Wool n' Spinning Radio
Rachel Smith, Rebecca Osborn
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Top 10 Wool n' Spinning Radio Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Wool n' Spinning Radio episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Wool n' Spinning Radio for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Wool n' Spinning Radio episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Putting Wool Back in the Limelight with MellyKnits
Wool n' Spinning Radio
07/01/24 • 78 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
This episode of Wool n' Spinning Radio has been a long time coming - Melissa and I have been trying to connect for a while, seeing each other at our local Knots & Hops each month, bumping into each other at Knit City and Fibres West throughout the years and so much more. It was a pleasure to sit down with her and chat about her business and love of wool - her enthusiasm is unbelievably infectious. You can't help but feel sucked in by her love of the process from her favourite part of the process, washing, to picking and carding.
Melissa's video on Picking Wool here
Thank you to Melissa for sharing her journey to date and I look forward to chatting with her again this summer to record a Part II. After we stopped the recording, she came up with topics for Part III, as well, so stay tuned!
Find Melissa:
If you would like to be featured on Wool n' Spinning Radio, have a story to tell or want to discuss your making, please reach out to Rachel. You can leave a comment below or message her privately!
Until next time,
Happy Processing!
Rachel
Festival Prep, Carding & Wool with MellyKnits (Part II)
Wool n' Spinning Radio
08/01/24 • 92 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
This month is the follow-up to last month's episode with Melissa Goulet of MellyKnits. We refer back to that episode a few times so be sure to follow the links below to listen to that episode as well.
Episode 107 | Putting Wool back in the Limelight with MellyKnits here
I hope you enjoy our dive into wool, getting started with first-time drum carding and beginning to delve into sheep breeds. For those new to spinning wool, remember that there are roughly four classifications of sheep breeds, including the fine wools, medium wools, longwools, downs and down-like breeds, and primitives. Fine to medium wools are often classed together, rather than separately. Think of them as being on a continuum from one another. We use the term ‘micron count’ several times throughout our conversation but never define the term for those who haven’t heard it previously.
Think of how wool is classified as being on a continuum. At one end, we have the Fine Wools with much crimp and bounce. At the other end, we have the long, lustrous curling crimp structure of the Long Wools. In between are the Medium Wools who, depending on their micron count, fit closer to the Fine Wool versus Long Wool end. Micron count uses computer imaging to assess the diameter of a fibre. The lower the number, the finer the fibre and conversely, the higher the number, the coarser the fibre. Within one fleece, micron count might vary significantly and as hand spinners, we use the averages to help us communicate with one another roughly how fine or coarse a fibre is.
If you have questions about what we discussed in today’s episode, please post them below. Of course, we would love to welcome you to our community. The Join button is also on the landing page here on Patreon for those wishing to learn more.
I hope you enjoy our conversation.
Warmly,
Rachel & Rebecca
Prolific Spinning with Rebecka Roy
Wool n' Spinning Radio
05/05/17 • 65 min
This month, I had the chance to chat with Becca, who many of you know from Slack and the Ravelry group. She is a prolific spinner, incredible cheerleader for many of us taking on a large project and kind. It was incredibly fun to chat with her.
Thank you to Becca for taking the time to chat with me - I hope to have her on the show again in the future.
Happy Spinning!
The Loving Blanket Project with Ahn Wilson
Wool n' Spinning Radio
05/01/23 • 54 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
Thank you for joining us in another episode of Wool n' Spinning Radio. I welcome onto the show today, Ahn Wilson, who is two spirit Atikamekw and French on her mother's side and German on her father's side. Ahn is the visionary behind a very ambitious project, The Loving Blanket Project, to commemorate and share the collective weight of grief that all people experience as more and more graves are unearthed at the residential schools throughout Canada. In Ahn's words,
When the first 215 were returned home, I felt the collective weight of grief through the nations. In my grief I shaved my head. No amount of time on the water (my medicine) would soothe it. More keep being found and it's been hard being alone. I've been trying to find a way to hold and collectively share in this grief in a meaningful way. Covid has made it hard for folx to gather in Ceremony. Or hold one another. Thus, after many months of thinking, by way of dream, came to me the idea to make a blanket. A very large blanket. One square to represent each child. One person to make one square. 'You may cut my hair, but the medicint is in the roots" (song by Digging Roots). We are the roots. We are the medicine. By each person stitching a square, we stitch outselves together in strength. We metamorpically hold one another and share the weight of collective grief.
Have a listen to our converation and I hope you feel pulled to make a square, mailing it off to Ahn when you are done. You can send you work here:
C/O Ahn Wilson
PO Box 936
Nelson PO Main, BC
Canada V1L 5P9
There are some things you need to know when you go to make your blanket - I have uploaded two PDFs that I have scanned from Ahn. Please download these before you start and read them through. There is increbibly important information in both of them, including problematic wording or imagery that would be important to leave OUT of the squares, alongside WELCOMING imagery and powerful words that one can place in your square(s).
It might be helpful to make a square that you might dedicate to an individual child, group of children and place they lived. Think about how resilient those children are, what it might look like to welcome them home in celebration and warmth, and how you would wrap them in a blanket, feed them and love them. This might help you to get started. Gather your family, friends or maybe just yourself! '[Create] your square [to] have a connection to it; keep in mind your heritage and culture ... these squares are meant to bring a sense of joy with them, an energy of warmth and welcoming' (Ahn Wilson). Think about Ahn's comments from the episode about a party!
Please leave your comments below so that I can help to clarify anything - if I'm not sure, I will reach out to Ahn.
As always, thank you for listening and spending the time in this place. It was a pleasure to welcome Ahn onto the show.
Until next time,
Rachel
Creativity & Energy Levels
Wool n' Spinning Radio
11/01/23 • 65 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
Welcome to another episode of Wool n' Spinning Radio - I am so pleased to be able to produce these episodes with Rebecca (@rebbiejaye). Rebecca took the lead on this month's episode, which was really fun for me as I was able to sit back and participate in a different way than I normally do - what a pleasure!
To learn more, please head to the original Patreon post here
To help ground the conversation, here are some of the 'primer' questions that Rebecca asked us to think about to prepare for recording. If it speaks to you, particularly if you are a journaller yourself, I would encourage you to write these down or use them as prompts to help you in your journey:
1. Some background: can you talk about how you feel generally about the October/November season? How has this year in particular been affecting your energy levels?
2. This year I think what’s different for me is that I’m really expecting the change. Not dreading it, just trying to be really aware. How has this year met/not met your expectations? Surprised you?
3. Sometimes our hobbies help us, and sometimes they get the better of us! Have you experienced crafting overwhelm this fall? Or have you been able to lay it aside when you need to?
4. How does your making change when you get tired or sick? Are there things that happen differently? Does being tired or sick feed your creativity in any way?
These questions really helped to guide our conversation around fatigue, making and energy. We also talk about Polyvagal Theory, which is the concept that the vagus nerve has a role to play in regulating our emotions, social connection and fear responses. There is much research still to be done on the subject and much has not been substantiated by neuroscience. The basic tenent is the following:
- Parasympathetic/Ventral-Vagal State/Vibe n' Tribe/Social Connection - our 'true' self, authentic, creativity occurs here
- Sympathetic State/Fight or Flight/Stress - feeling threatened, stress, perception of danger, 'doing' state, seeking safety, go-go-go
- Doral Ventral State/Freeze/Paralysis - numbing out, immobilization, lack of coping
I hope this is helpful to ground the conversation when Rebecca asks me to elaborate on Polyvagal Theory; and remember that it is a theory, something to think about, and there is much to learn/read about if you are curious to do so!
You can access the back-catalogue of Radio episodes here, if you would like to listen to more episodes like this one. As well, taking a moment to like, subscribe & rate/review the Radio show helps get it out there to other potential listeners!
Share your thoughts below, especially if you'd like to share some of your own journal responses, or in #podcastchat on Slack for community members.
If you would like to be a guest on Wool n' Spinning Radio, you can reach out to Rachel {at} welfordpurls {dot} com.
Until next month, I hope you are able to carve out some self-love. Tell us what you are going to do to LOVE YOURSELF this month - comment below.
Rachel & Rebecca
Our Making in 2024
Wool n' Spinning Radio
02/01/24 • 62 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
Another month of Wool n' Spinning radio! I can't believe we are really into 2024 now! This is the second part (Part I here) of Rebecca and my conversation about our goals and thoughts about 2024. We recorded towards to the end of January so we have some initial reflections about the year, how it started and momentuum on projects.
Patreon Post here
Please take a moment to share with us your thoughts on one or all of the questions we were contemplating ourselves in this episode - we'd love to hear from you!
Specific to Our Making in 2024:
- Are there skills you want to develop or projects you want to complete in your making?
- Are there any time-wasting activities you want to reduce?
- Connection within our making is such a huge aspect of what we do and who we are. How can you strengthen your connections with others in the coming year?
If there is someone or something you'd like to hear on future episodes of Wool n' Spinning Radio, please reach out! If you have a making story to share, we'd love to feature you on the show - get in touch be messaging Rachel directly on Patreon, Slack or leaving a comment below!
Until next time,
Happy Spinning & Making!
Rachel & Rebecca
Journeying to Intentional Spinning
Wool n' Spinning Radio
04/01/24 • 69 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
This month, Rebecca and I sat down to discuss a slightly different topic that we don't often explore, which is about our journey to intentional spinning. Rebecca asked some incredibly thoughtful questions to ground our discussion and I would love to hear some of your thoughts - please leave your comments here!
Link to Patreon post here
The Journey of Intentional Spinning:
1. Can you describe your journey toward becoming an intentional spinner? What was your spinning like when you started? What drove you to become more intentional? Who were your teachers/resources? What practices helped you the most? Do you remember a breakthrough yarn or project?
2. Now that you’ve been an intentional spinner for a long time, what has changed? What is easier or harder now? How is your perspective different than you thought it would be? What practices have you held onto or let go of?
3. As a podcaster and spinning teacher, how does that impact your intentionality? How do you spin differently when you are teaching or producing “content” vs not?
4. What are some areas you'd like to continue to grow as an intentional spinner? Have you ever plateaued in your spinning - are there more advanced skills you'd still like to work on?
A few of the resources that Rachel discussed throughout the conversation:
Yarn-i-tec-ture: A Knitter's Guide to Spinning by Jillian Moreno here
The Essentials of Handspinning by Mabel Ross here
If you would like to be a guest on Wool n' Spinning Radio and share your story, please get in touch, either on Patreon through direct message or email (rachel (@) welfordpurls (dot) com).
Do you have any practices in your spinning that revolutionized your yarns? We'd love to hear about it - please share in the comments here.
Be sure to share this podcast episode with friends and family, like and subscribe, and leave a review if you are able - it helps to increase the podcast's visibility when searching for new things to listen to!
Until next time,
Happy Spinning!
Warmly,
Rachel & Rebecca
The Importance of Every Day Creativity
Wool n' Spinning Radio
03/02/24 • 73 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
This month we are joined by Suzanne Reyes, a long-time member of our community who had the opportunity to work on a year-long project called The Importance of Every Day Creativity. We had a wonderful conversation about the depth and breadth of creativity in our every day lives. She has presented this to faculty, students and now shared her story here! Enjoy!
More is available on Patreon here
Thank you to Suzanne for taking time today to chat with us about her project - it was very inspiring!
Definitions:
Generativity - a concern for establishing and guiding the next generation, originally coined by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson; the ability to transcend personal interests to provide care and concern for younger and older generations
Fibonacci - a sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc ...)
Suzanne mentions many books throughout the podcast & I have linked to many of them below:
A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns by Lisa Lloyd
A Craftsman's Legacy: Why Working with Our Hands Gives Us Meaning by Eric Gorges
Craft in America (YouTube)
Great Barrier Reef Crochet Project here
Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber
The Quilts of Gee's Bend by Susan Goldman Rubin
Crafted Lives: Stories and Studies of African American Quilters by Patricia A. Turner
Welcoming 2024!
Wool n' Spinning Radio
01/01/24 • 66 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
Welcome 2024! I hope this finds you happy, healthy & excited for the new year. I know here in my home, we have had a very quiet week, watching a couple of movies, soccer games & attending a hockey game (very Canadian of us). The kids had never been to a hockey game before so that was fun sharing that joy with them!
Today, Rebecca and I sat down to chat about the upcoming year here at Wool n' Spinning. The overarching theme of the next two years will be Sarah Anderson's The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs. We will be tackling the book in regular increments - see the syllabus here - with regular releases of content (Spinning Purls) from myself that touch on key points from within the book.
For a comprehensive overview of the options involved to engage in our 2-year book study - check out this post here. It is also available on the blog here.
Access to the Ravelry thread here
Access previous Wool n' Spinning Radio Episodes here
We also talked a little bit about the coming year. We began with tackling some overarching goals we both have for 2024, including a discussion of the following questions:
- What are your top priorities for the coming year?
- What specific goals do you want to achieve in the next year? What are your short-term goals for the upcoming months? What are your long-term goals for the upcoming months?
- Are there any recurring challenges or obstacles that you want to address in the new year?
- How do you envision your making or hobbies at the end of next year?
I hope you enjoyed our conversation! We have a few more questions we ran out of time to discuss today so we will pick up the thread of the conversation next month - see you then!
Have a wonderful holiday season - Happy New Year once again! Comment below with questions as they come up - if you're wondering, so are others!
Warmly,
Rachel
Exploring Sheep & Fleece Barns
Wool n' Spinning Radio
06/01/24 • 43 min
Dear Spinning Circle,
Today on the Radio show, Rebecca and I sat down to talk about the sheep and breeds that she came across at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival recently. We chat a little bit about getting fibre preparation done, some of the road blocks to getting things started and more.
Patreon Post here
This was a stream-of-consciousness at 6am Pacific time - I hope you enjoy this off-the-cuff episode!
For more on Spinning Sheep Breeds and getting further down the rabbit hole of various classifications of wool, check out my workshop on the School of SweetGeorgia here.
We have explored washing sheep fleece in previous posts, specifically here. Within this post contains a list of posts that go through the classification of sheep breeds, including Fine & Medium, Longwools, Down & Down-like, and Double-Coated in multiple parts.
I also chronicle (through photos) a Farm-to-Yarn-to-Sweater prep, spin, dye and knit that I made several years ago, right after my dad died. It was a meditative project that offered a ton of quiet while I processed what had happened in such a short period of time. This sweater still holds an incredibly special place in my heart.
Comment below if there's a topic you'd like us to discuss & explore!
If you would like to be featured on Wool n' Spinning Radio, have a story to tell or want to discuss your making, please reach out to Rachel. You can leave a comment below or message her privately!
Until next time,
Keep Spinning!
Rachel & Rebecca
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FAQ
How many episodes does Wool n' Spinning Radio have?
Wool n' Spinning Radio currently has 110 episodes available.
What topics does Wool n' Spinning Radio cover?
The podcast is about Visual Arts, Podcasts, Arts and Knitting.
What is the most popular episode on Wool n' Spinning Radio?
The episode title 'Journeying to Intentional Spinning' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Wool n' Spinning Radio?
The average episode length on Wool n' Spinning Radio is 56 minutes.
How often are episodes of Wool n' Spinning Radio released?
Episodes of Wool n' Spinning Radio are typically released every 29 days.
When was the first episode of Wool n' Spinning Radio?
The first episode of Wool n' Spinning Radio was released on Dec 30, 2016.
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