Making Conversation

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

If you are a designer, sell finished goods, make supplies for makers to create, or just love being a part of a beautifully diverse community in an app that wants to prove that you can build a business based on the idea of people over profit, join the community: https://themakingapp.com

Find us on the Making app:
Ashley: @Ashley
Jen: @KnitPurl

Watch this episode!

The sweater Jen is wearing
Coloring Book Raglan by Aimee Sher
Loop Fiber Studio in Song and Dance

The sweater Jen is working on
Tumble Tee by Lydia Morrow
Junkyarn in Side Boob

MKNG - Our consulting advisory biz!

Common Threads Press

Flock Fiber Festival - Get your tickets for this year!

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

Hello, makers! Super excited to bring you this episode with our pal, Catherine. Just a heads up, there are parts of this episode that are a little more visual as we give a shop tour. Click to watch instead!

Brooklyn General Store has been the go-to place for crafty supplies of all kinds for NYC makers since 2002. We sat down with the Queen of Union Street, BGS owner, designer, maker, event planner extraordinaire–Catherine Clark. Get to know her maker journey, the story of how Brooklyn General moved from the waiting room of Catherine’s midwifery office to the current location, how her and Aimée of La Bien Aimée became besties and more!

Brooklyn General Store
https://brooklyngeneral.com
128 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Brooklyn General Store is tucked away on a sweet block West of the Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill neighborhoods and North of Red Hook. This commercial block on Union Street used to be a thriving shopping block for all types of foods and goods. Brooklyn General’s home within the Old Frank’s Department Store is a throw back to that era, with its preserved floor to ceiling shelves, rolling ladders and classic old wooden floors. The vintage interior is not reproduced, just uncovered, cleaned and painted.

Brooklyn General Store was created in an effort to provide the highest quality materials to a community of devoted artists and craftspeople and to promote making things by hand through inspiration and education. Not only is it a place to feast your eyes and hands on glorious colors and patterns and textures but it is a place that respects and honors a time when a trip to the country store was a way of life. It is a place where a quick trip for a yard of fabric or a skein of yarn turns into an hour of sharing, teaching, inspiring and encouraging all the amazing and creative makers that are also out for that quick trip to the General Store...

Following its mission to promote all things handmade, Brooklyn General offers a wide variety of classes in knitting, sewing, quilting, felting, spinning, rug hooking and embroidery. Classes are limited in size in order for students to have ample individual attention. Studio time with our fantastic BERNINA classroom machines is also available. BrooklynGeneral.com was created to share our carefully picked goods with all the creative souls outside of Brooklyn, NY.

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

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 times to pastoral Highland crofts to odious research experiments, this is the untold, real-life detective story of the remarkable little horned sheep known as the Orkney Boreray and the determined woman who moved to one of Scotland’s wildest islands to save them.

About the Sheep
https://orkneyboreray.com
https://www.instagram.com/orkneyboreray

• The sheep who eat seaweed
• Orkney Science Festival
• The Lost Flock's launch event

Yarn
https://northronaldsayyarn.co.uk
https://www.blackeryarns.co.uk
http://www.woolsack.org

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

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

This episode’s guests:
Jennifer Wiese
Workroom Social
@WorkroomSocial

Kassandra Sustaita
@Kassandra.Sustaita

Amanda Solomon
Melanated Boho Bae
@MelanatedBohoBae
Featuring special guest: Aimée Gille of La Bien Aimée

Lauren Ireland
ByLaurenIreland.com
@LaurenClaireIreland

If you prefer to watch, check out our YouTube channel.

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

We're continuing our Making Meet and Greets from NYC with crafty friends, old and new!

The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General Store and Aimée of La Bien Aimée asked us to bring a bit of our Meet and Greets to their 2024 Vogue Knitting Live booth and we also co-hosted a maker meet-up at Brooklyn General Store.

Lots of great conversation, stories, and even a dance break. We've got it all, folks! And course, stay tuned for the next few weeks of more awesome NYC-created content to get to know more special people from the maker community. Hope you enjoy it.

This episode’s guests:
Cris Bertoluci
@CrisBertoluci
https://crisbertoluci.com.br

Special guest appearance by:
Nara Takeda of KnitLeaks
@knitleaks
https://www.knitleaks.com

Cris shouts out to Portfiber.

Gregory Chrysler
@GregoryChrysler

Stephanie Earp and Naomi Endicott
@espacetricot
@EspaceTricotPodcast
https://www.espacetricot.com
Knits from the LYS: https://www.espacetricot.com/us/knits...

Images of Ernesto Neto by albert sanchez & tom dubrock via MFA houston instagram account

Our episode touching on the history of Art vs Craft: https://youtu.be/s7Fpe0ZEOAs?si=clGFt...

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

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

This time we did things a little differently. The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General Store and Aimée of La Bien Aimée asked us to bring a bit of our Meet and Greets to their 2024 Vogue Knitting Live booth. So we set up shop and gathered some crafty friends, old and new. We laugh. We cry. We get really honest.
Stay tuned for the next few weeks of more awesome made-in-NYC content and get to know more special people from the maker community. Enjoy!

This episode’s guests:
Mariah Stanford
@mariahknits
Mariah's Making Conversation Episode: https://youtu.be/kJF7rTbCGxQ

Julie Robinson
@JulieAtWork
Julie's Making Conversation Episode: https://making.buzzsprout.com/1875689/10012761

Sky
@SeamsBySky
+
Marina
@DesdeLaMarina

Emma
@theNewYorkYear
+
Ally
@AllyOoperLooper

Sidney

Derek Rollberg
@Knit.Top89
Katia Yarns
@KatiaYarns

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

During Vogue Knitting Live 2024, Jen took the stage with big names in the fiber arts and maker industry to talk about how we can adapt to the ever evolving world of craft-what has changed, where the opportunity is, and advice on what to do when things are challenging.

Our Panelists
Jonna Hietala is the co-founder, creative director and CEO of Laine Publishing and the editor-in-chief of Laine Magazine. Jonna has worked in lifestyle and crafts magazines both in Finland and in Sweden. Before Laine, she also ran her own yarn shop. In 2021, Jonna won the prestigious Taito-Finlandia award for her groundbreaking work on handicrafts and applied arts. Jonna lives in Tampere, Finland with her two children, cats and dogs.

Aimée Gille was born and raised in the United States, in Kansas, and later moved to France, where her passion for knitting was reignited. In Paris, where she now lives with her family, she first opened L’Oisive, thé a wonderful knitting café, and later La Bien Aimée. Established in 2015, La Bien Aimée is an artisanal dye studio located in Paris, France. Aimée and her team dye beautiful and sophisticated colors of yarn that reflect a unique and vibrant point of view. Her book, Worsted, was published by Laine Publishing in the fall on 2021. Her latest book Neons & Neutrals was published in March of 2022.

Ashley Yousling is the founder and CEO of Making and started our podcast back in 2014. She is an award winning designer with over 15 years of experience, leading and executing product + content vision and strategy in tech and consumer industries. Her work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, Forbes, and Fast Company. She resides in Boise with her three boys, pup, and you can always find her in her art studio.

Joji Locatelli is an Argentine knitwear designer living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After studying as a physician, in 2004 she rediscovered knitting. She is a Mom of two boys, and a wife to a loving non-knitting husband. She hopes to inspire with her knitting patterns and loves draped fabrics, beautiful details, simple lines.

Moderator
Jen Joyce is the Head of Marketing and Podcast Host at Making. She’s been a marketing professional for the past 14 years and has worked for tech startups, hospitality, fintech, and even an agency. She lives in Seattle with her partner, her dogs, and her 21-year-old cat. Jen can always be found knitting and watching “bad” TV, enjoying lovely Seattle but also traveling as much as possible and lifting heavy weights for that extra serotonin boost.
Photo credit for Jen’s pic: https://www.jacobpritchard.com

If you'd like to watch this episode...
https://www.youtube.com/@making_co

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

Liza Laird is a fiber artist, human mom, dog mom, cancer survivor and author of Yoga of Yarn, a knitter’s guidebook to self discovery. (Don't worry dear maker! The book is for makers of all kinds. We chat about that too!)

We journey through Liza's life--deciding to leave the corporate world to pursue her passions, how she approached writing a book (with good tips if you've been thinking about venturing into it!), her journey with cancer, and of course some of the wonderful learnings from her book.

Oh, and make sure to grab one of your favorite supplies too. Liza leads us in an exercise and you'll need it. ;)

THE AUTHOR
Liza Laird is a knitter, yogi, mama of a few little humans, and homesteader with alpacas, chickens, and a feisty shiba inu. She is a cofounder of Ragline Knits, through which she teaches knitting and mindfulness classes and hosts retreats online and around the world.

She trained as a yoga instructor at YogaWorks, as a yoga therapist at Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, and as a life coach with Coaches Training Institute. She has a BA in psychology from Lafayette College.

THE BOOK
Using a unique combination of yoga philosophy, movements, meditations, breathing techniques and stitch patterns, Yoga of Yarn re-establishes our makers practice on a new, stronger foundation -- a foundation that not only enhances our experience as makers, but also helps us maintain a centered calm in every aspect of our lives.

No prior yoga experience is necessary. All you need is a body, a chair, and a sincere willingness to care for yourself and try new things that will help you knit (or your art of choice!) with greater ease.

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

"How do I price my makes?" "How do I price my services?" "As a maker that does not sell...how can I help change perceptions so my community can get paid what they're worth?" "How do you price handmade items?"

Let's talk pricing. Out with the gatekeeping. Patterns, services, finished goods, etc. They name names, spill tea, get really real, and share numbers.

Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/pswl2xRPgZ4

Our guests:
Quayln Stark - https://linktr.ee/QUOE
As an artist and designer, Quayln’s passion for self-expression and inclusivity shine through each of his creations. From sewing and quilting to knitting and crochet, Quayln pairs traditional fiber arts techniques with imaginative designs, colors, and textures. (You can find his free Crochet Lentil patterns–an adorable amigurumi cat designed for Making in your Studio in the Making app.)

Brittany Garber - https://www.knotbadbritt.com
Britt does it all and with a TON of passion. Crochet designer and founder of Makers of Color Collective (https://www.knotbadbritt.com/makers-o..., Britt is committed to not only uplifting and supporting Black, indigenous, people of color makers and designers in the fiber industry but also making sure that the art of crochet is seen on the same level as all other fiber arts.

Terry Streetman - https://www.etsy.com/shop/PeregrineWo...
Always fascinated by woodworking, Terry's work is inspired by the memory of his grandfather, a master woodworker and a literal rocket scientist. Not only is Terry talented and created beautiful pieces will stand the test of time and brings joy into the lives of others...he's super loud about his values and works to weave them into every part of his business.

#maker #knitting #crochet

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.

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 crochet teacher, designer, and woodworker from Spain who runs her own workshops
and classes and makes wooden crochet and knitting notions and accessories.

Paloma Liranzo
https://palomaliranzo.bigcartel.com
An artist and dyer and bag designer who loves animals.

Nina of Nina’s Threads
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NinaHandDyed
Nina's Threads is an independent artisan dyeing studio, located in Budapest, Hungary.

Paula of the Knitting Pitinglis Podcast
https://youtube.com/@KnittingPitinglis
A knitter living in Ireland that is working to make English patterns more accessible to Spanish knitters.

Paula of the Knitting Pitinglis Podcast chats with Aimée of La Bien Aimée
We put out a call for vloggers and podcasters to partner with us and use our space and then also asked the vendors if they would be willing to be interviewed by a vlogger. Kind of a matchmaking, if you will. So here is a snippet of Paula’s interview with Aimée!

Ana of Alpacana
https://alpacana.es
An alpaca farmer located in Cantabria, Spain that passionately cares for her alpacas and their fiber is turned into beautiful yarn.
Meet Ana’s Alpacas: https://alpacana.es/las-alpacas/

Nara of Knitleaks
https://www.knitleaks.com
The latest in fiber-related news, trends, design, and content
And of course when you interview Knitleaks, Knitleaks will interview you! Enjoy Nara’s interview of Jen!

Astrid of Lazadas
https://www.lazadas.net
An independent, female-owned and operated business, Lazadas, knitting accessories is proud to provide crafters with high-quality accessories and tools for their projects.

Stephania of Lavindole
www.lanivendole.com
A small yarn company from Genoa, Italy. Their aim is to create unique yarns containing noble local fibres.

Kiara, Anna, and Eva of Barcelona Knits
https://www.barcelonaknits.com
Barcelona Knits will gather many national and international brands in a unique space to offer both products and services related with the art of fiber. Wool producers, small artisans, spinners, indie dyers, prestigious designers, accessory designers for knitters and publishers.

Dana of Boredom Kills Designs
https://www.boredomkillsdesign.com
Yarn dyer, pattern maker, knitter, knitwear designer working out of her studio in Berlin.

Lidia of Ovillová
https://ovillova.com

Music by Despatches. 💖

Download the Making app and join our amazing community of makers by visiting themakingapp.com

If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us at [email protected].

See you in the Making app!
ps- We talk about our values a lot. Just in case you're curious, take a peek.