Shows / Making Stitches Podcast

Episodes
Making Stitches PodcastBehind the scenes at Wool Warehouse with Charlotte Hancock
If you're anything like me, there's a good chance you will have spent some time browsing for new craft supplies online - perhaps looking for new yarn for your…
Making Stitches PodcastFrom Woven Textiles to Knitting an Heirloom Blanket with Annah O'Leary of Needle & Feather
Hello and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! This time, my guest is Annah O'Leary from Needle and Feather, a colourwork knitting designer. Annah has led a…
Making Stitches PodcastYARNDALE 2026: A Festival of Yarn & Woolly Creativity
It's 10 years since I first visited Yarndale and thanks to me living a lot closer to Skipton now than I did back then, I am lucky enough to be able to visit…
Making Stitches PodcastFrom Doctor Who to stress-relief knitting with Alice O'Connell
Hello and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast, my guest this time is Anglo-Irish former TV and Theatre actor, now knitting teacher, Alice O'Connell. Knitting…
Making Stitches PodcastThe Healing Power of Crochet with Sam Sabido
Hello and welcome to a brand new series of Making Stitches Podcast! My guest for this first episode is crochet designer and teacher Sam Sabido. Sam first…
Making Stitches PodcastCARRY ON CRAFTING 2026: A Weekend of Crafting, Camping & Fun
This time last weekend, Carry on Crafting celebrated its 5th birthday. The festival, based at Ardingley Showground in Sussex, played host to craft stalls…
Making Stitches PodcastSheep, Actually: A Film About Wool & a Sheep Named Cow with filmmaker Paul Wyatt
In this episode of the Making Stitches Podcast, I'm joined by documentary filmmaker Paul Wyatt, director of the beautiful documentary film Sheep, Actually…
Making Stitches PodcastReconnecting with your imagination with textile artist, Murron Fraser
In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by contemporary textile artist Murron Fraser. Based in Manchester, Murron's work is inspired by nature, folklore…
Making Stitches PodcastConnection, Confidence & Community with Melissa Santiago-Val from Sew Positive
Hello, and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! This time, I'm delighted to be joined by Melissa Santiago-Val founder and CEO of Sew Positive. What began during…
Making Stitches PodcastStitching History: Inside the Knitting and Crochet Guild Collection
Upstairs in an historic industrial building in the centre of the West Yorkshire town of Slaithwaite is a vast collection of handmade items, tools and…
Making Stitches PodcastPattern challenges, THAT paper dress and life after Sewing Bee with Kit Giroux
This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I’m joined by Kit Giroux, semi-finalist from the 2025 series of The Great British Sewing Bee. In our chat, Kit talks…
Making Stitches PodcastYarn, Fibre & Community with Gareth from Manchester Wool & Yarn
I'm taking you out on the road with me today to Stockport to visit a fabulous yarn shop, Manchester Wool & Yarn. The shop celebrated its 2nd birthday earlier…
Making Stitches PodcastFrom London 2012 to Peru: Anna Nikipirowicz's fabulous yarn adventure
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is the wonderful Anna Nikipirowicz. Anna first learned to knit and crochet as a child in Poland, but she…
Making Stitches PodcastTexStyle Festival 2026: A weekend of community, colour & creativity
Two weeks ago, the first ever TexStyle Festival threw open its doors at Manchester Central. It was an amazing weekend of creativity, community and lots and…
Making Stitches PodcastGranny Squares Galore! With Katy Mitchell from Kate's Crochet Creations
Katy Mitchell is the crochet designer behind Kate's Crochet Creations, known for her vibrant granny square patterns and beautifully themed blanket designs. Her…
Making Stitches PodcastEPISODE 100 - From Postcard from Gibraltar to Making Stitches
Hello and welcome to the 100th episode of Making Stitches Podcast. Way back in April of 2020 when I published my first ever Making Stitches Podcast episode, I…
Making Stitches PodcastHappy Stitchmas 2025!
Hello there and Happy Stitchmas! It's that time of year again when I take a look back at the past 12 months and choose some of the highlights of my podcasting…
Making Stitches PodcastFrom an Amigurumi Pig to Crocheted Patchwork with Anita Gibney from Made by Anita
In this episode of Making Stitches Podcast I chat to Anita Gibney — the designer behind Made by Anita and the author of the brand-new book; Patchwork Granny…
Making Stitches PodcastMerry Crochet Makes with Justine Robson & Nicky Ward - BONUS EPISODE
December starts next week which means we are officially on the countdown to Christmas, but there's still time to make a few Christmas gifts for special people…
Making Stitches PodcastQuilts, Blogs, Podcasts & Live Shows with Kat Molesworth
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is Kat Molesworth, the creative force behind the Blogtacular Podcast & Festival. With Blogtacular, Kat…
Making Stitches PodcastTexStyle: Looking ahead to a new festival for 2026 with Michelle Greaves
Welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! In this episode I share a chat I've had with Michelle Greaves, one half of the team behind the brand new TexStyle festival…
Making Stitches PodcastAll Things Amigurumi with Amy Ting from Curious Papaya
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is Amy Ting, a crochet designer from the US who specialises in amigurumi. Amy is a passionate advocate for…
Making Stitches PodcastYARNDALE 2025 : Celebrating Yarn & Community
On the weekend of 27th & 28th September, Skipton Auction Mart was again transformed into Yarndale. The festival of all things creative brings stall holders and…
Making Stitches PodcastTHE RED DRESS with Kirstie Macleod
The Red Dress, recently recognised by the Guiness World Records as the largest collaborative embroidery project, is a truly stunning piece of work. It was…
Making Stitches PodcastWorld Stitch Day 2025
Back on 1st June this summer, the Woven in Kirklees Festival kicked off with World Stitch Day at Oakwell Hall in Batley. Among the attractions of stalls from…
Making Stitches PodcastLET'S CELEBRATE with Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet & a look ahead to Series 10
Hello and welcome to the first episode in this new series of podcasts from Making Stitches. This time, I'm sharing a chat with my crochet friend Eleonora Tully…
Making Stitches PodcastPASSIONATE ABOUT PUNCH NEEDLE with Micah Clasper-Torch
When Micah Clasper-Torch first designed a coat using fabric which had been embellished with punch needlework, her passion was born. Moving from the intense…
Making Stitches PodcastLooking Ahead to 'Woven from Kirklees' with Nat Walton
The 'Woven in Kirklees' textiles festival first launched in 2019 and is due to kick off for its 2025 edition this weekend. The community festival celebrates…
Making Stitches PodcastFrom Sewing Wedding Dresses to Crocheting a Turner Prize Winning Doily with Rachael Mills
When Rachael Mills took up crochet as a means to giving up smoking, little did she realise that it would one day lead to her making a Turner Prize winning…
Making Stitches PodcastCelebrating 10 years of the Winwick Mum Sockalong with Christine Perry
My guest for this episode is my yarny friend, Christine Perry, who first made an appearance on the podcast back in 2021. Since chatting back then, we have…
Making Stitches PodcastSpreading Joy Online with Sara & Sean from Crochet in the Glen
When I first approached Sara from Crochet in the Glen and asked if she would like to be a guest on Making Stitches Podcast, she couldn't understand why I'd…
Making Stitches PodcastThe Gift of Crochet with Marianne Rawlins aka MazCrochets
For so many of us, crochet (or any craft) is as gift which offers mental release, a chance to focus on something away from the day-to-day worries of life and…
Making Stitches PodcastCarry On Crafting with Justine Robson
After dreaming about a craft festival one night, Justine Robson woke up and decided she should arrange one. Two months later, she’d booked the venue (the South…
Making Stitches PodcastMENOPAUSE MAKES with Jenni Smith & Kay Walsh
My guests for this episode are a pair of friends who met at a tap dancing class and went on to become creative business partners. They have been sewing for…
Making Stitches PodcastTalking Colour, Yarn, Sound & Knitting with Felix Ford from KNITSONIK
It’s so good to be back with you bringing another series of Making Stitches Podcast to your ears! My guest for this episode is Felicity aka Felix Ford, an…
Making Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES 2024 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Hello and welcome to the Making Stitches 2024 Christmas Special! As always at this time of year, I'm taking a look back at some of the year's highlights for…
Making Stitches PodcastLearning Lessons from History with Becky Davies-Downes
Thank you for joining me for the 80th episode of Making Stitches Podcast! This time I'm sharing a chat I had with Becky Davies-Downes from William and Tilda…
Making Stitches PodcastA FARESHARE FESTIVE FEAST
This time on Making Stitches, I'm doing something a little bit different. I want to speak to you about food poverty, especially in my home city of Manchester…
Making Stitches PodcastYARNDALE 2024
Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Making Stitches - back after a longer than anticipated break! This time, I'm sharing a bumper episode featuring lots…
Making Stitches PodcastTHREADS OF PROTEST with Dr Gemma McKenzie
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast has a background in law and human rights and a passion for crochet too. Dr Gemma McKenzie is a researcher…
Making Stitches PodcastCREATING A DIGITAL YARN COMMUNITY with Jane Abraham, The Cornish Knitter
When my guest on today's episode was about to leave a career in London for a quieter pace of life on the Cornish coast, one of her first concerns was where she…
Making Stitches PodcastFinishing a Creative Legacy with Jen Simonic from the Loose Ends Project
One of the unexpected things many people experience when they lose a loved one and have to sort through their posessions, can be unfinished craft projects…
Making Stitches PodcastFinding Joy in Making with Emma Varnam
This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I'm thrilled to be sharing a chat I had with knitting & crochet designer, Emma Varnam. To date, Emma has written 13 books…
Making Stitches PodcastSelling Your Makes on Etsy with Claire Reed
For some of us makers, there's the desire to take our creativity beyond something which is purely a hobby. Whether we opt to teach our craft to others, design…
Making Stitches PodcastTHE LONGEST YARN: Commemorating D-Day in Yarn
Yesterday marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Along with the military commemorations, there was a very special one created in yarn…
Making Stitches PodcastCreativity for Mental Health : a Dive into the Making Stitches Podcast Archives
Hello, I’m thrilled to be back with another series of episodes of Making Stitches Podcast. This time I’m doing something a bit different, instead of launching…
Making Stitches PodcastA Decade of Keeping Calm and Crocheting On with Heather Gibbs
Ten years ago, Heather Gibbs was looking for an outlet for her crochet creativity and set up her blog; Keep Calm and Crochet On UK. Little did she know that…
Making Stitches PodcastWHY SEWING MATTERS with Barbara Burman
Hello and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! My guest for this episode is the historian and writer, Barbara Burman, whose latest book is 'The Point of the…
Making Stitches PodcastSpinning, Weaving and Niddy-Noddies with Cathy Wright from Lazy Kate Textiles
Welcome to the first episode of Making Stitches in 2024! Sorry for the longer than anticipated break. This is the first of the final three episodes in series…
Making Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES 2023 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Hello there and welcome to the Making Stitches Podcast 2023 Christmas Special. Join me for a selection box of treats looking back at the past 12 months in my…
Making Stitches PodcastLOVING THE LANGUAGE OF CROCHET with Jane Czaja
Jane Czaja has been trying to spread the love of crochet for decades, from teaching beginners groups back in the 1980s to running a crochet and chat group in…
Making Stitches PodcastDeck the Halls with the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity
This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I want to share a great initiative which is happening in my home city of Manchester. Homelessness is a problem all year…
Making Stitches PodcastTHE GREAT NORTHERN TEXTILE SHOW 2023
Hello and welcome to this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast where I'm taking you out on the road with me to the second Great Northern Textile Show…
Making Stitches PodcastBlack Sheep Wools at 40 & looking ahead to the Great Northern Textile Show 2023
Back in July, Black Sheep Wools, the largest independent yarn shop in the UK celebrated its 40th birthday. Friends of Black Sheep Wools were invited to join in…
Making Stitches PodcastKNITTING IS THERAPEUTIC with Dr Mia Hobbs
When clinical psychologist, Dr Mia Hobbs, was studying at university, her mother suggested taking up knitting would be a great antidote for intensive study…
Making Stitches PodcastFrom Food Styling to Sewing with Jen Rich
Hello and welcome back to Making Stitches Podcast, it's so good to be back with you. I had to take and extended break from podcasting due to a lot of 'stuff'…
Making Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES PODCAST SERIES 7 TRAILER
Hello! Making Stitches is coming back very soon for a 7th series. Among my guests in the coming weeks will be food stylist & photographer turned sewing…
Making Stitches PodcastTAPESTRY CROCHET with CATHERINE CROCHETS
Way back in December 2022 I promised you this episode of Making Stitches with crochet designer Catherine from Catherine Crochets. Unfortunately, life rather…
Making Stitches Podcast2022 CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR SPECIAL PART 2 : REVIEW OF THE YEAR
It's that time again, as 2022 draws to a close, I'm taking you on a romp through this year's Making Stitches back catalogue with a few of my highlights. You…
Making Stitches Podcast2022 CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR SPECIAL PART 1 : OLD FRIENDS
In this, the first of two Christmas and New Year specials this year, I catch up with a few old friends of the podcast: Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet…