Sometimes the most exciting part of my day comes when I open a blank text/word document and then start to fill in the void. Some days I have a vague idea of what will materialize when I’m done tap-tap-tapping, but most days I just start off with a thought or idea or theme that’s been bumping around in my head and go from there. Today there’s really no theme (yet), just a curious wondering if tomorrow will really bring on the ice storm that the weather people are predicting. Down south, the notion of snow (and its evil sibling, ice) sends through through our hearts as have no concept of either substance, only a vague suspicion.

Being a rare bird, I adore the cold weather because of the bundling up in layers that it brings, the brightness of scarves, the awkwardness of hat-head, the rosiness that springs to cheeks, the endless cups of coffee and tea that keep your hands warm on the mug and your soul cozy. This morning I went out for a walk decked out in numerous layers and had the pleasure of listening to several crafty podcasts that I downloaded on my new favorite sidekick, my iPod Shuffle. I had to recently retire my 1991 yellow Sony Walkman because it kept eating tapes and was only partially functional after being dropped on concrete more than once. While that piece of machinery loyally kept me company through myriad long walks and in more than one city that I moved to anew, it was time to embrace newer technology.

Much to my surprise, this upgrade has not only allowed me the freedom to travel without tapes that come unravelled in my handbag, it has also allowed me to enter the world of podcasts! In November 2004, I was interviewed for a podcast over at AudioActivism. Even though I enjoyed the whole process and Brian was super awesome, I had no idea what the hell a podcast was, I just knew that I was talking into the world’s smallest microphone right near Carrboro, North Carolina’s biggest intersection and that I was sure a sounded like a dork with my (at the time) English/American hybrid nerd accent if I was totally drowned about by the sound of bad mufflers and rumbling engines. Brian was onto something for sure, as podcasts have taken over the world… or atleast a semi-large chunk of it.

.Cast-On: a podcast about the cultural side of knitting. Do I really need to elaborate on the awesomeness?

.CraftyChica Podcast: Cathy Cano-Murillo is one of those women who I have the utmost respect for- her never-ending creativity continues to inspire me as she continues to take the world by storm!

.CraftyPod: a lovely podcast from the equally lovely Sister Diane. Shows 8 (interview with Garth Johnson), 11 (interview with Nikola Davidson of Urban Craft Uprising) and 13 (interview with Jeffrey Yamaguchi) kept me going strong for this morning’s 4 miles.

.KnitCast : a podcast from England by Marie Irshad. Not surprisingly, it’s all about knitting shows 17 and 18 feature two of my favorite knitters, Yvonne Davies (who I had the pleasure of meeting in London many times, she is a true star!) and Freddie Robins (one of the most inspiring conceptual artists I have ever seen), respectively.

And these are just a few. To date, Google has over 79 million links to the word podcast, which I am sure will be even greater by tomorrow. I’m already excited about my future walks this week where I will be geeking out on culture increasing my etymology knowledge, learning more about folklore, delving into the mystery world of quilts, and vegan food! Awesome!

The nice thing about podcasts are not only that you can listen to them while not tied to a computer (as you are reading this right now…) but that you are able to actually hear what these people sound like, weird vocal inflections and all. Since I’ve been nerding out to all things crafty for awhile now and have been involved in many email conversations, it is nice to be able to put a voice to the photos, words or modes of thought. As technology continues to get more and more advanced, who know where this will ultimately lead us- but for now, I’m enjoying the ways that it is slowly adding piece by piece (text then audio then video) allowing us the chance to experiment with new ideas and new ways of doing things.