EPISODE TWENTY SIX :: Shannon Downey of Badass Cross Stitch - Subversive Embroidery, Craftivism & Processing through Stitching

Photo by Gloria Araya

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 26 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke toShannon Downey of Badass Cross stitch. Shannon is a subversive cross stitcher and weaver based in Chicago. We cover some really incredible topics in this episode. Shannon explains how she sees her role in craftivism and the role of craftivism at large. She walks me through her process of creating Feminist War Flags, and tells us about a project on gun violence that prompted her to create an incredible fundraiser for an arts therapy project in Chicago. 

A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor: Phaedra Clothing.

Phaedra Clothing seeks a balance between elegance of form and functionality. The collection is inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design which combines attention to detail with practical, every day wear. To Phaedra, a garment is a narrative, a piece that changes over time. The linen becomes softer and more supple, the colours lighten subtly, a piece becomes imbued with memories; signifying a long and happy relationship between garment and wearer. You can find Phaedra Clothing on Etsy and on instagram as @phaedraclothing. 

Thanks again to Phaedra for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit Podcast! 

Shannon learnt to weave 4 years ago, and her grandmother was a master weaver, who wove at The Lowell Mill - the first industrial place that women were allowed to work (!) 

For Shannon, the act of stitching is a way for her to process. After a major shooting in the US, she found herself stitching a gun. She then called out for people to stitch them and send them to her. Eventually, she gathered these pieces to make an auction to sell for Project Fire, and once they had a project they were funding, the art just started pouring in). In the end, the fundraiser took in around $6000 to help keep that program going. 

Shannon's biggest bit of advice: (note I didn't actually ask this question, but she did give some great craftivism advice)

"[for a craftivism project] give a hard deadline, with 2 weeks in between the hard deadline and the moment [of action, ie the auction]... give people a lot of lead time" 

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

• Project Fire - arts therapy project that shannon helped raise funds for with her gun embroidery craftivism project
• craftivista- betsy greer "godmother of craftivism" 
• the craftivists collective @craftivists
• subversive cross stitch
• rowdy corazon 
• gone but not forgotten quilts - documenting the names of folks killed by the Chicago Police Department

Find Shannon: website | instagram 

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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 TWENTY FIVE :: Deva O'neill of Phaedra Clothing - On Being Self-Taught & Exploring Indigo Dyeing

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.

A huge thank you to this week’s episode sponsor: Pickle and Co Fibres. 

Pickle and Co Fibres is a small fibre business built on years of love of yarn and craft, based in Australia. Marnie, who runs Pickle and Co, handyes beautiful australian grown fibre and yarn, as well as handspinning her own art yarns. Marnie supports other aussie producers like White Gum Wool, a personal favorite of hers (and mine, as I’m sure you know) , to keep her carbon footprint minimized. You can find pickle and co fibres on etsy: search Pickle and Co Fibres (pickle like the cucumber and fibres spelled the australian way) and on instagram:  @pickleandcofibres

As a special offer for close knit podcast listeners, Marnie is offering 15% off her webshop. Use the code CLOSEKNITS15 for 15% off. 

In Episode 25, I spoke to Deva O’Neill of Phaedra Clothing. Deva is a clothing maker and indigo dyer based in Cornwall. Her interest in linen started at a young age, as she watched her mother and her mother’s friends engage with linen and beautiful, oversizes silhouettes. 

As a teenager, Deva altered her own clothing and over the past few years, has moved into drafting her own patterns, sort of a mishmash of other patterns and garments she’s made, to achieve the aesthetic she imagines in her mind. 

Deva and I talk about how she’s taught herself to sew and dye, and how the infinite world of fibre has entranced her. We discuss how she’s grown Phaedra and keeps it going alongside day work, and how she plans to grow it over time. 

Deva's Biggest Bit of Advice: 

"try to gain as much inspiration as you can from the world around you, but try not to compare yourself to anyone else... there's a lot of people doing amazing things and it's easy to feel like you're not doing enough... it's so important to stay true to what you want to create" 

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

• tony chestnut : very cool clothing, combining art and clothing (in still a very wearable way)

• as petals fall - Deva has collaborated Kate on a few projects, she's a natural dyer who sells her dyed linen meterage. 

• cabbage blue - incredible clothing maker (indigo, quilted,etc - do yourself a favour and check her out) 

Find Deva: website | instagram | facebook  

Want more? 

• Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts

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

MINI EPISODE :: THANK YOU + AN INTRODUCTION - JOY IN THE STRUGGLE

THE JOY IN THE STRUGGLE: an homage to Victoria Safford ('the place from which you glimpse not only the struggle, but the joy in the struggle'). 

Instagram: Joy In The Struggle - an account dedicated to raising funds for a new not-for-profit every 2 months - the first project is dedicated to raising funds for Planned Parenthood. 

Facebook : Tasmania-based Craftivism Group - a group for folk to discuss things that are on their minds, and for us to have events that are centred around craft/making/showing up and working to create positive change. 

WHAT I PLAN TO DO: Manage the instagram account, use it to host fundraisers every 2 months, contribute my own work/knitting when I can, manage the Facebook group to create and host local events in Tasmania that are social-justice/craftivism themed. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 

• KNITTERS: The first project is a "pussyhat" knitting fundraiser (open to your interpretation - reminder that it's not about sex organs, and womxn come in all forms), if you want to knit one to sell to raise funds for Planned Parenthood, please email me: hello@closeknit.com.au
• YARN PRODUCERS: can you donate some wool to one of our pussy hat knitting people? If so, get in touch: hello@closeknit.com.au 
• NOT A KNITTER OR YARN PRODUCER? GET IN TOUCH AND LET'S FIND A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER - hello@closeknit.com.au

EPISODE TWENTY FOUR :: Olive Riley of Spinning A Yarn - Keeping the Business in the Family + Balancing Full Time Work and Creative Projects

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 I spoke to Olive Riley of Spinning A Yarn. Olive is a hand-dyer based in New Zealand. We talk about how a visit to the Massey University Open Day took her from wanting to study nursing to studying textiles, and how her schooling has influenced her work. Olive took over the business, Spinning A Yarn, from her sister Jess, and we talk about what it’s like to take over a business from a family member, and how they’ve worked together to grow the business. 

Olive is generously sponsoring a giveaway of 3 skeins of her handdyed silk/merino yarn, here's how to enter: 

1. Follow @spinningayarnnz on instagram

2. Follow @close_knit on instagram

3. Comment on this blog post with your instagram handle and name

GIVEAWAY CLOSES FRIDAY, 10th Feb, 2017 8am AEST. 

Olive and I discuss how her education at Massey influenced her work. Whilst at uni, she took a natural dye course, but over time she has changed to acid reactive dyes, which she learned from Jess in their garage. 

In addition to Spinning A Yarn, Olive works full time - for Wool Yarns, a yarn making factory, where she works on apparel yarns that are possum merino blends. She particularly loves getting to see the whole process of making a yarn from start to finish. 

A major motivation that keeps Olive going: people giving positive feedback about the yarn. Sometimes she feels like she's not doing enough or it's not good enough, but meeting people who love the yarn is motivating. She walks me through the financial logistics of her business, and finds that it's a great way to pay for a hobby (and gives her yarn to play with). She's really happy with the size that it is, and that she doesn't rely on it for income - instead she finds that it pays for itself and for her to travel to 3-4 markets around NZ throughout the year. 

Olive's biggest bit of advice: 

"keep going, and enjoy it....do what you want to do. A tip for people learning a new fibre craft: try and do projects that teach you a new thing each time you're making something... choose patterns that challenge yourself" 

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

• Koel Magazine : beautiful magazine for makers. 
• Laine Magazine: beautiful Nordic magazine with homely and warming aesthetic
• Truly Myrtle: Libby, Olive's gotten to know her at markets
• Marta Buda: beautiful weaver and textile design 

Find Olive: website | instagram | facebook  

Want more? 

• Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts

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 TWENTY THREE :: Emma Lehan of The Fleece and Wheel - Having and Go + Thoughts on Sourcing Locally

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 23 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Emma Lehan of The Fleece and Wheel.Emma is a knitter and spinner based in Queensland. We chat about how Emma’s interest in knitting eventually led her to spinning, and how her thoughtful partner gave her a drop spindle as a christmas present a few years ago, leading her down the path she’s on now. Last year, Emma got involved in an Etsy Local market, which was a huge motivator for her to get her business up and running. We talk about how she’s managed her business and why she’s chosen to source locally. Emma walks me through how she has found her sources of fibre and how she’s developed these relationships over time.

Emma's Handspun Alpaca for the giveaway! 

Emma is generously sponsoring a giveaway of 3 luscious skeins of her handspun alpaca! Here's how to enter: 

1. Follow @thefleeceandwheel on instagram

2. Follow @close_knit on instagram

3. Comment on this blog post with your instagram handle and name

GIVEAWAY CLOSES FRIDAY, 27TH JAN 2017 8am AEST. 

Emma's biggest bit of advice:

"Have a go. Because a lot of people think 'I can't possibly do that'. and that's wrong, of course you can, you just have to try... Just start, and don't get discouraged" 

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

• Tanis Fiber Arts - who Emma blames for turning her into a yarn snob
• Boho chic Fibre Co - handspun and handdyed, and knit designs
• Aurelian townsend  - incredible weaver and spinner
• the unusual pear - where Emma got her first drop spindle!
• pickle and co fibres - the amazing indie dyer who introduced Emma to White Gum Wool 

Find Emma: website | instagram 

Want more? 

• Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts

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