Episode 45 – Isabell Kraemer

Fruity Knitting Podcast, with Isabell Kraemer
Fruity Knitting Podcast, with Isabell Kraemer

Isabell Kraemer is our interview guest in Episode 45 of the Fruity Knitting Podcast. We are back from our holiday in Snowdonia, refreshed and ready to bring you more knitting inspiration from around the world. Isabell Kraemer is well know for her style, in particular for her cool sweater designs, but we think this is her first video interview. We traveled to her home town near Stuttgart to do the interview, and we had a great time, so we think you will also enjoy getting to know Isabell Kraemer more closely. Hannah from Circus Tonic Handmade is also featuring, in interview from Australia with our roving reporter Madeleine. New Releases features a fun sweater design from Stephanie Lotven, and we also have some Extreme Knitting from our recent travels. Enjoy the show!

Isabell Kraemer

Isabell’s designs are very approachable for knitters with an intermediate skill level which is one of the reasons why they are so popular.

Humulus, by Isabell Kraemer (a hops yoke!)
Humulus, by Isabell Kraemer (a hops yoke!)

Her designs are elegant with a sophisticated minimalism but they can be deceptively simple. When you look closely you can see some really interesting design elements.

Isabell Kraemer -
Isabell Kraemer – Norderney and Aileas

Patron discount on any of Isabell’s self published designs !

Isabell has offered a very generous discount on any of her self published patterns for our patrons. The full details for this discount can be found on the Patron specials page. Isabell has published a ton of great sweater and shawl patterns so you will definitely find something you love among her collection.

Isabell Kraemer – a girl’s best friend

Finding Isabell Kraemer

Circus Tonic Handmade

Hannah is a very clever and passionate yarn dyer who uses Australian birds, flowers and gem stones as her colour inspiration for her gorgeous yarns. Since Madeleine has been hanging out on the Sydney beaches and learning to surf very close to where Hannah lives, we thought we’d put her to work and this fun interview is the result.

Hannah from Circus Tonic Handmade, with our roving reporter Madeleine
Hannah from Circus Tonic Handmade, with our roving reporter Madeleine

Hannah studied science for many years and worked in genetics. A lot about science is very process driven (following protocols with steps A to Z and careful documentation). So when she needed a career change she thought she’d indulge her passion for knitting and yarn dying by starting her business. Hannah found that she actually loved the very labour intensive slow process of skilled yarn dying, as that was how she had worked as a molecular biologist for years.

Circus Tonic Handmade - Color inspirations
Circus Tonic Handmade – Color inspirations

Finding Circus Tonic Handmade

Image Credits

Stephanie Lotven – Sock Arms Sweater – New Releases

Stephanie Lotven, who releases her patterns under the name Tellybean Knits, has combined her love of self-striping yarns and sock knitting to create her Sock Arms Sweater, and it is a super fun design. The body of the sweater is a single color, and the arms are done in self-striping yarns – either matching or mixed. If you’re looking to make the leap from sock knitting to garment knitting, this may be the right project for you. There is also a kids version of the design, Little Sock Arm.

Sock Arms Sweater by Stephanie Lotven
Sock Arms Sweater by Stephanie Lotven

This pattern was written in collaboration with Stacie from Must Stash Yarns. Stacie’s yarns are especially dyed so you start and end the arms at the same spot without wasting yarn.

Little Sock Arms !
Little Sock Arms ! (I’m seeing a big career here.)

Patron Discount – Stephanie Lotven and Must Stash Yarns

Designer Stephanie Lotven and Stacy of Must Stash Yarns are both generously offering Fruity Knitting Patrons a discount on the Sock Arms pattern and the recommended yarns. Find full details of the discounts on this Sock Arms Patron Specials page. Many thanks to Stephanie and Stacy.

Must Stash Yarns
Must Stash Yarns

Finding Stephanie Lotven and the Sock Arms Sweater

Tutorial – Weaving in the Ends as you Knit

When I do stranded knitting, I like to weave the new colour in and weave the old colour out as I knit along. Learning how to do this has been one of the most freeing things that I have learnt to do in my knitting. It has meant that I will happily knit a stranded project with as many colours as possible because at the end I don’t have the terrible job of weaving in all the ends with a darning needle. So I’ve made a short tutorial on how I do this in case any of you haven’t seen it done and would like to try it.

Weaving in the Ends as you Knit
Weaving in the Ends as you Knit

Patrons can access the tutorial via the Fruity Knitting Patron Tutorials page.

What we are wearing.

Andrew is wearing an adaption of the Firebirds Cardigan by Jade Starmore.

Andrea is wearing an adaption of the Asemors Kofte by Sidsel Hoivik.

Under Construction

Andrew is making Paris’s Scarf by Nancy Marchant, who appeared in Episode 35. Andrea gave a few tips on combining double knitting and brioche in Episode 42.

Andrea is working on Samfrey from the Shetland collection by Marie Wallin, and Tegna, by Caitlin Hunter. (In our live event with Caitlin she corrected our pronunciation – it’s said like “tenya”, and is named after the region in Switzerland.)

Music Credits

16 thoughts on “Episode 45 – Isabell Kraemer”

  1. Great podcast. Is there a pattern available for the grey/ silver sweater Isabell was wearing during the interview?

    1. Hi Rachel. Mostly ChiaoGoo Red Lace Interchangeables, 13 cm or 5 in needles. Occasionally they will untwist a little, but they’re pretty good.

  2. Vivian Ann Wright

    I am interested in the yarn Andria is using in her Marie Wallin jumper. The type and colors. Where can I find the info? I checked out Marie’s store, but there doesn’t seem to be a kit. Thanks, Vivian Ann on the side of the mountain in northeast Tennessee

  3. Vivian Ann Wright

    P.S. I forgot to tell you, I may have found the rep for my homestead. Another homesteader has Shetland sheep and may be willing to sell me 2 young ewes and a ram! Vivian Ann on the side of the mountain in northeast Tennessee

  4. I would be willing to increase the amount of my patronage if you interviewed or other covered more people of color. Otherwise, a lovely podcast, very enjoyable and educational. Thank you.

  5. I have just started knitting again, after taking a break raising my children. I am now finding more time for what I like to do, I have been knitting again for about a year now. If it wasn’t for the knitting podcasts on utube that didn’t charged to receive there tutorials I would of not learned a lot of the techniques. I find that if your doing a knitting podcasts it should be for the passion you have for knitting and wanting to share your knowledge. Nice podcasts but will be watching others that don’t ask for money.

    1. Hi Sonia. I think you might be (m a s s i v e l y) underestimating the work that goes into producing a show like Fruity Knitting – and what we have given up to get it this far. We think people should be paid for productive work. A + A.

  6. Pingback: Episode 103 - Yak, Camel and Sartuul Sheep Fibre - Nomadnoos Yarn - Fruity Knitting

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