Spinning A Yarn's Tale

This week I dove a little bit into the different types of darners out there and their Significance in history! I personally like the darning eggs with the short handles, but what are your favorite types of darners? Our Instagram Page Reference List Gilday E. A Darn Good Egg: Darning Tools for Holey Socks. Piecework . 2018;26(1):48-52. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy...

I enjoy steeking, mostly because I hate knitting flat. Why go back and forth when I could go round and round? I know there are arguments that a flat knit garment fits better, but I kind of like the oversized look myself anyway. Photos on our Instagram Resources: https://www.interweave.com/wp-content/uploads/Steeks-Cutting-the-Edge.pdf https://kddandco.com/2012/04/29/steeks-1-introduction/ https://...

Hi all! Blair checking in to see how all of you are doing, you're well I hope? I'm going to be putting out some mini episodes to bridge the gap between our last episode and when we start recording our longer episodes again. These are going to be coming out on a bi-weekly basis, just like our usual episodes. The only exception is that these are going to be about 10- 15 minutes in length and...

Hi there! In the last episode of this season, we are going back in time to talk to you about a craft that we have mentioned several times over the past few episodes: Nalbinding. Nalbinding is one of the oldest needle-crafts and often coined as the predecessor to knitting. But what is nalbinding, how does it work, and is the craft still alive today? Find out in this episode!  Resources:  Picture of...

Hello there! We are 2 weeks late with uploading this episode because Denise had her baby! Momma and baby are doing well, recovering and trying to get as much sleep as possible. (Knitting hasn't happened yet, but Denise's feeling her fingers itch for the needles a little bit!) We talk about Sweden and its knitting history in this episode. We zoom in on Bohus Stickning and what knitting can...

Welcome to another episode! Today, we talk about Estonian knitting. A rich history and culture exists that perhaps not everybody knows about. We'll cover how knitting played (and still plays, sometimes!) a role in Estonian society, as well as some different techniques and designs that are typical Estonian.  We hope you enjoy!  Resources:  Pictures of knotless netting: Bhsstaff. (2015, August 2...

Welcome to this wonderful episode on Iceland! We dive into a bit of the history of knitting in Iceland, we talk about different weaving techniques found throughout the years, and of course we cannot mention Iceland without talking about Lopi! This is a really fun episode where both of us get to wonder about the magic of crafting as we explore Icelandic traditions. We hope you enjoy it as much as w...

Hi there! This week, we talk about Germany and its knitting history and traditions. We go over some of the older knitting projects people used to make, the projects a man had to knit to be admitted to a guild, knitting during the Wars, and continental knitting. We also go over some of the sheep found in Germany. Thus: another good one! We hope you enjoy.  Resources:  Pattern talked about here:  ht...

Welcome to Portugal! Today, we speak all about the history of Portuguese knitting and different traditional garments to be found in Portugal. Turns out they knit quite a bit differently in Portugal, using a knitting pin! Enjoy this insightful episode and check out the links below for extra inspiration or to try out this knitting technique for yourself! Resources Pomar, Rosa. Portuguese Knitting. S...

For the PNW Yarn Crawl, Ewe and I Yarns is focusing on Turkey as their theme! Therefore, we talk about Turkish fiber traditions today, so you have some extra background information when you look at all the fiber goodness at Ewe and I! We cover Turkish color-knitting and we highlight Turkish rugs. We hope to see you soon at the PNW Yarn Crawl at Ewe and I! https://www.eweandiyarns.com/ Email us wit...

This week we are continuing our journey through Europe and we take a pit stop in France! The French have a rich knitting history, just like some of its surrounding countries. The most interesting part is definitely les Tricoteuses; knitters who would watch executions while knitting peacefully on hats. Interesting image? Take a listen to learn more! Knitting Patterns mentioned: - Bonnie Cardigan ht...

This week we are diving into the world of Irish Crochet Lace and Welsh blankets. Two subjects that seem quite unrelated, but can be united by the fact that they are old crafts that were done to stay alive. There are still some ways to support the weavers in Wales, so we added some of those links down below! Definitely worth checking out; hand-crafting used to keep people alive, now we need to keep...

This week we're going over the brief history and culture surrounding Fair Isle! There's some....... Misconceptions about this supposedly ancient way of knitting. But! I think my favorite part this week is about how fair isle came to the Fair Isles. I know it sounds a little redundant, but trust me, it's a good one!  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bonnie-27 Resources: https://...

Hi and welcome in!  This week we're chatting about ganseys! This adventure takes us through a little bit about the history and stitch pattern of a traditional gansey, as well as the culture behind the fishermen wearing them. Sometimes they were great husbands, sometimes they were.........not. But either way it was interesting to research!  Thanks for watching https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/l...

Hi and welcome in! This is our second episode and that's so weird to think about. Today we chat about the histories of a few different countries, Scotland, England and Ireland to name them. Though there are not as many stocks and socks references in this one, there is a decent amount of banter! MY favorite highlights are the terrible knitters of Dent, tams, and aran sweaters. Thank you for lis...

Hi and welcome!  This is our first episode of Spinning a Yarn's Tale, a podcast brought to you by Ewe and I Yarns in Chehalis Washington. This episode is a brief history of knitting, and an even brief-er history of spinning and sheep. We chat about the general history without getting too into the details, and there might be some allusions to wearing socks and sandals. We hope to have many more...