Fiber Nation

What does it take to disappear? So-called cloaking technology is common on things like fighter jets, but recent advances at MIT have created flexible "fabric" surfaces capable of bending light. It might sound like Harry Potter hocus pocus, but it's quite possible, in the next decade, to have clothing that makes the wearer invisible. Find Show Notes here: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/cloak-of-invisibility/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You go on a trip, and stuff happens. You lose your luggage or miss your plane. But what if the stuff that happens is a little more epic? Like war zone, poisonous snakes, engines-falling-out-of-your-plane kind of epic? Could you roll with that?  Find Show Notes here: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/twisted-tales-of-travel/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire lasted fewer than 30 minutes and killed 146 people, most of them young women. The disaster's aftermath would lead to sweeping labor reforms and workplace safety regulations we still have today. It would transform Democrats into a progressive party. And it would, more than 20 years down the road, help elect Franklin D Roosevelt president, paving the way for the New Deal. Show Notes here: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/triangle-factory-fire-part-two/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a warm spring day in 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York. Within minutes it engulfed the top three stories of the factory building. 146 people died in the blaze; 123 of them young women who worked there. It was one of the worst industrial disasters in the United States. The fire and its aftermath would transform US politics and shape the growing labor movement for decades. But to really understand the events of 1911, we need to go back two years and tell a much larger story than that of a single factory. Show Notes here: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/triangle-factory-fire-part-one/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're excited to announce another Fiber Nation Live Knit Night! Bring your knitting, and join us Wednesday, December 8 at 6 pm EST for a talk with Danielle Dreilinger, featured on the “Home Economics vs. Hitler” episode. Since it's the holiday season, we thought we'd change things up and talk about food, festive or otherwise. (Quite possibly otherwise.) Danielle will introduce us to some wonderful cookbooks and recipes from the Bureau of Home Economics, including 99 Ways to Share the Meat and Attractive Ways of Cooking Cowpeas. We might even tackle the history of Jell-o salad! Notes and registration: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/fiber-nation-knit-night-reindeer-recipes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We look at the evolution of men's fashion, and how it helped turn an obscure ethnic costume into one of history's most famous garments. We talk about how tartan patterns became a marketing scheme in the 1800s, and, scandalously, we discover that the Scottish kilt we know today…may have been created by an Englishman. Find our Show Notes here: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/scottish-kilts/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American West is this mythic place…the land of Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane, cattle drives, and cowboys. Myths aside, it's also the land of the western range wars, where cattlemen and sheepmen battled over access to grass and water. Dozens of sheepherders were killed and 100,000 sheep were slaughtered, all before a Colorado congressman ended the violence in 1934. But a mere generation later, it's the sheep owners who had the last laugh. Follow along on the show notes page: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/sheep-and-cattle-wars/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into a place where art, ecology, science, and math come together into something extraordinary. And we learn how a 2300-year-old geometric system was blown out of the water by a woman crocheting blobby things. Welcome to the Crochet Coral Reef. Link to show notes: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/crochet-coral-reef/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is all about artificial intelligence—AI. What it is, what it ISN'T, what it can and can't do. What happens when you try to teach a computer how to knit? Can a neural network match the creativity of a human? And what might happen if the Terminator became a knitwear designer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, we explore the radical origins behind home economics. Hear how it became important enough to have its own federal agency. And learn how one particular sewing magazine became a game-changer during WWII.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes life gives you a second chance. Or at least another Zoom Event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We travel to the Isle of Man and hear the story of one of its oldest inhabitants: the Manx Loaghtan sheep. A sheep that’s been on the brink of extinction not once or twice, but THREE times. And we’ll talk about not just how it was saved, but why some things are worth saving in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for the next live Fiber Nation Knit Night all about yarn, featuring our guest from our upcoming Manx for the Memories episode, Caroline Summerfeld of Ancient Arts Yarns. Get ready to travel to the Isle of Man and nerd out on wool talk. Caroline will chat about working with one of the rarest sheep breeds in the world, we’ll marvel at how high some sheep can jump, and we'll talk about one of the strangest dye experiments ever! Learn more + register: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/knit-night-how-do-you-make-yarn-anyway/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up to now, our daily dose of fiber has always focused on the woolly natural stuff. However, even the best diet has to succumb to a bag of Cheetos now and then. Consider this episode, about the crotch-hugging antics of spandex, as our cheat day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, March 11, at 4 pm MST/6 pm EST, the Fiber Nation podcast goes live via Zoom! Bring your knitting and a favorite beverage and join host Allison Korleski and Stephany Wilkes, author, shearer, and guest from our “Sheep, Wind, and Fire” episode. Register for the event on our show notes page: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/fiber-nation-knit-night-sheep-shearer-dishes/ Did you know that a bunch of sheep eating stuff is actually GOOD for the landscape? Or that, when Smokey the Bear says, “Only you can prevent forest fires,” he could be talking to a flock of border Leicesters? “Sheep, Wind, and Fire” was about how sheep shearers became so important in the battle again mega wildfires. On Wednesday, Stephany will talk about how the sheep themselves can help prevent wildfires in the first place.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eliza Hardy Jones was a professional musician and an amateur quilter. Until a once-in-a-lifetime offer made her change her tune. Find out how she turns traditional folk music, sung by women, into a craft traditionally done by women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, Feb 4, at 5 pm MST, the Fiber Nation podcast goes live via Zoom. Bring your knitting and a favorite beverage and settle in as host Allison Korleski and former Fiber Nation guest, Liz Kristan parse through some of the weirdest knitted stuff in history, including "whip & reins for a child," knitted coffee strainers, and a "ladies' toilet tidy" shaped like an ear of corn. https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/join-knit-night-weird-knitted-history/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we talk to a shearer of sheep. And while there are all kinds of cool things to learn about wool and economics and how to make a sheep sit on its butt, there’s a larger story here, about how people with the weirdest career path ever helped rescue their communities from calamity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From its roots in Asia to its importance in the colonial US, from WW2 to the war on drugs, hemp has a curious and complicated history. Plus, we talk a lot about smoking pot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1859, a small island off the coast of Washington state was the site of a war almost no one has heard of. It lasted 12 years, involved 5 British warships, 14 American cannons, 34 uncooperative sheep tossed into rowboats, and General George Pickett. And in the end, it sustained only a single causality: a pig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, we hear a tale of two radically different sweaters. But while we begin by exploring the world of luxury knitwear, we end up discovering something completely different…and completely new. Read the show notes: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/tale-two-sweaters/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know Oct 10 is I Love Yarn Day? Neither did we. but no matter. Listen to hear how you can win a box of fluffy goodness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of the Civil War, Godey’s Lady’s Book was the most successful fashion and literary magazine in the US. That is, until its editor destroyed it, along with her own place in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost one year ago we released this episode, but its story of disaster and resilience has even more relevance today. As we prepare Season 3, we hope you (re)discover the story of Patty Reed and her doll. In 1846 an 8-year-old girl named Patty Reed headed west on the Oregon Trail, along with her family. Among Patty’s few toys was a tiny wooden doll. This doll is maybe 4 inches in height, and there is nothing particularly remarkable about her. Except for one thing: The wagon train that Dolly and Patty Reed were traveling in became known as the Donner Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1n 1951, near Gunnister, Shetland, two men discovered a body in a shallow grave. They called the police, who quickly determined there was something very strange about this burial. The body wasn’t actually a body; it was a full set of woolen clothing that had once contained a body. And that clothing was almost 300 years old.  Who was Gunnister Man? How had he come to be in such a remote spot, and what exactly had happened to him there?   Read the show notes! https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/gunnister-man-mystery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The First World War was the first truly “modern” war, with its wireless communication, tanks, and poison-gas attacks. In the trenches of Belgium and France, however, one of the most important items in a soldier's kit—right up there with a rifle and a gas mask—was a pair of hand-knit, woolen socks.   *** SHOW NOTES*** https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/episode-9-world-war-socks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to history, wars and plagues and art and science are the exciting stuff. Linen bed sheets are not. But fiber—fabric— is an integral part of human progress. From Neanderthal caves to Egyptian pyramids, from Viking ships to spaceships, we journey through almost 40,000 years of human advancement. And humble cloth is the springboard. View the show notes: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/episode-8-textile-history/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're hard at work on our next episode of Fiber Nation. In the meantime, we wanted to feature a new podcast called the Knitting Nerdcast, where host Hannah Baker goes deep into her random knitting obsessions with friends. In this first episode, Hannah and Andrea Lotz nerd out about knitwear they've been noticing in various prestige television shows, including the Hulu show A Handmaid’s Tale. Enjoy! SUBSCRIBE to the Knitting Nerdcast - https://megaphone.link/GPM2560551780 Show notes and photos for A Handmaid's Knit - https://www.interweave.com/knitting-nerdcast/handmaids-tale-knit/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As knitters and makers, we understand the siren song of color all too well. But did you know that some colors come at a price? And throughout history, people—not just knitters—have been willing to pay it. From poison dresses to a dye that helped destroy an empire, this episode of Fiber Nation explores our fatal fascination with hues throughout history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Karen Hostetler’s children started school, she thought about starting a small business. A gift shop, maybe, selling Wyoming souvenirs to tourists on their way to Yellowstone or Montana. But when she discovered that you can't buy Wyoming wool in Wyoming, her desire to sell wool bunnies and blankets took a sideways turn into something much bigger—the largest wool mill in the American West. In this episode, we share the story of how Karen upended her life and started spinning wool, in an attempt to save the struggling Wyoming sheep ranchers and historic Basque shepherding culture of her home state.  See our show notes here: https://www.interweave.com/fiber-nation/black-sheep-wyoming-wool/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we look at the darker side of fiber history, with a surprising twist. Because in Victorian England, newspapers were filled with stories of murder victims, suspicious deaths, and tragic ends. And we’ll learn why, at the heart of so many of those lurid stories, was a woman knitting.  Learn more about these stories and our guest Penelope Lister Hemingway on our show notes page: www.interweave.com/category/fiber-nation/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay tuned! Fresh episodes featuring tales of textiles, craft and culture are coming soon with the new season of Fiber Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1846 an 8-year-old girl named Patty Reed headed west on the Oregon Trail, along with her family. Among Patty’s few toys was a tiny wooden doll. This doll is maybe 4 inches in height, and there is nothing particularly remarkable about her. Except for one thing: The wagon train that Dolly and Patty Reed were traveling in became known as the Donner Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hand-drawn knitting charts are not normally the target of armed robbery. When you are starting a business in 1990's Russia, however, anything goes. In this episode, we meet Galina Khmeleva and hear a dual story: one about a 300 year-old knitting tradition, and another about the remarkable woman who helped preserve it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hope to get your help to bring attention to Fiber Nation! Listen to our fresh clip to find out how your help may be rewarded with yarn. It's all about us wanting to hear from you, the yarn loving listener (and maybe a few of your friends). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Say you start knitting, and get into yarn. Maybe you start spinning, and get obsessed with fiber. This is how an obsession with sheep might begin. Spin Off magazine editor Kate Larson just happens to have her own flock of sheep. In this episode, Kate walks us through animal husbandry, harvesting fiber, and the hard choices that sometimes come with ranching. Have you ever considered integrating sustainable agriculture into your life? Learn more about the possibilities on this episode of Fiber Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the khamak embroidery of Afghanistan to Mayan rug hookers in Guatemala, see how women are changing their lives with creativity, courage, and old t shirts. Publisher Linda Ligon takes us around the world with Thrums Books, and reflects on how the best intentions can sometimes backfire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay tuned for the first episode of Fiber Nation, a knitting podcast that goes beyond knitting. Join host Allison Korleski as she talks with people from all corners of the yarniverse: designers and dyers, shepherds and spinners, publishers and pathfinders. From family farms in the American heartland to a woman’s cooperative in Afghanistan, each episode explores what connects us as knitters and makers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices