Ep 154: A Return to Community

After a short hiatus, Knit A Spell returns with a brand new season centered on one essential question: With fewer places to gather in person and shifting online spaces… how do we find each other now?

In this opening episode, Katie sets the stage for a season focused on community — what it really means, why it’s been harder to access, and how we begin rebuilding it in a changing fiber arts landscape.

Drawing from her nearly two decades in the knitting industry, including her time as Creative Director at Skacel Collection, Katie shares insight into the major shifts affecting the fiber world today — from local yarn shop closures to the impact of private equity and large-scale marketplaces on once community-driven brands.

This season, she takes you on location to experience community in real time at the Fiber Witch Festival in Salem, Massachusetts, bringing you along for conversations, spontaneous moments, and the magic of gathering together again.
---
What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Why connection feels different right now
• The disappearance of traditional crafting spaces
• How the yarn industry is shifting behind the scenes
• Why community doesn’t “just happen” anymore
• What to expect from this new, immersive season format
• How to prepare and get excited for the festival
• An invitation to reconnect with your own creative community
---
Get Ready for the Season!

Want to get hyped before we arrive in Salem? Check out these episodes from last season!
Interviews with festival coordinators Ana Campos & Emily O’Brien:
• Ana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSXw8TsS0AU
• Emily: https://youtu.be/h3hQaIIsEWg

Vendor spotlight with Ro of Home Row Handcraft:
https://youtu.be/Mx7A8RTuB_0

These will give you deeper insight into the heart of the Fiber Witch Festival and the people behind it!
---
Join Me at the Fiber Witch Festival
April 25–26 | Salem, Massachusetts
http://fiberwitchfestival.com
Come say hi if you see me! I’d love to meet you, take a photo, and gift you a Knit A Spell sticker.
Let me know in the comments if you’ll be there!!
---
Explore & Support
Browse my knitting patterns on Ravelry:
https://www.ravelry.com/designers/light-from-lantern

Subscribe to the Knit A Spell YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/LightFromLantern?sub_confirmation=1

---
Join the Knit A Spell Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/knitaspell

Learn more about the Fiber Witch Festival:
https://fiberwitchfestival.com

Transcript

Episode 1: Return to Community

SPEAKER_00 0:19

It's interesting how connected we can feel right now. Well, actually, not being very connected at all. We can see everything. We can hear everyone. We can scroll through entire libraries of patterns, illustrations, inspirations, seemingly at any time we want, right in the palm of our hands. And still feel like we're making alone. And a lot of us are. But there's a difference between witnessing something and being a part of it. And I think a lot of us have been noticing this difference lately. So the question I keep coming back to is: with fewer and fewer places to gather in person, and even our online space is becoming less reliable, how do we actually find each other again? Welcome back to Knitispel. I'm your host and magical maker, Katie Rampey. I had to step back from the podcast for a brief hiatus, and actually, that hiatus is sort of the reason that I came back. And oh boy, did I find the perfect excuse to bring you along with me. What am I talking about? Well, let's discuss what this season is all about. And in case you haven't figured that out, the topic is community. Not as some abstract buzzword, but what it actually looks like for us crafters and magical makers, what it feels like, how it forms, and why it's been harder to find these gatherings. The truth is, a lot of the spaces that used to hold these types of connection are disappearing. Local yarn shops are closing, there's fewer free places to gather, and there's fewer people available to teach and pass on the skills. We all want someone to sit next to us as we're learning something to help us with our mistakes and to cheer us on, all in real time, in the flesh. Some of this shift started during the pandemic, but it didn't end there. We're also watching the industry itself change. In case you don't know, I used to work as the creative director at Schasel Collection. You might know them as the company that sells Addy Needles through North America. I was their creative director for five years, so I know something about how the industry was, how it is changing now. I have some insights that perhaps not everyone has, and I'm gonna share those with you. Based on all my time in the industry, this seems like the biggest shift that I've been through so far. Why? Well, because large corporations, private equity, and mass marketplaces like Amazon, they've shaped how we buy, how we connect, and who survives. Companies that used to feel personal, that built their reputation on trust and community, they're being bought, scaled, and consolidated into large portfolios. For example, Local Crafts Group, owned by Blue Point Capital Partners, now includes companies like Jimmy Beans Wool, Baroco Yarn, Knitpicks, Crochet.com, and others that were previously independent. Another's SpinRite, which produces widely known budget-friendly brands like Burnett, Pattons, Karen, and Lily, have also gone through private equity ownership. And let's not forget about Lovecrafts, backed by venture funding, acquired webs, also known as yarn.com. And while this kind of consolidation isn't new, the impact is noticeable within our small industry. We've all seen it before. When companies scale in this way, the focus shifts, the experience changes. That sense of personality, of care fades. So if those spaces are shrinking, if the old ways of finding each other aren't working like they used to, then the real question becomes how do we find each other now? Well, that's exactly what this season is exploring. This entire season is centered around one place. And it's not this bedroom for once. It's the Fiber Witch Festival in Salem, Massachusetts. And it begins next week. This is a gathering of fiber artists, makers, and magical practitioners, all coming together in one physical space. And instead of just telling you about it after the fact, you're coming along with me. This season is built around being there, walking through it, talking to people in real time, maybe you, watcher or listener, capturing the energy of what it actually feels to gather like this. You'll hear conversations with organizers, vendors, attendees, moments that are planned, moments that aren't planned. All the fun little interactions that comes with an in-person experience you get to experience with me. And if you're already feeling that pull and you're ready to get psyched up between now and the first day of the festival, there are a few ways that you can prep right now. First of all, go back and watch our amazing interviews with the event coordinators from last year, Anna and Emily. I interviewed them both separately. They were both so interesting. You might remember what happened after I interviewed Anna right afterwards. That might be part of the reason I chose not to talk to her too early before this round. Not that I think I'm so powerful, but if you know, you know. And if you don't, you can watch that episode, then you'll know. I'll also be talking with vendors like our previous interview from Roe from Home Row Handcraft, who I know is gonna have some really amazing bags and items there. I'm very excited to see her new prints. Those are all interview style episodes. This season is going to feel a little different. Yes, we'll still be interviewing people, but there will also be real-time reflections, live on-the-ground conversations, and pieces of the experience that unfold in real time. You'll hear the lead up, we'll arrive together, we'll hit the ball, we're gonna shop the marketplace, we're gonna visit Circle of Stitches and Toil of Trouble, we're gonna go all around Salem to see what all the fiber magic happenings are. If you have any tips, drop them down quick, I'll add them to the list. You'll hear what happens when people gather together in the same space with a shared language, even if they've never met before. And you too will hear what it feels like to be inside something like that. If you've ever felt like you're making in a vacuum, if you've ever wanted to feel more connected with people who understand what you do, this is an invitation. I hope you'll notice what resonates, because maybe that's something you should lean into more. There are so many other people who I haven't even met yet who are gonna be part of this season, and you're part of it too. Because maybe finding each other again isn't about waiting for the perfect space to exist. Maybe it's about showing up when it does. So wherever you are right now, whatever you're making, whoever you are, join me this season as we explore what it means to gather, to share space, to create alongside each other again. Not just as individuals, but as a community. If you plan on attending the Fiber Witch Festival April 25th and 6th, please drop me a comment. I would love to meet up with you, give you a Nitaspel sticker, take a photo, talk about your favorite episode. Come on, let's geek out together. So if you see me on the scene, don't be afraid to interrupt me to say hello. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you'll like and subscribe if you're interested in following along. It's also a great way to support the show for$0. Also consider joining the Knittaspel Patreon, which is BackBibby! Thanks so much for joining me for this brand new episode. And if you plan on attending this year's Fibert Witch Festival, please drop me a comment. Maybe we can meet up. Certainly, you can get a Nitaspel sticker. And for everyone watching at home that won't be able to attend, I hope you'll use this as your sign to find your local community. And if you don't have one, make one. Thanks so much for watching. See you in the next episode when we arrive at the Fiber Witch Festival. Merry Make. Thanks for tuning in. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a friend, leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify, and supporting us on Patreon to enjoy exclusive content. You can also subscribe to the Light from Lantern YouTube channel to receive a notification whenever a new episode of Ninispel is released. And as always, I'd love to hear your feedback on this episode, so be sure to leave a comment on YouTube or on Patreon. See you next week!