If you have not heard of our Ambassador program before let me give you a few details! We partner with individuals all over the world who share our love and passion for natural, sustainably made yarns and gorgeous patterns. In exchange for a copy of the publication, they then share our work with their audiences. This can be via their podcast, blog, Instagram, whatever works best for them! I thought it would be nice to introduce our Ambassadors taking part in the JEWELS release and let them share a little more about themselves and their upcoming events!

Clare - Knit Share Love

Clare discovered her passion for knitting as she wandered along the trails of the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia back in 2011. Since then, wherever she's wandered she's taken her yarn and a pair of pointy sticks with her. She currently lives in sunny Brisbane, where there is little need for woollens but her needles are still always clicking.

"I love being part of the Making Stories Ambassador programme, the team curate some really beautiful collections and I always find it hard to choose my first cast-on from a new publication! Their commitment to natural yarns, ethical and transparent working practices and raising up designers is very important to me and makes me proud to be associated with the team.

I am eagerly awaiting my copy of Jewels and am planning to cast on my first colourwork hat project for the KAL I am co-hosting with Colleen. I am also planning a Citrine jumper which I hope to knit through the summer here so it is ready for my trip to Edinburgh in March."

Website: www.knitsharelove.com

Instagram: @knitsharelove

Colleen - Post Script Love

Hi! I'm Colleen Diamond. I live on the Southern Shore of Lake Ontario in Canada. I've been knitting for the last 14 years but first learned to knit as a small child. I'm often drawn to rustic, minimally processed fibres that are both durable and good for the environment. Some of my favourite things to knit are yokes, stranded colourwork and cables. I dabble in a bit of photography, natural dyeing, and on occasion, designing my own patterns.

I joined on to be an ambassador for JEWELS because I wanted to engage myself with like-minded knitters who share the same passion for sustainable yarns and timeless designs. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed my time hosting a KAL for the BREEZE publication last spring and thought it would be wonderful to contribute again.

Ravelry: Post Script Love

Instagram: @postscriptlove

Kate - Hawthorn Cottage Craft

Kate is the lovely host and creator of Hawthorn Cottage Craft, a knitting podcast based in Northern Ireland. There is a lot of chat about yarn, projects being worked on and festivals and yarn events attended!

“I am Kate. I love to knit and I love talking about knitting on my YouTube channel - Hawthorn Cottage Craft. Sweaters are the things I love to knit most, especially using natural yarns. I am delighted to be an ambassador for Making Stories as the promotion of independent designers and ethically produced yarn is important to me. I am looking forward to reviewing the new publication, JEWELS, on the podcast with its exciting new releases for the Winter.

Instagram: @hawthorncottagecraft

Youtube: Hawthorn Cottage Craft

Anna - Dunkelgrün

My name is Anna, I am a knitter, spinner, dyer, general fibre enthusiast, podcaster and chemist! I live in the beautiful town of Zurich in Switzerland together with my boyfriend and our sweet cat Leila.

In 2017, after finishing my PhD, I started with the Dunkelgrün podcast. I was so warmly received by the knitting community and received so much encouragement to continue sharing my fibre adventures and my view on different topics in the arts and crafts of knitting, spinning, dyeing, sewing… I am very thankful for that and am enjoying this journey!

When I first heard about the Making Stories project, I immediately felt a connection. I sympathised with Hanna-Lisa and Verena because we have so much in common - the love for natural and sustainable yarns, the desire to live in a world of transparency and fairness, and even our age and native language! :-)

When Hanna-Lisa approached me about becoming a Making Stories ambassador I was thrilled to be a part of it, also because my audience appreciates what Making Stories stands for. It has been wonderful to accompany them and watch them grow from publication to publication. Now I am excited about JEWELS and our upcoming KAL for the Topaz sweater which for me is the perfect combination of art and science and one of my favourite sweater designs I have ever seen. Can't wait to see everybody's projects!

Instagram: @dunklegrun

Website: www.dunkelgrun.com

Patricia Dioso

Hey there! I'm Patricia, an avid knitter and owner behind Pearadise Island. An online store where I sell my hand printed project bags, totes and accessories.

I fell in love with knitting shortly after my youngest child was born about 5 years ago. As my thirst for knitting grew, so did my hunt to find the perfect bag to house my ever growing pile of WIPs. It was during this time I decided to go back to the sewing room and design a bag for myself. One that was timeless; matched my aesthetic, and it had to have a zippered pocket for quick access to my notions. I was, after all, chasing around a 2-year-old! It's been a humbling year and a bit since I opened my store. You can also find my bags in several yarn stores in the US, Canada and soon - International! 

I love all kinds of yarn from the wooliest, naturally dyed - to the magical, colourful indie-dyed. I'm most drawn to simple, modern, geometric patterns and have been a long time admirer of Verena and Hanna Lisa's work. Individually, their style is so close to my aesthetic so when they announced they were collaborating through Making Stories, I was ecstatic! I was one of the first few who supported Woods and I'm just so proud of the work they put into it. I really thought they outdid themselves for this first publication. Every single piece spoke to me which is a very rare circumstance. I‘m excited to be a part of their latest, Jewels, and can hardly wait to get Citrine on my needles!

Website: www.pearadiseisland.com

Instagram: @pearadiseisland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PearadiseIslandPodcast

Ravelry: PearadiseIsland 

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know some of our Ambassadors a little better and will be keeping an eye out for their upcoming events! They are a seriously talented group of women and I encourage you to grab a cup of tea and explore some of their links for a major inspiration boost! If you have any questions for me or the JEWELS Ambassadors ask away in the comments below!