Episode 104: Yarn, Fibre & Community with Gareth from Manchester Wool & Yarn

I’m taking you out on the road with me today to Stockport to visit a fabulous yarn shop, Manchester Wool & Yarn. The shop celebrated its 2nd birthday earlier this year and is owed and run by Gareth, a passionate maker and supporter of the yarn community.

Stocked with familiar brands and products from independent yarn dyers based across the North West of England, it’s a positive treasure trove of colour, squishyness & is such a lovely place to visit. Regular ‘Bitch and Stitch’ socials support a welcoming community of yarn lovers, and Gareth is always happy to help answer any yarn or pattern queries he encounters from customers.

It was so lovely to visit Gareth at Manchester Wool & Yarn, and I’m really grateful he took the time to speak to me for the podcast – thanks again Gareth!

You can find Manchester Wool & Yarn’s website here and Gareth is also very active on social media, find him on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.

Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

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

Episode 103: From London 2012 to Peru: Anna Nikipirowicz’s Fabulous Yarn Adventure

My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is the wonderful Anna Nikipirowicz. Anna first learned to knit and crochet as a child in Poland, but she says she found it boring – luckily for us, as an adult she found a new passion for both crafts and is passionate about sharing her love and knowledge of them.

Anna has published a series of books on crochet techniques, embroidery onto crochet, Tunisian crochet as well as a book on crochet & knitting too. Her passion for her craft is truly infectious and she loves to meet makers and help them improve their techniques and try new things in workshops across the UK and also abroad.

Shawls, socks and blankets are Anna’s favourite items to make and she wants everyone else to join her on her brilliant yarny adventure too. You can find Anna’s website & Instagram account here.

Thanks so much for Anna for finding the time to speak to me for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast!

Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Episode 101 : Granny Squares Galore! With Katy Mitchell of Kate’s Crochet Creations

Image shows Katy Mitchell from Kate's Crochet Creations sitting at a table surrounded by crocheted items and her book about Granny Squares

Katy Mitchell is the crochet designer behind Kate’s Crochet Creations, known for her vibrant granny square patterns and beautifully themed blanket designs. Her work celebrates colour, creativity and the joy of crochet, her patterns inspire crocheters of all skill levels.

I was thrilled to be able to chat to her about how her hobby turned into a full-time job. Katy’s work has been featured in magazines, she is a Stylecraft yarns ‘Insider’ and, last year, published her first book; The Granny Square Book which features patterns for 125 different squares.

You can find Katy on Instagram, Etsy & Ravelry.

Thank you so much to Katy for speaking to me for Making Stitches Podcast!

It’s TexStyle festival time this weekend in Manchester, and if you would like to come along to enjoy the creativity & fun, please visit the TexStyle website to get your ticket!

If you would like to listen to my chat with Michelle Greaves, who is one of the TexStyle festival’s organisers, you can find it here.

Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Episode 99 : Happy Stitchmas! The Making Stitches 2025 Christmas Special

Hello there and Happy Stitchmas!

It’s that time of year again when I take a look back at the past 12 months and choose some of the highlights of my podcasting year.

2025 has been a big year for me, I celebrated 10 years of blogging (Postcard from Gibraltar and then Making Stitches Blog) and 5 years of Making Stitches Podcast.

In this episode I share some of the chats I have had this year and you may have heard before as well as some new chats too.

Included in this episode are:

Christine Perry from Winwick Mum speaking about 10 years of the Winwick Mum sock along.
Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet talking about 10 years of her blog and our celebration of a decade online with our Let’s Celebrate Wreath collaborative crochet pattern.
Sara & Sean MacLeod from Crochet in the Glen chatting about the fun they have together and how they love to share their silliness online.
Kirstie MacLeod, the artist behind The Red Dress, who I met at Woven in Kirklees on World Stitch Day.
Becky Davies-Downes from William & Tilda who appeared a couple of times on the podcast last year. I interviewed her again at Yarndale this September, and this is the first time I’ve shared our chat.
Also at Yarndale, I spoke to Julie Park, a close friend of Amanda Bloom, who sadly died this year. Julie has taken on Amanda’s social media accounts after her death and has raised funds to support the Yarndale Start-Up Bursary for fledgling creative businesses at the festival in memory of Amanda and her daughter Jenny.
More recently, I was at the Christmas edition of the Crochet Sanctuary Crochet Days just last weekend. While I was there I spoke to Lisa and Lynda-Rose who run the Crochet Sanctuary and, who were my guests on the first ever edition of Making Stitches back in the spring of 2020.
I also caught a quick few minutes with Heather from Keep Calm & Crochet On and Jess from Hook & Cwtch.

I hope you enjoy listening, and that you have a great Christmas. I’ll be back again soon, with the last episode of the current series – and my 100th episode!

Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Merry Crochet Makes with Justine Robson & Nicky Ward – BONUS EPISODE

December starts next week which means we are officially on the countdown to Christmas, but there’s still time to make a few Christmas gifts for special people or some decorations for your home.

In this special ‘Bonus Episode’ I’m sharing a chat I had with Justine from Little Box of Crochet and Nicky Ward from A Heart Shaped Cherry. Followers of Little Box of Crochet will know that 2025 has been a difficult year for Justine. One of the things she has had to deal with involved being badly let down on a yarn order for her Summer Box of Crochet, which left her severely out of pocket and struggling through no fault of her own.

In an attempt to help Justine recoup some of her financial losses, a group of crochet designers have donated Christmas themed crochet patterns to be included in a special E-Book called Merry Crochet Makes, which was curated and edited by Nicky.

Last weekend, I spoke to Justine and Nicky about this special collaboration and how it all came together, including chatting about how difficult things have been for Justine this year. (During our chat, Justine became quite upset – for obvious reasons – however, she has listened back to this episode before being released, and it is being published with her blessing).

You can buy the Merry Crochet Makes E-Book here, and you can find Little Box of Crochet on Instagram here, also this is Nicky’s website and Instagram page – @aheartshapedcherry – please give her a follow!

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Episode 96 : TexStyle – Looking ahead to a new festival for 2026 with Michelle Greaves

Welcome to Making Stitches Podcast!

In this episode, I share a chat I’ve had with Michelle Greaves, one half of the team behind the brand new TexStyle festival which is coming to Manchester next year. Michelle and her Mum, Carole, have been hosting yarn festivals for a number of years including the Buxton, Cumbria and Stafford Wool Gatherings, next year, they are hosting a much bigger event spanning all sorts of textile and yarn crafts in central Manchester.

(Photo Credit: Jenny Wood Photography)

TexStyle is a fresh celebration of all things textile, from knitting and crochet to sewing, weaving and sustainable fashion. It will bring together makers, artists, guilds and other enthusiasts for a weekend of inspiration and creativity in the historic Manchester Central (formerly GMEX).

I really enjoyed chatting to Michelle about how her career has swerved from fashion design to web design alongside organising yarn festivals with her Mum, Carole, who has decades of experience in the yarn industry.

I hope you enjoy listening to our chat!

If you would like to find out more information about the TexStyle festival, please check out the website: https://texstyle.uk/

(Photo Credit: Jenny Wood Photography)

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Episode 94 : Yarndale 2025 – Celebrating Yarn & Community

On the weekend of 27th & 28th September, Skipton Auction Mart was again transformed into Yarndale. The festival of all things creative brings stall holders and crafts people from far and wide to share their love of their creative passions.

While knitting and crochet take centre stage with every imaginable colour and type of yarn, there are many other crafts to enjoy, including embroidery, sewing, spinning, felting, lacemaking and so much more.

I went along with my trusty microphone and chatted to so many people, friends I’ve known online, people I’ve met before and so many new acquauintances too. It was a total joy.

(Picture shows a stunning blanket by Sue Maton from The Mercerie)

Image shows a blanket designed by Sue Maison from The Mercerie

Image shows the Amanda Bloom stand at Yarndale 2025

I was also thrilled to be able to chat to Julie Park, a good friend of the late Amanda Bloom, who was there to represent her friend and support 3 new creative businesses with the Yarndale Start-Up Bursary.

Sammy from Auspicious Stitch was one of the Yarndale Start-Up Bursaries supported by the fundraising effort by Amanda Bloom’s friend Julie Park.

Image shows Sammy from Auspicious Stitch standing by her Yarndale stall

My thanks to everyone who spoke to me for this episode including:

Carley from Unicorn Puffs & Rainbows

Lydia from Laurette Crafts

Sue Maton from The Mercerie

Emma Wood from Verde

Julie Park on behalf of Amanda Bloom & the Yarndale Start-Up Bursary

Sammy from Auspicious Stitch

And Sara & Sean from Crochet in the Glen

It was a treat to catch up with Sara Macleod from Crochet in the Glen again after spending the day at Yarndale.

I even found the time to try my hand at Brioche Crochet in a workshop with Emma Wood from Verde.

Thank you again to everyone who chatted to me on Saturday at Yarndale – you really helped make it a special day for me!

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Episode 89 : Looking ahead to the Woven in Kirklees festival with Nat Walton

The ‘Woven in Kirklees’ textiles festival first launched in 2019 and is due to kick off for its 2025 edition this weekend. The community festival celebrates all kinds of textiles and related crafts with yarn bombs, textile art exhibitions, workshops and talks.

Nat Walton, curator of Woven in Kirklees

The biennial festival runs for a whole month and this year will have 130 different events happening throughout June. Initiated in 2019 by Kirklees Council, the festival “is owned by everyone, including community groups, textile businesses, cultural and educational organisations, artists and heritage sites across the district”.

The Red Dress (Credit: Sophia Schorr-Kon)

Among the attractions on offer this year is ‘The Red Dress’. The Red Dress is an award winning collaborative embroidery project which was conceived by the British artist Kirstie Macleod. It took 14 years to complete and features the work of 380 embroiderers from 51 different countries, many of whom come from marginalised communities. The dress is currently in the middle of a global tour and will be on display for the whole of June at Oakwell Hall in Birstall.

Close up of some of the detailed embroidery on the Red Dress.

(Main embroidery by Zenaida Aguilar, supported by Kitzen Mexico 2018. Photo Credit: Sophia Schorr-Kon)

I caught up with the festival curator Nat Walton in the busy run up to this year’s launch to find out more about what people can expect to see at this year’s Woven.

You can find out the full programme of events at the ‘Woven in Kirklees’ Festival on their website.

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Image of small balls of cotton yarn in rainbow colours with the Making Stitches Podcast overlaid

Episode 88 : From Sewing Wedding Dresses to Crocheting a Turner Prize Winning Doily with Rachael Mills

When Rachael Mills took up crochet as a means to giving up smoking, little did she realise that it would one day lead to her making a Turner Prize winning doily! Last year, when the Glaswegian artist Jasleen Kaur was named the winner of the Turner Prize, crocheter Racheal was celebrating at home in Blackburn. I was thrilled when she agreed to come onto the podcast to share her side of this amazing story.

Rachael’s first creative job was piece work sewing at a bridal gown factory, she then went on to set up her own sewing business when she was made redundant and later on took up crochet as a hobby to keep her hands busy when she gave up smoking. She now spends her mornings on her sewing business and her afternoons crocheting commissions and teaching up to 50 people each week in her crochet classes.

You can find Rachael’s creative business Facebook pages here: REM Designs for sewing and Crazy Crochet Creations.

Some of Rachael’s creations including her Memory Bears & Lapel bags

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Episode 86 : Spreading Joy Online with Sara & Sean from Crochet in the Glen

When I first approached Sara from Crochet in the Glen and asked if she would like to be a guest on Making Stitches Podcast, she couldn’t understand why I’d want to speak to her. Like many (thousands) of other people who follow her Instagram account I’d enjoyed seeing her posts from her home on the picturesque Cowal Peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland – not just for the scenery, or her beautiful crochet creations, but because of her “crochet supermodel” husband Sean!

Sean and Sara are collectively a hilarious team. Their posts are colourful and very, very funny. Sean can often be spotted strutting down an imaginary catwalk in their home wearing some of Sara’s crochet creations – often wearing several different items at the same time.

I am so glad that Sara said yes to an interview and as a bonus, Sean was able to join us too. I hope you enjoy listening to them share their story as much as I did when I recorded it!

You can find Sara and Sean at the Crochet in the Glen Instagram account.

Since the last episode of Making Stitches Podcast was published, Making Stitches has celebrated a birthday – it’s now 5 years old! Thank you to everyone who has come onto the podcast over the past 5 years, everyone who has listened and supported me along the way!

Lindsay x