The Long Thread Podcast

Emily Whitted, Texile Historian

Exploring collections of early American cloth, Emily Whitted finds stories of creativity, virtue, and the intimate lives of people from many backgrounds.

Books off the Beaten Path: The Yarn Barn of Kansas List of Hidden Gems

Book Club Podcast: What lesser-known treasures do Yarn Barn fiber artists love to share? Susan and Melissa share some of their favorites in weaving, spinning, and knitting. Liz Gipson drops by to talk about one of her books that Susan and Melissa adore.

Loretta Pettway Bennett, Gee's Bend Quilter

A fifth-generation quilter from the legendary community of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, Loretta Pettway Bennett turns well used cloth into her own expressions of color and community.

Diana Wiley, Handspun Hope

With no background in fiber but a calling to help women in need, Diana Wiley built a thriving organization on handspun yarn, needlefelted gorillas, and a holistic community for over 200 women.

Pamela K. Schultz, Spin Off

As *Spin Off* nears 50 years old, editor Pamela K. Schultz sees herself as the host of a wonderful spinning party that welcomes one and all.

Reweaving Marguerite Porter Davison’s Handweaver’s Pattern Book

Volunteers have been quietly weaving thousands of samples to bring the classic weaving book back to print. Nearing the finish, Caroline Cooley Browne, Donna Johnson, and Anita Osterhaug discuss the project known as The Big Weave.

Kate Larson, Farm & Fiber Knits

Editor, teacher, and shepherd Kate Larson makes the case that every knitter is already part of the farm-to-fiber story—whether they know it or not.

You Need This Book! The Yarn Barn of Kansas Required Reading List

Book Club Podcast: Fiber art veterans Susan Bateman and Melissa Parsons compare notes with host Anne Merrow about the books every weaver, spinner, knitter, and crocheter should have on the bookshelf—plus big news about a classic weaving directory.

Angela Tong, Multidisciplinary Maker

A jeweler, knitter, crocheter, weaver, and potter sit down for a chat—and it turns out she's the same person. Angela Tong talks about a creative life built on detail, technique, and staying true to her own voice.

Amy Sadler, Knitty

Before Ravelry, before knitting podcasts, before the internet fully found its craft obsession, there was Knitty. Amy Sadler shares the inspiration and evolution of the online knitting phenomenon.

Coming Soon: The Yarn Barn of Kansas Book Club

Trailer for the Yarn Barn of Kansas Book Club series on the Long Thread Podcast. First episode coming soon.

Curtis Gregory, George Washington Carver National Monument

Best known for his work with peanuts, renowned agricultural scientist George Washington Carver had a lifelong passion for needlework. Park Ranger Curtis Gregory shares stories about Carver’s interests in handwork and natural dyeing.

Heather Torgenrud, Pick-Up Bandweaving

Gudrun Johnston, The Shetland Trader

Wherever in the world she lives, Gudrun Johnston‘s roots always take her—and her knitting—back to Shetland.

Christina Garton, Little Looms

Ten years since the first issue of Easy Weaving with Little Looms, editor Christina Garton is still finding delightful new ideas in small-loom weaving.

Chick Colony, Harrisville Designs

In the face of dwindling American textile mills, Chick Colony and Harrisville Designs have preserved a historic tradition, kept manufacturing yarns in New England—and drawn weavers and knitters with their yarn and equipment.

Jane Cooper, The Lost Flock (classic)

Following her love for knitting with wool and curiosity about heritage sheep, Jane Cooper and her husband left their suburban life to move to Orkney and steward a flock of one of the rarest breeds in Britain, the Boreray.

Elena Kanagy-Loux, Lacemaker & Historian (classic)

Season 13, Episode 9: Ethereal, durable, ornamental, powerful—what does lace mean to you? Through academic study and the work of her hands, Elena Kanagy-Loux teaches that lace is all of these things and more.

Laverne Waddington, Backstrap Weaver (classic)

Using her hands, fine threads, and simple tools, Laverne Waddington uses backstrap looms to explore a world of weaving techniques and traditions.

Masey Kaplan & Jen Simonic, Loose Ends Project (classic)

If you couldn’t finish your needlework or craft project, what would become of it? Loose Ends, a volunteer organization founded by two knitters, wants to make sure it gets into the hands of your loved ones.