Lifting One Another Way Up

You are familiar, I am sure, with the advice to spend time only with people who expand your horizons...and energize you...and leave you feeling ever better about yourself. And, while I understand the wisdom in letting go of relationships that are harmful, I actually enjoy hanging with people who are not always uplifting. A little snark can be wonderful. And who among us doesn't have a hilarious, sarcastic friend who is a treasure? It's great to have pals who can find the twisted humor in the crazy events of your life.

Last Saturday, about 20 of us gathered at the shop to mark the end of the Yarnology 2026 Sweater Challenge. Some of us were still happily working on our sweaters. A few of us had just finished hours before showing up on Saturday morning and would go home to block (and maybe nap). There were, of course, some Sweater Challenge rockstars who'd finished their initial sweaters and were deep into a second. You would have loved the show-and-tell. Each person told of their good and bad sweater experiences, questions were asked and answered, there were clever comments and peals of laughter.

One of my favorite things about the annual Sweater Challenge is the open-handedness of it. All are welcome, regardless of level of experience or stitching speed or geographic location. We had 85 participants this year---several of them joining the event from other parts of the country.

It occurs to me---since a generous percentage of us on Saturday morning were smack-dab in the middle of creating our sweaters---that you might be in a similar situation. 

It also occurs to me that I write to you often about starting projects, but it can be easy to get bogged down in the midst of a thing---and I probably don't talk about that enough.

When I feel like the excitement of the starting line has completely worn off...but the thrill of the finish line seems far away, I sometimes treat myself to a cool (and also handy) tool. 

It can be something small, like these adorable scissors.

It might be a fresh batch of stitch markers from Cocoknits or maybe cat-shaped markers in a cat-shaped holder. 😻

It could even be the brilliant Purl Strings, which allow you to try on your sweater at any point in its construction without having to transfer all of your live stitches to a piece of yarn!

On Saturday, I was in the group who had barely finished their sweaters...but still needed to block in order to bring everything into focus.

If you are almost at this stage, but don't have much in the way of blocking supplies, I very highly recommend the Cocoknits Blocking Set. It's an investment, for sure. But if you see yourself making garments and accessories into the future, it's a great thing to have.

And regardless of your level of blocking expertise or how many blocking tools you already own, you'll want a bottle of Soak to tend to your finished work. Show your finished labor of love some extra love by adding Soak to your blocking routine. It's plant-based, biodegradable, rinse-free, and comes in an array of amazing scents (plus scent-free, if that's your jam).

I cannot quite explain how good it felt to be in a group of easy, friendly, clever makers for a couple of hours last weekend. Yes, it was encouraging. But the morning also included good-natured ribbing and wonderful wise-crackiness. Which I was craving without realizing it.

I hope you can put yourself in the path of some general silliness this week. Our silliness levels are low right now and I think we could each use an infusion. 

Warmly,

Gaby

On-Going Opportunities:

Makers Mornings -- typically the 3rd Saturday of each month

Beginning Crochet Class -- usually once per month on a Thursday afternoon

Beginning Knit Class -- usually once per month on a Thursday afternoon