Author Kari Chapin was the guest on this Happy Tuesday episode of Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. Marly had seen her book ‘Handmade Marketplace in the bookstore and feel in love with it, wrote her herself to be on the program.

Kari Chapin told us in her background story that she lived in Denver, Marly’s neck of the woods, and remembers a bookstore she loved and being especially excited to go back and see her book in it’s shelves. Growing up, Kari actually split her time between two sets of parents, her one set who were very entrepreneurial and bohemian and the other traditional. She realizes she identifies with the one side more. She learned a few stitches of crochet in grade school to make Easter Baskets and that began her knowing that creating things by hand became her passion. She still crochets, embroidery, pottery, needle felting and of course writing.  When she fell in love with needle felting, she was inspired to write Feltlicious with Kerri Wessel, published in 2013. She has also worked with creating collages and work with her art background. She admits she wanted to be involved in the arts by way of promoting them, but not by being in the limelite. She says it was more important to her that artists be properly supported (or paid) and in promoting them.

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Craft Yarn Council’s Mary Colucci joined us for a special MONDAY edition of the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird, because sometimes we need to Make Someone’s Monday! Did this make yours?

Mary Colucci is Executive Director of the Craft Yarn Council which is in organization trade organization that represents the larger publishers and consultants in the yarn industry. She came to this from her career in publishing and through TNNA. Primarily CYC’s goal is to keep the craft alive and to teach future generations.

One of the first program was to certify teachers of knitting and crocheters. Currently they work with Michael’s stores to have certified teachers leading classes at a local level.

I Love Yarn Day is a special event organized by the Craft Yarn Council, happening in the fall when all the new yarns are often introduced and includes knitters, crocheters, weavers, spinners… everyone who loves fiber. It’s hoped that participants gather with others to celebrate their love of yarn! Since the beginnings four years ago they heard so many about the health benefits that they have begun…

#StitchAwayStress campaign, collecting stories and sharing the evidence that proves we are Healthier and Happier because we knit or crochet. We know that we feel creative when we are working with yarn, but we also find our confidence boosted, stress is relieved and we find we can concentrate better. Those with chronic illness/pain find those symptoms are eased and slows loss of memory. During the month of April, you can enter to win prizes and Twinkie Chan has created a cute little Lemon Stress Ball — there is patterns for that in knit and crochet with a video about it! Other programs include a Teens Learn to Knit or Crochet and Warm-Up America.

Marly asked how does Mary stitch away stress? She revealed that end the day she finds working a few rows of her projects helps her de-stress, but taking it to work and while waiting for appointments also helps.