Pardon My Stash

Jess wants to know what's in everybody's notion bags! First, there's an enamel pin check, and then Jess dumps their bag out to compare to what everyone else has. Jess and Tina realize they are the only ones with random yarn scraps in their bags. How many scissors does Tina have? Drea has a plethora of row counters. Meg has adorable bird stitch markers Drea gave her as a holiday gift recently. Tina may have an entire needle store in her bags. For some reason the cast keeps thinking of different ways to use their notions as impromptu weapons...

Tina says they have a lot to cover! First things first, a moment of silence for Joann's closing down - a U.S. based craft store retailer that has been in business for over 80 years. Don't worry, Meg's mom is buying her quilting fabric online now, so she's all good! Tina discusses the fake funny story how Michaels and Joann's were once a married couple, fought about what a craft store should be, and they got divorced and made their own stores. Jess reminisces about "cosplay" days to grab fabrics for different costumes. Drea mentions she is making out...

Welcome to Season 5! For 2025, Drea asks our fiber loving crew for updates from when we were gone during our annual break in January. Drea announces she has a "banger" for an episode, and starts a game of This or That. After being confused about the only rule of the game for a moment, Drea starts with easy questions like knit or purl, and progressively gets harder and harder for everyone to answer. Jess keeps their answers to what they don't hate just yet - keyword, yet! Tina goes brioche "all day every day". Drea considers enterlac for a hat...

It's that time of year again! Pardon My Stash likes to feature our bloopers from the past year as our final episode of the season. This year features the sound board misbehaving, perfectly timed accidental noises, distractions, as well as segments that didn't make it off the cutting floor. Tina takes you through each of the clips that she has saved throughout the year while editing the main podcast episodes.

As a reminder, we take a break in January from recording. Our next episode will post in February. We will see you after the break!

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Meg helps us get some experience points for our old lady level grinding. Tina starts out with something that happened that very evening before they started recording! Drea talks about her experience with her year-end work party. Meg has bursitis. Jess and their co-workers were talking about taxes. Then, they take a positive spin on the conversation and talk about awesome positives to getting older. Also, can someone PLEASE make brunch karaoke silent disco a thing? Yarn stores, this is your moment!

Find out more about the podcast as well as our cast Meg, Drea, Tina, and...

Tina starts this episode out talking about what grinds her gears. From cords coming undone from needles to test knits with unreasonable deadlines to patterns that say they are size inclusive but have a very limited view of what size inclusive means, the group talks about different things that get under their skin when it comes to the fiber arts.

We are proud to support the #SocksForSam initiative, a 501(3)(C) charity! Drea gives all the details on supporting a local CT student for his love for mismatched socks and to bring awareness to his terminal illness, Vanishing...

Drea leads the episode going over how New York Sheep & Wool in Rhinebeck, NY went for the cast. They discuss about the changes done to improve crowd flow and layout, as well as a general note to folks to be more mindful when walking around the festival for those using mobility devices. The meetup was a blast, and everyone talks about who they met and what stories really touched their hearts as well as the free swag they handed out! It was awesome to be able to meet everyone on a Saturday, but the conclusion was that the group...

Meg alarms Drea and Tina because they forgot it's time to head to Rhinebeck! It's a special year because the cast will be attending on SATURDAY instead of Sunday this year! Join Pardon My Stash at the Grassy Knoll near Gate 1 from 2:00pm to 2:30pm. It sounds like they might have some goodies to hand out, especially Drea and her shady sales (don't worry, nothing illegal!). Meg reminisces about NY Sheep and Wool and asks everyone what they are looking forward to. Tina is on a mission to find the perfect ivory wedding shawl for a beachy wedding for...

HAPPY 100 EPISODES! Jess prompts the cast to think about what we have gained from being on the podcast. From new found confidence in certain knitting or crochet techniques to finally feeling like editing an audio file is not voodoo magic, Meg, Drea, Tina, and Jess talk about the things they have learned along the way. Also, the 100th episode giveaway winners are announced!

We want to take the time to let our listeners know how humbled and honored we are to have you as a listener come visit us during our episodes to sit, relax, laugh, cry...

Tina leads the episode and all hell breaks loose. Literally! She starts our cast on a Choose Your Own Adventure type of journey where zombies have invaded the neighborhood, and all they have to support their survival through this arduous path is their crafting tools, notions, and yarns! The cast quickly want to establish environment parameters like it's Dungeons and Dragons, and Tina quickly comes up with rules and regulations. First thing, Jess forgets to take out the trash (again!), and zombies are coming up the street. Meg starts tying the door with yarn. Drea practices her stabbing techniques...

Drea leads the episode about taking the victory lap to the end - binding off your project when you're about to finish! She particularly likes two bind off styles, the traditional or the "old reliable" and a bind off she doesn't remember the name for, but creates a nice, finished look. Tina says her preferred bind off depends on the type of project she is working on, as each project has a bind off that makes more sense for what needs to be stretchy or taut. Drea talks about socks and the kitchener stitch. Meg prefers Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy...

Meg alerts everyone that the topic has gone missing. This week, the group admits that this past half-year of 2024 has been tough. They can't decide on what to talk about after feeling really exhausted getting through it all. Drea deals with chronic pain issues. Jess can't seem to tether down their ADHD. Tina talks about her ongoing battle with her mystery illness and the loss of her father at the beginning of July. Meg talks about knitting and its place in grief along with her experience losing her father. Compared to last year, Meg feels a bit lost on...

Jess starts this episode with letting us know about the Q&A section on our website for listeners to ask questions they may have for us to answer on our episodes. This leads into our topic about sweater construction. Jess brings up seamless sweaters, while Meg brings up comparisons with seamless and seamed sweaters. Drea provides her first cardigan story that ended up with a really heavily cabled sweater. Tina compares her experience with seamed and seamless sweaters. They chat about german short rows, raglan, and more!

Find out more about the podcast as well as our...

Tina takes the cast through a fun game of Would You Rather with questions related to the fiber arts and crafting in general. Shenanigans begin to ensue immediately. Drea may have found the only reason why she would use laceweight (but doubled up!). Meg wants the option of unlimited access to patterns over yarn. Nobody wants to teach people over learning a tough technique (even if they were paid!). There are many, many more scenarios the cast is put through. Don't forget to let us know about your choices either on Instagram or on our blog!

Find...

Drea leads the episode while the cast discuss different habits they have adopted since becoming a part of the fiber arts community. Tina has confessions. Jess has borbs. Drea has CROCHET blankets, not knit blankets. Meg has a sweater on a coworker she would love to take a picture of (and it's NOT creepy!).

Find out more about the podcast as well as our cast Meg, Drea, Tina, and Jess at our website pardonmystash.com. Leave us a comment on your thoughts on our episode blog posts, or through our social media accounts!

This episode...

Meg leads the episode with a quick segment regarding sponsorship for the podcast. Then, we dive into the main topic which is about expressing yourself and how you do so in your projects, creations, and ways you craft. Meg talks about how she knits often with blue colorways. Jess talks about their passion for dragons inside their crafting. Tina discusses how she doesn't keep most of her makes, and tends to create items for other people. Drea initially can't think a theme or trend that applies to her, but Tina suggests her love for texture. Drea reveals her history...

Jess leads the episode talking about different various sad times during their yarn experiences, starting with when the pins gave up on life on their older yarn swift, retiring dramatically, as put by Meg. Tina talks about the swift that Drea now has inherited, and how the yarn swift completely dropped off the table with the yarn skein, throwing the swift and yarn on the ground. Drea talks about a time that the umbrella holding piece in the middle needs a binder butterfly clip to hold it up, and it decided to not do its job anymore becoming a...

Tina leads the episode starting a discussion about the word verbiage inside the fiber arts community. The usage of "illness" words when describing our yarn collections in particular is the focus of the topic. First, they talk about their own personal feelings regarding these types of words, as well as if and when they can be problematic. Jess mentions their love for dragon "hoards", so it doesn't need to have a negative connotation. Tina mentions the type of hashtags she used in the beginning to go viral, and the popular usage of "yarn addict" or "yarn addiction". Drea and...

Drea leads the episode to talk about making pattern designs in terms of when it's inspiration or when it's blatant theft. Meg starts the discussion with what you might be able or not be able to copyright, considering stitches can be thousands of years old. Jess makes an analogy comparing piano keys & notes with stitches & designs. Tina makes comparisons and thoughts based on her own pattern designs, like the Seed Dot Beanie, how she put a copyright on her patterns as a copyright of the arrangement of the pattern itself, rather than the stitches themselves. Jess and Tina discuss...

Meg leads the episode discussing the journey of being a crafter - the beginning, the "aha!" moment, and where you plan to go with your passion for crafting. They begin with where they decided the fiber arts were for them; they remember their moment of realization that this is what they wanted to do. Drea discusses her kevlar Doctor Who scarf. Meg mentions that she finally let go of her sock yarn blanket. Drea tells Kevin to wear his battle bonnet. They also talk about leveling up and their next steps with crafting.

The cast also reminds...

Tina leads the episode to get deeper into the idea of process vs. product and what makes more sense for each of our cast members. Drea avoids doing things that people ask her to do. Meg talks about her version of a "no new projects on Friday". Jess determines it on a case by case basis, based on their interest in the project process itself, or the inate desire for the finished product. The queue shows us our immediate regrets, while Jess ignores it entirely. The four also mention different ways they feel motivated to get through specific projects...

Welcome back, Pardon My Stash! To kick off Season 4 (already?!), Jess leads the episode starting off quickly with talking about how their January time off went from the podcast. Jess brings up different types of superstitions that exist in the fiber arts, and the cast discusses these as well as different beliefs they have of their own. Between sweater curses, bad news Fridays, and more, Jess teaches everyone the different belief systems we have within our fiber arts community.

Find out more about the podcast and our membership program for more content from Meg, Drea, Tina, and...

Tina takes you on a journey through various clips from our 2023 Season 3 episodes. From Batman knitting to White Christmas, Drea wants you to know that she doesn't know! The bloopers this year are so good this year, that you would think we were making the blooper reel instead of the actual podcast. Tina goes over information about the upcoming new year makealong, as well as our membership program through our website for more exclusive episodes about non-fiber content. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

Drea hosts the episode wanting to talk about different cast ons and their uses in various projects. Tina mentions Twisted German, a version of long tail, while the others discuss different forms of long tail. Jess brings up the use of the cable cast on while comparing it to the crochet cast on for its similarities. Meg is a steadfast long tail fan. The cast goes over provisional, backwards loop, and so many others! Specific ones work best for specific projects, while others are options for multiple different kinds of projects. Find out more about this episode and the...

Meg leads the episode talking about different holiday craft fair experiences and what to expect as a customer and as a vendor, as well as tips and tricks to finding good items, supporting small businesses, and what to bring with you to have a good holiday craft fair experience. The cast discusses how to find different craft fairs in your area, and Drea mentions her grandparents vending with wood crafts. Tina tells you to go to the back of the fair first and work your way back. Meg mentions a couple items to bring along with you to make...

Jess leads the episode talking about commonly misunderstood terms such as ply vs. weight, etc. The others chime in about their experiences with other confusing terms and provide explanations for the differences between them. The cast also briefly mentions their experience at the NY Sheep and Wool festival at Rhinebeck this year, and how awesome it was to meet listeners of the podcast. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

Tina has a Yakkin' About Yarns segment regarding Hundred Ravens yarns based in New Hampshire, with a super interesting about page of their origins. The cast gets into their details about their annual Sunday trip at Rhinebeck's NY Sheep and Wool Festival 2023. Tina surprised the rest of the cast with black jackets with their sign on names on them. Pardon My Stash will be hosting a small meetup from 12pm to 12:30pm near Gate 1 on the grassy knoll area. They hope for a drop in temperature for a colder festival this year, and what they plan on wearing project-wise. Usually...

Drea leads the episode to discuss yarns that don't want to cooperate. Whether they disagree with the project you are making with it, or the yarn isn't speaking to you for which project works best with it, we try to figure out new ways to utilize these tough-to-decide yarns. The cast also discusses material differences as well as utilizing a different craft type in general as it may look better in a different style. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

Tina starts the second segment about her preference to buy patterns direct from a pattern designer rather than through third parties. She also brings up pattern designers, size inclusivity, and detailed pattern design in different sizing. Meg discusses her "living room", aka how her social media posts are about her life. Tina talks about different types of engagements she has on her social media account, while Meg brings up an instance that occurred to a blogger she follows. Please remember these are personal opinions and if you disagree, that's OK! Because the cast has a lot of different takes...

Meg leads the episode where the cast says "the quiet part out loud" and provides things that are "unpopular" opinions they might have individually regarding the craft. Drea, as predicted, thinks laceweight is BS. Meg and Tina rant about how overrated alpaca is, as well as any potential exceptions (spoiler alert: they also happen to be allergic to it). Meg mentions the overuse of merino in the wrong type of projects. Tina brings a news flash: it doesn't matter what yarn type you prefer, it's OK to prefer any type of yarn because that's why it's a preference. Drea lets...

This week, Jess hosts the episode where the cast discusses their current existing (or non-existent) commitments to their works in progress, or WIPs. Jess declares themselves a "switch hitter". Tina is apparently walking around with a "harem of WIPs". Drea discusses her differences with feelings about deadlines compared to Tina. Meg declares herself a "serial dater". Tina says Drea is "married and going to couple's therapy every week" because she's so dedicated to working on a single project at a time. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

For this episode, Tina hosts and the cast discuss Christmas in July! They discuss how to handle projects you want to get done for the upcoming fall/winter season for the northern hemisphere, whether it is a project you want to complete as a gift, something you want to wear during the colder weather, or items to sell at markets. They also mention what projects they themselves are planning for the upcoming season. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

The second part of this topic starts right back up where the last episode ended, where Tina gets into her cord stoppers and Jess discusses their needle wranglers that are great for double pointed needles (DPNs). Meg and Jess amaze Tina and Drea with the idea of using a pocket pharmacy for stitch markers, and the cast talk about how their preferences may or may not have changed in terms of needles and hooks. This turns into an ergonomics discussion regarding tools. Big box stores seem to only provide the most random needle and hook sizes, especially those massive ones...

This week, the cast dive back into everything but yarn to discuss what they recommend and like best. Part 1 discusses bags, bags, bags, and a nifty swiss army knife type of tool to keep for emergencies. None of the products mentioned are sponsoring our podcast in any capacity; we recommend these products personally. Due to recording quite a bit of content for this episode but wanting to keep the episodes around the 30 minute mark, we split the content into two separate episodes. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

On a more serious note, the cast dives into the current state of the crafting world, from many small businesses closing to the consumerist mindset to how fiber arts are regarded. Jess discusses the disconnect between the seller and consumer on how items are actually made. Tina wants someone to start a fiber arts crafting guild to join together and sell their wares. Meg talks about a time where designers were regarding each other as competitors and the idea of competition in the crafting world. Drea talks about how there's something for everybody because everyone brings their own unique. Find...

For this episode, the cast answers questions posed to our followers on our Instagram account through the Stories feature. Some of the questions include dealing with brioche, our "wet dreams" in the fiber arts (which gave us all a chuckle), projects you hate but love, and a few more. Join the cast down the question rabbit hole. Questions the cast felt could be an entire episode were omitted so they can dedicate an episode to it. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

Tina hosts the episode this week, with a segment about how to handle yarn substitution as well as things to try to help you find a suitable yarn to replace what your pattern calls for. They remain on the topic of yarn and talk about planned or impromptu yarn buying breaks, where you end up not buying yarn for a significant amount of time. Tina talks about how in September, she will have met her goal for not buying yarn for an entire year, and how that went. Drea tells the cast about how she has cut down her...

Drea leads the episode and needs to vent - she's very focused on a different craft other than fiber arts, and she doesn't know what to do! The group discusses how hyperfixations affect them in different ways, and the different ways they work with or around their impulses. Tina talks about an app she uses to keep her on task. Jess describes how their hyperfixations are staggered and they cycle through them, including rivals that don't know they are Jess' rival. Pokemon game anyone? Everyone chimes in about smaller, short activities that help clear your brain for more activities...

Meg leads the episode and lets the cast know about the latest news regarding the Stitches events. The topic dives into the opposite of last week, where you realize a project isn't working, where to go for help, and what to do when you figure out something isn't working for you. Drea has a hard time breaking her monogamous knitting where Tina has the attention span of a goldfish. Jess talks about the "doom feeling". Meg gets into what's a good fallback pattern, or "old reliable". Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.

Jess leads this week's episode talking about when and how to take the next step in your knitting or crochet. Whether it's learning to purl or steeking, everyone's journey is their own! The cast discusses the pressure of making certain projects to be deemed "real crafters". Each cast member talks about how they take next steps or learn new skills with knitting or crochet, and crafting in general. Find out more about this episode and the cast at pardonmystash.com.