This last Monday (08/10/2020) my guest was the Oink Pigments team.
This interview lasted about an hour and 25 minutes. Most of our conversation revolved around how they all met and how it evolved into Oink Pigments. This was the very first time I had four people on the air with me. I thought it might be a mess... but it wasn't. What impressed me most is how socially conscious this business is and how much they give/donate even under hard economic times. Please list to this great interview to hear from these amazing folx. About Oink Pigments: Established in 2010, Oink Pigments is a purveyor of small-batch, hand-dyed yarns in Vista, CA and Indianapolis, IN. Our owners (Alexa, Helena, and Julie) are a trio of strong-willed humans who love pigs, puns, and purls. They have over 140 bright and playful colorways, available on over a dozen yarn & fiber bases. Let me introduce you to the team... Alexa Wilson (she/her) learned to knit in 2009, and knew from the moment she picked up the needles that she wanted to build a career in the fiber arts industry. She started dyeing in 2010, and has been in love with adding a bit of color to life ever since. Alexa continues to work hard to grow Oink Pigments, along with the rest of Team Oink, embarking on an incredible adventure through the yarnisphere. You can find her on the couch starting another new project, or buried under doggos, but probably both. Helena Bristow (she/they) has been Vice Pigmentologist at Oink Pigments since its inception in 2010. She learned to crochet at age 4, and taught herself to knit when she started graduate school for the first time. She often jokes that “knitting stuck; grad school did not” -- Helena has now dropped out of two different graduate programs because she would rather be playing with yarn. Helena can usually be found driving all over the country in her yarn van, to fiber festivals and local yarn stores. Julie Gillespie (she/her) keeps things running as Chief Oink Operator and head of Social Media & Marketing. She started knitting in 2007 on a whim and has been collecting different crafty skill sets ever since. Julie first joined Team Oink at Stitches West 2015, and was immediately informed that she was never allowed to leave. She can be found manning the Oink Pigments social media accounts, surrounded by a grumble of pugs. Founder of Sparkle Saturday, she always encourages others to shine bright. Harper Hodes (they/he) has been a member of Team Oink for a few years now, and loves helping customers pair colors. They have been knitting since they were in high school and are strongly involved in advocacy for mental health issues, the LGBTQIA+ community, and disability access. Harper is a process knitter who enjoys color work, but much prefers petting and buying yarn to finishing projects. They can often be found in their wheelchair at the Oink booth reminding people to hydrate. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Here are the resource links to some of the things we talked about on the show...
0 Comments
This last Monday (05/04/2020) my guests were Shannon & Jason Mullett-Bowlsby (aka The Shibaguyz). Shannon & Jason joined me on the show from their home in Seattle, WA.
This show lasted almost 2 hours with one small technical glitch. We're friends... and I had a pretty good idea that the show would get away from us. We laughed a lot. And there was some good natured kidding in both directions. We talked about their history's We talked about their introduction into the fiber arts world and their evolution from makers to designers to instructors. We talked about STITCHES Events and some of the other shows the Shibaguyz taught at. We discussed their concerns as activists and members of the LGBTQIA community. And we talked about the future of the industry. The back and forth in this show was fun. And Shannon & Jason were a delight to hear from. I hope you'll check out the show. Shannon & Jason Mullett-Bowlsby's Biography: Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby, the dynamic DIY duo known as the Shibaguyz… and the inspired creators of Shibaguyz Designz Studio. Jason’s pronouns are he and him. Shannon’s pronouns are he and him as well as them and they. Their award winning crochet, knit, and sewing designs have been featured in and on the covers of dozens of domestic and international publications. Together, the Shibaguyz team has over 300 published patterns and 11 books credited to their name since their first design was featured on a magazine cover in 2010. Currently, they are finishing work on a new book with C&T Publishing scheduled for release December 2020. In addition to their design work, the Shibaguyz are sought-after freelance book-packaging designers having crafted books and photography for major publishing companies like Sterling Publishing, Leisure Arts, and Creative Publishing. The Shibaguyz have been teaching adults for 30+ years. Their enthusiasm, quirky sense of humor, and relatable teaching style have made them sought after teachers in both local and national venues like STITCHES Events, Sew Expo, and Houston Quilt Market. In addition to their live classes, the Shibaguyz also have a wide range of online classes available from Blueprint and Interweave. Shannon and Jason are proud ambassadors for Aurifil, Clover, BERNINA, Horn of America, the Daylight Company, and are members of the Justice League (yes, they have capes to prove it). Shannon and Jason live in Seattle, Washington with their three Shiba Inu who, more or less, support their ventures in sewing, stitching, and crafting… so long as enough time is taken for walks and treats. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about a lot of things. Here are the resource links to some of those things...
This last Monday (04/27/2020) my guest was Cecilia Nelson-Hurt. Both Cecilia and her husband are just now recovering from the Coronavirus. And we were lucky to have her on the show.
We talked about Cecilia's grandmother and mother... and their influences on her. We talked about her career in Diversity & Inclusion training at L'Oréal USA. She gave us her thoughts on the inequity of care based on race and socioeconomic conditions that we are seeing with the COVID-19 virus. We talked about the work that she is doing with the LGBTQIA community inside and outside of her work. And we talked about the additional training that she is doing since the rise of hostility and violence toward Asians in our country. The show did have a pretty significant technical glitch. The host, mr, was dropped from the show for several minutes. Cecilia recognized the problem and just kept talking to the listeners about the things that were important to her. I did manage to rejoin the show, with my apologies. And we carried on. Cecilia did share a quote with the listeners that I think is not only optimistic but a real opportunity... "We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was never normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, My friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature." ~Sonya Renee Taylor Cecilia Nelson-Hurt's Biography: As a Diversity & Inclusion practitioner, Cecilia Nelson-Hurt has over 15 years of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion experience. Currently, Cecilia serves as the Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at L'Oréal USA where she is responsible for shaping diversity efforts through innovative initiatives that underscore the company’s commitment to creating an equal opportunity workplace. In addition to leading the company's affinity groups for the LGBTQIA and Women of Color employees, Cecilia is also responsible for the curriculum development and facilitation of all L’Oréal USA Diversity and Inclusion trainings, having trained over 15,000 employees to date. Her maternal grandmother first introduced Cecilia to the fiber arts, she learned to crochet when she was very young. Cecilia later taught herself to knit and has been an avid knitter for over 20 years. At the intersection of passion and purpose, Cecilia combines her love for knitting and advancing diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging with a goal to affect and create a more inclusive fiber community. A self-proclaimed citizen of the world, Cecilia loves to travel. She makes sure to visit a yarn shop wherever she goes. To date, Cecilia has visited over 130 shops in the United States and abroad. She chronicles her travels on her "CeciKnitsTheWorld" YouTube channel. Cecilia is married to an adventurous and supportive "Yarn Husband" Jerome, is the mother to an incredible daughter Atrice and a fabulous four-legged furry daughter, Dallas Jade. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about a lot of things. Here are the resource links to some of those things...
This last Sunday (04/19/2020) my guest was be Louis Boria—AKA Brooklyn Boy Knits. Louis has recently recovered from the Coronavirus. And we were lucky to have him on the show.
We talked about a lot of things. We talked about his Tedx Talk. We talked about how and where he grew up. We talked about overcoming social norms. We talked about his advocacy work within the BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. Louis Boria's Bio: Louis Boria—AKA Brooklyn Boy Knits is a self-taught fiber artist who has been in the industry for 12 years. In 2017, Louis went viral after being photographed on a NYC subway by actress/singer, Frenchie Davis. With his newfound fame, Louis decided to use his social media platform to do something positive and so began working with local New York public schools, teaching children to knit. He has worked closely with with campaigns such as Hat Not Hate, Cancer Awareness Programs at New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital and with LGBTQIA young adults by promoting knitting as a therapeutic outlet. As well as working in the community, Louis is a knitwear Designer of both custom pieces and knitting patterns that range in style from streetwear design to runway couture. In April 2019 Louis did his first Tedx Talk, “Making The Most of Your Moment”. Later that year, he became one of the founding members of Soho Publishing’s Diversity Advisory Council which was set up to address the lack of diversity and inclusion in the fiber arts industry. The following year he organized the Kaleidoscope Fashion Show at Vogue Knitting Live in New York, which showcased the works of up and coming knitwear designers. He has also taught at STITCHES Events and spoke as part of a diversity panel at STITCHES Midwest 2019. Louis believes in building up our community one stitch at a time. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about a lot of things. Here are the resource links to some of those things...
|
Fiber Hooligan Show NotesI've started this blog to keep track of our shows and to provide show notes with follow up. Archives
August 2020
Streaming episodes...
The RSS feed from BlogTalk Radio is working. Please click on the button above to access that RSS feed.
The main Facebook page for the Fiber Hooligan is currently my personal Facebook page.
Click on the graphic above to go the Fiber Hooligan portal on BlogTalk Radio.
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
