Making Conversation

Hey there, fiber friends! This week on Making Conversation , I’m bringing you a chat that is full of color, creativity, and coastal charm. I sat down with Vanessa Fleming , the brilliant mind behind ōSHən Knits & Fibres , a one-of-a-kind yarn shop in Astoria, Oregon. Vanessa is a marine biologist-turned-knitwear designer and yarn dyer, and her love for inclusivity, sustainability, and vibrant...

In this special episode of Making Conversation —originally recorded and posted on our YouTube channel in late 2024—host Jen welcomes two brilliant voices in the fiber arts world: Brit of KnotBadBrit and Bea of WoolDreamers . This episode is all about building inclusive, authentic community within the crafting space, and it’s filled with warmth, wisdom, and a whole lot of yarn love. Brit shares her...

🌟 This episode was originally published on the Making Conversation YouTube channel on Nov 23, 2024. 🌟 Makers need snacks! We also need to take care of ourselves because if we do not, how will we take care of others? That part is so VERY important, especially right now. I popped into my kitchen to record with the WONDERFUL Chef Andreya Nightingale who shares two easy and oh-so-very delicious snac...

I jumped in the car and headed to Portland for Sacred Sheep —a vibrant maker festival brought to you by the team at Ritual Dyes ! If you love yarn, fiber arts, pottery, handmade jewelry, inspiring classes, and creative community , this festival is for you. In this episode of Making Conversation , I chat with some of the incredible makers who vended and attended Sacred Sheep ( learn more here ). Fr...

In this special episode, I hit the road to Portland, OR, to sit down with Rachel, the creative mind behind Ritual Dyes and founder of Sacred Sheep , a festival dedicated to makers, especially those passionate about the fiber arts. From discovering her love for knitting and hand-dyeing yarn to the creation of a highly curated, community-focused fiber arts festival that celebrates all things making,...

The world of crafting and making should be a space where everyone feels welcome and empowered. However, there are barriers—both visible and invisible—that can exclude or marginalize makers with disabilities. In this episode I am joined by the super fabulous Beth Gorishek, The Adaptive Knitter & Kira Dulaney of Kirk K Designs and we chat about the ways in which ableism manifests in our communit...

We're back with some wonderful Fall episodes to celebrate hunkering down with your current favorite WIP and enjoying an episode of the Making Conversation podcast. ;) Just a heads up, this episode is VERY visual. If you prefer to watch, pop over to our YouTube channel . xoxo In this episode, I am so lucky to chat with Amy Swanson of June Cashmere and learn all about the special goats and farm...

To know Jess is to love Jess and Jess' love of this special fiber arts community is very evident in everything she does. From in her yarn shop on Bainbridge Island, WA to Flock Fiber Festival , a yarn show in Seattle, WA, celebrating a love of all things wool, the fibers arts community is so very lucky to have these two spaces to come together and celebrate these things that we love and bring...

The universe definitely brought this fabulous human to Making. Ashley chats with our crochet-loving engineer all about her journey in craft, her path to leadership and computer sciences, and how we were so lucky to have Abi join the team. To know Abi is to love Abi! Grab your WIP and hit play. :) Abi's crochet website If you're in Seattle, catch her at these markets: Pride Market at Life...

Award winning embroidery artist, mother, teacher, author, and all around lovely human! If you don't know of Emily Botelho aka Salt Stitches, you're in for a treat! (If you do, you are too!) Emily joins Jen and not only do they chat about her beautiful art, how her favorite places and values come through as inspiration but also her new book which is more than just a pattern book but a gui...

Ashley and Jen share some really exciting features that are coming to Making VERY SOON. We kick off a new segment where we will share business and/or makers in our community that help spread our values and Ashley dives into the topic of fear and decision-making. Grab your WIP, your favorite snack, and hit play! If you are a designer, sell finished goods, make supplies for makers to create, or just...

Hello, makers! Super excited to bring you this episode with our pal, Catherine. Just a heads up, there are parts of this episode that are a little more visual as we give a shop tour. Click to watch instead! Brooklyn General Store has been the go-to place for crafty supplies of all kinds for NYC makers since 2002. We sat down with the Queen of Union Street, BGS owner, designer, maker, event planner...

Author Jane Cooper joins us to talk all about her book, The Lost Flock: Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman’s Journey to Save Scotland’s Original Sheep. Jane and Jen chat about why the Orkney Boreray sheep are so very special, Jane's maker journey, lambs...lots of lambs, and what it's like writing your first book. About The Lost Flock Purchase Paperback Purchase Audiobook From Viking tim...

In the final episode of this series, we get to hear from a few more makers that we chatted with during our last visit to NYC! Get to know some very special humans that we invited to join us for our Brooklyn General Store booth Meet and Greets at Vogue Knitting Live and also from our special maker meetup that we hosted with Brooklyn General Store and La Bien Aimée! This episode’s guests: Jennifer W...

We're continuing our Making Meet and Greets from NYC with crafty friends, old and new! The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General Store and Aimée of La Bien Aimée asked us to bring a bit of our Meet and Greets to their 2024 Vogue Knitting Live booth and we also co-hosted a maker meet-up at Brooklyn General Store. Lots of great conversation, stories, and even a dance break. We've got it all...

In this episode of the podcast, we’re taking it back to New York City! If you’ve been following along for a while you know that we’ve been visiting events around the world, collecting and then sharing important stories. (Mostly fiber arts related but we want to expand that. Hey other maker events, hit us up!) This time we did things a little differently. The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General St...

During Vogue Knitting Live 2024, Jen took the stage with big names in the fiber arts and maker industry to talk about how we can adapt to the ever evolving world of craft-what has changed, where the opportunity is, and advice on what to do when things are challenging.  Our Panelists Jonna Hietala is the co-founder, creative director and CEO of Laine Publishing and the editor-in-chief of Laine Maga...

Liza Laird is a fiber artist, human mom, dog mom, cancer survivor and author of Yoga of Yarn , a knitter’s guidebook to self discovery. (Don't worry dear maker! The book is for makers of all kinds. We chat about that too!)  We journey through Liza's life--deciding to leave the corporate world to pursue her passions, how she approached writing a book (with good tips if you've been th...

"How do I price my makes?" "How do I price my services?" "As a maker that does not sell...how can I help change perceptions so my community can get paid what they're worth?" "How do you price handmade items?"   Let's talk pricing. Out with the gatekeeping. Patterns, services, finished goods, etc. They name names, spill tea, get really real, and sha...

In this podcast episode, we're heading back to Barcelona Knits in…you guessed it…Barcelona, Spain! Get to know some of the vendors, artists, and vloggers who all share the love of all things fiber art, yarn, knitting, crochet, cross stitch, and more! This is a special group of people, dear makers!  :) https://www.barcelonaknits.com Who you'll meet: Laura Algarra www.lauraalgarra.com A cr...

In this podcast episode, we're heading back to the Sacred Sheep Fiber Festival in Portland, Oregon! Get to know some of the vendors, artists, and vloggers who all share the love of the act of making. The full meet and greet videos are coming soon, so make sure you are subscribed. :) https://thesacredsheep.com Who you'll meet: THE SHEEP.  Casanova AKA Larry & Daphne Fiona of FionaKayK...

Ashley and Jen come together to share stories of their beginnings in the tech industry and how they discovered their passion for building authentic community with Making.  🌟 Support the Podcast🌟 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube – youtube.com/@making_co ☕ Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi – ko-fi.com/makingconversation 📢 Tell your maker friends – Spread the love! If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a qu...

Chef Andreya is back to share so much amazing information about how to host a holiday party without the stress. She walks us through the planning stages that she has perfected as a chef, along with many valuable tips she has picked up over her amazing career. But what Chef Andreya really wants to remind you is that a holiday gathering (or any gathering with friends and family) should be about shar...

Jen and Val took Making on the road to Barcelona Knits this past weekend. It was a journey that further solidified our belief in the power of local unity, connection, and creativity. The vibrant sense of togetherness at Barcelona Knits is only magnified by our interview with Aimée Gille of La Bien Aimée . Jen and Val took Making on the road to Barcelona Knits this past weekend. It was a journey th...

We got a sneak peek of Sacred Sheep's setup the night before the inaugural festival and were honored to chat with these amazing vendors and artists!  Hannah Thiessen Junebug and Darlin' Spincycle Yarns Three Fates Yarn Handmade Renee The Wandering Flock PortFiber Ritual Dyes The first year of the Sacred Sheep fiber festival took place on Saturday, November 4, 2023, and we were invited to...