Making Conversation
Making Conversation is where creativity meets real talk. We’re all about celebrating the makers, fiber artists, and creatives who bring their unique stories to the table—no matter the medium. From knitting to crocheting to spinning, each episode dives into the passions, challenges, and journeys that drive their creative work. We get to know the people behind the projects, exploring the funny, heartfelt, and inspiring moments you won’t find just scrolling through their social media. Along the way, we’ll chat about the things that matter—diversity, inclusion, and the power of community in the making world. Grab your WIP, tune in, and get ready for some good conversations with amazing people!
Episodes
Hey there, fiber friends! This week on Making Conversation, I’m bringing you a chat that is full of color, creativity, and coastal charm. I sat down with Vanessa Fleming, the brilliant mind behind ōSHən Knits & Fibres, a one-of-a-kind yarn shop in Astoria, Oregon.
Vanessa is a marine biologist-turned-knitwear designer and yarn dyer, and her love for inclusivity, sustainability, and vibrant design shines through in everything she...
In this special episode of Making Conversation—originally recorded and posted on our YouTube channel in late 2024—host Jen welcomes two brilliant voices in the fiber arts world: Brit of KnotBadBrit and Bea of WoolDreamers. This episode is all about building inclusive, authentic community within the crafting space, and it’s filled with warmth, wisdom, and a whole lot of yarn love.
🌟 This episode was originally published on the Making Conversation YouTube channel on Nov 23, 2024. 🌟
Makers need snacks! We also need to take care of ourselves because if we do not, how will we take care of others? That part is so VERY important, especially right now. I popped into my kitchen to record with the WONDERFUL Chef Andreya Nightingale who shares two easy and oh-so-very delicious snacks with us. We also take the time to...
I jumped in the car and headed to Portland for Sacred Sheep—a vibrant maker festival brought to you by the team at Ritual Dyes! If you love yarn, fiber arts, pottery, handmade jewelry, inspiring classes, and creative community, this festival is for you.
In this episode of Making Conversation, I chat with some of the incredible makers who vended and attended Sacred Sheep (learn more here). From indie dyers to fiber artists, ceramicis...
In this special episode, I hit the road to Portland, OR, to sit down with Rachel, the creative mind behind Ritual Dyes and founder of Sacred Sheep, a festival dedicated to makers, especially those passionate about the fiber arts.
From discovering her love for knitting and hand-dyeing yarn to the creation of a highly curated, community-focused fiber arts festival that celebrates all things making, you'll love getting ...
The world of crafting and making should be a space where everyone feels welcome and empowered. However, there are barriers—both visible and invisible—that can exclude or marginalize makers with disabilities. In this episode I am joined by the super fabulous Beth Gorishek, The Adaptive Knitter & Kira Dulaney of Kirk K Designs and we chat about the ways in which ableism manifests in our community and, more importantly, how we can...
We're back with some wonderful Fall episodes to celebrate hunkering down with your current favorite WIP and enjoying an episode of the Making Conversation podcast. ;) Just a heads up, this episode is VERY visual. If you prefer to watch, pop over to our YouTube channel. xoxo
In this episode, I am so lucky to chat with Amy Swanson of June Cashmere and learn all about the special goats and farmers they work with to creat...
To know Jess is to love Jess and Jess' love of this special fiber arts community is very evident in everything she does. From in her yarn shop on Bainbridge Island, WA to Flock Fiber Festival, a yarn show in Seattle, WA, celebrating a love of all things wool, the fibers arts community is so very lucky to have these two spaces to come together and celebrate these things that we love and bring us the most joy!
Jen hopp...
The universe definitely brought this fabulous human to Making. Ashley chats with our crochet-loving engineer all about her journey in craft, her path to leadership and computer sciences, and how we were so lucky to have Abi join the team. To know Abi is to love Abi! Grab your WIP and hit play. :)
Abi's crochet website
If you're in Seattle, catch her at these markets:
Pride Market at Lifelong Thrift on J...
Award winning embroidery artist, mother, teacher, author, and all around lovely human! If you don't know of Emily Botelho aka Salt Stitches, you're in for a treat! (If you do, you are too!)
Emily joins Jen and not only do they chat about her beautiful art, how her favorite places and values come through as inspiration but also her new book which is more than just a pattern book but a guide on how to release self...
Ashley and Jen share some really exciting features that are coming to Making VERY SOON. We kick off a new segment where we will share business and/or makers in our community that help spread our values and Ashley dives into the topic of fear and decision-making. Grab your WIP, your favorite snack, and hit play!
If you are a designer, sell finished goods, make supplies for makers to create, or just love being a part of a be...
Hello, makers! Super excited to bring you this episode with our pal, Catherine. Just a heads up, there are parts of this episode that are a little more visual as we give a shop tour. Click to watch instead!
Brooklyn General Store has been the go-to place for crafty supplies of all kinds for NYC makers since 2002. We sat down with the Queen of Union Street, BGS owner, designer, maker, event planner extraordinaire–Catherine ...
Author Jane Cooper joins us to talk all about her book, The Lost Flock: Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman’s Journey to Save Scotland’s Original Sheep. Jane and Jen chat about why the Orkney Boreray sheep are so very special, Jane's maker journey, lambs...lots of lambs, and what it's like writing your first book.
About The Lost Flock
Purchase Paperback
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From Viking times to pastoral...
In the final episode of this series, we get to hear from a few more makers that we chatted with during our last visit to NYC! Get to know some very special humans that we invited to join us for our Brooklyn General Store booth Meet and Greets at Vogue Knitting Live and also from our special maker meetup that we hosted with Brooklyn General Store and La Bien Aimée!
This episode’s guests:
Jennifer Wiese
Workroom Social
@W...
We're continuing our Making Meet and Greets from NYC with crafty friends, old and new!
The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General Store and Aimée of La Bien Aimée asked us to bring a bit of our Meet and Greets to their 2024 Vogue Knitting Live booth and we also co-hosted a maker meet-up at Brooklyn General Store.
Lots of great conversation, stories, and even a dance break. We've got it all, folks! And co...
In this episode of the podcast, we’re taking it back to New York City! If you’ve been following along for a while you know that we’ve been visiting events around the world, collecting and then sharing important stories. (Mostly fiber arts related but we want to expand that. Hey other maker events, hit us up!)
This time we did things a little differently. The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General Store and Aimée of La Bien ...
During Vogue Knitting Live 2024, Jen took the stage with big names in the fiber arts and maker industry to talk about how we can adapt to the ever evolving world of craft-what has changed, where the opportunity is, and advice on what to do when things are challenging.
Our Panelists
Jonna Hietala is the co-founder, creative director and CEO of Laine Publishing and the editor-in-chief of Laine Magazine. Jonna has worked in lifest...
Liza Laird is a fiber artist, human mom, dog mom, cancer survivor and author of Yoga of Yarn, a knitter’s guidebook to self discovery. (Don't worry dear maker! The book is for makers of all kinds. We chat about that too!)
We journey through Liza's life--deciding to leave the corporate world to pursue her passions, how she approached writing a book (with good tips if you've been thinking about venturing into...
"How do I price my makes?" "How do I price my services?" "As a maker that does not sell...how can I help change perceptions so my community can get paid what they're worth?" "How do you price handmade items?"
Let's talk pricing. Out with the gatekeeping. Patterns, services, finished goods, etc. They name names, spill tea, get really real, and share numbers.
Wat...
In this podcast episode, we're heading back to Barcelona Knits in…you guessed it…Barcelona, Spain! Get to know some of the vendors, artists, and vloggers who all share the love of all things fiber art, yarn, knitting, crochet, cross stitch, and more! This is a special group of people, dear makers! :)
https://www.barcelonaknits.com
Who you'll meet:
Laura Algarra
www.lauraalgarra.com
A c...
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