Have you said this statement to yourself? I know that I have. I never thought that being creative is your human nature. It is embedded in our instincts and in our DNA. Only through society have we now lifted up artists to a heroic stature. Listen to this podcast to find out the truth. Do my suggested exercise to train your creative spirit. And as always let me know what you think….
To listen to the episode, subscribe on iTunes, follow on Spotify or click here.
I took a hiatus from the podcast so that I could really get my head around this new season. In this season, I will be talking about creativity. And not just talking about it, but also giving you an exercise with each episode that you can complete to feed your creative spirit and to let it rise within you!!
You can listen to the podcast here or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
If you would rather watch the power point. You can find it the video here.
I have a new podcast out in the world. I had a great conversation with Dalis of Dancing Leaf Farm. We talked about her journey as a textile artist. We talked about yarn and color and being a solopreneur. I also wanted to specifically talk to her about how she keeps her balance as a business owner, artist and human being.
I hope you enjoy it!!
Want to watch on YouTube? Click here.
Today the last installment of Collection Curator is available. Today I talk about what to do with all the yarn, roving, patterns, needles, and notions that are not part of your collection any longer. Those items that need to be rehomed. There are 2 paths you can take: you can donate out right or you can host a yarn swap party. When we are able to meet, I think the yarn swap would be so great.
Several years ago, my creative friends and I bought a bale of antique kimonos from Japan. We did a kind of swap party then too. We laid them all out. Then we very deliberately took turns picking out our favorites. It was fun to see our personalities emerge from the picking. One of us, Judy picked the wild patterned and gloriously colored children’s kimonos to use in quilt projects. I picked out the ones that showed the most dyeing and ikat patterning. This deliberate picking is just one of the 2 ways to do your swap.
You can listen to the episode here. Or subscribe on Itunes or wherever you listen to podcasts.
In this episode, Lisa walks you through your needles, hooks and notions. We’re almost at the end of really having the collection that you love. So join in and address all those needles, stitch markers and gauges.
Go from total disorganization and duplicates to knowing where all your needles and notions are and what you actually have. Stop buying extras because you can’t find that elusive set of needles. Click here to listen or subscribe on itunes here so you don’t miss an episode.
During this presentation, Lisa gives some gift suggestions for friends and relatives. These gifts range from kids to a new knitter and from friends that love mysteries and those who are history buffs.
In today’s podcast, I talk about “Fast Fashion”. This is the push by marketers and manufacturers to make cheaper and cheaper clothes that we buy, wear once or twice and cast away while chasing the next fashion trend. It used to be that there were 2 “seasons” in the clothing industry. Now there are 52 “mini-seasons”. The pursuit of these fashion trends is making our planet sick. The chemicals to make and dye the fabric is toxic to us and to the environment. The pursuit of this fashion is making our bodies sick as well. There are hormonal changes that are happening, not only to the people who work in the industry but also to those who were the products on their skin.
I offer some ideas for how to wean ourselves off this hamster wheel.
This is just the first in a series talking about fast fashion vs. slow fashion. I’ll be talking about the Fibershed movement too.
I just dropped Episode 7. It’s all about how to pick the right yarn for your next project. I start with some of the questions I ask myself as I’m dreaming of a new project. Don’t you love starting something new? I do! I do think it’s like dreaming. There is the entire world of garments and yarns and colors and weights to choose from. Yes, it can be overwhelming. But there are still some parameters.
In this podcast I talk about what I’ve learned about picking yarns for cables and laces. I talk about when to sure semi-solids and when to use variegated yarn. I want to help you to start a project that will be enjoyable and will meet your expectations. For instance, for both cables and lace stitches, you need to have yarn that is stretchy. You also need to have yarn that will hold its shape when it is blocked.
Are you knitting for a picky person: toddler, teenager or senior? Are you knitting something that is fitted or something like a shawl where size doesn’t really matter? You have to take these into consideration.
You can click here to listen OR you can subscribe on itunes so that you don’t miss an episode.
Have a question about yarn, shepherding or knitting? Reply here or send me an email, I’m planning a Q & A episode, but I need your questions to do that. I look forward to hearing from you.
