Here's something we love: Hunter Hammersen's "quiet, everyday magic that's easy to overlook. But it's magic nonetheless." She is talking about her "Noteworthy" pattern for a little pouch that looks like a piece of paper because "paper is magic, and the right piece of paper can change the world." When Bootie knit this little gem, it brought her "a bit of happy distraction," and while that did not change the world, it did just what Hammersen promised: it made the world "a tiny bit more comfortable, for just one person, for just a moment. And that's a kind of magic too." This is the power of knitting to take us out of the present and into a timeless moment of making. Hammersen is right--look at the world through the frame of quiet, everyday magic, and you'll find all kinds of magic. And here's a bit of culinary magic: Strawberry Shortcake with a Lemon Curd Cream--an upgrade on the old family favorite that you just have to try.

We also found some magic in Anne Macdonald's account of women knitting in the 19th Century in No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. While we tend not to think of the Victorian era as particularly "sporty," this was when women started riding bicycles, playing tennis, golf and croquet; they were literally moving more and their clothing had to change to keep up. So they ditched their shawls, corsets and hoopskirts for sweaters and bloomers. Some regarded these new fashions as "ugly and eccentric," but thankfully, they persevered. The specter of a woman knitting was an assurance of womanliness that Mrs. Clorinda Nichols appropriated as she "tended strictly to her knitting" while she "duped male legislators into underestimating her crusade for more liberal property rights for women" at Kansas's first state constitutional convention (p. 143). Brilliant. But in the midst of all this moving and change, many women still found in knitting the space for creative transformation, as author Jane Croly expressed it:

"The little work-tables of women's fingers, are the playgrounds of women's fancies, and their knitting needles are the fairy-wands by which they transform a whole room into a spirit isle of dreams."

Jane Croly on her "view of knitting serenity," quoted in Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, p. 142.

So we hope we offer a little bit of quiet, everyday magic in this episode--it's not changing the world, we know, but if it makes you smile just once, or provides a bit of happy distraction, well, that's the kind of magic we aim to make.

Inquiring minds want to know: where is Napolean's penis these days? We will give you a hint: it's not with the rest of his body, but it's a cautionary tale for today's despots that we think should be more widely known. To be clear, the whereabouts of Napolean's penis is not discussed in Anne Macdonald's No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, but many other fascinating historical tidbits are. We are now up to the Civil War, and guess what both sides, Union and Confederate, need the most? Yup, you guessed it: SOCKS. "'Send socks!' pleaded Civil War soldiers, and when their heartrending stories of bleeding, frostbitten and blistered feet reached 'the womenfolk,' there followed an unprecedented fever of sock-knitting 'for the boys'" (p. 97). The dearth of socks even inspired Albert M. Hubbard to compose "The Knitting Song: Dedicated to the Patriotic Ladies of the North," "a zesty tribute that quickly became a great favorite with choral groups at fairs and parlor sing-alongs and accounted for even further acceleration of knitting" (p. 102).

While the North had more resources and infrastructure thanks to the unfortunately named "United States Sanitary Commission," the women of South showed their devotion and ingenuity in other ways. Scarlet O'Hara's famous upcycling of the drawing room curtains into a dress had its roots in real events, and later made for great comedy on the Carol Burnett Show. And how can we not admire Lucy Nickolson Lindsay of Missouri for delivering vials of quinine and morphine hidden in the coiled locks of her hair and 22 pairs of socks tucked in the hems of her skirts to the frontline? Women on both sides sent notes to the troops in the socks and garments they made to inspire hope for better days:

Brave Sentry, on your lonely beat

May these blue stockings warm your feet

And when from wars and camps you part

May some fair knitter warm your heart."

Quoted in Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, p. 105.

These are the tales from American history that warm our hearts! And if you want something tasty to warm your palate, may we suggest our recipe for roasted balsamic onions? A treat in salads or sandwiches--tune in and try it!

If George Washington knew about Debie Frable's Killer Sangria, he probably would have wanted A LOT of it to help him get through the Revolutionary War because boy, is this good stuff! Make it TODAY. But at the time, Washington really just wanted socks--he never had enough socks, as we learned from reading Anne L. Macdonald's No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. As much as knitting and needlework have been dismissed as the stuff of “Pots and Pans,” as the “prankish students” at Yale referred to their social history class in the 1930s, Macdonald reminds us that local women bearing clothing and food to the naked, starving soldiers at Valley Forge literally saved the day:

“[T]here was no mistaking the joy of soldiers on the verge of open revolt when sentinels pacing the camp’s outer limits spotted an advancing cavalcade of ‘[t]en women in carts, each cart drawn by ten pairs of oxen, and bearing tons of meal and other supplies, [who] passed through the lines amid cheers that rent the air.’ Those devoted women . . . ‘preserved the army, and Independence from that day was assured.’”

Anne L. Macdonald, No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, pp. 36-7.

The value of everyday things--adequate food and clothing--should never be underestimated. Macdonald reminds us that the war for American independence was fought on two fronts, the political and the economic. The burden of weaponizing the economy through the boycott of British goods fell mainly to women who were charged with making their own or doing without. As one Mrs. Troupe recounted Martha Washington explaining, “Whilst our husbands and brothers are examples of patriotism, we must be patterns of industry” (p. 39). Townships—which really meant local women—were charged with clothing their troops or risk being fined. Even children were expected to knit or spin a certain amount every day before going out to play. Can you imagine?! “Finish that row, buddy, because George Washington needs those socks!”

As bad as we think it is now, we would not go back to those times, but reading about them reminds us of the sacrifices everyone—men, women and children—made in the fight for our nation’s political and economic independence. We owe it to them to preserve that. Enough said.

Behind the scenes at Serial Knitters with Debie Frable in Bootie and Bossy's Episode 42!

Ever wonder what goes into hand-dyed yarn? The short answer is A LOT, as we learned from Debie Frable, owner of Serial Knitters Dye House. First there’s the prepping of the yarn—teasing out each tie on the skein so that the dye can fully penetrate the fiber (unless you want something that looks like tie-dye). There are 3 ties on a skein, so let’s do the math: if she makes 300 skeins of her top-selling yarn, Cherry Creek sock, she is teasing out 900 ties for just that colorway in one base, not to mention the new ties she is attaching so she can manipulate it and hang it up. Then she has to wash it because dirt and fat on the yarn will resist the dye. Then there’s the soaking in an acid bath (not the kind of acid used for dissolving dead bodies, in case you were wondering). Tired yet? You have not even started the dyeing, you slacker! Maybe that’s multiple dips in a single color to get just the right depth of red for her “Drac Snack” (are you picking up a bit of a Goth theme yet?). Or Debie’s favorite speckled yarns where she sprinkles on powdered dyes. She then “cooks” the yarn in a warming oven to set the color. Now more washing, and finally hanging the skeins up to dry. As Debie says,

"Nothing about my dye process is glamorous. I consider myself a glorified washer woman, except for the fact that I am dealing with color, and I am in love with color--it inspires me and keeps me going. But it’s a heavy job in that you are dealing with wet skeins of yarn, big pots of water, heavy pans of wet yarn. Then you’re hunched over a sink washing out yarn. Sometimes knitters think it’s so expensive, but you need to understand how much work goes into it."

Debie Frable, Serial Knitters

There’s a lot of work, but there’s also artistry in her colorways, and some quirky creativity, like her colorway named for her favorite cat, Ted, and the adventures they have together in her dreams (look for “Snorkel Ted”). And there are the sweaters she makes for skeletons too--they are clearly having a blast!

We learned so much from Debie, not just about dyeing and selling, but also some tips about knitting with hand-dyed yarn. And did we mention her “Killer Sangria” recipe? Because you are going to need a drink after all that work!

What's worth talking about? Pixar's short "Purl" in Bootie and Bossy's Episode 41!

What happens when a pink ball of yarn named Purl starts working at B.R.O. Industries? Find out in Kristen Lester’s Pixar animated short “Purl.” There’s a lot going on in these 8 minutes that’s worth talking about. It’s “unbeweavable,” as Purl herself would say, but there’s a deeper message underneath all of the knitting puns. Purl is the literal and classic “round” character capable of surprise and transformation as she reknits herself in the bathroom to look more like her male co-workers. Her knitting skills are rewarded too: when she looks and talks more like her “flat,” stereotypical male co-workers, she’s accepted and listened to. But what’s the cost? The arrival of another ball of yellow yarn—"Lacy"—forces her to make a choice: go back to her old, true, round, pink self, or stay flat in her knitted power suit and be accepted by the bros? There’s a beautiful arc and message here as Purl returns to her former self. Here's what Kristen Lester, the director, had to say:

"I wanted to tell and speak to an experience that I felt like we had not been talking about a lot . . . Believe in your voice, believe in what you have to say, believe in the things that you like. You can get challenged a lot, especially when you are a young woman going into the industry. It’s really important to stay true to who you are and believe in yourself."

--Kristen Lester, Director of “Purl”

But Purl’s round, colorful presence also transforms B.R.O. Industries, ostensibly making it a more welcoming place for all. That’s the beauty of inclusion—it makes it better for everyone, right? But what about how the men are flattened and stereotyped? And the guys at B.R.O. Industries—what if they don’t want to change? What if the culture of scarcity makes them feel like they are losing instead of gaining something? Art prompts these important conversations, and these things are worth talking about, especially today. And speaking of great conversation, did we mention that we will be hosting a Zoom Knit Night with Kim Davis on Friday, April 4, 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST? Put it on your calendars now and plan to join us! We’ll be sending out a link to register soon, so stay tuned!

And if you need a little snack to go with your wine, may we recommend Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for “Savory Cheese and Chive Bread” from her cookbook, Around My French Table? It’s easy and versatile—throw in whatever you have on hand—those random hunks of leftover cheese, bacon, walnuts or olives. Even the ungrateful children love it! So whip up some cheesy, savory bread, watch “Purl,” and join us on April 4 for some laughs, some good crafting talk and great conversation!

Snow! Rain! Ice! Wind! When the blows of winter buffet us, we need to find joy in small things like bowls of warm, tasty Jamaican Chicken Curry, compliments of Kim Davis of Slaycation fame. Kim might not love cooking, but sometimes the non-cooks have the one tried-and-true recipe that hits all the notes. This recipe will definitely make it into your regular rotation because it’s delicious, easy and flexible—throw whatever you have on hand into one pot and make the ones you love happy today and tomorrow.

And speaking of Kim Davis and finding joy in good company, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting a Zoom meet-up for our Bootie and Bossy listeners and Slaycation crafters on Friday, April 4 at 7:00 PM EST and 4:00 PM PST. Sign up for our newsletter through our website, bootieandbossy.com and we will send you a link to register. Grab a glass of wine or one of our cocktails and join us for some great conversation with Kim. And did we mention the PRIZES?! There will be some good ones! Mom might even come too (hi, Mom)!

And for our knitting pop-culture moment in this episode, there’s lots to love in the latest Wallace and Gromit feature film, Vengeance Most Fowl. While Gromit, Wallace’s ever-faithful canine companion, finds joy in making things by hand from knitting socks to cultivating his English garden, Wallace is determined to make his life "better" through time-saving inventions like Norbot, the happy, nifty gnome who does everything fast. Besides the knitting references, we love the commentary on modern life that this “simple” stop-motion/Claymation film offers, like the settings Wallace devises to capture the spectrum of available human emotional and moral states: Good, Pleasant, Unassuming, Dull, Boorish, Mildly Annoying, Bit Selfish, Grumpy, Mean Spirited, Really Nasty, Evil

If only we could wear this on a t-shirt to alert everyone to our setting on a given day. Or maybe everyone else could wear it so we would know when to steer clear. Remember, it's not their fault that they woke up on the "Grumpy" setting--it's just the programming. A good project and a nice cup of “Snoozy Choc” might be the answer. Keep finding the joy in cooking and making, and join us on April 4 too--more joy to come!

What could murders, vacations and knitting possibly have to do with one another? Kim Davis, one of the hosts of the podcast Slaycation, connects the dots in this episode. The name “Slaycation” says it all: these are true-crime tales of murders that take place on vacation—more reason, as if we needed it, to stay home and, well, eat, drink and knit. It’s just safer. But in addition to her popular podcast, Kim is a crafter extraordinaire, and we dive deep into her story here. She learned to crochet as a child growing up in Brooklyn—even then she was fascinated by how a piece of yarn could become a fabric with a little deft maneuvering of a hooked piece of wood. Taking classes at a local yarn store introduced her to knitting and brought her skills to a whole new level. Now she teaches those classes and runs workshops.

But the real connection between her twin obsessions with knitting and true crime is in the details. Knitting taught her to see, to pay attention to all the little things because the truth—what really happened on that beach or on that hike in Colorado—always lies in the little stitches that make up the tale. And like true crime, knitting is a bit like a puzzle, particularly when it comes to fixing your mistakes. First you have to see the mistake, and often it's lying there in plain sight, just waiting for you like that little clue, that critical piece of evidence that unravels the whole mystery of who done it. That’s why she calls one of her classes, “Forensic Knitting.”

But beyond the surprising parallels between true crime and crafting, knitting brings her peace of mind, something we could all use right now:

“Knitting is the perfect combination of meditating and peace. It sounds crazy, but when I don’t have knitting, I can feel myself shorting out a little bit, being a little crankier and just missing it . . . it’s just such a great way to disconnect from the chaos of the world . . . to just center yourself and take your mind out of the orbit of insanity but on to what it is that is right in front of you. And I think that’s really important. When I say to people that you need a hobby, it’s not an insult. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”

Kim Davis

If only more people understood that the cure to our collective crankiness is more time alone with nice yarn and pointed sticks.

So tune in for a great conversation with Kim Davis and explore the surprising parallels between the world of true crime and knitting because everything really is connected!

What is it about Martha Stewart? If you want a good watch while you are playing with your Christmas yarn and pointed sticks, tune in to the Netflix biopic, Martha. Talk about a phoenix. Launching her own I.P.O. in 1999, she became the first self-made woman billionaire in American history. Five years later, she’s wearing her “Coming Home Poncho” that a fellow inmate crocheted for her as she leaves a federal prison, a.k.a. “Camp Cupcake.” We have watched her rise and fall and rise again, and there’s a lot to admire here. Perhaps Joan Didion said it best in her New Yorker piece: “This is not a story about a woman who made the best of traditional skills. This is a story about a woman who did her own I.P.O. This is the 'woman’s pluck' story, the dust-bowl story, the burying-your-child-on-the-trail story, the I-will-never-go-hungry-again story . . . The dreams and the fears into which Martha Stewart taps are not of “feminine” domesticity but of female power, of the woman who sits down at the table with the men and, still in her apron, walks away with the chips." Joan Didion, The New Yorker, February 21 and 28, 2000.

This is a Martha who is 83, and she’s got an edge—she even drops an occasional f-bomb! But it’s an edge that she has earned, and she’s not going to sand it down or dip it in sugar. And in the midst of the triumphs and the tribulations, she’s learned a few things worth listening to: “If you want to be happy for a year, get married. If you want to be happy for a decade, get a dog. If you want to be happy for life, plant a garden.” She learns something new every day, and she lives by the dictum that “when you are through changing, you are through.” This is a Martha who is perfectly human, flawed like the rest of us and weathered by experience, but still standing and inspecting her peonies. She makes us think that whatever happens, we'll survive--a message we could use right now.

Speaking of transformation, of taking clown-colors and making them wearable, check out Bootie’s shawl that she over-dyed with Kool-Aid. Her daughter actually wears it on a regular basis! A knitting triumph, but it didn’t start out that way. Between this and Martha’s story, you’ll definitely find some inspiration in this episode, and a healthy snack with Martha’s Lemony White Bean Hummus! Please check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com