Knit A Spell

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Step into Salem with me for the opening night of the 2026 Fiber Witch Festival as we head to the legendary Circle of Stitches for the Sip & Shop kickoff event. From chilly Salem streets and magical storefronts to packed yarn shop energy, and community connection, this episode is all about what happens when magical makers gather together in real life.

We explore Salem, visit local spots, check out beautiful yarns and tools, and reflect on why spaces like local yarn stores matter now more than ever. Plus, my camera-person gives her official review of my River Mitts while surviving the Massachusetts cold!

This season of Knit A Spell is centered around COMMUNITY, and there may be no better place to begin than Salem during Fiber Witch Festival weekend!

• River Mitts & Worsted River Mitts by Light From Lantern on Ravelry
Fingering: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/river-mitts-2
Worsted: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/worsted-river-mitts
All Patterns: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/light-from-lantern

Listen, watch, and explore more Knit A Spell:
• Knit A Spell Podcast Website
https://www.lightfromlantern.com/kasqr
• Join the Knit A Spell Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/KnitASpell

• Subscribe on YouTube to support the podcast for free!
https://www.youtube.com/c/LightFromLantern?sub_confirmation=1

Featured in this episode:
• Circle of Stitches
https://circleofstitches.com/
• Fiber Witch Festival
https://fiberwitchfestival.com/
• SeaWych Coastal Crafts
https://seawych.com/
• Toil & Trouble Studio
https://www.toil-and-trouble.com

If this episode reminds you why creative community matters, consider:
• Supporting your local yarn store
• Attending a fiber festival near you
• Sharing this episode with a crafty friend
• Leaving a comment about your favorite local fiber arts space
And remember:
If your community doesn’t exist yet… you can make one!

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After a short hiatus, Knit A Spell returns with a brand new season centered on one essential question: With fewer places to gather in person and shifting online spaces… how do we find each other now?

In this opening episode, Katie sets the stage for a season focused on community — what it really means, why it’s been harder to access, and how we begin rebuilding it in a changing fiber arts landscape.

Drawing from her nearly two decades in the knitting industry, including her time as Creative Director at Skacel Collection, Katie shares insight into the major shifts affecting the fiber world today — from local yarn shop closures to the impact of private equity and large-scale marketplaces on once community-driven brands.

This season, she takes you on location to experience community in real time at the Fiber Witch Festival in Salem, Massachusetts, bringing you along for conversations, spontaneous moments, and the magic of gathering together again.
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What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Why connection feels different right now
• The disappearance of traditional crafting spaces
• How the yarn industry is shifting behind the scenes
• Why community doesn’t “just happen” anymore
• What to expect from this new, immersive season format
• How to prepare and get excited for the festival
• An invitation to reconnect with your own creative community
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Get Ready for the Season!

Want to get hyped before we arrive in Salem? Check out these episodes from last season!
Interviews with festival coordinators Ana Campos & Emily O’Brien:
• Ana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSXw8TsS0AU
• Emily: https://youtu.be/h3hQaIIsEWg

Vendor spotlight with Ro of Home Row Handcraft:
https://youtu.be/Mx7A8RTuB_0

These will give you deeper insight into the heart of the Fiber Witch Festival and the people behind it!
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Join Me at the Fiber Witch Festival
April 25–26 | Salem, Massachusetts
http://fiberwitchfestival.com
Come say hi if you see me! I’d love to meet you, take a photo, and gift you a Knit A Spell sticker.
Let me know in the comments if you’ll be there!!
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Explore & Support
Browse my knitting patterns on Ravelry:
https://www.ravelry.com/designers/light-from-lantern

Subscribe to the Knit A Spell YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/LightFromLantern?sub_confirmation=1

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Join the Knit A Spell Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

Learn more about the Fiber Witch Festival:
https://fiberwitchfestival.com

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After more than 150 episodes and four enchanting years, I’m officially pressing pause on Knit A Spell—but not to say goodbye. This is simply the beginning of a new creative chapter.

In this final episode of the season (and for now), I reflect on the theme of adaptation, share the big project that’s calling me forward, and let you know how we can stay connected while the podcast is on hiatus. Spoiler: I’m writing a book! 📖

In this episode:

✨ Why the podcast is pausing (and what’s coming next)
📚 A peek into the book I’m writing on magic, yarn, and energy
🧵 Online classes on magical knitting practices are in the works
💌 How to stay in touch & get a free pattern
🙏 A heartfelt thank-you to listeners, guests, patrons—and James Divine, my original co-host
🌟 And a reminder that Knit A Spell will remain online and available to revisit anytime

🧙‍♀️ Stay connected & continue the magic:

🌐 Sign up for my newsletter + get a free pattern: https://www.lightfromlantern.com/newsletter
📸 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightfromlantern
🧵 Explore more magical knitting: https://www.lightfromlantern.com
💫 Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LightFromLantern?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Catch up on all episodes wherever you listen to podcasts or right here on YouTube.

Thank you for being part of this magical journey.
This isn’t goodbye—it’s a pause for more magical making. 💛
Until next time: merry make.

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In this episode of Knit A Spell, I'm joined by the hilarious and insightful Lisa from @GetToHookingCrochet! Lisa is a self-proclaimed “Crochentertainer” who blends humor, chaos, and creativity to bring joy—and a healthy dose of realness—to the crochet world. We talk about her creative process, the pressure of perfection in fiber arts, and how humor can be a magical act of rebellion.

We also dive into social media, content creation, and the reality of being an influencer in today’s world. Plus, we explore her meaningful collaboration with the Loose Ends Project and what it really means to use your craft for good.

Trust me, you’ll laugh, reflect, and leave this episode feeling inspired to take your craft a little less seriously and a little more magically.

✨ FOLLOW LISA:
Instagram, TikTok & YouTube: @GetToHookingCrochet

🧶 LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LOOSE ENDS PROJECT:
https://www.looseendsproject.org

👕 LISA’S MERCH THAT SUPPORTS LOOSE ENDS:
https://craftsbyjanniele.com/collections/get-to-hooking-crochet-merch

🎧 PATREON BONUS:
Enjoyed this episode? Join us for the exclusive After Show on Patreon, where Lisa and I share even more behind-the-scenes stories and magical musings.
Join for just $5/month: https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

🔮 STAY CONNECTED:
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.lightfromlantern.com/newsletter
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knitaspell
Subscribe on YouTube for more magical episodes + upcoming creative content!
https://www.youtube.com/c/LightFromLantern?sub_confirmation=1

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This week on Knit A Spell, I’m joined by the extraordinary Daniela Simina—author, teacher, folk magic practitioner, and lifelong fiber witch. 🧶🌿

Together, we explore the ancestral wisdom of yarn magic, how fiber arts can be used in devotional and energetic work, and why spinning, knitting, and even blocking your knitting projects can be powerful magical acts.

Daniela shares her personal story of growing up in Romania with a grandmother who was both a medicine woman and fairy seer, and how those teachings shaped her path through loss, skepticism, healing, and spiritual rediscovery. This episode is a heartfelt dive into generational knowledge, spiritual resistance, and the resurgence of magical making.

🪡 In this episode:
✨ Why spinning and color choices hold deep magical potential
🌿 How Daniela uses herbs, oils, and intention during blocking
🧵 Magical ways to work with yarn—even if you don’t spin
🔮 Protection magic you can literally stitch into your garments
🌕 Her grandmother’s fairy-seeing practices and Romania’s sacred folklore
📖 And yes… she might be writing a fiber magic book 👀

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🔗 Follow & connect with Daniela Simina:
📚 Author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielasiminaauthor
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielasimina1
📝 Blog: Whispers in the Twilight
🌐 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/danielasimina.bsky.social
📚 Books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and major retailers – including Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic

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🎧 Watch this episode on YouTube!
💫 Join the After Show on Patreon for more magical insights and behind-the-scenes content:
👉 https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

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What do social work, true crime, and knitting have in common? This week on Knit A Spell, I’m joined by the brilliant and hilarious Kim Davis—lifelong New Yorker, crafter, and co-host of the Slaycation podcast! 🧶🔪

Together, we explore how storytelling connects all of these worlds, how crafting can become a form of healing and reinvention, and why crafters are often drawn to the darkest tales.

🕵️‍♀️ In this episode:

• 🩸 Kim’s journey from social worker to true crime podcaster
• 🧶 How knitting helped her reclaim her identity after motherhood
• 📚 What teaching beginners taught her about patience, perfection, and “forensic knitting”
• 🎙️ The overlap between storytelling and crafting—and why both leave a legacy
• 🧳 What makes vacations the perfect setting for true crime
• 🔮 And yes… Kim crafts a killer vacation yarn-murder scenario just for us

🧵 Whether you’re a true crime junkie, a fiber nerd, or both—this episode is packed with magic, wisdom, and a lot of laughs.

📌 Follow & listen to Kim’s podcast:

• 🔪 Slaycation (True Crime While on Vacation): https://slaycation.wtf
• 📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/slaycationwtf
• 🧶 Kim’s personal crafting account: https://instagram.com/thatgirlknits
• 📘 Join their Facebook group: Slaycationers Only
• 🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts: Apple, Spotify, etc.

✨ Want more magic and bonus chats? Join the Knit A Spell After Show on Patreon:

👉 https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

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This week on Knit A Spell, Katie is joined by magical maker and Skein Shop owner Sasha Ogden, who shares how she adapted the River Mitts pattern into a brand new matching design—the Bridge Hat! 🧶✨

They chat about embracing imperfect yarns, getting creative with stash and handspun, and why adapting patterns is a magical skill every knitter should explore. Plus, they brainstorm some wild ideas for other double-cuffed projects, and Katie gets an update on Sasha’s intuitive approach to designing with accessibility in mind.

🧵 In this episode:

✨ The Bridge Hat—Sasha’s official companion pattern to Katie’s River Mitts

🧶 Using handspun yarn and stash with confidence

🌀 Designing patterns that are approachable, intuitive, and adaptable

🧵 Imagining future double-cuff designs

🪄 The importance of process and progress in magical making

🌟 Knit the patterns featured in this episode:

🧤 River Mitts: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/river-mitts-2

🧢 Bridge Hat: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bridge-hat-2

🛍️ Special Offer on Sasha's Website!

Add the Bridge Hat pattern + one ball each of Alb Lino and Zauberball Crazy to your cart, and the pattern will automatically discount to FREE!

🎉 https://skeinshop.com/products/bridge-hat-pattern

💻 Explore Sasha’s shop: https://skeinshop.com

📷 Follow her on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/skeinshop.bsky.social

📧 Contact Sasha for yarn help: [email protected]

🌈 Want more magic?

Join the Knit A Spell After Show on Patreon for extra chats, coloring pages, and behind-the-scenes perks:

👉 https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube to watch the episodes!

https://www.youtube.com/c/LightFromLantern?sub_confirmation=1

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This week on Knit A Spell, I’m joined by the incredible Rochelle New—artist, stitch witch, and the mind behind Home Row Handcraft. Ro shares her journey of transformation, from a childhood love of textiles to becoming a creative business owner navigating chronic illness with grace, adaptability, and a little bit of magic. 🪡🌙

🎙️ In this episode, we chat about:

🧵 The origin of Home Row Handcraft and its powerful meaning

✨ How chronic fatigue shaped Ro’s business model (and made her art even more impactful)

🪑 Reclaiming space—literally—with a stylish director’s chair at the upcoming Fiber Witch Festival

🎨 Letting go of hustle culture and choosing sustainable creativity

🔮 The importance of intuition, digital tools, and giving yourself permission to adapt

Whether you're a maker managing health challenges or someone seeking inspiration to embrace change—this is a deeply honest and uplifting conversation. 💛

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🛍️ Explore Ro’s work: https://homerowhandcraft.com

📸 Follow Ro on IG: https://instagram.com/homerowhandcraft

🎪 Visit Ro at Fiber Witch Festival (April 2024): https://fiberwitchfestival.com

🧙‍♀️ Support Circle of Stitches after their flood: https://www.circleofstitches.com

💧 GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-save-circle-of-stitches-from-a-flood

👉 Watch this episode on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/Mx7A8RTuB_0

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✨ This week on Knit A Spell, we’re diving into the magical world of enamel pins, creative adaptation, and the power of fiber community! ✨

I’m joined by Emily O’Brien, the creative mastermind behind Kitty with a Cupcake and co-organizer of the Fiber Witch Festival! Emily’s work blends playful design with meaningful awareness, creating conversation-starting products that celebrate identity, magic, and fiber arts.

🔮 In this episode, we discuss:
• How Kitty with a Cupcake started and evolved into a full-time creative business
• The Pride Pals Interchangeable Pin System—the cutest way to share your identity with the world! 🏳️‍🌈✨
• The magic of fiber festivals and what it’s like to co-run Fiber Witch Festival
• The intersection of witchcraft, geek culture, and creative self-expression
• Why embracing fun and whimsy makes topics like LGBTQ+ identity and neurodiversity more approachable
• Emily’s dream product (you’re gonna want this to happen ASAP!)

📌 Links Mentioned in this Episode:
🎨 Kitty with a Cupcake – https://kittywithacupcake.com
🧙‍♀️ Fiber Witch Festival (April 11-13, 2024) – https://fiberwitchfestival.com
🌟 Follow Emily on Instagram & more:
Kitty with a Cupcake: https://instagram.com/kittywithacupcake
Fiber Witch Festival: https://instagram.com/fiberwitchfestival

🎧 Watch this episode of Knit A Spell on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/h3hQaIIsEWg

✨ Want MORE behind-the-scenes magic? Join the Knit A Spell After Show on Patreon!
👉 https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

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✨ An Important Update Before We Begin ✨ 

Just two hours after we recorded this episode, Circle of Stitches—Ana Campos’ beloved yarn shop in Salem, MA—was devastated by a flood from a burst pipe in the unit above. The shop is now undergoing major repairs, undoing all of the hard work that went into relocating to its new space just months ago.

While they work toward recovery, Circle of Stitches is operating a pop-up shop at Ana’s Toil & Trouble dye studio, but the road ahead is long.

🙏 How You Can Help:

🛍️ Shop online: https://circleofstitches.com

💜 Donate to their GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-save-circle-of-stitches-from-a-flood

Every order and donation makes a huge difference in helping this magical community space reopen. Thank you for your support!

✨ About This Episode ✨

In this powerful conversation, Ana Campos—owner of Circle of Stitches and founder of the Fiber Witch Festival—shares her journey of adaptation, from relocating her shop under unexpected circumstances to launching a wildly successful fiber event in Salem.

🔮 In this episode, we discuss:

• The unexpected challenges (and silver linings) of moving Circle of Stitches
• How the Fiber Witch Festival exploded in popularity, drawing attendees from across the world
• Lessons in adaptation and flexibility for makers and business owners
• Why niching down and embracing what makes you unique is the key to success
• Ana’s magical approach to crafting and the tools she uses for grounding and creativity

📌 LINKS Mentioned in this episode:

🏛️ Circle of Stitches – https://circleofstitches.com

🧙‍♀️ Fiber Witch Festival which runs April 11-13th – https://fiberwitchfestival.com

🌟 Toil & Trouble Hand-Dyed Yarn – https://toilandtrouble.com

📷 Follow Ana on Instagram:

Circle of Stitches: https://instagram.com/circlestitches

Fiber Witch Festival: https://instagram.com/fiberwitchfestival

Toil & Trouble: https://instagram.com/toiltrouble 

🔮 Join the Knit A Spell Patreon for exclusive after-show content & more!
👉 https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

🎧 Watch this episode on YouTube!
👉 https://youtu.be/kSXw8TsS0AU

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