August 1, 2019 • 47 mins
What does "Crafting Made Simple" mean to you?
This episode is about exploring what yarn does for you beyond just making something pretty. This realization can help you identify your strengths and help you understand how to share those strengths in the crochet and knitting community. Simplicity and stories can help us identify what type of crafter we are, why we do what we do and how to inspire the next generation so they can enjoy these things too.
To help me with this is Jen from Stitch and Story, a resource that's dedicated to simplifying the often complex processes in our craft. Jen and I had a wonderful chat about our personal experiences with learning aspects of the knitting and crochet, something we're both very passionate about sharing.
About The BHooked Podcast
Brittany's primary goal is to inspire you and help you grow in your craft with The BHooked Podcast. Through her own stories and the stories of each special guest, you'll discover tips and tricks to improve your crochet and knitting skills and find inspiration to achieve your hobby goals. When you want to kick back and learn from yarn industry experts, grab some yarn and turn on The BHooked Podcast. There's never a shortage of all things crochet, knitting or yarn.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brittany (00:00):
You're listening to The Be Hooped Podcast, episode
127 with Brittany.
Welcome to episode 127 of theBeHooked Podcast, the place
(00:37):
where we love yarn, we love tolearn, and we truly believe yarn
can do more for us than justmake pretty things.
Well, along those lines,today's episode is about
exploring what it means for yarnto do more for us than just
make pretty things.
Specifically, how simplicityand stories can help us identify
what type of crafter we are,why we do what we do, and how to
(01:00):
inspire the next generation sothey can enjoy all these things
too.
To help me with this is Jenfrom Stitch and Story, a
resource that's dedicated tosimplifying the often complex
processes in our craft.
Jen and I had just a reallywonderful conversation about our
personal experiences with thelearning aspects of knitting and
(01:22):
crochet, so it'll be kind oflike hear a fly on the wall
hearing that conversation.
We come up with two challengesfor you as we get on with our
chat, so listen closely forthose.
I'll recap them at the end, andyou can find them on the show
notes page at behooked.com slash127 as well.
All right, here's Jen fromStitch and Story.
(01:44):
Jen, hi there.
Welcome to the show.
Jen (01:48):
Hi, how are you?
Brittany (01:49):
I'm doing wonderful today.
I am so excited to chat withyou.
I have been wanting to connectwith you for a while now.
I've been an admirer of some ofthe things that you have going
on in your beautiful Instagramfeed.
So it's a real pleasure and atreat for me to have you here.
Oh, brilliant.
I'm so glad.
Yes.
So I have seen you from afar,sort of mainly on Instagram.
(02:14):
And I don't know a whole lotabout your story, how Stitch and
Story came about, because I'msure there's a really
interesting story there.
But then also for youpersonally, can we start maybe
with how you started crochetingor knitting in the first place?
Jen (02:32):
Yeah, no worries.
So I learned to knit andcrochet when I was in school,
and this was part of my textilesclass.
And so we would spend...
most of the afternoons justknitting swatches in our break
times and just doing like knitand purl and that was all I knew
(02:53):
back then and I eventuallystarted to knit in my spare time
back in my room I remember andI would just keep knitting and
eventually my friends startedknitting to request scarves and
one of my first scarves wasactually to my business partner
(03:13):
Jennifer and who I've actuallyknown for 15 years now and it
was for her sweet 16 and Iremember when I made it there
was this hole in the middle andWhen I gave it to her, I was so
proud in actually making a giftfor her.
And she, you know, the sheerdelight on her face.
(03:33):
And she, you know, she didn'treally notice the hole, but it
was given that away really wasquite satisfactory for me.
And so, yeah, that's how Ilearned how to knit, really.
And I eventually started tolearn how to sew, how to do
graphic design.
So I've kind of learned how todo quite a lot of crafts and
(03:55):
design because I'm quiteinterested in that, really.
Brittany (03:59):
Yeah, I find that it's similar for a lot of people.
It seems like if we reallyenjoy one thing like knitting or
crochet, there's always someother type of craft that we
participate in.
Jen (04:11):
Yeah, I think it's trying to replicate something yourself
for yourself and and justthinking, oh, yeah, I know how
to make this or I'll try andwork this out.
And I think you can apply thatthrough baking, through sewing,
through even engineering.
(04:31):
It's like an engineering kindof mindset, which I think
everyone has in them.
Brittany (04:36):
Oh, yeah.
I never really thought of itthat way, but that's very true.
Jen (04:40):
Yeah.
Brittany (04:41):
I've been thinking lately about why I like to
crochet and why I like to knit.
It's something that's kind ofdifficult to really put your
finger on, but what I think I'mrealizing is that I really enjoy
the process, like the processof making something almost, dare
(05:02):
I say, more than the finishedproduct itself.
Do you find that to be the caseor do you really enjoy the
finished thing once it's done?
Jen (05:11):
That's a really good question.
So for me, I like the processof it and I like giving it away.
And over the years, for me,I've realised that there are two
types of makers.
So there would be the maker wholikes the process, who likes
(05:32):
kind of figuring it out andmaking it and giving it away.
Or there's the one who likes tomake it for themselves and
likes to tailor everythingcompletely.
to themselves.
So there's the gift giver orthere's kind of that personal
maker for themselves.
And you usually fall into twodifferent categories.
And for me, I fall into theprocess side.
(05:53):
And I think it's that creatingsomething, building up to
something, the research side andthinking about who the end user
is.
So if I'm giving it away to afriend, I like to research what
they like, what their wardrobeis like, how they're going to
use it.
(06:13):
And so I like that build up.
And yeah, I think it's quiteimportant to research.
to see which type of crafteryou are, and then you can really
maximize your fulfillment orjoy out of it.
Brittany (06:29):
Yeah, I love that perspective of sort of
identifying with one of the two,because that's such a great way
to really simplify things andmake all of it more enjoyable.
Jen (06:42):
Yes, definitely, definitely.
We see a lot of our knitters...
either giving it away to theirmoms or to their grandmas or
they're just like, oh no, thisis all for myself.
And then they end up justmaking all of our knitting kits,
which is hilarious.
Brittany (07:01):
Yeah, I find that I do a little bit of both.
I tend to keep quite a few ofthe things that I make,
especially the accessories andthe design best when I'm making
it for myself because I kind ofput my own little style on that
but...
Jen (07:21):
Yeah, you're your own model aren't you so you are your end
user I guess.
Brittany (07:29):
And that actually does work out really well that I'm
able to take photos of thefinished thing on myself.
And that's something I onlystarted about two years ago.
I was always too bashful to putmy face on the other side of
the camera.
And I just realized that It'sso difficult to display
(07:51):
something that you've made andthat you're really proud of when
it's laying flat on a table orsomething like that.
You just don't get the fulleffect.
So I had to step out of mycomfort zone a little bit and
learn a thing or two aboutphotography.
But I have so much fun withthat part
Jen (08:08):
Yeah, and enjoying the...
The process of showing it offis really important, especially
through the power of socialmedia.
And what I would like everyoneto kind of break out of is
making sure it doesn't have tobe perfect.
So just even showing off thework in progress of it is just
(08:34):
as rewarding as showing the endproduct off.
Brittany (08:37):
I love that.
I think it really is importantbecause when you're scrolling
through your feed and you'reseeing everything that's
gorgeous and beautiful andeverything that that person
wanted you to see, it's reallyeasy to forget that that person
is just like you.
They're not perfect and theirproject has imperfections in it.
And sometimes it's easy to hidesome of that in photography,
(09:02):
but I think it would be a funchallenge for listeners to to go
to Instagram or Facebook orwhatever platform they like
using and take a close-up photoof something that is wrong with
their current work in progress.
Maybe they dropped a stitch orthey twisted a stitch or
something like that.
And I think that would be a lotof fun to kind of peel back the
(09:25):
layers and show the true sideof
Jen (09:28):
It would be, yes.
And just showing the wholejourney of it.
And there's this really great,powerful quote that both Jen and
I really, really keep to ourhearts.
It's from Zig Ziglar.
And he quotes, you don't haveto be great to start, but you
(09:50):
have to start to be great.
And so to start your journeyanywhere, you know, it just...
Of course, you're going to domistakes.
Of course, you're going to undothe stitches.
But it's accepting it.
And I think that's what's sopowerful about knitting.
For me, I remember learning toknit wasn't actually that easy.
(10:15):
And you know, the amount oftimes I had to undo and undo and
then redo it again and thenunderstand what a knit stitch
and compare it to a purl stitch,you know, once you kind of
unlock that, you're like, wow,actually I'm progressing, I'm
progressing onto something now.
And so I remember that feelingand I take that back to when we
(10:37):
do workshops and I always say toanyone that joins our
workshops, you know, you'regoing to undo something I'm
going to get you to undo yourwork now.
And it's just letting go of thefear of keeping something
perfect.
and a lot of the time a lot ofthe workshop people say oh no
(10:58):
all my heart's work but I justsay you know what you're going
to do this a million times youmight as well get used to it now
and eventually you'll startlearning how to perfect it but
right now it is about making themistakes and just building on
top
Brittany (11:13):
yes I completely agree and for me too knitting was not
an easy thing to learn Iactually tried to learn that
first and failed miserably andthen I turned to crochet and
luckily that was easier for meto pick up but when I went back
to knitting I followed a similarprogression I made tons of
mistakes until it finallyclicked what a knit and what a
(11:35):
purl looks like once I figuredthat out I didn't really get
lost in a stitch pattern so muchbecause I think I was trying to
do more advanced stitches thanI probably needed to.
Jen (11:48):
You wanted to make a jumper, didn't you?
Or a sweater.
Brittany (11:50):
I did.
I wanted to do lace and likejust crazy things, learn yarn
overs and decreases andincreases.
And before I even could tellthe difference between a knit
and a purl.
So it was just, it wasnonsense.
It didn't work.
But once I figured that out, Ithought, okay, I can master knit
and purl stitches and And thenthe next stumbling block for me
(12:12):
was fixing a mistake.
Yeah.
but I would often twist themand it just didn't look the
(12:37):
same.
And I could not, for the lifeof me, figure out how to kind of
zip up the garter stitch.
You know how if you dropseveral rows, it's totally
backwards?
Well, you kind of have to flipit back and forth.
It took me a long time to learnthat.
But once I got over those twobig hurdles, the rest was so
much easier.
Jen (12:57):
Yeah, it's almost...
learning a new language i wouldsay um especially between knits
and purl once you differentiatethe two it is just reading it's
like reading the textbook isn'tit and um it does take a while
but i just see the delight inpeople who are learning when
(13:18):
they they're like oh this is aknit stitch oh this is a purl
stitch and once they startreading patterns it's almost
second nature isn't it and yeahit's just
Brittany (13:29):
a wonderful feeling it really is so I'm curious a lot
of the listeners here arecrocheters most a lot of them
knit as well but for the theperson who's listening and
they're like gosh I just am notgreat at knitting what is the
number one thing that you tellyour students in your workshops
Jen (13:50):
I would say I don't worry, just start again and it's okay
to start again.
And I would encourage to take abreak from it, to put it down,
like you said, put it down andwalk away.
And the next day, somehow itwill just click in your mind.
For us, one of our ethos atStitching Story is making
(14:14):
crafting simple as possible.
And from that we actually doonline tutorials we do blogs we
do printed graphics and we doyou know we talk about it
through our Instagram but thereare different ways in learning
how to knit so figure out howyou learn and then go with that
(14:36):
so if you're more visual learnerand you want something like a
video a video might help youbetter or if you don't feel like
that's working then put thatdown and go and look at the
graphics, the printedillustrations that are included
in your kits.
You know, there are differentways of learning.
And so one way might not work,but you'll find something that
(14:58):
eventually will help click in.
And because everyone learnsdifferently and that's the
beauty of teaching is that it'strying to figure out how someone
learns, what ticks them.
And it's almost trying to...
find that in yourself.
And it's a personal growth onceyou've realized that, really.
Brittany (15:20):
Yeah, it's really fun.
It is as an instructor to tryto appeal to all types of
learners.
And what I learned is that it'stough to do that because
everyone is so unique in howthey like to learn.
For me as a creator, I try toteach in a way that I learn
(15:40):
best.
So I think maybe...
Finding somebody who's similarto you, that could be a good
starting point, somebody tolearn from.
And if it's your resources thatyou have available, then, you
know, wonderful.
It sounds like you have a lotthere to help people to knit.
Now, I'm curious, do you domuch with crochet, too?
Jen (16:02):
Actually, we do have a crochet kit as well.
So we've got a whole collectionon crochet.
And we...
we started we actually launchedthat last year because we
wanted to apply our simpleteachings of what we've learned
from knitting over to crochetand again just like knitting we
(16:25):
simplified it made it reallyaccessible really easy and we
did exactly the same for crochetand since launching that line
has attracted so many crochetersum and especially we've
inspired those who learned howto knit and a bit afraid to
crochet but we were able toteach them how to crochet
(16:48):
because I'm not sure if you findthis but you're either a
knitter or you're a crocheterand it's always hard to learn
the other just like anotherlanguage right yeah and and so
for us we wanted to inspire acrocheter to learn to knit and
vice versa And so, yeah, we docater crochet learners, and we
(17:08):
have video tutorials as well.
We've got a whole collectionline.
And what's really exciting aswell, we have an Enchanted
Woodlands collection, whichactually has both crafts in one
kit.
So you learn to knit the hat, ababy hat, and then you learn to
crochet the actual decorations.
(17:29):
And so that's a nicecross-between.
between the two crafts.
And so we're constantly tryingto inspire other crafters to
pick it up and see what they cancreate.
Brittany (17:42):
That sounds like a lot of fun.
I just recently startedblending knitting and crochet in
the same project as well.
And that has been so much funbecause like you said, I feel
like you typically identify withbeing a crocheter or being a
knitter.
Even if you do both, it seemslike there's always one of the
(18:04):
two that you're more comfortablewith.
Just like if you speak morethan one language, you have one
language that you're reallyfluent in that you probably
think in, but you speak otherlanguages as well.
So for me personally, Idefinitely am more of a
crocheter at heart.
I find that to be secondnature, and I don't really have
(18:25):
to think too much about what I'mdoing.
But knitting is sort of like...
the second language that I'mstill in the process of learning
it's just like crochet there'sso much to it there's so much to
learn that it would take alifetime to totally master funny
Jen (18:43):
enough when you're talking about how you're trying to learn
to knit I remember when Ilearned how to crochet I you you
make you do weird things to tryand hold your hook or your
needles or whatever you'reholding and one of the things
that I had to do to learn tocrochet was actually use my foot
(19:03):
like a as if it was like asewing machine like one of those
pedestal and foot pencils and Ihad to use my foot to control
the yarn because I just couldn'tget round in holding a single
hook and it's just one of thosehacks that you have to do in
(19:25):
order to start somewhere rightand It would be funny to hear
what other people's hacks are inorder to learn how to hold two
needles or one hook, you know.
Yeah, it's just funny.
Brittany (19:41):
It would be.
I think that would be fun ifyou're listening and you have a
fun story like that to sharethat on the show notes page.
Share that in the commentssection.
We would love to read throughthose.
I know for me, when it came toholding the yarn, I don't
remember having a funny storywith trying to learn to hold the
(20:02):
yarn with crochet.
I didn't really understandcrocheting.
the sort of pinching it betweenyour index finger and your
middle finger.
I got the like wrap around thepinky, but from there it just
was really floppy anduncontrolled.
And as soon as I realized thatI could sort of hold on to it
(20:22):
with my index finger and mymiddle finger, just sort of
squeezing them together, itworked out really well.
So then when I switched overand went back to knitting, I
started...
continental style first becauseI was more used to controlling
the yarn in my left hand.
But then I quickly realizedthat that felt really awkward.
(20:43):
And so I went to my right hand,so kind of like American style
or flick knitting, and thatfeels so much more natural.
And I don't understand why, butI controlled the yarn the same
way with my right hand as I domy left hand.
So no cool stories there,but...
Yeah, hopefully a listener willhave something fun and
(21:06):
interesting to share like youdid.
Jen (21:09):
My foot technique.
Brittany (21:10):
I love it.
So it sounds like you have alot going on at Stitch and
Story.
And I would love to get intothe story part of that.
How did it come about?
When did it all start?
Jen (21:25):
So it began back in 2012.
And so Jennifer was trying tolearn to knit herself.
And so she was going throughthis pain point of learning
through old books and oldtutorials.
And eventually...
she came up with this idea andshe approached me to be her
business partner and back then Iwas studying motion graphics
(21:46):
back in college and so I used myskill sets as a graphic
designer to simplify knittinginto simple illustrations and
graphics and so we evolved theseinto blogs and video tutorials
and basically we made learninghow to knit really accessible
and So yeah, and so that's howStitch A Story began.
(22:08):
And so from a knitting kit,we've now evolved from knitting
to crochet.
And now we're actually creatingkits with new brands, including
Miffy and now soon to launchSnoopy collection as well.
And we've realized that it'sactually opening up to a new
(22:30):
generation.
Everyone's learning how to knitreally.
Brittany (22:34):
That's incredible.
It sounds like you havewonderful resource for the
community.
So that's really, really great.
You know, one thing I noticedtoo, when I was looking on your
website, you have your own yarn.
Is that correct?
Like your own yarn line?
Jen (22:50):
That is correct, actually.
So it was quite important forus to source a particular type
of yarn, which is 100% merinoand And the one that we saw is
spun and dyed in Italy.
And we really wanted a type ofyarn that would attract a young
(23:11):
generation into learning how toknit.
Back then, knitting used to beassociated with acrylic yarn and
really sheeny, quite cheap yarnas well.
And in order to make it moreattractive and more appealing
and something that you want towear as a creator, you want
(23:32):
something really soft andluxurious, you know, and
something quite premium.
And so we really took our timeto source that particular yarn.
And so that is all...
especially designed for us.
And also our colour palette wasreally important.
And we love selecting coloursat Stitch and Story.
(23:54):
And again, it's colour thatattracts, that makes knitting
really attractive.
And instead of it being quite,old and you know Christmas
colours we've got now awonderful pastel selection or a
really muted you know mutedcolours that really makes
knitting really enjoyable I meanI love knitting in bright
(24:17):
colours so I would always usethe coral or you know red tones
or yellow tones with my knittingand I think that's one of the
reasons why we make knitting orcrochet quite enjoyable for
everyone.
Brittany (24:33):
That's really wonderful to be able to have
different colors and selectionsand that sort of thing.
Do you have any tips for that,knowing that you do have sort of
a graphic design background?
Just to sidestep a little bit,what tips do you have for
pairing some of these colorstogether?
Jen (24:54):
I would say anything that harmonizes together.
So if you pick a pastel blue,you know, you should pair it
with something ivory just sothat it complements together.
it really depends what type ofcharacter you are as well so
sometimes you can pair somethingup that's quite ambitious so um
(25:18):
contrasting colors you knowyou've got the yellow versus the
purple and that's quite astrong statement but that
depends if you want to make thatstrong statement so I would say
go with what you feel and whatyou're comfortable with um if
you don't know where to start,use social media as your drawing
(25:39):
board or use Pinterest as yourdrawing board and type in summer
colour palettes.
And that will just inspire youand be a good starting point.
And then eventually find yourown Find what you're comfortable
with.
And I think that's quiteimportant because it's going
back to that uniqueness that,you know, doing it for yourself
(26:02):
rather than colour trends thatare currently in fashion, you
know.
And so then you start buildingup your own personal colour
selection.
But yeah, I would say usesocial media as a starting
point, but eventually startcreating your own personal
palette.
Brittany (26:21):
Got it.
Okay, I love it.
I don't want to get too offtrack with that.
But I know a lot of people dostruggle with putting colors
together.
And you've got a ton ofexperience, it sounds like.
Jen (26:33):
Yes.
And what's wonderful about ourkids is that the colors are
predetermined already.
And so it's already a goodstarting point.
And so you don't need to thinkabout it too much because it can
be quite overwhelming whenyou're totally starting from
scratch.
Whereas with a kit, at leastwe've done the photography.
We know what works well, youknow.
(26:54):
And so as a beginner, you kindof don't want to have that
headache because it can be quiteoverwhelming.
And then, you know, you wouldstart pairing the green with the
yellow.
That's really off.
But At least with our knittingkits, at least there's a good
starting point.
Brittany (27:12):
Yeah, that's good.
Then you just choose yourfavorite.
Exactly, yes.
Well...
To sort of move in thedirection of something you
mentioned earlier is thatcrafting made simple is
something that you really standbehind.
And I want to unpack that alittle bit, find out exactly
(27:33):
what you mean, what that meansto you.
I think we have an idea, butlet's develop that a little bit
more.
So when did this first comeabout?
Jen (27:43):
So Crafting Made Simple actually helps us unlock this
artisan inside everyone who hasthis outburst for creativity and
for mental well-being reasonsas well.
And with an increase in modernday stressors, that our
(28:04):
generation now faces.
Inspiring a new generation ofcrafters means that we get to
create pockets of release thatengages the communities
creatively by giving this modernspin to what was perceived as a
really old traditional craftinghobby.
And we realised that learningto craft has this immense
(28:28):
wellbeing and benefits.
And so it was so important forus to unlock this for everyone.
I mean, Everyone learnsdifferently.
I certainly learn differentlyto everyone around me.
And we totally respect everyonelearning at their own pace, for
their own reasons, andeventually trying to make their
(28:48):
own journey.
And so one of our ethos ismaking crafting as accessible as
possible.
And that means making it assimple to learn where we can.
And so we create a wide rangeof resources from blogs to
tutorials to workshops and theprinted guides.
And eventually we've nowcreated a whole collection and
(29:13):
this includes our much lovedMiffy collection and our soon to
launch Snoopy collection.
And these collections now allowus to connect across different
generations of crafters too.
And so not only are weunlocking it between everyone,
but we're making it accessiblefor someone who's like a
(29:34):
teenager up to a young adult tosomeone who is much older, but
really wants to reconnect withthe craft again.
Brittany (29:44):
That's really cool.
I was thinking about that.
I saw that on your website andI thought, wow, they're There's
so much involved in that smallstatement.
And I personally think that is,well, very important to me
because I am...
quite analytical I like to makesure that I'm doing everything
(30:07):
in the best way possible in themost efficient way and I kind of
drive myself insane at pointsand so simplifying things is a
lifesaver for me because you getto the point where like you
said if you have so manydifferent options for me it sort
of paralyzes me and I don'tmake any decision at all So I'm
(30:30):
not able to enjoy certainaspects of the craft.
That's how it was when I waslearning.
And so I can definitely relateto those who are just learning
how to knit or crochet and nothaving this simplification.
at their fingertips.
Jen (30:47):
Yeah, and it goes back to the story that you told me
earlier on, how you wanted tolearn how to do lace stitch
before you even knew how to doknit and purl.
And I think A lot of craftersbecome quite ambitious and they
really want to make reallycomplicated designs in their
(31:09):
heads and they want to run withit.
And often we find a lot ofpeople want to make sweaters.
And what's great about us iswe'll take a sweater, you know,
how to make a sweater, and wewill actually simplify that
shape.
And instead of all of theincrease and shaping and
(31:29):
decrease in size, we actuallyjust make it a box straight
knitting style so that they canjust get along with it and
actually knit it, sew it up.
And, you know, there's noshaping, but it's just because,
you know, we want them to knowhow to make a sweater.
(31:51):
You know, we want to make surethat someone finishes their
project and once they feelaccomplished they'll move on to
eventually a more complicatedjumper or sweater that has
shaping that has more patternsin it but as long as you have a
positive start then you'lleventually evolve from it and
(32:14):
work on top and that's theimportant starting point that I
think everyone should experience
Brittany (32:20):
yeah I totally agree.
I love this idea of craftingmade simple and how you can
relate that to you personallyand what it means.
And I know if I had justthought that or even had that
idea, I wouldn't have given upknitting the first time.
(32:41):
I probably would have startedwith that and who knows where I
would be now.
But When you get to the pointwhere you're just so frustrated
with what you're learning, Ithink it's a good idea to take a
step back and look at whatyou're doing and ask yourself,
is this the simplest way that Icould do this?
And if the answer is no, thenperhaps you put it down for a
(33:06):
little bit and try somethingthat's even more simple.
There's a really great sayingby another podcaster that I
listen to, and he says, askyourself, if this were easy,
what would it look like?
So any type of process.
And that's a fun littleexercise I like to do for myself
(33:26):
when I'm in a situation where Ifeel like things are just so
complicated.
I take a step back.
I say, if this were easy, howwould it be?
And it's almost like thatperspective shift, just adhering
to simplicity and that justmakes me more productive.
It makes the situation better.
And I am able to follow throughwith whatever it is that I
(33:50):
started because I justremembered that complex isn't
always better.
Sometimes simple is better.
Jen (33:57):
Simple is much better, I think.
Definitely.
And it's going...
I guess as you were talking, Iwas visualizing and just...
thinking back as a child youjust do simple line drawings and
the satisfaction of just doinga simple line drawing is exactly
what um our ethos is is makingit simple just so that you you
(34:21):
can feel creative again you knowand if as soon as you start
complicating it without learninghow to um do the basics of
course you're going to have abad experience but um But as
long as someone gives you a goodexperience, or even yourself
give yourself a good experience,it's a good starting point.
And that's the important bit.
Brittany (34:42):
Yes, yes.
Now, a moment ago, you saidsomething that I am also really
interested in, and that'sinspiring the next generation of
crafters.
Why do you think it's soimportant for us as crocheters
and knitters to inspire the nextgeneration?
I
Jen (34:59):
think it's super important that...
just because doing anythingcraft related seems to have this
well-being benefit.
And, you know, we find a lot ofpeople get lost into, once they
start making something, theyget lost into it.
And it's almost like yoga.
I'm not sure if you get thesame feeling, but I definitely
(35:21):
get this feeling of you get thisloss in the moment.
You're making something.
You're focusing on the sound ofthe needles.
And I've got needles with me.
So I'm literally like, I lovethis sound.
Yeah.
The needles clicking together.
Yeah.
And so you kind of find peacewith yourself.
And especially in this day andage where everyone's now
(35:45):
stressed from work, from thisfast-paced environment, you
know, we need that breakaway.
We need that breakaway fromtechnology, from work, and even
from friends and family, just sothat you have your own me time.
And, you know, even just fiveor ten minutes, you know, will
(36:05):
help you immensely every night.
And so it's important that weaddress these issues about
finding time for yourself.
And finding time for yourselfmight equate to being creative
and creating something foryourself, you know.
And so that's why it's ourmission to inspire this next
(36:26):
generation, just so that it cancontinue.
And we continue to make andcreate things.
Oh, actually, you know what?
It's also that same feelingthat I gave Jennifer when I gave
Jennifer a scarf for herbirthday.
I'd love to see everyone tohave that same feeling too, you
know, that sense ofaccomplishment for yourself, you
(36:49):
know, this can-do attitude.
And also putting meaning behindgifts and items.
I mean, it's rare to givesomething that's handmade these
days.
And I think it's quiteempowering for us that we
inspire the next generation tobe part of this new movement and
to be the gift giver ofsomething handmade, you know?
Brittany (37:11):
Yes, there really is nothing quite like that.
Jen (37:13):
Absolutely.
Brittany (37:15):
Now, I think it would be fun to create sort of a
challenge for the listenershere.
We're challenging them to posta photo of something that's
imperfect, but we're going toadd one to it just for fun.
What is one thing that someonecan do today to help inspire the
next generation?
Jen (37:32):
I would say it is sharing their crafting stories through
the digital platforms.
And I think having to postsomething that they've created
on Instagram or Facebook wouldreally help someone else.
be inspired and it's also it'ssharing your story of why you're
(37:56):
doing it is important because alot of people connect quite on
personal levels on personalstories and the more we share
why we're doing it it might bebecause um through something
like depression or it might bebecause they've experienced a
hard day at work or it might bea more positive light because
because their mum needs it andsharing their own stories will
(38:18):
really just it's just so simpleenough to just kickstart a trend
or kickstart a domino effectfor everyone else to start doing
it again.
Brittany (38:28):
Yes and you know I was thinking as you were saying
that have you ever looked backat one of your old projects and
you could remember what wasgoing on in your life at the
time that you made that?
Jen (38:42):
I remember crocheting a monkey hat for my friend who was
pregnant at the time and shewould call her baby, her baby
bump, little monkey.
And I remember thinking, okay,I'm going to make that monkey
hat for her.
And I think I had just finishedcollege and I was just getting
(39:05):
into a job as a graphicdesigner.
And just remembering beingso...
open to the world I think it'squite a positive way of just
being like wow the world has somany opportunities and I've just
started a new job and I've justgot my own little flat and you
(39:27):
know and I'm now creating stufffor my friend and I think it's
the start of being like my ownboss and my own entrepreneur my
own creative you know creativeperson and being able to just
share something with my friendyeah I remember that positive
feeling
Brittany (39:48):
yeah so were you able to share that story with her
after you gave it to her oh
Jen (39:52):
yeah she absolutely she remembers like loving it um but
I actually know I haven't sharedthat particular feeling because
I guess life life does move ondoesn't it and if I I think I
would go back to her and I wouldsay thanks for giving me that
opportunity that really helps meum actually just sit down and
(40:14):
just reflect on life and seeyour baby grow from the baby
hurt to now, really.
Brittany (40:20):
Yeah, I think that's such a fun way to keep that
thought, that feeling, that partof your life alive.
Because when you're giving agift to somebody else, you don't
have that thing anymore.
So you're not seeing it andrelating that to a memory that
you had.
But if you share that story withthe person who receives it,
(40:43):
whatever was going on in yourlife at that time, then you're
sort of passing that on as yougo.
It's so funny.
You know how they always saythat smell is the closest thing
to memory?
Well, I feel a lot of times forme, crochet is the closest
thing to memory because itdoesn't matter what project it
(41:07):
is.
I can remember all the detailsdown to what TV show I was
watching while I was sitting onthe couch working on that
project.
And that's something that I...
It's part of the story, right?
It's part of the story that...
And well, part of the reasonwhy I continue to do what I do.
Jen (41:26):
Yeah, I think this would be the great next challenge,
actually.
It's actually looking back atyour old projects and retelling
your story to the person yougave it to.
And as you were talking, I justthought, oh, wow, I remember
sitting in my bedroom and makingit every night after work.
(41:51):
and trying to figure out how tomake this baby hat from scratch
this monkey hat from scratch umI was actually crocheting this
is how I was trying to improvemy crochet technique as well and
I remember the challenge ofI've got to figure out how to
not use my foot again how do Inot use my foot technique um um
(42:13):
but I was going throughPinterest I was looking at
different patterns and it's theit's the little little research
that I had to do the the amountof research I had to do to
actually make that monkey hatand yeah I guess the challenge
would be great if everyone couldjust go back to Go back to an
(42:36):
old friend.
Just say, I remember feelingthis way.
I remember sitting in thisparticular room.
I remember eating thisparticular snack to get me
through it.
Yeah, that would be amazingbecause it is all tying down to
your story.
Brittany (42:50):
Yes, that would be so much fun.
Well, it has been such apleasure chatting with you
today.
This has been such a reallywonderful conversation.
I want to give people a chanceto connect with you, though,
after they've listened.
They've mentioned before thatyou have a ton of resources at
Stitch and Story.
But if somebody is just wantingto connect with you and get
(43:11):
started, where's the first, likethe best place for them to go?
I
Jen (43:16):
would say if you want to start somewhere, you don't know
how.
go onto our websitewww.stitchingstory.com and then
we have a ton of kits and wehave a lot that are aimed for
beginners they are all beginnerfriendly start from there, see
what inspires you first, itmight be a cushion, it might be
(43:39):
a hat it might be our Snoopyamigurumi that we have coming up
soon and any project that youwant, just Just get it and then
it's a good starting point.
And then from there, you canstart building up your questions
and then you can email us.
(44:00):
You can message us throughInstagram.
And we personally love helpinganyone finish the project.
So whether your question is bigor small, you know, we would
find that time to answer it.
And we'll figure out what yourlearning technique is.
And it might be a videotutorial.
It might be a blog post thatmight help.
(44:21):
It might be a private Skypesession, you know.
But, you know, just startsomewhere and build on top of
it.
Brittany (44:30):
Wonderful.
Well, that is a great startingpoint.
So I will definitely have alink to your website in the show
notes page.
And I just want to say thankyou so much for this wonderful
conversation.
It's been so much fun.
Absolutely.
I'm so glad.
But
Jen (44:44):
please get in touch.
We really do love, weabsolutely love helping everyone
to start knitting andcrocheting.
So please do get in touch withus.
Brittany (44:54):
That was Jen from Stitch and Story.
Once again, you can see all thewonderful things they have
available for you to simplifythe crafting process on their
website, stitchandstory.com.
Now for those challenges.
The first challenge is to sharea photo on Instagram of an
imperfection in your currentproject.
Use hashtag be hooked.
That's B-H-O-O-K-E-D.
(45:16):
So I don't miss it.
But more importantly, toproudly show our imperfections
because those imperfections makeit beautiful.
The other challenge is toreturn to someone you gifted a
project to recently and tellthem the story of that period in
your life when you were makingthat gift for them.
I think that'll be a really funway for them to have a new
(45:38):
appreciation for this gift thatyou've given them and it'll be a
fun exercise for you to go backand think about those things
that were going on as you madethat project.
Hey, don't forget, if you wantto become an Amazon Prime
member, that free 30-day trial Imentioned to you a couple weeks
ago is still available if youvisit BeHooked.com slash Prime.
(45:59):
And if you want to support thisshow while you're already
making your yarn purchases onAmazon, you can do so at
BeHooked.com slash Amazon.
Both of those links willredirect you to Amazon directly,
where you can either sign upfor that free 30-day trial of
Prime or to do your yarnshopping.
Now, Amazon isn't reallysponsoring this podcast.
(46:23):
However, I am an Amazonaffiliate, which means I earn a
small commission on qualifyingpurchases, which supports the
show.
So thank you.
All right, that'll wrap up thisweek's episode, my friend.
Thank you so much for tuningin.
Have a wonderful weekend andI'll see you next week.
You're listening to The Be Hooped Podcast, episode
127 with Brittany.
Welcome to episode 127 of theBeHooked Podcast, the place
(00:37):
where we love yarn, we love tolearn, and we truly believe yarn
can do more for us than justmake pretty things.
Well, along those lines,today's episode is about
exploring what it means for yarnto do more for us than just
make pretty things.
Specifically, how simplicityand stories can help us identify
what type of crafter we are,why we do what we do, and how to
(01:00):
inspire the next generation sothey can enjoy all these things
too.
To help me with this is Jenfrom Stitch and Story, a
resource that's dedicated tosimplifying the often complex
processes in our craft.
Jen and I had just a reallywonderful conversation about our
personal experiences with thelearning aspects of knitting and
(01:22):
crochet, so it'll be kind oflike hear a fly on the wall
hearing that conversation.
We come up with two challengesfor you as we get on with our
chat, so listen closely forthose.
I'll recap them at the end, andyou can find them on the show
notes page at behooked.com slash127 as well.
All right, here's Jen fromStitch and Story.
(01:44):
Jen, hi there.
Welcome to the show.
Jen (01:48):
Hi, how are you?
Brittany (01:49):
I'm doing wonderful today.
I am so excited to chat withyou.
I have been wanting to connectwith you for a while now.
I've been an admirer of some ofthe things that you have going
on in your beautiful Instagramfeed.
So it's a real pleasure and atreat for me to have you here.
Oh, brilliant.
I'm so glad.
Yes.
So I have seen you from afar,sort of mainly on Instagram.
(02:14):
And I don't know a whole lotabout your story, how Stitch and
Story came about, because I'msure there's a really
interesting story there.
But then also for youpersonally, can we start maybe
with how you started crochetingor knitting in the first place?
Jen (02:32):
Yeah, no worries.
So I learned to knit andcrochet when I was in school,
and this was part of my textilesclass.
And so we would spend...
most of the afternoons justknitting swatches in our break
times and just doing like knitand purl and that was all I knew
(02:53):
back then and I eventuallystarted to knit in my spare time
back in my room I remember andI would just keep knitting and
eventually my friends startedknitting to request scarves and
one of my first scarves wasactually to my business partner
(03:13):
Jennifer and who I've actuallyknown for 15 years now and it
was for her sweet 16 and Iremember when I made it there
was this hole in the middle andWhen I gave it to her, I was so
proud in actually making a giftfor her.
And she, you know, the sheerdelight on her face.
(03:33):
And she, you know, she didn'treally notice the hole, but it
was given that away really wasquite satisfactory for me.
And so, yeah, that's how Ilearned how to knit, really.
And I eventually started tolearn how to sew, how to do
graphic design.
So I've kind of learned how todo quite a lot of crafts and
(03:55):
design because I'm quiteinterested in that, really.
Brittany (03:59):
Yeah, I find that it's similar for a lot of people.
It seems like if we reallyenjoy one thing like knitting or
crochet, there's always someother type of craft that we
participate in.
Jen (04:11):
Yeah, I think it's trying to replicate something yourself
for yourself and and justthinking, oh, yeah, I know how
to make this or I'll try andwork this out.
And I think you can apply thatthrough baking, through sewing,
through even engineering.
(04:31):
It's like an engineering kindof mindset, which I think
everyone has in them.
Brittany (04:36):
Oh, yeah.
I never really thought of itthat way, but that's very true.
Jen (04:40):
Yeah.
Brittany (04:41):
I've been thinking lately about why I like to
crochet and why I like to knit.
It's something that's kind ofdifficult to really put your
finger on, but what I think I'mrealizing is that I really enjoy
the process, like the processof making something almost, dare
(05:02):
I say, more than the finishedproduct itself.
Do you find that to be the caseor do you really enjoy the
finished thing once it's done?
Jen (05:11):
That's a really good question.
So for me, I like the processof it and I like giving it away.
And over the years, for me,I've realised that there are two
types of makers.
So there would be the maker wholikes the process, who likes
(05:32):
kind of figuring it out andmaking it and giving it away.
Or there's the one who likes tomake it for themselves and
likes to tailor everythingcompletely.
to themselves.
So there's the gift giver orthere's kind of that personal
maker for themselves.
And you usually fall into twodifferent categories.
And for me, I fall into theprocess side.
(05:53):
And I think it's that creatingsomething, building up to
something, the research side andthinking about who the end user
is.
So if I'm giving it away to afriend, I like to research what
they like, what their wardrobeis like, how they're going to
use it.
(06:13):
And so I like that build up.
And yeah, I think it's quiteimportant to research.
to see which type of crafteryou are, and then you can really
maximize your fulfillment orjoy out of it.
Brittany (06:29):
Yeah, I love that perspective of sort of
identifying with one of the two,because that's such a great way
to really simplify things andmake all of it more enjoyable.
Jen (06:42):
Yes, definitely, definitely.
We see a lot of our knitters...
either giving it away to theirmoms or to their grandmas or
they're just like, oh no, thisis all for myself.
And then they end up justmaking all of our knitting kits,
which is hilarious.
Brittany (07:01):
Yeah, I find that I do a little bit of both.
I tend to keep quite a few ofthe things that I make,
especially the accessories andthe design best when I'm making
it for myself because I kind ofput my own little style on that
but...
Jen (07:21):
Yeah, you're your own model aren't you so you are your end
user I guess.
Brittany (07:29):
And that actually does work out really well that I'm
able to take photos of thefinished thing on myself.
And that's something I onlystarted about two years ago.
I was always too bashful to putmy face on the other side of
the camera.
And I just realized that It'sso difficult to display
(07:51):
something that you've made andthat you're really proud of when
it's laying flat on a table orsomething like that.
You just don't get the fulleffect.
So I had to step out of mycomfort zone a little bit and
learn a thing or two aboutphotography.
But I have so much fun withthat part
Jen (08:08):
Yeah, and enjoying the...
The process of showing it offis really important, especially
through the power of socialmedia.
And what I would like everyoneto kind of break out of is
making sure it doesn't have tobe perfect.
So just even showing off thework in progress of it is just
(08:34):
as rewarding as showing the endproduct off.
Brittany (08:37):
I love that.
I think it really is importantbecause when you're scrolling
through your feed and you'reseeing everything that's
gorgeous and beautiful andeverything that that person
wanted you to see, it's reallyeasy to forget that that person
is just like you.
They're not perfect and theirproject has imperfections in it.
And sometimes it's easy to hidesome of that in photography,
(09:02):
but I think it would be a funchallenge for listeners to to go
to Instagram or Facebook orwhatever platform they like
using and take a close-up photoof something that is wrong with
their current work in progress.
Maybe they dropped a stitch orthey twisted a stitch or
something like that.
And I think that would be a lotof fun to kind of peel back the
(09:25):
layers and show the true sideof
Jen (09:28):
It would be, yes.
And just showing the wholejourney of it.
And there's this really great,powerful quote that both Jen and
I really, really keep to ourhearts.
It's from Zig Ziglar.
And he quotes, you don't haveto be great to start, but you
(09:50):
have to start to be great.
And so to start your journeyanywhere, you know, it just...
Of course, you're going to domistakes.
Of course, you're going to undothe stitches.
But it's accepting it.
And I think that's what's sopowerful about knitting.
For me, I remember learning toknit wasn't actually that easy.
(10:15):
And you know, the amount oftimes I had to undo and undo and
then redo it again and thenunderstand what a knit stitch
and compare it to a purl stitch,you know, once you kind of
unlock that, you're like, wow,actually I'm progressing, I'm
progressing onto something now.
And so I remember that feelingand I take that back to when we
(10:37):
do workshops and I always say toanyone that joins our
workshops, you know, you'regoing to undo something I'm
going to get you to undo yourwork now.
And it's just letting go of thefear of keeping something
perfect.
and a lot of the time a lot ofthe workshop people say oh no
(10:58):
all my heart's work but I justsay you know what you're going
to do this a million times youmight as well get used to it now
and eventually you'll startlearning how to perfect it but
right now it is about making themistakes and just building on
top
Brittany (11:13):
yes I completely agree and for me too knitting was not
an easy thing to learn Iactually tried to learn that
first and failed miserably andthen I turned to crochet and
luckily that was easier for meto pick up but when I went back
to knitting I followed a similarprogression I made tons of
mistakes until it finallyclicked what a knit and what a
(11:35):
purl looks like once I figuredthat out I didn't really get
lost in a stitch pattern so muchbecause I think I was trying to
do more advanced stitches thanI probably needed to.
Jen (11:48):
You wanted to make a jumper, didn't you?
Or a sweater.
Brittany (11:50):
I did.
I wanted to do lace and likejust crazy things, learn yarn
overs and decreases andincreases.
And before I even could tellthe difference between a knit
and a purl.
So it was just, it wasnonsense.
It didn't work.
But once I figured that out, Ithought, okay, I can master knit
and purl stitches and And thenthe next stumbling block for me
(12:12):
was fixing a mistake.
Yeah.
but I would often twist themand it just didn't look the
(12:37):
same.
And I could not, for the lifeof me, figure out how to kind of
zip up the garter stitch.
You know how if you dropseveral rows, it's totally
backwards?
Well, you kind of have to flipit back and forth.
It took me a long time to learnthat.
But once I got over those twobig hurdles, the rest was so
much easier.
Jen (12:57):
Yeah, it's almost...
learning a new language i wouldsay um especially between knits
and purl once you differentiatethe two it is just reading it's
like reading the textbook isn'tit and um it does take a while
but i just see the delight inpeople who are learning when
(13:18):
they they're like oh this is aknit stitch oh this is a purl
stitch and once they startreading patterns it's almost
second nature isn't it and yeahit's just
Brittany (13:29):
a wonderful feeling it really is so I'm curious a lot
of the listeners here arecrocheters most a lot of them
knit as well but for the theperson who's listening and
they're like gosh I just am notgreat at knitting what is the
number one thing that you tellyour students in your workshops
Jen (13:50):
I would say I don't worry, just start again and it's okay
to start again.
And I would encourage to take abreak from it, to put it down,
like you said, put it down andwalk away.
And the next day, somehow itwill just click in your mind.
For us, one of our ethos atStitching Story is making
(14:14):
crafting simple as possible.
And from that we actually doonline tutorials we do blogs we
do printed graphics and we doyou know we talk about it
through our Instagram but thereare different ways in learning
how to knit so figure out howyou learn and then go with that
(14:36):
so if you're more visual learnerand you want something like a
video a video might help youbetter or if you don't feel like
that's working then put thatdown and go and look at the
graphics, the printedillustrations that are included
in your kits.
You know, there are differentways of learning.
And so one way might not work,but you'll find something that
(14:58):
eventually will help click in.
And because everyone learnsdifferently and that's the
beauty of teaching is that it'strying to figure out how someone
learns, what ticks them.
And it's almost trying to...
find that in yourself.
And it's a personal growth onceyou've realized that, really.
Brittany (15:20):
Yeah, it's really fun.
It is as an instructor to tryto appeal to all types of
learners.
And what I learned is that it'stough to do that because
everyone is so unique in howthey like to learn.
For me as a creator, I try toteach in a way that I learn
(15:40):
best.
So I think maybe...
Finding somebody who's similarto you, that could be a good
starting point, somebody tolearn from.
And if it's your resources thatyou have available, then, you
know, wonderful.
It sounds like you have a lotthere to help people to knit.
Now, I'm curious, do you domuch with crochet, too?
Jen (16:02):
Actually, we do have a crochet kit as well.
So we've got a whole collectionon crochet.
And we...
we started we actually launchedthat last year because we
wanted to apply our simpleteachings of what we've learned
from knitting over to crochetand again just like knitting we
(16:25):
simplified it made it reallyaccessible really easy and we
did exactly the same for crochetand since launching that line
has attracted so many crochetersum and especially we've
inspired those who learned howto knit and a bit afraid to
crochet but we were able toteach them how to crochet
(16:48):
because I'm not sure if you findthis but you're either a
knitter or you're a crocheterand it's always hard to learn
the other just like anotherlanguage right yeah and and so
for us we wanted to inspire acrocheter to learn to knit and
vice versa And so, yeah, we docater crochet learners, and we
(17:08):
have video tutorials as well.
We've got a whole collectionline.
And what's really exciting aswell, we have an Enchanted
Woodlands collection, whichactually has both crafts in one
kit.
So you learn to knit the hat, ababy hat, and then you learn to
crochet the actual decorations.
(17:29):
And so that's a nicecross-between.
between the two crafts.
And so we're constantly tryingto inspire other crafters to
pick it up and see what they cancreate.
Brittany (17:42):
That sounds like a lot of fun.
I just recently startedblending knitting and crochet in
the same project as well.
And that has been so much funbecause like you said, I feel
like you typically identify withbeing a crocheter or being a
knitter.
Even if you do both, it seemslike there's always one of the
(18:04):
two that you're more comfortablewith.
Just like if you speak morethan one language, you have one
language that you're reallyfluent in that you probably
think in, but you speak otherlanguages as well.
So for me personally, Idefinitely am more of a
crocheter at heart.
I find that to be secondnature, and I don't really have
(18:25):
to think too much about what I'mdoing.
But knitting is sort of like...
the second language that I'mstill in the process of learning
it's just like crochet there'sso much to it there's so much to
learn that it would take alifetime to totally master funny
Jen (18:43):
enough when you're talking about how you're trying to learn
to knit I remember when Ilearned how to crochet I you you
make you do weird things to tryand hold your hook or your
needles or whatever you'reholding and one of the things
that I had to do to learn tocrochet was actually use my foot
(19:03):
like a as if it was like asewing machine like one of those
pedestal and foot pencils and Ihad to use my foot to control
the yarn because I just couldn'tget round in holding a single
hook and it's just one of thosehacks that you have to do in
(19:25):
order to start somewhere rightand It would be funny to hear
what other people's hacks are inorder to learn how to hold two
needles or one hook, you know.
Yeah, it's just funny.
Brittany (19:41):
It would be.
I think that would be fun ifyou're listening and you have a
fun story like that to sharethat on the show notes page.
Share that in the commentssection.
We would love to read throughthose.
I know for me, when it came toholding the yarn, I don't
remember having a funny storywith trying to learn to hold the
(20:02):
yarn with crochet.
I didn't really understandcrocheting.
the sort of pinching it betweenyour index finger and your
middle finger.
I got the like wrap around thepinky, but from there it just
was really floppy anduncontrolled.
And as soon as I realized thatI could sort of hold on to it
(20:22):
with my index finger and mymiddle finger, just sort of
squeezing them together, itworked out really well.
So then when I switched overand went back to knitting, I
started...
continental style first becauseI was more used to controlling
the yarn in my left hand.
But then I quickly realizedthat that felt really awkward.
(20:43):
And so I went to my right hand,so kind of like American style
or flick knitting, and thatfeels so much more natural.
And I don't understand why, butI controlled the yarn the same
way with my right hand as I domy left hand.
So no cool stories there,but...
Yeah, hopefully a listener willhave something fun and
(21:06):
interesting to share like youdid.
Jen (21:09):
My foot technique.
Brittany (21:10):
I love it.
So it sounds like you have alot going on at Stitch and
Story.
And I would love to get intothe story part of that.
How did it come about?
When did it all start?
Jen (21:25):
So it began back in 2012.
And so Jennifer was trying tolearn to knit herself.
And so she was going throughthis pain point of learning
through old books and oldtutorials.
And eventually...
she came up with this idea andshe approached me to be her
business partner and back then Iwas studying motion graphics
(21:46):
back in college and so I used myskill sets as a graphic
designer to simplify knittinginto simple illustrations and
graphics and so we evolved theseinto blogs and video tutorials
and basically we made learninghow to knit really accessible
and So yeah, and so that's howStitch A Story began.
(22:08):
And so from a knitting kit,we've now evolved from knitting
to crochet.
And now we're actually creatingkits with new brands, including
Miffy and now soon to launchSnoopy collection as well.
And we've realized that it'sactually opening up to a new
(22:30):
generation.
Everyone's learning how to knitreally.
Brittany (22:34):
That's incredible.
It sounds like you havewonderful resource for the
community.
So that's really, really great.
You know, one thing I noticedtoo, when I was looking on your
website, you have your own yarn.
Is that correct?
Like your own yarn line?
Jen (22:50):
That is correct, actually.
So it was quite important forus to source a particular type
of yarn, which is 100% merinoand And the one that we saw is
spun and dyed in Italy.
And we really wanted a type ofyarn that would attract a young
(23:11):
generation into learning how toknit.
Back then, knitting used to beassociated with acrylic yarn and
really sheeny, quite cheap yarnas well.
And in order to make it moreattractive and more appealing
and something that you want towear as a creator, you want
(23:32):
something really soft andluxurious, you know, and
something quite premium.
And so we really took our timeto source that particular yarn.
And so that is all...
especially designed for us.
And also our colour palette wasreally important.
And we love selecting coloursat Stitch and Story.
(23:54):
And again, it's colour thatattracts, that makes knitting
really attractive.
And instead of it being quite,old and you know Christmas
colours we've got now awonderful pastel selection or a
really muted you know mutedcolours that really makes
knitting really enjoyable I meanI love knitting in bright
(24:17):
colours so I would always usethe coral or you know red tones
or yellow tones with my knittingand I think that's one of the
reasons why we make knitting orcrochet quite enjoyable for
everyone.
Brittany (24:33):
That's really wonderful to be able to have
different colors and selectionsand that sort of thing.
Do you have any tips for that,knowing that you do have sort of
a graphic design background?
Just to sidestep a little bit,what tips do you have for
pairing some of these colorstogether?
Jen (24:54):
I would say anything that harmonizes together.
So if you pick a pastel blue,you know, you should pair it
with something ivory just sothat it complements together.
it really depends what type ofcharacter you are as well so
sometimes you can pair somethingup that's quite ambitious so um
(25:18):
contrasting colors you knowyou've got the yellow versus the
purple and that's quite astrong statement but that
depends if you want to make thatstrong statement so I would say
go with what you feel and whatyou're comfortable with um if
you don't know where to start,use social media as your drawing
(25:39):
board or use Pinterest as yourdrawing board and type in summer
colour palettes.
And that will just inspire youand be a good starting point.
And then eventually find yourown Find what you're comfortable
with.
And I think that's quiteimportant because it's going
back to that uniqueness that,you know, doing it for yourself
(26:02):
rather than colour trends thatare currently in fashion, you
know.
And so then you start buildingup your own personal colour
selection.
But yeah, I would say usesocial media as a starting
point, but eventually startcreating your own personal
palette.
Brittany (26:21):
Got it.
Okay, I love it.
I don't want to get too offtrack with that.
But I know a lot of people dostruggle with putting colors
together.
And you've got a ton ofexperience, it sounds like.
Jen (26:33):
Yes.
And what's wonderful about ourkids is that the colors are
predetermined already.
And so it's already a goodstarting point.
And so you don't need to thinkabout it too much because it can
be quite overwhelming whenyou're totally starting from
scratch.
Whereas with a kit, at leastwe've done the photography.
We know what works well, youknow.
(26:54):
And so as a beginner, you kindof don't want to have that
headache because it can be quiteoverwhelming.
And then, you know, you wouldstart pairing the green with the
yellow.
That's really off.
But At least with our knittingkits, at least there's a good
starting point.
Brittany (27:12):
Yeah, that's good.
Then you just choose yourfavorite.
Exactly, yes.
Well...
To sort of move in thedirection of something you
mentioned earlier is thatcrafting made simple is
something that you really standbehind.
And I want to unpack that alittle bit, find out exactly
(27:33):
what you mean, what that meansto you.
I think we have an idea, butlet's develop that a little bit
more.
So when did this first comeabout?
Jen (27:43):
So Crafting Made Simple actually helps us unlock this
artisan inside everyone who hasthis outburst for creativity and
for mental well-being reasonsas well.
And with an increase in modernday stressors, that our
(28:04):
generation now faces.
Inspiring a new generation ofcrafters means that we get to
create pockets of release thatengages the communities
creatively by giving this modernspin to what was perceived as a
really old traditional craftinghobby.
And we realised that learningto craft has this immense
(28:28):
wellbeing and benefits.
And so it was so important forus to unlock this for everyone.
I mean, Everyone learnsdifferently.
I certainly learn differentlyto everyone around me.
And we totally respect everyonelearning at their own pace, for
their own reasons, andeventually trying to make their
(28:48):
own journey.
And so one of our ethos ismaking crafting as accessible as
possible.
And that means making it assimple to learn where we can.
And so we create a wide rangeof resources from blogs to
tutorials to workshops and theprinted guides.
And eventually we've nowcreated a whole collection and
(29:13):
this includes our much lovedMiffy collection and our soon to
launch Snoopy collection.
And these collections now allowus to connect across different
generations of crafters too.
And so not only are weunlocking it between everyone,
but we're making it accessiblefor someone who's like a
(29:34):
teenager up to a young adult tosomeone who is much older, but
really wants to reconnect withthe craft again.
Brittany (29:44):
That's really cool.
I was thinking about that.
I saw that on your website andI thought, wow, they're There's
so much involved in that smallstatement.
And I personally think that is,well, very important to me
because I am...
quite analytical I like to makesure that I'm doing everything
(30:07):
in the best way possible in themost efficient way and I kind of
drive myself insane at pointsand so simplifying things is a
lifesaver for me because you getto the point where like you
said if you have so manydifferent options for me it sort
of paralyzes me and I don'tmake any decision at all So I'm
(30:30):
not able to enjoy certainaspects of the craft.
That's how it was when I waslearning.
And so I can definitely relateto those who are just learning
how to knit or crochet and nothaving this simplification.
at their fingertips.
Jen (30:47):
Yeah, and it goes back to the story that you told me
earlier on, how you wanted tolearn how to do lace stitch
before you even knew how to doknit and purl.
And I think A lot of craftersbecome quite ambitious and they
really want to make reallycomplicated designs in their
(31:09):
heads and they want to run withit.
And often we find a lot ofpeople want to make sweaters.
And what's great about us iswe'll take a sweater, you know,
how to make a sweater, and wewill actually simplify that
shape.
And instead of all of theincrease and shaping and
(31:29):
decrease in size, we actuallyjust make it a box straight
knitting style so that they canjust get along with it and
actually knit it, sew it up.
And, you know, there's noshaping, but it's just because,
you know, we want them to knowhow to make a sweater.
(31:51):
You know, we want to make surethat someone finishes their
project and once they feelaccomplished they'll move on to
eventually a more complicatedjumper or sweater that has
shaping that has more patternsin it but as long as you have a
positive start then you'lleventually evolve from it and
(32:14):
work on top and that's theimportant starting point that I
think everyone should experience
Brittany (32:20):
yeah I totally agree.
I love this idea of craftingmade simple and how you can
relate that to you personallyand what it means.
And I know if I had justthought that or even had that
idea, I wouldn't have given upknitting the first time.
(32:41):
I probably would have startedwith that and who knows where I
would be now.
But When you get to the pointwhere you're just so frustrated
with what you're learning, Ithink it's a good idea to take a
step back and look at whatyou're doing and ask yourself,
is this the simplest way that Icould do this?
And if the answer is no, thenperhaps you put it down for a
(33:06):
little bit and try somethingthat's even more simple.
There's a really great sayingby another podcaster that I
listen to, and he says, askyourself, if this were easy,
what would it look like?
So any type of process.
And that's a fun littleexercise I like to do for myself
(33:26):
when I'm in a situation where Ifeel like things are just so
complicated.
I take a step back.
I say, if this were easy, howwould it be?
And it's almost like thatperspective shift, just adhering
to simplicity and that justmakes me more productive.
It makes the situation better.
And I am able to follow throughwith whatever it is that I
(33:50):
started because I justremembered that complex isn't
always better.
Sometimes simple is better.
Jen (33:57):
Simple is much better, I think.
Definitely.
And it's going...
I guess as you were talking, Iwas visualizing and just...
thinking back as a child youjust do simple line drawings and
the satisfaction of just doinga simple line drawing is exactly
what um our ethos is is makingit simple just so that you you
(34:21):
can feel creative again you knowand if as soon as you start
complicating it without learninghow to um do the basics of
course you're going to have abad experience but um But as
long as someone gives you a goodexperience, or even yourself
give yourself a good experience,it's a good starting point.
And that's the important bit.
Brittany (34:42):
Yes, yes.
Now, a moment ago, you saidsomething that I am also really
interested in, and that'sinspiring the next generation of
crafters.
Why do you think it's soimportant for us as crocheters
and knitters to inspire the nextgeneration?
I
Jen (34:59):
think it's super important that...
just because doing anythingcraft related seems to have this
well-being benefit.
And, you know, we find a lot ofpeople get lost into, once they
start making something, theyget lost into it.
And it's almost like yoga.
I'm not sure if you get thesame feeling, but I definitely
(35:21):
get this feeling of you get thisloss in the moment.
You're making something.
You're focusing on the sound ofthe needles.
And I've got needles with me.
So I'm literally like, I lovethis sound.
Yeah.
The needles clicking together.
Yeah.
And so you kind of find peacewith yourself.
And especially in this day andage where everyone's now
(35:45):
stressed from work, from thisfast-paced environment, you
know, we need that breakaway.
We need that breakaway fromtechnology, from work, and even
from friends and family, just sothat you have your own me time.
And, you know, even just fiveor ten minutes, you know, will
(36:05):
help you immensely every night.
And so it's important that weaddress these issues about
finding time for yourself.
And finding time for yourselfmight equate to being creative
and creating something foryourself, you know.
And so that's why it's ourmission to inspire this next
(36:26):
generation, just so that it cancontinue.
And we continue to make andcreate things.
Oh, actually, you know what?
It's also that same feelingthat I gave Jennifer when I gave
Jennifer a scarf for herbirthday.
I'd love to see everyone tohave that same feeling too, you
know, that sense ofaccomplishment for yourself, you
(36:49):
know, this can-do attitude.
And also putting meaning behindgifts and items.
I mean, it's rare to givesomething that's handmade these
days.
And I think it's quiteempowering for us that we
inspire the next generation tobe part of this new movement and
to be the gift giver ofsomething handmade, you know?
Brittany (37:11):
Yes, there really is nothing quite like that.
Jen (37:13):
Absolutely.
Brittany (37:15):
Now, I think it would be fun to create sort of a
challenge for the listenershere.
We're challenging them to posta photo of something that's
imperfect, but we're going toadd one to it just for fun.
What is one thing that someonecan do today to help inspire the
next generation?
Jen (37:32):
I would say it is sharing their crafting stories through
the digital platforms.
And I think having to postsomething that they've created
on Instagram or Facebook wouldreally help someone else.
be inspired and it's also it'ssharing your story of why you're
(37:56):
doing it is important because alot of people connect quite on
personal levels on personalstories and the more we share
why we're doing it it might bebecause um through something
like depression or it might bebecause they've experienced a
hard day at work or it might bea more positive light because
because their mum needs it andsharing their own stories will
(38:18):
really just it's just so simpleenough to just kickstart a trend
or kickstart a domino effectfor everyone else to start doing
it again.
Brittany (38:28):
Yes and you know I was thinking as you were saying
that have you ever looked backat one of your old projects and
you could remember what wasgoing on in your life at the
time that you made that?
Jen (38:42):
I remember crocheting a monkey hat for my friend who was
pregnant at the time and shewould call her baby, her baby
bump, little monkey.
And I remember thinking, okay,I'm going to make that monkey
hat for her.
And I think I had just finishedcollege and I was just getting
(39:05):
into a job as a graphicdesigner.
And just remembering beingso...
open to the world I think it'squite a positive way of just
being like wow the world has somany opportunities and I've just
started a new job and I've justgot my own little flat and you
(39:27):
know and I'm now creating stufffor my friend and I think it's
the start of being like my ownboss and my own entrepreneur my
own creative you know creativeperson and being able to just
share something with my friendyeah I remember that positive
feeling
Brittany (39:48):
yeah so were you able to share that story with her
after you gave it to her oh
Jen (39:52):
yeah she absolutely she remembers like loving it um but
I actually know I haven't sharedthat particular feeling because
I guess life life does move ondoesn't it and if I I think I
would go back to her and I wouldsay thanks for giving me that
opportunity that really helps meum actually just sit down and
(40:14):
just reflect on life and seeyour baby grow from the baby
hurt to now, really.
Brittany (40:20):
Yeah, I think that's such a fun way to keep that
thought, that feeling, that partof your life alive.
Because when you're giving agift to somebody else, you don't
have that thing anymore.
So you're not seeing it andrelating that to a memory that
you had.
But if you share that story withthe person who receives it,
(40:43):
whatever was going on in yourlife at that time, then you're
sort of passing that on as yougo.
It's so funny.
You know how they always saythat smell is the closest thing
to memory?
Well, I feel a lot of times forme, crochet is the closest
thing to memory because itdoesn't matter what project it
(41:07):
is.
I can remember all the detailsdown to what TV show I was
watching while I was sitting onthe couch working on that
project.
And that's something that I...
It's part of the story, right?
It's part of the story that...
And well, part of the reasonwhy I continue to do what I do.
Jen (41:26):
Yeah, I think this would be the great next challenge,
actually.
It's actually looking back atyour old projects and retelling
your story to the person yougave it to.
And as you were talking, I justthought, oh, wow, I remember
sitting in my bedroom and makingit every night after work.
(41:51):
and trying to figure out how tomake this baby hat from scratch
this monkey hat from scratch umI was actually crocheting this
is how I was trying to improvemy crochet technique as well and
I remember the challenge ofI've got to figure out how to
not use my foot again how do Inot use my foot technique um um
(42:13):
but I was going throughPinterest I was looking at
different patterns and it's theit's the little little research
that I had to do the the amountof research I had to do to
actually make that monkey hatand yeah I guess the challenge
would be great if everyone couldjust go back to Go back to an
(42:36):
old friend.
Just say, I remember feelingthis way.
I remember sitting in thisparticular room.
I remember eating thisparticular snack to get me
through it.
Yeah, that would be amazingbecause it is all tying down to
your story.
Brittany (42:50):
Yes, that would be so much fun.
Well, it has been such apleasure chatting with you
today.
This has been such a reallywonderful conversation.
I want to give people a chanceto connect with you, though,
after they've listened.
They've mentioned before thatyou have a ton of resources at
Stitch and Story.
But if somebody is just wantingto connect with you and get
(43:11):
started, where's the first, likethe best place for them to go?
I
Jen (43:16):
would say if you want to start somewhere, you don't know
how.
go onto our websitewww.stitchingstory.com and then
we have a ton of kits and wehave a lot that are aimed for
beginners they are all beginnerfriendly start from there, see
what inspires you first, itmight be a cushion, it might be
(43:39):
a hat it might be our Snoopyamigurumi that we have coming up
soon and any project that youwant, just Just get it and then
it's a good starting point.
And then from there, you canstart building up your questions
and then you can email us.
(44:00):
You can message us throughInstagram.
And we personally love helpinganyone finish the project.
So whether your question is bigor small, you know, we would
find that time to answer it.
And we'll figure out what yourlearning technique is.
And it might be a videotutorial.
It might be a blog post thatmight help.
(44:21):
It might be a private Skypesession, you know.
But, you know, just startsomewhere and build on top of
it.
Brittany (44:30):
Wonderful.
Well, that is a great startingpoint.
So I will definitely have alink to your website in the show
notes page.
And I just want to say thankyou so much for this wonderful
conversation.
It's been so much fun.
Absolutely.
I'm so glad.
But
Jen (44:44):
please get in touch.
We really do love, weabsolutely love helping everyone
to start knitting andcrocheting.
So please do get in touch withus.
Brittany (44:54):
That was Jen from Stitch and Story.
Once again, you can see all thewonderful things they have
available for you to simplifythe crafting process on their
website, stitchandstory.com.
Now for those challenges.
The first challenge is to sharea photo on Instagram of an
imperfection in your currentproject.
Use hashtag be hooked.
That's B-H-O-O-K-E-D.
(45:16):
So I don't miss it.
But more importantly, toproudly show our imperfections
because those imperfections makeit beautiful.
The other challenge is toreturn to someone you gifted a
project to recently and tellthem the story of that period in
your life when you were makingthat gift for them.
I think that'll be a really funway for them to have a new
(45:38):
appreciation for this gift thatyou've given them and it'll be a
fun exercise for you to go backand think about those things
that were going on as you madethat project.
Hey, don't forget, if you wantto become an Amazon Prime
member, that free 30-day trial Imentioned to you a couple weeks
ago is still available if youvisit BeHooked.com slash Prime.
(45:59):
And if you want to support thisshow while you're already
making your yarn purchases onAmazon, you can do so at
BeHooked.com slash Amazon.
Both of those links willredirect you to Amazon directly,
where you can either sign upfor that free 30-day trial of
Prime or to do your yarnshopping.
Now, Amazon isn't reallysponsoring this podcast.
(46:23):
However, I am an Amazonaffiliate, which means I earn a
small commission on qualifyingpurchases, which supports the
show.
So thank you.
All right, that'll wrap up thisweek's episode, my friend.
Thank you so much for tuningin.
Have a wonderful weekend andI'll see you next week.
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