EPISODE 58 :: Aisling Camps

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

In Episode 58 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Aisling Camps, Trinidadian born, mechanical engineer turned knitwear designer hustling out of Brooklyn.

Aisling and I talk about her early days in NYC, working as an engineer on sustainability projects, and her desire to express more of her creativity, which led her eventually to a BFA program at FIT. We chat about her relationship to NYC and Trinidad and how her business was born on a couple of knitting machines back home in Trinidad after a visa ran out. Her work is heavily influenced by the climate there and her Trinidadian background, resulting in the ephemeral and striking pieces she makes today.

We discuss her in-home production and the necessity of bringing in outside help as she grows, how she built a relationship with a family in Italy to work on some of her pieces, and how beautiful that relationship is.

This year, in particular, has brought new challenges and peaks for her, and talk about both the heavier moments and the lighter ones - from George Floyd’s murder to the opportunities and mentorship that have resulted from the cultural reaction to racial injustice. 

Aisling’s work can be found both online in her store, and in Oakland, CA at McMullen. 

Find Aisling: Instagram | Website

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Until next time! 

xx

ani

EPISODE 57 :: Sonya Philip of 100 Acts of Sewing

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

Sonya Philip is an artist, designer and teacher. In 2012, she started a project called 100 Acts of Sewing, making dresses while documenting the process. Since then Sonya has made it her mission to convince people to sew their own clothes. When not covered in bits of thread, she can be found fermenting, knitting or baking things. Sonya lives in San Francisco with her family.

It was such a pleasure to catch up with Sonya - albeit virtually, though we live fairly close to each other. I've long admired Sonya's simple, practical, and playful approach to clothes-making and her pattern blocks have been the gentle gateway for me to approach clothing making with ease and joy. I loved chatting with Sonya about her practice and how its shifted and morphed this year, and everything she has coming up this year and next (if you follow her you may have seen her book announcement!). We our all about Sonya's year, her background and her approach to making things.

Find Sonya: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Want more? 

• Subscribe: Itunes

• Follow along on Instagram

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Until next time! 

xx

ani

EPISODE 56 :: Catarina of The Olive Trees and the Moon

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

In Episode 56, I spoke to Catarina of The Olive Trees and the Moon. Cat is a homesteader, maker, folk herbalist and mother living in rural Portugal. She likes to spend her days exploring her local flora, photographing and creating magic. Together with her partner, they've built their house by hand and grow nourishing food.

It was such a joy hosting Cat - we talked about so many of the things that she and I have bonded over and questioned aloud on Instagram - from the “fast fashion mentality” and she so aptly puts it, that permeates our expectations of production and cost, even within the fiber community, to a discussion of access to knitting and the materials it requires. 

We talk about knitting for others when knitting for ourselves is out of desire to make, instead of need to clothe - and how making for others means handing over some of the creative details we might otherwise do differently for the sake of ensuring the garment is loved, worn and cared for.

Cat and I took a rambling wander through these thoughts together and while we didn’t have any conclusive answers to the questions we posed, I think we touched on many topics that so many of us folks in the fiber community consider throughout our time making, and it was a really special joy to host Cat on the episode. I’m grateful to have gotten to share space asking and conjecturing about these topics with her. 

Find Cat: Instagram | Website

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Until next time! 

xx

ani

EPISODE 55 :: Marcee & Hubbard Jones of Housework

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

This is Episode 55 of the Close Knit Podcast - today I am joined by Marcee + Hubbard Jones of Housework. With an obsession for manufacturing details and a strict set of material standards, the cofounding couple of Housework bring their unconventional backgrounds in fine art and health food together to bear a meticulously curated selection of clothing and home goods with care for every detail – down to things like the dyestuffs of garments, as well as the glazes of ceramics and finishes on wooden wares.

The Housework clothing catalogue is uniquely and strictly composed of truly natural fibers (no polyblends or pseudo-naturals like rayon), all undyed or naturally dyed with plants and minerals, with even commonly disregarded elements like the stitching thread being made of entirely compostable natural fibers.

Find Marcee + Hubbard : Instagram | Facebook | Website

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Until next time! 

xx

ani

EPISODE 54 :: Sarah Nsikak of La Reunion Studio

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

This is episode 54 of the Close Knit Podcast, and this week I spoke to Sarah Nsikak of La Reunion Studio. I was introduced to Sarah’s work through a mutual connection a few months ago and I was immediately taken with her work. She centers stories of Africa in her work, bringing to life incredible dresses and tapestries that are full of color and made entirely of remnants & scraps. Sarah speaks to the ways in which COVID19 and social movements of this year have impacted her own work, and how it’s all helped lead her to invest completely in her La Reunion.

We discuss her journey from studying art therapy to moving from Oklahoma to NYC to intern for a fashion designer, to making the move to work for herself full time, during a global pandemic. She details her history upcylcing garments and how she’s worked to source remnants for this current collection, and we trade tips on how we’ve sourced materials and attempted experiments in natural dyeing.

Sarah’s work is beyond inspiring, in a realm unto itself, in my humble opinion, bringing together her personal life experience and heritage in a way that is so beautifully unique.

I was so delighted to speak with Sarah & I can’t wait for you to hear our chat. And if you haven’t already, you gotta go feast your eyes on her work - don’t say I didn’t warn you, it’s the most incredible.

Find Sarah : Instagram | Website

Want more? 

• Subscribe: Itunes

• Follow along on Instagram

• Support the podcast through patreon

Until next time! 

xx

ani