Chevas, aka Chevys, is the host of the podcast Chevyrell—a podcast that I stumbled upon at the beginning of the year, and I've already watched all 84 episodes. Chevas is a 43-year-old office manager from Indiana and the perfect companion if you're feeling lonely without your own knitting gang. And if you already have one, it's the perfect podcast to chit-chat about with your crew.
When I reached out to her for this article, all my friends started saying, “Ask her to send us kisses,” “Tell her we love her,” and “She's our knitting diva.” So, I hope you read this, Chevys, because it's all 100% true. Charisma is something you don't learn or buy, and this girl could sell it. After two episodes, I was completely in love and wanted to be her best friend for life.
Her irreverence is everything we need in this new era of TikTok dances, NPC livestreams, and artificial content on the web. She shows us her wins and losses, and we all know that we lose a lot in our creative process. Her mistakes, her failures, and her wonderful discoveries—all wrapped in an amazing aura of chaos, kindness, and delicious drinks!
Like most crafters, Chevys has multiple abilities and hobbies, but she definitely invests more of her time in knitting. By now I hope you really want to meet this diva, so let's learn more about her and her craft journey.
Like most knitters, her passion began by watching her grandmas and mom making handmade stuff. "I’ve always been a maker, and in my early 20s, I decided I wanted to learn to knit. It was pre-YouTube days, and I taught myself using Debbie Stoller’s book Stitch’n’Bitch," she recalls.
Besides knitting, Chevys has a long history in spinning yarn. In one of her first episodes, I was shocked at how artsy a handspun skein could be. She showed threads with coils, pearls, and even lace in them! She explained, "I went to my first fiber festival, and the rabbit hole began—indie-dyed skeins, project bags, stitch markers, progress keepers, drop spindle, spinning lessons... I've always loved a good notion."
As a lover of show and tell as a kid, learning and teaching were always her passions, and the moment to share her journey with the community arrived in the form of a podcast. “I get to show my makes, share the things I’ve learned while making them, and ask viewers questions if I needed something. Our community is truly awesome! (...) I pulled the trigger when I got a new phone and taught myself how to edit. My first episode was my New Year's Resolution because I had been wanting to do it for so long,” Chevas remembers.
As we all know, especially after the pandemic, many people are struggling with mental health issues. This amazing human being shared with us how the act of recording her podcast can help with these issues.
“There've actually been a few episodes where I’m ‘meh’ when I start recording, but by the end, you can see that just talking about fiber gets me riled up and happy. I'll be honest, though, when I am too down, I can’t record. I also like being able to show people that it’s okay and many people struggle who you wouldn’t expect.”
Now, we all want to know what she loves to watch in her knitting and free time, right? “I have too many favorites, but there are a few diamonds in the rough that I never miss. Some post less frequently than others, but that just makes it even more exciting when they come up in my queue,” she explains. Let's check out some of Chevas' favorites!
Favorite Podcasts
The Playful Knitter: Perfect with Sunday morning coffee.
A Lefty Knitter: She does ALL THE THINGS!.
Knitty Witch: I love her bright color choices and tarot tidbits.
Andi the Knittress: Another bright color knitter, and I swear I learn something on every episode.
Rosie’s Knitting Shed: I could listen to her talk all day, she has the cutest puppies, and I love the patterns she chooses.
Chubby Pug: Her pattern and yarn choices are lovely, also perfect Sunday morning coffee viewing.
Now, to wrap up, here are some quick questions designed to delve even deeper into Chevas' knitting soul beyond what we already witness on YouTube:
Favorite fiber?
A merino/yak blend I spun years ago always comes to mind.
Favorite color?
Anything with grey, basically.
Favorite piece to knit?
Patterns that make me think, I love puzzles.
Least favorite piece to knit?
Scarves......booorrrring.
Least favorite fiber?
Hm.....I don’t find short fibers like cotton very enjoyable to spin. As for knitting/crocheting, I don’t think I have a least favorite. I do hate knitting with splitty yarn though for sure...yuck!
If you want to meet more interesting crafters, check out this article about Alltkemi!
