brassneedles

Podcast Review: Brass Needles

I only recently discovered knitting podcasts, and after a bit of fiddling with a RCA mp3 player, I discovered that I love listening to them while I sit and knit in the early morning with a cup of tea by my side. Since Natalie and I have been doing a podcast that is getting some nice commentary, I've been wondering what the attraction is. Now I know. Listening to knitting podcasts is like hanging out with a bunch of great friends with common interests. The podcasters often talk about techniques and tips that you wouldn't find out in a class, because there are just things that come up while you knit that aren't covered in a formal environment. I've only listened to a few of the hundreds of podcasters out there, but Brass Needles has become my current favorite.

Miss Kalendar, the Brass Needles "star" is a young, witty and often downright sassy California girl. I laugh every time at the intro to her podcast, which usually is a pithy commentary on knitting and the world. The commentary is lively and honest and the knitting content is free-flowing and interesting. I have to admit that few of her projects sound like something I would make myself, but I can relate to the difficulties she runs into and the reasons for them. I, too, have frogged a cardigan and started over more than once (My record is four times)! An author named Gail Carriger appears on these podcasts as well, and in at least the early episodes she offers an interesting "knit ware on the runway" commentary.

The big appeal for me with Miss Kalendar is her science fiction content. She's a big Star Trek fan and I've been a Trekkie since the first series aired a LONG time ago. Since she was born about twenty-five years later than me, it's been fun to hear a completely different viewpoint on the series, and discover some other sci-fi films and offerings that I haven't been aware of. Since I'm even a bigger Whovian than I am a Trekkie, the occasional mentions of Dr. Who are also interesting. (OK, fiber folk, I know this is a foreign language. I'll stop now.)

Miss Kalendar is also a handspinner, although I haven't heard much about spinning so far in her podcasts. I've only listened to about ten of the available 30 or so episodes, though, and spinning has been mentioned. I feel like there will be more about it, judging from some of the content on her blog. Miss Kalendar is also a steampunk girl. So far I have only a vague idea what that is, but it sounds pretty cool to hear her talk about it.

So if you think you'd like listening to a colorful, bright knitting, steampunk, handspinning, sort of geeky type podcaster, Brass Needles might be for you. And even if she's not, there's a podcast out there for every taste. You might even try Knitting in the Round...we're on iTunes as well!

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