a yarn story by A Yarn Story

As we wrap up the year, Carmen and Susan settle in for a cosy, chatty final episode of the A Yarn Story Podcast. This one’s all about what we’re wearing, what we’re knitting, and the yarns we’ve been reaching for again and again.

In this episode of the A Yarn Story Podcast, Carmen is joined by Helen, the newest member of the A Yarn Story team, for a relaxed, yarn-filled conversation about knitting, making, and life with wool. From what they’re wearing and what’s currently on the needles, to colourwork favourites, vintage-inspired knits and the joy (and chaos) of knitting plans, this episode is packed with real-life making chat.

Carmen and Susan are back from Rhinebeck, but before diving into yarn hauls and sweaters, they’re spilling their thoughts on the new TV sensation A Game of Wool.

This episode of A Yarn Story is full of travel, projects, and community. Susan and Carmen share knitting adventures from Canada to Seattle’s Flock fiber festival, plus all the projects they finished and cast on: the Ooey Gooey Cardigan by Andrea Mowry, the True Veil Vest and Zephyr Tee by Samantha Guerin, and Rhinebeck prep with the Salmon Sweater and Nordic Bloom Cardigan by Caitlin Hunter.

Welcome back to A Yarn Story! In this catch-up episode, Carmen and Kayleigh are back with wine in hand and lots to share — from a surprise yarn rebrand reveal, to Kayleigh’s ceilidh-filled wedding, to the launch of their next knit-along featuring Caitlin Hunter designs.

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.

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.

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!).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!).

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! 

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:

Welcome to Season 3 of A Yarn Story Podcast - we're delighted to be back, almost one year on from our very first episode.

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.

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!)

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.

Welcome to this podcast episode where we're delighted to welcome Susan back onto the pod!

Happy New Year! We're back for our first episode published in 2024 and we're excited for a huge year.

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!

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 👇

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)

We're delighted to introduce FLUFF - new yarn we've created in collaboration with Walcot Yarns x Les Garçons.

WE'RE BACK! Season 2 of A Yarn Story Podcast is here and we're delighed to welcome you to Episode 1. In this episode, we chat .... and we have a LOT of laughs! Enjoy and please do share the episode with your knitting friends if you enjoyed it :)

It's the last episode of the season! We kick things off with a little celebration and toast to us for making it to 10 episodes. While you can listen to this episode on your podcast providor, this is a very visual one: we're doing a fit and sizing fashion show (with many, many wardrobe changes!) to help you understand what sizes to use when you plan your knits, so you might prefer to watch this episode on on YouTube.

We're back with Episode 9 of A Yarn Story Podcast where we chat all things yarn, knitting and take the odd diversion into anything else that takes our fancy! 

Welcome back to another episode of A Yarn Story! Kayleigh is back with us and we chat all things yarn, knitting and swatching. We must apologise in advance for all the laughing!! We had a total blast recording this episode, as you can probably tell! Tune in now and hear our super-exciting announcement (we're going on tour).

Kayleigh is on holiday this week so our colleague Susan joined Carmen on today’s episode. Susan has a fantastic show and tell to talk us though (though to get the full experience you should watch this episode on YouTube too!).

We kick off Episode 6 of A Yarn Story Podcast with an immediate off-topic catch up on Kayleigh's running career  🤣. We then share what we're drinking and take a deep dive into summer top knits. This is a great one to watch on YouTube so you can see the yarn we're working with, the tops we're discussing and practical suggestions on knitting tops. Find us on YouTube here.

In Episode 5 of A Yarn Story Podcast Carmen discusses her Iceland trip and Kayleigh talks secret yarn plans!

In Episode 4 of A Yarn Story Podcast, we review a Sauvignon Blanc that Kayleigh was gifted and then dive into the knitting (after a tiny detour to cricket bats!).

In this episode of "A Yarn Story" Carmen and Kayleigh raise their glasses once again, this time to explore wine, socks and books!

Embark on a delightful journey with hosts Carmen and Kayleigh in the inaugural episode of "A Yarn Story."

Carmen, fresh home from the H&H Tradeshow, and Kayleigh return for Episode #2 of "A Yarn Story".