Social Medusa interviews Marly Bird

Social Medusa interviews Marly Bird today, which makes for a very unique episode, and because of that, the show notes may be a little bit unique also! This is Tammy, I want to say first of all Thank You for stopping by to get caught up!

I wanted Marly to receive the full Royal Treatment she gives to her guests. Discovering someone who is upbeat and wanting to share all things cool and wonderful about yarn is what attracted me to listen to the Yarn Thing podcast and I have not missed an episode since.

As Marly always does, I asked ‘my guest’ how did she get into yarn? Marly’s grandma crocheted and Marly always wanted to learn. In first or second grade, Marly is remembered as a finger knitter. Marly always was crafting with her mom, and they sold stuff at craft fairs. In college, Marly’s grandma came to visit and Marly asked her to teach her to crochet. Marly was able to further her education by internet and she was HOOKED! Later she learned to knit from the pastor’s wife (she’s told us before she wanted to learn knitting to make socks).

Her husband has been a great supporter of her pursuing this as a career, and she says she knows in her bones she was meant to be in the fiber industry. She began podcasting in 2007 and says this project has come so far since those days (the early episodes are missing because it began at a different website which no longer exists) and it was the first crochet podcast listed in iTunes. It’s always been about the yarn, not solely knitting or crochet, so it’s the Yarn Thing Podcast with Marly Bird and probably never be anything else. She wants it to be a positive review of the crafts we love.

Marly’s FIRST BOOK (keep in mind that she has contributed to others, including Knitting for Dummies) has been appearing in our mailboxes for the last couple of weeks, COLD WEATHER CROCHET. (We hope you’ll use this link, it’s Marly’s affiliate link at Interweave, the publisher’s website). Marly has shared with us the funny story of the names of the projects, how she submitted them thinking the names would be changed by the publishers as happens with magazines and was surprised to see the names she gave to identify the projects actually stuck!

• Big Pink Hat (These are the links to view the pattern info in Ravelry) is the first to share that simplicity, created for a bulky weight and a larger hook, works up super fast!
• Cabled Shawl created in Drew Emborsky’s Gemstones (YAY for awesome Yarn Thing sponsors) in a larger shape in the lighter weight merino makes super comfy that is a multi-seasonal hug!
• Thrummed Slippers incorporates two strands of an easy to find yarn (Cascade 220) and roving to make super-cushy footwear!
• Lace Motif Wrap to us it’s apparent it’s totally inspired by Kristin Omdahl. So special, though, is that Carol Sulcoski, of Black Bunny Fiber, did a special colorway called Blue Bird, get it?
• New Favorite Socks, another great original name, beautiful colorwork on the ankles which are not hidden in shoes!
• African Flower Afghan Marly says is inspired by Heidi Bears, who has been on the program calling in from South Africa. She wanted the colors to not be so matchy-matchy with a little texture.
• Newsboy Cap uses wonderful aran-weight Blue Sky Alpaca yarn and the brim is wired to stay in place. Don’t forget to make the decorative flower!
• Pretty in Pink Infinity Cowl is a similar coloration to Neopolitan Ice Cream with a wonderful backward single crochet trim.
• Pewter Slouchy Hat is created with Lion Brand Angora Merino for luscious softness.
• Denim Infinity Scarf is lacy to be comfortable in any climate with a bit of Crocodile stitch for texture, with a slow change colorway of Freia Hand-Paints, which is also used in Ombre Cowl and Fingerless Mitts
• Chevron Coordinates Hat & Cowl are not at all matchy-matchy but can be worn together for comfort and fashion.
• Tilt-a-Whirl afghan is a wonderful carry-along project that uses motifs can be join as you go, or as Marly prefers when they are all done and assembled at once.

This was a long episode, full of love and laughter, where we hope to convey our love of the listeners and supporters of the podcast. We also appreciate you using the affiliate codes for the book to help defray costs of mailing all the prizes each episode! Well, to be truthful, to help with any of the costs of operating the podcast.

If you missed getting to hear this live, we hope you’ll go back to where it aired originally to hear it as an archive: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2015/11/12/social-medusa-interviews-marly-bird or in iTunes!