Stitchcraft Podcast

We’re real grown-ups now! We hope you enjoy our ramblings about Spring weather, being idiot Americans around the world, and our favorite circular fashion options.

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As a podcast, we’ve moved through our Saturn return.

Aislinn is drinking Backpocket Brewing Grown Up Juice, part of the their running collab with Raygun. If you have never heard of Raygun, you really must check them out.

Maranda is enjoying a classic New Glarus Spotted Cow. Other summer faves are Bell’s Oberon (served year-round outside of Michigan which is blasphemy) and Arcadia Whitsun Ale.

We’re always asking the big questions: what is the difference between a shandy and a radler?

Aislinn is still making Baby’s First Principles with Plucky Knitter Cozy. Other fun baby/child knitting patterns mentioned in the episode are: Joji Locatelli’s Felipe and Isager’s Clara dress, and any patterns from Itty Bitty Toys by Susan B. Anderson. If you prefer sewing, here’s a basic pattern for the half square triangle quilt Maranda mentioned. If you ever played with tangrams as a kid, you know the modular possibilities of this pattern are essentially endless.

Circular fashion is the idea of designing and generating fashion items that have minimal impact on the environment during their production and use, and then return to the Earth when they are no longer usable or repairable. Eileen Fisher Renew is working on this, as is H&M, and our Stitchcraft Summer School 2018 interviewee, Auralís Herrero Lugo with Retazo.

Maranda is excited about the newest iteration of the Welcome Blanket, the Welcome Blanket On Call. It’s a collaboration with International Rescue Committee Phoenix to give blankets to immigrants who just were released from detention at the southern US border. We can’t think of a more crafterly way to support a community of people who have been through so much.

We chat shrubs, beeswax wraps, and Black-owned businesses. Enjoy!

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Aislinn was drinking the cranberry shrub cocktail from David Lebovitz with Cedar Ridge Bourbon aged in port barrels.

Maranda was having A Real Nice Surprise (hazy DIPA) from Big Grove.

Aislinn is working on the Penny Cardigan from WATG in Shiny Happy Cotton in Bazaar Orange and Cameo Rose. However, for the friend’s baby, she has moved temporarily onto Baby’s First Principles by Amy Manning, from the now out-of-print Doomsday Knits, in Plucky Cozy (now discontinued, waaaaaaaaah) in Classics Club colors Laughing at Clouds; I Jump, You Jump, Remember?; and Chic.

Aislinn also made beeswax wraps following the instructions from Apartment Therapy. It is the best method for doing with kids because the wax never gets hot enough to burn anyone. However, it is also probably the slowest method because you’re never sure if you’ve got enough wax to cover the cloth, so you end up having to add more repeatedly. For fabric, we recommend tightly woven fabrics that are well-worn so that they are thin but still hold the wax. The resultant beeswax wraps are great however you make them!

Slipping around in the Midwestern winter that never seems to end? Try the Due North Traction Aids. They never fail.

Aislinn has been following @meetmakersofcolor on Instagram. Highly recommend. So many impressive and creative makers to learn about!

Maranda got to fangirl at Bea Feliu-Espada, creator of The Honey Pot, at the Target Black-Owned Business Vendor Fair. She recommends the washes and wipes. As a doctor, I (Aislinn) would be remiss if I didn’t tell anyone with a vulva to please don’t wash it with soap. That is not good for vaginas or vulvas! Don’t douche, either, please dear god. However, external washes and wipes without soap are fine and unlikely to harm you unless of course you are sensitive to the ingredients (specific scents, etc). We are thrilled that The Honey Pot is a company that is supportive of all people with vulvas (all sisters, not just cis-ters), and also collaborates to provide hygiene items to people who are homeless or living in poverty. If you’re looking to support more businesses owned by BIPOC, this is a great place to start.

Maranda also enjoyed the Ambi booth at the Vendor Fair, and is trying out the Black Soap Bar with shea butter, just the thing for midwestern winters. Everyone needs moisture, even those with oily skin. For the people in your life with facial hair, she thinks 103 Collection has some promising products, their product reps definitely know what they’re talking about, and they are doing some wonderful outreach in their community.

We’re back! And with another imperfect recording method. It’s a process.

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Bløm Meadworks – Aislinn was enjoying their Gin Botanical in a collectible glass made by Cary Liebowitz (aka Candy Ass) for a great HIV/AIDS organization, ACRIA.

Yeti tumblers may be pricy, but dang do they keep a cold drink cold.

Maranda hosted a mending party at her house. Sounds like a lovely way to spend some time with friends, get help with projects, and feel productive while relaxing and having fun!

Maranda’s Valentine gifts this year are conversation heart pins made from salt dough. Super cute!

Introflirted: Valentine’s Day sentiments for introverts.

Really loving the pins (and other stuffs) from GRL TRBL.

Aislinn will be enjoying a lecture from Cecilia Vicuña on Valentine’s Day.

Aislinn is trying to reduce her plastic consumption by using biodegradable (non-vegan) Dental Lace, recommended by the blog My Plastic-Free Life. Although we thought that a Water Pik might also work for flossing without plastic, a closer look at dental recommendations are that it isn’t a floss replacement.

There is an important conversation happening online right now in the craft community about privilege, race, diversity, and inclusivity. As crafters we may mean well but we fail ourselves and each other when we elect not to talk about difficult issues just because it feels awkward or we don’t know exactly the perfect thing to say. We have to try. We have to do better. In our episode today, we try to do that, and we encourage you to share your thoughts. We welcome feedback whether negative or positive. Please feel free to share links or social media handles for people you think we should see.

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The following folks on Instagram: @astitchtowear @ocean_bythesea @su.krita @tina.say.knits @thecolormustard @drunkknitter

The downloadable resource by Layla F. Saad, Me and White Supremacy

We stand corrected: the more complete or accurate name for the popular style of Japanese bag that we’ve been calling “bento bags” is azuma bukuro.

Aislinn was enjoying Good Earth Tea

Feminist Icon Cross Stitch by Anna Fleiss and Lauren Mancuso

Aislinn made the Quick Bulky Mittens by Amy Pelletier for Maranda for Christmas out of Malabrigo Rasta in the Zarzamora colorway.

Happy Christmas Eve! We hope you enjoy our Festivus airing of grievances, our 1-2 ideas for solid last-minute gifts, and holiday Gold Stars. Apologies for the audio quality, and we are working on a solution.

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Sociable Cider Werks Fat Bike Mulled Apple

For a last-minute gift, Aislinn recommends Quick bulky mittens in Malabrigo Rasta by Aimee Pelletier

Quicky slouchy broiche beret by Sarah Burton

Clara Parkes breaks down micron counts, fineness of wool, and softness.

Bento bag redux!

Maranda’s reading from the Rider-Waite tarot deck

No day is so bad that The Tiny Chef Show can’t cheer you up a little.

Build your own sauna!

‘Tis the crafting season! Join us for our second year of gift crafting suggestions ranging across budgets, skill levels, and available time.

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Aislinn is having a perfect Manhattan (with a ratio of 1.5 parts bourbon to 1 part vermouths, so less boozy overall) with plum bitters to make it a little more seasonal

Maranda is having Omni Brewing FAD

Gift ideas:

DIY Facial Sprays (inspired by Izzie the Alchemist, can’t find her on Etsy but if I find a link I’ll post here)

mittens made with bulky yarn

adorable fleece prints for minimal finishing or no-sew blankets, hats, or about a million other things

lightweight infinity scarf

essential oil rollerball

It’s been a long time, we shouldn’t have left you, without a podcast to knit to. Tune in to hear about our first ever Vogue Knitting Live experience, and what it’s like to learn from celebrity teachers (spoiler alert: it’s pretty great even when you’re not great at what they’re teaching you).

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Pine Tree Apple Orchard

Indeed Brewing

La Doña Cervecería

Maranda learned to crochet from the one and only, Debbie Stoller, author of Stitch and Bitch

Aislinn learned to design a simple triangular shawl with sequence knitting, from the amazing author and designer Cecelia Campochiaro. If you want to learn from Cecelia but can’t get to an in-person class, sign up for Knit Stars 3.0! She has a link to sign up on her instagram feed @ceceliacampochiaro.

Get your sillies out (or elevated) with us while we chat politics, even more beer, startitis versus getting things finished, and our undying love of Lizzo.

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Backpocket Brewing A House Divided

The Iowa Wave

Sentyrz Market in Minneapolis

Insight Brewing The Internship of the Claw King DDH NE IPA

Indeed Brewing

Up Down Kansas City

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

Woolen-spun versus worsted-spun yarn

Celtic Myths shawl pattern

Vanishing Point mittens by Georgia Farrell from Pom Pom Quarterly #19, Aislinn is making them in Plucky Knitter Cozy

Textile Center Garage Sale Pop Up in Minneapolis

Pomcast interview with Amy Small of Knit Collage

Lizzo for President!

It’s the first day of Autumn! Hop on this pumpkin spice train and join us for an apple cider-flavored chat about new projects, our love of change, and a review of a great new kids book by our favorite musician, Leslie Hall!

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Wilson’s Orchard Ciders

Penny Cardigan (Aislinn is using bazaar orange as main color and cameo rose as contrast)

Pattern for Kids Mittens with Faux Fur

Craft Talk by Leslie Hall and Erin Wengrovius

Recover from your Labor Day celebrations with us! We chat about the fine city of Minneapolis, the wonders of the Minnesota State Fair, and our gratitude for you all.

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Wicked Wort in Robbinsdale, MN

Pulpit Rock Brewing in Decorah, IA

Minnesota State Fair! We highly recommend the Miracle of Birth Center. Nothing better than baby animals!

Har Mar Superstar is a really great show, although as we discuss, not always for all ages.

Aislinn is making a pair of plain vanilla socks with Regia Cotton Tip and Top Color (now discontinued) and a traditional heel flap and gusset sock heel

Prairie Girls Knit and Spin is one of Aislinn’s fave knitting podcasts

Fish Lips Kiss heel from Sox Therapist

Welcome Blanket project

Flying Geese pattern pictures

Vogue Knitting Live is in Minneapolis from Nov 9-11, 2018