Doing a podcast interview is probably the scariest yarn-related activity I can participate in.  I used to hate the sound of my own voice, and although I have gotten more used to hearing it ‘on air’, I still wouldn’t go as far as to say that I like it.  Not only do I dislike listening to myself, I am also extremely nervous about what will come out of my mouth (and how).  Despite this, my most recent interview with Brittany from B.hooked was a delightful and very relaxed conversation about time-management (or the lack thereof), design shortcuts, and learning to say NO (yes, I am STILL learning to say no)!

My Messy Life: Railway Mandalas, Namaqualand Blanket, My Little Froggy Helper, Circles of the Sun

As you can see from the photo above, I am not the most organised of people.  My creative space is messy and so is my creative process.  I have, however, picked up a few tricks since I first started designing, and that is one of the things we covered towards the end of the episode.

We also talked about pigeonholing (I couldn’t remember the term at the time, doh) and concepts like ‘eating your frog‘ and the ‘touch it once‘ principle.

On Brittany’s recommendation, I have started reading Essentialism by Greg McKeown (available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com) and am already halfway through the book (what an eye-opener).  I especially love the fact that the author quotes Mary Oliver, a poet whose work I recently became acquainted with over an impromptu dinner with very dear friends (and mentors).  The quote in question is:

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?"

When I heard it, I heard it not in the voice of the author, but in the soothing voice of the friend who first quoted it to me with so much passion and conviction.  What will I do with my one wild and precious life?  Exactly what I am doing now, but better!

We also talked about Sophie (a lot) and the boys.  One of my favourite Sophie photos is the goofy one at the back of the Sophie’s Universe book where the boys are all kicking their legs up in the air.  It is hard to believe that they have grown so much!  I couldn’t resist sharing a then (Sophie) and now (Cornwall camping trip) collage of these three tiny glorious terrors.

Above: Boys and Sophie 2015; Below: Boy 3, Boy 1, and Boy 2 (aka Spike) at The Catch in Mawgan Porth 2018

Listen to the Podcast

If you would like to listen to this fly-on-the-wall podcast, you can find the episode HERE (along with the show notes).  I hope you enjoy it and that you find something useful to take away with you.

If you enjoyed listening to the podcast and would like to hear me prattle on some more, you can find my first podcast interview with Marie Segares from Creative Yarn Entrepreneur HERE.

Miscellaneous

B.hooked

After the episode, Brittany and I had an off-the-record chat.  After the initial ‘I sounded so dumb!’, ‘No, you didn’t‘, ‘Yes, I did‘, we chatted some more about pigeonholing and how hard it can be to branch out from what is expected of you.  Although Brittany is a crochet designer who predominantly focusses on video tutorials, she has recently started doing (quite popular) knitting tutorials.  When we were talking about taking people on a journey with us, it really resonated with me.  She has had great success taking her crochet followers with her on this knitting journey, so if you are a crocheter who would like to brush up on your knitting skills, I strongly suggest following along as Brittany explores knitting

A Beautiful Find

This is totally off topic, but while I was scrolling through Instagram this afternoon, I stumbled upon the prettiest circular blanket!  The version I saw was made by @rebekahlaw.  It lead me to the designer’s account (@madlandia – Charissa Ragsdale) where I found a whole arsenal of pretty designs, including the Flower Puddles Ripples blanket (available to buy HERE on Ravelry).  I couldn’t resist and have bought the pattern.  It is clearly laid out with round-by-round photos for the first 11 rounds and clear instructions for further repeats.

When we spoke about ‘pudding projects’ in the podcast, this was the kind of pattern/design I was referring to.  Something that is visually unique, pleasing to look at, and deserves enjoyment of every glorious moment :)

Feedback

If there is anything you think I should be focussing on more/doing more of, please comment below and let me know.  I cannot guarantee that I will be able to fairygodmother your request, but it will give me a good idea of what to aim for over the next 12 months.

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