May 9, 2024 • 60 mins
I'll discuss balancing my craft business, personal health, and self-care. Venturing into video podcasting deepens my audience connection. COVID-19 reminded me to prioritize health over productivity. Crafting remains a source of relaxation and creativity amidst running a small business. I emphasize sustainable crafting and integrating it into my marketing. Join me as I share my journey.
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"Sometimes, a lot of the time, when you get overwhelmed by all the things you need to do and you don't have the energy to do things, and you do want to show up... answer the question: How can it be easy?"
LINKS
- Bullet Journal Method
- Ja, Wol Community
- Check Your Thread Podcast with Zoe Edwards
- Sätergläntan Institutet för slöjd och hantverk
- Hollands Wol Collectief
- Navia Brushed Tradition yarn
- Wedding Wool Weekend
- J. Herbin Inks
- Kaweco pens
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You know me as a guide, mentor and teacher, but I've also set off on a new adventure, coaching. Coaching gets a bad rep sometimes, but when it's done right, it can be really transformational. As part of my coaching education, I'll soon need to do real coaching sessions. And it could be a really great opportunity for you to experience it at no or low cost. If you've ever been curious about working with me in this way, now's the time. Just send me an email: info@ja-wol.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So is this any better ?
Is this any better?
Is this any better?
No, it's not.
I cannot hear myself.
I know what's going on.
Oh, here we are.
Here we are Right.
Hi everyone, let me adjust mylipstick here.
Today I'm actually recordingvideo as well.
(00:22):
I've been doing that for awhile and because I'm trying to
figure out if I want to recordthe podcast and then also share
the recorded material, the video, on YouTube, and I've been
recording it to figure outwhether or not I feel
(00:43):
comfortable about it, whether ornot I mean about it, whether or
not I mean this lipstick, Imean.
That's the thing, right, whenyou have to, when you record
video, you kind of have to makean effort to make yourself look
a little bit presentable.
As you can hear, this episodeis already sounding different
than my other episodes.
(01:04):
This episode is alreadysounding different than my other
episodes, and that's becausethis is a completely different
type of episode.
I've been focusing on providingyou with practical and somewhat
philosophical information aboutrunning a craft, a needle craft
, a textile craft based businessthat is trying to do things
(01:26):
right for the world and forthemselves and balancing all the
things, and sometimes it's easyto have somebody to hold you by
the hand and tell you what isactually worth your energy and
what to focus on and what otherthings you can kind of let go of
(01:48):
in order to keep enjoying whatyou do and keep yourself happy
and healthy and also still feelconnected to your passion, to
the reason why you started doingthis in the first place, to the
reason why you started doingthis in the first place.
So that's what I've been doing,focusing on practical things a
(02:19):
little bit more, and lessinterviews, more of sharing bits
and pieces of what I also teachin my course, so that, in a
different way, things areaccessible to more people.
And why is today different?
Well, I happened to walk into acloud of COVID and, yeah, that
(02:40):
kind of pushed me back a littlebit on my schedule and I'm
recovering, I am okay, I'm good,I'm good.
I mean I'm, I'm healthy.
It's just that I have so lowenergy still and this has been,
oh, I don't know, almost twoweeks ago now.
So, um, one of my friends toldme uh, for every day you're sick
(03:03):
, it's like, it's like what didshe say?
Seven days recovery.
That sounded so wow.
But yeah, I haven't beenfeeling up to doing work, work,
so I haven't been able to recordan episode and I kind of
(03:25):
completely missed one withouttelling anybody about it, and it
didn't feel bad, because I tryto um, that's what I try to
teach people that you areimportant and your health is
important and you have tobalance things.
And as much as everybody saysshow up, show up and hustle,
(03:47):
hustle, hustle that is notsustainable for anyone, and so I
have to practice what I preachand be okay with not being there
all the time, and I alreadydecided that I wanted to do a
bi-weekly podcast, because thatmatches my general energy level
(04:11):
and the way that my life isorganized and the amount of time
that I have left next torunning the business, because
podcasting is not the business.
Podcasting is basically part ofthe marketing plan.
So some people are contentcreators and that's their whole
(04:35):
thing.
For me, it's just part of mything.
My actual work is working withsmall business owners and
figuring out what their nextstep is and where they feel
comfortable and where they feeluncomfortable and how we can
work with that and work aroundthat, and so that is what I love
(04:59):
to do, and I also really loveto make podcasts, by the way,
that's why I still do it.
After how many years A bunch?
This is episode 82 times two.
That is the amount of weeksdivided by 52.
Well, you do the math.
It's not for me, but I've beendoing this for a while and love
(05:22):
doing it.
But I've been doing this for awhile and love doing it, but I'm
giving myself a little bit ofgrace for not having been able
to bring out an episode lasttime.
Also, I have been working withTeresa, who is my assistant for
(05:54):
the podcast.
So she does some of the workaround letting people know that
there is a new episode, and thathas been great and really takes
off the edge of the things thatare harder for me, like things
that honestly, are a little bitboring for me, like kind of a
copy paste type of stuff that issometimes really hard for me to
do.
So that has been great to beworking with her and but even
(06:22):
with some help, I still have todo the bulk of the work and
sometimes that's just notpossible.
So today I'm just going to chatabout what's going on in my life
, about what it is that I'm upto in different parts of my life
, and just to show you who Iactually am, because sometimes
(06:46):
I've been in this, I've beenworking in specifically the
knitting realm, the knittingscene, for I think about like
working at least 18 years, sothat's been a while, and
(07:08):
sometimes I forget that thepeople that I used to talk to
and see all the time in my yarnshop are not necessarily the
people that are listening rightnow.
They're probably not, because Ikind of shifted my audience
from the buyer to the seller andum, and so a whole bunch of you
(07:36):
people don't even know who I am.
Uh, I don't know.
That's that sounds awful, awful, as if you should know, but
what I mean is you don't knowmuch about what's happening
other than the stuff that I'msharing with you and my good
friend Zoe Edwards from theCheck your Thread podcast.
(07:59):
She always talks a little bitabout what she's up to, talks a
little bit about what she's upto, usually connecting to the
topic of her podcast being moresustainable around sewing and
making more sustainable choicesand she talks about the things
that are happening in her lifewhen it comes to sustainability
(08:19):
and all kinds of things, and Ialways really enjoy that.
But I decided to offer you asmuch practical information as
possible in a short amount oftime and then there's not a lot
of time to chat, I thought.
And so maybe it's fun to have achatting episode for once and
(08:44):
kind of get you up to speed withwhat's going on.
So what's going on, saskia?
Well, a whole bunch of thingsreally.
May is going to be, and it'salready started.
It's such a busy month.
Lots of things are happening.
I will be traveling a bunch.
(09:04):
We have our I think it'stranslates to the spring break
for school, so we have two weeksoff for the kids I have.
I'm a mom of two teens and wehave been traveling back and
forth to our holiday home thatwe have in the Netherlands,
(09:26):
where I also live, and it's atwo hour drive, so it's far away
enough to feel like you're away, but it's close enough so that
you can.
Well, you wouldn't get yourtoothbrush if you forgot your
toothbrush, but yeah, like weturned two weeks into three by
(09:46):
doing four days at the holidayhome and four days at home and
going back and forth so that thekids can also hang out with
their friends here.
And it's been, it's been ideal.
Honestly, the way we have thingsset up there is that I have
made the what's the word inEnglish, the mudroom into a
(10:11):
craft room.
Actually, it's also still themudroom, but it's quite big.
They used to the people thatused to live there were dog
breeders and their own dogswould be in that space and they
would have kennels there andthey took it out and now it's
quite a big room to just be amudroom.
(10:33):
So I put in some tables where Ican sew one of those cute
Swedish pegboards that I reallylike, and we found an antique
closet or my in-laws found anantique closet at a thrift store
(10:53):
, beautiful, for like no amountof money whatsoever, so that's
really a stunning piece that Ikeep some fabric in, because we
don't live there the whole year.
We have the space that usuallywas used for clothes.
I have put all my bits and bobsof yarn that are not full
(11:17):
skeins, and that is still a lotof yarn.
So I also move my.
There's going to be a lot ofumming because this is
completely spontaneous,unscripted, I don't even have
notes.
So it's going to be a lot ofumming and I'll take some out in
the editing, but not all of it,because you know, um see.
(11:41):
See.
So my, my yarn scraps which arenot really scraps.
They're just the odd balls, youknow, and I've organized them
in um, in color, according tocolor, and I also have my
knitting loom there.
(12:01):
What else?
I've got my e-spinner there aswell, and I've got my normal
pedal spinner at home.
Here's editing, saskia.
Of course I'm talking about myspinning, so I can do anything
(12:24):
there.
I am taking my sewing machinewith me when we are going, when
I have a plan.
It's there right now and I'llsew a skirt, a reversible skirt,
because it's one of thosefabrics that has a double gaze,
and it's reversible fabrics thathave what is it?
(12:48):
Double gaze, and it'sreversible.
So I'm trying to think of howto do a pocket in a reversible
skirt.
That's not going to be toodifficult.
So I'm just basically thinkingabout sewing like a bag that I
will just tie around my waist,that I'll flip inside the skirt,
and it's going to be separatefrom the skirt.
(13:08):
That's my idea, but now I'malready going into my projects.
But so I have this craft mudroomset up there, which is amazing.
We have a lot of outdoor space.
I'm actually thinking aboutgrowing flax there, which I
(13:28):
could, but I have to learn alittle bit more about it, but
it's not too hard to grow.
I think I don't have to bethere the whole time to watch it
grow.
So I think it's doable.
And so this summer I'm travelingup to Sweden for the well.
I've been in Sweden a lot oftimes, but to Säterglanten I
(13:53):
hope I'm pronouncing it right Um, it's a craft school in uh well
, it's the middle, middle Northof uh of Sweden and uh in a town
called Inchen, and I've learnedold needle techniques there,
I've learned to spin there, Ihave made a corset there and
(14:17):
I've picked up some Swedish hereand there.
I'm still really trying andit's very basic and speaking is
so different than listening, butwhen I listen to a conversation
I can piece things togetherright now.
So I'm getting somewhere andI'm looking forward to going
there so much because to me,this place is I don't know.
(14:42):
It's like all my nerves get abreak.
Everything there is handmade,natural, everything is calm.
People even get a note whenthey subscribe for a course to
not bring perfume, which is, Imean, it's.
(15:02):
Everything is calm there.
Basically, you eat or what's.
Is it hand-baked?
Yeah, your hand-baked granolafrom a hand-carved wooden bowl
next to a hand-spun, hand-wovencurtain.
(15:27):
Like it's crazy.
It's so beautiful, so amazing.
I don't even know if that iseven real.
I mean, what I mean is do theyput up a show or is that the way
things sometimes are?
And I think the latter, becausewe've traveled as a family to
(15:50):
Sweden quite a bit.
So it's just a different, adifferent way of looking at
crafts and uh, there's, there'sso much history and I just love
it there.
I love it because I can learnhow to spin um flax in the
Netherlands, definitely, couldlearn it here.
(16:11):
I mean, I can even learn it inthis, in this room.
I could just go to YouTube orto Skillshare or to I don't
think Skillshare has it craftyor the other one, the Spanish
one, uh, the one where I'mlearning about writing right now
I can't think of the name, it'sokay, it's fine, it's I'm, it's
(16:33):
not like they pay, they pay me.
So, yeah, that's where I'mgoing.
And because how fun would it beif I can grow my own flax, then
turn it into linen, then spinit, then weave it and then sew
it into a garment.
(16:53):
Garment, that would take ages,but that's not the point.
The point is that I could, andI'm very curious to see how that
, yeah, how that would evolveand I would have so much fun in
the process.
(17:13):
I do have a little bit of anissue with getting there,
because I try not to fly if Idon't have to and I usually
don't but it's proving reallydifficult to go there by train,
and I have learned that not allthe tracks in Europe have the
same width.
So that is one of the reasonsthat they well, it's a little
(17:38):
bit naive, but one of thereasons that they don't just all
work together so that we peoplein Europe can actually have a
choice if we want to travel.
And now it is proving really,really difficult to book a trip
from Rotterdam, where I live, toIncheon in Sweden, and I've
(18:01):
tried so many websites so manytimes and there's like it's
going to take at least 24 hours.
I'm going to have to switchtrains so many times, it's going
to be three times as expensiveas flying and, um, it's, it's
messing up my whole value systemand, um, before I know it, I'm
(18:26):
saying to myself I should justlearn this from YouTube.
But that's not, you know, Imean not, you know, I mean it's
very, very frustrating.
Um, but at a certain pointyou're just going to have to say
, like, I don't get on a plane,unless it just doesn't make
sense not to.
(18:47):
So, yeah, there's that, um, butI'm looking.
I'm looking forward to thattrip so much because I'm going
to go by myself.
The first time I went there,nobody spoke English like hardly
.
Over the years, it has becomemore popular with people from
outside of Sweden and so there'sbeen more English around me,
(19:13):
but I hope this time it soundsweird, but I hope people will
speak Swedish like the wholetime.
I'll just try to be more silentso that they don't switch to
English and just listen morethan speak, which is going to be
a challenge in and of itselfand of itself.
(19:40):
Um, yeah, so, and that's comingup, uh, but even faster.
Also, that's only later on inthe, in the summer, but in May I
will be going to Paris, sweet,sweet Paris, um, because it's
going to be the firstanniversary of my marriage.
Still sounds weird.
And yeah, we're gonna spend itwhere we spent it last year, in
(20:01):
Paris, in the same hotel, whichis great, and this time without
the kids, so they're going to bewatching the house or wrecking
it either, or, and I'm very muchlooking forward to that because
I always have so much fun whenI travel with my husband we are
(20:21):
really good travel buddies and Idon't have any particular plans
.
I think I will look at my fabricstash and have a good deep
think about what's missing.
I'm actually wearing the Bretonstripe t-shirt that I made from
(20:43):
the fabric that I bought lastyear in Paris.
It's just a basic t-shirt whichI really like and enjoyed
making.
It's a really good qualityfabric.
I love Breton stripes.
They go with everything andanything.
They're such a cool classic,even with this crooked lipstick.
(21:08):
Like, maybe it's just my lipsthat are a little bit off off
center.
It's weird to it's weird tolisten to your own voice, but
I've gotten used to that alittle bit.
Um, and making short videos forInstagram back in the day
gotten used to that too.
(21:28):
I'm starting to get used torecording um, the podcast as a
video, but I'm always kind oflooking at why is that hair a
little weird and why is so?
I don't know whatever.
Where was I?
So Paris?
Um, I think I have beenlistening to Zoe and um, as the
(21:54):
aforementioned Zoe from Checkyour Threads, and she has an
episode about organizing yourstash, um, in a way that you can
use it.
So in these drawers behind me.
I have, um, is this the rightone?
Yeah, uh, I have the um.
(22:21):
I have a winter drawer and asummer drawer and the fabrics
that I first want to use, but Ihave been missing a kind of a
thin fabric that could be likefloppy pants.
I need floppy pants in my lifethat are comfortable and kind of
cool, kind of chic, you know.
So I don't have that, so Imight look for it.
In Paris, at that area aroundthe Sacré-Cœur, they have fabric
(22:46):
shops that are crazy.
Last time I went looking for Iwanted to make pajamas from
Toile de Joux, but they only hadupholstery fabric and I thought
that would not be verycomfortable as pajamas.
So I didn't manage to find itlast time.
So maybe this time we'll see.
(23:06):
I'm not buying anything that Idon't need, so what I like to do
is I like to beforehand thinkabout what's missing and what is
going to be something that I'llprobably get anyway, and if I
then get it while I'm traveling,it's going to be a memory as
well as something practical thatwas going to come into my house
(23:29):
.
Anyway, what I did order issome soft, soft shell fabric.
Is it fabric, soft shell stuff?
Um, because I have a friend,her name is May I don of talked
(23:58):
to each other and decided thatwe wanted to make our ski
outfits for this year, becausewe go to Austria together every
year with our families and wealways have such a great time
and we have been going to.
We have been skiing andsnowboarding for a big part for
(24:19):
me, but skiing since we werekids, like since we were really
tiny and we were thinking aboutthe 90s style where you wear
even jeans with a protective Ithink it's called gamation but I
don't know how to translate it.
It's these things that you kindof plasticky with elastic and
(24:43):
you put them around your bootsand around your pants at the
bottom so the snow won't getinto your boots.
And we were talking about whydon't we just knit a sweater
that is windproof?
That should be good enough.
Like talking about all thedifferent styles and ideas and
comforts and my ever growingfrustration with non-existing
(25:09):
plus size ski wear.
It's like as a fat woman or fatperson, you're not allowed to
ski.
Yeah, it really sucks.
Every single year I'm in thecar on our way back and I decide
that I want to start a businessin fat girl ski stuff and then
(25:31):
I don't, because I already havea business and 700 hobbies and
interests, so I just get wiredup about it every year.
And so this year we decided tomake our own stuff.
And I don't know, but she'salready got a sweater finished.
I have done nothing except fororder the soft shell fabric
(25:55):
which they didn't have, any funprints.
But then again, I'm 48.
Who needs a fun print?
I do.
They had super cool.
I mean they had one meter,that's enough to make me a hood.
So now I got, I went with aleopard print.
(26:17):
I mean you could say it's fun,you could say it's done, you
could say anything about it, butat least it's not boring.
So I have kind of a leopardprint, but it's a little bit
abstract, so it's not notleopard leopard, it's like.
It's like leopard done byPicasso or leopard done by some
(26:43):
other artists.
And then I got some plain blackto make pants and actually I'm
looking, I'm very much lookingforward to the pants.
The trousers no, trousers, skitrousers, no, ski pants, ski
pants.
And I'm looking forward towearing them because I'm
(27:04):
thinking I don't need much, Ijust need an elastic waist and a
way for the snow not to get inmy boots and I'm good, I don't
need much, it just needs to fit.
I don't even really needpockets, because I could just I
don't know get a fanny pack, bumbag, whatever you call it,
something like that.
(27:25):
Of course, then I have toextend the thing that goes
around your waist becausethey're all small.
Anyway, I'll figure it out.
So I'm looking forward to that.
I think I can do it, but I thankthe universe that I have a
sewing teacher that is also upfor doing this and helping me
(27:46):
out, because she's like no, no,no, no, not just an elasticated
waist, we can do better.
We can do zippers here and pushbutton there, and then we could
do this so that you can have apocket here and a pocket there.
I'm like oh no, I don't knowit's, it's May already.
I'm not, I don't know.
I don't know if I can do it,but I don't want to like if May
(28:09):
can do it, I can do it, we cando it, we're going to look cool.
It's me made May now and I'mgoing to move that into um, did
it December and uh, make surethat I have my outfit In terms
of the sweater.
Um, so I'm thinking of makingan anorak and uh, ski pants, um,
(28:32):
and ski pants and a sweater.
But I'm not trusting thesweater plan to be, like,
foolproof for snow andeverything Not.
Yet, although I am the wooladvocate, I just also kind of in
my in the back of my head,wanted to make that uh anorak
type thing as well.
(28:53):
So I'm thinking about using theyarn that I bought when I was
visiting the?
Um Faroese islands.
It is, it is quite hard, hardy,it's um, and I always think the
scratchier, the warmer, andit's not super scratchy cause
(29:16):
it's the, it's Navia and it'sthe brushed, the brushed um
variation.
Um, I can look it up and I'llshare it in the show notes, or
maybe not, because I wanted tokeep this a very light uh chat.
Yeah, I should look it up.
I should not let you look it upyourself.
(29:36):
That's not how this works.
I'll look it up for you.
Uh, brushed, vintage brushed,whatever.
And um, I also got uh, a bookthat has all the patterns for
the Faroese traditional patternsfor the color work.
(29:57):
So one of the I bought like awhole bunch of colors with not
really a plan.
It's not colors, colors, it'sall natural colors.
So it's browns, grays, creams,dark, dark browns, not black,
and I'm going to mix and matchand there's one pattern and a
(30:19):
pattern book that I could use,but I kind of want to mix it up
and do my own pattern within apattern, if you know what I mean
.
So I've got the written patternon how to knit the sweater, but
I want to design the fairy'spattern.
Why is it one word?
(30:40):
Well, you know what I mean.
Let's hope you know what I mean.
So that's my plan for that.
So I need to get going withthat.
Um, then I'm also now for myhusband knitting um how should
we call this?
A?
Um Trachtenjacke, which isbasically the kind of cardigan
(31:05):
you wear with lederhosen.
Um, also for that trip, becausein Austria, where we go, they
wear the traditional costume forChristmas and or every day.
A bunch of people wear it everyday.
They walk around leather pantsevery day and the ladies wear
(31:29):
their dirndls and the actualpretty, pretty, like not the
Halloween, buy it in a plasticbag type of dirndls, like the
crafts, luscious colors, shapes,all of the things so beautiful.
That's another dream I have,because every year I go there
(31:50):
they buy about three plus sizeones and they're already sold
once I get there.
So, and I'm a little bit.
I need to try them on right,because I don't want to buy them
online because these are, theseare items that you, they will
should last you for years, likethat.
(32:10):
That's the idea.
That's a whole different thing.
I guess next year maybe I'llmake my own dirndl.
That dirndl, that could also bea thing.
So yeah, I'm knitting theTrachtenjacke, which is
basically garter stitch forever.
I don't really mind garterstitch forever, especially at
(32:33):
night, because I'm tired and Ican't think and I can't count
and I can't do anything but gostraight into the basic stitches
.
But it's so much of it thateven I get bored, and so I have
put that to the side, but Ithink I should really start
working on it again because Ihave to get cracking on my own
(32:56):
sweater.
So yeah, there's that.
What else am I doing?
I'm knitting a pair of socksfrom some Rosario, rosaria,
rosario, uh sock yarn fromPortugal that I have bought.
Where did I buy that?
I think in Brighton.
(33:16):
I think I must've bought it inBrighton, don't really remember,
anyway.
So, uh, basic socks.
What else I'm uh sewing, uh, ashirt dress from I think that
type of fabric has a name, but Idon't know what it's called.
It is white and light bluestripes, kind of that very basic
(33:41):
, a little bit like for thepeople that are watching.
A little bit like this, thatkind of fabric like this, that
kind of fabric If you rememberthe kids dungarees they have a
brand, oshkosh or something, andthey were usually in that kind
(34:02):
of stripe.
It's not really jeans, I don'tknow what to call it, twill, I
guess.
So I'm doing that for my ownblocks, that I've learned to
pattern, draw, draw patterns formy, for my own sizes
measurements, and I'm doing thatin sewing classes, but I
(34:24):
haven't been there because it'sthe holidays and I'm now sewing
the whole the big units together, but I'll probably spend a lot
of time doing the collar and allof that and the button bands.
I've done it before.
I have made my own weddingoveralls which had all those
(34:46):
different kinds of elements, soit's not going to be a new thing
.
But I'm super bad atremembering what comes first and
so I completely rely on myteacher.
But what happens when I do thatis that I feel like I'm not
learning enough.
So I just kind of lean in tothe moment and just do whatever
(35:09):
she says and then I forget aboutit in to the moment and just do
whatever she says, and then Iforget about it.
So I've decided to take mybullet journal with me and keep
like step-by-step notes of whatI'm doing.
I'm not sure if I'll ever getback to them, but at least I
know that I have them, becausethe idea is that once I've done
this dress, that is the same asa tunic or a shirt with long or
(35:33):
short sleeves.
So once this works, it worksfor a whole bunch of different
things that are easilyadjustable and made to measure
for me, which is amazing andgreat.
And if you don't know it yetand great and if you don't know
it yet, this is something I havealso recently learned is that I
(36:02):
started sewing to be able tomake things for my size, for my
body, but then when you buypatterns, they are also made for
general bodies.
Of course, they have a widesize range and, depending on
whether or not you work withstretch materials or wider
styles, it is great and it'ssuch a step up from buying
(36:25):
clothes in the shop, especiallywhen it comes to quality and
material and strength and howyou put it together, but they
are still not made for yourspecific body.
So I took the class of makingwhat they call blocks, I think,
(36:48):
for a top, a skirt.
Those two combined is a dress,then I have pants and then I
have all the information that Ineed to make adjustments for
different types of skirts andstuff.
So I decided I did this course.
(37:09):
If I don't put it into practice, I will forget.
I will not get back to it.
So every single thing that I'mdoing now in class it's actually
not knitting, not knittingsewing classes, but it's
begeleid and I know all of youare saying the word now because
(37:29):
you know it, but I forgot it.
And I know all of you aresaying the word now because you
know it, but I forgot it.
It's accompanied.
No, well, my teacher helps mewhenever I need the help.
That's basically it, andthere's a whole group of other
people that are doing their ownthing and it's fun.
It's a nice way to connect withother people that are also
(37:51):
sewing and basically a coolhangout.
To be honest, I love hangingout there.
So that is, I think, all of myknitting projects, my sewing
project oh, I've got anothersewing project.
(38:16):
So, because we are going movingback and forth to our holiday
home a lot, also on weekends andin the holidays, sometimes I
need to do a little bit of workand I have an iPad, but that was
not really working for a lot ofthings and so I invested in a
laptop and now that laptop needsprotection.
So a while ago I bought woolfelt from the Dutch Wool
(38:40):
Collective, hollands WoolCollective, which is basically
felted fabric from sheep herelocally, local sheep, and it's
really fun stuff.
One of the pieces that I boughtis was cream colored and we
just did nothing to it and justput it on the floor and it's a
(39:03):
rug now.
We didn't even cut anything, wejust put it on the floor, done,
okay.
We put a non-slip mat under itand it's great.
It's in the bed, bath bath,it's in the bedroom of our
holiday home and it's wonderful.
And then I bought the darkbrown and it's really thick.
(39:28):
It's like seven millimetersthick.
So now I'm making kind of anenvelope with a big elastic
around it, which was actuallymeant to be used in a skirt, but
I need it another way.
So now I'm going to put theelastic band around that.
And a while ago I took apartthis old pair of jeans, stitch
(39:49):
by stitch, and I'm using thepockets on the inside to put the
laptop cable in.
I think the plug is a littlebit too clunky, so I'm not sure
what to do with that yet, butI'll figure it out.
I'll probably never travel withjust a laptop, so I'll probably
(40:13):
have a bag where I can put thatthing in.
Uh, but yeah, that's fun I'm.
I'm going to be doing that aswell.
I think this is all my craftstuff.
Um, and I was talking aboutParis and the fabric buying.
I will not buy any yarn inParis, but I will, however,
(40:35):
probably and I will not lieabout this probably buy some
yarn at the Wedding Wool Weekendin Berlin.
I'm going there with my friendAngela, and we've been trying to
do a wool-based event togetherprobably since COVID Since not
(40:56):
my COVID, but since thelockdowns, and there was always
something going on, usually frommy end, and this time we
finally managed to actually gettrain tickets and a hotel.
We got an Airbnb.
It got canceled because theymessed up, I don't know, it was
a weird thing.
(41:16):
We got a hotel.
Now we're going there.
I'm super excited.
I'm also very excited about allthe time we'll have in the
train for knitting and I'mreally, really looking forward
to meeting all the vendors thereand the crafters and seeing
some friends that I haven't seenin a while.
(41:38):
So, yeah, I'm really excitedabout that.
Um, basically, the vendors noware my clients.
So, uh, I am looking forward totalking to them and to figuring
out what is hard for them andhow they could use support in
(42:01):
running their small business.
So I'm looking forward to that.
Hopefully, I'll be able to dosome reporting from there.
I will bring my small mic, butI still have to officially get
approval for that.
So I'll go in and ask Ruth andask if I can do that and
hopefully I will be able to do alittle bit of a report there,
(42:25):
which I really like doing.
I'm always really nervous to doit, but it's so fun to listen
to reports from all around andmy plans for buying stuff there.
The plan is always as little aspossible because I already have
(42:46):
yarn.
I don't need yarn, but I willhave to tell you this I am going
to do the same thing that I dowith fabric Look at my wardrobe,
look at what's missing.
What do I have in my stash?
Can I make something from stash?
(43:08):
Is something lacking?
I've got two plans.
I start with the one that isnot going to get me on a whole
other tangent, and that is linomuka, which is a linen which I
love.
I used to sell it in my shopand I have this mismatch of
(43:30):
different colors in my stashthat I've tried to turn into a
coherent project, but I haven'tbeen able to manage.
I have the brightest green,almost like fluorescent green
(43:55):
fluorescent green.
Then I have kind of a denimblue, like I don't see how that.
I mean, I'm up for a little bitof a, an experiment, but it
just doesn't work.
Then I have what do I have?
Some red, I think.
Now fluorescent and red, no, nogo.
It does work with uh, with theblue, but I already have a blue
and red linen top and it's notenough.
(44:17):
So what I'll do is I'll pickone of the colors that I like
most for a top, cause I do needmore summer tops.
I don't nearly have enough now.
I need to really step up andget some stuff done too, so that
I can wear something.
So that's the idea I'llprobably buy, if they have it,
(44:39):
some of that denim color andmake a nice bluish linen top for
summer which will be reallyeasy to wear with the rest of my
wardrobe because it's basicallynow either a red, white blue
(45:00):
like I want to say Navy style,but it's not true like red,
white blue, uh kind of things,and then black.
So part of me is Tim Burton,part of me lives in a cottage,
and I also like colors that havea little bit of brown in them,
(45:21):
like with yarn when you dye overa yarn that's already brown or
tan colored.
Those kinds of colors I reallylove, so that I also have in my
wardrobe.
So finding something that couldgo with the whole thing, that
is great and that makes me wearmore things longer and with more
(45:44):
pleasure, and so I can mix andmatch stuff.
So that's the plan, and thenand this is the whole other
tangent I feel like coming.
I really truly adore and lovecrafts needle crafts, textile
crafts, as you know and I alsohave other things that I really
(46:07):
love, and one of those things umhave been coming back in loops
is stationery and fountain pensand things like that, and I've
been in a little bit of a howwould we call it An obsession,
perhaps.
(46:28):
I've been a little bit obsessedabout watching YouTube videos on
inks and fountain pens and Ihave acquired a nice new Kaweco
Aluminium.
They call it Ruby Red, but Icall this like blush, not blush
(46:50):
pink.
Like's really nice pink.
It's cherry blossom no, that'stoo.
It's darker than that, but it'sreally really nice, it's lovely
.
I bought it together for thoseof you that are interested.
I got some ink with it thatmatches and it's the Wait, let
(47:11):
me get it.
It's the Ruy d'Ancre by Herbinand it matches perfectly.
But the nib that I had on itwas an extra fine, because I
want to have an extra fine formy bullet journal, because I
like writing small in there.
(47:32):
But then this ink was too light.
So I guess I still have stuffto learn.
But also, I happen to becreative and I switched my
Kaweco Galen leather cognacversion, leather cognac version.
(48:01):
The tip was a broad or doublebroad, yeah, double broad.
So I switched this one withthis one and now is also a great
match, also by Harbin, and um,so this kind of now turned into
a fountain pen thing.
(48:21):
Uh, but I'll leave it at that.
So why am I talking aboutfountain pens now?
Oh, my gosh, because I wastalking about knitting plans.
Makes sense, right?
So this is why I need a script,otherwise this is not, it's all
(48:43):
over.
So I'm looking at all thosevideos of fountain pens and
people that are sharing theirink choices with their fountain
(49:04):
pens.
Called Adventure Denali that isher channel, I forget her name
now A wonderful person, verylovely.
I actually have something tosay about her that also relates
to what we are actually doing inthis podcast, but I'll get to
(49:26):
that later.
She collects vintage fountainpens and has this whole thing.
She has two dogs and anotherlittle critter that I forget the
name of, and she knits, and shewas knitting this shawl.
I think it's called MoonSisters, and I fell.
I was over the moon, I fell inlove with it.
(49:49):
It's so beautiful.
I was over new moon, I fell inlove with it.
It's so beautiful.
Uh, I'm, as I have no notes, I'mlooking it up as we speak
because I did put it in my uh,ravelry favorites.
Um, or to be fully, um,complete, it's my.
What is the app called?
Rabbit Moon Sisters?
(50:11):
Yeah, and the pattern is byCaitlin Hunter.
It's such an amazing design.
Caitlin has actually beeninspired by Anna Maltz, my
friend who did this wholepattern book on Marling.
(50:31):
The book is called Marlisle.
It's an amazing, great, funbook with my favorite chal,
actually my all-time favoritechal called let me S.
It's called S E-S-S and this isit.
(50:56):
It's really beautiful.
I love that one.
It's really chunky and I wearit as a it's almost like a
blanket.
But this new pattern by CaitlinHunter is made for fingering
(51:28):
weight sock yarn and is big, butit's thinner, it has more drape
and it needs a lot of yarn.
It needs three skeins for twocolors, so six skeins of
fingering weight yarn, and soI'll probably look for that,
because I think I need thisshawl in my life and I do not
(51:48):
have that amount of same-ishsock yarns in my stash.
The sock yarns that I have aremostly for socks and just one
skein, or I do have a three bytwo set that I bought for a top,
but that's not going to beenough.
Then I cannot do the amazingfringe that is in this shawl.
(52:15):
So, yeah, that's probably whatI'll be looking for and yeah,
that is the thing.
So I was going to say somethingelse about Adventure Denali.
I feel like I need to look upher first name.
Yes, so I was going to sayanother thing about Adventure
(52:40):
Denali.
Her name is Alicia and what Ithought was so fun, I just
happened upon her channel via,via, through different Inca pen
videos, and I found out that shehas this whole YouTube channel
(53:00):
and she just uses her phone.
And I think this is a great wayto end this episode that
sometimes, a lot of the time,when you get overwhelmed by all
the things you need to do andyou don't have the energy to do
things and you do want to showup, because sometimes it's okay
(53:22):
not to show up, you know it'sperfectly okay to take a break,
but sometimes if you want toshow up and you find it hard,
then answer the question how canit be easy?
This is what my coach, kim, hastaught me.
How can it be easy?
Alicia has made a wonderful,wonderful channel, just choosing
(53:46):
her phone.
She even edits on her phone,she takes away all the things
that can be super overwhelming,but just setting up boundaries
for herself and saying listen,I'm using my phone, I'm editing
on my phone and this is what Ican do.
(54:06):
And that helps you to notoverthink every single thing.
You're going to leave the um,every single thing.
You're going to leave the umsin there.
You're going to leave thestruggling and the finding the
words in there.
Not all of it, maybe, but abunch of it, and it's fine.
She definitely has a huge amountof followers, which is not
(54:28):
really, I mean, I don't know why.
If she wants to make money withthis or um, and is it about the
amount of followers, that's awhole different thing.
But she's able to makesomething that I have been
loving and I've been eating up,uh, with almost no tools, and
(54:48):
that is the same for any one ofyou that runs a business and is
trying to make things work.
We don't need a whole bunch offlashy stuff, says the girl with
a fancy microphone and fancyheadphones.
I got these after a couple ofyears and I love them and I'm
(55:12):
going to keep them, but when Ijust started out, I didn't have
that and I didn't need it, andyou can do your work and you can
share your knowledge in waysthat can be really valuable and
truthful and honest, and itdoesn't need all that other uh,
(55:34):
fancy stuff.
So I was going to leave youwith that thought and um, uh,
and hopefully I'll uh you.
You enjoyed this, um, a littlebit of a different kind of vibe
to to my um, my podcast.
I hope you will sign up for myemails.
(55:54):
I will not send you a lot ofemails, for the same reason that
I don't record a lot ofepisodes, but when I do, I hope
they will be helpful.
I have tips, I have insights,small questions answered that
can really hopefully shine alight on the things that you are
(56:17):
struggling with as a smallbusiness owner, and I just would
love to have you on my list sothat we can get in touch and
connect.
Another way to connect,obviously, of course, is through
my online community.
For a small amount each month,you support the podcast and
(56:38):
you're in a community with peers, other people that love the
same things that you do and theystruggle with the same things
that you might struggle with.
So even if you're not enteringmy big program, you will still
get so much value from justbeing there and hanging out with
people like yourself.
(56:59):
So go over to patternshiftfmand find all the information
that you need.
You can sign up for everythingthere as well and through the
links in the show notes.
Bye, you can sign up foreverything there as well, and
(57:27):
through the links in the shownotes.
Bye, thank you.
So is this any better ?
Is this any better?
Is this any better?
No, it's not.
I cannot hear myself.
I know what's going on.
Oh, here we are.
Here we are Right.
Hi everyone, let me adjust mylipstick here.
Today I'm actually recordingvideo as well.
(00:22):
I've been doing that for awhile and because I'm trying to
figure out if I want to recordthe podcast and then also share
the recorded material, the video, on YouTube, and I've been
recording it to figure outwhether or not I feel
(00:43):
comfortable about it, whether ornot I mean about it, whether or
not I mean this lipstick, Imean.
That's the thing, right, whenyou have to, when you record
video, you kind of have to makean effort to make yourself look
a little bit presentable.
As you can hear, this episodeis already sounding different
than my other episodes.
(01:04):
This episode is alreadysounding different than my other
episodes, and that's becausethis is a completely different
type of episode.
I've been focusing on providingyou with practical and somewhat
philosophical information aboutrunning a craft, a needle craft
, a textile craft based businessthat is trying to do things
(01:26):
right for the world and forthemselves and balancing all the
things, and sometimes it's easyto have somebody to hold you by
the hand and tell you what isactually worth your energy and
what to focus on and what otherthings you can kind of let go of
(01:48):
in order to keep enjoying whatyou do and keep yourself happy
and healthy and also still feelconnected to your passion, to
the reason why you started doingthis in the first place, to the
reason why you started doingthis in the first place.
So that's what I've been doing,focusing on practical things a
(02:19):
little bit more, and lessinterviews, more of sharing bits
and pieces of what I also teachin my course, so that, in a
different way, things areaccessible to more people.
And why is today different?
Well, I happened to walk into acloud of COVID and, yeah, that
(02:40):
kind of pushed me back a littlebit on my schedule and I'm
recovering, I am okay, I'm good,I'm good.
I mean I'm, I'm healthy.
It's just that I have so lowenergy still and this has been,
oh, I don't know, almost twoweeks ago now.
So, um, one of my friends toldme uh, for every day you're sick
(03:03):
, it's like, it's like what didshe say?
Seven days recovery.
That sounded so wow.
But yeah, I haven't beenfeeling up to doing work, work,
so I haven't been able to recordan episode and I kind of
(03:25):
completely missed one withouttelling anybody about it, and it
didn't feel bad, because I tryto um, that's what I try to
teach people that you areimportant and your health is
important and you have tobalance things.
And as much as everybody saysshow up, show up and hustle,
(03:47):
hustle, hustle that is notsustainable for anyone, and so I
have to practice what I preachand be okay with not being there
all the time, and I alreadydecided that I wanted to do a
bi-weekly podcast, because thatmatches my general energy level
(04:11):
and the way that my life isorganized and the amount of time
that I have left next torunning the business, because
podcasting is not the business.
Podcasting is basically part ofthe marketing plan.
So some people are contentcreators and that's their whole
(04:35):
thing.
For me, it's just part of mything.
My actual work is working withsmall business owners and
figuring out what their nextstep is and where they feel
comfortable and where they feeluncomfortable and how we can
work with that and work aroundthat, and so that is what I love
(04:59):
to do, and I also really loveto make podcasts, by the way,
that's why I still do it.
After how many years A bunch?
This is episode 82 times two.
That is the amount of weeksdivided by 52.
Well, you do the math.
It's not for me, but I've beendoing this for a while and love
(05:22):
doing it.
But I've been doing this for awhile and love doing it, but I'm
giving myself a little bit ofgrace for not having been able
to bring out an episode lasttime.
Also, I have been working withTeresa, who is my assistant for
(05:54):
the podcast.
So she does some of the workaround letting people know that
there is a new episode, and thathas been great and really takes
off the edge of the things thatare harder for me, like things
that honestly, are a little bitboring for me, like kind of a
copy paste type of stuff that issometimes really hard for me to
do.
So that has been great to beworking with her and but even
(06:22):
with some help, I still have todo the bulk of the work and
sometimes that's just notpossible.
So today I'm just going to chatabout what's going on in my life
, about what it is that I'm upto in different parts of my life
, and just to show you who Iactually am, because sometimes
(06:46):
I've been in this, I've beenworking in specifically the
knitting realm, the knittingscene, for I think about like
working at least 18 years, sothat's been a while, and
(07:08):
sometimes I forget that thepeople that I used to talk to
and see all the time in my yarnshop are not necessarily the
people that are listening rightnow.
They're probably not, because Ikind of shifted my audience
from the buyer to the seller andum, and so a whole bunch of you
(07:36):
people don't even know who I am.
Uh, I don't know.
That's that sounds awful, awful, as if you should know, but
what I mean is you don't knowmuch about what's happening
other than the stuff that I'msharing with you and my good
friend Zoe Edwards from theCheck your Thread podcast.
(07:59):
She always talks a little bitabout what she's up to, talks a
little bit about what she's upto, usually connecting to the
topic of her podcast being moresustainable around sewing and
making more sustainable choicesand she talks about the things
that are happening in her lifewhen it comes to sustainability
(08:19):
and all kinds of things, and Ialways really enjoy that.
But I decided to offer you asmuch practical information as
possible in a short amount oftime and then there's not a lot
of time to chat, I thought.
And so maybe it's fun to have achatting episode for once and
(08:44):
kind of get you up to speed withwhat's going on.
So what's going on, saskia?
Well, a whole bunch of thingsreally.
May is going to be, and it'salready started.
It's such a busy month.
Lots of things are happening.
I will be traveling a bunch.
(09:04):
We have our I think it'stranslates to the spring break
for school, so we have two weeksoff for the kids I have.
I'm a mom of two teens and wehave been traveling back and
forth to our holiday home thatwe have in the Netherlands,
(09:26):
where I also live, and it's atwo hour drive, so it's far away
enough to feel like you're away, but it's close enough so that
you can.
Well, you wouldn't get yourtoothbrush if you forgot your
toothbrush, but yeah, like weturned two weeks into three by
(09:46):
doing four days at the holidayhome and four days at home and
going back and forth so that thekids can also hang out with
their friends here.
And it's been, it's been ideal.
Honestly, the way we have thingsset up there is that I have
made the what's the word inEnglish, the mudroom into a
(10:11):
craft room.
Actually, it's also still themudroom, but it's quite big.
They used to the people thatused to live there were dog
breeders and their own dogswould be in that space and they
would have kennels there andthey took it out and now it's
quite a big room to just be amudroom.
(10:33):
So I put in some tables where Ican sew one of those cute
Swedish pegboards that I reallylike, and we found an antique
closet or my in-laws found anantique closet at a thrift store
(10:53):
, beautiful, for like no amountof money whatsoever, so that's
really a stunning piece that Ikeep some fabric in, because we
don't live there the whole year.
We have the space that usuallywas used for clothes.
I have put all my bits and bobsof yarn that are not full
(11:17):
skeins, and that is still a lotof yarn.
So I also move my.
There's going to be a lot ofumming because this is
completely spontaneous,unscripted, I don't even have
notes.
So it's going to be a lot ofumming and I'll take some out in
the editing, but not all of it,because you know, um see.
(11:41):
See.
So my, my yarn scraps which arenot really scraps.
They're just the odd balls, youknow, and I've organized them
in um, in color, according tocolor, and I also have my
knitting loom there.
(12:01):
What else?
I've got my e-spinner there aswell, and I've got my normal
pedal spinner at home.
Here's editing, saskia.
Of course I'm talking about myspinning, so I can do anything
(12:24):
there.
I am taking my sewing machinewith me when we are going, when
I have a plan.
It's there right now and I'llsew a skirt, a reversible skirt,
because it's one of thosefabrics that has a double gaze,
and it's reversible fabrics thathave what is it?
(12:48):
Double gaze, and it'sreversible.
So I'm trying to think of howto do a pocket in a reversible
skirt.
That's not going to be toodifficult.
So I'm just basically thinkingabout sewing like a bag that I
will just tie around my waist,that I'll flip inside the skirt,
and it's going to be separatefrom the skirt.
(13:08):
That's my idea, but now I'malready going into my projects.
But so I have this craft mudroomset up there, which is amazing.
We have a lot of outdoor space.
I'm actually thinking aboutgrowing flax there, which I
(13:28):
could, but I have to learn alittle bit more about it, but
it's not too hard to grow.
I think I don't have to bethere the whole time to watch it
grow.
So I think it's doable.
And so this summer I'm travelingup to Sweden for the well.
I've been in Sweden a lot oftimes, but to Säterglanten I
(13:53):
hope I'm pronouncing it right Um, it's a craft school in uh well
, it's the middle, middle Northof uh of Sweden and uh in a town
called Inchen, and I've learnedold needle techniques there,
I've learned to spin there, Ihave made a corset there and
(14:17):
I've picked up some Swedish hereand there.
I'm still really trying andit's very basic and speaking is
so different than listening, butwhen I listen to a conversation
I can piece things togetherright now.
So I'm getting somewhere andI'm looking forward to going
there so much because to me,this place is I don't know.
(14:42):
It's like all my nerves get abreak.
Everything there is handmade,natural, everything is calm.
People even get a note whenthey subscribe for a course to
not bring perfume, which is, Imean, it's.
(15:02):
Everything is calm there.
Basically, you eat or what's.
Is it hand-baked?
Yeah, your hand-baked granolafrom a hand-carved wooden bowl
next to a hand-spun, hand-wovencurtain.
(15:27):
Like it's crazy.
It's so beautiful, so amazing.
I don't even know if that iseven real.
I mean, what I mean is do theyput up a show or is that the way
things sometimes are?
And I think the latter, becausewe've traveled as a family to
(15:50):
Sweden quite a bit.
So it's just a different, adifferent way of looking at
crafts and uh, there's, there'sso much history and I just love
it there.
I love it because I can learnhow to spin um flax in the
Netherlands, definitely, couldlearn it here.
(16:11):
I mean, I can even learn it inthis, in this room.
I could just go to YouTube orto Skillshare or to I don't
think Skillshare has it craftyor the other one, the Spanish
one, uh, the one where I'mlearning about writing right now
I can't think of the name, it'sokay, it's fine, it's I'm, it's
(16:33):
not like they pay, they pay me.
So, yeah, that's where I'mgoing.
And because how fun would it beif I can grow my own flax, then
turn it into linen, then spinit, then weave it and then sew
it into a garment.
(16:53):
Garment, that would take ages,but that's not the point.
The point is that I could, andI'm very curious to see how that
, yeah, how that would evolveand I would have so much fun in
the process.
(17:13):
I do have a little bit of anissue with getting there,
because I try not to fly if Idon't have to and I usually
don't but it's proving reallydifficult to go there by train,
and I have learned that not allthe tracks in Europe have the
same width.
So that is one of the reasonsthat they well, it's a little
(17:38):
bit naive, but one of thereasons that they don't just all
work together so that we peoplein Europe can actually have a
choice if we want to travel.
And now it is proving really,really difficult to book a trip
from Rotterdam, where I live, toIncheon in Sweden, and I've
(18:01):
tried so many websites so manytimes and there's like it's
going to take at least 24 hours.
I'm going to have to switchtrains so many times, it's going
to be three times as expensiveas flying and, um, it's, it's
messing up my whole value systemand, um, before I know it, I'm
(18:26):
saying to myself I should justlearn this from YouTube.
But that's not, you know, Imean not, you know, I mean it's
very, very frustrating.
Um, but at a certain pointyou're just going to have to say
, like, I don't get on a plane,unless it just doesn't make
sense not to.
(18:47):
So, yeah, there's that, um, butI'm looking.
I'm looking forward to thattrip so much because I'm going
to go by myself.
The first time I went there,nobody spoke English like hardly
.
Over the years, it has becomemore popular with people from
outside of Sweden and so there'sbeen more English around me,
(19:13):
but I hope this time it soundsweird, but I hope people will
speak Swedish like the wholetime.
I'll just try to be more silentso that they don't switch to
English and just listen morethan speak, which is going to be
a challenge in and of itselfand of itself.
(19:40):
Um, yeah, so, and that's comingup, uh, but even faster.
Also, that's only later on inthe, in the summer, but in May I
will be going to Paris, sweet,sweet Paris, um, because it's
going to be the firstanniversary of my marriage.
Still sounds weird.
And yeah, we're gonna spend itwhere we spent it last year, in
(20:01):
Paris, in the same hotel, whichis great, and this time without
the kids, so they're going to bewatching the house or wrecking
it either, or, and I'm very muchlooking forward to that because
I always have so much fun whenI travel with my husband we are
(20:21):
really good travel buddies and Idon't have any particular plans
.
I think I will look at my fabricstash and have a good deep
think about what's missing.
I'm actually wearing the Bretonstripe t-shirt that I made from
(20:43):
the fabric that I bought lastyear in Paris.
It's just a basic t-shirt whichI really like and enjoyed
making.
It's a really good qualityfabric.
I love Breton stripes.
They go with everything andanything.
They're such a cool classic,even with this crooked lipstick.
(21:08):
Like, maybe it's just my lipsthat are a little bit off off
center.
It's weird to it's weird tolisten to your own voice, but
I've gotten used to that alittle bit.
Um, and making short videos forInstagram back in the day
gotten used to that too.
(21:28):
I'm starting to get used torecording um, the podcast as a
video, but I'm always kind oflooking at why is that hair a
little weird and why is so?
I don't know whatever.
Where was I?
So Paris?
Um, I think I have beenlistening to Zoe and um, as the
(21:54):
aforementioned Zoe from Checkyour Threads, and she has an
episode about organizing yourstash, um, in a way that you can
use it.
So in these drawers behind me.
I have, um, is this the rightone?
Yeah, uh, I have the um.
(22:21):
I have a winter drawer and asummer drawer and the fabrics
that I first want to use, but Ihave been missing a kind of a
thin fabric that could be likefloppy pants.
I need floppy pants in my lifethat are comfortable and kind of
cool, kind of chic, you know.
So I don't have that, so Imight look for it.
In Paris, at that area aroundthe Sacré-Cœur, they have fabric
(22:46):
shops that are crazy.
Last time I went looking for Iwanted to make pajamas from
Toile de Joux, but they only hadupholstery fabric and I thought
that would not be verycomfortable as pajamas.
So I didn't manage to find itlast time.
So maybe this time we'll see.
(23:06):
I'm not buying anything that Idon't need, so what I like to do
is I like to beforehand thinkabout what's missing and what is
going to be something that I'llprobably get anyway, and if I
then get it while I'm traveling,it's going to be a memory as
well as something practical thatwas going to come into my house
(23:29):
.
Anyway, what I did order issome soft, soft shell fabric.
Is it fabric, soft shell stuff?
Um, because I have a friend,her name is May I don of talked
(23:58):
to each other and decided thatwe wanted to make our ski
outfits for this year, becausewe go to Austria together every
year with our families and wealways have such a great time
and we have been going to.
We have been skiing andsnowboarding for a big part for
(24:19):
me, but skiing since we werekids, like since we were really
tiny and we were thinking aboutthe 90s style where you wear
even jeans with a protective Ithink it's called gamation but I
don't know how to translate it.
It's these things that you kindof plasticky with elastic and
(24:43):
you put them around your bootsand around your pants at the
bottom so the snow won't getinto your boots.
And we were talking about whydon't we just knit a sweater
that is windproof?
That should be good enough.
Like talking about all thedifferent styles and ideas and
comforts and my ever growingfrustration with non-existing
(25:09):
plus size ski wear.
It's like as a fat woman or fatperson, you're not allowed to
ski.
Yeah, it really sucks.
Every single year I'm in thecar on our way back and I decide
that I want to start a businessin fat girl ski stuff and then
(25:31):
I don't, because I already havea business and 700 hobbies and
interests, so I just get wiredup about it every year.
And so this year we decided tomake our own stuff.
And I don't know, but she'salready got a sweater finished.
I have done nothing except fororder the soft shell fabric
(25:55):
which they didn't have, any funprints.
But then again, I'm 48.
Who needs a fun print?
I do.
They had super cool.
I mean they had one meter,that's enough to make me a hood.
So now I got, I went with aleopard print.
(26:17):
I mean you could say it's fun,you could say it's done, you
could say anything about it, butat least it's not boring.
So I have kind of a leopardprint, but it's a little bit
abstract, so it's not notleopard leopard, it's like.
It's like leopard done byPicasso or leopard done by some
(26:43):
other artists.
And then I got some plain blackto make pants and actually I'm
looking, I'm very much lookingforward to the pants.
The trousers no, trousers, skitrousers, no, ski pants, ski
pants.
And I'm looking forward towearing them because I'm
(27:04):
thinking I don't need much, Ijust need an elastic waist and a
way for the snow not to get inmy boots and I'm good, I don't
need much, it just needs to fit.
I don't even really needpockets, because I could just I
don't know get a fanny pack, bumbag, whatever you call it,
something like that.
(27:25):
Of course, then I have toextend the thing that goes
around your waist becausethey're all small.
Anyway, I'll figure it out.
So I'm looking forward to that.
I think I can do it, but I thankthe universe that I have a
sewing teacher that is also upfor doing this and helping me
(27:46):
out, because she's like no, no,no, no, not just an elasticated
waist, we can do better.
We can do zippers here and pushbutton there, and then we could
do this so that you can have apocket here and a pocket there.
I'm like oh no, I don't knowit's, it's May already.
I'm not, I don't know.
I don't know if I can do it,but I don't want to like if May
(28:09):
can do it, I can do it, we cando it, we're going to look cool.
It's me made May now and I'mgoing to move that into um, did
it December and uh, make surethat I have my outfit In terms
of the sweater.
Um, so I'm thinking of makingan anorak and uh, ski pants, um,
(28:32):
and ski pants and a sweater.
But I'm not trusting thesweater plan to be, like,
foolproof for snow andeverything Not.
Yet, although I am the wooladvocate, I just also kind of in
my in the back of my head,wanted to make that uh anorak
type thing as well.
(28:53):
So I'm thinking about using theyarn that I bought when I was
visiting the?
Um Faroese islands.
It is, it is quite hard, hardy,it's um, and I always think the
scratchier, the warmer, andit's not super scratchy cause
(29:16):
it's the, it's Navia and it'sthe brushed, the brushed um
variation.
Um, I can look it up and I'llshare it in the show notes, or
maybe not, because I wanted tokeep this a very light uh chat.
Yeah, I should look it up.
I should not let you look it upyourself.
(29:36):
That's not how this works.
I'll look it up for you.
Uh, brushed, vintage brushed,whatever.
And um, I also got uh, a bookthat has all the patterns for
the Faroese traditional patternsfor the color work.
(29:57):
So one of the I bought like awhole bunch of colors with not
really a plan.
It's not colors, colors, it'sall natural colors.
So it's browns, grays, creams,dark, dark browns, not black,
and I'm going to mix and matchand there's one pattern and a
(30:19):
pattern book that I could use,but I kind of want to mix it up
and do my own pattern within apattern, if you know what I mean
.
So I've got the written patternon how to knit the sweater, but
I want to design the fairy'spattern.
Why is it one word?
(30:40):
Well, you know what I mean.
Let's hope you know what I mean.
So that's my plan for that.
So I need to get going withthat.
Um, then I'm also now for myhusband knitting um how should
we call this?
A?
Um Trachtenjacke, which isbasically the kind of cardigan
(31:05):
you wear with lederhosen.
Um, also for that trip, becausein Austria, where we go, they
wear the traditional costume forChristmas and or every day.
A bunch of people wear it everyday.
They walk around leather pantsevery day and the ladies wear
(31:29):
their dirndls and the actualpretty, pretty, like not the
Halloween, buy it in a plasticbag type of dirndls, like the
crafts, luscious colors, shapes,all of the things so beautiful.
That's another dream I have,because every year I go there
(31:50):
they buy about three plus sizeones and they're already sold
once I get there.
So, and I'm a little bit.
I need to try them on right,because I don't want to buy them
online because these are, theseare items that you, they will
should last you for years, likethat.
(32:10):
That's the idea.
That's a whole different thing.
I guess next year maybe I'llmake my own dirndl.
That dirndl, that could also bea thing.
So yeah, I'm knitting theTrachtenjacke, which is
basically garter stitch forever.
I don't really mind garterstitch forever, especially at
(32:33):
night, because I'm tired and Ican't think and I can't count
and I can't do anything but gostraight into the basic stitches
.
But it's so much of it thateven I get bored, and so I have
put that to the side, but Ithink I should really start
working on it again because Ihave to get cracking on my own
(32:56):
sweater.
So yeah, there's that.
What else am I doing?
I'm knitting a pair of socksfrom some Rosario, rosaria,
rosario, uh sock yarn fromPortugal that I have bought.
Where did I buy that?
I think in Brighton.
(33:16):
I think I must've bought it inBrighton, don't really remember,
anyway.
So, uh, basic socks.
What else I'm uh sewing, uh, ashirt dress from I think that
type of fabric has a name, but Idon't know what it's called.
It is white and light bluestripes, kind of that very basic
(33:41):
, a little bit like for thepeople that are watching.
A little bit like this, thatkind of fabric like this, that
kind of fabric If you rememberthe kids dungarees they have a
brand, oshkosh or something, andthey were usually in that kind
(34:02):
of stripe.
It's not really jeans, I don'tknow what to call it, twill, I
guess.
So I'm doing that for my ownblocks, that I've learned to
pattern, draw, draw patterns formy, for my own sizes
measurements, and I'm doing thatin sewing classes, but I
(34:24):
haven't been there because it'sthe holidays and I'm now sewing
the whole the big units together, but I'll probably spend a lot
of time doing the collar and allof that and the button bands.
I've done it before.
I have made my own weddingoveralls which had all those
(34:46):
different kinds of elements, soit's not going to be a new thing
.
But I'm super bad atremembering what comes first and
so I completely rely on myteacher.
But what happens when I do thatis that I feel like I'm not
learning enough.
So I just kind of lean in tothe moment and just do whatever
(35:09):
she says and then I forget aboutit in to the moment and just do
whatever she says, and then Iforget about it.
So I've decided to take mybullet journal with me and keep
like step-by-step notes of whatI'm doing.
I'm not sure if I'll ever getback to them, but at least I
know that I have them, becausethe idea is that once I've done
this dress, that is the same asa tunic or a shirt with long or
(35:33):
short sleeves.
So once this works, it worksfor a whole bunch of different
things that are easilyadjustable and made to measure
for me, which is amazing andgreat.
And if you don't know it yetand great and if you don't know
it yet, this is something I havealso recently learned is that I
(36:02):
started sewing to be able tomake things for my size, for my
body, but then when you buypatterns, they are also made for
general bodies.
Of course, they have a widesize range and, depending on
whether or not you work withstretch materials or wider
styles, it is great and it'ssuch a step up from buying
(36:25):
clothes in the shop, especiallywhen it comes to quality and
material and strength and howyou put it together, but they
are still not made for yourspecific body.
So I took the class of makingwhat they call blocks, I think,
(36:48):
for a top, a skirt.
Those two combined is a dress,then I have pants and then I
have all the information that Ineed to make adjustments for
different types of skirts andstuff.
So I decided I did this course.
(37:09):
If I don't put it into practice, I will forget.
I will not get back to it.
So every single thing that I'mdoing now in class it's actually
not knitting, not knittingsewing classes, but it's
begeleid and I know all of youare saying the word now because
(37:29):
you know it, but I forgot it.
And I know all of you aresaying the word now because you
know it, but I forgot it.
It's accompanied.
No, well, my teacher helps mewhenever I need the help.
That's basically it, andthere's a whole group of other
people that are doing their ownthing and it's fun.
It's a nice way to connect withother people that are also
(37:51):
sewing and basically a coolhangout.
To be honest, I love hangingout there.
So that is, I think, all of myknitting projects, my sewing
project oh, I've got anothersewing project.
(38:16):
So, because we are going movingback and forth to our holiday
home a lot, also on weekends andin the holidays, sometimes I
need to do a little bit of workand I have an iPad, but that was
not really working for a lot ofthings and so I invested in a
laptop and now that laptop needsprotection.
So a while ago I bought woolfelt from the Dutch Wool
(38:40):
Collective, hollands WoolCollective, which is basically
felted fabric from sheep herelocally, local sheep, and it's
really fun stuff.
One of the pieces that I boughtis was cream colored and we
just did nothing to it and justput it on the floor and it's a
(39:03):
rug now.
We didn't even cut anything, wejust put it on the floor, done,
okay.
We put a non-slip mat under itand it's great.
It's in the bed, bath bath,it's in the bedroom of our
holiday home and it's wonderful.
And then I bought the darkbrown and it's really thick.
(39:28):
It's like seven millimetersthick.
So now I'm making kind of anenvelope with a big elastic
around it, which was actuallymeant to be used in a skirt, but
I need it another way.
So now I'm going to put theelastic band around that.
And a while ago I took apartthis old pair of jeans, stitch
(39:49):
by stitch, and I'm using thepockets on the inside to put the
laptop cable in.
I think the plug is a littlebit too clunky, so I'm not sure
what to do with that yet, butI'll figure it out.
I'll probably never travel withjust a laptop, so I'll probably
(40:13):
have a bag where I can put thatthing in.
Uh, but yeah, that's fun I'm.
I'm going to be doing that aswell.
I think this is all my craftstuff.
Um, and I was talking aboutParis and the fabric buying.
I will not buy any yarn inParis, but I will, however,
(40:35):
probably and I will not lieabout this probably buy some
yarn at the Wedding Wool Weekendin Berlin.
I'm going there with my friendAngela, and we've been trying to
do a wool-based event togetherprobably since COVID Since not
(40:56):
my COVID, but since thelockdowns, and there was always
something going on, usually frommy end, and this time we
finally managed to actually gettrain tickets and a hotel.
We got an Airbnb.
It got canceled because theymessed up, I don't know, it was
a weird thing.
(41:16):
We got a hotel.
Now we're going there.
I'm super excited.
I'm also very excited about allthe time we'll have in the
train for knitting and I'mreally, really looking forward
to meeting all the vendors thereand the crafters and seeing
some friends that I haven't seenin a while.
(41:38):
So, yeah, I'm really excitedabout that.
Um, basically, the vendors noware my clients.
So, uh, I am looking forward totalking to them and to figuring
out what is hard for them andhow they could use support in
(42:01):
running their small business.
So I'm looking forward to that.
Hopefully, I'll be able to dosome reporting from there.
I will bring my small mic, butI still have to officially get
approval for that.
So I'll go in and ask Ruth andask if I can do that and
hopefully I will be able to do alittle bit of a report there,
(42:25):
which I really like doing.
I'm always really nervous to doit, but it's so fun to listen
to reports from all around andmy plans for buying stuff there.
The plan is always as little aspossible because I already have
(42:46):
yarn.
I don't need yarn, but I willhave to tell you this I am going
to do the same thing that I dowith fabric Look at my wardrobe,
look at what's missing.
What do I have in my stash?
Can I make something from stash?
(43:08):
Is something lacking?
I've got two plans.
I start with the one that isnot going to get me on a whole
other tangent, and that is linomuka, which is a linen which I
love.
I used to sell it in my shopand I have this mismatch of
(43:30):
different colors in my stashthat I've tried to turn into a
coherent project, but I haven'tbeen able to manage.
I have the brightest green,almost like fluorescent green
(43:55):
fluorescent green.
Then I have kind of a denimblue, like I don't see how that.
I mean, I'm up for a little bitof a, an experiment, but it
just doesn't work.
Then I have what do I have?
Some red, I think.
Now fluorescent and red, no, nogo.
It does work with uh, with theblue, but I already have a blue
and red linen top and it's notenough.
(44:17):
So what I'll do is I'll pickone of the colors that I like
most for a top, cause I do needmore summer tops.
I don't nearly have enough now.
I need to really step up andget some stuff done too, so that
I can wear something.
So that's the idea I'llprobably buy, if they have it,
(44:39):
some of that denim color andmake a nice bluish linen top for
summer which will be reallyeasy to wear with the rest of my
wardrobe because it's basicallynow either a red, white blue
(45:00):
like I want to say Navy style,but it's not true like red,
white blue, uh kind of things,and then black.
So part of me is Tim Burton,part of me lives in a cottage,
and I also like colors that havea little bit of brown in them,
(45:21):
like with yarn when you dye overa yarn that's already brown or
tan colored.
Those kinds of colors I reallylove, so that I also have in my
wardrobe.
So finding something that couldgo with the whole thing, that
is great and that makes me wearmore things longer and with more
(45:44):
pleasure, and so I can mix andmatch stuff.
So that's the plan, and thenand this is the whole other
tangent I feel like coming.
I really truly adore and lovecrafts needle crafts, textile
crafts, as you know and I alsohave other things that I really
(46:07):
love, and one of those things umhave been coming back in loops
is stationery and fountain pensand things like that, and I've
been in a little bit of a howwould we call it An obsession,
perhaps.
(46:28):
I've been a little bit obsessedabout watching YouTube videos on
inks and fountain pens and Ihave acquired a nice new Kaweco
Aluminium.
They call it Ruby Red, but Icall this like blush, not blush
(46:50):
pink.
Like's really nice pink.
It's cherry blossom no, that'stoo.
It's darker than that, but it'sreally really nice, it's lovely
.
I bought it together for thoseof you that are interested.
I got some ink with it thatmatches and it's the Wait, let
(47:11):
me get it.
It's the Ruy d'Ancre by Herbinand it matches perfectly.
But the nib that I had on itwas an extra fine, because I
want to have an extra fine formy bullet journal, because I
like writing small in there.
(47:32):
But then this ink was too light.
So I guess I still have stuffto learn.
But also, I happen to becreative and I switched my
Kaweco Galen leather cognacversion, leather cognac version.
(48:01):
The tip was a broad or doublebroad, yeah, double broad.
So I switched this one withthis one and now is also a great
match, also by Harbin, and um,so this kind of now turned into
a fountain pen thing.
(48:21):
Uh, but I'll leave it at that.
So why am I talking aboutfountain pens now?
Oh, my gosh, because I wastalking about knitting plans.
Makes sense, right?
So this is why I need a script,otherwise this is not, it's all
(48:43):
over.
So I'm looking at all thosevideos of fountain pens and
people that are sharing theirink choices with their fountain
(49:04):
pens.
Called Adventure Denali that isher channel, I forget her name
now A wonderful person, verylovely.
I actually have something tosay about her that also relates
to what we are actually doing inthis podcast, but I'll get to
(49:26):
that later.
She collects vintage fountainpens and has this whole thing.
She has two dogs and anotherlittle critter that I forget the
name of, and she knits, and shewas knitting this shawl.
I think it's called MoonSisters, and I fell.
I was over the moon, I fell inlove with it.
(49:49):
It's so beautiful.
I was over new moon, I fell inlove with it.
It's so beautiful.
Uh, I'm, as I have no notes, I'mlooking it up as we speak
because I did put it in my uh,ravelry favorites.
Um, or to be fully, um,complete, it's my.
What is the app called?
Rabbit Moon Sisters?
(50:11):
Yeah, and the pattern is byCaitlin Hunter.
It's such an amazing design.
Caitlin has actually beeninspired by Anna Maltz, my
friend who did this wholepattern book on Marling.
(50:31):
The book is called Marlisle.
It's an amazing, great, funbook with my favorite chal,
actually my all-time favoritechal called let me S.
It's called S E-S-S and this isit.
(50:56):
It's really beautiful.
I love that one.
It's really chunky and I wearit as a it's almost like a
blanket.
But this new pattern by CaitlinHunter is made for fingering
(51:28):
weight sock yarn and is big, butit's thinner, it has more drape
and it needs a lot of yarn.
It needs three skeins for twocolors, so six skeins of
fingering weight yarn, and soI'll probably look for that,
because I think I need thisshawl in my life and I do not
(51:48):
have that amount of same-ishsock yarns in my stash.
The sock yarns that I have aremostly for socks and just one
skein, or I do have a three bytwo set that I bought for a top,
but that's not going to beenough.
Then I cannot do the amazingfringe that is in this shawl.
(52:15):
So, yeah, that's probably whatI'll be looking for and yeah,
that is the thing.
So I was going to say somethingelse about Adventure Denali.
I feel like I need to look upher first name.
Yes, so I was going to sayanother thing about Adventure
(52:40):
Denali.
Her name is Alicia and what Ithought was so fun, I just
happened upon her channel via,via, through different Inca pen
videos, and I found out that shehas this whole YouTube channel
(53:00):
and she just uses her phone.
And I think this is a great wayto end this episode that
sometimes, a lot of the time,when you get overwhelmed by all
the things you need to do andyou don't have the energy to do
things and you do want to showup, because sometimes it's okay
(53:22):
not to show up, you know it'sperfectly okay to take a break,
but sometimes if you want toshow up and you find it hard,
then answer the question how canit be easy?
This is what my coach, kim, hastaught me.
How can it be easy?
Alicia has made a wonderful,wonderful channel, just choosing
(53:46):
her phone.
She even edits on her phone,she takes away all the things
that can be super overwhelming,but just setting up boundaries
for herself and saying listen,I'm using my phone, I'm editing
on my phone and this is what Ican do.
(54:06):
And that helps you to notoverthink every single thing.
You're going to leave the um,every single thing.
You're going to leave the umsin there.
You're going to leave thestruggling and the finding the
words in there.
Not all of it, maybe, but abunch of it, and it's fine.
She definitely has a huge amountof followers, which is not
(54:28):
really, I mean, I don't know why.
If she wants to make money withthis or um, and is it about the
amount of followers, that's awhole different thing.
But she's able to makesomething that I have been
loving and I've been eating up,uh, with almost no tools, and
(54:48):
that is the same for any one ofyou that runs a business and is
trying to make things work.
We don't need a whole bunch offlashy stuff, says the girl with
a fancy microphone and fancyheadphones.
I got these after a couple ofyears and I love them and I'm
(55:12):
going to keep them, but when Ijust started out, I didn't have
that and I didn't need it, andyou can do your work and you can
share your knowledge in waysthat can be really valuable and
truthful and honest, and itdoesn't need all that other uh,
(55:34):
fancy stuff.
So I was going to leave youwith that thought and um, uh,
and hopefully I'll uh you.
You enjoyed this, um, a littlebit of a different kind of vibe
to to my um, my podcast.
I hope you will sign up for myemails.
(55:54):
I will not send you a lot ofemails, for the same reason that
I don't record a lot ofepisodes, but when I do, I hope
they will be helpful.
I have tips, I have insights,small questions answered that
can really hopefully shine alight on the things that you are
(56:17):
struggling with as a smallbusiness owner, and I just would
love to have you on my list sothat we can get in touch and
connect.
Another way to connect,obviously, of course, is through
my online community.
For a small amount each month,you support the podcast and
(56:38):
you're in a community with peers, other people that love the
same things that you do and theystruggle with the same things
that you might struggle with.
So even if you're not enteringmy big program, you will still
get so much value from justbeing there and hanging out with
people like yourself.
(56:59):
So go over to patternshiftfmand find all the information
that you need.
You can sign up for everythingthere as well and through the
links in the show notes.
Bye, you can sign up foreverything there as well, and
(57:27):
through the links in the shownotes.
Bye, thank you.
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