Yarn Library

In this episode of Yarn Library, I’m joined by Aleks Byrd, a designer, teacher and author known for her work with traditional Estonian knitting techniques.
Aleks taught me Estonian inlay a few years ago in New York, and I later used that technique on my heavy metal jumper, so this was a particularly lovely conversation to have.
We talk about what it’s like to teach knitters all over the world, from adapting Estonian braids for Portuguese style knitters to preparing for a packed teaching tour in Australia. Aleks shares what changes from country to country, why some knitting cultures have such strong foundations, and why the best workshops are often about confidence as much as technique.
We also talk about Aleks’s Estonian heritage, her move to Estonia, and the balance between preserving traditional craft and making it feel alive, modern and accessible. We discuss Estonian inlay, national costume, the importance of naming techniques properly, and what happens when heritage craft becomes part of contemporary design.
Along the way, we talk about in person teaching, yarn festivals, books, lace overlays, and the joy of bringing historic techniques into modern knitting.
A thoughtful conversation about identity, tradition, travel, teaching and the living future of craft.

In this episode of Yarn Library, I’m joined by the brilliant Xandy Peters for a properly thought-provoking conversation about knitting, creativity, originality, and what it really means to design something new.

We talk about rage bait in the knitting world, why social media rewards negative hooks, and how that shapes the way craft is talked about online. Xandy also explains the magic of stacked stitches, the design thinking behind Fox Paws, and why mistakes in knitting are sometimes just discoveries in the wrong place.

From there, we get into the bigger questions: is knitting design a meritocracy? Are patterns really the product? Why is it so hard to build trust as a designer now? And where is the line between art, design, craft and instructions?

There’s also beige, digital overwhelm, Munich Knits, knitted nipple tassels, pattern publishing, originality, copying, stitch innovation, and Xandy’s new flower technique.

A wide-ranging, funny and fascinating conversation with one of the most original thinkers in the knitting world.

In this episode of Yarn Library, Adam is joined by Lisa Ha, better known as Get To Hooking Crochet: crochet royalty, author of Snarky Crochet, and one of the funniest voices in the online craft world.
Adam and Lisa expose the truth behind their internet spats and talk about the world of crafting as an influencer. They discuss their entirely fake but surprisingly convincing knitting-versus-crochet rivalry, the infamous i-cord incident, going viral, dealing with comments, the pressure to have an opinion on everything, and how hard it really is to make money as a creator.
Lisa also talks about learning crochet as a child, becoming funny online almost by accident, writing her first book, supporting other makers, and her ongoing mission to become impressive enough for her teenager via a YouTube Play Button.
It is funny, sharp, occasionally inappropriate, and much warmer than either of them would probably like to admit.

In this short episode, Adam shares what’s next for the Yarn Library Podcast. He talks about Georgia stepping back to focus on her PhD, gives thanks for everything she brought to the podcast, and introduces Series 3: a new interview-led chapter featuring thoughtful, wide-ranging conversations from across the world of yarn, craft and creativity.

After celebrating the Hungarian election results (with a little help from some Bilum yarns), we discuss shushing the shh…, (ft. a diversion into engineering disaster that is Georgia’s undergrad library), an errata on merino wool staple length, and finally – Knitting in Public. 

Prompted by a lovely email from a listener we explore the social dynamics, privilege, assumptions about gender and sexuality, concert knitting etiquette and why Georgia had to do a chicken dance this weekend somewhere very fancy.