Episodes

6d ago

This week, our team of two are joined by the beautiful Belinda Harris-Reid; knitwear designer, hotelier and all round brilliant yarnista to discuss the Semi Final of The Game of Wool! We'd love to hear your thoughts- you can email us at hello@crafttalkin.com, or send us a message on instagram! You can find out all about Belinda on her website, https://belindaharrisreid.co.uk/ and more about The Knitting Hotel on instagram https://www.instagram.com/theknittinghotel/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 8

This week, Jamie and Merion welcome craft hero Anna Nikipirowicz, knitter, crocheter, designer and author, to unpack Statement Week, the sixth week of The Game of Wool! You can find all of Anna's patterns and books at https://moochka.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOor91MPLuyi6IhhFFEyqnF03747O4p5_oSzOCNArJCVp8HDBiO-D and on her instagram, https://www.instagram.com/annanikipirowicz/ - and - we'll be talking to Anna in a few weeks about her fabulous new books! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 1

Our dynamic duo teamed up with brilliant Emma Varnam again this week to discuss texture for Game of Week's TEXTURE WEEK! Emma Varnam is queen of crocheted food, having written many books on the subject, so we knew she would be the perfect chum to include for this episode! For Emma's books, have a look at www.emmavarnam.co.uk! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 24

This week, Merion and Jamie are joined by the FABULOUS Emma Varnam to discuss Week 4, Kids Week! You can find all of Emma Varnam's books and patterns on her website, https://emmavarnam.co.uk/shop/ and you can find Shani Denman's debut novel, The Commoners, on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Commoners-Shani-Denman/dp/1919178015 We'll see you next week for Week 5! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 17

Jamie and Merion are joined by the INCREDIBLE Jane Crowfoot, fresh from her resounding success as guest crochet judge on Game of Wool, episode 3! Join our intrepid trio for a chat about last night's episode and we'd love to hear your thoughts! Email us your episode reviews at hello@crafttalkin.com !!!! Follow us at @craftalkin on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 10

Join us for a romp through the second episode of the FAB Game of Wool with Jamie and Merion - but beware, this episode includes spoilers! This is ICONS week where the contestants were tasked with creating knits inspired by their icons - which ranged from David Bowie to .... buildings! An 80s jumper proved to be a great team challenge, especially in mohair - and we loved it all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 3

Join Jamie and Merion for a week by week catch up following the brilliant GAME OF WOOL! Join the thrills and spills, the dropped stitches and the fraying steeks - we've got it all covered! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 18

In this jam-packed episode, Jamie and Merion have a good old chat with Adam Cleevely, knitter, designer, comedian and social media wizard about his knitting life. You can find him on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cleevelyknits/ On Ravelry here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/adam-cleevely On YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@CleevelyKnits Who would you like us to talk to next? Email and tell us, at show@crafttalkin.com We're up for collabs, reviews, and biscuit testing :) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 20

Jamie and Merion meet crochet giant, Emma Varnam, author of 14 books and crochet designer adored by millions. Emma is well known for her Granny Square books, all celebrations of the vintage favourite, her crochet animals, plants and her giant 10,000 hats books! In this fun chat, we discuss the publication journey, Emma's inspiration and how crafting is a love language for so many! You can find Emma on her website, https://emmavarnam.co.uk/on her instagram, https://www.instagram.com/emmavarnam/?hl=en and you can buy her books on her website or online https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/emma+varnam Merion's favourite glitter hairclips are made by WhatCynMade on instagram, here: https://www.instagram.com/whatcynmade/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18

In this fab episode, sponsored by Dark Matter Roasters, Jamie and Merion meet the fabulous Jeanette Sloan, knitwear designer, author and TV star. We hear all about Jeanette’s experiences on Knit Stars, an online learning platform, her experience on TV in Make it at Market, and delve into the challenges of diversity and inclusivity in the craft industry. There’s a cheeky quiz just to keep Jeanette on her toes as a lifelong Duran Duran fan! You can listen to the first chat we had with Jeanette on the LoveCrafts Show, here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HTWO3vIFLPXDM6y4cwfgQ Follow Jeanette here: https://www.instagram.com/jeanettesloan/ Read more about BIPOC in Fiber here: https://www.bipocinfiber.com/ Find out more about Dark Matter Roasters here: https://darkmatterroasters.com/ Coffee that’s out of this world! We’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas - and requests for guests, book reviews, biscuit reviews and more - please drop us a line at hello@crafttalkin.com ! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for lots more juicy pods coming soon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 18, 2024

Jamie and Merion meet the amazing Paula Milner, aka The Crafty Lass! If she hasn’t pinged up on your crafting radar yet, you’re going to be very excited to meet her, as we talk about her brilliant new book, Simple Paper Flowers . . You can find out more about Paula’s crafting life on her website and on instagram and see all of her gorgeous fabric designs, collaborations with the Indian Block Print Company and with Aurifil threads . We’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas - and requests for guests you’d love to hear on the show - please drop us a line at hello@crafttalkin.com ! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for lots more juicy pods coming soon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 2024

Jamie and Merion meet the FABULOUS Lauren Willis, aka Manatee Squares , to chat about her new, gorgeous book, Filet Crochet to Wear , from David & Charles. Loz, as she’s known, chats about her love of crochet, maths and her beloved lurchers, Wally and Roxy, and how filet crochet became a favourite technique. This hilarious episode travels from Pokemon to dog grooming, via the trauma of making Instagram reels, taking photos of herself and her favourite colours - inclusive sizing, writing patterns, where to sell them and what has worked and what hasn’t. It’s a really illuminating chat if you love Lauren’s work, but also a great inspiration if you’re a crochet designer starting out! You won’t be surprised that Merion is even more of a superfan by the end…. You can find Lauren on her website, Manatee Squares and on instagram here . Timestamps: 00:00 From Pokémon to Filet Crochet 03:02 Embracing Inclusive Sizing 08:03 The Art of Fillet Crochet 24:47 Making Patterns Your Own 25:34 The Struggles of Taking Photos and Posing 26:31 Colour Preferences and Design Choices 28:19 Selling Patterns on Multiple Platforms 38:01 Insights from Dog Grooming 50:33 The Bond Between Dog Groomers and Dogs 51:07 Trends in the Dog Grooming Industry 54:09 The Origin of 'Manatee Squares' 58:42 Future Plans and Secret Projects 01:06:33 Favourite Ice Cream Flavours and Films Don’t forget to subscribe to Craft Talkin’ and tell all your craft friends to do the same! You can send us all your thoughts, suggestions and Dad jokes for Jamie to hello@crafttalkin.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 5, 2024

In this jam packed episode, we talk to the legendary Janie Crowfoot about her brilliant new book, The Complete Crochet Handbook, and all about the techniques that she uses for her blankets and projects. This is a book aimed at intermediate crocheters, although it does contain the basics - it’s a great book for anyone who wants to improve their techniques, too! We talk about colour, design, the creative process, and the inspiration for Janie’s projects, crochet on the high street and favourite ice cream flavours - it’s a great chat! We couldn’t let her go without musing about Justin Bieber wearing one of her designs - and as an homage to the last time we had Janie on the LoveCrafts Show, Jamie wrote a new quiz, “Flower or Glower?” just to keep us on our toes! Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Catching Up 02:59 Discussing Jane Crowfoot's New Book 06:05 Exploring Colour Theory and Beading 08:25 Unleashing Creativity with Cables and Mosaic Crochet 16:22 Jane Crowfoot's Journey as a Crochet Designer 32:03 Finding Inspiration 33:10 Exploring Creative Paths 36:06 Experiencing Different Levels of Inspiration 41:37 Flower or Glower - The Return 48:49 Justin Bieber Wearing Jane's Design 54:28 Crochet in High Street Fashion 5 6:40 Changing Landscape of Content Consumption 01:06:32 The Importance of Self-Care 01:19:25 Expanding the Market with Translations You can find Janie’s brilliant new book here: https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/jane-crowfoot/complete-crochet-handbook/9781800922419 Don’t forget to subscribe to Craft Talkin’ and tell all your craft friends to do the same! You can send us all your thoughts, suggestions and Dad jokes for Jamie to hello@crafttalkin.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 19, 2024

Jamie and Merion reconnect with the magnificent craftivist, Sarah P. Corbett, to discuss her new book, The Craftivist Collective Handbook, and revisit the subject of gentle protest, and how it can be an invigorating and hopeful way of creating change. This is a lively chat full of insights and ideas, and the book is full of fantastic projects to try! Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction and Changing the World 00:00:16 Activism and Ethical Choices 00:02:55 The Beauty of the Book 00:04:09 Introducing Sarah Corbett 00:08:53 The Manifesto and 10 Steps 00:11:16 Craftivism and Gentle Protest 00:28:27 Craftivism as a Catalyst for Change 00:32:42 Using Craft for Critical Thinking 00:49:02 Craftivism and Mindfulness 00:52:18 Craftivism and Well-being 01:16:48 Exploring Future Projects Links Find Sarah Corbett on Instagram Follow the Craftivist Collective on Facebook Buy The Craftivist Collective Handbook here And at all good bookshops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 20, 2024

Welcome to the first episode of Craft Talkin' in which your hosts Merion and MrXStitch explain how they ended up Craft Talkin'. It's a tale of socks and dogs and sausage rolls! Timestamps: 00:00:20 - Intro 00:04:00 - Merion's craft backstory 00:06:30 - MrXStitch's craft backstory 00:12:00 - Our favourite episodes of the LoveCrafts Show 00:19:00 - Our favourite books 00:26:00 - The last good film they watched 00:32:00 - Their favourite foods 00:36:00 - Their favourite ice cream flavours 00:38:00 - Their favourite bands/music 00:42:00 - MerionMakes 00:45:00 - NeedleXChange and XStitch Magazine 00:48:00 - What Craft Talkin' is going to be, er, talkin about! Craft Talkin' is your new favourite craft podcast in which Merion "MerionMakes" Willis and Jamie "MrXStitch" Chalmers talk around the world of craft and interview their craft heroes. Find us on Instagram here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 8, 2024

Merion & Mr X Stitch are bringing the craft podcast thunder to your ears. Craft Talkin' will feature interviews with your favourite craft superstars as well as that special kind of banter that only Merion and Mr X can deliver. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.