3 Things is a new segment I’m going to be introducing to my newsletter. I thought it would be a fun and fast way to share useful craft information that can provide you with some creative inspiration. We’re going to start with the popular medium of podcasts. I know so many makers who like to listen to something while they craft. It can be better than missing parts of your favourite tv show while you’re concentrating, or even losing count of your stitches because the music you’re listening to has got in your head! And while I’m perfectly happy rewatching Gossip Girl for the tenth time whilst working on my crochet, lately I’ve been looking for something a little different. I decided to look into podcasts about yarn as having something crafty to listen to whilst crafting seemed like a good way to keep motivated.
As it turns out, there are plenty to choose from! It can be hard to find the right podcast for you, so I’ve picked out a few highlights to share with you. And by ‘few,’ I mean three! I hope you enjoy this new feature of In the Wool and discover some inspiration for your craft along the way.
1. Escape Tricot
This yarn shop podcast is hosted by Stephanie and Naomi all the way from Montreal, and has been running for five years. One factor that makes them stand out is that they’re bilingual. The Province of Quebec requires all businesses to maintain both French and English signage, so Escape Tricot's website is written in both languages. The name itself means ‘Knitting Space’ in English.
I found several episodes that were great to listen to while crafting. One in particular that you may enjoy was episode 37, in which Stephanie and Naomi chronicled a trip to San Francisco to visit a yarn convention:
And Episode 33, when the whole Escape Tricot staff got together on camera to knit and introduce themselves:
This is definitely a top yarn shop podcast, and it’s really refreshing to hear crafting stories from different parts of the world. I’m getting a kick out of sharing a lot of the same worries and habits as my Canadian counterparts. I also love their yarn!
2. Drowning in Yarn
My next suggestion is an American podcast from one of the bigger knitting channels out there at the moment. Drowning in Yarn is a YouTuber by the name of Caleb, sometimes joined by his boyfriend Brian, and they do live podcasts as well as a variety of YouTube content.
Caleb has an interesting knitting story. He picked up his first pair of needles just before the pandemic, after he quit his job as a lawyer and moved from Austin to Chicago. His channel has a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere, his knits are varied, and his production quality is superb!
Brian tries to provide shorter videos with more specific topics, so if super long podcast conversations aren’t for you, give this one a go!
3. Jonathan's Days
We're heading back to the UK for our final highlight. Jonathan is an Irish man who lives in London and loves knitting. He started his podcast less than a year ago and has grown quite a bit recently due to the good quality and snappy pace.
Jonathan's Days is the name of his podcast; each upload brings you up to speed with what's been going on in Jonathan's Days. He runs you through what he’s wearing, his FOs (Finished Objects), and his WIPs. Each project he shows is GORGEOUS. He's a great knitter and tends to use high quality, environmentally friendly wool made from British sheep.
One of my favourite episodes was number 4, when Jonathan retold a bike trip around London's yarn shops, complete with yarn hauls and pictures:
I also enjoyed Episode 9, in which he chronicled a Copenhagen trip he took with his boyfriend. The Danish yarn scene seemed really interesting and now I want to visit myself!
The Copenhagen trip begins at 35:30
Here’s a quote from Episode 1 that sums up Jonathan's enthusiasm about knitting:
11:46 - "This was the first year I ever knit socks, and ever since I knit my first socks, I realized I'm never not going to have a pair of socks on my needles. Because they're so much fun to knit, so enjoyable, so portable that I will never not knit socks."
The man loves socks, and all things knitting, so definitely check this one out!
I hope you enjoyed this first edition of 3 Things!
Podcasts are great vehicles to dive deeper into hobbies. I hope you found these three enjoyable. Let me know in the comments if you have a favourite podcast that I didn’t mention, or if you’ve listened to one of these three before!