James Divine: Happy birthday, Katie.
Katie Rempe: Happy birthday, Jim.
James Divine: Knit A Spell is two years old.
Katie Rempe: We're going into our third season of the show and I can't even believe it.
James Divine: This is like an L T R A
Katie Rempe: what?
James Divine: a long-term relationship.
Katie Rempe: Oh my God. You're like totally right.
James Divine: I like how you're an old lady in a millennial's body.
Katie Rempe: Tell me something I don't know. I've heard that my whole life.
James Divine: Maybe that's a millennial trait. Is this irony within youth. I just love it. Because we relate so well.
Katie Rempe: Everyone's my contemporary except for anyone younger than me. Yeah.
James Divine: At Anachronisms R Us.
James Divine: That's right.
Light From Lantern presents: Knit A Spell.
I'm magical maker: Katie Rempe.
And I'm the maker of magic: James Divine.
Join us as we stitch together the symbiotic relationship between crafting and 'The Craft'.
James Divine: I am so thrilled to be in this podcast for two years, except for maybe one or two exceptions. Every single week we have been bringing you Knit A Spell.
Katie Rempe: Some of those weeks were extenuating circumstances from full on natural disasters.
James Divine: Like a hurricane?
Katie Rempe: Like a hurricane.
Katie Rempe: So we thought in this episode, We would have a celebration of our birthday, a little reflection on our past and a little teaser on what's to come.
James Divine: One of the things that I think we don't do enough of in life is reflection, and that's what I'm hoping to do on this episode.
Katie Rempe: Let's do it together.
Katie Rempe: So it's two. We're toddling around, we're chewing on terrible stuff.
James Divine: Yeah. The terrible twos, walking around, breaking stuff,
Katie Rempe: learning the world. How does this thing work? You only learn by messing it up just
Katie Rempe: like you're knitting. need.
James Divine: Yeah. We need to like toddler proof the interwebs because our podcast is coming to break it.
Katie Rempe: Ooh, this is our year of breaking stuff. Ooh. Yeah. Join us as we record every episode from the wreck room or whatever they're called. What were they called?
James Divine: Oh yeah. With the wreck room spelled with the w.
Katie Rempe: Yeah, that's it. Yes. The break breakup room or whatever.
James Divine: Oh, the rage room.
Katie Rempe: Rage room. That was it. Yeah. I like the rec room. I feel like that's a missed opportunity. Maybe that's out there already.
James Divine: Maybe we need to open a wreck room with a w.
Katie Rempe: TM guys, we already have that. Yes.
Katie Rempe: Copyright idea.
James Divine: Don't mess with our ideas. How dare you?
Katie Rempe: So Jim, one thing that I wanna say is that, These past two years, I would not have a podcast without you. And I'm sure I've said this before, but you were the idea behind this.
Katie Rempe: You have been like the energizing force into keeping us going and you've offered me the accountability that actually keeps this happening every week. So truly, when I say I couldn't have done this without you, I fully mean it. And the fact you've helped me, expand my magical horizons too, is just a bonus on top of spending time with you.
James Divine: Gosh, Katie, that is so sweet. it's so funny because, they say do what you love and you'll feel you're not working at all. That's what it really feels like to me. I'm like, I feel like I'm not doing hardly anything, but it's because I am doing and I love it. It's so much fun to meet with you every week, twice a week on our planning meetings and our recording sessions, and just have fun and bring up ideas.
James Divine: And call people, send emails to all the many people that I know in the magical community and learn about knitting and, crafting and the different things.
James Divine: It's so fascinating to collaborate and have ideas with you and just our friendship has been phenomenal to meet somebody who is I don't know.
James Divine: So Cool. And that we get along so well. I think that's what's so fantastic.
Katie Rempe: Yes. It was an immediate connection that over time has just proven to be even stronger. So clearly we're onto something.
James Divine: From that fateful dm. Getting back to like how we started, if you are a newer listener and you don't know our origin story, this is the funniest thing that I think we should reground on.
James Divine: Here I am @DivineHandJim on Instagram and I have, a decent amount of followers and I'm just plugging along. As you do when you have, a few thousand followers, you get occasional direct messages, people wanting free readings or just random stuff.
James Divine: And sure enough, here's another random, DM request from someone that I'm not following, which is something to the effect of, have you ever thought about people's hands and their hand position when they're knitting? And why the heck would I ever do that?
James Divine: There's no reason. I have never posted anything about knitting or anything like that on my site necessarily. Although maybe I had once posted something about my boyfriend Michael knitting me a cloak.
James Divine: Is that why you sent that to me or had you not seen that?
Katie Rempe: No, I had no idea. I was In Florida visiting my folks, and I was just scrolling on Instagram in the discovery section as you do, because the algorithms start to change once you're looking at different stuff. So I was looking up magic things.
Katie Rempe: How are they relating to knitting? Somehow your account showed up, you were maybe doing a live feed or stream or something and I thought, oh, okay, Palmist. I guess we'll see how legit this person is, and you were so charming and charismatic and so comfortable with the material and I was like, oh, his viewpoints on this makes me wonder, if I'm holding my knitting needles a certain way, or I have the yarn that I'm holding over here, or if I'm left-handed versus right-handed, does that mean anything? And would people find this interesting? I don't know. Maybe this guy will find it interesting or perhaps he'll think I'm totally crazy and I will never hear a reply.
Katie Rempe: I guess I'll just try reaching out and see, and that's what happened.
James Divine: So you sent a DM and I read the dm. I could have just been like, what the heck? And delete. But no, because at that time, when I would sit down in the living room, to my right side is Michael, who is sitting there knitting. And to my left side, Richard, who is sitting there crocheting, and here I am in the middle.
James Divine: Flipping on my phone and just doom scrolling with my thumb . Isn't there a song Knitting to the Right of me? Crochet to my left. Here I am stuck. Doom.
Katie Rempe: Scrolling here on my phone. Yeah, something like that. That's it.
James Divine: Yeah. Something like that. And it was just so relevant because Michael had just finished this gorgeous.
James Divine: He calls it a boy cozy, but cloak in green and purple that he had, over two years, hand spun, dyed, applied knitted for me with a long, purple hood, gorgeous piece. Richard was crocheting cuz he had seen Michael knitting and wanted to do something. And I was actually fascinated by this question because it was something intelligent and not Hey, handsome or
Katie Rempe: Hey Gem, do you want a free reading?
James Divine: We can get you the top of Instagram with our FivePoint program or whatever other beats you might get.
James Divine: So when you got the reply back from,
Katie Rempe: I was first of all, ecstatic to get any reply, let alone one that was like, this is such an interesting question.
Katie Rempe: I never thought about it, but I'm literally surrounded by crafters in my own home and now I'm curious to learn more. Let's talk about it. And we ended up having a couple of Zoom conversations just to chat.
Katie Rempe: And then at one point you said, this would be such an excellent content for a podcast.
Katie Rempe: Yeah. Which I said, Okay, I don't know how to make a podcast. My brother figured it out. I have a resource. Let's give it a shot. Two years later. Here we are. , finish each other's sentence. It's so cute.
James Divine: In that same period of time, I thought, gosh, maybe she lives in Ohio or Florida, right?
James Divine: No. You live what, 45, 50 minutes away from me?
Katie Rempe: Yeah, very close. We're basically in the same city. Certainly within the same state. What the heck odds? Fate had it written in the stars.
James Divine: So all month is gonna be our birthday celebration? Yes.
Katie Rempe: So our schedule up ahead will be celebrating our birthday all month long today. Obviously, we're talking here one-on-one, but we're gonna have awesome best of clips from our favorite episodes from our guests. So be sure to tune in and if you want to. We'd also really love to hear your feedback.
Katie Rempe: If you wanna share some of your favorite moments that you've had just while listening, whether it's from this past year or any time, we would always. Love to hear from you. Please send us an email at [email protected] or you can visit knitaspell.com and send it through our contact form at the bottom.
Katie Rempe: Either way, we would love to hear from you.
James Divine: Best of episodes are so much fun. I always love that cuz you get a little snippet of whatever we think is some of the best moments. Gosh, I'm immediately thinking about several off the top of my head, but you're gonna have to wait until the best of episode to hear some of those.
James Divine: And we also have some of the best interactions with some of our listeners. Writing in or sending us videos or other interactions. Those have made such a big difference for us.
James Divine: Here we are podcasting out into, the ether, and when we get an email back from you or a form back from you on how the podcast has helped you or transformed you, there is nothing better.
Katie Rempe: Yes, and if we get enough feedback from viewers, we may consider, and we've talked about this before, adding maybe like a viewer mail segment, like a q and a kind of thing.
Katie Rempe: So let us know if that's something you'd be interested in too, and we will consider it. Jim, you want me
James Divine: take a.
Katie Rempe: Yes, let's take a quick break and when we come back, we will finish up this first amazing episode of season three.
Katie Rempe: We'll be right back.
Katie Rempe: Hey Knit A Spell fans. Thanks for tuning into this week's episode.
Katie Rempe: If you're enjoying the show, consider joining us on Patreon!
Katie Rempe: Jim and I post weekly commentaries on our episodes.
Katie Rempe: Host monthly polls.
Katie Rempe: Share behind the scenes footage and outtakes.
Katie Rempe: All while supporting one of your favorite podcasts.
Katie Rempe: To learn more and sign up, visit patreon.com/lightfromlantern.
Katie Rempe: While you're there, you can also explore my new tier: Coven of Knitters. A perfect place for knitters who are interested in broadening the way that knitting and magic can be combined.
Katie Rempe: Join the Knit A Spell Patreon for just $13 a month. Or my Coven Knitters tier for $21 a month.
Katie Rempe: Can't decide? Don't!
Katie Rempe: Subscribe to our Super-fan Combo level and gain access to both tiers at a discount.
Katie Rempe: You can learn more about all of our Patreon offering at Patreon.com/LightFromLantern.
Katie Rempe: Jim, and I hope to see you there!
Katie Rempe: If you're curious about palm reading, all you have to do is turn to our maker of magic: James Divine.
Katie Rempe: Jim offers Palm readings, tarot readings, and coaching packages all through his website, thedivinehand.com.
Katie Rempe: I just completed Jim's Intro to Palmistry class, and I was astounded at how much I learned in just four days.
Katie Rempe: As a knitter, I was immediately inspired by how different ways that you might hold the yarn or your knitting needles correspond with where that hits on our palms and what that might be saying about us.
Katie Rempe: Jim's class is helping me to code this. And in the process, making me very comfortable with his method of palm reading: The Divine Hand Method.
Katie Rempe: I can't recommend taking a class or getting a reading from Jim enough.
Katie Rempe: Keep up to date with all he has going on by signing up for his newsletter thedivinehand.com, and by following him on Instagram @DivineHandJim.
Katie Rempe: We are back.
Katie Rempe: Jim, you alluded to this question earlier, but now I'm gonna surprise it on you instead.
Katie Rempe: Think back to these past year, these even these past two years, what are some things that stand out for you personally?
James Divine: I was ready to ask the question and now I'm
Katie Rempe: not answering .
James Divine: When I think about the things that stand out, how being a podcast host has changed me.
James Divine: I think about the valuable feedback we got from your brother. That has changed me and I think it's improved me in many ways as a speaker, as a teacher.
James Divine: I really appreciate that there are people who care about you, who love you enough, and who care about the podcast and care about me enough that he gave us really good and constructive criticism to say, Hey, notice that you're doing this vocal inflection. You could improve in this area.
James Divine: If I had a fragile ego, I could be offended or, take it personally. And I'm glad I don't because all I want is from people who are actually in the arena as bene Brown says people who are actually podcasting to give me some of that feedback.
James Divine: Those are really great things that I look back, that have changed me and helped me improve. I really appreciate that so much.
James Divine: And I appreciate those things that we have learned together as we've stumbled and discovered things.
Katie Rempe: Yeah. For me, this has been an extremely humbling experience, as I dive into a realm, I know nothing about. Two years later I can reflect back and say, compared to the one version of me that had absolutely no idea what to do or what I was doing, now I feel expert in comparison to that, even though I know, the mountain ahead is still vast if I want it to be.
Katie Rempe: And if you remember to stop and look back, you can see how far you've come and that's why the power you're doing this episode. Yeah.
James Divine: The power of reflection. Yes.
Katie Rempe: It removes your helpless, chaotic feelings to help you figure out a game plan again.
James Divine: Katie, what's one of the things you've learned about yourself as a person, as a practitioner, as a knitter, as a result of the podcast?
Katie Rempe: I would say definitely my magical awareness, I'm gonna say, has expanded, and I say awareness because what I've really noticed is that learning more about all of these topics that we've covered has helped me realize the magical things I was already doing. That were normal to me and so they weren't special.
Katie Rempe: And then I read a book from, Cat and it's oh, her psychic skill thing that she just wrote out. I do that and I didn't even realize that I was doing that or what that even was.
Katie Rempe: And so for me, having a growing awareness of the magical things that I'm already doing has been very empowering because now I can put that even more into my knitting and my making, which is the whole point of this.
James Divine: What about you? I love that. The day you came over, we recorded the whole thing about Katie learns magic. Yes. Which was right after Jim learns knitting. Yeah, that's right. And when we did a candle magic spell with Madame Pamita's Candles and materials and you were just so curious and super into it and that was just such a fun craft project.
James Divine: And just like me learning, knitting and showing you my swatches and being like, it's messed up. And you're like, it's the karma of it. Just do it. That's how it is. That's right. It's so much fun and the creativity is there.
James Divine: So I love this is a way both to teach and for you to learn and to support. That has been really fun.
Katie Rempe: What about you, Jim?
James Divine: I think that one of the biggest things I've learned about myself is, as an Aries , I don't always have the sticktuitiveness, start something and then get bored of it.
James Divine: And this has been something that has been durable for two years and gosh, I'm still into it. I still love my friendship with you. I still love the podcast. I'm still on board.
James Divine: I love how we keep peeling back the layers in our own discovery of what it means to serve the listenership and who we are serving and how we are bringing the magic to the masses.
James Divine: Those are things that continue to fascinate and to inspire me and for me personally. It helps me with my own business endeavors. It helps me learn about my own blind spots and where I need to open up my eyes and see things differently. I think also on a personal level, it's, how my own artistic expression can.
James Divine: influenced by magic and that the living a magical lifestyle is everything we do. And it's a reminder that, knitting is magic. It can be magic. That my every day activities. Can be magic that parking the car can be magical.
James Divine: So this is one of the things that's so inspiring to me is have knitting, be a meditation, have knitting be not something that I have to do or that I must do, but that this is an inspirational moment of zen and meditation and magic.
James Divine: Yes. So I think that's a big realization in learning.
Katie Rempe: That is such a great key. The fact that you are keyed into that before you're even like really a quote, a knitter. I guess you were a maker already. So you have that awareness, but to not have it be so precious. To have fun with it. And remember, we don't have to knit.
Katie Rempe: We are super lucky that we are in like whatever. Messed up industrial age that this is, that we can get a sweater, maybe even handmade for like dollars.
Katie Rempe: Even for me, infusing this, these magical aspects into knitting has helped me be excited about knitting again. Because it can be, like anything you quote, become expert or enough where a lot of the mystery is taken out or the discovery period isn't there as it used to be.
Katie Rempe: And so if you aren't actively looking for different ways to mix it up, it can be a little bland.
Katie Rempe: But then you take a class from one James Divine, that's Intro to Palmistry, and suddenly you're looking at your hands like, wait a minute, I'm casting on the yarn with my Mars Venus finger, my will thumb, and my leadership finger.
Katie Rempe: Like of course, those would be the ones that I'm starting a project with. And what does that mean for me as a knitter and how I'm holding the yarn?
Katie Rempe: So again, suddenly something as mundane just casting on a project, which honestly is sometimes my least favorite part of starting a project, cuz of all the counting is exciting again. Maybe all these numbers that I have to count, I'll count 'em in increments of six because that's a magic number.
James Divine: So did knitting. I mean you were doing knitting for a career. Mm-hmm. Pretty much it was your whole world. Do you feel like you had gotten a little burnt out on the knitting world with dealing with the marketers and the shysters and the whole industry? Were you approaching that a little bit.
Katie Rempe: Oh yeah. I have had the lucky vantage point of having pretty much like the entire experience that you could have being a knitter.
Katie Rempe: I've worked on the retail side. I've been a customer. I know how to do the design work. I've made the yarn, like I know all about the blending, I've done the wholesale side. Bought the stuff from the mills. I've designed it from through the mills.
Katie Rempe: So I've been involved in a lot of areas and when you get more involved in the business aspect , you end up doing less of the hobby or like that initial thing.
Katie Rempe: I was the creative director at Skacel but I was like not doing any knitting. I would knit together like swatches and stuff to test things and get information that way, but I would like never go to a yarn store after work, be like, dang, let's do more knitting.
Katie Rempe: Cuz I was just burnt out it Last thing you wanted doing all the things. Yeah.
Katie Rempe: So this has been a great way to find myself in it again, I can refocus on just being knitting designer teacher.
Katie Rempe: And not have to also be the person making the yarn and marketing the yarn and selling the yarn and helping ship the yarn and pack the yarn and all that stuff. It can be more focused.
James Divine: And you can bring your own magic to it.
Katie Rempe: Yeah. And I was trying to fit my perspective into a brand that it didn't fit into.
Katie Rempe: I think it's been worth it and hopefully our listeners have enjoyed the ride too.
James Divine: The value of reflecting on the podcast is to see how far we've come and to celebrate our successes to learn from the things that you know, we could do better.
James Divine: When you think about knitting a knitting project, looking at the past projects from the beginning, it's hard for me to look at the swatches that I have sitting in my knitting bag because I, it's hard for me not to just look at how awful they are.
James Divine: How do I look at that knitting and reflection, and what magic can I bring to that? Why is it that you can look at my swatches and you have a different perspective on them?
Katie Rempe: I think uh, removing the personal aspect to it is super helpful. So it's easier for me to look at your work and not take it personally cuz it's not my. Just like it's easier to read someone else than your own self.
Katie Rempe: Yeah. But I think the fact that we are not really taught to reflect. Or the value of stopping to look back. And that's often not seen as doing the work as we are often told by our business coach. If you're always striving to be better, you're never gonna get there.
Katie Rempe: The real joy is looking back to see how far you've come. You can do this in literally anything that you've gone from knowing nothing to, to anything about, and it will impress you if you just take the time to look back.
James Divine: Beautiful.
Katie Rempe: And also what is perfect? To me and to you, it's totally different. I think I've said this before, there's a quote out there and I know like in particular I've heard the Amish folk talk about it where it's, nothing is perfect except God. And so even in all like the handmade quilts and things, there are purposefully made mistake.
Katie Rempe: And so pressure's already off at that point. And if you can't handle knowing it's there or not, go to your fix it or frog it coin and then, face what that says on how you're feeling afterwards. .
James Divine: Yeah. And maybe that is perfection.
James Divine: We are perfect just as we are. that piece is perfect, just as it is. It's the karma of the piece, maybe. Yeah. I love that.
James Divine: You have a new puppy named Poppy. Yes. Do you look at that little puppy and say, Your little heart shaped nose is a little uneven.
James Divine: I'm. Do you look at Poppy's little brown spots and say, I don't know if I really like the position of your spots. You're ugly .
Katie Rempe: I would never say that. Yes. But
James Divine: is about the cutest puppy you've ever seen. I hope you all follow this dog on Instagram.
James Divine: The dog's Instagram is, Poppy Rocket. Yeah, poppy rocket. You have to follow this Instagram. It's the cutest dang dog ever.
Katie Rempe: Oh my gosh. Yeah, she's cute. I guess, and you're right. The fact that she's so cute is because she has little imperfections. She has like a little white spot on her nose here that makes her look like she has a little nose ring.
Katie Rempe: And we were like, Hey, it's the nose ring. She's got one like wonky eye. We love her wonky eye.
Katie Rempe: People love mistakes and we've often reflected on this too, people love to watch other people fail, but not necessarily always in a haha kind of way in a oh, you're human kind of way.
Katie Rempe: You're more relatable all of a sudden.
James Divine: You've said that so many times with this podcast where you will sometimes not edit as viciously as I would edit. I'm sometimes like, Katie, take out that, and you're like, no. People love it when we screw up. And I'm like, no, Katie, edit that out.
James Divine: You're like, eh.
Katie Rempe: No, we're not perfect. We don't know everything!
James Divine: It's because Katie is really about it's how you are Jim.
James Divine: We're
Katie Rempe: human. That's the reason I love you is because you're perfectly you and I don't wanna change you.
Katie Rempe: It's just embracing what you have to work with,
James Divine: and I love it.
Katie Rempe: If you remember Knittings fun or it should be fun, then that's where the magic begins.
James Divine: It's knitting. Knitting is life. So if you screw up your knitting, you might as well just, I'm just kidding.
Katie Rempe: Yeah, you can't possibly just tear it out and start
James Divine: again. It's
James Divine: just knit.
Katie Rempe: It's just dead fiber off of an animal. It's fine. Yeah, I know. Ooh, cute. It's
James Divine: very goth of you.
James Divine: Can't I knit like leather strips together?
Katie Rempe: Suddenly have an idea. Leather strips, although it's not comfortable cuz there's not a lot of stretch.
James Divine: Suddenly have an idea for a horror film, but that's another story. Okay.
Katie Rempe: Leather knitter.
Katie Rempe: Follow our Patreon for knitting horror movie script.
James Divine: I can't wait until next week and all month where we talk all about our favorite episodes and celebrating Knit A Spell birthday woo, all of April. Thank you everyone for being with us these two years and for the wealth of podcast episodes that you have to pick from and to listen to from our archives.
James Divine: So stick with us all month and enjoy. And Katie, I will see you next week.
Katie Rempe: See you then, Jim. Bye everybody. Bye.
Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a friend, leaving a review on iTunes and Spotify or following Knit A Spell on Instagram.
You can also subscribe to the Light From Lantern YouTube channel to enjoy full episodes of Knit A Sepll and see our happy faces.
You can also learn more about readings, classes, and events going on with your favorite Maker of Magic James Divine by visiting thedivinehand.com and subscribing to his newsletter. Then follow Jim's fun and interactive Instagram account @DivineHandJim.
Keep up with Katie the Magical Maker by subscribing to her newsletter at lightfromlantern.com.
You'll receive a free knitting pattern as a thank you gift, then follow Katie on Instagram @LightFromLantern for even more magical making tips.
See you next week. Next week.
