to an event happening this weekend at Loop, in London. On Saturday September 19th, Nathalie Lété will be painting Loop’s large storefront window in honor of their 10th anniversary. If you’re in the area, make sure to visit for this beautiful event and to also check out Loop’s new book 10, featuring twelve patterns celebrating ten fabulous year of Loop London…including designers Pam Allen, Ysolda Teague, Stephen West, Donna Higgins, Juju Vail, Tif Fussel and Kirstin Kapur and many beautiful yarns.

Music by Jónsi.

135 Comments

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 26: Hannah Fettig – Maine fiber, simplistic design, balance and presentation

June 16, 2015

I’m very excited to share the twenty-sixth episode of the Woolful podcast. This week we get to meet a woman who many of you have heard of because of her incredible pursuits in the fiber community, Hannah Fettig of Knitbot.

Sponsor: I wanted to thank one of our sponsors for this week’s episode, Stash, a local yarn shop based in Corvallis Oregon. The owner, Sonia was a very early supporter and encourager of the podcast and it’s been so great to get to know her a bit and watch all the positive energy she puts into her shop and fiber community. When in the Corvallis area, make sure to visit and you can find more info at stashlocal.com. And you don’t want to miss a pretty special event coming up, Black Sheep Gathering, a fiber festival in Eugene Oregon June 19-21. Stash will be there with a selection of special yarns and fibers from some of their favorite PNW indie dyers. So make sure to mark this on your calendar and find Sonia and her gang of Stash Enhancers.

Fiber folk: I first got to know Hannah last year when we sponsored each other’s podcasts, her’s being the infamous knit.fm with Pam Allen. I quickly learned how much she cares about sharing this passion of her’s with others, so that they too can experience all the wonderful facets of this community. Her effort to create simple, timeless designs and tools has been an inspiration and encouragement to so many makers and their handmade wardrobes, including my own. What I love most though is Hannah’s desire to pursue her ideas while putting her family first. You can find Hannah at knitbot.com and on Instagram @knitbot.

Man on the street: For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked a follow up to last week’s question: “When you’ve lost your fiber mojo and then re-ignited the spark again…what do you do to nurture that little flame until, once again, it becomes a warm fire?” We had some great answers from Kerry @kerryrobb, Leanne @leannecoppola, Maria @ninja.chickens, Nikki @fernfiber, Amy @urban_farm_wife, and Samantha @samanthamaylamb.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway, is Kelsey Sylvia ! You’ve won 2 skeins of Powell from Mountain Meadow Wool. Congratulations!

The giveaway this week is sponsored by Knitbot and Quince and Co, and we’re giving away Hannah’s new book, Home and Away AND a projects worth of yarn from Quince and Co…you pick any pattern from Home and Away and Quince will provide the yarn! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment in the comment section at the bottom of the post page.

Sponsor: I wanted to make sure and thank another one of our episode sponsors Cream City Yarn, which was created by best friends, Kris Porritt and Lisa Ruesch in Brookfield, Wisconsin. I just love the inviting environment that Kris and Lisa have worked so hard to bring to their local fiber enthusiasts, in addition to a wide selection of natural fibers, vibrant colors, and engaging classes all year long. Be sure to visit Cream City Yarn if you’re near or passing through the Milwaukee area. You can also find them online at shop.creamcityyarn.com.

Music by Jónsi.

391 Comments

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 25: Mountain Meadow Wool – A bale of wool, Community support, Ranch wools and Learning from your mistakes

June 9, 2015

I’m very excited to share the twenty-fifth episode of the Woolful podcast. Today we get to meet a pair of ladies who have accomplished so much in the past several years and who are behind many incredible yarns you use…Karen Hostetler and Valerie Spanos of Mountain Meadow Wool, a fiber mill and yarn company in Buffalo Wyoming.

Sponsor: I wanted to thank one of our sponsors for this week’s episode, Stash, a local yarn shop based in Corvallis Oregon. The owner, Sonia was a very early supporter and encourager of the podcast and it’s been so great to get to know her a bit and watch all the positive energy she puts into her shop and fiber community. If you’re in the Corvallis area or just passing through, make sure to visit and you can find more info and a list of classes at stashlocal.com. And you don’t want to miss a pretty special event coming up, Black Sheep Gathering, a fiber festival in Eugene Oregon June 19-21. Stash will be there with a selection of special yarns and fibers from some of their favorite PNW indie dyers. So make sure to mark this on your calendar and find Sonia and her gang of Stash Enhancers.

Fiber folk: I first came across Mountain Meadow Wool a couple years back when I was researching eco friendly mills and sustainable wool processing. As you’ll hear, they’ve been involved in inventing and developing some pretty amazing processes and equipment that help them process fiber and make yarn in a responsible and sustainable way. They’re both mothers who have tackled this dream of their’s wholeheartedly and worked very hard to create a service and product they can and should be very proud of. You can find Karen and Valerie at mountainmeadowwool.com and on Instagram @mountainmeadowwool.

Man on the street: For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked the question, “Have you ever lost your fiber or knitting mojo, what inspires you to pick up your tools again? How do you reignite the spark?? We had some great answers from Kerry, @kerryrobb, Amy @urban_farm_wife, Maria @ninja.chickens, Kirsten @littlepennycress, andLeanne @leannecoppola.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway, is Jessie Love! You’ve won 3 skeins of Hinterland yarn from my little shop, the Woolful Mercantile. Congratulations!

The giveaway this week is sponsored by Mountain Meadow Wool, and we’re giving away two skeins of their new yarn Powell, a 4ply worsted weight yarn made of 85% mountain merino and 15% alpaca. Check out this review and project from Courtney of Pink Brutus Knits. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment in the comment section at the bottom of the post page.

Sponsor: I wanted to thank one of our sponsors of this week’s episode, Tin Can Knits. Alexa and Emily have created several endearing collections of modern, clearly written patterns that feature accessories and garments each sized for babies, all the way up to 4XL. I really love their Road Trip and Max and Bodhi’s Wardrobe collections, and hope to make the Fly Away blanket this Fall. They’ll be releasing the final pattern of the Max and Bodhi’s Wardrobe collection on June 11th, so make sure to find this and their other collections on Ravelry and to keep up with all the going ons visit tincanknits.com.