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

January 12, 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.

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 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

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Until next time!

Ani

EPISODE FIFTEEN:: Kylie Norton - Embroidery Artist - Exploring Intersectional Feminist Theory, Menstruation, and Indigenous Culture and Traditions

August 22, 2016 by Ani Lee in Podcast

Kylie Norton is an embroidery artist from the south island of New Zealand, who presently lives in Melbourne. She makes large scale embroidery with wool yarns, one piece takes her 4 to 5 months to make. Kylie goes through an incredibly time intensive process of cutting up the yarn and re-raveling it together to get the colours she wants. Taught by her mum to cross stitch with kits as a kid, she experimented with colour blending and learnt how to re-ravel yarns to get a more full colour palette to work with.

Kylie found her way into large scale fibre art rather recently, after earning her masters in Art History and wondering how to apply some of what she'd learnt there to her art practice. She searched for a while and couldn't find anything like what she imagined, so she just figured she'd try it herself. A friend of hers with excellent taste wanted to buy it, so she decided to continue pursuing these large scale embroidery pieces.

We speak about how she uses her art history background in her fibre art - specifically indigenous culture and women and menstruation. Her work is about how different cultures celebrate (or do not celebrate) women's cycles and she's continuing to explore themes around this intersectional space Growing up in New Zealand, indigenous culture was celebrated and taught in school, and she found that it was very much a part of her life. We compare and contrast Australia, the US, and Canada and how these communities have emphasised or de-emphasised Indigenous culture and knowledge.

Kylie has loved how the fibre arts community has been inclusive and open to her and we chat about her inspiration in the community.

Kylie's Biggest Bit of Advice

"don't ever doubt your own skill...[and] don't let anyone belitte you...if it's a serious art form for you, then let it be. Give it a go and see what happens - the worst is it doesn't work out, which is not a big deal"

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

Louise Jones - draws illustrations and stitches onto paper and stitches directly onto high fashion magazines
Suzanna Scott - fibre artist creating vaginas and vulvas out of fabric.
Danielle Clough - embroidery artist using interesting objects to stitch onto
Australian Tapestry Workshop - massive group collaborative weaving projects
Craft Victoria - excellent resource for VIC based crafts people.

Find Kylie: instagram

Want more?

Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts

Like what you're hearing?

Until next time!

Ani

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

May 30, 2016 by Ani Lee in 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.

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