S1 E4: Fun in the Sun with Knitting Magazine Editor Christine Boggis
Hello yarn friends -It looks like it’s going to be a gorgeous sunny day today and I’m enjoying watching the light over the rooftops as I write this to you this morning. It feels like an extra gift to have this sunny weather for the bank holiday weekend, and as I was editing this episode it had me thinking that there might still be time to nip down to the coast for a wee swim on Monday. Fingers crossed I can make that happen.My guest on this week’s episode of the Make Joy Podcast is Christine Boggis, who this year is celebrating 10 years as editor of Knitting magazine here in the UK! Christine and I only ever seem to see each other at yarn shows or professional events so when Christine invited me down to Lewes for a visit that would include a trip to wool shop Ida’s House, some sea bathing in nearby Brighton, and wrapping up the day with cocktails and knitting, of course my answer was a big HELL YES!When Christine isn’t busy with the editing of Knitting magazine (often working on five issues at the same time!), she’s also a knitwear designer with multiple books including the ones we talk about on this episode: JOMO Knits and No-Sew Knitting. I love Christine’s approach to knitwear design which is for her patterns to bring as much enjoyment to the knitter as she’s had creating and knitting it herself. This is also means making designs as minimally anxiety inducing as possible, which I think is something all knitters can appreciate.In addition to JOMO (which is the JOY of missing out), we also briefly talk about some of Christine’s upcoming issues of the magazine which include one that is all on British wool, and another on dopamine dressing. This one sounds wild and I can’t wait for it to land in my mailbox!Speaking of which, Christine has offered all listeners of the Make Joy Podcast a discount on a subscription to Knitting magazine. Due to summer hols and this episode coming out a little quicker than expected, the discount code isn’t available yet but should be up from next week post-bank holiday. I’ll update the show notes when it’s available so do check back!Enjoy the episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit champagneqiviut.substack.com
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S1 E3: SOAK-ing it up with Jacqueline Sava
Hello yarn friends -A theme of friendship and fabulous makers is emerging on The Make Joy Podcast with this next episode and my special guest Jacqueline Sava, the founder, creator and Director of Possibilities at Soak.Jacqueline and I have known each other a long time since my Toronto days (and full disclosure, I was once one a sales agent for Soak here in the UK) so it’s always nice to have a catch up. Our get togethers usually involve indulging Jacqueline’s desire to soak up as much creative inspiration as she can when in London on business and that includes favourite things like brunch and vintage shopping in Notting Hill, hopping on the train to Windsor or cocktails at random, fun places in town.So this was a different kind of visit this time around. I love it when I get to chat about the business side of things in the craft industry. Jacqueline is so generous with the support she gives back to makers in sharing her knowledge and I know this first-hand, as I once had the opportunity to take her course, From Maker to Making a Living, at George Brown College in Toronto. Education and teaching is a one of Jacqueline’s core values and that passion shines through.As a relatively new maker at the time, taking Jacqueline’s course was eye-opening. I learned so much about how makers need to value not only the work that they’re creating, but themselves too. And it made me understand so much more of the everything that goes on behind the scenes for a maker, including those hidden costs, that those of us purchasing a finished product like a make, or a skein of hand-dyed yarn will never see. Our conversation felt like a good reminder, especially as we inch closer to colder weather and “the season of making”. Make sure you subscribe to Jacqueline’s new Substack Maker to Making a Living where she’ll be sharing more of her knowledge and things she’s learned as a maker herself and at the helm of Soak.Plus, we talk about other kinds of making, like growing cut flower gardens and maple syrup! I hope you enjoy our chat.Keep making joy,Allison This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit champagneqiviut.substack.com
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S1 E2: A Great London Crawl with Rachel Brown
Hello yarn lovers -I’m delighted to bring you this second episode of the podcast with very special guest, Rachel Brown. Rachel was more or less the first knitter I met when I moved to London and she became my BKFF in short order.Always a good sport, Rach is the knitter you want in your corner when you’re coming up with crazy ideas like creating a yarn crawl in London, or yarn road trip events, or just maybe an independent yarn show (ours was called Yarnporium!).After eight awesome years collaborating on Yarn in the City, Rachel and her family moved back to the States and we folded the business, but of course we’ve stayed in touch. Rachel was recently in London and we were able to have a catch up that took us from East London and Stratford to Richmond in the west (although you can trust two expats to debate whether or not Richmond actually still counts as part of London!).On this episode we chat through our various spots that we visited during the day including:* V&A East Storehouse* Wahaca Islington - their classic margarita recipe is one of the bestLoop London - celebrating their 20th anniversary this year!* Liberty - where we saw the patchwork house by the Patchwork Collective which celebrates 150 years of Liberty (and also took a mini detour through Sostrene Grene)* Knit With Me - one of London’s newest yarn shops, located in Richmond* before finishing the day with a G&T admiring the view from The RoebuckIt felt weird for both of us to be chatting again podcast-style but we did chat about what we were working on. Rach is working up a cowl from the leftovers of the (latest) sweater she knit for me, which was the Polina Pullover by Teri Lutsak in G-uld yarn that was a kit from Loop.I‘m working on the Stripe Hype sweater by Veronica Lindberg but in some bold, bright colour - and which my mother has fallen in love with since I’ve been in Canada on holiday. Guess who’ll be getting it when it’s finished?It was a fantastic day out. Huge thanks to Susan at Loop who let us sneak in to say hi and make a cheeky purchase, and also to Carol and Coral at Knit With Me who likewise allowed us in for a quick peek at the shop! Apologies to Wool Decanted who I refer to as Yarn Decanted on the episode and who don’t have sheep on an island in the Thames near Twickenham but who DO have a gorgeous, local yarn with traceable provenance of the wool coming from small producers in Devon and Wales.Big, HUGE thanks again to Rachel for humouring another of my ideas and agreeing to be a guest on my new podcast. You can find Rachel on Instagram, which is also a great way to reach her if you wanted to enquire about her tech editing services…We talked so long there’s not really an “outro” for this episode but I can say that next week’s guest on the podcast is another friend who was recently passing through London! Jacqueline Sava from Soak and I talk about making, and making a living at it. Stay tuned for that one next week.And of course, do let me know what you think about the podcast, and if there are things you’d like to hear me chat about with future guests.Thanks for listening,Allison x This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit champagneqiviut.substack.com
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S1 E1: A Little Aleks Byrd-ie Taught Me All About Estonia
Hello yarn friends!The first episode of the Make Joy podcast is finally here - thank you for listening!When doing something scary or outside of your comfort zone, it’s always great to have a friend along for the ride, and I’m so happy that Aleks Byrd agreed to be with me on this first episode.Aleks and I travelled to Estonia earlier this year on a knitting retreat with Stitchtopia holidays and it was amazing to see the country that Aleks loves so much, and learn about it through their knitting traditions.On this first episode of the podcast we chat about Aleks’ Estonian knitting heritage, her design style, plus the inspiration for her new book due out later this year with Laine Publishing. And there’s a lightening round too!As Aleks says in this episode, it’s always fun to have a yarny chat and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording our time together. Let me know what you think!And stay tuned, there’ll be another new episode next week!Keep making joy,AllisonPS - Here’s that amazing rolled cake with cream and berries that Aleks and I talk about on the episode: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit champagneqiviut.substack.com
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Introducing… the Make Joy podcast!
Hello friends and yarn lovers -Welcome to the Make Joy podcast!This is a secret project that I’ve been working on for a while now, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed recording it.The teaser will let you know everything that I’m hoping this podcast will be: yarn, travel, craft, knitting, creativity and more - and I hope you’ll tune in for each episode.Series One starts this Sunday, 3 August, with new episodes coming out every Sunday.More soon, and thanks for listening!Warmly,Allison This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit champagneqiviut.substack.com
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