What would you do if you were feeling anxious and needed a small, manageable project?If you're Annah O'Leary, apparently the answer is to design an enormous blanket made from 144 colourwork squares. Even though you've never finished a colourwork project before!Annah is the designer behind Needle & Feather and author of Knit an Heirloom Blanket. In this episode, we talk about how her extraordinary blanket began as a way of finding small moments of achievement, and how it grew into something she could never have imagined.We explore the joy of learning new knitting skills, the particular satisfaction of stranded colourwork, and why adults sometimes find it so difficult to give themselves permission to be beginners.Annah also shares the unexpected inspiration behind her designs, including her fascination with architecture and a lovely discovery in her grandfather's sketchbook.And we have a rather spirited discussion about creativity. I've always insisted that I'm not naturally creative, despite designing knitting patterns myself. Annah disagrees rather strongly, and she turns the tables on me to ask how someone who doesn't consider himself creative ever got started as a designer.We also talk about writing knitting patterns, creative confidence, the realities of turning knitting into a career, and the projects Annah hopes to explore next.A warm, funny and thoughtful conversation about knitting, learning, creative ambition and the joy of making things.FIND ANNAH / NEEDLE & FEATHERInstagram: <a href='https://instagram.com/needleandfeather'>https://instagram.com/needleandfeather</a>Ravelry: <a href='https://www.ravelry.com/designers/needle-and-feather'>https://www.ravelry.com/designers/needle-and-feather</a>Her book, Knit an Heirloom Blanket (including international ordering options): <a href='https://tr.ee/l0gGw1vie5'>https://tr.ee/l0gGw1vie5</a>Colourwork e-course waitlist: <a href='https://www.waitlistcourse.com/needleandfeather_wl_org'>https://www.waitlistcourse.com/needleandfeather_wl_org</a>PATTERNS AND PROJECTS FROM THE EPISODEThe Murmuration Neckerchief: <a href='https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/murmuration-neckerchief'>https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/murmuration-neckerchief</a>Peace By Piece Blanket: <a href='https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-by-piece-blanket'>https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-by-piece-blanket</a>Year By Piece 02 Blanket: <a href='https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/year-by-piece-mkal-2025'>https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/year-by-piece-mkal-2025</a>My Triangle Spider's Web Shawl: <a href='https://cleevelyknits.com/products/triangle-spiders-web-shawl?variant=64610922365305'>https://cleevelyknits.com/products/triangle-spiders-web-shawl</a>FIND MEKnitting patterns and more: <a href='https://cleevelyknits.com/'>https://cleevelyknits.com/</a>Instagram: <a href='https://instagram.com/cleevelyknits'>https://instagram.com/cleevelyknits</a>If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Yarn Library, and a rating or review would be hugely appreciated. It helps more knitters discover the podcast.Happy knitting!

What would you do if you were feeling anxious and needed a small, manageable project? If you're Annah O'Leary, apparently the answer is to design an enormous blanket made from 144 colourwork squares. Even though you've never finished a colourwork project before! Annah is the designer behind Needle & Feather and author of Knit an Heirloom Blanket. In this episode, we talk about how her extraordinary blanket began as a way of finding small moments of achievement, and how it grew into something she could never have imagined. We explore the joy of learning new knitting skills, the particular satisfaction of stranded colourwork, and why adults sometimes find it so difficult to give themselves permission to be beginners. Annah also shares the unexpected inspiration behind her designs, including her fascination with architecture and a lovely discovery in her grandfather's sketchbook. And we have a rather spirited discussion about creativity. I've always insisted that I'm not naturally creative, despite designing knitting patterns myself. Annah disagrees rather strongly, and she turns the tables on me to ask how someone who doesn't consider himself creative ever got started as a designer. We also talk about writing knitting patterns, creative confidence, the realities of turning knitting into a career, and the projects Annah hopes to explore next. A warm, funny and thoughtful conversation about knitting, learning, creative ambition and the joy of making things. FIND ANNAH / NEEDLE & FEATHER Instagram: https://instagram.com/needleandfeather Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/needle-and-feather Her book, Knit an Heirloom Blanket (including international ordering options): https://tr.ee/l0gGw1vie5 Colourwork e-course waitlist: https://www.waitlistcourse.com/needleandfeather_wl_org PATTERNS AND PROJECTS FROM THE EPISODE The Murmuration Neckerchief: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/murmuration-neckerchief Peace By Piece Blanket: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-by-piece-blanket Year By Piece 02 Blanket: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/year-by-piece-mkal-2025 My Triangle Spider's Web Shawl: https://cleevelyknits.com/products/triangle-spiders-web-shawl FIND ME Knitting patterns and more: https://cleevelyknits.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/cleevelyknits If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Yarn Library, and a rating or review would be hugely appreciated. It helps more knitters discover the podcast. Happy knitting!

What would you do if you were feeling anxious and needed a small, manageable project?If you're Annah O'Leary, apparently the answer is to design an enormous blanket made from 144 colourwork squares. Even though you've never finished a colourwork project before!Annah is the designer behind Needle &amp; Feather and author of Knit an Heirloom Blanket. In this episode, we talk about how her extraordinary blanket began as a way of finding small moments of achievement, and how it grew into something she could never have imagined.We explore the joy of learning new knitting skills, the particular satisfaction of stranded colourwork, and why adults sometimes find it so difficult to give themselves permission to be beginners.Annah also shares the unexpected inspiration behind her designs, including her fascination with architecture and a lovely discovery in her grandfather's sketchbook.And we have a rather spirited discussion about creativity. I've always insisted that I'm not naturally creative, despite designing knitting patterns myself. Annah disagrees rather strongly, and she turns the tables on me to ask how someone who doesn't consider himself creative ever got started as a designer.We also talk about writing knitting patterns, creative confidence, the realities of turning knitting into a career, and the projects Annah hopes to explore next.A warm, funny and thoughtful conversation about knitting, learning, creative ambition and the joy of making things.FIND ANNAH / NEEDLE &amp; FEATHERInstagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/needleandfeather" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://instagram.com/needleandfeather</a>Ravelry: <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/designers/needle-and-feather" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ravelry.com/designers/needle-and-feather</a>Her book, Knit an Heirloom Blanket (including international ordering options): <a href="https://tr.ee/l0gGw1vie5" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://tr.ee/l0gGw1vie5</a>Colourwork e-course waitlist: <a href="https://www.waitlistcourse.com/needleandfeather_wl_org" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.waitlistcourse.com/needleandfeather_wl_org</a>PATTERNS AND PROJECTS FROM THE EPISODEThe Murmuration Neckerchief: <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/murmuration-neckerchief" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/murmuration-neckerchief</a>Peace By Piece Blanket: <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-by-piece-blanket" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peace-by-piece-blanket</a>Year By Piece 02 Blanket: <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/year-by-piece-mkal-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/year-by-piece-mkal-2025</a>My Triangle Spider's Web Shawl: <a href="https://cleevelyknits.com/products/triangle-spiders-web-shawl?variant=64610922365305" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://cleevelyknits.com/products/triangle-spiders-web-shawl</a>FIND MEKnitting patterns and more: <a href="https://cleevelyknits.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://cleevelyknits.com/</a>Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/cleevelyknits" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://instagram.com/cleevelyknits</a>If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Yarn Library, and a rating or review would be hugely appreciated. It helps more knitters discover the podcast.Happy knitting!

S3 E10: Creativity, Colourwork and 144 Squares with Annah O'Leary

This week, I’m joined by Charlotte Stone, better known as StoneKnits, the designer and author whose wonderfully playful colourwork socks have become instantly recognisable.Charlotte didn’t set out with a strategy to become “the sock designer”. She simply kept knitting the things she loved, sharing them online and responding when people asked for the patterns. Then her toadstool socks took off, a Bernie Sanders-inspired pattern reached the top of Ravelry and a publisher came calling.We talk about finding the kind of knitting that suits your brain, building a creative niche and the strange pressure to repeat a viral success. Charlotte also explains why she disagrees with some common advice about catching floats in colourwork socks, and what she discovered when she finally found the guidance that supported her approach.We also discuss designing garments, abandoned projects, test knitters, Stephen West shawls, transparent boots and my complete inability to enjoy knitting socks.Along the way, we establish that there probably isn’t very much you can do “wrong” in knitting. It is a hobby, after all. It isn’t brain surgery. Especially if you’re doing it with knitting needles.A warm and very funny conversation about colourwork, creativity, confidence and finding the people who love the way your brain works.

This week, I’m joined by Charlotte Stone, better known as StoneKnits, the designer and author whose wonderfully playful colourwork socks have become instantly recognisable. Charlotte didn’t set out with a strategy to become “the sock designer”. She simply kept knitting the things she loved, sharing them online and responding when people asked for the patterns. Then her toadstool socks took off, a Bernie Sanders-inspired pattern reached the top of Ravelry and a publisher came calling. We talk about finding the kind of knitting that suits your brain, building a creative niche and the strange pressure to repeat a viral success. Charlotte also explains why she disagrees with some common advice about catching floats in colourwork socks, and what she discovered when she finally found the guidance that supported her approach. We also discuss designing garments, abandoned projects, test knitters, Stephen West shawls, transparent boots and my complete inability to enjoy knitting socks. Along the way, we establish that there probably isn’t very much you can do “wrong” in knitting. It is a hobby, after all. It isn’t brain surgery. Especially if you’re doing it with knitting needles. A warm and very funny conversation about colourwork, creativity, confidence and finding the people who love the way your brain works.

S3 E8: It’s Not Brain Surgery, with Charlotte Stone

What can a knitting pattern teach you, and what can only be learned by understanding your own knitting?Patty Lyons joins me for a frank, funny and thought-provoking conversation about the skills that exist beyond the written instructions.Modern patterns can help knitters tackle projects that might once have felt impossible. But when every technique and decision is explained for us, do we lose some of the curiosity, experimentation and problem-solving that make us more capable knitters?Patty is one of the most respected teachers in the knitting world. She is known for examining what is actually happening to our stitches, questioning the accepted wisdom, and helping knitters understand why something has gone wrong rather than simply showing them how to correct it.We talk about Patty’s belief that we have “stopped knitting and started reading”, and why completing a pattern is not necessarily the same as transferring skills to your next project. We also discuss the proper roles of pattern testing and professional tech editing, why size is not the same thing as shape, and what gauge reveals about the different ways we knit.The conversation also takes us into social media, the pressure to use negative hooks, and the responsibility that comes with teaching a large audience. Finally, Patty explains the thinking behind Knitting ER and why sometimes the right decision is not to fix a mistake at all.In this episode:• What knitting patterns can and cannot teach us • Following instructions versus understanding your knitting • Why detailed patterns can both help and hinder learning • Pattern testing and the role of professional tech editors • Why “size is not shape” • Gauge, tension and individual knitting styles • Negative social-media hooks and knitting confidence • Including Eastern and combination knitters in knitting advice • Diagnosing, repairing and sometimes accepting mistakes • The ideas behind Knitting ERFind Patty, her books and her classes: <a href='https://pattylyons.com/'>https://pattylyons.com/</a>Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks classes: <a href='https://education.pattylyons.com/'>https://education.pattylyons.com/</a>See Patty at Munich Knits: <a href='https://www.munichknits.de/kursleiter#PattyLyons'>https://www.munichknits.de/kursleiter#PattyLyons</a>Find my knitting patterns and other work: <a href='https://cleevelyknits.com/'>https://cleevelyknits.com/</a>Follow me on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/'>https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/</a>

What can a knitting pattern teach you, and what can only be learned by understanding your own knitting? Patty Lyons joins me for a frank, funny and thought-provoking conversation about the skills that exist beyond the written instructions. Modern patterns can help knitters tackle projects that might once have felt impossible. But when every technique and decision is explained for us, do we lose some of the curiosity, experimentation and problem-solving that make us more capable knitters? Patty is one of the most respected teachers in the knitting world. She is known for examining what is actually happening to our stitches, questioning the accepted wisdom, and helping knitters understand why something has gone wrong rather than simply showing them how to correct it. We talk about Patty’s belief that we have “stopped knitting and started reading”, and why completing a pattern is not necessarily the same as transferring skills to your next project. We also discuss the proper roles of pattern testing and professional tech editing, why size is not the same thing as shape, and what gauge reveals about the different ways we knit. The conversation also takes us into social media, the pressure to use negative hooks, and the responsibility that comes with teaching a large audience. Finally, Patty explains the thinking behind Knitting ER and why sometimes the right decision is not to fix a mistake at all. In this episode: • What knitting patterns can and cannot teach us • Following instructions versus understanding your knitting • Why detailed patterns can both help and hinder learning • Pattern testing and the role of professional tech editors • Why “size is not shape” • Gauge, tension and individual knitting styles • Negative social-media hooks and knitting confidence • Including Eastern and combination knitters in knitting advice • Diagnosing, repairing and sometimes accepting mistakes • The ideas behind Knitting ER Find Patty, her books and her classes: https://pattylyons.com/ Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks classes: https://education.pattylyons.com/ See Patty at Munich Knits: https://www.munichknits.de/kursleiter#PattyLyons Find my knitting patterns and other work: https://cleevelyknits.com/ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/

What can a knitting pattern teach you, and what can only be learned by understanding your own knitting?Patty Lyons joins me for a frank, funny and thought-provoking conversation about the skills that exist beyond the written instructions.Modern patterns can help knitters tackle projects that might once have felt impossible. But when every technique and decision is explained for us, do we lose some of the curiosity, experimentation and problem-solving that make us more capable knitters?Patty is one of the most respected teachers in the knitting world. She is known for examining what is actually happening to our stitches, questioning the accepted wisdom, and helping knitters understand why something has gone wrong rather than simply showing them how to correct it.We talk about Patty’s belief that we have “stopped knitting and started reading”, and why completing a pattern is not necessarily the same as transferring skills to your next project. We also discuss the proper roles of pattern testing and professional tech editing, why size is not the same thing as shape, and what gauge reveals about the different ways we knit.The conversation also takes us into social media, the pressure to use negative hooks, and the responsibility that comes with teaching a large audience. Finally, Patty explains the thinking behind Knitting ER and why sometimes the right decision is not to fix a mistake at all.In this episode:• What knitting patterns can and cannot teach us • Following instructions versus understanding your knitting • Why detailed patterns can both help and hinder learning • Pattern testing and the role of professional tech editors • Why “size is not shape” • Gauge, tension and individual knitting styles • Negative social-media hooks and knitting confidence • Including Eastern and combination knitters in knitting advice • Diagnosing, repairing and sometimes accepting mistakes • The ideas behind Knitting ERFind Patty, her books and her classes: <a href="https://pattylyons.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://pattylyons.com/</a>Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks classes: <a href="https://education.pattylyons.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://education.pattylyons.com/</a>See Patty at Munich Knits: <a href="https://www.munichknits.de/kursleiter#PattyLyons" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.munichknits.de/kursleiter#PattyLyons</a>Find my knitting patterns and other work: <a href="https://cleevelyknits.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://cleevelyknits.com/</a>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/</a>

S3 E9 What Knitting Patterns Can’t Teach You with Patty Lyons

This week, I’m joined by Melanie Berg, the knitwear designer behind Mairlynd.I first met Melanie when I accidentally attended one of her shawl-design classes entirely in German. Thanks to Google Translate, I managed to follow the class and came away inspired to create my Tide Path shawl.In this conversation, we explore the relationship between creativity and practicality. Melanie talks about knowing when a design has become too complicated, the difference between designing and writing a usable pattern, and why she thinks of swatching as going on a blind date with your yarn.She also shares the deeply personal story behind her row maps. The idea grew from her own experience of breast cancer and her connection with Chad Lewis, who helped people continue knitting while undergoing cancer treatment. Their row maps now help knitters keep their place when illness, grief or life itself makes concentration difficult.We also talk about colour, variegated yarn, left-handed knitting, sustainability, the realities of earning a living as a designer and the difficulty of switching off when creative work is also your hobby.Melanie turns the tables on me too, asking about humour, social media and what I would do if Instagram disappeared tomorrow.It’s a warm and wide-ranging conversation about making, teaching and creating patterns that are not only beautiful, but genuinely enjoyable to knit.Find Melanie at <a href='https://mairlynd.de'>https://mairlynd.de</a>, on Instagram at <a href='https://www.instagram.com/mairlynd/'>https://www.instagram.com/mairlynd/</a>, or discover The Knit Class at <a href='https://www.knitclass.com/'>https://www.knitclass.com/</a>.

This week, I’m joined by Melanie Berg, the knitwear designer behind Mairlynd. I first met Melanie when I accidentally attended one of her shawl-design classes entirely in German. Thanks to Google Translate, I managed to follow the class and came away inspired to create my Tide Path shawl. In this conversation, we explore the relationship between creativity and practicality. Melanie talks about knowing when a design has become too complicated, the difference between designing and writing a usable pattern, and why she thinks of swatching as going on a blind date with your yarn. She also shares the deeply personal story behind her row maps. The idea grew from her own experience of breast cancer and her connection with Chad Lewis, who helped people continue knitting while undergoing cancer treatment. Their row maps now help knitters keep their place when illness, grief or life itself makes concentration difficult. We also talk about colour, variegated yarn, left-handed knitting, sustainability, the realities of earning a living as a designer and the difficulty of switching off when creative work is also your hobby. Melanie turns the tables on me too, asking about humour, social media and what I would do if Instagram disappeared tomorrow. It’s a warm and wide-ranging conversation about making, teaching and creating patterns that are not only beautiful, but genuinely enjoyable to knit. Find Melanie at https://mairlynd.de, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mairlynd/, or discover The Knit Class at https://www.knitclass.com/.

This week, I’m joined by Melanie Berg, the knitwear designer behind Mairlynd.I first met Melanie when I accidentally attended one of her shawl-design classes entirely in German. Thanks to Google Translate, I managed to follow the class and came away inspired to create my Tide Path shawl.In this conversation, we explore the relationship between creativity and practicality. Melanie talks about knowing when a design has become too complicated, the difference between designing and writing a usable pattern, and why she thinks of swatching as going on a blind date with your yarn.She also shares the deeply personal story behind her row maps. The idea grew from her own experience of breast cancer and her connection with Chad Lewis, who helped people continue knitting while undergoing cancer treatment. Their row maps now help knitters keep their place when illness, grief or life itself makes concentration difficult.We also talk about colour, variegated yarn, left-handed knitting, sustainability, the realities of earning a living as a designer and the difficulty of switching off when creative work is also your hobby.Melanie turns the tables on me too, asking about humour, social media and what I would do if Instagram disappeared tomorrow.It’s a warm and wide-ranging conversation about making, teaching and creating patterns that are not only beautiful, but genuinely enjoyable to knit.Find Melanie at <a href="https://mairlynd.de" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mairlynd.de</a>, on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mairlynd/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/mairlynd/</a>, or discover The Knit Class at <a href="https://www.knitclass.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.knitclass.com/</a>.

S3 E7: A Blind Date with Your Yarn, with Melanie Berg

A labour of love, a test of relationships, and occasionally a source of chaos. This week, Yarn Library dives into the joys and anxieties of gifts, from the thorny question of who is truly "knit worthy" to quantifying the real term numbers on just how many hours you're really gifting when you cast on a jumper. Adam shares a jaw-dropping story from his recent yarn travels and Georgia has a colour work revelation that's given her a new lease of life – and a growing list of gift projects she might actually finish.

A labour of love, a test of relationships, and occasionally a source of chaos. This week, Yarn Library dives into the joys and anxieties of gifts, from the thorny question of who is truly "knit worthy" to quantifying the real term numbers on just how many hours you're really gifting when you cast on a jumper. Adam shares a jaw-dropping story from his recent yarn travels and Georgia has a colour work revelation that's given her a new lease of life – and a growing list of gift projects she might actually finish.

Gifts

Knitting influencer Adam Cleevely and craft researcher Georgia Denham have a chat about Episode 1 of the Game of Wool on Channel 4. We talk through the funniest moments, the tragedies, and everything in between – even the adverts!

Knitting influencer Adam Cleevely and craft researcher Georgia Denham have a chat about Episode 1 of the Game of Wool on Channel 4. We talk through the funniest moments, the tragedies, and everything in between – even the adverts!

First Impressions – Game of Wool 2025

Yarn Library is where the craft world comes to chat. Hosted by knitting influencer Adam Cleevely of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/">CleevelyKnits</a>&nbsp;

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Yarn Library is where the craft world comes to chat. Hosted by knitting influencer Adam Cleevely of CleevelyKnits 

Yarn Library is where the craft world comes to chat. Hosted by knitting influencer Adam Cleevely of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/" rel="noopener noreferrer">CleevelyKnits</a>&nbsp;

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