BACKGROUND NOISES

On Sunday I lost my Netflix. It’s kind of a bummer, but I’ve stopped talking to the friend whose account I was using. So, it’s reasonable.

On the bright side, the lack of nearly-instant access to a selection of documentaries, movies & TV shows has had a positive impact on the amount of stitching I’ve been able to do. I’m not wasting any of my free time deciding which show I want playing in the background. Instead, I’ve been clicking on my iTunes and resuming whichever podcast in in the player.

Of course, I am a huge fan of This American Life and Serial. TAL has been one of my favorites for years, and while I wasn’t originally hooked on Serial, my friend Sam charmed me into the show. However, this week, I wanted to share with you three smaller podcasts which I really enjoy, and which aren’t always at the top of listings on the iTunes Store.

 First off, is Woolful. Hosted and put together by Ashley Yousling, each week’s episode interviews two interesting individuals who live and/or work within the fiber community. Listening to Woolful feels like I’m eavesdropping on my grandmother, mother and their friends. The guests share a variety of stories about their role as “fiber folk” – knitters, shop owners, farmers, patterns designers – all while Ashley asks questions which results in a very inspired conversation. The episodes are a bit long, and there (to my knowledge) hasn’t been an episode including embroidery. But, this show has got me daydreaming of projects bigger than my hoop.

Next, is the memory palace, which is organized and narrated by Nate DiMeo. If Woolful is a conversation, than this show is like a dream. Occasional episodes include curious, soft stories which take your mind on a journey back in time to some often important, yet overlooked, event in history. Nate tells an array of tales which vary from the perspective of the animals which have been shot into space (RIP Laika) or the haunting history of the Donner Party.

 Finally, is Reply All – a show about the internet. Being a spin-off of the podcast StartUp, Reply All is Gimlet Media’s first show to drop since the starting of their company. (If that sentence makes no sense to you, I  encourage you to listen to the back episodes of StartUp – it’s great for entrepreneury-types!)  Being a lady who divides her time between work/stitching/browsing the internet, this show is great to listen to for a laff. Past interviews have included the guy who invented the pop-up box (boo!) and a review of Miranda July’s app Somebody. The show is hosted by Alex Goldman & PJ Vogt, and the episodes pop-up weekly.

So, those are some of the shows I spend my kraft timez listening to. What do you do while you stitch away? Any favorite musicians or radio shows you listen to? Any podcasts you think I should add to my feed? I’m always looking for new ones – particularly those meant for crafty-types.

Have a great weekend!

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