This last Monday (07/06/2020) my guest was Anna Zilboorg. Anna joined me from her home in Rockland, Maine.
This show lasted just about under an hour and twenty minutes. And we talked about a lot of things. We talking about Anna's amazing career. Her perspective and her insights were amazing to hear. The thoughts about gender, in an historical context were very insightful. Her unique take on the process of teaching and learning--and how it should be as opposed to what it usually is--was amazing. Anna talked about her retirement and thinking about going through the process of reinventing herself again. She said so much more... so I encourage you all to listen to the show so you can her hear words in her own voice. Anna Zilboorg's Biography: Anna Zilboorg, an Elder of the knitting community, is an Anglican solitary who now lives on the seaside town of Rockland, Maine. According to a quote by her (that I found online), she says that she was… "Born and reared in New York City; educated at Harvard; taught at MIT. Fled from the madding crowd's ignoble strife until I found myself in Big Stone Gap, VA. Got religion. Returned to my childhood love of knitting; became a hermit." At this point, Anna is retired. Before she retired, she devoted her energy to teaching the living craft (as opposed to just following directions). She has been called the Anarchist Knitter because of her book Knitting for Anarchists, and the 'Mad Bobbler' due to her love of three-dimensional stitches. Other books include Magnificent Mittens and Socks and Splendid Apparel, both available, as well as Sock for Sandals and Clogs, Fancy Feet, and 45 Fine & Fanciful Hats to Knit. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about Anna's Books. Here are the resource links to some of those books...
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This last Monday (06/29/2020) my guest was Karida Collins from Neighborhood Fiber Co. Karida joined me from her studio in Baltimore, MD.
If you’ve been to a #STITCHESWest in the past couple of years, you might have met her and seen her wonderful work first hand. This show lasted just about and hour and twenty minutes. And we talked about a lot of things. Karida told us about going to school and deciding she did NOT want to be a lawyer. She talked about her time in Columbus, OH. She talked about coming back to Baltimore, MD to take care of her grandmother who was dying of cancer. Karida talked about her first TNNA show and the growth of her business--admitting that she made some mistakes early on in her career as an entrepreneur. Karida talked a lot about racism within the fiber arts industry as well as racism in America. We talked about the her activism and the way she's used her voice to talk about these important issues. We talked about her amazing GoFundMe campaign and how quickly it grew. Karida let us know that GoFundMe had made her a 'GoFundMe Hero'. I asked Karida about her outlook on our progress, as a people. She continues to be optimistic... especially about the fiber arts world. As she says... "Knitters get shit done!" Karida is incredibly busy. And she was very generous with her time. She was also wonderful to talk with. I hope you'll listen to the show so you can hear Karida's word yourself. Karida Collins' Biography: Karida learned how to knit immediately after finishing college, and fell in love. Hard. Enamored with knitting, she set out to create her own hand-dyed yarn business in 2006. She taught herself how to dye yarn and thus, Neighborhood Fiber Co. was born. Karida's love of saturated and vibrant colors is what gives her yarn it's signature style. Stirred by her surroundings, Karida set out to provide the world with hand-dyed yarns inspired by and named to reflect the natural beauty and diverse neighborhoods throughout the nation’s capital. Since then, she has added many more colors to reflect a multitude of neighborhoods, both inside and outside of DC. Now based in Baltimore, MD, Neighborhood Fiber Co. continues to offer vibrant, one-of-a-kind colors inspired by urban landscapes. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about a lot of things. Here are the resource links to some of those things...
Hello Friends! This is a very different show. I want to thank Heavenly Bresser for this special episode.
Instead of the usual show notes, below you’ll find a compilation of Black Lives Matter and anti-racism resources. Please share this podcast episode and resources with your friends.
Thank you! - Benjamin Levisay 
This last Monday (05/25/2020) my guest was Charan Sachar from Creative with Clay. Charan joined me from his home studio in Federal Way, Washington.
If you’ve been to a #STITCHESWest in the past couple of years, you might have met him and seen his wonderful work first hand. This show lasted just about and hour and a half. Charan is true artist when it comes to pottery. But he also knits, spins, weaves, and does hand-dying. He can't keep away from techniques and color. We talked about the influence his mother's dress making and embroider show (in India) had on his work. He admitted that a lot of the motifs and colors continue to influence his work. Charan was a computer engineer. When he came to the United States he continued his education and got a Masters in computer science. Education was always important in his family. Around 2000 he took his first pottery class. It changed him forever. He did Fine Art Shows for 15 years. In his 7th year of doing those shows, he quit his full time job and worked in his studio full time. The reason that I know Charan is that in 2018 he did his first #STITCHESWest. His work, with knit textures as part of his pottery, was received with a lot of enthusiasm almost immediately. We talked about his process and his love for color. We talked about his inspirations. And we talked about his experiences in the fiber arts industry. He was a delight to talk with. I hope you'll listen to the show and check it out for yourself. Charan Sachar's Biography: Charan Sachar (from Creative with Clay) lived in India for a significant part of his life where his mother ran a boutique, designing clothes for brides and bridesmaids. The designs, colors, fabrics and embroidery he came across then have a strong impact on his work now. In 2014, Charan took up knitting as a hobby and very soon the knit patterns started making an appearance into his work. Very soon, he purchased a floor loom and a spinning wheel. Now he obsesses over dyeing fiber and is fascinated about color mixing and different spinning techniques which change the appearance of the final yarn. The transformation of fiber to yarn and yarn to fabric inspires him further regarding the textures and colors in his pottery. He uses a combination of techniques such as wheel throwing, extrusions, slab constructions, and alterations to create his forms. Each piece is then further decorated with textures he creates to give it the feel of embroidered and knitted fabric. These are further enhanced with underglazes, slip, and glazes that he formulates to add beauty and functionality to the pieces. In 2011, Charan quit his full-time job of 12 years as a software engineer to pursue his passion in clay. Pottery has given him the much-needed respite from the monotony of everyday life. His story and work have been featured in the New York Times, HGTV, several knitting magazines such as Vogue, Noro, Tiny Fiber studio. His goal is to continue to work with this medium to create artwork which can be cherished for life. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about a lot of things. Here are the resource links to some of those things...
This last Monday (05/18/2020) my guest was author Debbie Macomber. Debbie joined me from Hood Canal, Washington.
This show lasted just over an hour. Debbie is an old friend of mine. She was also the first and last guest on the original Fiber Hooligan show. You can check those episodes out on the archived episodes page. Debbie shared the story of how, as a young girl, her dyslexia moved her into knitting. It was a sweet story and you should listen to the podcast if for no other reason than that. We talked about her husband, her kids, and her grandkids. We talked about the 5 year time span it took her to get a book published... and the very personal, professional, and economic trials in her life during that time. Debbie told us that when she combined her two passions, knitting and story telling, her career as an author really took off. She talked about some of those successes; in some cases vindicating some of the earlier rejections she had gotten. Debbie and I talked about her connection to the fiber arts industry. She had actually been going to STITCHES for several year before I met her. We finally met when we served on the board of Warm Up America! together. Debbie talked about her series, Cedar Cove becoming a series on the Hallmark Channel. She also talked about her Mrs. Miricle books becoming movies and some of my Christmas favorites. Debbie talked about her two upcoming books... A Walk Along the Beach (to be released in July 2020) and Jingle All the Way (to be released in October 2020). We talked about her slowing down a bit and only writing maybe one book a year while helping with her new online magazine, Welcome Home Magazine. It was great to catch up with Debbie after so many years. She really is a delight and she knows how to tell a story. I hope you'll listen to the show and check it out for yourself. Debbie Macomber's Biography: Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Thirteen of these books hit the number 1 spot. In 2020, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publications include A Walk Along the Beach (July) and Jingle All the Way (October). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, an adult coloring book, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books. Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and five have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons. She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series. ------------------------------------------------------------------ During the show we talked about a lot of things. Here are the resource links to some of those things...
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