Ten years ago, Heather Gibbs was looking for an outlet for her crochet creativity and set up her blog; Keep Calm and Crochet On UK. Little did she know that her blog would be going from strength to strength a whole decade later, but that she would also end up working with a selection of different crochet magazines and yarn companies as well.
Graceful Gull Shawl MAL – one of Heather’s design collaborations with Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer
In this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast, I chatted to Heather about how the blog came about in the first place, how her design career first got off the ground and her hopes for the next ten years to come in her crochet adventure.
Bunty Bear – Heather’s latest design / kitHeather’s Dear Ewe Kit – Flynn the Fox
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston
Hello there and welcome to the Making Stitches Podcast 2023 Christmas Special. Join me for a selection box of treats looking back at the past 12 months in my podcast world.
You can hear from guests including Dr Mia Hobbs from the ‘Why I Knit’ Podcast on the mental health benefits of being creative, Dr Fran Darlington-Pollock from the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity about their yarny Christmas appeal this year and some more of my guests from the podcast this year. Also joining me are some of the lovely people I met at this year’s Great Northern Textile Show who will be sharing what’s on their Christmas wish list.
Thank you to all of my guests who joined me on this episode, and throughout the year. Thank you to you too for listening! I hope you have a lovely Christmas and that 2024 is kind to you.
Making Stitches was a finalist in the 2023 Independent Podcast Awards
The theme music is Winter Trip by Audioflame from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Jane Czaja has been trying to spread the love of crochet for decades, from teaching beginners groups back in the 1970s & 80s to running a crochet and chat group in her local library now! Jane has always been a maker, and since her retirement from computer programming and lecturing students about it, she has turned her attention to crochet full time.
One of Jane’s ‘Corner to Corner’ blanket designs
You can find Jane’s name in the credits of crochet books, through her work as technical editor, she also does tech editing work for Inside Crochet and Disney Crochet Magazine. Jane is one of those amazing people who can spot a needle in a haystack – a pattern error!
Another of Jane’s designs
I think you’ll find Jane to be evangelical about the craft of crochet, and if you had her as your teacher, I think that love of the craft would be contagious!
You can find Jane’s website here, and her crochet and chat group meets at Kingston Library on 2nd Saturday of the month between 10:30 and 12pm.
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Making Stitches Podcast was a finalist in the 2023 Independent Podcast Awards
One of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity ‘Deck the Halls’ decorations
This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I want to share a great initiative which is happening in my home city of Manchester. Homelessness is a problem all year round in towns and cities across the world, not just here in the UK and it’s a complex problem to solve.
Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity was set up after our Mayor, Andy Burnham was elected. He chose to donate a percentage of his monthly wage to combatting rough sleeping across the city, and it was thanks to that the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity was born. The charity doesn’t just offer somewhere for people to stay, it also helps in other ways with food, clothing and help to get people off the streets.
Fran Darlington-Pollock, Chief Exective of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and my guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast.
Knitted paper chain garland
Each year, the charity looks at new ways to raise funds to support it’s ‘A Bed Every Night’ campaign, and in the run up to Christmas there’s a concerted push to bring in more funding. It costs £30 to pay for one person to have somewhere safe to sleep for the night and to receive the wrap around care on offer.
This year, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is calling on knitters and crocheters to help them in partnership with Black Sheep Wools. They have a range of knitting and crochet patterns for sale as well as yarn kits to make decorations. The proceeds from the sale of the patterns will go to the charity as well as 10% from the sale of every yarn pack and, if you would prefer to make a £30 donation through the Black Sheep Wools website, you will be gifted all the patterns for free, and that entire £30 will go to fund a bed for the night.
Crocheted Christmas stockings
I spoke to Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity Chief Executive, Fran Darlington-Pollock, who told me why she was calling on knitters and crocheters to help them this year.
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Making Stitches Podcast was a finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2023
Hello and welcome to this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast where I’m taking you out on the road with me to the second Great Northern Textile Show which happened a couple of weeks ago in Manchester.
Cheryl & Joanne from the North Cheshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers & Dyers
You’ll hear from a selection of traders who brought their products to sell to visitors, several crafts guilds and three hugely talented textile artists who were invited to exhibit their work. In this episode I also spoke to the really inspiring Taslima from CDM UK Manchester which works with women and children (some of whom have suffered abuse) teaching them textile design and craft skills – if you think that listening to this section of the episode may upset you or someone you are listening with, you can skip the section between the 33.5 minute mark and 43.5 minute mark.
Some of Wendy Roby’s exhibitionSheila Haldane with Jupiter (on the top right)
Jane Smith with her beautiful Japanese EmbroideryYarn Addicts of Manchester (Helen is on the right)
Since the last episode I had a trip to London for the Independent Podcast Awards. Making Stitches was shortlisted in the Arts & Culture category. It was a wonderful event and a huge honour to be shortlisted alongside other such fantastic podcasts. Making Stitches didn’t win, but I was really pleased to see that Folk on Foot, another passion project podcast was the winner. It’s a super listen and would highly recommend it!
My trip to the Independent Podcast Awards in London!
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also available from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs by buying me a coffee through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson. The latest design is ‘Prunella the Pumpkin’ an amigurumi pumpkin doll.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Catherine of Catherine Crochets and her Aria blanket
Way back in December 2022 I promised you this episode of Making Stitches with crochet designer Catherine from Catherine Crochets. Unfortunately, life rather got in the way of those plans, so now, six months later than originally promised is the final episode of the current series of Making Stitches.
Midnight Diamond blanket
Catherine got hooked on crochet while expecting her second child and since then, her passion for tapestry crochet has grown and grown. Her designs have been featured in books and magazines and she has also designed for yarn companies too. Catherine’s designs are often influenced by geometric patterns and, I’m told, are rather addictive to make.
Superstars blanketGeo Georgie blanket
Last November, Catherine was invited to be the guest designer at The Crochet Sanctuary in Cheshire, so I popped along before her workshop to have a chat about her crochet and how it all got started. You can find Catherine’s work on her website, Instagram & Facebook.
You can find out more about The Crochet Sanctuary here.
Thank you for listening to this, the 60th episode of Making Stitches Podcast. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Some of the highlights of 2022 on Making Stitches Podcast! (Clockwise from top left; Figen Murray, Amanda Bloom, Khloe from the People’s History Museum, Eleanora Tully at Yarndale, Amoami, Tracy Fox, Great Northern Textile Show, Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer
It’s that time again, as 2022 draws to a close, I’m taking you on a romp through this year’s Making Stitches back catalogue with a few of my highlights.
One of Leah Higgins’ beautiful art quilts on display at the Great Northern Textile Show
You can hear from Figen Murray, Amanda Bloom from Cosy Life Boxes, Rafael Alcaide from Amoami, Beth Gillions, Conservation Officer at the People’s History Museum, Eleonora Tulley from Coastal Crochet, highlights from the first Great Northern Textile Show, Leah Higgins, Tracy Fox and Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer.
Arriving at Yarndale 2022
This year, Making Stitches has been listened to across 6 continents and has held the number one spot in the Apple Craft Podcast Charts in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland & New Zealand. It also reached the number 5 spot in the USA. Thank you to everyone who has listened this year – it’s been great to have your company.
The music featured in this episode is Winter Trip by AudioFlame from Melody Loops. The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston
In this, the first of two Christmas and New Year specials this year, I catch up with a few old friends of the podcast: Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet Sanctuary (my first ever guests on Making Stitches) and Christine Perry, otherwise known as Winwick Mum, who first appeared back in Episode 31).
Lynda-Rose & Lisa from The Crochet Sanctuary
We look back at what’s been happening in the worlds of The Crochet Sanctuary and sock knitting in 2022 as well as their plans for 2023, and what they are hoping to achieve with their New Year’s Resolutions too.
Christine has so far donated £435 to the Trussell Trust through the sales of her her Sofa Snuggle Socks pattern. You can find the pattern here if you want to buy one and help with the fundraising whilst keeping your feet warm at the same time. You can also find Christine’s website here.
The music featured in this episode is Winter Trip by AudioFlame from Melody Loops. The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston
A chance experience at an airport back in March left its mark on Rafael Alcaide. On returning home to Madrid, Rafael saw a large group of Ukrainian women and children who had just arrived from fleeing the invasion in their homeland.
Some of the Ukrainian women who have been helped by Amoami
Wanting to do something to help, Rafael turned to his friend Rita, a crochet designer, and together they came up with a design for a small amigurumi bear which has become a symbol of resistance for the refugees. Within weeks, Amoami, a social enterprise was born and they began training the Ukrainian women in how to create the amigurumi bears – some of which had never crocheted before.
Soon other groups opened up across Spain and later in Switzerland too. To date, 40 women have been helped through Amoami. The organisation is able to help the women with the therapy of making the bears, it helps them settle into their new communities and pays them an income. People are able to support the group by buying the bears and so far bears have been sent far and wide, from the USA to Hong Kong as well as across Europe and the UK.
You can find out more about Amoami here, through their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops. The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Tristen – Yarndale’s mascot for this year – to celebrate 10 years of the festival
It hardly seems a year ago that I last followed the Yarn Walk to Skipton Auction Mart for Yarndale 2021. Last year saw the yarn festival based in North Yorkshire return after Covid, and this year it’s celebrating it’s 10th birthday. Seeing as I had such fun on my last visit, I had to return – not just to squish some gorgeous yarn – but to meet more lovely crafty folk.
Yarndale Festival entrance last Saturday Crochet designer Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet gave a talk about her blanket design process
This episode, the first of the sixth series of Making Stitches Podcast, is a snapshot of the fabulous day I spent at Yarndale 2022 last Saturday. You will hear from stall-holders and a chat I had with Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet who was on the workforce at the festival this year running workshops and giving a couple of talks.
The highlight of my day was meeting Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet!
Here are the people and businesses who feature in this episode – my thanks to everyone who spoke to me.
The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops. The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.
Making Stitches Podcast 