It All Starts With One Question...

Why have we accepted pain as part of making?

About This Conversation

Many of us have accepted aches and pains as simply part of crafting. But what if they aren't?

This conversation explores why taking care of our bodies while crafting should be just as important as blocking or getting gauge, what inspired Andrea to write Craft Without Pain, and how shifting the way we think about our bodies can transform the way we make.

By focusing on the mindset instead of the mechanics, this conversation complements Andrea's classes while giving every attendee something meaningful to reflect on, whether they've taken a class with her or not.

Why These Speakers

Andrea brings the unique perspective of being both an orthopedic physical therapist and an avid knitter. She understands the science behind repetitive strain, but she also understands the joy of losing yourself in a project and why so many of us push through discomfort just to knit "one more row."

That combination makes this a conversation only Andrea can have.

You'll Leave Thinking About...

Pain isn't something we simply have to accept as part of making.

It All Starts With One Question...

What changes when your hobby becomes your job?

About This Conversation

Many of us have wondered what it would be like to turn the thing we love into the thing we do every day. The reality, of course, is much more complicated and much more interesting.

This conversation explores three very different paths into creative careers, from unexpected career pivots and starting businesses later in life to building a life around creativity one decision at a time.

Rather than offering business advice, this conversation celebrates the many ways people build meaningful creative lives and reminds us there is no single blueprint for success.

Why These Speakers

Lauren, Susie, and Tyler each arrived at their careers through completely different journeys. Their stories prove there isn't one right background, one right timeline, or one right way to build a creative career.

You'll Leave Thinking About...

The best career path is rarely the one you planned.

It All Starts With One Question...

What gives us permission to make something our own?

About This Conversation

Patterns are where many projects begin, but they don't have to define where they end.

This conversation is about creative confidence, learning to trust your instincts, experiment with texture and color, and make choices that feel authentic to you. Whether it's modifying a sweater, combining stitch patterns, or simply choosing colors that make you happy, every maker eventually reaches a point where they realize they have permission to make something uniquely theirs.

This isn't about breaking the rules. It's about discovering which rules were never really there to begin with.

Why These Speakers

Olga's innovative construction techniques challenge what knit fabric can become. Catherine's thoughtful approach to colorwork encourages makers to knit with intention, while Ksenia's love of texture reminds us that fabric isn't just something we see. It's something we experience.

Together they represent three different paths toward creative confidence.

You'll Leave Thinking About...

Your next project doesn't have to look exactly like the pattern.

It All Starts With One Question...

Where do creative ideas really come from?

About This Conversation

Creative inspiration rarely arrives all at once, and it almost never comes from just one place.

Whether it's books, travel, nature, illustration, storytelling, experimentation, or simply paying closer attention to the world around us, inspiration often comes from outside the craft itself. This conversation explores how ideas move between disciplines and why staying curious can make us stronger, more creative makers.

Rather than talking about specific projects, we'll explore the habits, experiences, and moments that continue to inspire each speaker's work.

Why These Speakers

Each speaker brings a completely different creative lens.

Alanna helps others reconnect with their creativity. Sara draws from illustration, painting, collage, and embroidery. Ethan blends science, experimentation, and natural dyeing into an ever-evolving creative practice.

Together they remind us that inspiration isn't found in one place. It's everywhere.

You'll Leave Thinking About...

Inspiration isn't something you find. It's something you learn to notice.

It All Starts With One Question...

What happens if we don't?

About This Conversation

Last year's conversation explored how fiber travels from farm to skein. This year, we're looking ahead.

Every skein represents an interconnected system of people, animals, farms, mills, and generations of knowledge. Together, we'll explore what's at risk if pieces of that system disappear, why preserving domestic fiber infrastructure matters, and how each of us can help shape its future through the choices we make.

Instead of asking where our yarn comes from, this conversation asks what kind of fiber community we want to leave behind.

Why These Speakers

Each speaker represents a different part of the fiber ecosystem.

Audrey connects agriculture, fiber animals, and the relationship between land and craft. Kandi brings the perspective of fiber animals and education, while Kira expands the conversation through her advocacy for domestic wool mills, mending, and preserving the infrastructure that supports our fiber community.

Together they tell a much bigger story than any one perspective could alone.

You'll Leave Thinking About...

Every skein represents an ecosystem worth protecting.

It All Starts With One Question...

What happens when fiber becomes fine art?

About This Conversation

When most people think about knitting, they picture sweaters, hats, and shawls. Lisa invites us to imagine something entirely different.

From life-sized portraits and landscapes to volcanoes and socially relevant installations, Lisa's work challenges our assumptions about what fiber can become. Inspired by the power and beauty of the natural world, her work explores transformation, storytelling, and the possibilities that emerge when you push beyond traditional expectations of the craft.

This conversation also explores why fiber art has so often been seen as "less than" other forms of art, and how the line between craft and fine art has been drawn in ways that don't always reflect the creativity, skill, and meaning behind the work.

By looking at knitting alongside painting, sculpture, and other traditionally recognized art forms, we'll consider what defines art in the first place and why fiber deserves a place in that conversation. This is about expanding how we see both the work and the makers behind it.

Ending Saturday with this conversation feels like an invitation to think bigger, to leave inspired not only by what we've seen throughout the day, but by what might be possible.

Why These Speakers

Lisa has spent her career pushing the boundaries of fiber art, from wearable pieces to sculptural works inspired by volcanoes, landscapes, and lived experience. Her work reflects both technical mastery and a willingness to experiment, reminding us that knitting isn't limited by tradition or function. It's a medium capable of telling powerful stories and creating extraordinary works of art.

You'll Leave Thinking About...

Fiber isn't just a craft. It's an artistic medium capable of saying almost anything.