tolt yarn and wool

Episode 53: Anna & Greg Dianich – Pinterest, Saying yes, Role reversals and Tolt Yarn and Wool

March 31, 2016

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 MYTH features a collection of wonderful finds as we step in Spring. With fermentation and jam recipes, stories, food myths, how to make a pan flute and Bristol Ivy’s latest pattern the “Selkie Hat & Mitts”. There is so much goodness in each issue. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.

Fiber folk: I’ve met very few people in life that match the passion, enthusiasm and joy of Anna Dianich and her infectious energy emanates from everything that surrounds her, including her shop, Tolt Yarn and Wool. It’s easy to forget though, that amazing women like Anna, have someone equally amazing beside them, cheering them on and supporting them through their endless ideas and gumption. Anna’s someone is her lovable and encouraging husband Greg. Together they’ve built a community, centered around this charming little yarn shop in the Pacific Northwest town of Carnation, Washington. You can find Anna and Greg and their super crew at toltyarnandwool.com and on Instagram @toltyarnandwool.

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. I highly recommend you visit taprootmag.com and subscribe.

Update: It’s been a very exciting week on our farm, with the arrival of our first lambs! Our ewes Lucy and Alice both gave birth to twins last week when I was in San Francisco for work, and while I was so bummed to have missed their births, I’m looking forward to our other ewes Ethel and Louise who should be lambing any day now. There’s speculation that Louise may even throw triplets…so exciting. I’ve been posting videos and photos over on Instagram, so follow me there to keep up with the going ons.

Giveaway: The winner of last weeks giveaway is Cathy B. You’ve won a copy of Helga Isager’s book Room 606 and yarn for the Ghita Cowl pattern. Congratulations!

The giveaway this week is sponsored by Tolt Yarn and Wool and we’re giving away a copy of Tolt’s book Farm to Needle. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.

Music by Jónsi.

115 Comments

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 42: Tif Fussell – Aunties, holistic healing, following fiber, and Dottie Angel

November 25, 2015

Sponsor: In 2013, Anna Dianich opened Tolt Yarn and Wool. a local yarn shop in the beautiful Pacific Northwest town of Carnation, Washington. A couple weeks back we celebrated Tolt’s second anniversary, with the release of a very special book, Farm to Needle: Stories of Wool. When we pick up our needles and cast-on the first stitch, we become part of something much bigger than the project at hand. Farmers, shearers, spinners and dyers are working hard not only to produce the yarn we love, but to preserve a way of life that is at real risk of being lost. Farm to Needle invites you to join a journey; to peek behind the scenes of some of our favorite producers and gain a deeper understanding of the people, places, and animals at work. Discover Aspen Hollow Farm, Green Mountain Spinnery, Imperial Stock Ranch, Thirteen Mile Farm, YOTH, Saco River Dye House, and Twirl through patterns by Dianna Walla, Tif Fussell, Veronika Jobe, Karen Templer, Andrea Rangel, Annie Rowden and myself. This book was beautifully captured by a hardworking team, lead by Anna and Kathy Cadigan. You can find Farm to Needle at toltyarnandwool.com

Fiber folk: Today marks the 1yr birthday of the Woolful podcast, and you can only celebrate such things with angels, like today’s guest Tif Fussell or as many of you know her, Dottie Angel. Every single one of the past 42 episodes have been so important to me, however today’s holds special meaning. For any of you who know Tif, you know the treasure she is. Her story goes beyond fiber or textiles, motherhood or marriage…it’s a story of a woman finding her strength and healing, and her creative journey. You can find Tif in her Pacific Northwest mossy shed and on Instagram @dottieangel.

Sponsor: I just want to take a moment to say thank you again to Tolt Yarn and Wool, today’s episode sponsor. I hope you take some time to get to know Tolt better. If you’ve had the privilege of visiting Tolt in person, you know how truly amazing this place is. It’s evident the heart and soul Anna and her incredible team put into creating an experience that feels like home with your fiber family. What a special place to have in this fiber community of ours. Make sure to visit Tolt in Carnation and online at Toltyarnandwool.com for a very special collection of fibers, notion and books.

Man on the Street: For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked the question, “What does Woolful mean to you?”. Thank you Emmaline , Sonja @treebytheriver, Amy @urban_farm_wife, Jessie @thebonvivant, Hope @hopehawley, Amber @dapperewe, Leanne @leannecoppola, Barb @stixandstring

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.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaways are, Doreen, you’ve won a copy of Tolt Yarn and Wool’s new book Farm to Needle and theslowcatwalk, you’ve won two skeins of Vermont Organic worsted yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery. Congratulations!

This week we’ve got a couple of special giveaways. The Dottie Angel Frock pattern from simplicity, two skeins of Moeke Transylvania Merino, and a copy of our recently released Woolful Sheep Breed Calendar. To be one of the winners of this week’s giveaways, leave a comment this blog post.

Music by Jónsi.

133 Comments

Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 41: David Ritchie, Claire Wilson, Libby Mills and Kate Salomon – Study groups, building a New England fiber mill, growth of a fiber family and Green Mountain Spinnery

November 17, 2015

Sponsor: Ewetopia is a local yarn shop in rural Viroqua, WI, carrying a beautiful selection of yarns and fibers, including their very own line of hand dyed yarns. One of my favorite things about Ewetopia is it’s generational foundation, the shop was started by Kathryn Ashley-Wright and later her mother Lisa Ashley joined her as partner in the business. Along with Kathryn’s grandmother Gloria and her daughters Stella and Mae…you’ll sometimes find all four generations busy around the shop…what a special thing to have. In addition to the Ewetopia shop and yarn brand, Kathryn and her family have a farm in southwestern Wisconsin where they grow certified organic hay and rotationally graze their flock of 50 ewes…comprised of Corriedale, Border Leicester and Merino crosses, which contribute to their Ewetopia yarn and fiber line. If you’re in the Viroqua area or just passing through, make sure to visit them in person. You can find a selection of Ewetopia yarns and fibers, and more info on the shop and farm online at ewetopiafibershop.com. And find them on Instagram @ewetopiayarn.

Fiber folk: To me, Green Mountain Spinnery is one of the staples of the fiber industry, and has been since founded in 1981 by David Ritchie, Libby Mills, Claire Wilson and Diana Wahle. I first learned about the spinnery through my friend Annie, who is a huge advocate of their yarns. Then all of the sudden I kept hearing about the everywhere…that’s how it goes yeah? haha. The more I learned, the more I loved. From their humble hardworking beginnings, to creating an organic yarn, their formation of a coop and their overall beautiful influence within this fiber community…I’ve met few others in this industry with such a rich history and gratitude for what wool has brought them. Today you get to hear a bit of that history and hear that richness in their stories, as David, Libby, Claire and Kate tell the Green Mountain Spinnery story. You can find Green Mountain Spinnery at spinnery.com and on Instagram @greenmtnspinnery.

Photos by Kathy Cadigan, Green Mountain Spinnery and Megan MacDonald

And if you’ve had the privilege of visiting Tolt in person, you know how truly amazing this place is. It’s evident the heart and soul Anna and her incredible team put into creating an experience that feels like home with your fiber family. What a special place to have in this fiber community of ours. Make sure to visit Tolt in Carnation and online at toltyarnandwool.com for a very special collection of fibers, notion and books.

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaways are, Margaret – you’ve won two skeins of Quince and Co Osprey yarn in Caspian from Cream City Yarn, and Yasmin – you’ve won Loop London’s new book, 10. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway’s are sponsored by Tolt Yarn and Wool – who’s giving away a copy of their new book, Farm to Needle and Green Mountain Spinnery – who’s giving away two skeins of their Vermont Organic worsted yarn, made from Tunis/Dorset wool. To be one of the winners of this week’s giveaways, leave a comment this blog post.