Minisode - EP 34 Continued :: Friendship Chats with Sam Ives and Abbey Rich

January 26, 2018 by Ani Lee in Podcast

there's no Sam in this pic because she was taking it <3

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about the ways we use fibre to process events in our lives and in the world.

This episode (minisode kind of, though it's still like 40 min long so not that mini?) is a little different.

If you have not, first listen to episode 34 (part 1) to get to know Abbey and Sam and then come back and listen to this chat, which is the second half of my floor sitting Hobart conversation with Abbey and Sam from last year.

We talk about

+ internet friendships, how we met each other and became friends + how we navigate internet personas and IRL personas (spoiler we dont have any boundaries between them, and we all have a lot of feelings)

+ sam tells us about her first business making t-shirts as a 16 year old

+ we have a pee break (which I edited out because it got too weird to share on the internet)

+ Australianisms vs Americanisms - how our voices have changed over time (Sam and Ani are American and lived or are living in Aus)

+ Our embarrassing nicknames from different points in our lives

abbey's tattoo on ani (given the day before this chat)

Find Abbey: instagram | website

Find Sam: instagram | website

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE THIRTY FOUR :: Pillow Talk with Sam Ives - Maker & Mineral and Abbey Rich - Creating Clothing Thoughtfully & Tattooing Friends

December 28, 2017 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our wider communities.

A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor: Sincere Sheep.

Sincere Sheep is run by Brooke, who I had the pleasure of taking a walk around Lake Merritt with recently, where we talked about all things wool and community. Brooke is deeply connected to her work and it shows in everything that she does, most obviously in Sincere Sheep. Started in 2003, Sincere Sheep was founded on principles translated from the slow food movement, a concept that was gaining regional momentum. Brooke applied ideas of traditional and regionally sourced ingredients to textiles to create her offering with Sincere Sheep. Their primary focus remains single-source, breed-specific and custom-made yarns and fibers dyed with color extracted from responsibly sourced plants (and occasionally from insects).

Until the 31st Dec 2017, you can sign up for Sincere Sheep’s Made Here! 2018 quarterly club. Made Here! is a special quarterly yarn club featuring domestic and small batch yarns and custom-made goodies, thoughtfully designed and packaged for minimal environmental impact. Made Here! is designed to offer exclusive and pretty darn amazing US-made custom products. Three of next year's 2018 Made Here! yarns are sourced from California. This unique club experience will deepen your understanding of where the fiber originates and the people who grow the products, as well as the dyes used in making the colors you receive. Along with all that, Sincere Sheep has teamed up with talented friends to create custom goodies and provide pattern codes for each shipment. Whenever possible, they source products here in the US to support independent, small businesses.

Click for the complete Made Here! 2018 Listing on www.sinceresheep.com.

A huge thank you again to Sincere Sheep for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit Podcast.

In episode 34, I speak to two dear friends of mine - Abbey Rich and Sam Ives. In a slightly different approach than I usually have, Sam, Abbey and I recorded this chat in person, sitting on the floor in my old house in Hobart. Because of the format of this chat and the fact that we have a well established friendship, this chat developed differently to the usual podcast.

We talk about tattooing and how both Abbey and Sam have used stick and pokes to process life and friendship, and how tattooing a mate is such a permanent act - this is juxtaposition to both of their clothes-making practice, which feels more transient, and ultimately is more transient in the world of fast fashion that we all ultimately live in.

Sam and Abbey both talk us through their practices with clothes making and how they’ve grown and changed their businesses over the last few years, as well as the compromises this requires of them. We discuss sustainability from many levels - for the planet, our immediate communities and ourselves, as well as communities not physically proximate to us.

Having this conversation with Abbey and Sam meant so much to me, and honestly getting to come back to it over the last couple of weeks to edit it has felt really healing, as I personally transition my life from Tasmania to California. I cannot thank Sam and Abbey enough for their ongoing friendship and for being willing to share this conversation with me in the week before I left Tassie.

Find Abbey: instagram | website

Find Sam: instagram | website

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE THIRTY THREE :: Nate of Loop'nThreads - An Unexpected Introduction to Knitting & Co-facilitating 'Our Maker Life'

November 09, 2017 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our wider communities.

A huge thank you to this week's epsiode sponsors : Threads of Peru & 100 Acts of Sewing.

Threads of Peru is a social enterprise that connects the world to handcrafted treasures of Peru, helping to strengthen ancient craft techniques and empower artisans.

By marketing the work produced by weavers in remote Andean communities and by sourcing products from like-minded organizations across Peru, Threads of Peru is providing an opportunity for artisans, particularly women, to earn an income while continuing to live a traditional lifestyle and care for their children. Something I’m particularly excited about sharing is Threads of Peru’s trips to visit Peru, tours designed for those who are passionate about culture and who want to experience the Andean weaving tradition first-hand. You can join the Threads of Peru team as they take you behind the scenes to visit some of their weaving partners and experiment with weaving and natural dye techniques.

See Peru through the eyes of people who live and breathe this country every day, and who are working to keep traditions alive and make a better life for those who live here. This is an experience not to be missed – an exclusive and very special introduction to the vastly rich culture of Peru!

You can find out more about these tours by visiting their website threadsofperu.com

As a special offer for close knit listeners, Threads of Peru is offering 20% off anything in their online shop (except Clearance items)! Just go to threadsofperu.com, and enter coupon code CLOSEKNIT at checkout.

And a huge thank you to 100 Acts of Sewing for sponsoring this episode!

100 Acts of Sewing is a pattern company making simple sewing patterns for a handmade wardrobe, designed by Sonya Philip. The patterns are geared towards beginners with pieces that are easy to wear and modify. I have personally sewn the dress No2 from 100 acts of sewing and every time I see a new pattern by Sonya I get so excited because of their ease of construction and versatility. Reading Sonya’s instructions was like having a seasoned sewer in the room with me, walking me through the process step by step, something I feel is often missing from sewing patterns and online tutorials.If you’re interested in hand making your clothes and aren’t sure where to start, or even if you’re a really good sewist, I can’t recommend 100 acts of sewing patterns highly enough! You can find 100 acts of sewing online and follow Sonya’s handmade wardrobe chronicles on instagram at @sonyaphilip.

Thanks again to this week's episode sponsors!

This week I spoke to Nate Bryant of Loop N Threads, and Our Maker Life. Nate shares with us the story of how he found his way to knitting, rather unexpectedly and how that love of knitting became something more than a side hobby for him, at first out of necessity, and then out of love.

We discuss some of the details of how he chooses to run his business alongside a day job, and how he manages his time between these things. Nate also helps to run an organisation called Our Maker Life, alongside other makers, who get together yearly to share experiences and ideas and work together on their craft. Nate describes for me his experience of working in the knitting world as a man and how his expression of his gender shapes his work and how others might view his work as a result of gender expression. Nate has this really calming voice, and it was a treat to get to chat to him about the many things that make him uniquely him.

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Chantal of Knitatude- nate loves her energy and how prolific she is
a favourite inspiration: Yokoo Gibraan
Our Maker Life (OMM)
Chelsea from Chelsea Knits / Knit Fitch
Nikki Hirsch for her tunisian crochet
also the angel painting that Nate did and mentioned :)

Find Nate: instagram | website

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE THIRTY TWO :: Kinknit - Unexpected Parallels between the Kink and Fibre Community

August 31, 2017 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our communities.

In Episode 32 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Kinknit. Kinknit combines two things that you might not have thought about combining before (or maybe you have - like many folks who’ve gotten in touch with them on the internet) - kink and fibre. Which, when you think about it, kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? interest in fibres and interest in ropes, interest in the tying of intricate knots. Afterall, knitting is just a series of knots, isn't it? We talk about how kinking uses kink, yoga and an active fibre practice in their management of their chronic illnesses, and how even when their body wouldn’t cooperate, they were still so fundamentally a spinner and a knitter.

What i love so much about this chat is how we’re talking about something that is kind of taboo and not often talked about, especially in the fibre arts community - but it makes so much sense when kinking explains the parallels between these communities that they’ve noticed.

My intention with the podcast is present people as their whole selves - and I love that we got to talk about all the ways that Kinknint shows up to the world as themselves - unashamed and proud of all the elements that make them uniquely them.

photo by @sliversilverphotography / sliversilverphoto.com — photo by @sliversilverphotography / sliversilverphoto.com

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Fetlife - ravelry for kink
Into the Whirled - rad indie dyer
Izznit - we love her badass knitting tattoos
friend and badass Pajarolibrexx
master weaver Megan Shimek

Find Kinknit: instagram

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE THIRTY ONE :: Marlee Grace - Hiring Your Friends & Navigating Boundaries Between Projects and Self

August 03, 2017 by Ani Lee in Podcast

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, Sunflower Knit.

A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor: Sunflower Knit. ash alberg is a queer femme and fibre witch who seeks to create beautiful and practical designs using sustainable methods. equally importantly, they seek to nurture the skills, knowledge, and creativity of fellow fibre witches to achieve their goals. ash's second book of designs, in collaboration with yoth yarns and samson photography, will be published in september 2017 and will be available in hard copy and on ravelry. visit ashalberg.com for information about booking in-person classes or to join the creative coven, ash's online shawl design course. you can find ash on instagram and facebook as @sunflowerknit.

Thanks again to Sunflower Knit for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit podcast!

In Episode 31 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Marlee Grace. Marlee is a person whose work I’ve been following for a long time - something like 3 years, actually, and she was one of the people I remember putting down as a “stretch goal” when I first conceptualized of making the podcast. Marlee talks to me about how she uses knitting to process being sober, how she learned to quilt, how she identifies as an improvisational quilter, and how her dance practice and training informs her way of working and being in this world.

We talk about the space and project she ran in Grand Rapids, Have Company, and how she navigated and continues to navigate the complexities of growing a project and business and hiring team members (pro tip: hiring your friends feels good) We also talk about the dynamics of sharing personal details on the internet versus IRL and the ways in which this has led to friendships and opportunities for Marlee. There’s a whole lot of good Marlee content that exists on the internet and I’m really excited to get to share with you this chat that we had.

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Fringe Association: Karen gets mentioned on basically every podcast episode i make. Marlee and Karen are IRL friends and Karen helped Marlee at the very beginning of her knitting journey. They had a shopkeeper's retreat together (which sounds like the best thing ever btw)
Eliza Fernand - marlee's quilting teacher and badass quilter
Secret Holiday and Co - It's OK banner
Lisa Congdon - illustrator. said something along the lines of 'don't email a person asking to pick their brain' (amen!)
Serpent and Bow - friend and maker of naturally dyed intimates
Faith Levine - friend and documentary maker
Alejandra Leon - lioness oracle tarot deck maker
Katie Crutchfield - waxahatchee, music maker

Find Marlee: website | instagram

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Until next time!

ani