Kismet Andrews, of Bar-Maids today’s guest so we can introduce her NEW SPONSOR on the Yarn Thing Podcast with Marly Bird. SO exciting! She says she creates ‘remarkable eco-luscious skin-care for everyone who has Skin in the game.’
This was the profile description she sent when we were setting up her show: Kismet Andrews is a moon-gazing, nature loving, modern day nomad in relentless pursuit of creating balance between the constant flow of creative ideas of her right brain and practical left brained matters like numbers. The love child of a stud muffin and a princess, it was her Grandmother who taught her at a young age how to stir the pot. After studying midwifery in her thirty’s, she spent many years in a conventional healthcare setting providing mediation/conflict resolution, executive support, and developing campus wide projects. She ditched all that a few years ago, returned to the garden, grabbed her bowl and spoon, and gave birth to Bar-Maids.
Kismet says her other Grandmother, (father’s mother) taught her to knit and crochet at a young age. Her Mother’s mother always made this “goop” and was always being thanked for her wonderful product. It was a cream color and included lanolin, caster-oil, petroleum jelly… Kismet heard the stories of what grandma’s product had done and when she became older developed an appreciation for it, although some of the elements were not something she would put on her face. 
At first, her desire was to create something simple, organic and not wasteful. The moisturizing bar’s name was given it by a high-school football player who had initially sneered at the thought of skin-care but when it was pointed out that girls will like to hold the softer hands of other players, he changed his mind and encouraged others to try this ‘lo-lo’ bar and the Bar-Maids was born. (If you click on that link, please take a moment to check out the list of scents!)
She had worked in a hospital and at some point reached a crossroads where she had to decide, did she need to continue there or devote herself to full-time crafting of this product that gave comfort to so many. When she looked at it that way, it became obvious. By listening to her her customer support base about their concerns is where many of her products come from. From Lo-lo moisturizing bars, which completely absorbs and you can wash your hands several times without re-applying. Also Lo-lo for Lips balm in several ‘flavors’, O’ For Feet-Sake which contains tea-tree and hemp seed oils, Southern Comfort, Lo-lo for Cuticles (I’m using and find I don’t have the little skin jags that snag in my knitting yarns!) Face Pudding, Squeaky Clean Soaps, and working on creamy moisturizing soaps as well as deodorants.
Brand-new to Bar-Maids is a subscription box, (the first one, with the OUTLANDER theme has sold out, sadly…) where in periodic cycles another themed box of wonderful scented products is delivered to your mailbox. Some of the kit packages are bundled with a Namaste bag (The Almost Everything) or Erin.Lane Bags. (Coincidentally, Erin.Lane Bags is the other Brand-New Yarn Thing Podcast Sponsor, will be on next week!)
Bar-maids items have an extensive list of fragrances. Kismet says ‘some scents just lift you off your feet of the ground and sort of float, does something wonderful for your spirit.’ She has also some items for baby, which demonstrates her concern for truly helpful products for everyone. Your local yarn shop can offer Bar-Maids products, too, the information is found on the website: https://bar-maids.com/ at the top left ‘Retailers’.
We’re looking forward to seeing Kismet at Stitches West in February, as will Marly be teaching and rockin’ the Pajama Party!
If you missed getting to hear this LIVE it is still available in the archives where it aired originally http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2015/01/13/kismet-andrews-of-bar-maids-new-yarn-thing-sponsor and also in iTunes!
I adore the “Outlander” series and would just love the LOLO gift set!!! Thanks Marly and Kismet!!!
If I could time travel I would go back in time to when I started knitting and go by some buy some LoLo products to save my hands from dry skin. 🙂
Yep, time travel would be my favorite adventure! Lolo just seems so delicious.
Love the Bar-Maid products. They make your skin feel so wonderful and the scents are great. The scents can certainly put your mind in a time travel state!
I learn so much from these podcasts and love all the great tips on products. I time travel with the Doctor and I look forward to doing so with Outlander. I can’t wait to try the Lolo bar.
I LOVED the show today and am crazy about all things “Outlander” as I just started reading them last year. I think time travel would be an awesome way to discover new ways to use yarn!
I would like to time travel to the end of a sweater project to see how it fits before casting on! I am enchanted by LoLo and am anxious to try it. The scents sound so appealing. I especially love anything lavendar or vanilla. Always enjoy the podcast!
I think it would be pretty exciting to time travel. I’d love to try the LoLo products.
Lmecoll on Ravelry
I love books and tv shows about time travel! I recently got a lolo bar and have loved using it. I would love to try out more products.
Time travel would be so awesome! Another great episode!
I LOVE bar-maids and would love to try the cuticle treatment. The Betty Boop scented bar is fantastic! I bought the first TimeTravel book called Outlander and have read most of it. Too bad we don’t get the channel to watch the series.
I wish I could time travel, but I prefer traveling by Tardis… 🙂 Loved hearing about how LoLo got it’s start!
Another great episode. I feel like I just time traveled while thinking about the scents. The poduct are lovely.
I guess I need to check out this time travel thing and start reading Outlander. Love, love Lo Lo……
I am not familiar with Outlander so the time travel connection is lost on me. however, I am thrilled to have listened to the podcast as I have been hear much about Bar Maids but did not know anything about its founder. one question I still have…is there a special significance behind Kismet’s name?
Hi Suzanne. The name Kismet is Arabic/Turkish and means, fate, good luck, destiny. My mother was reading a book at the time about a prince named Kismet. In the middle east, Kismet is a name typically given to a male, not a female (so it’s kind of like calling me George or Harry in the States). Thanks for the question! K..
I would love to time travel my skin by using Bar-Maids products! Great interview and a wonderful prize! thank you!
I love the time travel movies that have been made over the years. I’m sure I’ll love Outlander once I read the books.
What a great episode! I went and bought a Lo-Lo Bar right after. Can I just time travel to when it comes in the mail?
Another Outlander reference on Yarn Thing!!!! What is it about time travel that makes this series so fascinating. I’d love to try some Bar Maids products. Have been hearing about them on the Knitmore Girls for years.
I love Lolo bars and stock up on them every year at Stitches West. I am not usually a time travel fan but I do love the Outlander series.
I haven’t checked out Outlander yet, but time travel stories are always on my list to read. And these sound like some great products to try!
I haven’t read Outlander series yet either, but O sure have tried the LoLo bars. Wonderful stuff and the packages it comes with are really cute too. Greatpodcast as always. Hope you can figure out what causes the cut out words.
Outlander, time travel, and LOLO. I’m packed and ready
I loved outlander and am fascinated by time travel. I can’t wait to try Lolo bars. This winter weather has lefty skin so dry.
I loved this episode, especially learning more about Bar-Maids — the history of where the LoLo Bar name came from, how the bar is so awesome for knitters, etc. A friend gave me one a few months ago and I *love* it. If I could step into my TARDIS or DeLorean and time travel back to when I started knitting, I would do so and give myself a huge stash of LoLo Bars.
What a great profile of Kismet! I just found that my LYS carries the products. If I could time travel I would go back in time and start using the products sooner!
Time travel would be so exciting, but only if you’re doing it voluntarily.
The Outlander series of books is probably my all time favorite books. The time traveling romance of Claire and Jamie is absolutely the most romantic story I have ever read. Diane Gabaldon is a master.
If I could time travel, I wonder if I would find out it was commonplace for people to know more about how to make products like LoLo does. I’m so glad Lolo is making them available for us now.
I totally just ordered an almost everything and I can’t wait for it to arrive! Marly Bird, you’re so persuasive. If I could time travel, I would have done it earlier and applied a coupon code before it expired!!! 😀
Thanks for another great show. I enjoyed hearing about lo-Lo bars. I have VERY dry hands and nothing seems to work ever. I want to try out this product and see if it can save my hands. I would time travel with the wonderful scents that were talked about on the show, they always remind you of something! Thanks again!
I watched the movies and fell in love. Would like to time travel too, even if in my dreams!
I have LoLo lip balm and love it. Thank you for a wonderful product!
Time Travel would be a Great Adventure…I wish I could do it just once!!!
I would love to try the Lo-Lo products! They sound wonderful. I would time travel anywhere if I could try the products. Thanks for a great podcast and interview.
It would be so exciting to win Lo-Lo. I work time travel to get a good lotion for the dry climate in Wyoming!
I would like to time travel, meet Kismet’s grandmother, and learn her secrets. I love my lolobar andvjust ordered the knitmore girls special box
Any time I use Lo-Lo bars I feel like I time travel with my memories. I share Lo-Lo with as many people as I can!
Another wonderful podcast! Learning about Barmaids products was a treat. It was a bonus to learn that the Outlander series concerns time travel. I’ve heard tons of people talk about it, and some how that fact never came up.
Time travel would be a great adventure, especially if there was a handsome man like Jaimee at the other end of the journey. Outlander is one of my favorites as well, Marly Bird is correct, the audible version is great. My problem with the series is that I always want to keep going with the next book. ( as in reading until 3am to finish one book, and then starting the next) I enjoyed to Lord John series too.
I enjoyed hearing how the company started, and how the LoLo bars were named.
I would like to time travel back to Stitches Midwest this past summer. That is when I bought my first Lo-Lo bar with a summery scent. I would buy another one with a more wintery scent. I sure hope that Kismet will be coming to Stitches Midwest this summer!
If I could time-travel, I would take the time to learn to knit from my mom’s sister instead of discovering it as an adult. I’d love to have 40+ years experience instead of 3.
I’ve tried several other brands of lotion bars and Lo-Lo is my favorite. Thanks to Kismet for leaving corporate America and creating them.
I just got back from VKL. I listened to your podcast on my way home!!! I love Bar-maids!
Time travel!!! YES??
Time travel sure is hard to work into a comment! I can’t wait to try the bars, there are so many scents I want to sample. Enjoyed the podcast 🙂
Interesting podcast! I had never heard of lolo bars before but now I can’t wait to try them. I downloaded the Outlander book, was never really into time travel, but I keep hearing how awesome this book is.
I wish I could time travel right into using some LoLO bars, now! I have never tried them and they sound wonderful.
I have read all the Outander books this fall. I am sad that I am not able to watch it. I would love to have more LoLo product.
I’ve never tried a Lolo bar, but I’d love to! I’ve heard only the best thing about BarMaids!
Ok, I give! Guessed I’ll have to read thee Outlander series! Who knew that could also work it’s way into a product like Bar-Maids and LoLo!
Not sure if I missed the cutoff for this show’s giveaway. If so, maybe I could time-travel back and not miss out on the Outlander box. Shoot!
I would love to win these items, so I can take my lolo bars with me when I time travel!! Thank you!!
What a great show! If it wasn’t for the ability to technology allowing me to re-listen to the show, I would have to figure out time travel to listen again.
If I were time traveling to the 1700’s like Claire, I would want to make sure I took many LoLo bars!!!
Loved the podcast, love me some LoLo!!