EPISODE SEVEN :: Gina Rockenwagner of Poppy and Pima - Serendipitous Job Offers, Knitwear Design and Improvisational Quilting as a Creative Outlet

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Gina with the women who work for Poppy and Pima

Gina with the women who work for Poppy and Pima

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast.

This week's episode has a special gift- a 25% discount to Caitlin Hunter's Pattern Shop - Boyland Knitworks. Caitlin lives on a farmstead in rural Oregon with her husband, 3 little boys and a pile of assorted animals. When she’s not herding animals (or children) she’s designing beautiful knitting patterns and embracing slow fashion through her use of sustainable fibres and naturally dyed wool. Caitlin’s patterns cover everything from simple drapey jumpers to lace worked shawls and lovely fair isle beanies. To get 25% off all of Caitlin’s knitting patterns, check out her ravelry shop and enter CLOSEKNIT at checkout.  A big thank you to Caitlin for offering this special gift to podcast listeners. 

In this episode, I speak to Gina Rockenwagner - owner of Poppy and Pima, knitwear designer, and quilter. Gina chats to me about her experimental approach to quilting, and how she uses quilting as an outlet from designing knitwear to fit a human body. 

one of gina's quilts

one of gina's quilts

Gina clears up my confusion on what "baby alpaca" actually is, as I, embarrassingly, don't actually know what it is! We chat about Gina's entrance into the knitwear design world, and why she thinks of knitting as the original 3d printer.

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People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Find Gina: website | instagram | facebook 

Want more? 

Like what you're hearing? 

Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.

Until next time! 

xx

Ani 

EPISODE SIX :: Meghan Navoy of A Wool Story - Zero Waste Knitting and Sustainable Fibre Revelations

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The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast.

In Episode 6 of the Close Knit Podcast, Meg schools me on the sustainability of alpaca, we chat about how she got into knitting, her time at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and how her dad is taking after her in striving for zero waste (well, kind of). Meg and I share a lot of laughs on this episode, over her time on an alpaca farm, among other fun stories she shares. 

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People/things we mentioned in this podcast

  • Meg blew my mind when she explained to me why alpaca is more sustainable than other fibres, including wool. 
  • Instead of going to a music festival, Meg visited an alpaca farm and spent the money she saved on a ticket on alpaca (as one does): Waldron Grove Alpaca Farm
  • We chat about Meg's friend who founded this company - Evernu - though we got a little bit of info wrong in the podcast- they don't actually recycle mixed fibres, because it's really really hard.  
  • Meg introudces me to a thing called "warp knitting" which she learnt about at FIT - it's mainly used for shows and things of that sort. 
  • Things and people Meg finds inspiring and reckons we all should be following? 
    • quince and co, marlee grace over at have company, camellia fiber co, karen templer of Fringe Association, and the ever- present on this podcast :), maryanne moodie

 

EPISODE FIVE :: Lauren Hunter - Costume Making, Realising Designers' Visions, and Medieval Footwear

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The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast.

This week on the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Lauren Hunter, who is a student of costume making at NIDA (the national institute of dramatic arts). We chat about how and why she got into costume making, her love of medieval footwear, and her interest in fibre in its many forms (think leather work).  Lauren loves the feeling that making something from start to finish gives her - so much so that she went back to school to study costume making.  Listen to the whole chat from the link above, or subscribe on itunes! 

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lauren_hunter1

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Want more? 

Like what you're hearing? 

Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.

Until next time! 

xx

Ani 

EPISODE FOUR :: Emily Hundt of In The Folds - Discovering Upscale Upcycling and Creating Patterns that Challenge and Delight

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emily_hundt_inthefolds.jpeg

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast.

In this week's episode, I chat to Emily Hundt from In the Folds. Em and I cover a lot of ground in this one - from her time in London, when she was exposed to incredible upcycled garments, to how she chooses materials and construction techniques. Everything that Em does is remarkably considered - and that has led to a beautiful aesthetic for her brand. She works primarily with reclaimed materials that she works tirelessly to source. See the photos below of Em and her work, and check out the links to some of the things we mentioned in the show. 

in the fold rushcutter
in the folds
bias binding.jpg

 

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Find Emily: website | instagram | facebook 

Want more? 

Like what you're hearing? 

Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.

Until next time! 

xx

Ani 

EPISODE THREE :: Laura Taylor of School of Hard Knots - Balancing Work and Craft, Digging Deeper and Sticking With It

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The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast.

This episode I met up with Laura Taylor of School of Hard Knots. I met Laura through my usual creepy Instagram lurking, and now we hang out and have natural dyeing experiments. I'm so inspired by Laura's modern approach to crochet and knitting, and I love her easy-to-follow crochet videos. 

 

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Find Laura: website | instagram | facebook 

Want more? 

Like what you're hearing? 

Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.

Until next time! 

xx

Ani