Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Brittany of B.hooked Crochet for my very first podcast interview! Brittany is a fellow crochet blogger and designer who is well-known for her in-depth video tutorials on YouTube, and she has a wonderful beginner crochet series HERE. To supplement her very visual videos and tutorials, she has created a crochet podcast as she believes that the audio format provides a great way for readers to learn about other topics! Brittany has covered topics such as “How to Get Quality Yarn Without Paying a Lot of Money” and “Choosing the Right Yarn For Your Project” among many others. She has also brought on guests to share their experiences in the crochet world such as Jessica of The Hook Nook, Ashleigh of Sewrella, Marly of Marly Bird and Stacey Trock of Fresh Stitches! I have been listening to Brittany’s podcasts, and I was thrilled when she asked if I wanted to be a guest on her show! We determined a topic that I am passionate about, and our episode is called “Finding Your Crochet Community“!
I was both nervous and excited as my interview date approached as I had never done a speaking interview before- all my other interviews were e-mail interviews! I did not even know what technology would be needed to do a podcast interview! Thankfully, Brittany was so professional and thorough in her preparation. She provides her podcast guests with very helpful videos on how to schedule an interview, how to start a google hangout, and what technology is needed. I ended up using the microphone in my Apple headphones and doing the google hangout on my phone! I actually started getting a cold the morning of the interview (sigh…) but thankfully I was just a little congested with no sore throat (you’ll hear me sipping on tea throughout the interview though!). I was in my workspace during our Google hangout while Ryan was playing with the girls in other rooms of our house. Thankfully, none of them rushed through the door or crashed the interview like what happened to that hilarious BBC dad haha! The interview flew by, and it felt like two friends having a cup of tea together talking about finding your crochet community! Brittany was such a gracious host as she had taken the time to look through my blog and work beforehand, and she asked some wonderful questions!
Ever since I started blogging 6.5 years ago, one of the best parts has definitely been connecting with people all over the world and becoming a part of a crochet community. Community is so important for support and encouragement as we can lift each other up, learn from one another, and ask for help and advice when we need it. I’m so thankful for the friendships we’ve developed with fellow amigurumi designers, other crochet bloggers, and artists in different fields! We’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of these online friends in real life, and it is surreal knowing that we have friends and supporters all over the world! I’m also incredibly thankful for the real-life community that I’ve become a part of in my local Sip and Stitch group that meets monthly! There are so many women from all different walks of life, but our love of crochet unites us all and brings us together- when you are passionate about something, you just want to share that joy and love with others! In my podcast interview, you’ll hear me talk about both online and offline community and how you can find your own!
{Photo Credit: Kelly of KnitBrooks}
At the end of the interview, we talk about how I believe in collaboration over competition. I truly believe that there is space for everyone in our creative world as we all have our own styles, backgrounds and areas of strength. It can be tempting to compare yourself to others, but remember that “comparison is the thief of joy“. Constantly comparing your life or work to others will make you unhappy- focus on yourself and strive for your own goals and how to better your own techniques. When you look at other people’s work, let it serve as a challenge and inspiration for you to try new projects and learn new skills! I saw a quote online that said, “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle“- we are all on our own journeys and when I think back about when I first started blogging and designing, my photography, style, and design techniques were so different! We are all at different points in our journeys and it’s unhelpful to compare!
I hope you’ll check out my interview on the B.hooked Podcast- you can see Brittany’s show notes HERE where you can listen directly from her website! The B.hooked Podcast is also available on iTunes and Stitcher, and the replay video will also be available on Brittany’s YouTube channel HERE starting June 9! I am relatively new to podcasts, but I’ve really enjoyed listening to them as I knit and crochet! When you need to focus on your work or look at your hands, it’s wonderful having some audio playing in the background, especially when it’s related to crochet! I’ve also listened to podcasts while getting ready in the morning, and you could also listen to them during commutes and while driving! If you listen to my interview, please let me know what you think in the comments below and if you have anything to add to the discussion! If you have any suggestions for great podcast topics or people for Brittany to interview, you can send her an e-mail at brittany@bhookedcrochet.com with the subject line “Podcast Suggestion“! I think it’s so exciting how Brittany has developed this podcast and is contributing so much to the crochet world! Thank you SO MUCH for your support, and I am thankful for fun new opportunities such as these!