One of My Favorite PodCast

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Hello Knitters, 
I have been watching the “FruityKnitting” podcast for about eight months.  It is produced by Andrew and Andrea Doig from their home in Offenbach Germany.  From the start, March 2016, the podcast is about knitting.  However, recently, they have branched out to every aspect of the fiber world and crochet.  They have guests from designers (well-known and upcoming), dyer and yarn producers.
Like other knitting podcasts, you will see their current knitting and/or finished projects.  What I have found extremely helpful and exciting is learning how the yarn is produced – from sheep to store.  A new segment was recently added called "Meet the Shephardress".  There was a wonderful show on Jamieson’s of Shetland which is a 5th generation family business; a section with Alison O’Neil, a hill farm Shepherdess, who created tweed as well as yarn from the fleece of her own flock of sheep.  I especially loved the feature where I was introduced to a yarn company called mYak. This yarn is produced by Nomadic herders of the Tibetan Plateau from the baby yaks and the cashmere goats.  I never considered how the purchase of yarn is helping sustain the culture of a region.

When I first started knitting, I didn’t take the time to investigate where my yarn was coming from. I would purchase yarn based on color, touch, and price. As a result of watching this podcast, I concluded that I should gain more knowledge and educate myself about the production of yarn.  For example, the traditional wool yarn is harvested from sheep, skirted, picked, washed, carded and spun — Angora, from the angora rabbit.  Silk must be unreeled from the cocoons of silk moths and then spun.  In doing this, I am learning more about yarn companies’ sourcing, dyeing, and spinning of their yarn. In the end, I will be able to assist in the continuation of farming; but I will also learn more about choosing the correct fiber for the appropriate project.
Enjoy Knitting Each Day!

 Jackie

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