Ep 145: Creating & Adapting
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Katie: [00:00:00] Welcome to a brand new season of Knittispel. I'm your host, Katie Rempe, and I'm so excited to be back with you for another season.
If you're a returning listener, thank you. I've missed you. And if you're brand new to the podcast, hello and welcome. I hope you enjoy my cozy little corner where fiber arts meets magic.
Every season of Knit a Spell explores a different theme that connects creativity, intuition, and the power of making.
In this season, we're diving into something that affects every single one of us. Adaptation.
Whether in our craft, our magical practice, or our everyday lives, the ability to adapt is what allows us to grow, pivot, and thrive when things aren't going exactly as planned.
And let's face it, when do things ever go exactly as planned?
Today's episode is just you and me.
I'm going to tell you a little bit about what's been going on since last season because there's been a lot of opportunities to adapt between then and now.
I also want to introduce a brand new segment that I'll be including in every [00:01:00] guest interview of this season, five foundational questions that will give us insight on how different makers and magical folks navigate change.
So grab your current whip, get something to sip, and let's dive into it.
Light from Lantern presents Knit a Spell. I'm your host, Katie Rempe, designer, knit witch, and your companion in this magical making podcast. Together, let's explore the enchanted world where knitting meets the magic of the craft.
So why adaptation? Why did I choose this to focus on this season? Well, in case you haven't heard, I moved! I packed up my life in Seattle and relocated to Florida, which as you can imagine, has been a massive shift.
And when I say massive shift, I mean like in every way, climate, [00:02:00] community, routines, even the way I interact with my craft.
Because knitting a wooly garment in a humid, subtropical climate requires a little bit of rethinking.
This move is really what got me thinking about adapting as a whole.
How we, as makers, constantly have to adjust.
Whether it's modifying a pattern,
working with new materials, or reimagining what creativity looks like when life throws us a curveball, the ability to adapt is at the core of everything we do.
And that doesn't just apply to making, it applies to magic too.
How often do we have to shift our mindset, adjust our practices, or embrace a new perspective to make room for growth? Spoiler alert, all the time.
And that's why for this season, I wanted to explore adaptation, not just from a survival skill, but as an act of magic.
Because when we learn to adapt with intention, we open up ourselves to new [00:03:00] possibilities, unexpected blessings, and even greater creative freedom than we might have originally anticipated.
5 Questions
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Katie: As I mentioned in the introduction, something new I'm doing this season is including five foundational questions for every guest to answer and reflect on.
These questions are all about how adapting plays a role in their life, their work, and their creative process.
I wanted a way to connect all of our conversations back to the bigger theme of this season, while also giving different perspectives on what it means to embrace change.
And since I'm going to be asking every guest these questions, I figured, why not start the ball rolling by answering them myself?
That way, you get to hear my take before we dive into all of the amazing guests that I have lined up for this season. And let me tell you, I have some fabulous people coming on. Some familiar faces, some brand new, all wonderful.
And so without any further ado, let's jump into our five questions.
These are great opportunities for [00:04:00] you also to reflect on what your answers might be, by the way.
Q1
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Katie: Question #1: Does adapting come easily to you?
If you've been a long time listener or watcher of this podcast, you probably have a notion that I am a big planner. I produce all of this podcast. I'm a designer. I used to be a creative director at Skacell, so planning is key for things to actually progress.
That being said, life has taught me, over and over, that the best things happen when I let go of the concrete expectations and allow myself to flow with the changes.
This move to Florida is the perfect example. This was not something I had anticipated doing one year ago.
But once I allowed myself to be open to it, I realized it was exactly what I and my family needed.
Katie: So, while adapting hasn't always come supernaturally to me, not supernaturally, but super-naturally,
I'm learning to embrace it as part of living a [00:05:00] magical lifestyle.
Because sometimes better things happen than you would have expected or planned for, if you're open to it.
Q2
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Katie: My second question is, are there specific tools, rituals, or techniques that help me stay flexible when challenges arise?
One of my favorite tools for reflection is Tarot.
Whenever I feel stuck or resistant to change, I pull cards to help reveal useful information.
And I always ask them to be obvious, like really blunt.
And sometimes I don't like the answer. I'll have a gut reaction that I just want to ignore the card that I pulled and try to pull something more positive. But that is always a telltale sign that the first card is actually correct and there can be opportunities even if it's a seemingly negative card if you're just willing to not be so reactive to it.
I did ask the cards to be blunt after all.
I've also started doing dream journaling.
My mind is always going in my waking life, and I've [00:06:00] found that my dreams will often reflect back scenarios and creative opportunities that maybe I've been dancing around in my waking life, but upon actually sleeping, it will bring up the most important aspects for me to think about.
And these dreams don't always make sense, which is why keeping a journal of the symbols and the signs and the situations that keep coming up is really helpful to look back on over time. You can see those repeating patterns.
But sometimes, like the tarot cards, they can be very direct.
And then, of course, there's always knitting.
The act of knitting, especially something really repetitive, allows my mind to calm down, my energy to center, and that makes it easier to navigate change and allow the subtle intuition to come through. Then, you can act on it instead of reacting to whatever the situation might be.
Q3
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Katie: The third question is, is there a time when an unexpected change in a project actually [00:07:00] led to an outcome that was better than originally planned?
I think most creative people will probably say yes to this.
Specifically, my hex cloth comes to mind.
I initially didn't even plan for this to become a pattern and be available to other people,
it was a project just to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied in a time of high stress.
I knit it and didn't really make any notes. But then when it was finished, I was like, Oh, this is really cool. And I kept coming up with ideas on how to use it. So
Something that started out as being a throwaway project just for fun, quickly became something that I thought I could utilize in many ways, not just as a pattern, but as a teaching tool, a divination guide, and it's just really pretty.
I know I keep saying this, but the pattern will be available soon. I'm just making one more sample to ensure everything works out smoothly, and I'm making sure to do it in a yarn that people can get. This is Toil and Trouble, that's the brand, it [00:08:00] is dyed by Ana Campos from Circle of Stitches, so you'll hear more about that in a future episode. This color is Kelpie, and the yarn is Cadence, and this is their worsted weight yarn. It's a 100 percent superwash merino, and it is just this beautiful blue green color that I think is going to be perfect for this final Hex Cloth.
So If you're not on my newsletter yet, this is a great opportunity to do so. Patreon fans will also be getting it for free once it comes out. So all the details will be in the description. If you want to learn more.
Q4
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Katie: Question number four is In what ways do you think adaptation and intuition work together when you're crafting?
As a designer, especially, I always think I know the road that the design is going to go as I'm making it. However, sometimes reality hits you in the face and you think, oh, maybe somebody doesn't want to do 800 bobbles in one project, or I'm going to run [00:09:00] out of yarn sooner than I thought. And so you have to be up to change and adapt in order to actually make an end product that makes sense, will be enjoyable to do and keeping in mind that the yarn can always be pulled out and reused is, of course, something that makes the adaptation process. Much easier.
How many times have we ignored our knitter's intuition? Something doesn't seem right about this project all of a sudden, and then you look a few rows back and you say, Oh, I twisted this stitch, or I forgot to do this cable, this or that is wrong.
As you go, you learn to read your own signs, pay a little bit more attention, and that's really where the magic of being adaptable, but also tapping into your intuition, can really come together to be a very powerful tool.
Q5
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Katie: The fifth and final question is, What advice would you give someone feeling stuck in their creative practice?
Well, number one. You don't have to probably be doing whatever your creative practice is. As [00:10:00] soon, at least for me, as you think, I have to be doing this, I must get this product finished, a lot of times that's when a self imposed boundary comes up, and then you seize up creatively and are unable to do things.
So, reminding yourself to take the pressure off. Give yourself some grace. Maybe put that creative project aside for a while. Come back to it in a day, a week, a month, a year or more. You could see it with brand new eyes just by having some time away from it.
When I was in college for fashion design, I would often be sewing a project and think, I hate the way this is coming out. And then I would leave for the night and come back and look at it with fresh eyes and be like, I love this! This was so great. I'm so impressed that I made this.
Another thing that I'll do sometimes to whip up that creative energy around a certain practice again is learn an adjacent skill. So, if you're a knitter and you're kind of feeling a little bit burnt out on [00:11:00] that, maybe learn how to crochet, because that still uses most of the same tools, yarn especially, and it can offer you a way to enhance the skill that you already know, like knitting, with new little flourishes that will make that craft feel new again.
Even if you don't end up becoming an extraordinary crocheter or whatever the complementary craft might be, they can still inspire your original one just by, again, taking your mind off of it for a little bit.
If you have suggestions on what helps you get back into your creative flow, I'd love for you to drop them in the comments.
And so those are the five foundational questions that I'm looking forward to having all of our guests this season answer.
The questions might be the same, but the answers are guaranteed to be unique through each guest.
Knit A Spell Patreon Updates
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Katie: As we close up this first episode of the season, I also want to give you a little bit of an update on the Knit A Spell Patreon.
The weekly aftershows [00:12:00] will be continuing, so if you want a little bit extra of the Knit A Spell podcast each week, now the aftershow will be on Friday. So our main episode airs on Wednesday, and then Friday you can look forward to rolling into the weekend with a little bit extra from me and my guests.
Patreon members can also submit questions to be asked to future guests.
And, a newly added benefit this season! Every week, I'm going to be having a complimentary coloring page come out on Mondays before the episode. So, Monday, you'll get a little teaser of the episode by way of the coloring page, Wednesday will be the main episode, and then on Friday, we'll have the after show.
These coloring pages are a great way to fill the time between Monday and Tuesday before the episode, or you can wait and color it in while you're watching or listening the episode on Wednesday.
I've also made them easy to print out, or you can choose your favorite app and color it digitally instead.
And I'd love to see your finished pieces, [00:13:00] so be sure to tag Knit A Spell on Instagram, or you can send a photo to knitaspellpodcast at gmail.
com.
If you're already a member of Patreon, thank you. Your continued support means everything. you're new and curious about signing up, it's just 5 a month. It goes to supporting the show. You'll also receive a free Knittaspel sticker after being a patron for three consecutive months. And when you sign up, you unlock the entire archive of everything from our past seasons, behind the scenes, exclusive downloads, all sorts of fun stuff, unlocked for you to enjoy.
You can find out more by visiting patreon.com/knitaspell
Thanks for tuning in. I'm really looking forward to bringing you a brand new season of Amazing Guests all around our topic of adaptation.
If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and subscribe. Leave a comment, or share it with a friend.
See you on Friday for the After Show on Patreon. Until next time, Merry [00:14:00] Make!
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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!
