Podcasts about Wool

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 316 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins From the Armchair Knitting in Passing In my Travels Events On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsor The Yarn Sellar & check out details for their Fiber Marketplace (April 11, 2026) here.   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Neckerchief Pattern: none (inspired by Sophie Scarf by Petite Knit (paid pattern available on Ravelry) Yarn: Kingdom Fleece & Fiberworks,  Dream base (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere goat, 10% Nylon). No colorway name listed. Variegated yarn with a tan base, pinks, greens, purples and mustards. Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) Because I'm using fingering weight yarn, I decided to use the cast on from my Millie Margaret Shawl and figure it out as I go. Millie Margaret Shawl (fingering weight)-Ravelry I did the increases up to 5 inches the pattern calls for and now I'm knitting straight. I'll reverse my increases w/ decreases on the other side and see how I like it.   Inclinations Cowl Inclinations Cowl by Andrea Mowry ($7.00 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry & her website. Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) Yarn: 2 skeins of handspun Color A: Fiber Addict Designs 100% Merino in the Wild Plum Colorway- Ravelry link. Color B: Candombe, I think the fiber is from Malabrigo- Ravelry link. My Ravelry Project Page I love working with my handspun, but I don't necessarily love 1x1 ribbing every other row. Still I'm making progress and I know I'll love wearing it.   Treysta Pattern: Treysta by Jennifer Steingass $8.50 knitting pattern available on Ravelry & the Laine publishing website Yarn: MC- Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in Oatmeal. CC1: Handspun (Ravelry Project Page) dark blue. CC2: Harrisville Designs New England Highland in #34 High Aster (pink). CC3: Brown Sheep Company Prairie Spun DK in Rain Cloud (gray) Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) & US 6 (4.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: I finished the colorwork section and have split for the sleeves.   Spectrum Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh Targhee Sock in the Spectrum Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: finished first sock during Hattie's birthday sleepover. Worked on sock #2 while Megg, Rose and I saw Cabaret.   Northern Lights Socks Yarn: Patons Kroy in the Northern Lights Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the yarn- thin stripes of cream broken up 3 shades of teal/light blue, 2 grays and 1 deep purple. Finished sock 1 recently. Cast on sock 2.    October 2025 Sock Club Socks Yarn: agirlandherwool Sock Yarn in the October 2025 Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: beyond the heel on the first sock   From the Armchair   Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston. Amazon Affiliate Link. I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing I traded socks for handmade bowls with my new friend Rose! What a great trade!   In My Travels   Ryan, Millie and I went to Farm Fiber Days at Russell's Gardens Center in Wayland, MA. Some highlights include: It was our 3rd year of wearing overall's- Millie's choice for our somewhat matching outfits. 3rd year without Mom. She didn't come in 2024, the last one she was here for, because she was in St. Maarten. Good for her! But we obviously missed her last year and this year too. I purchased 3 plants. Millie picked out a plant for her mom. I bought 20 ounces of Gray Shetland from Forever in Fiber (Etsy). Millie got to show Ann Weaver of Plied Yarns the hat she knit for her Dad for Christmas. We needlefelted with the folks from Blue Heron Farm We enjoyed lunch at The Local across the street after.     Events Fiberfest at the Boston Public Market- March 21 & 22nd from 10a-5p in Boston, MA Fiber Witch Festival- April 24-26th in Salem, MA NH Sheep and Wool - May 9 & 10 in Deerfield NH Massachusetts Sheep & Wool- May 23 & 24 in Cummington, MA     On a Happy Note Chris Stapleton concert with Jeff, Riley & Dad Seussical with Megg and Hattie Hattie's birthday sleepover- trampoline park, pizza, cookies, Cat & the Hat pancake, pompoms and rehearsing for her Seussical audition A quieter week! Starting a March Madness Challenge at the gym + taking an adult ballet class from my friend Kris Chatting with my friend Marta about her trip back to America this summer Seeing Cabaret Karaoke night in a private room for my friend Megg's birthday. I got to see my nephew Garret on his 16th birthday. I got a text of him driving with his learner's permit a few days later.   Quote of the Week "Community is much more than belonging to something; it' about doing something together that makes belonging matter." — Brian Solis     Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

In this episode we share our thoughts on the British series "Game of Wool". If you haven't watched, this is your spoiler alert! Plus we talk about Kelly's visit to Seattle and give a quick update on our projects. Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android. Unauthorized Game of Wool full episodes can be found on various Youtube channels in the US and officially on Channel 4 in the UK. Acht hat Hazel Tindall Gordon's Youtube Man-Knitted in Scotland Marsha's Projects Socks: Using Schoppel-Wool Das Paar colorway Pigment Nebel plus Cloudborn in teal. Knitting on the foot of the second sock. Oaxaca Journey Bag: by Araceli Gonzalez. Using Prado de Lana. Late Bloomer by Heidi Kirrmaier using Hudson Valley Yarn. Cast on size M2 but it is too small. Cast on size L. Sheridan Flats Spinning: Purchased 24 oz of 80/15/6 wool/mohair/silk roving in the colorway Kaleidoscope. The owner said to spin at a worsted weight for best results. Mill is Olympic Yarn & Fiber located in Cosmopolis, WA. Plied three singles but somehow I over plied it.   Rag Rugs: Wound warp for four rag rugs and started warping loom. Warp is 4" and 6" stripes in royal blue, green, and orange. I finished the first two rugs. During Kelly's visit she suggested retying the treadles to weave a twill. She wove the first half of the third rug. I have cut the strips for the fourth and final rug. I still need to weave it though! Weaving Studio: It's a work in progress.  Garden Redesign: I've created a project page. Kelly's Projects Finished the Romney x Rambouillet that came from the NoCKRs destash. About a pound of roving. Six skeins but I don't know how many yards.  Restarted the Seatoller Socks by Louise Tillbrook. It's a twisted rib and cabled sock pattern so I needed a bigger size. Norwegian red resistance hat from WWII. Royal Bee DK weight. Made one according to the pattern  and it's a bit small. Made the second with additional stitches cast on and longer ribbing section. That worked well. Finished a third that is between the two sizes I've already made. The whole skein used! New Project! Study Hall Shawl by Sarah Schira  Colorwork Knit-a-long Join in the fun and create a colorwork project of any size or type. March - June 1 Winter Weave-a-long Finishing soon!  March 31 Newbury School of Weaving July 18-31, 2026 Conference of Northern California Handweavers May 14-17, 2026

The Government's decision to ban lead shot from 2028 will impact the ability to control deer numbers - that's according to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation which says that the new legislation, which will cover England, Scotland and Wales, will ban the ammunition used by many deer stalkers. Last month the Government released its 10 year English deer strategy, which estimated that one-third of England's woodlands are damaged by deer, with urgent action needed to protect trees and wildlife. A new loom is being built for a woolen mill in Wales which closed down 50 years ago. Cambrian Mill is in an area once known as the 'Huddersfield of Wales' as it was so important to wool production, and when it closed down it became the National Wool Museum which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.Farmers use a variety of things to add nutrients to soil and plants to improve the quality and quantity of crops, from organic fertilisers like manure and compost to sewage sludge and man made fertilisers like liquid nitrogen. We're talking about all of them this week, as well as their impact on the environment. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Kate Stalker, founder of OUBAS Knitwear.Kate runs a knitwear micro factory in the Lake District, where she designs and manufactures fully fashioned knitwear using natural fibres, including British wool. After studying knitwear at Winchester School of Art, she returned to Cumbria and started the business with a single hand flat knitting machine in her parents' utility room.Today OUBAS produces knitwear on industrial knitting machines, with everything knitted, linked and finished in house by a small team. The business combines design, manufacturing and small batch production all under one roof.If you're interested in British wool, knitwear manufacturing or what it takes to run a small clothing factory in the UK, this episode gives a real behind the scenes look at how it works.In this episode we cover:How Kate started OUBAS with one knitting machine and began selling at local markets and craft fairsWhy she chose to base the business in the Lake District rather than moving to LondonWhat it takes to run a knitwear micro factory with industrial knitting machinesWhat “linking” is and why fully fashioned knitwear is so labour intensiveHow knitwear is finished after it comes off the knitting machineThe reality of pricing knitwear when every garment takes hours to produceHow made to order production helps reduce waste and allows a wider size rangeWhy small batch knitwear manufacturing is becoming increasingly important for emerging brandsIf you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.About OUBAS KnitwearOUBAS Knitwear is a British knitwear brand and micro factory based in the Lake District. The business produces fully fashioned knitwear using natural fibres including British wool, with garments knitted and finished in house.Alongside its own collection, OUBAS also works with other brands and designers, offering knitwear sampling, development and small batch production.You can find Kate and Oubas Knitwear at:Website: www.oubasknitwear.co.ukInstagram: @oubasknitwear

One of the sweet spots in any system is when you can turn a "waste" product into a beneficial output. Wool, unfortunately, has become one such product. It isn't as high quality in wetter environments and certain breeds also struggle to produce high quality wool. Add to that the difficulty of those who know how to or want to shear sheep and you can see how this has led to a drying up of the wool market in many places. Israel Vasek has found a way to take these undervalued wool fleeces and turn them into a powerful, carbon rich, soil amendment. We are going to discuss that process with him today as well as the results of some of the studies using wool pellets as a soil amendment.Sponsors:Kaizen SolutionsSunshine Bible AcademyRelevant Links:Wooly Naturals

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All the wool is a vlog  all about handspinning yarn, processing wool, knitting, owning a wool mill, farm life and everything in between including a little activism.To watch this episode on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/p4e9kwkaj4YTo ask me a questionhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkoshX7grvAiOcNxwAlUqFskm-opVlE1h_L6jmdO-CvGX8kg/viewform?usp=sf_linkFind me at:https://www.ewethfulfiberfarm.com/Blogging at http://www.beingewethful.com/Ravelry group: Ewethful Fiber Farm & MillHandspun audio podcastJoin Ewethful's Patreon Communityhttps://www.patreon.com/EwethfulFiberMillFree hand spinning resources - " Ewethful's Wool School"https://www.ewethfulfiberfarm.com/pag...Mentioned in this episodeSolidarity making live on Ewethful's channel All the Wool on YouTube every Tuesday at 7pm pacific.Link to Conditioning your wool at home: http://www.beingewethful.com/blog/making-a-carding-conditioning-oilThe Ewethful mission...Our mission at Ewethful Fiber Mill is to fill making hands with small batch American grown yarns and fibers. We strive to produce lightly processed products that maintain their character, have low environmental impact and tell the stories of the animals and shepherds from whence they came.

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy. Wool, for millennia the cold climate textile fiber, has a long relationship to war, both in terms of supporting it and causing it. Wool's strategic value in wartime, a position it gained over centuries, and contrived shortages of same in the 20th century, have helped drive consumers' transition to the synthetic fibers that have enabled fast fashion, and as both fiber and cloth are global contemporary pollutants.Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War (Bloomsbury, 2025) by Professor Trish FitzSimons & Madelyn Shaw argues that the 19th century advent of southern hemisphere large scale sheep pastoralism and northern hemisphere industrialization of the woolen textile industry allowed - at least in part - the huge armies of the 20th century to exist. World War I represented a fundamental shift in the scale of armies and the kind of wars they fought. Demand for wool to outfit the tens of millions of men and women involved in fighting the war or supporting those who did grew way beyond what could be accommodated by any nation's normal supply. The contrived wool shortages of this war had a lasting impact - nations subject to supply chain difficulties began the search for substitutes that led first to the semi-synthetic rayon, and ultimately to the plastic fibers such as polyester and acrylic that dominate today's world of fast fashion. Each chapter of Fleeced begins with a surprising object, document or image that takes us into this fascinating and previously untold history. Change is not necessarily progress. Fleeced explains how competition for wool in wartime helped create our current unsustainable and environmentally disastrous reliance on petrochemical fibers. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy. Wool, for millennia the cold climate textile fiber, has a long relationship to war, both in terms of supporting it and causing it. Wool's strategic value in wartime, a position it gained over centuries, and contrived shortages of same in the 20th century, have helped drive consumers' transition to the synthetic fibers that have enabled fast fashion, and as both fiber and cloth are global contemporary pollutants.Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War (Bloomsbury, 2025) by Professor Trish FitzSimons & Madelyn Shaw argues that the 19th century advent of southern hemisphere large scale sheep pastoralism and northern hemisphere industrialization of the woolen textile industry allowed - at least in part - the huge armies of the 20th century to exist. World War I represented a fundamental shift in the scale of armies and the kind of wars they fought. Demand for wool to outfit the tens of millions of men and women involved in fighting the war or supporting those who did grew way beyond what could be accommodated by any nation's normal supply. The contrived wool shortages of this war had a lasting impact - nations subject to supply chain difficulties began the search for substitutes that led first to the semi-synthetic rayon, and ultimately to the plastic fibers such as polyester and acrylic that dominate today's world of fast fashion. Each chapter of Fleeced begins with a surprising object, document or image that takes us into this fascinating and previously untold history. Change is not necessarily progress. Fleeced explains how competition for wool in wartime helped create our current unsustainable and environmentally disastrous reliance on petrochemical fibers. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy. Wool, for millennia the cold climate textile fiber, has a long relationship to war, both in terms of supporting it and causing it. Wool's strategic value in wartime, a position it gained over centuries, and contrived shortages of same in the 20th century, have helped drive consumers' transition to the synthetic fibers that have enabled fast fashion, and as both fiber and cloth are global contemporary pollutants.Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War (Bloomsbury, 2025) by Professor Trish FitzSimons & Madelyn Shaw argues that the 19th century advent of southern hemisphere large scale sheep pastoralism and northern hemisphere industrialization of the woolen textile industry allowed - at least in part - the huge armies of the 20th century to exist. World War I represented a fundamental shift in the scale of armies and the kind of wars they fought. Demand for wool to outfit the tens of millions of men and women involved in fighting the war or supporting those who did grew way beyond what could be accommodated by any nation's normal supply. The contrived wool shortages of this war had a lasting impact - nations subject to supply chain difficulties began the search for substitutes that led first to the semi-synthetic rayon, and ultimately to the plastic fibers such as polyester and acrylic that dominate today's world of fast fashion. Each chapter of Fleeced begins with a surprising object, document or image that takes us into this fascinating and previously untold history. Change is not necessarily progress. Fleeced explains how competition for wool in wartime helped create our current unsustainable and environmentally disastrous reliance on petrochemical fibers. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy. Wool, for millennia the cold climate textile fiber, has a long relationship to war, both in terms of supporting it and causing it. Wool's strategic value in wartime, a position it gained over centuries, and contrived shortages of same in the 20th century, have helped drive consumers' transition to the synthetic fibers that have enabled fast fashion, and as both fiber and cloth are global contemporary pollutants.Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War (Bloomsbury, 2025) by Professor Trish FitzSimons & Madelyn Shaw argues that the 19th century advent of southern hemisphere large scale sheep pastoralism and northern hemisphere industrialization of the woolen textile industry allowed - at least in part - the huge armies of the 20th century to exist. World War I represented a fundamental shift in the scale of armies and the kind of wars they fought. Demand for wool to outfit the tens of millions of men and women involved in fighting the war or supporting those who did grew way beyond what could be accommodated by any nation's normal supply. The contrived wool shortages of this war had a lasting impact - nations subject to supply chain difficulties began the search for substitutes that led first to the semi-synthetic rayon, and ultimately to the plastic fibers such as polyester and acrylic that dominate today's world of fast fashion. Each chapter of Fleeced begins with a surprising object, document or image that takes us into this fascinating and previously untold history. Change is not necessarily progress. Fleeced explains how competition for wool in wartime helped create our current unsustainable and environmentally disastrous reliance on petrochemical fibers. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Today. On WnS Radio. Dionne, Rebecca and I had the opportunity to sit down with Crystal Hesser, @spin_up_girl on Instagram, once again. We always love having Crystal on the show! Today, we talked about her process and background in design, what she wants to create and say through her textured yarns, and finally, as Rebecca finishes up tail spinning through the month of February, some tips and tricks for tail spinning.Find Crystal on Instagram @spin_up_girlI hope you enjoy our conversation and of course, don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you listen to the show.***I hope you enjoyed our conversation. Be sure to like and subscribe and leaving a review really does help the show be found by others. Share it with your friends. Think about putting a plug for the Radio show into your Guild newsletter. Thank you for taking the time to do that.If this is your first time tuning into Wool n' Spinning Radio, welcome. This audio podcast is a spin-off from the original podcast available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/RachelSmith. Rachel has been podcasting since 2014, talking about handspinning and making yarn. Her passion is working with her handspun yarns in projects, both knit and woven.Episode shownotes & pictures available here.Until next month, keep wool close and your spindles closer!Rachel I hope you enjoyed our conversation. If this is your first time tuning into Wool n' Spinning Radio, welcome. This audio podcast is a spin-off from the original podcast available on YouTube at youtube.com/RachelSmith. Rachel has been podcasting since 2014, talking about handspinning and making yarn. Her passion is working with her handspun yarns in projects, both knit and woven. Links to the website, Instagram and more are available in the show notes and at Patreon.com/woolnspinning. *** Thank you for listening! If you would like to be a guest on Wool n' Spinning Radio, please reach out below, in the comments, or send an email to rachel@welfordpurls.com. Until next month, keep wool close and your spindles closer!

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy. Wool, for millennia the cold climate textile fiber, has a long relationship to war, both in terms of supporting it and causing it. Wool's strategic value in wartime, a position it gained over centuries, and contrived shortages of same in the 20th century, have helped drive consumers' transition to the synthetic fibers that have enabled fast fashion, and as both fiber and cloth are global contemporary pollutants.Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War (Bloomsbury, 2025) by Professor Trish FitzSimons & Madelyn Shaw argues that the 19th century advent of southern hemisphere large scale sheep pastoralism and northern hemisphere industrialization of the woolen textile industry allowed - at least in part - the huge armies of the 20th century to exist. World War I represented a fundamental shift in the scale of armies and the kind of wars they fought. Demand for wool to outfit the tens of millions of men and women involved in fighting the war or supporting those who did grew way beyond what could be accommodated by any nation's normal supply. The contrived wool shortages of this war had a lasting impact - nations subject to supply chain difficulties began the search for substitutes that led first to the semi-synthetic rayon, and ultimately to the plastic fibers such as polyester and acrylic that dominate today's world of fast fashion. Each chapter of Fleeced begins with a surprising object, document or image that takes us into this fascinating and previously untold history. Change is not necessarily progress. Fleeced explains how competition for wool in wartime helped create our current unsustainable and environmentally disastrous reliance on petrochemical fibers. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy. Wool, for millennia the cold climate textile fiber, has a long relationship to war, both in terms of supporting it and causing it. Wool's strategic value in wartime, a position it gained over centuries, and contrived shortages of same in the 20th century, have helped drive consumers' transition to the synthetic fibers that have enabled fast fashion, and as both fiber and cloth are global contemporary pollutants.Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War (Bloomsbury, 2025) by Professor Trish FitzSimons & Madelyn Shaw argues that the 19th century advent of southern hemisphere large scale sheep pastoralism and northern hemisphere industrialization of the woolen textile industry allowed - at least in part - the huge armies of the 20th century to exist. World War I represented a fundamental shift in the scale of armies and the kind of wars they fought. Demand for wool to outfit the tens of millions of men and women involved in fighting the war or supporting those who did grew way beyond what could be accommodated by any nation's normal supply. The contrived wool shortages of this war had a lasting impact - nations subject to supply chain difficulties began the search for substitutes that led first to the semi-synthetic rayon, and ultimately to the plastic fibers such as polyester and acrylic that dominate today's world of fast fashion. Each chapter of Fleeced begins with a surprising object, document or image that takes us into this fascinating and previously untold history. Change is not necessarily progress. Fleeced explains how competition for wool in wartime helped create our current unsustainable and environmentally disastrous reliance on petrochemical fibers. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/australian-and-new-zealand-studies

This week on the podcast, Shannon Donoghue joins us to talk about why she's so passionate about telling the story of wool. Growing up on a sheep property in South Australia, Shannon started off in the industry as a wool classer before stepping into her current role as an industry relations officer with AWI. Her work now involves helping producers better understand where levy investment goes and ensuring their feedback shapes research, development and marketing.Alongside that, Shannon has built a significant following online, sharing drone footage and, more recently, "Weekly Wool Facts", a series to get more people interested and excited about sheep and fibre production. Shannon also explains the shift in consumer attitudes post-COVID and the move towards everyday wool in casual and athletic wear, rather than the standard woollen suit. Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited. We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: info@nextgenagri.com.Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.Check out the MSD range HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

In this first episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Dee McGilvray, founder of CLÒ FOLD.Dee has launched a womenswear brand built entirely around 100 percent British traceable wool. In just five months, alongside a full time job, she has taken an idea rooted in farming and the British countryside and turned it into a finished product made entirely in the UK.Her first piece is a wool gilet woven in Yorkshire using traceable wool sourced through British Wool. Every part of the supply chain, from farm to finished garment, has been kept in Britain.This isn't just a story about launching a fashion brand. It's about supporting farmers, restoring value to British wool and building a genuinely local supply chain.In this episode we cover:Why so much British wool goes to waste and why farmers are often paid very little for itHow Dee built a fully traceable supply chain starting with British WoolWhat traceable wool actually means and how customers can scan a QR code to see which farms their garment came fromWorking with UK mills, manufacturers and suppliersWhy launching with one product was a smart moveThe reality of starting a brand quickly and testing demand in small batchesWhy wool is one of the most underrated fibres in British fashionIf you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.About CLÒ FOLDCLÒ FOLD is a British womenswear brand built on the principle of land led living. Every garment is made using traceable British wool, with full transparency from farm to finished product.You can find Dee and CLÒ FOLD at:Website: www.clofold.comInstagram: @clofoldMake sure you join her mailing list to hear about upcoming launches including traceable British wool welly socks and future outerwear pieces.

How a fence meant to protect sheep transformed the entire Australian landscape. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leslie Amick is an artist and naturalist. A love of nature and the beauty surrounding all of us influences all of Leslie's work. She loves to explore the flora and fauna by creating likenesses using textiles. Mostly wool, the sculptures she creates not only highlight a particular beast or plant, but gives them a sense of being. Her sculptures are described as whimsical most of all. Perhaps it's that bit of attitude frequently displayed by the subjects. As the sculpture evolves, the personality also develops. This gives her work a totally relatable presence to those who view it.Links:https://www.instagram.com/leslie.amick/https://www.thistleworthneedleworks.com/https://texaswoolweek.com/PodMatchPodMatch Automatically Matches Ideal Podcast Guests and Hosts For Interviews PodMatchPodMatch Automatically Matches Ideal Podcast Guests and Hosts For InterviewsSupport the show

Mark Lynn from Eden Renewable Innovations explains how sheep's wool insulation is made, outlines the pros and cons, and suggests how it is best specified and installed. He also shares some common traits of natural fibre insulation as a category. Check out the show notes for more information.

Wool and linen work for everything

Series 8 of the Make it British podcast is here!After many of you asked, “Where's the podcast gone?”, it's coming back with a brand-new themed series: Women in Wool.Over the past few months, I've been recording interviews behind the scenes. As the conversations unfolded, a clear thread emerged. Every guest was a woman. And every one of them was working with the same fibre - Wool.This new series shines a spotlight on the women driving innovation, craftsmanship and revival across the UK wool supply chain – from farming and spinning to weaving, knitting and manufacturing.

Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo looks at the China-Africa Framework agreement and how our meat, grain and wine industries stand to benefit if we are able to secure better tariff levels there.

New data shows wool sales are still up in the South Island. PGG Wrightson South Island auction manager Dave Burridge said exporter demand remains highly competitive - with the SWI lifting a further 47 cents. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 314 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Hattie's Rainbow Mittens Pattern: Little Waiting for Winter Mittens by Susan B. Anderson- $4 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Worsted in the Vegas Baby colorway Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the colorway- stripes of gray, blue, green, mustard, red and pink.   Hattie's Sparkly Mittens Pattern: Little Waiting for Winter Mittens by Susan B. Anderson-  $4 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry Yarn: Fingering yarn held double- 1 sparkle & 1 non-sparkle base (sparkles are 20g minis from Legacy Fiber Artz Advent calendars of years past) Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Traveler Sweater Pattern: The Traveler by Andrea Mowry ($9 pattern available on Ravelry & the designer's website) Yarn: Hazel Knits Small Batch Sport (90/10 SW/Nylon) in a sage green Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Size: 3 Drawstring- fingering weight yarn- US 6 DPNs. I washed it several times, because it was bleeding yellow. I had to wash it several times before all of the rest of the dye let go. Finished. Washed it. Sleeves were too big. I had 28 purl ridges on the sleeves, I ripped back 7 and then worked the ribbing. Wore to Hattie's birthday dinner. Very comfy cozy. I am finding the weight of the hood wants to pull it back on my neck which I'm not sure I love. Have you found this?   Woolens & Nosh 2025 Advent Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh, 75/25 Superwash Wool/Nylon 2025 Advent Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Finished right after I finished the last episode. Love these so much!   Dory Pattern: Mega Ray & Sea Friends by Theresa's Crochet Shop- $15.50 pattern on website or Etsy Yarn: Knit Picks Brava minis in Celestial, Custard, Black & White Hook: C (2.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Gus the Dino Pattern: Gus the Dino by KP Crochet Patterns. $8.50 US Pattern on Etsy (on sale right now) Yarn: Bernat Blanket in Misty Green & Parfait Chunky in White Hook: J (6.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page 35 mm eyes were too big! I bought smaller ones, beheaded Gus and gave him a new head with new eyes!   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Back to the Future Socks Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes. Micro-Sock Kit in the Back to the Future Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Back to the Future Sock set- gifted to me by Sue & Chelsea- part of their 4 Sundays of Advent yarn in 2025. About the Colorway- speckles of pink, orange, yellow purple and blue with a blue/purple mini. Progress- just about to toe of sock 1   Arielle's Socks Yarn: Edelweiss Fibres Standard Sock (75% SW Merino/25% Nylon), 425m for 100g in the Hillside Heather Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the colorway- maroons, browns and greens. Cast on both on separate needles. Progress- a few inches into leg on one sock, ready to work the toe on the other US 6 shoe. 7.25 inches before toe. About 8.5 inches total foot length.   Kirby Wirby 2025 Advent Socks Yarn: Kirby Wirby 75/25 Superwash Merino/Nylon in the 2025 Advent Christmas Toys from the 80s 24 Stripe Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Yarn theme: Christmas Toys from the 80s Progress- turned heel on sock 2   Pucker Brush Farm BFL Sweater Spin Fiber: 16 oz of multi colored BFL roving from Pucker Brush Farm (purchased at Rhinebeck 2025), 4 oz Merino in a mustard color Ravelry Project Page I am planning to knit a Traveler sweater inspired by Emily Curtis' handmade version- click here for her Ravelry Project Page. I was thrilled to see a recent post on Emily's Instagram that she made a YouTube video about this spin/knit. I plied up about 8.5grams of the BFL with the Finnsheep. 23 wraps (690 inches/19 yards) .3 ounces / around 8.5 grams I've been keeping my wheel next to my spot on the couch and spinning if not every day, then more days than not.   Handspun documentation I went through nearly all of my handspun skeins of yarn. I made updates in each page on Ravelry to add skein information. You can enter length and weight and it add that to your stash.  I also ended up changing the names of the finished projects to include the weight and length! I wrote yarn weight (dk sport etc) on physical tags i have on the yarn. So much easier for me to work with.   Brainstorming I have 3 skeins of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool that I used to start a Waverly Cardigan (but the gauge is just too tight)- click here for my Ravelry Project Page. I think it might be good for the Lakes Pullover by Ozetta (Ravelry Pattern- $8 knitting pattern). I found this by searching the yarn on ravelry then doing the advance pattern search to look for sweaters people knit with this yarn. Related- Eileen recently asked if someone in our group had knit a certain pattern she had questions about before purchasing/committing to. If you look at the pattern on Rav and click the Projects Tab. You can use the filters there to select "Made by Group Members" and then click on the Rav group you want to look in. You can use that to see who you want to chat w/ about it. ElizabethisKnitting (on Instagram- shared her Winter Soul Sweater in this post. Its so beautiful! Why are you not all knitting this? Great question. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.   From the Armchair   Greenwich by Kate Broad. Amazon Affiliate Link. Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Maid by Nita Prose. Amazon Affiliate Link. Little One by Olivia Muenter. Amazon Affiliate Link Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. Amazon Affiliate Link. The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie (A Satirical Novella) by Freida McFadden. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing At Hattie's birthday dinner, Emelyn asked for help crocheting a circle. They were making a stuffed animal to look like a stage like and had everything done but the center bulk part. Aila also ended up working on it with us.   OMG Sock Classes are finished! All of my students turned their heels, some did both socks. Many did their toes and kitchenered. They all had fun and were far more successful than they anticipated so that was very exciting.   KAL News   Pigskin Party '25 is over! Event Dates: KAL Dates- Thursday September 4, 2025- Monday February 9, 2026   Updates In This Episode Official Sponsor for Quarter 4 (January)- Yarnaceous Fibers- winner announced Commentary from Mary January Participation Prize Winners Announced Grand Prize winners will be announced in the next episode. Commentator Update Thanks to everyone for another fantastic season! The February huddle has been full of chatter about all the projects people rushed to finish before the deadline. However, one of my favorite conversations has been in response to beachsideknits2's question: What is weirdest/most random thing you've ever made?  Here are some fantastic answers (prepare to be wowed!)   Beachsideknit2's succulent pillow- Ravelry Project Page   Tanksoup's Tiktaalik (in case you are like me and had no idea what a tiktaalik is, it "is a 375 million year old fossil fish that was discovered in the Canadian Arctic in 2004" according to this site. Check out Tanksoup's Ravelry Project Page    Leahbothe's nose sweaters- Ravelry Project Page   And socalknitgirl's top hat—Ravelry Project Page   I hope everyone has as much fun as I did this season!  See you all this summer for splash pad party!   Mary     Contest, News & Notes   Ross Farm fire   Check out this news article with details about the fire. Click here if you're interested in donating or consider purchasing yarn, fiber etc and letting these sheep live on even after they're gone.   On a Happy Note I bought a new car! I went to see Sleepwalker at a local theater.  Here's a link to a review that sums up some of my thoughts. I went to see Some Like it Hot in Boston. Megg & I got a fabulous dinner beforehand at Yvonne's. Our waitress even brought over a delicious dumpling dish for us to try (sans lobster). Friday date nights with Dan Running into Riley & her bestie Ellie at Lucky Finn, my current local favorite coffee shop- after the gym on a Saturday morning. It was so hilarious! Very much enjoyed Pluribus on Apple TV+.  Seeing Millie in Finding Nemo Jr. and an early dinner after with family. Mani/pedis with Megg, Eme & Hattie for Hattie's birthday. Super Bowl- while we lost it's always fun to watch. I enjoyed the commercials, and had fun cheering on the Seahawks kicker Jason Myers who played football at Marist where I went to college (now Marist University) Hattie's 8th birthday dinner. Dad and I did a Zoom beforehand in celebration of what would have been Mom's 70th with a few of her cousins.   Quote of the Week Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. -Dalai Lama     ------   Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

In this engaging conversation, Carol Mudford, the Rural Woman of the Year, shares her journey from childhood on a sheep farm to becoming a mental health advocate through her initiative, Shedway. The discussion highlights the importance of community support in rural areas, the challenges faced by women in the shearing industry, and the impact of mental health awareness initiatives. Carol reflects on her experiences with grief, the significance of physical work for mental wellbeing, and the evolving role of women in traditionally male-dominated fields. Key points: Carol Mudford is a mental health advocate and Rural Woman of the Year. Shedway was created to address mental health issues in the shearing industry. Isolation is a significant challenge for shearers regarding mental health. Physical work in shearing can positively impact mental well-being. Women are increasingly entering the shearing industry, breaking traditional barriers. Shedway offers workshops and training for mental health awareness. Grief can be processed through work and community connection. The importance of recognising and discussing emotions for mental health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a quiet but powerful movement afoot in the knitting community. It started at Needle & Skein, a full-service yarn store in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. Wanting to do something to protest the presence of ICE in his state, Paul Neary decided to look back in time for inspiration, and he found it in 1940s Norway. As Neary explains in his "Melt The Ice Hat" pattern,"In the 1940s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against the Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design."Paul Neary, "Melt the Ice Hat," available on Ravelry and through Needle & Skein (needleandskein.com)"We felt it appropriate to revisit this design." We love the understatement. All proceeds from the sale of the pattern ($5) go to Minnesota Immigration Aid organizations. Over $650,000 has been raised, and the pattern has been sold in 43 countries. The movement might have started in a quiet corner of a Minnesota yarn store, but it's big now, and it's growing. This is what happens when you have a lot of people ready to take a stand and put their pointed sticks to work.In fact, the red cap's association with liberty has a much longer history, going back to Ancient Greece where former Phrygian slaves wore red pointed caps to signify their emancipation. Romans picked up the association and bestowed red caps on freed slaves as part of their manumission ceremony. In the American Revolution, Paul Revere carved a liberty cap on a stone obelisk in the Boston Common, and local towns often placed a red liberty cap on a pole or tree to signify their allegiance to the resistance. The tradition was continued during the French Revolution with Lady Liberty sporting a red cap and her followers donning the famous "bonnet rouge." Early draft designs of the Statue of Liberty even showed her with a red cap instead of a crown. Perhaps most surprising is the Seal of the U.S. Senate--take a close look, and oh, what's that you see? Could it be a little red liberty cap at the top? The irony.So we are buying red yarn and knitting "Melt the Ice" hats these days. We want to be part of the red liberty cap history, because, well, it's our history. Join us.

Best Selling AuthorIn this standout episode of The BIG Sci‑Fi Podcast, we sit down with bestselling author Hugh Howey—the visionary mind behind the Silo series, the story that inspired Apple TV's acclaimed hit show Silo.Hugh joins the crew for a rich, thoughtful, and often surprising conversation about world‑building, creative resilience, and the journey from independently published author to global phenomenon. We explore the origins of Wool, the evolution of the Silo universe, and how its themes of survival, truth, and human nature resonate so powerfully with audiences today.Listeners will enjoy Hugh's candid reflections on adapting his work for television, collaborating with showrunners, and watching his characters come to life on screen. Whether you're a longtime fan of the books, a devotee of the Apple TV series, or simply fascinated by the craft of science fiction storytelling, this episode delivers insight, inspiration, and plenty of BIG sci‑fi fun.Strap in as we dive deep into the silo—and into the mind of one of Sci-Fi's most influential modern authors!This podcast is a proud part of the Trek Geeks Podcast Network and works hard to bring you great content from all over the science fiction universe. We would love to hear your feedback, suggestions, and ideas. Take a moment to send us an email at thebigscifipodcast@gmail.comTheme music for season 10 was created with AI from the Suno platform with prompts from Brian Donahue.Check our podcast out and learn more about the other great podcasts on the network by visiting trekgeeks.com.We've got the merch! If you want BIG Sci-Fi swag, check out this link and support us by wearing us everywhere you go! www.teepublic.com/thebigscifipodcastCheck out all of our social links in one place:https://linktr.ee/thebigscifipodcastCheck out Cris' amazing YouTube channel for Trek content galore:https://www.youtube.com/@yellingaboutstartrek1532Check out Brian's new book available at Amazon for Kindle and in paperback:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brian-Donahue/author/B0C3BQ93VDSubscribe for free to Brian's Substack page where he writes original science fiction and fantasy: https://bdonahue.substack.com/Listen to Brian's music including his new brand new compilation album "My Story" at: https://www.reverbnation.com/765591/album/330256Find Adeena's books here: https://crazyrobot.myshopify.com/Follow her on Substack here: https://beyondthedroid.substack.com

For the final episode of series 9 I am joined by Simon, also known as Veteran Knitter and one of the contestants from Game of Wool, the knitting and crochet based TV show in the UK.Simon speaks about how he first came to pick up some knitting needles and his journey from a secret knitter who handed out hand knit gifts to his surprised friends and family, to going public on Instagram and then taking his knitting onto our TV screens.We speak about his experience of telling his work colleagues on a building site that he is a knitter, and how he uses knitting to help him bring his focus into the present.Connect with Simon on Instagram and TikTok-------------

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Skandinavian Folklore and Feast Days.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Syv Slags Kaker. (or, Seven Sorts of  Cookies)December 22nd – Evening, Five Days LaterJorunn said, “Well, Gunnar, we are back at our starting point, and this concludes the tour. We got off to a rough start on the first day, but since then, I have enjoyed spending time with you. After my mom got divorced, I stopped dating. Sure, I went out in mixed groups with my friends, but I cannot remember the last time I went somewhere, by myself, with a man. The divorce made me lose all confidence and trust in men. Why enter a relationship, and give my heart to a man, knowing it is going to fail? My father hurt my mother and me so badly, that neither of us have recovered. You were so wonderful to me this week, and showed me that not all men are like my father.”Jorunn looked at me with pleading eyes, “I don’t want this tour to end. I don’t want you to leave. Can you please stay in Oslo at least a few more days?”Jorunn didn’t want me to go. And I didn’t want to leave her either. I replied, “Jorunn, I cannot think of anyone or any place I would rather be than here in Oslo, with you.”Jorunn said, “It’s still early enough that we may be able to find seating without a reservation. I know a great place for seafood.”“Lead on,” I replied.Jorunn and I discussed the now-completed tour while enjoying a delicious dinner at a small kafé. I offered suggestions for the tour, but otherwise let her know I enjoyed seeing Norway, and I told her what a wonderful guide she was. After returning to America, I promised to recommend her tours to everyone I knew.As I looked over the dessert menu, I asked Jorunn, “I’m willing to stay a few more days. Are there any other Norwegian Christmas traditions or activities worth doing over the next few days?”“If you put down that dessert menu, there is one called Syv Slags Kaker. I baked seven kinds of cookies to celebrate Jul. If you come to my house, we can have coffee and you can sample all seven kinds.”“That sounds great,” I replied. Jorunn was inviting me to her home. She was beautiful and funny, and I admit I developed fantasies about her as I watched her vlog videos back in the nursing home. Heck, I even created new fantasies over the last week. She was much warmer toward me at the end of the tour. In Tromsø, we shared a blanket as we rode in a sleigh pulled by an actual reindeer. But after the Nutcracker ballet, I held back and did not cross any lines. Could a 56-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have a sexual relationship? I managed to keep up with Jorunn all week and didn’t see any reason not to. I reached below the table to carefully re-position myself before standing up.We made our way to the Train Station and rode to Jorunn’s neighborhood. As we walked to her house, I noticed many homes with a lighted star in one of the windows.“What are those stars,” I asked.“They are a tradition in Norway. A star is lit on the first Sunday of Advent to help guide the Three Wise Men.”We stopped in front of a modest house. There was no star in the window, but I saw sheaves of oats hung from one of the trees. I was familiar with the tradition of putting out something for the birds in the frigid days of December. As we stepped inside, I was suddenly surprised. “Hi, Mom! I would like you to meet Gunnar Larsen.”“Good evening, Mr. Larsen. Jorunn has been sending me text messages all week about your exciting travels. I hope you enjoyed your tour. My name is Leah.”This was not what I expected. I hoped to be alone with Jorunn. The family resemblance was striking and quite apparent. Leah’s straight hair was a bit shorter than Jorunn’s but matched her daughter’s pure blonde color. Her blue eyes stood out from her attractive face. She was wearing a multi-colored Norwegian Dale sweater and green trousers. I possessed absolutely no experience telling how old Norwegian women are. She must be in her forties but looked younger.I said, “I enjoyed Jorunn’s tour very much. Your daughter is quite talented in many ways. Please, call me Gunnar.”Jorunn said, “Gunnar was asking about other Jul traditions and activities here in Norway over Christmas. I thought Syv Slags Kaker would be a good one, and your cookies are the best ones in Oslo. I’ll make us some coffee.”Leah looked at me, “Please sit Gunnar. How much longer will you be staying in Norway?”I replied, “About two more weeks. I wanted to celebrate the New Year here before returning to America.”I talked about the completed tour, and she seemed interested enough that I rambled on.“I really enjoyed visiting Lillehammer. It brought back memories of watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, probably my favorite one. The music was fantastic, and the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn at the opening ceremony possessed such a wonderful voice.”Leah replied, “Her name is Sissel Kyrkjebø. She is still extremely popular today, and we consider her a national treasure. I was 18 at the time, and worked at those Olympics.”“I’d love to hear more about that,” I replied. “It was nice to see many of the venues still being used. I also enjoyed the Olympic Museum in Maihaugen, which told the history of the 1994 Olympics. I was surprised to learn that Norway has won more Olympic medals than any other country. But the highlight for me was riding the chairlift to the top of the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump. The views were amazing. I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to make such a jump.”“I agree with you on that!” laughed Leah.I continued, “We also flew to Tromsø, and I got to see the Northern Lights. We can sometimes see them in southern Minnesota, but they were much more impressive here with the clear Norwegian air. Jorunn and I took a ride in a sleigh, pulled by actual reindeer. Reindeer are much larger than I thought. We visited a Sami farm, where we ate reindeer stew and learned about the Sami culture.”“I’ve never been, but I hear it’s really fun,” replied Leah.“Bærums Verk was also a highlight. You may already know that the town dates to the 1600s. I loved the old buildings and cobbled streets. Although the Christmas Market was small, I found it unique, with artisans selling handmade crafts. It was nice to see the old crafts like glassblowing, ironwork, and woodworking.”Jorunn returned with a large tray, holding coffee and cookies, and we began sampling.Leah asked, “Did you take Gunnar to Pepperkakebyen in Bergen? It’s a marvelous gingerbread village in my hometown. There are over 200 small gingerbread houses, and with the tiny lights turned on, it looks so real.”Jorunn replied, “A week goes by quickly, mamma. There is only so much time. The gingerbread houses are very nice, and I have fond memories of going there with you.”As we continued talking and munching cookies, I looked around at the decorations. There was an advent calendar, wreaths, angels, gnomes called nisse, hearts, stars, and candles. The decorations looked more natural, perhaps a bit less commercialized than in America. There was a real tree, complete with its wonderful pine smell, a star at the top, garland, tinsel, ornaments, and white lights.I looked at Leah, “I noticed that you don’t have a Christmas star in the window as many of the other houses do.”Leah replied, “I found my former husband in bed with another woman. I immediately divorced him. Among the many things he took from Jorunn and I, was our Christmas Star.”Leah sounded deeply hurt and from more than just the missing star. After tasting the last of the seven cookies, Leah asked how I liked them. “The waffle-like Krumkaker was probably my favorite. We tried making them in Minnesota, but yours turned out so much better. And, of course, the Pepperkaker gingerbread stars were great.” I held up another cookie and said, “I don’t know the name of this one, but it was also excellent.”Leah replied, “That one is Serinakaker, a Norwegian butter cookie.”I realized the inevitable, “It is getting late. Thank you both, Leah and Jorunn, for a wonderful evening. I need to get back to my hotel and figure out what to do over the next few days.”I saw Jorunn look at her mother, who nodded. As I stood up, Leah did too. “Nonsense, Gunnar. I won’t have it. Come, spend Christmas with Jorunn and me! Nearly everything in Oslo shuts down in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and stays closed until the 27th. No restaurants or shops will be open. I have an unused bedroom upstairs. Come celebrate Jul with us.”I caught the signal between mother and daughter and wondered if this was pre-planned. But spending Christmas alone in my hotel sounded almost as bad as spending it alone in the nursing home. It was an easy decision. “I accept.”Leah said, “Good. I’ll stop by your hotel tomorrow and help you move your things. Perhaps we can have lunch as well at one of the restaurants along Karl Johans gate.”“It would be my pleasure, ” I replied. “Let’s say, about 11:00 AM”Little Christmas EveDecember 23rd - MorningIt was December 23rd, known in Norway as Lille Julaften. Spending Christmas with Leah and Jorunn created a problem for me. I needed to find at least one Christmas present for each, just in case they bought a gift for me. I got up early and headed out to search. Reflecting on last night, and indeed, the last week, it ended up being far simpler than I feared. I soon found a gift for each, along with reusable cloth gift bags in Christmas colors.I heard a knock on my hotel door and opened it. Leah stood there, holding a coat over her arm. She was wearing a traditional Norwegian folk costume called a bunad. Her blonde hair, simply styled, was highlighted by two attractive braids.I smiled and said, “What a pleasant surprise. You look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.”She looked past me into the messy room, then took a step toward me and surprised me with a kiss on my cheek. She stepped back and started laughing. “It didn’t work. I am a fairy tale princess, but you are still a frog! It looks like we have some work to do cleaning up your lily pad.”As Leah entered the room, I said, “I already packed a small bag, enough for a few days.”Leah walked over to the pile of clothes from my week-long trip. She picked up a shirt and sniffed it. Then she pulled a wool sweater out from the pile. “Keep your wool sweaters away from the rest of your dirty clothes. Wool is harder to clean and may pick up the smell. Let me see what else you packed.”Leah dumped out my small gym bag onto the bed and then began tossing things aside. “This won’t do. We need to take all of your clothes back to my house and wash them.”Fond memories returned. Whenever we went on a trip, Solveig would always dump out my suitcase and re-load it with other clothes. Solvieg would also pick out clothes for me to wear whenever we dressed to go out to weddings or a party.Leah said, “Don’t expect me to wash them for you. I have other things to do to get ready for Christmas. You’ll have enough free time you can wash them yourself. We will gather everything up after we come back from lunch.”What a woman! I can see where Jorunn inherited her strong personality. We left my hotel, and Leah took me to one of her favorite kafés. As we walked, Leah’s bunad drew eyes, and attracted smiles, as if she were a magnet. As we waited for our food, I asked Leah about her bunad.Leah replied, “I don’t get to wear my bunad very often. I usually wear it for National Day in May, and for weddings and baptisms, but I haven’t been to many of those lately. Christmas is also an acceptable time to wear it.”Leah wore the traditional white blouse with a silver neckpin. Her vest was bright red with a handmade breastplate. Her navy skirt was trimmed with intricate embroidery, and covered in front by a white apron. Around her waist and running down the front was a decorative handwoven belt.“I grew up east of Bergen, in the Hardanger region, so my bunad is in the Hardanger style. While details may vary, you can tell where someone is from by which style of bunad they are wearing. It would not be proper to choose a bunad from a different region simply because you prefer a different color.”“That’s a lovely silver brooch you have on. It looks very old.”“It was my grandmother’s. Norwegians have a spiritual connection to silver, and silver brooches are handed down for many generations. One day, it will be Jorunn’s.”The food was excellent. I have not eaten a bad meal here in Norway. Leah was a great conversationalist, and she freely shared her humor and wit. Her stories from the 1994 Olympics were fascinating, and even though Jorunn and I were just there, I wanted to go back. I learned Leah worked as a radiology technician at a local hospital here in Oslo and took the entire holiday off. The meal finished too quickly, and we returned to my hotel.As we gathered my assorted clothing, I saw one of my socks on the floor, so I walked around Leah to pick it up. Turning quickly, I found myself face-to-face with her. We stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time. Our lips came together, and we kissed. Not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one, long and deep. Intentions were clear on both sides.We separated. Leah said, “I have not had sex since divorcing my husband nearly three years ago. That bastard took away more than my Christmas Star, he took away my trust in men. I am forty-seven years old. I never go out on dates, because I’m afraid to open my heart again to another man. Jorunn texted me every night for the past week and would send short videos she took during the day. She kept repeating how much fun she was having with you, and how nice a man you are. I know it sounds funny, but after watching and reading what Jorunn sent me, I feel like I already know you, and have made it past the first date. I know you lost the woman you loved. I cannot replace her in your heart, but if you are ready, I would like to share mine.”This was unexpected. “When I was in Minnesota, I watched Jorunn’s vlog almost every night. She is so sweet and funny and does such an excellent job. Even though I never met Jorunn, I felt like I knew her. To use your dating analogy, it’s one of the reasons I picked her as a tour guide. I felt comfortable with Jorunn and was too afraid to trust another tour company. When I came to Norway, I left my past behind. It is time for me to find something, or someone, to love.”Our bodies came together, and our lips re-joined. Any fears of rejection vanished as I locked my lips onto those of this beautiful Norwegian woman. Our tongues danced with each other, while our hands moved quickly over each other’s bodies.“Help me take off my bunad,” pleaded Leah.Together, we unclasped, unbuckled, unbuttoned, and untied, removing one layer at a time of the intricate bunad and laying it over a chair. It was like slowly opening the best Christmas present I have ever gotten, as more of Leah’s body slowly revealed itself to me. Her breasts were small, but firm, and went well with her slender frame. I forgot how delicate a woman’s features are, and Leah’s body was perfect in every way. Below her waist, I found a mound of pure blonde hair, barely darker than the color on her head.“I have no other words, you are truly a gorgeous woman, Leah.”“Thank you, Gunnar. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”Leah approached me. With small steps, she moved gracefully. She lifted my pullover shirt, pausing as it obscured my eyes. “Don’t take your shirt off. Just enjoy the sensations.” In the darkness, her fingers teasingly played with the hairs on my chest. A fingernail flicked back and forth over my nipple, drawing it to an erection. Moving lower, Leah unbuckled my trousers and slid them down, taking my knickers with them. I was not yet erect, but moving rapidly in that direction. Cool fingers wrapped around my cock and lifted, while a single fingernail twirled against my ball sack. Her tongue dragged across the tip of my cock. Then, Leah’s hands moved behind me to cup and squeeze my bum cheeks. Her warm breath washed over my cock.Leah stood and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off, and I stepped out of my trousers. We remained like this, both naked, looking longingly at each other. Leah reached up and touched my hair. “You have just a touch of grey. I like that. Few mature men are as blessed as you, with a firm, lean body. I see all kinds of patients. You look like a forty-year-old.”I suppose that was one benefit of eating the low-fat, low-sugar, and tasteless nursing home food. I lost nearly thirty pounds. “I am older than I look, and you should know that I had a stroke two years ago. I am doing much better, but still have a balance issue, and sometimes slur my words."Slurring your words might just be because you have a lazy tongue. Perhaps we can find a way to fix that later.”For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then hoped my notions might come true. Leah dropped to her knees directly in front of me and ran a finger along my nearly erect shaft. “It feels so nice to touch a real one again. What a lovely cock you have.”I said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have a very large penis.”Leah laughed, “Anything more than a mouthful is just wasted. Now let’s begin. I will say a Norwegian word, and you repeat it. Listen carefully to my pronunciation and maybe we can fix your American accent.”Leah said, “Penis.” Then she grabbed my cock with her right hand.This might be fun, so I replied, “Penis!”Leah whispered, “Rub.” Then she began gently sliding her hand along my shaft. Without any lubrication, there was quite a bit of friction.I replied, “Rub!”Leah said, “Lick.” Leah extended her tongue, and starting near the base, began leaving wet trails along each side of my glistening cock. The warm softness of her tongue brought me to full erection.It felt fantastic, and I gasped out, “Lick!”Leah said, “Suck.” She opened her mouth wide and took in the head of my cock, using her tongue to tease the underside. Bringing her lips together, I felt the insides of her mouth pressing inward and squeezing tightly against me. When her suction began, she pulled the head of my cock deeper into her mouth. Leah’s head pulled back ever so slightly, allowing her soft lips to glide over me until my cock was almost freed. But not quite. Using the extra room, Leah teased my opening with the tip of her tongue. From the way her tongue easily twirled around, I was certain I contributed my pre-cum.Then her suction pulled me deeper into her mouth. She look

Big week of bro'ing out with the big dogs. 4 Pines, a brewery born in Manly and enjoyed everywhere. Get their Japanese Lager available here: https://4pinesbeer.com.au/Good Day Multivitamin & Day Lyte Electrolytes, it's the least you can do. Use code 'dribblers' for 10% off your order here: https://www.begoodhealth.com.au/Join The Good Day Goers Facebook Group here.Neds. Whatever you bet on, Take it to the Neds Level. Visit: https://www.neds.com.au/NRL LaunchPVL InterviewWinter Olympics Wool PullWollongong Run ClubBasketball BeefCongrats JurboAI In SportUnited StrandLongest Name In League Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason is joined by Greg Cello to discuss his plan to build a regional wool industry in New England, starting with sheep on his Rhode Island homestead. This isn't just about producing sweaters; Greg sees sheep farming as a way to revive the cooperative spirit that once defined rural communities, where families worked together and traded their goods through local granges.The conversation touches on how Greg went from military officer to homesteader, why he pulled his kids out of school and daycare to raise them at home, and how his Catholic faith became central to everything he does. He talks about the difference between environmentalism and true conservationism, his daily podcast where he works through ideas in real time, and the Globalism Slayer account he created to highlight small American family businesses as a counterweight to globalism.Greg is candid about the challenges of building roots in an expensive real estate market, the tension between using modern platforms like X and Substack to promote a vision of local self-sufficiency, and what it would actually look like to create generational stability for his family and community. The episode explores subsidiarity, discipline, dissidence, and what moves people to reject the default modern life and try something harder but more meaningful.You can find Greg at Kinward on Substack and@dissidntdad on X

This month Susan stopped by one of her go to places for her crafting...slowfiber in Monterey, CA.Jaki Canterbury is building a community. Sharing maker skills, supplies and time. At slowfiber, the classroom is available, the shop is full of sustainability treasures and the ideas are boundless. Jaki says... You bring what you don't need and then get what you do need in the BUY SELL TRADE program. Your environmental foot-print is so much smaller this way. slowfiber is full of pre-owned supplies as well as new-sustainable-only maker-goods.So, sit back, relax, sew, knit or make what tickles your fancy. Please enjoy this month's episode of Susan's Shire.Links:https://www.slowfiber.com/https://www.mosshollowhill.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_cultureSupport the show

First we want to say that we love that there is a British show about knitting. Period. Full stop. And we love that Tom Daley is the host--he is warm, funny and good humored about testing the knitted deck chairs the contestants make with his well-sculpted butt. But knitters that we are, would Bootie and Bossy go on the show? Let's be clear: NO ONE IS ASKING US. We also don't live in the UK. But the answer is still a definite "No." For one, we would never subject anyone--even an Olympic swimmer with a flawless body--to wearing a swimsuit we had designed and knitted. "Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter" is a bit of a misnomer--we are reminded Mike Meyers's famous character of Linda Richman on Saturday Night Live who might have said, "I am feeling verklempted. I'll give you a topic: 'The show is neither a game, nor about wool or knitting.' Discuss amongst yourselves." There's a lot of crochet in this knitting show, which is kind of like mixing coffee and tea, as any fiber artist with an ounce of reverence for the two crafts will tell you. Plenty of accomplished knitters follow patterns as written with great creativity in selecting the material and colors, but the show often expected serious design skills, which left some some contestants in the dust from the start. And the time constraint of 12 hours meant contestants had to use bulky wool with needles the size of shotguns. As one contestant, Holger, remarked:"Asking me to express myself in chunky yarn is like asking a vegetarian to express themselves with only something like steak." Later he would say, "The method I am using is pure and utter desperation."Holger Auffenberg, "Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter," Episode 1.Here's the thing: we loved the contestants sporting their own handknits, and we wanted to know more about them. Where was the camera crew following them back to their homes so we could meet their kids and parents and learn more about what inspired them? As one of the judges Di Gilpin said, "Knitting generally is all about telling a story." What a great premise! How about following it? Tell us the stories behind Tom Daley's outfits!So we want another season where they get it right and tell more stories about the contestants, the judges, and knitting with something other than bulky yarn. The craft of knitting deserves this. We promise to watch the second season, but in the meantime, we will be busy eating Oreo Cookie Truffles because Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so we have to leave healthy behind (that phase lasted long, didn't it?!). This is the perfect homemade treat for your Valentine or Galentine or Palentine, or just for yourself--try it!

Small textile towns were once common in New England, with stout brick buildings harnessing the power of the region's water to mill yarn and cloth. The Colony family had been owners of a mill in Harrisville, New Hampshire, since before the Civil War, but by the mid-twentieth century, such factories had begun to disappear. In 1970, 53 mills closed in New England, the Colony family's among them. John Colony (known as Chick) returned from serving in the Coast Guard to a mill town without a working mill. Chick saw that the small town would wither unless a new project came in to fill the gap. After considering the options, he had the idea: What better use could there be for an old mill village than to make yarn? So shortly after his father and uncle closed down the mill, Chick opened a business making woolen yarn on some of the same old equipment. The new endeavor was scaled back in scope, but yarn was coming from the old mill buildings once again under the label of a new company, Harrisville Designs. The town's buildings and surrounding watershed became the center of a historic preservation effort. More than 50 years later, Harrisville is known as the best preserved early textile village in the country. Harrisville Designs's woolen-spun yarns are dyed in the wool, blending 12 or 13 brightly dyed fibers into dozens of subtle heathered hues. Initially developed for weaving, the yarns have become popular among knitters looking for yarns with character. The next generation, Chick's son Nick Colony, has taken on management of the mill, developing knitting yarns such as their Nightshades color line and small-batch Shear as well as updating the company's energy production and manufacturing facilities. Harrisville Designs has produced a range of weaving looms for decades, but the youngest weavers probably know the company for their potholder looms. Realizing that the potholder loops and looms on the market were poor quality, Harrisville developed a metal loom and experimented to develop cotton loops in a range of bright colors. Weavers, knitters, and history enthusiasts may all know Harrisville for different reasons, but the effort that began in 1971 as a preservation project has created new futures in this small New Hampshire town. Links Harrisville Designs website Historic Harrisville Red Brick Village, a documentary about preserving historic Harrisville This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You'll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you'll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed.

Woollen mats are now being trialled to smother an invasive oxygen weed threatening to take over some of New Zealand's lake floors. To explain how, Northland Regional Council Biodiversity Manager Lisa Forester chats to Jesse.

Knitting has entered its cool era. Once dismissed as an old-fashioned pastime, creating hats and jumpers and even swimsuits from wool is now prime-time TV entertainment. Last year, ten amateur knitters competed on Game of Wool, a TV show hosted by Olympic diver Tom Daley, who is a passionate knitter himself. SPOILER ALERT!! The winner of Game of Wool is becoming a knitting superstar now too after creating everything from a seafood ramen bowl to a traditional German stocking cap. Jesse speaks to the winner.

Sheep numbers are in rapid decline and the wool industry has faced tough times with competition coming from often cheaper synthetic fibres.

Rural news and events from Tasmania and the nation.

Local woolgrowers are gearing up for the Tasmanian feature wool sale in Melbourne next week.

Welcome to a custom jacket experience. In this session, I'll guide you through fabric textures, fit assessment, measurements, and a personalized design process, all nice and gentle :) The tone gradually transitions from soft-spoken into whispering around minute 22:00. Please get comfortable and enjoy.00:00 Welcome, intro01:26 Leather jacket try on06:16 Cotton jacket try on, lint roller11:28 Wool coat, brushing15:40 Pencil notes, Leather swatches22:05 Sketching you quietly25:00 Hushed measurements ear-to-ear36:49 Sketching design on paper39:24 Leather stampingI tried to make stamping relaxing but it turned out meh :P---------------------Links: Earrings https://amzn.to/3NPy0Rb Backdrop https://amzn.to/4pZ6QF2 Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/gentlewhispering#ASMR #GentleWhispering

The picture of a flock of primitive-breed sheep, the last of their kind, living on an island off the northeast coast of Scotland, has a certain romance to it. Plenty of knitters, spinners, fiber artists, and citizens of the modern world might idly dream of living on such an island and tending such a flock. With no background as a farmer and only a few years as a shepherd, Jane Cooper decided to bring that dream to life. Enchanted by the fiber of the Boreray sheep, and with her life transformed by a class on knitting with rare breeds, Jane decided to buy a small parcel of land and start a spinner's flock by adopting a few wethers from another farmer. In a short time, however, she found herself with more land—and more sheep—than she planned for. And so began her adventure as the shepherd of the “lost flock,” a group of sheep whose ancestors had escaped the official registry. Since obtaining her first sheep in 2013, Jane not only developed her own breeding program but established several other breeding flocks in the Orkneys. She has explored the recent and ancient history of her sheep, from the Vikings who used dual-coated wool in their sails to the breed registries established in the 20th century (and traced how her own sheep came to be called “the lost flock.”) This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You'll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you'll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Links Orkney Boreray website The Lost Flock book by Jane Cooper US edition and UK edition Blacker and Beyond Ravelry group Blacker Yarns and The Natural Fibre Company Woolsack British wool website

We are back with a classic "Trials & Triumphs" episode! After a long hiatus from sharing their own home updates (since August!), Caroline, Taryn, and Liz sit down to catch up on what has been happening behind their own front doors. The ladies discuss the highs and lows of homeownership, from Liz's garage flood nightmare to Caroline's victory over a builder-grade "boob light." Taryn gives a major update on her Facebook Marketplace bed project (spoiler: it's finished!), and Caroline explains why she finally ditched her trendy jute rug for a vintage estate sale find. Quick Decorating Takeaways: Don't Fear the "Floater" Rug: Caroline shares her win with a vintage 8x11 rug. While 9x12 is the standard for living rooms, she explains that you can break the "all legs on" rule with a slightly smaller vintage piece as long as the front legs of your furniture anchor it comfortably. Spray It, Don't Brush It: Taryn confirms that for intricate furniture (like a spindle bed), a paint sprayer is non-negotiable. It saves hours of frustration compared to brushing and delivers a smooth, factory-like finish that makes DIY pieces look high-end. Upgrade the "Boob Light": It is the most common builder-grade eyesore, but swapping a flush mount is one of the easiest updates you can do. Caroline replaced hers in 20 minutes with a faux-alabaster fixture, instantly elevating her hallway for under $100. What You'll Hear on This Episode: 00:00 Welcome & Happy New Year! 01:30 Caroline's Triumph: Scoring a vintage Turkish rug on EBTH.com 06:00 The "Jute vs. Wool" debate: Why wool is actually cleaner 09:00 Taryn's Triumph: The $100 Facebook Marketplace bed is finished! 12:00 Painting Tips: Why you need a sprayer for spindles & the color reveal ("Stardew") 18:00 Liz's Trial: A pipe burst and ceiling damage in the garage 22:00 Liz's Triumph: Painting the front door "Tate Olive" 26:00 Caroline's Triumph: Replacing the hallway "boob light" with an Amazon find 32:00 Taryn's Trial: The struggle of finding bedding to match a blue bed 38:00 Closing thoughts & looking ahead to spring projects Also Mentioned: Everything But The House (Online Estate Sales) | ebth.com Paint Color: Sherwin Williams "Stardew" (Taryn's Bed) Paint Color: Benjamin Moore "Tate Olive" (Liz's Door) Paint Sprayer (Wagner) Shop Ballard Designs Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it'll automatically download to your phone. Happy Decorating! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in your Shadow in the year ahead? In this episode, I share chapters from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words. In the intro, curated book boxes from Bridgerton's Julia Quinn; Google's agentic shopping, and powering Apple's Siri; ChatGPT Ads; and Claude CoWork. Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty [MoonShots with Tony Robbins]; and three trends for authors with me and Orna Ross [Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast]; plus, Bones of the Deep, Business for Authors, and Indie Author Lab. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. What is the Shadow? The ‘creative wound' and the Shadow in writing The Shadow in traditional publishing The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author The Shadow in work The Shadow in money You can find Writing the Shadow in all formats on all stores, as well as special edition, workbook and bundles at www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words The following chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn. Introduction. What is the Shadow? “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” —C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul We all have a Shadow side and it is the work of a lifetime to recognise what lies within and spin that base material into gold. Think of it as a seedling in a little pot that you're given when you're young. It's a bit misshapen and weird, not something you would display in your living room, so you place it in a dark corner of the basement. You don't look at it for years. You almost forget about it. Then one day you notice tendrils of something wild poking up through the floorboards. They're ugly and don't fit with your Scandi-minimalist interior design. You chop the tendrils away and pour weedkiller on what's left, trying to hide the fact that they were ever there. But the creeping stems keep coming. At some point, you know you have to go down there and face the wild thing your seedling has become. When you eventually pluck up enough courage to go down into the basement, you discover that the plant has wound its roots deep into the foundations of your home. Its vines weave in and out of the cracks in the walls, and it has beautiful flowers and strange fruit. It holds your world together. Perhaps you don't need to destroy the wild tendrils. Perhaps you can let them wind up into the light and allow their rich beauty to weave through your home. It will change the look you have so carefully cultivated, but maybe that's just what the place needs. The Shadow in psychology Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology. He described the Shadow as an unconscious aspect of the human personality, those parts of us that don't match up to what is expected of us by family and society, or to our own ideals. The Shadow is not necessarily evil or illegal or immoral, although of course it can be. It's also not necessarily caused by trauma, abuse, or any other severely damaging event, although again, it can be. It depends on the individual. What is in your Shadow is based on your life and your experiences, as well as your culture and society, so it will be different for everyone. Psychologist Connie Zweig, in The Inner Work of Age, explains, “The Shadow is that part of us that lies beneath or behind the light of awareness. It contains our rejected, unacceptable traits and feelings. It contains our hidden gifts and talents that have remained unexpressed or unlived. As Jung put it, the essence of the Shadow is pure gold.” To further illustrate the concept, Robert Bly, in A Little Book on the Human Shadow,uses the following metaphor: “When we are young, we carry behind us an invisible bag, into which we stuff any feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that bring disapproval or loss of love—anger, tears, neediness, laziness. By the time we go to school, our bags are already a mile long. In high school, our peer groups pressure us to stuff the bags with even more—individuality, sexuality, spontaneity, different opinions. We spend our life until we're twenty deciding which parts of ourselves to put into the bag and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.” As authors, we can use what's in the ‘bag' to enrich our writing — but only if we can access it. My intention with this book is to help you venture into your Shadow and bring some of what's hidden into the light and into your words. I'll reveal aspects of my Shadow in these pages but ultimately, this book is about you. Your Shadow is unique. There may be elements we share, but much will be different. Each chapter has questions for you to consider that may help you explore at least the edges of your Shadow, but it's not easy. As Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” But take heart, Creative. You don't need courage when things are easy. You need it when you know what you face will be difficult, but you do it anyway. We are authors. We know how to do hard things. We turn ideas into books. We manifest thoughts into ink on paper. We change lives with our writing. First, our own, then other people's. It's worth the effort to delve into Shadow, so I hope you will join me on the journey. The creative wound and the Shadow in writing “Whatever pain you can't get rid of, make it your creative offering.” —Susan Cain, Bittersweet  The more we long for something, the more extreme our desire, the more likely it is to have a Shadow side. For those of us who love books, the author life may well be a long-held dream and thus, it is filled with Shadow. Books have long been objects of desire, power, and authority. They hold a mythic status in our lives. We escaped into stories as children; we studied books at school and college; we read them now for escape and entertainment, education and inspiration. We collect beautiful books to put on our shelves. We go to them for solace and answers to the deepest questions of life. Writers are similarly held in high esteem. They shape culture, win literary prizes, give important speeches, and are quoted in the mainstream media. Their books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores. Writers are revered, held up as rare, talented creatures made separate from us by their brilliance and insight. For bibliophile children, books were everything and to write one was a cherished dream. To become an author? Well, that would mean we might be someone special, someone worthy. Perhaps when you were young, you thought the dream of being a writer was possible — then you told someone about it. That's probably when you heard the first criticism of such a ridiculous idea, the first laughter, the first dismissal. So you abandoned the dream, pushed the idea of being a writer into the Shadow, and got on with your life. Or if it wasn't then, it came later, when you actually put pen to paper and someone — a parent, teacher, partner, or friend, perhaps even a literary agent or publisher, someone whose opinion you valued — told you it was worthless. Here are some things you might have heard: Writing is a hobby. Get a real job. You're not good enough. You don't have any writing talent. You don't have enough education. You don't know what you're doing. Your writing is derivative / unoriginal / boring / useless / doesn't make sense. The genre you write in is dead / worthless / unacceptable / morally wrong / frivolous / useless.  Who do you think you are? No one would want to read what you write. You can't even use proper grammar, so how could you write a whole book? You're wasting your time. You'll never make it as a writer. You shouldn't write those things (or even think about those things). Why don't you write something nice? Insert other derogatory comment here! Mark Pierce describes the effect of this experience in his book The Creative Wound, which “occurs when an event, or someone's actions or words, pierce you, causing a kind of rift in your soul. A comment—even offhand and unintentional—is enough to cause one.” He goes on to say that such words can inflict “damage to the core of who we are as creators. It is an attack on our artistic identity, resulting in us believing that whatever we make is somehow tainted or invalid, because shame has convinced us there is something intrinsically tainted or invalid about ourselves.” As adults, we might brush off such wounds, belittling them as unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We might even find ourselves saying the same words to other people. After all, it's easier to criticise than to create. But if you picture your younger self, bright eyed as you lose yourself in your favourite book, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of what you longed for before your dreams were dashed on the rocks of other people's reality. As Mark Pierce goes on to say, “A Creative Wound has the power to delay our pursuits—sometimes for years—and it can even derail our lives completely… Anything that makes us feel ashamed of ourselves or our work can render us incapable of the self-expression we yearn for.” This is certainly what happened to me, and it took decades to unwind. Your creative wounds will differ to mine but perhaps my experience will help you explore your own. To be clear, your Shadow may not reside in elements of horror as mine do, but hopefully you can use my example to consider where your creative wounds might lie. “You shouldn't write things like that.” It happened at secondary school around 1986 or 1987, so I would have been around eleven or twelve years old. English was one of my favourite subjects and the room we had our lessons in looked out onto a vibrant garden. I loved going to that class because it was all about books, and they were always my favourite things. One day, we were asked to write a story. I can't remember the specifics of what the teacher asked us to write, but I fictionalised a recurring nightmare. I stood in a dark room. On one side, my mum and my brother, Rod, were tied up next to a cauldron of boiling oil, ready to be thrown in. On the other side, my dad and my little sister, Lucy, were threatened with decapitation by men with machetes. I had to choose who would die. I always woke up, my heart pounding, before I had to choose. Looking back now, it clearly represented an internal conflict about having to pick sides between the two halves of my family. Not an unexpected issue from a child of divorce. Perhaps these days, I might have been sent to the school counsellor, but it was the eighties and I don't think we even had such a thing. Even so, the meaning of the story isn't the point. It was the reaction to it that left scars. “You shouldn't write things like that,” my teacher said, and I still remember her look of disappointment, even disgust. Certainly judgment. She said my writing was too dark. It wasn't a proper story. It wasn't appropriate for the class. As if horrible things never happened in stories — or in life. As if literature could not include dark tales. As if the only acceptable writing was the kind she approved of. We were taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that year, which says a lot about the type of writing considered appropriate. Or perhaps the issue stemmed from the school motto, “So hateth she derknesse,” from Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women: “For fear of night, so she hates the darkness.” I had won a scholarship to a private girls' school, and their mission was to turn us all into proper young ladies. Horror was never on the curriculum. Perhaps if my teacher had encouraged me to write my darkness back then, my nightmares would have dissolved on the page. Perhaps if we had studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.P. Lovecraft stories, or Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have embraced the darker side of literature earlier in my life. My need to push darker thoughts into my Shadow was compounded by my (wonderful) mum's best intentions. We were brought up on the principles of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and she tried to shield me and my brother from anything harmful or horrible. We weren't allowed to watch TV much, and even the British school drama Grange Hill was deemed inappropriate. So much of what I've achieved is because my mum instilled in me a “can do” attitude that anything is possible. I'm so grateful to her for that. (I love you, Mum!) But all that happy positivity, my desire to please her, to be a good girl, to make my teachers proud, and to be acceptable to society, meant that I pushed my darker thoughts into Shadow. They were inappropriate. They were taboo. They must be repressed, kept secret, and I must be outwardly happy and positive at all times. You cannot hold back the darkness “The night is dark and full of terrors.” —George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords It turned out that horror was on the curriculum, much of it in the form of educational films we watched during lessons. In English Literature, we watched Romeo drink poison and Juliet stab herself in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. In Religious Studies, we watched Jesus beaten, tortured, and crucified in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and learned of the variety of gruesome ways that Christian saints were martyred. In Classical Civilisation, we watched gladiators slaughter each other in Spartacus. In Sex Education at the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-'80s, we were told of the many ways we could get infected and die. In History, we studied the Holocaust with images of skeletal bodies thrown into mass graves, medical experiments on humans, and grainy videos of marching soldiers giving the Nazi salute. One of my first overseas school field trips was to the World War I battlegrounds of Flanders Fields in Belgium, where we studied the inhuman conditions of the trenches, walked through mass graves, and read war poetry by candlelight. As John McCrae wrote: We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Did the teachers not realise how deeply a sensitive teenager might feel the darkness of that place? Or have I always been unusual in that places of blood echo deep inside me? And the horrors kept coming. We lived in Bristol, England back then and I learned at school how the city had been part of the slave trade, its wealth built on the backs of people stolen from their homes, sold, and worked to death in the colonies. I had been at school for a year in Malawi, Africa and imagined the Black people I knew drowning, being beaten, and dying on those ships. In my teenage years, the news was filled with ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and massacres during the Balkan wars, and images of bodies hacked apart during the Rwandan genocide. Evil committed by humans against other humans was not a historical aberration. I'm lucky and I certainly acknowledge my privilege. Nothing terrible or horrifying has happened to me — but bad things certainly happen to others. I wasn't bullied or abused. I wasn't raped or beaten or tortured. But you don't have to go through things to be afraid of them, and for your imagination to conjure the possibility of them. My mum doesn't read my fiction now as it gives her nightmares (Sorry, Mum!). I know she worries that somehow she's responsible for my darkness, but I've had a safe and (mostly) happy life, for which I'm truly grateful. But the world is not an entirely safe and happy place, and for a sensitive child with a vivid imagination, the world is dark and scary. It can be brutal and violent, and bad things happen, even to good people. No parent can shield their child from the reality of the world. They can only help them do their best to live in it, develop resilience, and find ways to deal with whatever comes. Story has always been a way that humans have used to learn how to live and deal with difficult times. The best authors, the ones that readers adore and can't get enough of, write their darkness into story to channel their experience, and help others who fear the same. In an interview on writing the Shadow on The Creative Penn Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings shared how he incorporated a personally devastating experience into his writing:  “My wife and I lost a child years back, and that became the root of one of my most terrifying books, Apparition. It's not terrifying because it's the greatest book of all time, but just the concept that there's this thing out there… like a demon, and it consumes the blood and fear of the children, and then it withdraws and consumes the madness of the parents… I wrote that in large measure as a way of working through what I was experiencing.” I've learned much from Michaelbrent. I've read many of his (excellent) books and he's been on my podcast multiple times talking about his depression and mental health issues, as well as difficulties in his author career. Writing darkness is not in Michaelbrent's Shadow and only he can say what lies there for him. But from his example, and from that of other authors, I too learned how to write my Shadow into my books. Twenty-three years after that English lesson, in November 2009, I did NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and wrote five thousand words of what eventually became Stone of Fire, my first novel. In the initial chapter, I burned a nun alive on the ghats of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. I had watched the bodies burn by night on pyres from a boat bobbing in the current a few years before, and the image was still crystal clear in my mind. The only way to deal with how it made me feel about death was to write about it — and since then, I've never stopped writing. Returning to the nightmare from my school days, I've never had to choose between the two halves of my family, but the threat of losing them remains a theme in my fiction. In my ARKANE thriller series, Morgan Sierra will do anything to save her sister and her niece. Their safety drives her to continue to fight against evil. Our deepest fears emerge in our writing, and that's the safest place for them. I wish I'd been taught how to turn my nightmares into words back at school, but at least now I've learned to write my Shadow onto the page. I wish the same for you. The Shadow in traditional publishing If becoming an author is your dream, then publishing a book is deeply entwined with that. But as Mark Pierce says in The Creative Wound, “We feel pain the most where it matters the most… Desire highlights whatever we consider to be truly significant.” There is a lot of desire around publishing for those of us who love books! It can give you: Validation that your writing is good enough Status and credibility Acceptance by an industry held in esteem  The potential of financial reward and critical acclaim Support from a team of professionals who know how to make fantastic books A sense of belonging to an elite community Pride in achieving a long-held goal, resulting in a confidence boost and self-esteem Although not guaranteed, traditional publishing can give you all these things and more, but as with everything, there is a potential Shadow side. Denying it risks the potential of being disillusioned, disappointed, and even damaged. But remember, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Preparation can help you avoid potential issues and help you feel less alone if you encounter them. The myth of success… and the reality of experience There is a pervasive myth of success in the traditional publishing industry, perpetuated by media reporting on brand name and breakout authors, those few outliers whose experience is almost impossible to replicate. Because of such examples, many new traditionally published authors think that their first book will hit the top of the bestseller charts or win an award, as well as make them a million dollars — or at least a big chunk of cash. They will be able to leave their job, write in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, and swan around the world attending conferences, while writing more bestselling books. It will be a charmed life. But that is not the reality. Perhaps it never was. Even so, the life of a traditionally published author represents a mythic career with the truth hidden behind a veil of obscurity. In April 2023, The Bookseller in the UK reported that “more than half of authors (54%) responding to a survey on their experiences of publishing their debut book have said the process negatively affected their mental health. Though views were mixed, just 22%… described a positive experience overall… Among the majority who said they had a negative experience of debut publication, anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lowered' self-esteem were cited, with lack of support, guidance or clear and professional communication from their publisher among the factors that contributed.” Many authors who have negative experiences around publishing will push them into the Shadow with denial or self-blame, preferring to keep the dream alive. They won't talk about things in public as this may negatively affect their careers, but private discussions are often held in the corners of writing conferences or social media groups online. Some of the issues are as follows: Repeated rejection by agents and publishers may lead to the author thinking they are not good enough as a writer, which can lead to feeling unworthy as a person. If an author gets a deal, the amount of advance and the name and status of the publisher compared to others create a hierarchy that impacts self-esteem. A deal for a book may be much lower than an author might have been expecting, with low or no advance, and the resulting experience with the publisher beneath expectations. The launch process may be disappointing, and the book may appear without fanfare, with few sales and no bestseller chart position. In The Bookseller report, one author described her launch day as “a total wasteland… You have expectations about what publication day will be like, but in reality, nothing really happens.” The book may receive negative reviews by critics or readers or more publicly on social media, which can make an author feel attacked. The book might not sell as well as expected, and the author may feel like it's their fault. Commercial success can sometimes feel tied to self-worth and an author can't help but compare their sales to others, with resulting embarrassment or shame. The communication from the publisher may be less than expected. One author in The Bookseller report said, “I was shocked by the lack of clarity and shared information and the cynicism that underlies the superficial charm of this industry.” There is often more of a focus on debut authors in publishing houses, so those who have been writing and publishing in the midlist for years can feel ignored and undervalued. In The Bookseller report, 48 percent of authors reported “their publisher supported them for less than a year,” with one saying, “I got no support and felt like a commodity, like the team had moved on completely to the next book.” If an author is not successful enough, the next deal may be lower than the last, less effort is made with marketing, and they may be let go. In The Bookseller report, “six authors—debut and otherwise—cited being dropped by their publisher, some with no explanation.” Even if everything goes well and an author is considered successful by others, they may experience imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud when speaking at conferences or doing book signings. And the list goes on … All these things can lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy, and embarrassment; loss of status in the eyes of peers; and a sense of failure if a publishing career is not successful enough. The author feels like it's their fault, like they weren't good enough — although, of course, the reality is that the conditions were not right at the time. A failure of a book is not a failure of the person, but it can certainly feel like it! When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Despite all the potential negatives of traditional publishing, if you know what could happen, you can mitigate them. You can prepare yourself for various scenarios and protect yourself from potential fall-out. It's clear from The Bookseller report that too many authors have unrealistic expectations of the industry. But publishers are businesses, not charities. It's not their job to make you feel good as an author. It's their job to sell books and pay you. The best thing they can do is to continue to be a viable business so they can keep putting books on the shelves and keep paying authors, staff, and company shareholders. When you license your creative work to a publisher, you're giving up control of your intellectual property in exchange for money and status. Bring your fears and issues out of the Shadow, acknowledge them, and deal with them early, so they do not get pushed down and re-emerge later in blame and bitterness. Educate yourself on the business of publishing. Be clear on what you want to achieve with any deal. Empower yourself as an author, take responsibility for your career, and you will have a much better experience. The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author Self-publishing, or being an independent (indie) author, can be a fantastic, pro-active choice for getting your book into the world. Holding your first book in your hand and saying “I made this” is pretty exciting, and even after more than forty books, I still get excited about seeing ideas in my head turn into a physical product in the world. Self-publishing can give an author: Creative control over what to write, editorial and cover design choices, when and how often to publish, and how to market Empowerment over your author career and the ability to make choices that impact success without asking for permission Ownership and control of intellectual property assets, resulting in increased opportunity around licensing and new markets Independence and the potential for recurring income for the long term Autonomy and flexibility around timelines, publishing options, and the ability to easily pivot into new genres and business models Validation based on positive reader reviews and money earned Personal growth and learning through the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a boost in confidence and self-esteem A sense of belonging to an active and vibrant community of indie authors around the world Being an indie author can give you all this and more, but once again, there is a Shadow side and preparation can help you navigate potential issues. The myth of success… and the reality of experience As with traditional publishing, the indie author world has perpetuated a myth of success in the example of the breakout indie author like E.L. James with Fifty Shades of Grey, Hugh Howey with Wool, or Andy Weir with The Martian. The emphasis on financial success is also fuelled online by authors who share screenshots showing six-figure months or seven-figure years, without sharing marketing costs and other outgoings, or the amount of time spent on the business. Yes, these can inspire some, but it can also make others feel inadequate and potentially lead to bad choices about how to publish and market based on comparison. The indie author world is full of just as much ego and a desire for status and money as traditional publishing. This is not a surprise! Most authors, regardless of publishing choices, are a mix of massive ego and chronic self-doubt. We are human, so the same issues will re-occur. A different publishing method doesn't cure all ills. Some of the issues are as follows: You learn everything you need to know about writing and editing, only to find that you need to learn a whole new set of skills in order to self-publish and market your book. This can take a lot of time and effort you did not expect, and things change all the time so you have to keep learning. Being in control of every aspect of the publishing process, from writing to cover design to marketing, can be overwhelming, leading to indecision, perfectionism, stress, and even burnout as you try to do all the things. You try to find people to help, but building your team is a challenge, and working with others has its own difficulties. People say negative things about self-publishing that may arouse feelings of embarrassment or shame. These might be little niggles, but they needle you, nonetheless. You wonder whether you made the right choice. You struggle with self-doubt and if you go to an event with traditional published authors, you compare yourself to them and feel like an imposter. Are you good enough to be an author if a traditional publisher hasn't chosen you? Is it just vanity to self-publish? Are your books unworthy? Even though you worked with a professional editor, you still get one-star reviews and you hate criticism from readers. You wonder whether you're wasting your time. You might be ripped off by an author services company who promise the world, only to leave you with a pile of printed books in your garage and no way to sell them. When you finally publish your book, it languishes at the bottom of the charts while other authors hit the top of the list over and over, raking in the cash while you are left out of pocket. You don't admit to over-spending on marketing as it makes you ashamed. You resist book marketing and make critical comments about writers who embrace it. You believe that quality rises to the top and if a book is good enough, people will buy it anyway. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment when you launch your book and it doesn't sell many copies because nobody knows about it. You try to do what everyone advises, but you still can't make decent money as an author. You're jealous of other authors' success and put it down to them ‘selling out' or writing things you can't or ‘using AI' or ‘using a ghostwriter' or having a specific business model you consider impossible to replicate. And the list goes on… When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Being in control of your books and your author career is a double-edged sword. Traditionally published authors can criticise their publishers or agents or the marketing team or the bookstores or the media, but indie authors have to take responsibility for it all. Sure, we can blame ‘the algorithms' or social media platforms, or criticise other authors for having more experience or more money to invest in marketing, or attribute their success to writing in a more popular genre — but we also know there are always people who do well regardless of the challenges. Once more, we're back to acknowledging and integrating the Shadow side of our choices. We are flawed humans. There will always be good times and bad, and difficulties to offset the high points. This too shall pass, as the old saying goes. I know that being an indie author has plenty of Shadow. I've been doing this since 2008 and despite the hard times, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still publishing. This life is not for everyone, but it's my choice. You must make yours. The Shadow in work You work hard. You make a living. Nothing wrong with that attitude, right? It's what we're taught from an early age and, like so much of life, it's not a problem until it goes to extremes. Not achieving what you want to? Work harder. Can't get ahead? Work harder. Not making a good enough living? Work harder. People who don't work hard are lazy. They don't deserve handouts or benefits. People who don't work hard aren't useful, so they are not valued members of our culture and community. But what about the old or the sick, the mentally ill, or those with disabilities? What about children? What about the unemployed? The under-employed? What about those who are — or will be — displaced by technology, those called “the useless class” by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus? What if we become one of these in the future? Who am I if I cannot work? The Shadow side of my attitude to work became clear when I caught COVID in the summer of 2021. I was the sickest I'd ever been. I spent two weeks in bed unable to even think properly, and six weeks after that, I was barely able to work more than an hour a day before lying in the dark and waiting for my energy to return. I was limited in what I could do for another six months after that. At times, I wondered if I would ever get better. Jonathan kept urging me to be patient and rest. But I don't know how to rest. I know how to work and how to sleep. I can do ‘active rest,' which usually involves walking a long way or traveling somewhere interesting, but those require a stronger mind and body than I had during those months. It struck me that even if I recovered from the virus, I had glimpsed my future self. One day, I will be weak in body and mind. If I'm lucky, that will be many years away and hopefully for a short time before I die — but it will happen. I am an animal. I will die. My body and mind will pass on and I will be no more. Before then I will be weak. Before then, I will be useless. Before then, I will be a burden. I will not be able to work… But who am I if I cannot work? What is the point of me? I can't answer these questions right now, because although I recognise them as part of my Shadow, I've not progressed far enough to have dealt with them entirely. My months of COVID gave me some much-needed empathy for those who cannot work, even if they want to. We need to reframe what work is as a society, and value humans for different things, especially as technology changes what work even means. That starts with each of us. “Illness, affliction of body and soul, can be life-altering. It has the potential to reveal the most fundamental conflict of the human condition: the tension between our infinite, glorious dreams and desires and our limited, vulnerable, decaying physicality.” —Connie Zweig, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul The Shadow in money In the Greek myth, King Midas was a wealthy ruler who loved gold above all else. His palace was adorned with golden sculptures and furniture, and he took immense pleasure in his riches. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he yearned for more. After doing a favour for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, Midas was granted a single wish. Intoxicated by greed, he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — and it was so. At first, it was a lot of fun. Midas turned everything else in his palace to gold, even the trees and stones of his estate. After a morning of turning things to gold, he fancied a spot of lunch. But when he tried to eat, the food and drink turned to gold in his mouth. He became thirsty and hungry — and increasingly desperate. As he sat in despair on his golden throne, his beloved young daughter ran to comfort him. For a moment, he forgot his wish — and as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, she turned into a golden statue, frozen in precious metal. King Midas cried out to the gods to forgive him, to reverse the wish. He renounced his greed and gave away all his wealth, and his daughter was returned to life. The moral of the story: Wealth and greed are bad. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is described as a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner.” He's wealthy but does not share, considering Christmas spending to be frivolous and giving to charity to be worthless. He's saved by a confrontation with his lonely future and becomes a generous man and benefactor of the poor. Wealth is good if you share it with others. The gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: 14-30, tells the parable of the bags of gold, in which a rich man goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with varying amounts of gold. On his return, the servants who multiplied the gold through their efforts and investments are rewarded, while the one who merely returned the gold with no interest is punished: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Making money is good, making more money is even better. If you can't make any money, you don't deserve to have any. Within the same gospel, in Matthew 19:24, Jesus encounters a wealthy man and tells him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, which the man is unable to do. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Wealth is bad. Give it all away and you'll go to heaven. With all these contradictory messages, no wonder we're so conflicted about money! How do you think and feel about money? While money is mostly tied to our work, it's far more than just a transactional object for most people. It's loaded with complex symbolism and judgment handed down by family, religion, and culture. You are likely to find elements of Shadow by examining your attitudes around money. Consider which of the following statements resonate with you or write your own. Money stresses me out. I don't want to talk about it or think about it. Some people hoard money, so there is inequality. Rich people are bad and we should take away their wealth and give it to the poor.  I can never make enough money to pay the bills, or to give my family what I want to provide. Money doesn't grow on trees.  It's wasteful to spend money as you might need it later, so I'm frugal and don't spend money unless absolutely necessary. It is better and more ethical to be poor than to be rich. I want more money. I read books and watch TV shows about rich people because I want to live like that. Sometimes I spend too much on things for a glimpse of what that might be like.  I buy lottery tickets and dream of winning all that money.  I'm jealous of people who have money. I want more of it and I resent those who have it. I'm no good with money. I don't like to look at my bank statement or credit card statement. I live off my overdraft and I'm in debt. I will never earn enough to get out of debt and start saving, so I don't think too much about it. I don't know enough about money. Talking about it makes me feel stupid, so I just ignore it. People like me aren't educated about money.  I need to make more money. If I can make lots of money, then people will look up to me. If I make lots of money, I will be secure, nothing can touch me, I will be safe.  I never want to be poor. I would be ashamed to be poor. I will never go on benefits. My net worth is my self worth. Money is good. We have the best standard of living in history because of the increase in wealth over time. Even the richest kings of the past didn't have what many middle-class people have today in terms of access to food, water, technology, healthcare, education, and more. The richest people give the most money to the poor through taxation and charity, as well as through building companies that employ people and invent new things. The very richest give away much of their fortunes. They provide far more benefit to the world than the poor.  I love money. Money loves me. Money comes easily and quickly to me. I attract money in multiple streams of income. It flows to me in so many ways. I spend money. I invest money. I give money. I'm happy and grateful for all that I receive. The Shadow around money for authors in particular Many writers and other creatives have issues around money and wealth. How often have you heard the following, and which do you agree with? You can't make money with your writing. You'll be a poor author in a garret, a starving artist.  You can't write ‘good quality' books and make money. If you make money writing, you're a hack, you're selling out. You are less worthy than someone who writes only for the Muse. Your books are commercial, not artistic. If you spend money on marketing, then your books are clearly not good enough to sell on their own. My agent / publisher / accountant / partner deals with the money side. I like to focus on the creative side of things. My money story Note: This is not financial or investment advice. Please talk to a professional about your situation. I've had money issues over the years — haven't we all! But I have been through a (long) process to bring money out of my Shadow and into the light. There will always be more to discover, but hopefully my money story will help you, or at least give you an opportunity to reflect. Like most people, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. My parents started out as teachers, but later my mum — who I lived with, along with my brother — became a change management consultant, moving to the USA and earning a lot more. I'm grateful that she moved into business because her example changed the way I saw money and provided some valuable lessons. (1) You can change your circumstances by learning more and then applying that to leverage opportunity into a new job or career Mum taught English at a school in Bristol when we moved back from Malawi, Africa, in the mid '80s but I remember how stressful it was for her, and how little money she made. She wanted a better future for us all, so she took a year out to do a master's degree in management. In the same way, when I wanted to change careers and leave consulting to become an author, I spent time and money learning about the writing craft and the business of publishing. I still invest a considerable chunk on continuous learning, as this industry changes all the time. (2) You might have to downsize in order to leap forward The year my mum did her degree, we lived in the attic of another family's house; we ate a lot of one-pot casserole and our treat was having a Yorkie bar on the walk back from the museum. We wore hand-me-down clothes, and I remember one day at school when another girl said I was wearing her dress. I denied it, of course, but there in back of the dress was her name tag. I still remember her name and I can still feel that flush of shame and embarrassment. I was determined to never feel like that again. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was also learning the power of downsizing. Mum got her degree and then a new job in management in Bristol. She bought a house, and we settled for a few years. I had lots of different jobs as a teenager. My favourite was working in the delicatessen because we got a free lunch made from delicious produce. After I finished A-levels, I went to the University of Oxford, and my mum and brother moved to the USA for further opportunities. I've downsized multiple times over the years, taking a step back in order to take a step forward. The biggest was in 2010 when I decided to leave consulting. Jonathan and I sold our three-bedroom house and investments in Brisbane, Australia, and rented a one-bedroom flat in London, so we could be debt-free and live on less while I built up a new career. It was a decade before we bought another house. (3) Comparison can be deadly: there will always be people with more money than you Oxford was an education in many ways and relevant to this chapter is how much I didn't know about things people with money took for granted. I learned about formal hall and wine pairings, and how to make a perfect gin and tonic. I ate smoked salmon for the first time. I learned how to fit in with people who had a lot more money than I did, and I definitely wanted to have money of my own to play with. (4) Income is not wealth You can earn lots but have nothing to show for it after years of working. I learned this in my first few years of IT consulting after university. I earned a great salary and then went contracting, earning even more money at a daily rate. I had a wonderful time. I traveled, ate and drank and generally made merry, but I always had to go back to the day job when the money ran out. I couldn't work out how I could ever stop this cycle. Then I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, a book I still recommend, especially if you're from a family that values academic over financial education. I learned how to escape the rat race by building and/or accumulating assets that pay even when you're not working. It was a revelation! The ‘poor dad' in the book is a university professor. He knows so much about so many things, but he ends up poor as he did not educate himself about money. The ‘rich dad' has little formal education, but he knows about money and wealth because he learned about it, as we can do at any stage in our lives. (5) Not all investments suit every person, so find the right one for you Once I discovered the world of investing, I read all the books and did courses and in-person events. I joined communities and I up-skilled big time. Of course, I made mistakes and learned lots along the way. I tried property investing and renovated a couple of houses for rental (with more practical partners and skilled contractors). But while I could see that property investing might work for some people, I did not care enough about the details to make it work for me, and it was certainly not passive income. I tried other things. My first husband was a boat skipper and scuba diving instructor, so we started a charter. With the variable costs of fuel, the vagaries of New Zealand weather — and our divorce — it didn't last long! From all these experiments, I learned I wanted to run a business, but it needed to be online and not based on a physical location, physical premises, or other people. That was 2006, around the time that blogging started taking off and it became possible to make a living online. I could see the potential and a year later, the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle launched, which became the basis of my business as an author. (6) Boring, automatic saving and investing works best Between 2007 and 2011, I contracted in Australia, where they have compulsory superannuation contributions, meaning you have to save and invest a percentage of your salary or self-employed income. I'd never done that before, because I didn't understand it. I'd ploughed all my excess income into property or the business instead. But in Australia I didn't notice the money going out because it was automatic. I chose a particular fund and it auto-invested every month. The pot grew pretty fast since I didn't touch it, and years later, it's still growing. I discovered the power of compound interest and time in the market, both of which are super boring. This type of investing is not a get rich quick scheme. It's a slow process of automatically putting money into boring investments and doing that month in, month out, year in, year out, automatically for decades while you get on with your life. I still do this. I earn money as an author entrepreneur and I put a percentage of that into boring investments automatically every month. I also have a small amount which is for fun and higher risk investments, but mostly I'm a conservative, risk-averse investor planning ahead for the future. This is not financial advice, so I'm not giving any specifics. I have a list of recommended money books at www.TheCreativePenn.com/moneybooks if you want to learn more. Learning from the Shadow When I look back, my Shadow side around money eventually drove me to learn more and resulted in a better outcome (so far!). I was ashamed of being poor when I had to wear hand-me-down clothes at school. That drove a fear of not having any money, which partially explains my workaholism. I was embarrassed at Oxford because I didn't know how to behave in certain settings, and I wanted to be like the rich people I saw there. I spent too much money in my early years as a consultant because I wanted to experience a “rich” life and didn't understand saving and investing would lead to better things in the future. I invested too much in the wrong things because I didn't know myself well enough and I was trying to get rich quick so I could leave my job and ‘be happy.' But eventually, I discovered that I could grow my net worth with boring, long-term investments while doing a job I loved as an author entrepreneur. My only regret is that I didn't discover this earlier and put a percentage of my income into investments as soon as I started work. It took several decades to get started, but at least I did (eventually) start. My money story isn't over yet, and I keep learning new things, but hopefully my experience will help you reflect on your own and avoid the issue if it's still in Shadow. These chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn  The post Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 312 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming Knitting in Passing From the Armchair KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Sheri's Christmas Socks Yarn: Gusto Wool Echos in Colorway 1515 (blue to purple gradient in 2-50g skeins) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Gus the Dino Pattern: Gus the Dino by KP Crochet Patterns. $8.50 US Pattern on Etsy (on sale right now) Yarn: Bernat Blanket in Misty Green & Parfait Chunky in White Hook: J (6.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page I got 35 mm eyes from Amazon   Very Hungry Caterpillar Socks Yarn: Teal Torch Knits Splendid Sock (100% SW Merino) in the Emerald Colorway, Murky Depths Deep Sock in the Age of Aquarium Colorway & Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes in the Vanilla Bean colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) and US 2 Ravelry Project Page The first sock is a colorwork leg sock with things the Very Hungry Caterpillar I measured from another socks- 12 rounds per inch. Goal is a 5 inch leg (after cuff), so ~60 rounds Cast on 56 sts with US 1.5 for cuff. After cuff, knit a few rounds before doing 4 sets of increases (4 increases each time) to get to 72 sts. Then changed to US 2 needles and tested for stretchiness after first block of colorwork. Using that I plotted out the colorwork for one sock based on Pacific Knit Co's Garden Doodle set. The second sock is has 12 round stripes of the 2 green colorways with a red toe to look like the caterpillar.   Miles Penguin Pattern: Penguin by Lion Brand Yarn- free crochet pattern on the Lion Brand website Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted minis in Black, Clarity, White and Orange colorways Hook: C (2.75 mm) Ravelry Project Page For this one I used two black circles bordered by white so I could skip the safety eyes (Miles is under 2 years old).   Dirty Crayon Box Socks Yarn: Fiber Stash Strong Toes Sock (80% SW Merino/ 20% Nylon) in the Dirty Crayon Box Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page I started these socks in October 2024 and finished on January 5, 2026   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Woolens & Nosh 2025 Advent Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh, 75/25 Superwash Wool/Nylon 2025 Advent Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   Kirby Wirby 2025 Advent Socks Yarn: Kirby Wirby 75/25 Superwash Merino/Nylon in the 2025 Advent Christmas Toys from the 80s 24 Stripe Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Yarn theme: Christmas Toys from the 80s   Traveler Sweater Pattern: The Traveler by Andrea Mowry ($9 pattern available on Ravelry & the designer's website) Yarn: Hazel Knits Small Batch Sport (90/10 SW/Nylon) in a sage green Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: finished the first sleeve and I'm at the cuff of the the second.   Pucker Brush Farm BFL Sweater Spin Fiber: 16 oz of multi colored BFL roving from Pucker Brush Farm (purchased at Rhinebeck 2025), 4 oz Merino in a mustard color Ravelry Project Page I am planning to knit a Traveler sweater inspired by Emily Curtis' handmade version- click here for her Ravelry Project Page. I was thrilled to see a recent post on Emily's Instagram that she made a YouTube video about this spin/knit. I found 4oz of Ironwood Hill Farm Roving- Finnsheep combed top that I purchased in April 2021. Unfortunately I can't find more of this on Cece's Wool site or Ironwood's etsy shop, but I think it will give me the idea for a tan/brown color plied with the colorful yarn, so I spun enough to make a sample yarn to swatch with.   Brainstorming Crochet Ski Helmet Balaclava available on Etsy for $7.36   Knitting in Passing Millie finished the hat she was knitting for her dad with yarn from Plied Yarn Co. Aila loved her goose purse! Her reaction was priceless Eme loved their Very Hungry Caterpillar socks My dad bought me a set of 2 organizers for socks. Each holds 30 pair. Great for my handknits. They sit on the shelf in our closet and are a gray cotton/linen that matches our hampers! Here's an Amazon Affiliate Link in case you're interested in checking them out.   From the Armchair The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Amazon Affiliate Link. Tilt by Emma Pattee. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   KAL News   Pigskin Party '25 Event Dates: KAL Dates- Thursday September 4, 2025- Monday February 9, 2026 Find everything you need in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Official Rules Registration Form  (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes) Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc. Coupon Codes are listed in this Ravelry Thread Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread Questions-  ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com   Updates In This Episode Official Sponsor for Quarter 3 (December)- Suburban Stitcher Mini Maker's Merry Month See details in this Ravelry Thread. Winner announced Official Sponsor for Quarter 4 (January)- Yarnaceous Fibers. Check out this Ravelry Thread for  4th & Goal with Yarnaceous Fibers Challenge Details December Participation Winners Announced Wild Card WIP Bonus- check out this Ravelry thread for details   Commentator Update Happy new year pigskin partiers!  The January huddle is abuzz with conversation. Several players have posted a list of everything that they made in 2025. We have some really prolific players in the group! The best thing about the conversation is that no one is competitive about it. Just lots of celebrations!  I find it kind of inspiring to see what others have accomplished. For example, hikesandbikes finished 54 knitted knockers! What a great cause! It inspires me to try knitting some this year.  Come on over and join the chat if you want to get inspired too!  A few players have decided that they want to make sweaters in 2026. If you want to join in the fun, hop on over to a new Sweater MAL thread: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/down-cellar-studio-podcast/4390076/1-25 Another interesting topic of conversation in the January huddle stemmed from the unfortunate injury of one of our players. Sadly, she sprained her wrist. The group came through with lots of ideas for what to do when you can't knit and crochet, including needle felting, doing puzzles, watercolors, playing with art supplies, journaling and as MrsQuilt put it, "whining, reading, and actually paying attention to what is on the TV" I am wishing you all health, happiness, and strong crafting mojo in the new year! Mary   Events Farm Fiber Days at Russell's Garden Center- January 18th & March 8th in Wayland, MA Sunkissed Fiber Festival: January 24-25, 2026- just outside Tampa, FL New England Farm & Fiber Festival- Sunday February 8 from 10a-4p in Boston, MA Fiber Witch Festival- April 24-26th in Salem, MA   Contest, News & Notes Check out my Vlogmas videos if you haven't already- click here for the full playlist. Thanks to Nellsknitting for starting a thread in the Ravelry Group about a Sweater KAL 2026. (Danielle in MA)- great chatter about WIPs, planning etc. Want to cast on and need some encouragement? check it out.   Life in Focus   In this episode I reviewed my 2025 word of the year and 25 in 25 list.   My Word of the Year for 2025: Welcome   25 in 2025   Donate Blood at least 4 times (January, March, May, Sept) Go shopping for plants with Dan 4 times in the year (my Christmas gift from him) Buy new ski boots Go camping (scheduled for June) Kayak 2-5 times (Saco- 2 days) Do at least 5 walks with others (Megg 3/30)  bike riding with Dan twice in March. Walked with Megg (April), hike Mount Monument (Dan, Megg, Tom, Aila), Laura in 2 National Parks in Washington State  Take 2-5 yoga classes (outside of the house)--- option- https://balancestudiocohasset.com/book-a-class/ Do at least 30 lessons in Mondly (had 25 done in 2024)- does not include daily lessons Spend a day at Raffa Life-  September 21 with Laura and Megg Record 2-5 things I'm grateful for each day before bed (more days than not counts)- fallen off. Read all of Simple Abundance (ideally daily or close to)(10) Read at least 60 books- all books count (even poetry etc) Get at least 2 massages at Oasis (1 in April, 1 in June, 1 in September) See 2-5 movies in the theater (Paddington in Peru, The Long Walk, Blue Moon, Wicked for Good) Knit 2-5 garments for me (Aurealis - WIPs-Monsoonee Sweaters, granny stripe tank, Bayside tank) Granny tank, Bayside Shirt Finish and enjoy my Christmas Granny Square Blanket Crochet at least 5 toys (1: hedgehog 2& 3: Love Bugs, 4 pop-tart, 5 butterfly- another butterfly WIP, and TRex) Use my spinning wheel at least once a month (Jan, Feb & March, April,  July, August, September, Oct, Nov (forgot May & June) Have a crafty day with Emelie Knit a slouchy hat for myself Try out 3 new to me podcasts (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, White Lotus official podcast, severance official podcast, Cramped) Watch White Christmas with Jenny & Kara (bringing the tradition back) Buy a firebox and put important papers inside (working with Dan on list of things to put in it) https://www.thenokbox.com (Debbie, deafelis recommended) Create a list of things to pack in case of an evacuation https://www.thenokbox.com/ -deafelis- Debbie told me about it Purge at least 20 items of clothing/accessories/shoes     On a Happy Note Dad's knee replacement was a big success! I stayed with him from December 5-21. Dad and I had a lovely visit from our friend Merry who came with an unexpected gift- a bracelet with beads made from my mom's funeral flowers in red (ruby slipper), yellow (yellow brick road) and white for home. Dan and I had a lovely double date night at the Irish pub with friends. I was able to see my 7 year old niece Hattie as Gretl in Sound of Music (twice!!!) Making Aunt Milly's cookies with Riley and Millie (and having a sleepover with them). Christmas Eve & Christmas Day were both lovely. Definitely different without my Mom and grandmother there but it was still a joy to be together. Our friend Gail joined us as she usually does and brought all sorts of fun games for us to play. The Sunday after Christmas, I was able to spend all afternoon with my grandmother, some of that alone. My friend Megg came over because she wanted to visit and say goodbye. We had dinner together after. My friend Laura came in for NYE. Small get together with friends at my Dad's turned into a real party, though most didn't stay until midnight. Megg wanted it to be a sparkly kind of night so Laura and I got outfits for the three of us at the consignment shop on the way over! Very silly fun. My cousin Mike and his husband Kyle came up from Florida. My grandmother's services were beautiful with contributions from lots of family members. While it was more stressful than mom's, and it was the worst form of deja vu having the same schedule for that exact same Thur/Fri two years in a row- my grandmother would be happy with how it all turned out.  Skiing on Saturday after the funeral. 7 of us, impromptu trip, icy conditions but we still had a blast.   Quote of the Week "Amidst the normal hard stuff is the abnormal hard stuff. You may be doing great, but no one great always had it great. At the end of each day, as you prepare for the next, I hope you take an inventory of your life, your thoughts and where you're headed. The wind can take you some cool places, but so can your paddle."   ― Richie Norton   ------   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

#229 In this episode, Melissa and Jam dive into a listener's question about the antimicrobial properties of lanolin found in wool. They explore the composition and characteristics of wool, including its anti-odor capabilities and layers of complex proteins. The duo discusses the challenges of determining whether lanolin remains on wool after processing and its effectiveness in making wool antimicrobial. While the episode reveals that bacteria can grow on wool, it also highlights wool's unique ability to reduce odor and potentially create a microclimate unfavorable for bacteria. Ultimately, the episode showcases the ongoing mysteries and fascinating chemistry behind wool and lanolin. 00:00 Listener's Request: The Mystery of Lanolin 01:08 Introduction to Chemistry for Your Life 04:08 The Complex Chemistry of Wool 11:33 Exploring Lanolin: Properties and Uses 19:51 Exploring Lanolin in Wool 19:59 Investigating Wool's Antimicrobial Properties 20:54 Odor Reduction in Wool 21:57 Scientific Explanations and Hypotheses 24:46 Hydrophobic Properties of Wool 26:46 Wool's Interaction with Bacteria 31:04 Complexities of Wool Processing 35:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife References from the Episode: Thanks to our monthly supporters Amanda Raymond Emily Morrison Kyle McCray Justine Emily Hardy Ash Vince W Julie S. Heather Ragusa Autoclave Dorien VD Scott Beyer Jessie Reder J0HNTR0Y Jeannette Napoleon Cullyn R Erica Bee Elizabeth P Rachel Reina Letila Katrina Barnum-Huckins Suzanne Phillips Venus Rebholz Jacob Taber Brian Kimball Kristina Gotfredsen Timothy Parker Steven Boyles Chris Skupien Chelsea B Avishai Barnoy Hunter Reardon Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to episode 316 of Growers Daily! We cover: wool in the garden, taking a CSA crop diversity question, and we talk trellising in wider beds.   We are a Non-Profit! 

12-29-25 - Remembering John's Wool Seat Covers And Brady's Beloved Subaru Outback - BOSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

LUCRETIA: VIRTUE AND SUICIDE Colleague Emma Southon. The discussion moves to Lucretia, the model of Roman female virtue. During a contest among husbands, Lucretia is found virtuously weaving wool while others party. This leads to her rape by Sextus Tarquinius, who threatens her reputation. To protect her honor, Lucretia confesses to her family and commits suicide, an act Augustus later used to define female virtue and which sparked the end of the monarchy. NUMBER 10