In this episode of A Yarn Story Podcast host Carmen sits down with Amanda Barcenas, the shepherd and founder behind Prado de Lana Sheep Farm in the Berkshires. Together, they explore the full journey of ethical yarn production, from raising heritage sheep breeds to shearing, skirting, and spinning sustainable, breed-specific wool. You’ll hear: How Amanda went from passionate knitter to full-time shepherdess and yarn producer The differences between Romney, Lincoln Longwool, and Romeldale CVM she...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 1
In this special fireside conversation recorded live at our Bath Luxury Knitting Retreat , Carmen sits down with legendary British knitwear designer Erika Knight. With a glass of wine in hand and surrounded by fellow makers, they chat candidly about Erika’s creative journey, the intersection of fashion and handcraft, and the deep, soul-nourishing experience of working with yarn. Episode Highlights The story behind Erika’s journey as a designer and maker How creativity, fashion, and function shape...
Apr 08, 2025•52 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Join Carmen and Beverley and go behind-the-scenes of Unravel, one of the UK’s most beloved yarn festivals. Fresh from the event, they share their festival highlights, yarn hauls and hilarious mishaps (including one-armed sweater shopping and emergency bra assistance!). Tune in to hear: ✔️ Insider Access – What it’s really like to vend at a major fibre festival ✔️ Colour & Yarn Trends – What’s hot in the knitting world right now ✔️ Project Inspiration – Beverley’s new sweater plans & Carm...
Feb 25, 2025•42 min•Season 4Ep. 11
In this special episode, we’re unveiling The Signature Collection —an exclusive collaboration between A Yarn Story and acclaimed British designer Erika Knight . This beautifully curated collection blends timeless knitwear design with modern color theory, creating versatile patterns for every knitter. Join Carmen & Kayleigh as they take you behind the scenes of this exciting launch, sharing the creative process, expert styling tips, and how the collection came to life. Whether you’re passiona...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In this episode of A Yarn Story Podcast , Carmen chats with Lisa, co-owner of This Is Knit , a beloved yarn shop nestled in Dublin’s Powerscourt Centre. Discover how Lisa turned her love for knitting into an 18-year journey of community building, crafting inspiration, and entrepreneurial success. Lisa shares her experiences teaching knitting techniques, collaborating with her sister to create stunning hand-dyed yarns, and running a family business that has become a hub for crafters worldwide. Fr...
Jan 23, 2025•51 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In this special episode of A Yarn Story , Carmen sits down with Lisa, co-owner of Dublin’s beloved yarn shop, This is Knit . From her earliest days of knitting as a schoolgirl in Ireland to co-founding a thriving family-run business, Lisa shares her passion for natural fibres, community building and the magic of making. Together, they delve into Lisa’s journey, from backpacking in New Zealand (and rediscovering her love for knitting) to building This is Knit with her mum, sister and a talented t...
Jan 07, 2025•45 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Get ready for a delightful blend of knitting inspiration, yarn know-how, and unexpected trivia! In this episode of A Yarn Story , Carmen and Kayleigh dive into their latest projects, from sweaters to cowls and share their favourite yarn picks including Aran, DK and Worsted weights. You’ll laugh along as they discuss quirky cat antics, reveal the history behind Rhode Island’s "coffee milk," and tackle listener questions like, “What’s with all these yarn weights?” Whether you're a seasoned knitter...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 7
In this episode of A Yarn Story Podcast, Carmen continues her conversation with Nu, founder of Hide & Hammer, exploring the evolution of her small business from a one-person operation to a team of four. Whether you’re looking for knitting bag inspiration or are curious about the challenges of running a small business in the crafting world, this episode is packed with insights, humour and tips for makers who love thoughtful design. If you’re passionate about knitting, crocheting or handmade g...
Dec 04, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Welcome to this delightful episode of the A Yarn Story podcast! Join Carmen and her dear friend Nu, the creative mind behind Hide and Hammer, for a cozy chat in the heart of the Cotswolds. This episode is perfect for knitters, crocheters and crafters who love celebrating the art of handmade. Whether you’re an experienced knitter or just rediscovering your passion, there’s something here for everyone. Topics covered 💜 The origins of Hide and Hammer and how Nu turned her love for sewing, knitting...
Nov 20, 2024•59 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In this episode of A Yarn Story, hosts Carmen and Susan share highlights from their trip to the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival, a celebrated event for knitters and fiber artists. The episode begins with Susan's highlights including a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and the World Trade Center Memorial, immersing themselves in the autumnal hues that inspire their knitting color palettes. They recount the scenic drive to Rhinebeck, with stops at charming farm stands for seasonal treats like fres...
Nov 05, 2024•54 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode of A Yarn Story, we continue our deep dive into the world of handcrafted stationery and letterpress printing with our special guest, Athena of Meticulous Ink . Learn the secrets behind artisan printmaking, how to design for luxury stationery brands, and the importance of sustainable materials in the world of fine paper products. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction to Meticulous Ink 2:57 - Journey into Printmaking 6:09 - Starting Meticulous Ink 12:14 - Growing Pains and Early Setbacks 20...
Oct 22, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 3
In this episode of A Yarn Story Podcast, Carmen interviews her friend Athena, the owner of Meticulous Ink, a fine stationery and letterpress print shop. Chapters 0:00:00 - Introduction & Meet Athena 0:01:53 - The Art of Making Things 0:04:44 - Knitting Origins & Project Dilemmas 0:09:55 - Crafting Materials and Choices 0:13:50 - The Joy of Starting New Projects 0:17:19 - Favourite Knitting Techniques 0:25:09 - WIPs (Works in Progress) & Group Projects 0:35:56 - Wrap Up & Teaser f...
Oct 08, 2024•47 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Welcome to Episode 1 of Season 4! In this episode, hosts Carmen and Susan kick off the new season with a fresh format, announcing exciting new co-hosts and take a deep dive into their latest knitting adventures. They share highlights from their visit to the Flock Yarn Show where they met fellow knitters, discovered new yarns and sold out of fan-favorite Walcot Yarns colours. The duo also takes listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Spincycle Mill in Bellingham, exploring the fascinating pr...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 1
This special episode comes to you from Redmond, Oregon where I - Carmen, owner of A Yarn Story - host my mother, Gisela, for a special in-person conversation. We discuss our shared passion for knitting and crafting, diving into Mom's history with sewing and knitting that began in her childhood in Germany. Mom recounts her journey from teaching sewing in Colorado to managing a store and eventually creating patterns and working on high-profile projects for fashion magazines in New York. I loved ex...
Sep 03, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Welcome to the final episode of Season 3. Honestly, where does the time go?! In this season finale, Carmen and Kayleigh share their FOs, what they're both currently knitting and Carmen has an exciting new project on the needles. We finish by answering your questions in the Q&A segment. Thank you so much for tuning in this Season. We're taking a break for a few weeks while planning for Season 4, so do subscribe and share this podcast with your knitting friends - it really helps us grow the sh...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Welcome to Season 3, Episode 7 of A Yarn Story Podcast (time flies!). This week, Carmen and Kayleigh delve into their latest knitting projects, share some personal stories and review a new wine. They begin by catching up on life events, including recent bouts of illness and how it affected their knitting time. Carmen talks about her current project, the Olive Top, and details about the silk yarn she used. Kayleigh discusses her progress on the Bella Blocking project , sharing tips on knitting st...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Carmen is joined by Susan this week for the latest instalment of A Yarn Story as they dive into the bustling life of the shop during our annual sale. Hear our top tips for knitting in hot weather, the secrets behind running a successful yarn shop and our latest summer knitting projects. Highlights First day of the sale : Busy day anecdotes and a well-deserved glass of wine Summer knitting : Carmen and Susan's new projects and tips for hot weather knits Behind the scenes : The story and strategy ...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode, hosts Carmen and Beverley delve into their knitting projects and personal anecdotes. Carmen showcases the CoCo vest by Bana Kavanagh, while Beverley, the newest team member, dons the Bella Blocking by Anne Ventzel (in Isager Tweed and Fluff ). See the whole AYS Team wearing this sweater . As we pour a Pinot Blanc Chardonay courtesey of the wonderful Wolf Wine , Beverley shares her journey from Oxford to Bath and her dream job at Yarn Story. They discuss their knitting origins, B...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Welcome to A Yarn Story! This week, Carmen and Kayleigh discuss their knitting adventures and various updates. They start by addressing a technical mishap from the last episode where half of the video didn't record (hence no YouTube last time!). We kick things of with new wine (of course!) Convivial, a Gamay Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Carmen share stories from Knit City in Toronto where she exhibited with Walcot Yarns and met fellow knitters, including the boys from Les Garçons and f...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Kayleigh takes charge of this week's podcast as Carmen is away in Toronto at Knit City and is joined by Susan. They kick things off by introducing a gorgeous Sicilian wine from the show sponsor, Wolf Wine, before diving into the knitting talk! Kayleigh and Susan explore different yarns and patterns, focusing on the Fonty Super Tweed and make suggestions for various projects like the Esther Jacket and the Old River Road pattern. They review the Chiaogoo Forte knitting needle set and share persona...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this episode we introduce two new yarns to the shop (and share over 11 pattern suggestions using said wool), plus we answer your questions including: 1️⃣ Do you have any pattern recommendations for Spincycle Yarns? 2️⃣ What vest and shawl patterns would you recommend for a beginner? 3️⃣ Which knitting patterns are best for beginners? 4️⃣ I want to visit you from London - how do I get there?! Tune in to hear the answers! Now, before we dive into the yarn chat, we pour a lovely glass of red by ...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 3 of A Yarn Story Podcast - we're delighted to be back, almost one year on from our very first episode. Thanks to our show sponsors Wolf Wine who deliver the most delicious small production wines from around the world. We begin with our wine review (where better to start?!) and then catch up with Kayleigh who's been working super-hard on her thesis. Carmen's run both knitting and business retreats and in this episode she launches an EXCITING NEW RETREAT! We talk about our curre...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 1
It's the Season 2 finale. Kayleigh is back, having spent a couple of months in full-on PhD mode, and we have a HUGE amount of laughs this week. We share what we're wearing, what we're working on and share colour choices for the new Saar Vest by our good friend Aleks Byrd. We hope you enjoy the episode, and a huge thank you for being with us through Season 2. If you've enjoyed it, please do leave us a 5* review on whichever platform you list to us - it REALLY helps us grow. We're taking a little ...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 10
This week Carmen is joined by Amanda as Kayleigh is working on her PhD this month. We dig into Amanda’s career as a knitwear designer and what it’s really like working full time as a designer (including what it was like working for Mohamed Al-Fayed!) Happy Knitting! ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:01:13) Wine we're drinking (00:04:59) Meet knitwear designer Amanda (00:06:21) Realities of working as a kniwear designer for magazine publications (00:22:48) Working for Mohamed Al-Fa...
Feb 20, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Welcome to A Yarn Story. After our wine segment we take a diversion into the house-buying process in the UK (!) before we dive into Carmen's new coaching venture. We share what we've decided to knit for the upcoming KAL and announce that we're heading to Unravel festival of yarn. Happy Knitting! ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:01:17) Wine segment (00:09:04) Kayleigh's mega big news (00:18:08) Carmen recaps her trip to Puerto Rico (00:22:45) Carmen announces her new coaching busi...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Welcome to this podcast episode where we're delighted to welcome Susan back onto the pod! ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:02:14) What we're about here at A Yarn Story (00:04:00) Wine chat (00:13:33) Our best achievements of 2023 and knits we're working on in 2024 ----------------------------------- Show notes Thank you to Susan’s husband for sponsoring the wine on this episode! We had Le Demoiselle which is an organic and bio-dynamic wine which we really enjoyed. Carmen is worki...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Happy New Year! We're back for our first episode published in 2024 and we're excited for a huge year. ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:00:22) Cocktails with Kayleigh (00:09:19) Normal service resumes - cocktail review (00:24:02) What we're wearing (00:31:14) What we're working on (00:38:16) Shirley Brian Deconstructed Fade Set colours (00:46:04) Carmen makes Kayleigh jealous with her new backpack! (00:50:08) Carmen buys herself a present! ----------------------------------- Show ...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 6
Welcome to the final episode of 2024! Firstly, Carmen has lost her voice so - while we think it sounds lovely and husky - we apologise if she's a little hard to hear! In this episode, we dive into what we bought at Rhinebeck. So, if you've ever wondered what yarn a knit-shop owner buys, listen on! You can also watch this episode on our YouTube Channel . ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:01:16) What we're drinking (it's non-alcoholic this week!) (00:06:45) Where A Yarn Story began ...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Welcome to this Christmas special of A Yarn Story podcast. This week, Carmen and Kayleigh are joined by two special guests and we announce a super exciting GIVEAWAY! Scroll down for how to enter 👇 ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:00:57) Introducing our guest hosts - Susan and Amanda (00:03:31) The wine segment (unofficially sponsored by Good Pair Days!) (00:15:49) What it's like studying knit design and fashion at university (00:22:24) What Susan is wearing (00:29:08) What Amand...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Welcome to Episode 3! This week, discover the most important thing beginner knitters need to do to improve fast and why some yarns bobble more than others (and why) ----------------------------------- Chapters (00:01:41) We talk the language of love! (00:06:14) Wine chat (00:20:36) The secret to getting good at knitting (00:26:42) What we're wearing (00:31:54) Why some yarns pill more than others (00:33:44) What we're working on ----------------------------------- Show Notes Wine we're drinking:...
Nov 23, 2023•49 min•Season 2Ep. 3
