Hello my Knitting Superstars! Welcome to my first KnitFreedom podcast.
I’ve been so busy working on improvements to KnitFreedom that I’ve really missed connecting with you- my students- and I thought this short podcast episode would be a fun and new way for us to connect.
I asked my good friend and KnitFreedom Marketing Mastermind Stacy to interview me, and she asked lots of good questions that you may want to know the answer to. Click below to listen to the interview — I hope you enjoy!
Oh, and please leave a comment on this post with any thoughts or feedback you have.
Click Below To Listen: Interview With Liat
Listen in iTunes
Download the .mp4 audio file (for loading into your music player of choice)
Download a complete transcript of the interview
Prefer to Read? Here’s What We Covered, Plus Links
This interview and blog post is the first in a series that we’re doing around my upcoming free webinar, The 3 Tips All Knitting Superstars Need to Know.
It’s the first interview I’ve set up on my own, where I’m getting interviewed by someone I know and love, and who knows me, KnitFreedom, and you – our readers.
Some Background:
The KnitFreedom website is my contribution to the knitting world — a tool that I hope will help people become Knitting Superstars, that is, confident, happy, curious knitters who can knit anything their heart desires whether they know how to knit it already or not.
I use video as my preferred teaching method because when I was teaching live classes at my local yarn stores, I couldn’t show my hands to everyone at once.
I was running around trying to show everyone, and I thought, “If I could just get a video camera on my hands, everyone could see what I’m explaining!”
An encouraging attitude is a big part of my teaching style. Many of my students have lots of hang-ups about learning — they think they’re too old, clumsy, or stupid to learn new and difficult things, and when they make a knitting “mistake,” it just seems to prove them right. I hope with my help students can learn to be more gentle with themselves and at peace with making mistakes.
For me, learning to catch and fix mistakes as just as important as the learning any technique itself. I even make mistakes in my own videos! I sometimes drop stitches or do a stitch wrong, and I just calmly show how to fix it and move on, which I hope sets a good example.
The highest compliment I’ve gotten is when a KnitFreedom student says that it feels like I am there with them as they are knitting, or that in their minds they can hear me encouraging them on.
What I’ve Been Up To This Summer with KnitFreedom
I haven’t been blogging much (understatement?) so I’m excited to get you all up to speed.
I’ve mostly been working on two things: the new website {{{cheering}}}} and my upcoming book, The Fearless Knitter.
KnitFreedom Website Overhaul – Update
The website update that my developer, designer, and I been working on for the past year and a half was a much bigger undertaking than I could have foreseen. It’s probably a much fancier site (as far as user features) than it needs to be right off the bat, but at least it takes care of all the things that bug KnitFreedom subscribers and customers the most:
You’ll be able to:
- find any video or technique easily – often in just one click.
- Sign into your account and view all the classes you’ve bought.
- See the patterns right on the pages if you’re signed in.
- Forget about saving emails or remembering passwords to classes.
Plus I’ll have the ability to create the app that everyone’s waiting for which will enable you to watch your classes OFFLINE on any device. It’s not coming until next year, but we’re paving the way with this new website.
I’ve also learned a lot about what it means to run a business, with this project in particular. Here’s to asking for what you need!
At this point we are in the testing phase and the site should be live by the end of the year.
Upcoming Print Book: The Fearless Knitter
I have been working almost without cease on my first print book, which is due out in September of 2015.
The Fearless Knitter is primarily aimed at beginning-to-intermediate knitters and it will be sold in bookstores and yarn stores as well as online. Obviously it doesn’t have video, but I think you are all going to like what I came up with instead.
I didn’t want to do the same old thing as other knitting books that have “step-by-step” photos. I put “step-by-step” in quotes because it’s hard to show a lot of steps when the photos are really spaced out and there’s just a line or two of text in between. You end up having to imagine the movement that connects the two pictures.
I decided that I would put in as many photos as it takes so that you could just look at the pictures — I mean scan across the pictures with your eyes — and truly see the movement happening, like in stop motion video or a flip book.
I took over 8,000 photographs, 6,000 of which made it into the final version of the book. Here’s a tiny sample — a rough layout — of what the teaching tool will look like. I call it a step-by-step photo collage. This is one of the steps to fixing a dropped stitch.
My deadline for the manuscript was in August, so that kept me busy over the summer. I logged a lot of hours in front of the camera but no videos.
Knitted Anything Cool Lately? (Besides Socks)
Well, if you must know, I am always knitting a pair of socks.
What I love about knitting socks is that if you have the Fleegle heel formula you can buy whatever yarn you want (I recommend machine-washable Merino wool) and knit socks out of it without checking your gauge or anything — you just check them by putting them on your feet.
When I went with my sister to go see Gone with the Wind on the big screen recently, the project I brought with me was an easy pair of two-at-a-time toe-up socks.
Having Fun With Mosaic Knitting
As I was working on the Fearless Knitter manuscript I realized that a lot of books for beginners don’t introduce some of the more advanced techniques, like color knitting, soon enough.
I decided to put an easy version of color knitting, called Mosaic Knitting, into the book, with a versatile throw-pillow pattern for practice.
Mosaic Knitting is easy because although it uses two colors, you never knit with more than one at a time.
You do two rows with one color and then two rows with the other color — all you have to know how to do is count and slip stitches.
I knitted two mosaic throw pillows for the book and I’m really proud of how they came out (shown above and left).
I’ve taken them to the upholsters now to get them turned into real pillows, but here you can see photos of the knitted front pieces.
Same pattern, two wildly different yarn choices — you can see how versatile this pattern would be.
Picking a self-striping yarn as the main color and a solid yarn as the contrasting color makes the projects look a lot more complex than they actually are.
What Have I Been Up To Personally?
In the past I’ve blogged about my adventures in Argentina, Spain, and Israel as I take KnitFreedom with me around the world. I don’t have anything as exotic to report right now, but I’m enjoying life all the same.
I’ve been living down in Southern California with my oldest sister — a lovely person whom I’ve never actually lived with because of our age difference. A request for temporary cat-sitting has turned into a seven-month “staycation” for me as I have fallen in love with her silly cats, her sun-soaked flower garden (complete with fountains and bird feeders), and a beginner surfing spot just 15 minutes away.
I decided to make the most of it and took some surfing lessons and learned how to surf, although I’m still quite a novice.
That’s been great for my spirits and my health.
Another adventure I’ve done is indoor skydiving (Google it! It’s not scary at all) – the most expensive and thrilling four minutes you’ll ever experience outside of jumping out of a real plane or going heli-skiing in Alaska.
I also learned about getting healthy amounts of sun and keeping up with my Vitamin D – I’ve got a tan for the first time in my life!
Healing Injuries by Knitting With Good Posture
I’m delighted to say that I’ve finally started to make great progress in healing my mystery yoga injury that has plagued me for the last two years. I discovered Esther Gokhale (pronounced “Go-clay”) and the Gokhale Method through her free workshop and her book, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back.
I’ve been re-learning how to sit, stand, walk, and even sleep in a way that’s healthy and healing for my spine. But it takes lots of practice, and I’ve definitely used the KNIT Formula on myself to encourage me to keep working at it.
You’ll be hearing more about this soon because I actually recently made a video with Esther Gokhale herself on Knitting and Back Pain Relief, specifically to post on KnitFreedom. That will be coming out within a month or so. Exciting!
Getting Back To Making Video Ebooks
I’ve been having a great time working on projects like the website and my book, but I’m looking forward to creating new content in 2015, namely the video ebooks that my students have been waiting for.
Lace Knitting has especially been on my mind. But to make the video course really excellent, something you can’t get anywhere else, something that anyone can learn from – it’s going to take my undivided attention and focus.
And speaking of focus, what we’re focusing on next is…
The Upcoming Webinar on October 11th
I’ll be teaching 3 specific things during this webinar that every knitter should know.
I don’t want to give too much away, except to tell you that I’ve created brand-new tools and materials for everyone, including a really awesome “Tree of Techniques” to help you pick the right projects for your ability level (and to challenge you).
Whether you are a beginning or advanced knitter, I think it will be helpful to you. It’s going to be a fast-paced, informative, and helpful workshop with practical tips that you can use to improve your knitting right now.
Click here to sign up for the webinar (after the webinar you’ll receive my new “Tree of Techniques” and another very special surprise for attending)
Leave a Comment
I did this interview for you, so if you have any feedback, I want to hear from you! Besides, I love and care about you all, and it makes me feel great to know what’s on your minds.
Want more podcasts? Different formats? Audio not your thing? Let me know in the comments.
P.S. If you haven’t signed up for the free webinar yet, reserve your space now – it will be full of brand new content I’ve never shared on KnitFreedom (and, I can’t wait to connect with all of you in a new way).
Click Here to Join Me for The 3 Tips All Knitting Superstars Need to Know Webinar
48 thoughts on “Introducing The KnitFreedom Podcast! An Interview with Liat”
I’m looking forward to your book as I am a visual learner. I feel like I’m a beginning knitter everytime I start a project and will love having this as my go to reference. Thank you for bringing me back to knitting.
Hi Lynne,
I would be delighted to be your guide to help you “break out” of beginner knitting. I can’t wait to deliver to you a print book you can set beside you and refer to as you knit.
Thank you for being my student!
Indoor skydiving!!! Looking that one up… Woot! Love Esther Gokhale’s info so I can’t wait to hear the interview. It all sounds fantastic!
Hooray! I think you’re going to love the interview. I’m working on the blog post now.
And indoor skydiving is the PERFECT thing to do when you just don’t know what to do. Family reunion, first date… all the kinds of things that you want to be memorable but you just don’t have any ideas… Indoor skydiving would totally be my first choice. :D (IF I were rolling in dough) ;)
FYI, on my iphone 5 with iOS7.1.2, could not play the audio above. The listening bar loads and has riht-arrow to play, but when hit doesn’t work. I can listen thru desktop and laptop, just wanted you to know won’t work for iphone.
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for this feedback. I went and checked on my iPhone 5C with iOS 7.1.2, and it played fine for me. Maybe just clearing your cache in Safari would do the trick?
Another option is to go to the podcast in iTunes or download the audio and play it on your iPhone. I know it’s a little more inconvenient that way but at least the Podcasts app will save your place in the audio.
Thanks for listening and please do continue to comment if you have any “usability” feedback like this – it’s so helpful!
I always send my friends your way when they want to knit, but are afraid. I am a good encourager, but not a very good teacher, I am sad to report. So then you appeared and I can send my friends to you for help! My biggest challenge is to be brave enough to try a more difficult and lengthy project like a sweater or blanket. Sometimes I get caught up comparing myself to other people who seem like they knit so fast! How in the world do people get other things done with all the knitting they seem to accomplish? Thank you again for believing in us =)
Stephanie, what a wonderful comment! I can really relate to being in awe of some people who seem to get TONS of knitting done. I’ve gotten used to thinking that unless we want to take some lessons from them, what “other people” do doesn’t really matter. This life is all about YOU!
And thank you SO much for sending your friends to KnitFreedom. That is something I can never do on my own, so it really means a lot.
Big hugs!
FYI interview link won’t play on iPhone 5 vs 7.1.2; slider play bar loads but no sound even with volumn way up.
I’m really looking forward to the webinar as I very much enjoyed the podcast, but am a more visual learner. I, too am a self- taught ( from books) knitter and have lots to learn.
your style has made you my ” go to person” for instruction……clear, understandable directions with great visuals……am really looking forward to your growth and development as the Knit Freedom ” Queen of all Things Knitting.”…….jj
I am a web-taught knitter, and your videos are fab! The best! I have several courses of yours, and look forward to seeing all of your new projects come to life. I am signed up for the webinar on Tuesday (yay!). I just finished a set of top-down socks and am thinking next of doing a pair of toe-up two-at-a-times from the Knitting Superstar e-book. Have to find the perfect yummy yarn for it! I am also practicing different techniques by making a bunch of 8″ squares with different patterns, which I will eventually join in an afghan. Your adventurous, avidly knitting student, Amy :)
I’m sure any new knitter would like to BECOME a fearless knitter. That invitation in the title would help them believe they might be able to be such. Thank you very much for the clarity of teaching, not treating students as if they were dumb, but including enough information that anyone can follow, no matter how experienced they are.
I like the title “becoming a knitting superstar” for your book. I enjoyed the podcast and can’t wait for the webinar tomorrow! But most of all I cannot wait for your book next year!! You have an awesome gift for explaining knitting in such a simple, clear way that Makes it so easy to learn! Thank you Liat!
Louise, thank you so much for your kind words! It is so encouraging to me that you are really learning from and enjoying the tools that I make. Sending you big hugs!
I have learned so much from your instructive videos. You have a teaching gift. I also think your presentation is really so enjoyable and clear to listen to. Thank you a million times for this wonderful site. You have made me happy. I truly feel confident in your instruction. I am knitting away and blessing you. Your wonderful and sweet personality shines through all your video instruction. Thank you, Liat and all at KnitFreedom.
Mary, I am just overcome by how happy your comment makes me. I’m so proud to think of you knitting away and feeling happy — hooray!! Thank you so much for your loyalty and for commenting today so I could know how you feel.
Liat,
I hang onto every comment you make!! The most important thing you have taught me is how to “unknit.” Once I felt more comfortable with that “skill” (HAH!), I felt I could tackle almost anything. Of course, your undying faith in us has been invaluable also. I can’t wait for your book in 2015: the ideas and pictures look priceless. For now, I am anxious for your webinar which I will attend tomorrow. (I hope there are many more webinars—hint!)
Thanks so much for everything in the past and future :-)——-Carol
Carol, that is perfect! It is true that you can tackle almost anything when you’re not afraid to make mistakes because you know how to un-knit.
And you can call it a SKILL without the quotes, because it really is one. Picture asking for a show of hands at knit night: “Who here feels comfortable undoing their knitting?” And you will realize that it’s not everyone.
As Celine said, I, too, find just about anything that includes recorded audio difficult to understand. The modern itty-bitty microphones that are clipped to clothing frequently “hide”, changing the quality of the audio, muffling the higher frequencies. If you’re already hard of hearing in the higher frequencies (as many of us older folks are), then your hearing aids can’t cope and everything sounds muffled and mumbled. Speaking directly into the camera helps, and captions help too, but the real “cure” is not to wear those tiny microphones.
Hi Debbie,
Thank you, this is great feedback. Can you give the interview audio a try and let me know if it falls into the category of muffled and difficult-to-understand? I’d like to know if I should change my setup.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for your dedication to the teaching of knitting. I would hate for people, myself included, to miss out on your expertise because they live in a time zone that makes it inconvenient to tune into your upcoming webinar. I hope you can figure out a way to solve this .
Hi Kathy –
We are so excited to see the amazing response from our students overseas.
We definitely don’t want you to miss out on Liat’s webinar, though. There will be a download available after the webinar is over.
I was thinking, just the other week that I had missed your smiley approach to things and your informative style. I am not very experienced, but I do love to knit socks. My hesitation is taking yarn from my stash (much of it inherited) and having the confidence to know what that yarn can make. If you could address the different weights of yarn and the different fibres and what they are suitable for I would be delighted. Thanks for what you do and good luck. I will be following your site.
Hi Val,
That’s a great question! I’ll be sharing some really good tools with you on the webinar, including more information about my Knitting Superstar course, which teaches a lot about understanding yarn and using the right yarn for the right projects. I’ll keep your specific question in mind for the next webinar!
How exciting to hear about all of these upcoming events! I am looking forward to the new website, particularly being able to have access to all of the courses I’ve purchased from one location.
Thanks, too, for the information about pain free knitting. I definitely am looking forward to seeing the video.
As a new knitter (almost 2 years knitting) finding your website and videos was a God-send. . .I learn something new each time; even if it’s a “rerun” I’m excited to hear about the update work; easier viewing, list of classes, etc. Whoo-Hoo! Thank you Liat and thank you to all KnitFreedom staff and supporters for the years of knitting yet to come.
Hi Dee, I’m so glad you found me! Thank you for being patient while you wait for the new website. I hope to see you on the webinar!
It was so great to hear your voice again – I can safely say we have all missed you. So glad to hear life is treating you well, and so excited for all the new developments in KnitFreedom. Looking forward to the webinar next week!
My vote? The Fearless Knitter
Big hugs.
Brian!! I miss you too! I’m curious to see what you think of the webinar – because you’re an advanced knitter, I’d love to know what you find helpful.
Hugs!
So exited for the webinar and the new site! I, too, have pieces of you all over and have to recall passwords, save confirmation emails, etc. to access your books. LOVE them, it’s sometimes just hard to get back to them.
Thanks for continuing to help us become knitting superstars!!
Hi Carol, it’s great to hear from you! I know what you mean about the emails everywhere. I’m so grateful to all of my students for how patient you all are. See you on the webinar!
I don’t have a webcam and I never joined in a webinar. Would I be able to sign
up for this?
Hi Liat!
I have registered for your webinar on the 16th, and am really looking forward to it. I noticed that someone requested you to do a webinar on making socks; I want to add my name to that request as well. I have purchased sock yarn, but it sits in my stash waiting for me to get up the courage to try. In fact, I’ve knitted two socks up to the point where you turn the heel, and quit; they were for my granddaughters years ago, who have outgrown them!
Thanks for all you do for us in this knitting world! I love the way you teach so succinctly so it’s easy to see and understand.
Hi Myra,
I’d love to do a webinar on socks – that is a great idea! I’ve added it to my list. See you on the 16th!
“Audio not your thing?” Audio is pretty hopeless for me as I am very hard of hearing. Could transcripts be made available for podcasts and other sound-dependent projects? I don’t know how expensive it would be, but it would be so much appreciated.
I am excited about the webinar!
Eep. I see there is a transcript. I was reading too quickly earlier.
Hi Celine, glad you saw the transcript link! The blog post I wrote is also a pretty good recap of the interview, only easier to read because I’ve taken out all the “Um’s” and “Yeah’s.” :)
Thank You so very much for your positive attitude and especially your approach. I am one of those (English style) knitters who has great difficulty following/understanding photos and much prefer good, clear, slow, precise step-by-step videos (showing correct techniques) from which to learn!
BTW, I very much hope you will produce a video class on socks! I really want to try knitting socks but am very intimidated – especially since I cannot seem to get the hang of double points ( I avoid any patterns that call for the use of them).
Looking forward to the webinar tomorrow!
Hi Marylyn, you have come to the right place! I will show you lots of video resources I have on socks during the webinar tomorrow. You will love knitting them! (And you will NEVER have to use double-points as long as you live.)
Thank you for all of your newsletters and great information you share with us.
I am really looking forward to your webinar. I have learned to knit mitts with your wonderful thumb innovation and am working on the two-socks at once method. Can hardly wait to order the book.
Bonnie, I love that you are knitting socks and mittens! I am so proud of all my adventurous knitters. See you on the webinar!
I just want to thank you for all that you do for us lovely knitters. I’m very excited about the website, as I have pieces of you all over the place now — Superstar, Bind-Offs, Magic Loop — and passwords are so annoying.
I guess this is a stupid question, but — is Mosaic Knitting just horizontal stripes, or can it be vertical, diagonal, or combinations of striping?
Thanks again. Looking forward to Intarsia, Lace Knitting, and Entrelac, especially!
Hi Hollis,
I’m looking forward to doing those advanced classes, too!
Regarding Mosaic Knitting, the patterns that come out can be all sort of shapes and designs – you can’t even tell that it was knitted in stripes. There aren’t a whole lot of mosaic patterns out there, but check out this mosaic blanket – from the squares on there you can see that it looks a lot like Fair-Isle or Intarsia.
Similar to Felice’s request : can we watch the webinar at some later point as our internet connection very often fails and I live in a timezone that is not really helping to keep awake to watch it at your time… Thanks!
hi liat,
this all sounds wonderfully fantastic!
question…would it be possible to somehow make the webinar available generally? some of us live in time zones that make it impossible to attend at the appointed hour!!!!
thanks!
felice
Hi Felice –
We are keeping track of all of our students who are on the other side of the world and need a different time.
Also, we will be sending out a recording of the webinar. You will be able to see it, even if you can’t attend.
My preference for the name of your new book is: Becoming a Fearless Knitter!