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the yarn collective

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 84: Sarah Sunshine – A wool love story, natural parenting, wool bedding, and Shepherd’s Dream

September 30, 2017

 

Sponsor: The Yarn Collective is a new fibre and design company focused on working with the best independent designers to bring you luxurious hand-dyed yarns in a range of inspiring colorways. The Yarn Collective has kicked off the launch with a trio of designers representing the best of modern knitwear design; Melanie Berg, Carol Feller and Bristol Ivy. Carol Feller’s line Bloomsbury DK, a 100% merino, comes in a range of 10 shades, selected by herself based on colors that work well together and enhance each other. “Each story also has neutral shades included which create links between all the colors.” She’s launched the line with 3 patterns; The Dango hat, Lignite Sweater and Russler Shawl, which were all designed to show how the colors were created to mesh together. Visit theyarncollective.com and follow along on Instagram @theyarncollective and make sure to visit loveknitting.com, where you can purchase all The Yarn Collective yarns. 

Fiber folk: There are so many uses for wool outside of clothing and handcrafts, whether it be rugs, blankets, insulation…or my personal favorite, wool bedding. Sarah Sunshine and her mother Eliana Jantz pioneered bringing natural bedding back into our homes and what began in 1984 as a dream, grew into what today is now known as Shepherd’s Dream. I’ve loved hearing the story behind this amazing company and Sarah’s passion for what they do and bring to this community. I hope you’re inspired to look further into bringing more wool into your home, and supporting the producers and makers behind it. You can find Sarah at shepherdsdream.com and on Instagram @shepherdsdream.

Photos by Shepherd’s Dream

Sponsor: Scratch is an innovative new yarn and craft supply shop located in Lebanon, New Hampshire. They’re committed to providing a beautifully curated selection of yarns and supplies for knitters, as well as roving, tools, and kits for needle felters. Their shop also features embroidery, sewing, and select fine art supplies. Scratch operates with the guiding notion that makers are curious and creative, and  should be able to find exciting, high quality materials to work with all in one place.

Scratch is also home to the areas only handcraft focused makerspace–home to a sewing bar, multiple looms, common workspace, a tool library, and more! Explore their full schedule of classes, and weekly Craft Night focused on building the creative community in the Upper Valley. You can find their full selection of yarns, notions and supplies on their new website at scratchmakerspace.com, and on Facebook & Instagram: @scratchmakerspace

Update: Next week on Wednesday you’ll want to tune in for a couple of exciting announcements, including the release of the 2018 Wall Calendar, featuring 12 illustrated sheep breeds and natural dye plants. Make sure to check woolful.com and woolful on Instagram next week for more info. 

Giveaway: The winner of our last episode’s giveaway is Kate. You’ve won a the ICON pattern project kit from Shibui and a copy of Rib Magazine’s Navigate. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Shepherds Dream and they’re giving away two standard sleep pillows, made with their Premium Eco-Wool batting and the winner can choose between flat, medium or full fills.

And here’s something special for Woolful listeners…from now through the end of the year, use coupon code Woolful5 to receive 5% off all items in the Shepherds Dream shop, except for already discounted items, wood frames and raw materials. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post. 

 

Music by Jónsi.

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 81: Melanie Berg – A career in IT, Germany, Yarn Weights and Self Publishing

June 23, 2017

Sponsor: Shibui Knits was born in 2007, in the basement of Darcy Cameron’s yarn store Knit Purl in Portland, Oregon. Faced with the limitations of yarn from big-brand companies, she started her own label, bringing yarn of the highest quality to small, independent stores like her own. Shibui Knits has since grown to represent timeless sophistication in local yarn stores worldwide. All of the Shibui yarns are designed to become unique, luxury fabrics in a coordinated palette made for mixing, at any gauge. Each pattern is tailored with thoughtful techniques, resulting in an intuitive knitting process and garments with optimal fit. Today, they continue to be grounded in the concept of simplicity well executed, with loving attention to detail. In March of this year Shibui launched the SS17 collection along with their newest yarn Lunar, a lace weight merino and silk blend. You can view the SS17 lookbook along with the full line of Shibui yarns at shibuiknits.com and make sure to follow along on Ravelry and Instagram @shibuiknits

Fiber folk: When I think of shawl designers, Melanie Berg is one of the first to come to mind. Her work has inspired a generation of shawl knitters and her soft and sweet presence charms anyone who’s had the opportunity to talk with her. From her life in Germany with her family to exploring new European yarns, I hope you enjoy hearing Melanie’s story. You can find Melanie on Ravelry and on Instagram @mairlynd.

Photos by Melanie Berg, Carrie Bostick Hoge, Whitney Hayward, Pam Allen, Woolfolk

 

Sponsor: The Yarn Collective is a new fibre and design company focused on working with the best independent designers to bring you luxurious hand-dyed yarns in a range of inspiring colorways. The Yarn Collective has kicked off the launch with a trio of designers representing the best of modern knitwear design: Melanie Berg, Carol Feller and Bristol Ivy. The first of these international designers is Melanie Berg from Germany, who has launched Portland Lace, a fine yarn spun from the softest merino wool to create a wonderfully soft handle that is suitable for all types of knitting and crochet. The yarn is available in 10 shades, picked by Melanie Berg herself. The Yarn Collective has had the pleasure in collaborating with a family run mill that has been established for over 85 years in Peru. Now run by the third generation, their passion for ethics matches The Yarn Collective’s own commitment to environmentally safe practices and social responsibility. The yarn is accompanied by the Secretkeeper Lace shawl pattern, which Melanie named as “sometimes knitting can feel like weaving in little secrets into fabric as you go. Thoughts that you won’t share with anyone, just your knitting..” Visit theyarncollective.com and follow along on Instagram @theyarncollective and you can purchase the yarns at loveknitting.com

Giveaway: The winner of our last episode’s giveaway is Lianne Scott. You’ve won Taproot’s GROW project kit for the Summer Rain Shawl, Thread and Ladles autographed copy of MAINE Knits and 4 skeins of Wing and a Prayer Farm’s Shetland DK to make Beatrice’s Gentle Ewe Shawl pattern. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaways are sponsored by Shibui and The Yarn Collective. Shibui is giving away a project kit featuring Melanie’s Whiteout Shawl along with their Lunar yarn. The Yarn Collective is giving away Melanie’s Secretkeeper shawl along with their Portland Lace yarn. To be one of the winners of this weeks giveaway, enter by leaving a comment on this blog post. And if you’re on Instagram and would like another chance to enter, see our giveaway post on Instagram for more info.  

Music by Jónsi.