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Fiber Arts Community
26 Plays2 months ago
While typically seen as a solo act, being a fiber artist doesn’t mean you have to craft in solitude. Andrew (Caliri Creations) and Kelly (Cocky Crocheter) share tales of how they found their circle of fellow fiber fanatics and the continued impact it's had on their lives.
Looking for your people? Let us be your fiber family!
Music Credit: Break by Moavii | https://www.youtube.com/@MoaviiMusic Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
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Transcript
Introduction to the Fiber Arts Community
00:00:00
Speaker
Thank you.
00:00:15
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode. I'm Kelly of Cocky Crocheter and we've got Andrew of Cleary Creations. And today we are talking all about yarn community or fiber arts community or your knitting community. In general, we're just talking community, getting together with friends, family, all related to fiber arts. So that is what today's episode is all about. Are you excited about this, Andrew?
00:00:43
Speaker
I totally am. I, you know, i I didn't realize that there was so much community in like the knitting world when I was growing up because it's like a solo hobby, you know? And so you don't really like get together and knit with people if you're at home teaching yourself on YouTube.
00:01:02
Speaker
So, um, it was only in my adult life that I really discovered that you can grow a community of fiber arts people. Um, and you know, it can be really rewarding.
00:01:14
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. i That was exactly my experience growing up as well. Like when I was learning how to crochet and was teaching myself to knit and everything. i mean, my first places were in like kind of small settings. Like I was doing this with...
00:01:30
Speaker
a couple of friends on my debate team, and then also my mom, like teaching me, of course. So, but even then the debate team, our primary reason for meeting had nothing to do with the fiber arts. It was just something a couple of us brought along with ourselves and it just occupied our time while we were waiting for our next debate session or like, you know, poetry meeting that we had to do for our events or whatever. um But yeah, that was definitely not like, but our community wasn't based around fiber arts. So yeah, same experience.
00:02:01
Speaker
But as an adult, I've discovered like, these are my people. I was like, this is actually a community activity if you really want it to be. And I was like, wow, that's so exciting. oh my gosh, I can't believe like, I've been, where has this been all my life kind of thing.
00:02:19
Speaker
Oh, I totally
Niche Groups and Community Bonds
00:02:20
Speaker
agree. i ah you know, a couple years ago is when I found the knitting group that I'm part of now. And it's like a a group specifically for men, specifically queer men, and specifically fiber arts, um fiber artists that fit the other categories. um So it's very like exclusive, like, you have to fit a lot of categories to be there. But because it's so exclusive and niche, it actually creates like a home you know it's like a refuge for people who are just like me and so I think it's actually really cool that we can use fiber arts as a way to like tether ourselves to other people who are the same as us or they have like the same interest they have like similar lifestyle kind of thing um it creates like a really safe space
00:03:09
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. i love that. And actually, like, that is something that I've always been kind of jealous of when it comes to you and like your, the fact that you have found this kind of niche group where all the Venn diagrams overlap to each other. You're like a queer men's fiber arts group. Yeah, exactly. And I'm like sitting there thinking, well, that would be really cool. Um, if I could find something like that here. Um, but that's not to say that I don't love the communities that I'm part of here as well. So you've got your l LA fiber dudes group. Uh, I have a couple of different groups that I,
00:03:47
Speaker
admittedly need to read participate in a little bit more with the holidays and everything like i've just not been able to go to them as much um but i have two knitting groups that i've joined um the first one was actually part of it's like an extension kind of of my very first group that i was a part of and then the other one was part of a group that was started at the yarn shop i worked at um And then that yarn shop closed, but the group still continued to meet after that. um And now there's actually a third one that I'm starting to kind of integrate myself into. But I'll go into detail like, we can talk about those like kind of details a bit later. But for now, um since we're kind of on it, like, you know, you have the LA Fiber dudes that you're part of.
Serendipitous Connections and Growth
00:04:32
Speaker
So tell me, um how did you find that group? Like what, how did you kind of get started with them?
00:04:40
Speaker
Yeah, I was really just kind of looking for a way to expand community. And I, you know, it's like hard to make friends as an adult. So I was kind of thinking of like, well, how could I make friends as an adult?
00:04:52
Speaker
You know, and like thinking about how I made friends in college, I um went to the LGBT center on campus. And it's like you met a bunch of people that you have the same interests and same kind of like mentality.
00:05:06
Speaker
And so I was like, all right, well, building off of that, You know, maybe there is something for knitting. um And just when i happened to be looking around the group, the LA Fiber Dudes had a post on Meetup.
00:05:20
Speaker
Oh. oh Which was actually lucky because it wasn't there for very long. Because you have to pay for your group to be up on this on the website. Oh, okay. And the leader at the time didn't really want to have it up, I found out. So he deleted it only a couple months after I joined. So I like barely even like made the right timing to find it.
00:05:41
Speaker
Do you feel like it's like a serendipitous thing, like the universe meant for you to join this group? A hundred percent. I'm like, I have evolved so much since joining the group.
00:05:53
Speaker
Before the group, I would just like knit when I felt like it. And I never really did big projects. I was literally just doing like scarves and blankets, which are basically just rectangles and squares. You know, that's that's the extent of what I was knitting. So the only reason I'm as advanced as I am now is because of the group and like everything I've learned from them.
00:06:16
Speaker
Oh, that actually, okay. That's kind of uncanny that you say that because literally the reason I am where I am today is because I decided to join a random knit night that I had found out about. Wow.
00:06:28
Speaker
And that also did a lot of what you just explained. Okay. So yeah. Yeah. For me, first so okay so for me like back up, I'll give that context. so For me, it started off as I as was asking like a friend of mine, like I was just talking about I was going to make some projects. because like you I just kind of just crocheted on and off when I felt like it. I would sometimes go a long time without doing it. But um I would eventually always come back to it. Well, at one point I was kind of in a crochet mood and one of my friends told me a new yarn shop had opened up in Edmond, which is like a suburb of Oklahoma City where I live. And i was like, okay, I'll go check that out. It's not too far from here. Went in, beautiful yarn shop. It was a chick that knits. It was dyed yarn. This was the fancy yarn I knew. so i was like, ah, okay. Um, and the store manager at the time, she checked me out and she was like, Hey, and on Thursday nights, we have this knit night where we just get together. And I'm like, really? i was like, I could bring my crochet. Would that be okay? And she was like, absolutely. It's called knit night, but it was, you know, just, yeah Anybody can come. So I was like, okay. So I started joining that and through going to these knit nights and making friends and getting into that group, that was where, I mean, I've talked about this before. The owner, Tammy, she wanted me to make samples. And that's what led me to making more complicated things, designing a scarf, oh wow making a sweater, making a card. like So like what you said, where you just prior to that made only just like flat rectangles.
00:07:57
Speaker
That was the same thing for me. I was making blankets, scarves, trying my hand at maybe like a couple of weird amigurumi things. But overall, I like just stuck in the same projects. But this group, this interaction led me to advance my skills.
00:08:13
Speaker
all like It was incredible. like I was just like, this changed the trajectory of my life. so Oh, yeah.
Online Communities and Collaborations
00:08:20
Speaker
100%. Same for me. That was your experience. Yeah.
00:08:24
Speaker
yeah Yeah, exactly. So like your experience and mine, like kind of paralleling. Yeah. Well, it's the power of community that shows you right there. It had the same effect on both of us. And, you know, honestly, I don't even think we would be here had it not been for like me joining the group and maybe even for you joining the group. because I wouldn't have been so deep into the world of fiber arts.
00:08:47
Speaker
You know, I wouldn't have like learned so many things. And, you know, the group is where I learned about following patterns, which led to doing the mystery knit along every year, which led to making content for it.
00:08:58
Speaker
So it kind of like snowballs. And then you kind of see how you can take what you learn in your local group and then also share it online. And then you're also...
00:09:09
Speaker
building online community which is great because that's really the only way that we connected is through the online community literally was exactly what i was going to comment it was i was like we've got the local that led to the big like it went real like you know we started with the seed and then it like grew like a plant and oh yeah know then you're right like the the on the online community i was like i didn't because prior to So ah obvious. Okay. Oh my God. Back up. So I had like Facebook and I i don't know if you were around when my space was a thing, but like when Facebook was starting out, like that was kind of the big it thing. And I remember that I just, that was just where I spoke to my friends, very generalist. And then I had an Instagram, but I I've already got Facebook. I don't know really what to do with this.
00:09:59
Speaker
But then it was like, as I started getting more serious into crochet, i was like, I could post things on Facebook. the Instagram and that could be my crochet account. But then it slowly became almost like my main account because it almost became like a, my fiber arts community was where I was spending most of my time in real life, but then also online as well. And so I kind of like drifted a little away from Facebook. Like I wasn't really doing much with that anyway.
00:10:23
Speaker
And so now like, but then through Instagram, I've met people like you and now that itself changed the trajectory because You and I even talked, we were like, we had no plans individually of ever doing a podcast. And now we're sitting there being like, we started a fiber arts podcast because our fiber arts community. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
00:10:44
Speaker
So incredible to think about that. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it is incredible. And, you know, we never would have met because I like only been to Oklahoma once and that was just driving through it on my way to L.A.
00:10:56
Speaker
ah You know, and so we wouldn't have met without Instagram and we wouldn't have this and, you know, we wouldn't have, you know, been able to push each other to grow because we've talked about that before, too, of like you helped me grow as a designer and vice versa. We kind of like push each other. Yeah.
00:11:12
Speaker
And I have other relationships like that, too, with other fiber artists. And, you know, there are people who have tested for me that are I'll probably never meet them in person, but we chat online often.
00:11:25
Speaker
And so it's like kind of nice to know that you have people out there that are kind of like wanting to support you and you want to see what they make as well. And it's really nice.
00:11:37
Speaker
Oh yeah, ah that absolutely, completely 100% agree about all of that because you're right, like people who have tested for me, who like look over my patterns, have you know like bought them and everything like that, I'm like, I've not met any of them in person, very few of them in person. um I met a couple of them when I went to the DFW Fiber Festival. um But for the most part, all of my online friends, like even you, you and I have not physically met in person. um yeah But we've developed like an actual genuine deep friendship through the Fiber Arts community experience. And you're right. I feel like that's yeah's kind of been cool.
00:12:17
Speaker
And something I didn't even think about was that A fiber arts community is there not just for you to feel a sense of belonging, but also to kind of challenge you and really help you shape that aspect of your life. Because I think some people like, you know, fiber arts is a hobby, but for some people it becomes almost like ah an identity. Like it's part of your identity. It's part of who you are.
00:12:39
Speaker
And it's than just like fun. It's also like an occupation. It's I make content surrounding this. I plan event, like plan social gatherings around this. I have like weekly things that I do with people because of this. But then also along each step,
00:12:55
Speaker
Each level has added challenge, like challenge you to do better. So like my small group yeah locally helped me start the design process in general, make more complicated things. Same thing for you.
00:13:08
Speaker
and then the online community helped me be like, I can grow, I can see and get inspiration from other people and share my stuff. And then yeah you and i back to that individual level, taking what we've learned so far and pushing even each other to our limits. Like it's just it's been. Yeah.
00:13:24
Speaker
That's like so incredible to think like how all of that connects. Much like great how fiber arts connect to threads and stuff like that. god. ah I had a feeling you were going to make that kind of joke. ah Yes. Weaving a community thread or something.
00:13:47
Speaker
Yeah, we're just we're all knit together. Yeah, we're just like we're we're hooked on each other. Yeah. ah ah yeah I had a feeling either one of us was going to make that issue.
00:14:02
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's true. I'm inclusive with all the fiber art. it I felt that deep in my soul. Oh my god, get out of here. But anyway... I can't, I've been stitched together with you. Anyway, sorry, go on. I'm done, I'm done.
00:14:22
Speaker
um Anyway, like the online community definitely has pushed us to get out of our comfort zone, one, to do this podcast. But also, we've both been branching out on our YouTubes. And, you know, the online community is really great for us as a supplement because we have in-person communities. But what I like about...
00:14:44
Speaker
doing my YouTube series, the whip Wednesday is that I'm hopefully offering a sense of community to people that don't have anywhere to go in person. There's lots of people who say like, I didn't even know that men knit or crochet. Like I get that comment all the
Breaking Stereotypes in Fiber Arts
00:15:00
Speaker
time on my YouTube. yeah Um, and so it's really cool to kind of like show that side to the world and,
00:15:08
Speaker
I don't know, be like representation of that, even though it feels so normal to me. Yeah. You know, not everybody has that. um And, you know, because seeing people like us, we might actually inspire people who are like, well, I didn't know that that was like a thing for men to do.
00:15:24
Speaker
Like, heck, yeah, it is. You know? um Yeah. We might inspire the next generation of male crafters. I mean, that was your story. You were inspired by a male, like a fellow male student doing it. So yeah. yeah And you're right. Like I, I think I remember you even said like there was a comment from somebody on one of your videos that was like,
00:15:49
Speaker
One, it is just really nice to see other men doing this because he's like, I like doing it, but also seeing you do it out in public was almost like a gave him not permission, but like he allowed himself to feel more comfortable with making this something that other people saw him doing. It wasn't something he had to do in private or like behind closed doors or be embarrassed about, um which is very interesting because I've honestly never really been embarrassed working on crochet in public.
00:16:16
Speaker
um yeah but apparently like there are a lot of men who actually do encounter moments where they're like people might say or make some kind of a weird comment like oh you're you're a guy what are you doing that girly thing for it and I'm just like but that's yeah not what it is like And so having the online community access, like you said, provides people like that permission to be like, yeah, you can do this. It's a public thing. It can be yes done anywhere. And you might actually find other people that you can join in with. Like I have oh yeah fiber arts friends out in public where they're like, oh yeah. um I didn't know there was a knit night in this area. And I'm like, yeah, there is. I go over to that and they're like, oh my gosh. And then they join and we become besties. Yeah. So I was just saying, or they'll at least come up to you and like chat with you. And then there's like, you're connecting with someone right there.
00:17:07
Speaker
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Even if they never join or I never see them again, that is a moment of human connection that's just great to have. and because oh yeah And they'll usually even, what I love is they'll share a story about like, even if they themselves don't do a fiber art, they'll be like, my grandmother knitted or my niece is learning how to crochet and making all this stuff.
00:17:26
Speaker
And it's just, I love hearing about those stories because I'm like, yay they're connecting with me through fiber arts, but also it's a chance for them to talk about their own loved ones, their family and all everything like that. So, you know, good, all just good feelings all around.
00:17:40
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think those kinds of things always, for me, it reinforces why I want to do these kinds of things. Cause sometimes I'm like, well, why am i making a video of me? Just, you know, when you break it down, the videos that I make for my Wednesday uploads, it's just me sitting outside by myself, talking to myself, like to my phone, you know? But then I'm like, well, is that kind of crazy? Like, why am I doing it And then I get comments like that. And it kind of reminds me like why it's important and why it makes me feel good to share those things.
00:18:13
Speaker
Because I do remember like in middle school, I was ashamed to tell people that I was a knitter. And like, I only told like my best friend, like I vividly remember one time, like it was basically like I was coming out to him, telling him that I was a fiber artist. Yeah. And I remember feeling like embarrassed or ashamed. was way easier to come out as gay. Yeah, way easier. was. No, it wasn't. But it still felt like it was coming out.
00:18:46
Speaker
Oh, wow. Like, that's... Okay, well, that's kind of funny. I mean, it's not funny. It's sad that, like, you did feel like it was at almost the same level as having to come out. yeah um But at least it feels like it's a bit different because I remember...
00:19:00
Speaker
when I was a teacher and one of the things we had was this called like an odyssey class and it was just an exploratory class. was like a three week rotation, no grades or anything, but the kids just signed up and it was just anything that the teachers felt like teaching them about. And of course I had to bring in a fiber artist one. So I was like, I would teach kids how to knit and crochet. And at first, my very first group, all girls. So, you know, because, you know, the boys didn't really want to join. By the time I left after several years, like it was a good chunk of god like boys always signing up for it. Like, I'm really excited. Some even coming in already with experience with it. And I was just like, okay, I'm loving seeing the like across the board. It didn't matter if it was boys, girls, anybody in between. They all were interested in fiber arts and coming in and learning how to crochet and knit. And that just me really excited. So yay. They didn't feel any kind of embarrassment or shame or anything. They were like, oh, it's so cool being in, you know, Mr. Wong Sion's yarn odyssey.
00:20:01
Speaker
Wow. That's awesome. I love that the kids are feeling more empowered to to get into fiber arts because it really is for everybody. I don't know like why there's any kind of stigma about like men doing it, but, uh, you know, that's yeah what's great about the community is because you can go online and be like, Oh, well there are like thousands of men all over the place that are doing it. So I don't have to feel bad or feel ashamed or anything. Like it's ridiculous to feel that way when there are so many people who are comfortable and like showing what they got and
00:20:33
Speaker
You know, the more you get involved with it, the more you'll feel like it's a safe space and, ah you know, you'll want to share your own stuff too. I got to ask though, because we've been talking all about the good side of community. Do you feel like there's a bad side of community in the fiber arts world?
00:20:49
Speaker
Yes. In the same sense that I feel like any kind of like, um wouldn't say product, but like an end thing, like a physical object,
00:21:01
Speaker
okay na Okay, that made no sense, sorry. Where I'm going with this.
Challenges of Comparison and Self-Doubt
00:21:05
Speaker
When you can physically manifest something that's almost measurable, like that you can see the results of, such as working out, making art, cooking, family, like life events, things like that.
00:21:19
Speaker
If you're posting it online or like around a community of people, the natural tendency is to start comparing what you've done to what they've done. And the whole like, you know, comparison becomes the thief of joy starts to settle in sometimes.
00:21:34
Speaker
And I know that I have seen that. Like I have felt that before where I'm like, okay, the online community is wonderful, but I see people who are putting out content so often. They're making these great videos, great pictures and all these fun captions. They're getting hundreds of likes, thousands of views on all of their Instagram posts and everything. And I'm sitting over here being like, I struggled to to even get one reel on my thing this week. And yeah it did for me, it did well. But like it's not getting hundreds of thousands of views. And then so I can sometimes like compare myself to...
00:22:11
Speaker
fellow fiber artists who I see as vastly successful compared to me. And so it makes me feel almost like I can't keep up. Like it makes me feel like I'm constantly racing, um, yeah content out there to design more things, everything like that. So that I will say is kind of a downside to the community where sometimes I'm like, I just want to hole up in my house and not worry about having like to make a pattern or to make a design or make a video for this.
00:22:36
Speaker
I just want to crochet something for myself and then be done with it. But every time I do, I feel the pressure to be like, Yes, exactly. Yes. Yeah, it is hard. I feel that pressure too. And like even, you know, over this break, I've been working on a cross stitch project just for fun.
00:22:53
Speaker
But in the back of my head, I'm like, okay, well, how could I monetize this? Or how can I make a post for this? Should I make a reel for this? And I keep thinking and I'm like, no you can like actually craft just for fun. And it doesn't have to please the masses or like you don't have to document everything.
00:23:11
Speaker
um But you're right. There are a lot of people in the community that post very often and they have good posts. So then it does kind of make you feel like you fall behind. I definitely agree that is a potential bad side of the community. Yeah.
00:23:26
Speaker
Not in like a terrible way, but like, I mean, if you see someone posting a finished like Stephen West project every other day, like for example, I saw this one post. This guy said he started knitting earlier this year, okay? And he's already made nine sweaters, three vests, and like five other items.
00:23:45
Speaker
All in the course of one year. And they, I mean, i don't know what weight of yarn he was using, but it didn't look like super bulky. Like it was at most a worsted weight, but it looked smaller.
00:23:57
Speaker
And it had fair isle. yes Yeah, he's like, I mean, I'm assuming they're not machine made. I'm assuming he knit them by hand.
00:24:08
Speaker
But it was like fair isle cables. um You know, adding buttons and like to like the vests and everything and So I saw that and I'm an experienced knitter, but I did not pump out nine sweaters this year. So i in my head was like, dang, this guy just started this year. Like I'm wasting my life over here. I could be doing so much more. Oh my God. Okay.
00:24:34
Speaker
Well, now that you've told me about him, I've learned another reason that I should feel ashamed of myself because I didn't pump out that many either. I literally designed sweaters. That is one of the things I know. But it just, it takes so long.
00:24:50
Speaker
how did yeah How do they whip them out so fast? Yeah. Okay. But we need to know. I don't know. So we're demonstrating in real time the dark side of sometimes the fiber arts community. Where you're like, okay. But, and okay. So kind of to that point, I will say, you feeling like you have to catch up.
00:25:08
Speaker
makes me feel almost like, well, then where am I? Because I feel like you produce way more content than I do. So every time I see you post something, I'm always like, dang I'm behind. like so now slow down a little bit. But then you feel like you're behind. And so I'm like, okay, so this is just a reminder that we're all in that same boat. yeah We're all doing that.
00:25:33
Speaker
So yes. Yeah. And we can encourage that about it for each other. I can definitely be like, it's okay that I'm seeing somebody coming into knit night, working on the same project they've been working on for the last four or five knit nights, because again, this is not a race.
Collaboration and Shared Projects
00:25:48
Speaker
It's not meant to be a race. We're all meant to sit here and enjoy it. And if you're working on a big cable fair isle duster cardigan, That thing is going to take you some time. And but it's yeah beautiful. And we'll get to see the progress and celebrate that along the way.
00:26:04
Speaker
Even if you don't document it all, even if you don't show every part of it to everybody, it's still like, you know, a great way to connect with people. Yeah. Yeah. Well, especially what I've really liked is seeing online when people make the same pattern as you. It was like a really big thing, of course, with the mystery knit alongs. Like, you know, you see other people's colors and everyone's working on the same thing at once. But I've even seen some of those that steaking sweater that I made. I've seen some of those online on like Reddit and stuff. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, someone else made the Homestead.
00:26:36
Speaker
Like, I can't believe it, you know? ah so it's been really cool. I've seen a couple of those in the wild this year. And so I always have to reach out. I'm like, oh my God, I made this too. This is so fun.
00:26:50
Speaker
um so you know, everyone following universal patterns like all over the world is like another community aspect, I would say. Yeah, I mean, that makes a lot of sense. So the, I mean, that's what the success of something like the West Knits MCAL is, is that it yeah joins the need for community with the excitement of fiber arts and also the different interpretations people can have with literally the exact same pattern. yeah. The color palettes they choose, the way they kind of modify it for their own taste if they don't like a particular part. um
00:27:24
Speaker
The challenge of like, you know, improving their skills and everything. Literally, that MCAL touches on everything we've talked about so far in this episode about yeah yeah the community challenging you. But then also the time can put a lot of pressure on it where you're like, um I don't know going to be able to get it done in time. So then you're comparing yourself to others. and you You were like so proud. You were so proud that you were like, I got that MCAL done on time. And I was like, yes. And that was an accomplishment.
00:27:53
Speaker
But I was also like imagining you're like, yeah, that's right. I'm better than everyone else because I finished this on time. time You're almost like giving it the toxicity of like, you know, compare yourself to me. You're not as good. It's like, I didn't say that. I did not say that. those no You said that.
00:28:15
Speaker
But I will say. I know. I'm the one who like was like, yeah. Well, I did notice when I was making my YouTube series for the MCAL, you know, I saw that there were other creators that I'm friends with that were like posting their videos. And if they posted their video before me, I was like, dang it. Like I wanted to beat them to the video. So I was like, I need to knit faster on the next clue so that I'd beat them. You know, and i mean, it was never like an out loud competition, but it's just like an underground competition for me because I was like,
00:28:48
Speaker
I guess it was like another challenge for me. I want to have the first Clue 3 video that's out there, you know? But people are fast. There's no way to beat some of them. They come out like halfway through the week with the full video already. I'm like, there's no way.
00:29:04
Speaker
I could never beat you. Yeah. You know, that though, I think like, okay, so that's kind of like the double-edged sword of the comparison thing where you're like, it can be done actually quite well. Like for you, you're like, it's encouraging me to get my videos out, getting this done. So like it, it was a really actually a good thing for you. So the competition really motivated you, even if the competition was entirely internal. like your own competition. You weren't directly trying to beat them. They weren't directly trying to beat you. They were just doing their own thing. And you like, but I'm also, yeah. So I think, yeah, that's pretty good. But I mean, that also harkens back to, I produced, I think more patterns this year than I've done before because of you, because of my tester community that was working on it, because of the positive feedback I got on Instagram that encouraged me to,
00:29:53
Speaker
do that, I was like, oh yeah. And then seeing other people like you getting into design and seeing the designs that they're doing and getting successful, um it encouraged me to be like, you know what? Why? I mean, i helped them out by like and they're going off with it using my advice. So I'm like, I need to use my own advice. So then that encourages me even more so. I'm like, I'm competing yeah with myself and with my community. And then as a result, we're all lifting each other up kind of thing.
Inspiration through Friendly Competition
00:30:22
Speaker
Yes, that is one good thing I'll say is like, even though there's competition, the competition I think is like healthy because you kind of see what other people are doing and like you can get inspired by them and kind of make your own version of like, I've been doing that for a lot of reels lately. just been having fun kind of like taking the same sound and format and like making it my own. But then it's also still just like everyone's creating more knitting and yarn and crochet content. So I do think overall it like betters the community. Yeah.
00:30:56
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, so fantastic. Well, as much as I'm sure we want to continue engaging in community with each other, i am noting that the time is getting really close to that half hour, if not already over it.
Engagement and Invitation to Join
00:31:08
Speaker
um So we should probably go ahead and wrap it up. But um let's definitely continue this conversation. um We always love having people um you know join with us because we want to grow the community. So if you are yeah interested in growing the community with us, definitely make sure you hit that like and definitely subscribe to us if you're following us here on YouTube and hit that bell notification so that you can stay up with our community. um Yeah. yeah
00:31:38
Speaker
Yeah, and you know, hey, this is all about community, right? So we love responding to people in the comments. Kelly and I both seem to respond to every comment if we can, if we have time for it, you know? um But that's where we really get to know people. And I've gotten to know a lot of really great people through the comments. So definitely leave a comment if you want to hear from us. um And yeah, we'll see you guys on the next episode.