The Long Thread Podcast

When Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan’s friend lost her mother, she had the challenge of going through her mother’s things while grieving her loss. Among her posessions was something almost every crafter has at least one of: a work in progress. Jen and Masey had each finished projects for bereaved family members before, but neither of them could take on this one, a pair of crocheted blankets for two very tall sons. If the two of them were happy to finish a loved one’s unfinished craft project, they thought, other fiber artists would be willing to do it, too—fiber artists with a variety of craft skills. And there must be families of deceased crafters who weren’t lucky to know someone personally who could take on the task but would treasure having a finished item that their loved one began for them. So began Loose Ends, an organization that Jen and Masey think of as matchmakers for heirs and finishers of uncompleted works, Loose Ends, which was established in May 2023 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, set out to build a network that connects volunteer crafters with local families to complete projects that were left unfinished by death or disability. Hanging flyers near their homes, Jen and Masey quickly found finishers and projects in crochet, knitting, and quilting. Loose Ends currently seeks finishers in any textile handcraft and matches finishers with projects across the world. Projects under way include weaving, embroidery, and beading, as far afield as Alaska, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Their informational flyer is now available in 12 languages. You may be surprised to learn that for about 2,000 projects in process, 25,000 volunteers have signed up as finishers—so crafters far outnumber craft projects at this time. But Loose Ends is always looking for more volunteer finishers, both to cover a variety of crafts and to match families with nearby finishers when possible. Any of us who love making things with our hands hate to think of our work in progress going to waste, languishing in boxes or (worse) winding up in the trash if we’re not able to finish them ourselves. By matching finishers and unfinished works, Loose Ends brings solace to families of deceased crafters and honors the work of their loved ones. Links: Loose Ends Project website Sign up as a finisher or request help with a loved one’s project on the web forms. Help families and finishers find Loose Ends by hanging flyers, which are available in several languages. Visit the website to make a donation. This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You'll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you'll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Learning how to weave but need the right shuttle? Hooked on knitting and in search of a lofty yarn? Yarn Barn of Kansas has been your partner in fiber since 1971. Whether you are around the corner from the Yarn Barn of Kansas, or around the country, they are truly your “local yarn store” with an experienced staff to answer all your fiber questions. Visit yarnbarn-ks.com to shop, learn, and explore. Brown Sheep Company is a four-generation family business bringing you high quality wool and natural fiber yarns. We spin and dye U.S.-grown wool into hundreds of vibrant colors at our mill in western Nebraska. Our mill has something to offer for every craft, from our well-known knitting and crochet yarns to wool roving for spinning and felting. We offer U.S-made needlepoint yarn as well as yarn on cones for weaving. Learn more about our company and products at BrownSheep.com.

At an unexpected juncture in her life, artist Jordana Munk Martin turned to the legacy of her grandmother’s trove of textile books. Edith Wyle founded the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles in 1973, curating unconventional exhibits and instilling a love of art in her family. Her granddaughter found inspiration and comfort in the books, then opened the library for other artists to explore. That original collection is now the core of Tatter, a nonprofit organization named for soft, worn, well-used textiles. It includes the iconic Tatter Blue Library, an array of classes, a journal, and retail. “We’re really a conversation about cloth, housed in a cultural arts organization,” says Jordana. Tatter’s educational offerings began with classes in stitching, adding online classes and presentations when in-person learning became unavailable. One longstanding subject is the World Embroidery Series, which has offered detailed instruction in dozens of stitches and introduction to the rich cultural origins. The library invokes the cultural and spiritual connotations of the color blue. In an elegant dark blue–paneled space, the collection includes not only books but also drawers of buttons, a collection of swatches following the stitch patterns in Barbara Walker’s knitting treasuries, tools, and textiles. Tatter’s holdings now include treasured collections of 12 women: embroidered samplers, thimbles, darners, textiles, tools, and a luxurious assortment of fiber art books and periodicals. The Brooklyn Museum recently transferred 200 objects to Tatter, reflecting the organization’s deep and growing Brooklyn roots. Like Tatter, our conversation combines cultural inquiry with human connection. Links Read Jordana’s description of the Tatter Blue Library at “The Building of a Library.” Fina a list of Tatter’s online and in-person classes. The third issue of Tatter’s journal, entitled Blue, is available online. Read updates on the organization’s new home in Brooklyn’s Cultural District. This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Learning how to weave but need the right shuttle? Hooked on knitting and in search of a lofty yarn? Yarn Barn of Kansas has been your partner in fiber since 1971. Whether you are around the corner from the Yarn Barn of Kansas, or around the country, they are truly your “local yarn store” with an experienced staff to answer all your fiber questions. Visit yarnbarn-ks.com to shop, learn, and explore. Peace Fleece began in a small Maine town with a mission: to produce a yarn that brings together parties from areas of historic conflict, transcending boundaries through the commerce of wool. From Russian farmers to the Navajo Nation, the original owners set the foundation for meaningful trade. Today, the spinning mill at Harrisville Designs continues the tradition of sourcing fine wool from Navajo farmers, combining it with US wool and a touch of mohair to create the unique Peace Fleece blend. Visit our website at peacefleece.com to learn more.

Sahara Briscoe has a challenge for you: Do more with yarn. Knit your spinning, spin your knitting, rug hook with yarn, paint on your swatches, embroider with yarn, and question your assumptions about what your stash is for. Working from a compact Bronx studio, Sahara can’t be easily classified under any label ending in -er except New Yorker. She spins, weaves on all kinds of looms, dyes, knits by hand and machine, crochets, hooks rugs, embroiders, designs custom fabrics for a range of clients, teaches, and writes, switching happily between them all and combining them as her interests lead her. At present, she is excited about scrappy knitting and a series of hooked-rug trivets. ”My textile life runs under two phrases: What if? And why not?” she says. Instead of staying in craft silos, where we pursue just one set of techniques at a time, she urges fiber folks to combine crafts fearlessly. In both her personal work and commissioned work, she is drawn to crafting for home. Surrounding herself with textiles she loves, especially ones that transform some treasured stash into something useful, make her life more enjoyable at the same time they promote a low-waste, circular way of living. “For me, beautiful home textiles . . . Well, it‘s like us as women,” she says. “We have to be durable. We have to perform a lot of tasks, you know, and we have to hold up and still look good.” “My whole design practice and textile practice is about—why can’t the everyday look beautiful?” Links Sahara Briscoe’s Instagram Sahara’s Super String Theory Design custom textile studio Cochenille Design Studio computer design software This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway’s array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Susan Bateman started the Yarn Barn of Kansas back in 1971. She says, “Since the beginning, it's been important to us to teach the crafts we love—weaving, knitting, crochet, and spinning. Last year, we had nearly a thousand enrollments in our classes. We answered questions in store, by phone, and through email.” When you order from The Yarn Barn of Kansas, you aren’t just ordering materials. You're supporting a business that can support you when you need help. Visit yarnbarn-ks.com. Have you heard of The Woolly Thistle? We’re a brick-and-click yarn shop specializing in non-superwash, woolly wool yarns from the UK and Europe. We have fast and free shipping and you can check us out at TheWoollyThistle.com, two L’s in Woolly. (And let us do the international shipping and tariffs, so you don’t have to.) Peace Fleece began in a small Maine town with a mission: to produce a yarn that brings together parties from areas of historic conflict, transcending boundaries through the commerce of wool. From Russian farmers to the Navajo Nation, the original owners set the foundation for meaningful trade. Today, the spinning mill at Harrisville Designs continues the tradition of sourcing fine wool from Navajo farmers, combining it with US wool and a touch of mohair to create the unique Peace Fleece blend. Visit our website at peacefleece.com to learn more.

This is Anne’s Book Club, a spotlight episode of the Long Thread Podcast where we share conversations about exciting new craft titles. This episode features three new books from Storey Publishing: The Stitched Landscape by Anna Hultin, The Handsewn Wardrobe by Louisa Owen Sonstroem, and Knitting Cowlettes by Safiyyah Talley. You’ll hear a conversation with each of the authors, followed by an excerpt of some of my favorite passages. I was excited to choose each of the titles to feature, and I hope you enjoy the conversations and the books as much as I have! The Stitched Landscape: An Embroidery Field Guide to the Textures, Colors, and Lines of the Natural World Anna Hultin has so much to teach you—to stitch, of course, but mostly to see. With a background in art education and a habit of looking closely at the land around her, Anna offers concrete skills as well as encouraging prompts to develop your own relationship with where you are. Her book includes step-by-step projects, detailed instructions for common plants, and techniques for sketching, stitching, and painting your own personal landscape. Her book gently pushes embroiderers who might be reluctant to consider their work as art toward creativity, exploration, adaptation, and staking their own ground, all within the frame of an embroidery hoop. From Anna’s introduction to The Stitched Landscape: This isn’t your typical embroidery book. Although it has plenty of embroidery patterns for you to follow, more than anything this book offers in-depth practice of the artistic process—from the spark of inspiration to a final piece and everything in between. I hope you will learn as much about observing the land as you do about embroidery. Whether you are picking up a needle and thread for the first time or have experience as a fiber artist, and wherever you are in the seasons of your life, my aim is to inspire you to grow in your creative practice. The projects are meant to build your skills and offer opportunities for discovery as you develop your own style and point of view. I’m excited to see how you’ll take what you learn in these pages and apply it to your own observations of the world around you. **Anna Hultin* is the artist and educator behind Olander CO Embroidery. She uses needle and thread to create contemporary embroideries that explore the often overlooked beauty of the subtle textures and colors of the Colorado landscape. Anna lives with her family in Loveland, Colorado.* The Handsewn Wardrobe: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own Clothes from Patternmaking to the Finishing Stitches To make clothes that you love, says Louisa Owen Sonstroem, pick up a pencil and paper, needle and thread, and get stitching. Trained in commercial patternmaking, she knows the strengths—and limitations—of off-the-rack clothing and pattern-envelope sewing. Her new book teaches sewists to handsew clothes that seem out of reach for today’s makers: hoodies, leggings, and even a denim jacket. If that sounds too time-consuming, skill-demanding, or slow, Louisa’s book will surprise you. The book invites you to set aside clothing designed for someone else’s body and create garments that will fit you perfectly. She calls The Handsewn Wardrobe “two books in one”: a primer on patternmaking that frees you from generic commercial patterns and a sewing book that teaches techniques for stitching garments by hand. In over 300 pages of instruction, she takes you from making a pattern for a basic tee to drafting a custom pair of jeans. For weavers and crafters with precious fabrics, handsewing lets you make the best use of precious fabric, not only by minimizing waste but also by creating garments you will wear proudly. From The Handsewn Wardrobe: Learning how to make patterns is one of the coolest, most transformative experiences. You can make anything! Patternmaking may have a bit of a reputation as an intimidating, difficult discipline, but it needn’t be that way. There are so many more possibilities than limitations in this craft. And, by the way, no one knows everything about patternmaking—no one!—so just relax and enjoy yourself. Make note of the principles shared in this book and elsewhere, but lean into the gray areas and creative opportunities, too. You’ll learn just as much by messing around with patterns as by following anyone’s instructions. The more you try, the more you’ll learn. It’s a radical, simple act to make your own clothes by hand. The tools are few, and most are relatively inexpensive. The techniques needn’t be complicated, either—with a handful of good stitches at your command, you’ll be able to construct all manner of beautiful, sturdy garments. And if you approach your projects with a willingness to experiment, you’ll never stop learning. Empowerment, accessibility, mental stimulation, endless opportunities for growth, and a set of amazing clothes—what’s not to love? **Louisa Owen Sonstroem* studied design and patternmaking at Fashion Institute of Technology. She works in technical design and patternmaking and teaches hand sewing and patternmaking classes. She also started Patternmaking in Public Places (PIPP), an outreach project to democratize access to patternmaking skills. Louisa lives in Connecticut with her family, in a house filled with board books, dog beds, and lots of fabric.* Knitting Cowlettes: Clever Techniques for Making Custom Mini-Cowls to Elevate Any Outfit Innovative knitter Safiyyah Talley’s first book, Knit 2 Socks in 1, offered a clever new way of knitting socks. In her new book, she offers a fresh look at neckwear with a collection of cowlettes—wearable cowl/shawl hybrids. In addition to 23 patterns, the book includes methods for designing your own cowlette, finessing fit, and yarn selection. Besides the range of lovely designs, the joy of this book is the expansive view of knitting, offering patterns for any skill level and personal style. Simple and versatile, Safiyyah’s cowlettes beckon you to cast on. From Safiyyah’s introduction to Knitting Cowlettes: I like to gift cowlettes because they are quick, gender neutral, size inclusive, and very useful. There are just so many scenarios that call for one that I even gift them to myself. Wake up to a chill in the air? Pop on a cowlette. Want to dress up an outfit? Pop on a cowlette. Need to show off a knitted item at the knitting convention, and it’s a very hot and crowded July day? Say it with me now: “Pop on a cowlette!” You might be wondering, “What exactly is a cowlette?” Cowlette is a term created by innovative knitwear designer Carina Spencer and it is the lovechild of a cowl—a circular scarf—and a shawlette, or a small shawl. Cowlettes have a similar construction to a shawl, but with the wearability of a cowl. Shawls tend to slip and slide when worn, unless secured in some way with a knot or a shawl pin. Cowlettes look like shawls, but they are knit in the round, so the wearer doesn’t have to worry about them falling off. Just like shawls, cowlettes are first worked flat from the top down. Stitches are added in the form of increases until the work is large enough to fit comfortably around the wearer’s neck. The cowlette is then joined in the round and worked to the desired size and length. When searching online for cowlette patterns, you may find them under “cowls” or “shawls,” because it is a fairly new knitting term. But the very best part of making cowlettes is how customizable they are. With the help of this book, you can easily design your own. You can control the difficulty, size, yarn amount, and gauge with very little prep and only as much math as you wish! It is the perfect project for all knitters, from beginner to expert. All you need to get started is a ball of yarn, circular knitting needles, and a sense of adventure. **Safiyyah Talley* is the author of* Knit 2 Socks in 1 and creator of the popular blog The Drunk Knitter. She teaches knitting classes virtually and at knitting shows. Safiyyah lives in Indiana. This episode is brought to you by: Storey publishes craft books for makers of all skill levels, whether you’re interested in hand sewing your own clothes, embroidering outdoors, or a knitting fun new accessory. Check out our new books in knitting, crochet, weaving, quilting, sewing, soap-making, design, and more!

Most of us crafters know instinctively that working with yarn, fiber, and cloth makes life better. Believing that handwork is good for our well-being has sparked memes about knitting as “the new yoga” and sold tee shirts that read, “I knit so I don’t stab people.” But feeling good while practicing fiber art is only one of the ways that working with thread adds meaning to life. As a “passionate knitter and yarn stasher, a comparably dispassionate sewist, a novice embroiderer, and a clumsy crocheter,” Nicole Nehrig has experienced this for herself. As a clinical psychologist, she used the tools of her training to examine how women have used needlework to meet their needs and enrich their lives. In stories collected from around the world and through time, she documents how women have stitched their way not only to emotional well being but also self-expression, community, and financial reward in her book, With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories. The book combines narrative nonfiction with observations about the shared experience of making meaning while making cloth. In our conversation, Nicole discusses how her loves of craft and women’s lives came together to tell the shared story of women’s handwork. Links Nicole Nehrig’s website With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories Elizabeth Wayland Barber, Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez on the Long Thread Podcast This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Brown Sheep Company is a four-generation family business bringing you high quality wool and natural fiber yarns. We spin and dye U.S.-grown wool into hundreds of vibrant colors at our mill in western Nebraska. Our mill has something to offer for every craft, from our well-known knitting and crochet yarns to wool roving for spinning and felting. We offer U.S-made needlepoint yarn as well as yarn on cones for weaving. Learn more about our company and products at BrownSheep.com. The Adirondack Wool and Arts Festival is the perfect way to spend a weekend surrounded by over 150 craft vendors in Greenwich, New York. Discover a curated group of vendors featuring the best of wool and artisan crafters. Throughout the weekend enjoy workshops, free horse drawn wagon rides, free kid's crafts, a fiber sheep show, and a sanctioned cashmere goat show. Join us September 20 & 21, 2025, and every fall! For more information visit adkwoolandarts.com. Buy tickets now! Appalachian Baby Design offers U.S. sustainably sourced yarns, kits, and patterns for crafting heirloom-quality gifts for the family. Their U.S. organic cotton and Shaniko sportweight wool are soft, resilient and washable–perfect for creating lasting pieces. Whether knitting, crocheting, or weaving—for beautiful creations that will be cherished for generations, start with appalachianbaby.com.