Podcast · Leisure & Travel

Making Stitches Podcast

by Lindsay Weston · English · Leisure & Travel

A podcast celebrating creative crafts and inspiring makers.

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 32 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 51 min

YARNDALE 2026: A Festival of Yarn & Woolly Creativity

It's 10 years since I first visited Yarndale and thanks to me living a lot closer to Skipton now than I did back then, I am lucky enough to be able to visit each year. Last month, I made my sixth visit Skipton Auction Mart for this brilliant event celebrating all things yarn and creativity. As is now the tradition, I took my microphone with me to capture some of the atmosphere and to give myself the excuse to chat to fabulous creative people who were there too, both vendors and visitors...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S12 · E112 · 25 Sep 2026 · 34 min
From Doctor Who to stress-relief knitting with Alice O'Connell
Hello and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast, my guest this time is Anglo-Irish former TV and Theatre actor, now knitting teacher, Alice O'Connell. Knitting first came into Alice's life when she was sitting around waiting to be called onto set and soon changed her life. We spoke about times when it's been incredibly important to her, including when she first became a Mum for the first time, and during her successful treatment for breast cancer. Alice now teaches others to knit through o...
S12 · E111 · 5 Sep 2026 · 34 min
The Healing Power of Crochet with Sam Sabido
Hello and welcome to a brand new series of Making Stitches Podcast! My guest for this first episode is crochet designer and teacher Sam Sabido. Sam first learned to crochet after being gifted crochet lessons around 15 years ago. At the time, she was having a tricky time and hoped crochet would give her a creative outlet and some time to concentrate on her own wellbeing. Little did she know back then what an impact crochet would have on her life. After mastering the craft herself, she be...
S11 · E110 · 18 Jul 2026 · 48 min
CARRY ON CRAFTING 2026: A Weekend of Crafting, Camping & Fun
This time last weekend, Carry on Crafting celebrated its 5th birthday. The festival, based at Ardingley Showground in Sussex, played host to craft stalls, workshops, vintage stands, tasty food, music and fun. Last March, I spoke to the festival's founder, Justine Robson on this podcast (for episode number 94. At the time, she invited me along to the festival - over a year later, I got there! It was everything I imagined it would be, and more. I met old friends and made new ones too, I crochet...
S11 · E109 · 3 Jul 2026 · 33 min
Sheep, Actually: A Film About Wool & a Sheep Named Cow with filmmaker Paul Wyatt
In this episode of the Making Stitches Podcast, I'm joined by documentary filmmaker Paul Wyatt, director of the beautiful documentary film Sheep, Actually. Although this conversation is a little different from my usual chats with makers, it explores something at the very heart of many of our crafts: wool. Paul's documentary asks us to look beyond the skein and back to its origins, exploring the connections between sheep, farmers, wool and the people who transform this remarkable natural fibre...
S11 · E108 · 19 Jun 2026 · 40 min
Reconnecting with your imagination with textile artist, Murron Fraser
In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by contemporary textile artist Murron Fraser. Based in Manchester, Murron's work is inspired by nature, folklore and storytelling, creating richly layered textile pieces that invite us to look more closely at the hidden wonders of the natural world. Through a combination of machine embroidery, printmaking, and mixed media techniques, she creates artworks that are full of texture, colour and meaning. Alongside her artistic practice, Murro...
S11 · E107 · 5 Jun 2026 · 32 min
Connection, Confidence & Community with Melissa Santiago-Val from Sew Positive
Hello, and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! This time, I'm delighted to be joined by Melissa Santiago-Val founder and CEO of Sew Positive. What began during the pandemic as a community effort making face masks to raise money for NHS charities has grown into an inspiring charity using sewing, mending and up cycling to support peoples' mental health and wellbeing. In our chat, Melissa shares her own creative journey, the story behind Sew Positive and how stitching can be more than simply mak...
S11 · E106 · 22 May 2026 · 32 min
Stitching History: Inside the Knitting and Crochet Guild Collection
Upstairs in an historic industrial building in the centre of the West Yorkshire town of Slaithwaite is a vast collection of handmade items, tools and publications charting the history of knitting and crochet in the UK. The Knitting and Crochet Guild Collection was started in 1991 and is cared for by a team of dedicated volunteers. Hidden away in this fascinating archive is an extraordinary collection of handmade garments, patterns, yarns, tools, publications and shade cards, all connected to ...
S11 · E105 · 8 May 2026 · 43 min
Pattern challenges, THAT paper dress and life after Sewing Bee with Kit Giroux
This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I’m joined by Kit Giroux, semi-finalist from the 2025 series of The Great British Sewing Bee. In our chat, Kit talks about their sewing journey, from first learning as a child to rediscovering a love of making a year or so before appearing on national television. We also chat about what it was really like to take part in series 11 of The Great British Sewing Bee. Kit shares some brilliant behind-the-scenes insights from their time in the Sewing Bee sewing...
S11 · E104 · 24 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Yarn, Fibre & Community with Gareth from Manchester Wool & Yarn
I'm taking you out on the road with me today to Stockport to visit a fabulous yarn shop, Manchester Wool & Yarn. The shop celebrated its 2nd birthday earlier this year and is owed and run by Gareth, a passionate maker and supporter of the yarn community. Stocked with familiar brands and products from independent yarn dyers based across the North West of England, it's a positive treasure trove of colour, squishyness & is such a lovely place to visit. Regular 'Bitch and Stitch' socials ...
S11 · E103 · 10 Apr 2026 · 35 min
From London 2012 to Peru: Anna Nikipirowicz's fabulous yarn adventure
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is the wonderful Anna Nikipirowicz. Anna first learned to knit and crochet as a child in Poland, but she says she found it boring - luckily for us, as an adult she found a new passion for both crafts and is passionate about sharing her love and knowledge of them. Anna has published a series of books on crochet techniques, embroidery onto crochet, Tunisian crochet as well as a book on crochet & knitting too. Her passion for her craft is ...
S11 · E102 · 27 Mar 2026 · 45 min
TexStyle Festival 2026: A weekend of community, colour & creativity
Two weeks ago, the first ever TexStyle Festival threw open its doors at Manchester Central. It was an amazing weekend of creativity, community and lots and lots of chatting! It was the idea of the mother and daughter team behind the Buxton, Cumbria & Stafford Wool Gatherings, (Michelle Greaves and her Mum, Carole) to create a bigger show encompassing other textile and fibre crafts in their home town of Manchester. It did not disappoint, it featured dozens of stands showcasing beautiful cr...
S11 · E101 · 13 Mar 2026 · 31 min
Granny Squares Galore! With Katy Mitchell from Kate's Crochet Creations
Katy Mitchell is the crochet designer behind Kate's Crochet Creations, known for her vibrant granny square patterns and beautifully themed blanket designs. Her work celebrates colour, creativity and the joy of crochet, her patterns inspire crocheters of all skill levels. I was thrilled to be able to chat to her about how her hobby turned into a full-time job. Katy's work has been featured in magazines, she is a Stylecraft yarns 'Insider' and, last year, published her first book; The Gra...
S10 · E100 · 2 Jan 2026 · 56 min
EPISODE 100 - From Postcard from Gibraltar to Making Stitches
Hello and welcome to the 100th episode of Making Stitches Podcast. Way back in April of 2020 when I published my first ever Making Stitches Podcast episode, I had no idea that over 5 years later, I would be publishing episode 100! That blows my tiny mind! In the months leading up to this milestone, I had a couple of conversations with my lovely yarny friend, Christine Perry (aka Winwick Mum) and she suggested marking this podcast milestone with a different kind of episode - one with me ...
S10 · E99 · 19 Dec 2025 · 38 min
Happy Stitchmas 2025!
Hello there and Happy Stitchmas! It's that time of year again when I take a look back at the past 12 months and choose some of the highlights of my podcasting year. 2025 has been a big year for me, I celebrated 10 years of blogging (Postcard from Gibraltar and then Making Stitches Blog) and 5 years of Making Stitches Podcast. In this episode I share some of the chats I have had this year and you may have heard before as well as some new chats too. Included in this episode are:&nbs...
S10 · E98 · 5 Dec 2025 · 34 min
From an Amigurumi Pig to Crocheted Patchwork with Anita Gibney from Made by Anita
In this episode of Making Stitches Podcast I chat to Anita Gibney — the designer behind Made by Anita and the author of the brand-new book; Patchwork Granny Square Blankets. Known for her beautiful crochet blanket deisgns, Anita has become an ambassador for Stylecraft Yarns and has just published her first book. We chat about how her love of crochet began, the inspiration behind her quilt-inspired granny-square blankets, and what it was like to turn years of designing into her first published...
28 Nov 2025 · 41 min
Merry Crochet Makes with Justine Robson & Nicky Ward - BONUS EPISODE
December starts next week which means we are officially on the countdown to Christmas, but there's still time to make a few Christmas gifts for special people or some decorations for your home. In this special 'Bonus Episode' I'm sharing a chat I had with Justine from Little Box of Crochet and Nicky Ward from A Heart Shaped Cherry. Followers of Little Box of Crochet will know that 2025 has been a difficult year for Justine. One of the things she has had to deal with involved being badly...
S10 · E97 · 21 Nov 2025 · 32 min
Quilts, Blogs, Podcasts & Live Shows with Kat Molesworth
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is Kat Molesworth, the creative force behind the Blogtacular Podcast & Festival. With Blogtacular, Kat helped countless creatives and bloggers find their voice and their community online. These days, Kat's work means she's serving another creative community, working for Immediate Live, on the Knit & Stitch Show, the Stitch Festival & the Festival of Quilts. Kat has also been a quilter for years and this summer, qualified a...
S10 · E96 · 9 Nov 2025 · 29 min
TexStyle: Looking ahead to a new festival for 2026 with Michelle Greaves
Welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! In this episode I share a chat I've had with Michelle Greaves, one half of the team behind the brand new TexStyle festival which is coming to Manchester next year. Michelle and her Mum, Carole, have been hosting yarn festivals for a number of years including the Buxton, Cumbria and Stafford Wool Gatherings, next year, they are hosting a much bigger event spanning all sorts of textile and yarn crafts in central Manchester. TexStyle is a fresh celebration of ...
S10 · E95 · 24 Oct 2025 · 24 min
All Things Amigurumi with Amy Ting from Curious Papaya
My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is Amy Ting, a crochet designer from the US who specialises in amigurumi. Amy is a passionate advocate for the Japanese technique of crocheting in the round to create soft toys. She has been crocheting amigurumi creatures for 7 years and shares her work online on her website: https://curiouspapaya.com/ and on social media too https://www.instagram.com/curiouspapaya/ This summer, Amy released her first book of crochet patterns call...
S10 · E94 · 10 Oct 2025 · 29 min
YARNDALE 2025 : Celebrating Yarn & Community
On the weekend of 27th & 28th September, Skipton Auction Mart was again transformed into Yarndale. The festival of all things creative brings stall holders and crafts people from far and wide to share their love of their creative passions. While knitting and crochet take centre stage with every imaginable colour and type of yarn, there are many other crafts to enjoy, including embroidery, sewing, spinning, felting, lacemaking and so much more. I went along with my trusty microphone ...
S10 · E93 · 26 Sep 2025 · 35 min
THE RED DRESS with Kirstie Macleod
The Red Dress, recently recognised by the Guiness World Records as the largest collaborative embroidery project, is a truly stunning piece of work. It was created by Kirstie Macleod, a British artist, over a period of 14 years with the help of 380 different embroiderers. The dress is made of 87 silk panels which have been embroidered by people from 51 different countries and includes techniques passed down through generations, the work of skilled crafts people and first time stitchers. There ...
S10 · E92 · 12 Sep 2025 · 27 min
World Stitch Day 2025
Back on 1st June this summer, the Woven in Kirklees Festival kicked off with World Stitch Day at Oakwell Hall in Batley. Among the attractions of stalls from local community groups, textile artists, workshops and an interactive fabric 'Time Machine' was The Red Dress on display in West Yorkshire for the first time. The Red Dress is an award winning collaborative embroidery project which was conceived by the British artist Kirstie Macleod. It took 14 years to complete and features the work of ...
S10 · E91 · 29 Aug 2025 · 24 min
LET'S CELEBRATE with Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet & a look ahead to Series 10
Hello and welcome to the first episode in this new series of podcasts from Making Stitches. This time, I'm sharing a chat with my crochet friend Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet. Eleonora and I have both celebrated a special blog birthday this year. It's 10 years since we both began our blogging adventure. While there's no doubt that Eleonora's blogging and designing has taken her to extraordinary places compared to my own experience, it's been so lovely for me to follow her success and sh...
S9 · E90 · 13 Jun 2025 · 31 min
PASSIONATE ABOUT PUNCH NEEDLE with Micah Clasper-Torch
When Micah Clasper-Torch first designed a coat using fabric which had been embellished with punch needlework, her passion was born. Moving from the intense world of fashion design in New York to a more laid back lifestyle in California, Micah embraced the craft of punch needle and ran with it. Her passion for the craft is infectious, so much so that she launched Punch Needle World, a platform to celebrate the art, craft and history of punch needle. Micah has taught thousands of people h...
S9 · E89 · 30 May 2025 · 30 min
Looking Ahead to 'Woven from Kirklees' with Nat Walton
The 'Woven in Kirklees' textiles festival first launched in 2019 and is due to kick off for its 2025 edition this weekend. The community festival celebrates all kinds of textiles and related crafts with yarn bombs, textile art exhibitions, workshops and talks. The biennial festival runs for a whole month and this year will have 130 different events happening throughout June. Initiated in 2019 by Kirklees Council, the festival "is owned by everyone, including community groups, textile business...
S9 · E88 · 23 May 2025 · 21 min
From Sewing Wedding Dresses to Crocheting a Turner Prize Winning Doily with Rachael Mills
When Rachael Mills took up crochet as a means to giving up smoking, little did she realise that it would one day lead to her making a Turner Prize winning doily! Last year, when the Glaswegian artist Jasleen Kaur was named the winner of the Turner Prize, crocheter Racheal was celebrating at home in Blackburn. I was thrilled when she agreed to come onto the podcast to share her side of this amazing story. Rachael's first creative job was piece work sewing at a bridal gown factory, she then wen...
S9 · E7 · 9 May 2025 · 24 min
Celebrating 10 years of the Winwick Mum Sockalong with Christine Perry
My guest for this episode is my yarny friend, Christine Perry, who first made an appearance on the podcast back in 2021. Since chatting back then, we have become friends and when I heard that she was gearing up to a big milestone in her sock-knitting journey, I asked her if she would like to come back onto the podcast and chat about it. Last weekend, on Saturday 3rd May, Christine celebrated a whole decade of encouraging people around the world to. knit socks through her Winwick Mum Soc...
S9 · E6 · 25 Apr 2025 · 32 min
Spreading Joy Online with Sara & Sean from Crochet in the Glen
When I first approached Sara from Crochet in the Glen and asked if she would like to be a guest on Making Stitches Podcast, she couldn't understand why I'd want to speak to her. Like many (thousands) of other people who follow her Instagram account I'd enjoyed seeing her posts from her home on the picturesque Cowal Peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland - not just for the scenery, or her beautiful crochet creations, but because of her "crochet supermodel" husband Sean! Sean and Sara are coll...
S9 · E5 · 11 Apr 2025 · 25 min
The Gift of Crochet with Marianne Rawlins aka MazCrochets
For so many of us, crochet (or any craft) is as gift which offers mental release, a chance to focus on something away from the day-to-day worries of life and that creative spark so many of us need. When Marianne Rawlins was working part-time whilst raising her very small children, crochet arrived in her life. It gave her a creative outlet and ultimately an additional career, as her hobby developed into writing and designing for Simply Crochet magazine. Our paths crossed through her work for S...

About Making Stitches Podcast

A podcast celebrating creative crafts and inspiring makers.

Making Stitches Podcast is a English leisure & travel podcast from Lindsay Weston. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Lindsay Weston
Language: English
Category: Leisure & Travel
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 32 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1508718451

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