Last weekend, I nervously uploaded a video to YouTube and scheduled it to go live on Saturday morning. My mind was turning over and over with a cavalcade of thoughts and worries: Will people still like it? Is it too long? What if no-one wants to watch it? Have I made a huge mistake?
I wasn’t even this worried when I uploaded my first ever sewing vlog just over a year ago!
Why all the thoughts and worries? Why was I second-guessing myself? Read on to find out.
It’s Sew Old Fashioned: The Podcast Edition
Why the change?
When I started my sewing vlog, I tried to keep my videos around the ten minute mark. I thought it was a good guide: not too long, not too short. It was a length I enjoyed as a viewer, so I figured it would be the ideal length for me as a creator.
Then I found longer videos sneaking onto my Watch Later playlist. I’d been subscribed to a few podcasts but never really watched them as I wasn’t sure I could commit to an hour of viewing, but now I was popping them on and discovering they were the perfect company for some knitting or a hand-sewing project.
As my viewing tastes changed, I began to think about changing my own channel’s content. My ten-minute videos undergo a lot of editing: I love to get things just right and to insert helpful footage or photographs as I go. I end up with a video I’m proud of, but it takes a while to get there! This led me to ask the question: do I want to edit a perfect video or what I rather have a chat with all of my fabulous sewing and knitting friends?
Thankfully, the answer to that is obvious!
I began to wonder if a longer, rambly podcast could cut down on the hours of editing while maximising the time I could spend with my online knitting and sewing circle. So I tried it out and had a fabulous time – right up until I uploaded the podcast and was assailed by a wall of worries.
What makes it a podcast?
This is one of those handy terms that we seem to use however we like! I always thought of a podcast as a purely audio production – the sort of thing I like to play on my Bluetooth speaker as I’m sewing. More and more, however, we see it used as a way to describe a longer video on YouTube, so I just went with the flow there. It’s a handy way to differentiate it from the more common shorter videos.
Is the Sew Old Fashioned Podcast here to stay?
Will I keep podcasting? Oh, yes! I loved having a good old ramble and I’m still amazed that I talked for so long – I don’t really think of myself as a great talker. The finished video was forty minutes long, but there was still a bit cut out. All up, I think I recorded over an hour of rambling!
The main reason I want to continue is because it gives me a chance to share everything without having to wait for next weekend’s video. So many fabulous thrifting finds have gone unshared because I didn’t have a chance to do a thrifting haul video, for example. Now, I can do everything in one go and hopefully provide some entertainment while you’re sewing or knitting.
What did you think of the podcast?
I would love to hear your thoughts on the new format. What would you like to see? Are there segments you’d like me to include? Let me know in the comments below.
5 comments
Hi Katie,
I don’t mind long podcasts at all as I like to listen while knitting/cooking/sewing. I really enjoyed how this episode went though it’s my first time watching your podcast. I don’t think you should worry too much about the length of your episodes. I particularly like the tip about avoiding the blob (I believe you called it) between the band and jumper body. And thanks for popping over to my blog.
Hello Katie,
I loved it and I don’t mind long podcasts at all. I don’t think you should worry about the length of your podcast at all, some are way longer than this. I really like that you mentioned there’s a way to avoid the “blob” between the band and body of a jumper. Your knits are really beautiful and I particularly love the pink one. And thanks for popping over to my blog.
Best wishes.
NB: In case you see two responses from me, it was because my first comment mysteriously vanished 🙂.
Hi Anthonia. 🙂 Thank-you so much for your lovely comments on my podcast. Everyone has been so positive about it and I still can’t believe how nervous I was about changing things up. I’ll definitely keep everyone updated on the blob issue – it’s something that really bugs me in more modern knits (and by ‘modern’ I mean ‘the seventies’) so I’m keen to see if my technique will smooth it out.
Thank-you for dropping in to my blog, too. I am always excited to discover lovely new knitting blogs so it was a delight to find yours.
P.S. My site is set up so that anyone’s first comment is moderated in case it’s spam but once you’ve been approved as a real person, any future comments won’t disappear. 🙂
it’s my first time watching your podcast! I love it! I like your way to explain! I don’t think your podcasts are too long .. see you next
Thanks, Moira! 🙂