Episode 40: Red Heart Spokesperson, Marly Bird
Marly Bird of Yarn Thing Podcast and Red Heart
This week Vickie sat down her friend, designer & yarn world personality, Marly Bird. Marly is the host of the Yarn Thing podcast a knit and crochetwear designer, instructor, and the National Spokesperson for Red Heart yarn. She’s also a fearless fireball of enthusiasm about the yarn craft industry and community.
Marly and Vickie talked about her journey from finance world to fiber phenom, how she divvies up her many-jobs pie, and what her philosophy for crafty success is.
SHOW NOTES
BIO:
Marlaina ‘Marly’ Bird fled the world of financial services to launch a career in the yarn industry and she hasn’t looked back since. To Marly, a bi-crafty girl who both knits and crochets, the yarn is the star, not how you work with it.
She is the national spokesperson for Red Heart Yarns, hosts the YarnThing podcast, is the author of Cold Weather Crochet and I Can’t Believe I’m Entrelac Knitting, and co-author of Knitting for Dummies, 3rd ed. You’ve seen her designs in Knitter’s Magazine, Interweave Crochet, Knitscene, Love of Crochet, Love of Knitting, and in the books Knitter’s Book of Socks, Unexpected Afghans, Simply Crochet, Lace Yarn Studio, Blueprint Crochet Sweaters, and Knitting Plus.
Along with her designing and podcast, Marly has a successful YouTube channel where she teaches both knitting and crochet. On top of all that, Marly also has several online classes available with Creativebug and Craftsy.com.
In her spare time, Marly is a wife to a very understanding husband, raises three kids, and because life was not crazy enough—has three dogs.
12 Responses to “Episode 40: Red Heart Spokesperson, Marly Bird”
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Recently I chose to turn directions in the way I share Health & Wellness. It was a big step for me, but felt it was clearly the direction I was to go. <3
Thank you both for sharing from your heart about the crafting industry. I crochet and knit mostly to gift or for our home. It is one way I add to my wellness. 🙂
Almost a year ago, I left my teaching career to return to the family farm full time! Some people think I shouldn’t farm since I’m a woman, but I know I can more than keep up with the guys! I’m proud to be a farmHER! I love both of you ladies and all the wonderful things you do for the fiber arts industry!
I have been researching and preparing to retire from my day job, move house, and set up as an independent crafter. I am calmer, happier and positive about the future for the first time in a long time.
I have been trying to make time to spend on crafting this year. I work a lot and find this does help me relax and I enjoy the process of making something. The opposite of my job in front of a computer.
I enjoyed your podcast today with Marly Bird! I am a big fan of you and Marly for several years now. I just took a class with Marly last Saturday at Stitches United in Hartford CT. and I totally enjoyed it. She is a great teacher, and I did leave her classroom happy and with a big smile on my face.
10 years ago, we relocated for my husbands job. The move was difficult for me, and upon the recommendation from my doctor I started a new hobby and it was knitting. The rest is history…
Who knew…a new hobby could be so life changing!
Enjoyed this interview!
I just learned how to knit after being a big sewer. Im addicted!
Recently i began a big challenge of creating a fiber collage a week for the year. Just finished 18-so far so good! You can see if you’re curious on instagram @the_meditative_stitcher
I care deeply about animals. I knit, crochet, and sometimes sew “snuggle blankets” for my local animal shelter. I set and met goals of 52 blankets in 2015 and 52 in 2016. I am well on my way of meeting my new goal of 60 blankets in 2017.
When I wanted to learn a new creative skill, I taught myself, just like Marly did, by reading books, and figuring it out. The first sweater I ever made was my own pattern too (though not a published one).
Thank you so much for this podcast. I loved hearing the two of you chat. I listen regularly to you both so it was even more special to be in a room with the two of you together. And every time I start a “project and I don’t have an exact idea of where it is going, it feels like a fearless leap into the abyss of creativity. I’m there right now with a project and as Marly would say, I’ve gone out on the skinny branch.
Thank you for this wonderful podcast episode, Vickie and Marly. What an inspiration you both are. Not exactly fearlessly, but a few years ago I joined a mystery knit-along for a beaded lace complex-to-me shawl, which was way outside my comfort zone. Despite my trepidation and doubts, it was so fun and I learned so much that resulted in me being a better knitter at the end of that project, and being able to knit other complex-to-me projects. Summoning up courage no matter the odds is worth it.
What a great show! I found Marly’s podcast a few years ago when I learned to crochet and I’m pretty sure you were on the show to talk about your podcast which is how I re-discovered you. And I say re-discover because I had seen you out in the craft world but you didn’t really do any of the things I was interested in at the time. Marly is one of the reasons I learned to knit because I kept listening to all the wonderful designers on her podcast which is what lead me to support your new show. So like you both said, you have to lift each other up!
I totally missed the giveaway but the leap I’ve made recently is to take riding lessons from some folks that are skilled
well above Olympic level in Dressage and I get to ride one of their highly trained horses. (Yes, it goes far beyond what you see at the Olympics….) I’m trying to make the most of living overseas and these lessons are the highlight of my week. I don’t know that I want to try making a living working with horses when we get back to the states but we will see where my path leads. I try to look at life as a military spouse as an adventure. 😉
Incredibly very cool web-site. Unbelievably good toward go through and rather significantly attention-grabbing content. Surely year incorporates not however come back and greet.