Knitting for Your Ears: Knitting Podcasts

The fact that knitting is such a low-tech craft might be part of its appeal, but knitters have been on the Internet for years with their blogs and forums. Now knitters have taken the world of podcasting by storm, and they have created a world where knitters everywhere can come together online and share ideas, inspiration, and a strong sense of community among knitters all over the world.

It seems like every week there is a new knitting podcast coming on to the scene. These portable audio programs are so much fun to listen to while you knit. These shows are homegrown, which adds to their appeal. They are written and produced by the hosts, who do a great job delivering entertaining, informative and useful content.

I have listed a few of the podcasts that I listen to. There are a few more out there and they seem to come and go. Go ahead and plug in and take a listen.

Knit Cast, by Marie Irshad, is a monthly podcast where Irshad interviews authors, does book reviews, and contests. This was one of the first knitting podcasts that inspired the wave of news shows that have appeared on the scene in the past year.

http://www.knitcast.com/

Cast On, hosted by Brenda Dayne, is a podcast by a knitter who is an American expat living in Wales. Dayne’s fabulous writing and professional production makes this a must-listen-to podcast. The show also features essays read by listeners, and the hostess often gets out of her studio and records live at a woolen mill and at festivals.

http://www.cast-on.com/

Pointy Sticks, hosted by Christine Selleck, a Texas knitter who is also a college student. In her podcast, Selleck talks about her life and her travels and her local knitting community. She shares book and product reviews and interviews with knitting book authors.

http://www.pointysticks.org/

Lime and Violet is hosted by two women who call themselves, oddly enough, Lime and Violet. This podcast has a fun, upbeat feeling with two “yarn-obsessed” hostesses who are passionate about the craft of knitting. They do often end up laughing hysterically throughout the show, which can get a bit annoying after awhile, but I do enjoy their reviews of the small online yarn vendors who either sell handspun yarns, fiber, or hand-dyed yarns.

http://limenviolet.blogspot.com/

It’s a Purl Man, hosted by Guido Stein, is a delightfully sincere podcast that’s hosted by a guy who has “yarn issues.” Stein hosts his show from the Boston area and the show features interviews with yarn shop owners, book reviews, and live interviews with knitters at fiber festivals. Stein has a relaxed, easy style and his show is pleasant to listen to.

Sticks and String is one of the newer podcasts on the scene hosted by a “bloke” from Australia. He is a new knitter—or newly returned to knitting after a long absence. This show is a great addition to the knitting podcast universe with his no-nonsense style and his practical approach to knitting from a man’s perspective.

http://sticksandstring.com.au/

There is no need to have an ipod or any other kind of .mp3 player to listen to these shows. All you have to do is visit the web site for each show and listen through the speakers on your computer. If you do have a portable .mp3 player, you can subscribe to the shows and then download them to your device as soon as the new shows become available.

So, thanks to podcasting, knitting need not be a solitary pursuit. Get yourself an .mp3 player, download some shows and have some fun listening and learning and maybe even laughing while you knit.